Chapter 1

In the depths of winter, heavy snowflakes fell.

In Shen City, on Huayuan Street, a bus had just stopped, and Su Ning, holding a bag of snacks, jumped off. The cold wind blew his down jacket hood backward, and he pressed it down with one hand, tightening his collar, and hurriedly stepped into the residential complex.

After passing through the rusty unit door, he climbed up to the third floor. The old residential building's walls were plastered with small ads, and in the short time he had been out, two flyers had already been stuffed into the fu character on his door.

“I’m back,” he said casually as he turned the key in the door and spoke into the room.

Of course, he received no response.

He then remembered that his roommate was on a business trip and wasn’t around.

Su Ning, 24 years old, a full-time writer, had been living with a college classmate since graduation. His roommate worked for a large company, leaving early and returning late, occasionally going on business trips, and was under a lot of pressure.

In previous years, business trips wouldn’t have been so frequent, but this year was somewhat special. Since the beginning of the year, the country had been unstable, with strange creatures attacking humans in various places.

At first, the news was kept under wraps, and people thought it was just wild animals attacking humans or zoo tigers escaping. However, as the incidents increased, the news gradually became uncontrollable.

People then learned that these were monsters from unknown origins, with various appearances, brutal natures, and mysterious powers. Those who encountered them either died or went insane.

Fortunately, with the government's strong response, the situation was stabilized. Since the incidents were far from most people, life remained relatively peaceful.

However, some people were affected, including his roommate's company.

...

“Phew.” Stamping his feet, Su Ning took off his coat, put the food he had bought into the refrigerator, and then took out a self-heating hotpot to cook for lunch.

The hotpot needed to cook for fifteen minutes, so Su Ning sat in front of his computer and decided to refine the beginning of his new book. His previous book had been completed, and he was currently in the period of writing a new one, which was relatively relaxed.

However, as soon as he turned on the screen, he let out a cry of surprise.

A sharp pain shot through his head.

It was an old problem. For over a decade, he would occasionally experience sudden headaches, even fainting, but the hospital couldn't find any specific cause. In the past year, the frequency had increased.

But this time was different.

Holding his head, Su Ning felt as if he heard a mysterious bell ringing. Then, a voice, indistinguishable as male or female, echoed from the depths of his consciousness:

[Detected the approach of the Old Ones, the Human Guardian System has been activated!]

[Introduction: This system aims to help the host resist the Old Ones and protect the glory of humanity]

[Congratulations, you have inherited the legacy of the "Human Sect"]

(Human Sect: An ancient mysterious organization that disappeared into the mists of history, withered over time, and left behind numerous treasures)

[Main Quest: Lead the Human Sect, recruit members, spread the glory of the Human Sect, and restore its former glory]

(Enhancing the glory of the Human Sect can unlock various rewards)

...

A barrage of information left Su Ning dazed.

What does this mean?

The Old Ones are coming?

Are they referring to those strange creatures appearing on Earth?

Are they the Old Ones?

And then... I inherited an ancient mysterious organization called the "Human Sect"?

I need to recruit members, expand the organization's influence, unlock various rewards, and resist the arrival of the Old Ones?

What is this all about?

"Is it really just the worsening of my condition, and I'm starting to hallucinate?" Su Ning didn’t believe it was real. After years of headaches, he had given up on unrealistic fantasies.

"Should I call 120? I really need emergency medical attention." Su Ning’s mouth was dry, and he wanted to reach for his phone, but the pain in his head suddenly subsided.

In his field of vision, a transparent panel appeared:

Human Sect: Level 0

Organization Members (1): Su Ning

Glory Points: 0

Legacy: Unlocked (Please spread the glory as soon as possible, enhance the organization's influence, and unlock the Human Sect's legacy)

...

Blinking, the panel was still there. He reached out to touch it, but there was no physical sensation.

Su Ning was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly became excited.

"Is this real?"

"Did I really get a system? Is the world about to be invaded by monsters?"

The richness of this experience... it was hard to dismiss it as a hallucination.

