Published: March 2, 2025
Earth, Layered Battlefield. Area 8, continent plate 0953. A small town named Hope Town.
Although it is called a small town, the use of the word "small" is truly not appropriate...
Even though it is close to the front lines, even though it is located in a remote area, even though it sits on a resource-poor continent plate, this "tiny" town accommodates nearly 1 million permanent residents, covering a total area of about 20,000 square kilometers!
Before the apocalypse, this would have definitely been considered an oversized "small town," but in this era where everyone enjoys longevity, such a large human settlement can only be called a town, not a city.
Hope Town is peaceful and leisurely; despite being close to the front lines, there is no pressure of life and death — most residents of Hope Town have never even seen a demonic clan... Their greatest external threat comes from those roaming beasts that do not belong to large mutated biological groups. However, such creatures pose little threat in front of the overwhelmingly powerful Hope Town Guard, whose average strength is peak level 9.
The town lacks the hustle and bustle of the Main City of the Layered Battlefield, nor does it have the prestige of large cities on Earth, but everyone has their own preferences. Some people enjoy a small city life where the living facilities are complete, and the living pressure is minimal.
Ken is one of them...
Lying in the master bedroom, he hears his wife’s even snoring, the howls of his great-grandson playing games in the next room, and the sounds of his grandson and granddaughter-in-law downstairs. The only comfort for Ken is that his son and daughter-in-law have become independent and moved to the Main City of Area 8 to make a living.
Although Ken does not need to worry about feeding those two mouths, it is always good for them to be independent...
His peak level 9 perception allows him to hear everything happening in the entire detached villa. He tosses and turns, unable to sleep. After a while, he simply gets out of bed quietly, puts on a piece of clothing, and goes to the balcony, smoking a cigarette while surveying the tranquil little city.
Ken is already a great-grandfather, but he doesn't look too old from the outside — around thirty, with neat hair and beard, bright eyes, and a strong body.
Although he is already 89 years old this year...
In this era, peak level 9 beings are not many but are not exactly rare either, and their lifespans are nearing a thousand years — this is also the fundamental reason for the population explosion.
If it weren't for the abundant food produced in certain treasure lands and the rapid technological advancement of Beijing, the entire world would have long reached a significant surplus of material resources. Without the demonic clan, just the population issue alone would be enough to drag down the entire Earth.
However, these matters are naturally of no concern to Ken.
He takes a puff from his cigarette, feeling drowsy, when his body suddenly shivers.
His hazy perception tells him that something seems to have changed...
“Wake up! Wake up!”
He pushes his wife vigorously, and when he sees her groggily open her eyes, he softly calls out, “The level restraint has been released! I can feel it!”
For Ken, the level restraint is a distant concept — at 89 years old, he can indeed be considered part of the new generation...
But the level restraint concerns the future of every peak level 9 professional, and not to mention, explanations about the level restraint have long been included in compulsory education. Although Ken has never seen what it looks like when the level restraint is broken, he believes he cannot be mistaken.
However, his wife's reaction makes Ken feel a bit embarrassed...
“Oh, the level restraint, is there anything else?”
“That...”
His hand pushing against his wife's suddenly freezes as Ken contemplates, finally shaking his head with a wry smile.
“Nothing else!”
“You bring this up late at night? Huh? Hurry up and go to sleep, you're asking for trouble!”