Young people always have many wonderful fantasies about the future, and Su Ning was no exception.

Countless nights, he had imagined himself stepping into a mysterious world like the protagonists in his stories. However, life was tough, and his dreams gradually faded. Just when he had resigned himself to an ordinary fate, the opportunity had actually arrived...

His heart pounded, and Su Ning took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down:

"Monsters are coming, and this is probably my only reliance. Leading an ancient mysterious organization?"

Could this really be happening?

Looking at the text on the panel, each item had a brief description. The gist was that the ancient organization called the "Human Sect" now had only him as a member.

He needed to earn "Glory" points to level up and unlock rewards.

"But... what should I do? Should I start preaching?" Su Ning was a bit at a loss.

Suddenly,

His computer screen buzzed with an urgent notification. He opened it to find the local author group, where people usually chatted and joked, with messages often reaching 99+. However, the new message was different:

Silkworm Bean: “@All Members, something big is happening!”

“Come out!”

“What’s going on?” Squid Girl, who usually stayed submerged, surfaced.

“What happened?” More people were drawn out, confused.

“Shen City No. 1 High School has been bombed!” Silkworm Bean said excitedly, “The authorities are already there, and the school gates are full of special police! The military might even be on the way!”

As he spoke, he quickly uploaded a video.

The message was vague, leaving everyone puzzled, but Su Ning’s eyebrows shot up, and he hurriedly clicked on the video.

The next second, a blurry, shaky image appeared.

The center of the screen showed the streets around the school, now crowded with official vehicles. The surrounding crowd had been evacuated, and figures in bulletproof vests with guns could be seen moving around.

Gunfire and the sound of explosions could be heard from outside the frame, and black smoke rose in the distance. The camera seemed to be in the crowd, and the sounds of chaotic discussions and screams could be heard.

“Monsters! Monsters have appeared!” a sharp voice shouted.

The video, only a few seconds long, ended, leaving Su Ning stunned. The group chat, however, exploded with messages:

Chicken Chasing Eagle: “Is it a monster invasion? Is what’s on the internet true?”

Tomato: “Monsters appeared near the school?! Isn’t it winter break now?”

Yan Gui Waizhuan: “Is this a new book idea? Realistic themes are often censored…”

Elbow Without Words: “Ha, do you really believe it?”

...

Messages flooded the group chat, but Su Ning’s attention was completely drawn to the lines of text that suddenly appeared on the virtual panel:

[Detected monster invasion]

[Temporary Quest: Arrive at the scene, slay the monsters, protect humanity, reward: Bronze Treasure Chest]

[Ding—The host currently lacks the ability to complete the quest, issuing a beginner’s package]

[Package: Human Sect Guardian Golden Armor]

...

In the room, a set of human-shaped armor appeared out of nowhere. It had an ancient and mysterious design, with a dark golden color and a weathered surface, as if it had endured countless years.

A sheathed giant sword hung from the waist of the armor, and even though it was sheathed, its sharpness could be felt.

Next to the sword, there was a wooden guardian badge with ancient patterns, hanging loosely.

Feeling Su Ning’s gaze, the entire set of golden armor trembled slightly, as if it were alive.

“This...” Su Ning was still in a daze.

The system panel, which was the size of a laptop screen, suddenly expanded, growing to the size of a person, several meters long, standing in the room. The surface rippled, displaying the battle scene at the school!

It was like... a giant screen!

Su Ning looked at the scene, seeing thick smoke and snow swirling. The school playground had collapsed into a large pit.

In the pit, mud splashed as a monster, resembling a crocodile and over ten meters long, thrashed about. Cracks spread from the edge of the pit.

Bullets rained down but failed to penetrate the monster’s scales. A few figures could be seen moving around the edge of the pit, their identities unknown.

The situation was urgent!

Almost simultaneously, Su Ning realized he could wear the Guardian Golden Armor and use the "screen" channel created by the system to directly reach the scene.

“Should I go?” Su Ning didn’t hesitate.