Chapter 1: 001
…It hurts…
…It hurts so much…
An intense pain spread throughout his entire body, hurting so much that even his breathing trembled. It felt as if a blunt knife was slicing through his skin inch by inch, a torment comparable to the cruel punishment of death by a thousand cuts.
His face was deathly pale, and his lips were so white they lacked any trace of blood.
A fine, cold sweat drenched his entire body. His soft, short black hair clung to his pale skin like seaweed.
Zhu Ran looked as if he had just been fished out of the water, entirely soaked in sweat.
He gripped the fabric over his chest with one hand in an attempt to alleviate the pain, the veins on the back of his hand bulging from the exertion.
Along with the seeping sweat, a fragranceāa mix of vegetation and sweet floral notesāgradually extended and filled the narrow room.
It was full of vitality and deeply reassuring.
The fragrance grew richer, like a warm soothing balm on a bitterly cold winter day, gradually calming his hesitant heartbeat caused by the pain.
With the help of the scent, Zhu Ran’s heartbeat steadied, and the severe pain slowly faded away.
Soon after, he slowly opened those emerald eyes. A shallow layer of mist covered them, making him look incredibly fragile.
His vision was initially a blur, unable to see anything clearly.
Zhu Ran blinked, and a moment later, his sight gradually cleared.
He realized he was currently in a dilapidated room.
Looking around, there was only a metal table and a washbasin in the room; besides that, there was almost no other furniture.
The indoor temperature was estimated to be around 10 degrees Celsius. He was sleeping on a worn-out blanket spread on the floor, surrounded by a few tattered clothes and a few withered seeds scattered on the ground.
It was an entirely unfamiliar environment.
And… it was a bit cold.
Zhu Ran pulled his thin collar closer and became alert.
Just as he was about to use his spiritual power to scan the surroundings, a sharp pain struck his head once again.
However, this pain was much milder compared to the agony of his body being sliced apart. Zhu Ran simply let out a soft groan and endured it.
Along with the massive influx of information flooding his mind, Zhu Ran gradually understood his current situation.
He had transmigrated…
Transmigrated into the future, an era where technological advancement allowed humanity to easily travel between planets.
Zhu Ran leaned against the wall to stand up and slowly walked to the window.
After opening the window made of special materials, accompanied by a gust of yellow dust and sand, this brand-new world unfolded before Zhu Ran’s eyes.
Nearby, the land was barren, with flying sand obscuring the view. The environment was extremely harsh.
Surrounding him were container-like rooms. Some containers were wide open, their interiors already covered in gravel, clearly uninhabited. Other containers had their doors and windows tightly shut, faintly emitting light.
Looking into the distance, one could see a winding railway track, twisting like a ribbon, piercing through the clouds and into the sky.
That was the transport track linking to the outside of the planet. People could board ships at the spaceport outside the planet through this track to travel between planets.
Around the transport track, a few black shadows occasionally sped past, working diligently like industrious bees.
From his memories, Zhu Ran knew those were patrolling AI hovercars.
Accustomed to the barren and ruined scenes of the apocalypse, Zhu Ran, seeing such gigantic metal structures for the first time, was slightly stunned.
With the unprecedented architecture reflected in his eyes, the civilization of the future left him both shocked and completely amazed.
“I really… came to the future…”
“How truly unexpected.”
Zhu Ran murmured to himself.
“Cough, cough…”
Because of the pollution in the air, gravel was blown into the room.
Zhu Ran coughed a few times and had to close the window.
“The climate is definitely harsh enough.”
In the interstellar era, due to the leakage of cosmic radiation, the radiation levels on many planets exceeded standard limits, resulting in harsh environments unsuitable for human habitation.
The Interstellar Federation had assigned comprehensive ratings to planets based on their overall conditions, ranging from F-grade to S-grade.
S-grade was the highest rating for a planet. Planets with this rating were not only highly suitable for human habitation, but they were also typically the centers of interstellar political power.
There were only three S-grade planets in the entire interstellar space.
And the place Zhu Ran was currently on was a D-grade planet, second only to the lowest F-gradeā’Aispu’.
A D-grade planet meant scarce resources, severe pollution, and unsuitability for human living.
However, because of its cheap rent and lax management, many impoverished people chose to settle on D-grade planets.
Although it was highly likely they would die young due to cosmic pollution, at least they could survive for the present.
Zhu Ran was one of the people forced to relocate from an S-grade planet down to a D-grade planet.
Zhu Ran reached up and massaged his temples.
Due to the intense pain upon waking up, Zhu Ran’s fingers still carried a slight chill, making the massage on his temples feel very comfortable.
The unique scent filling this room also grew richer due to Zhu Ran’s chaotic emotions.
Clear, clean, and refreshing.
Wrapped in such a fragrance, Zhu Ran quickly sorted out the original host’s memories.
The original host was named Zhu Ran. Born on an S-grade planet, he grew up doted on by his parents and had a very happy and fulfilling life.
However, when he was 13, his parents died unexpectedly in a laboratory explosion. Zhu Ran thus became an orphan and was taken in by his uncle, Zhu Liang.
Using the excuse that the original host was a minor, Zhu Liang embezzled his inheritance and compensation money.
The helpless and dependent original host was driven to live in the basement, wearing old clothes and worn-out shoes, and was frequently beaten and scolded by Zhu Liang’s son, Zhu Xiao.
The original host developed autism due to the sudden passing of his parents. He offered no resistance to the Zhu family’s actions, growing increasingly depressed and gloomy by the day.
As a result, the silent original host was treated as a submissive punching bag and was treated even more brutally, often being punched and kicked by Zhu Xiao and others.
At the age of 18, everyone in the interstellar era had the potential to awaken an ability. The original host awakened his ability on his 18th birthday, but it turned out to be a plant-type abilityāthe most useless ability in the entire interstellar society.
Due to cosmic radiation, most plants in the interstellar era had mutated, turning into mutated plants with formidable combat power.
Historically, all plant-type ability users were unable to control mutated plants.
Meanwhile, non-mutated natural plants were extremely fragile. Unable to adapt to the harsh interstellar environment, they faded out of people’s lives. Their remaining seeds were all polluted and lost their vitality, requiring high-tech methods to even have a chance of germinating.
Some plant-type ability users tried to catalyze the polluted seeds, but the seeds remained unresponsive, as if dead.
Consequently, plant-type ability users could offer no help in cultivating endangered natural plants.
As for genetically synthesized ornamental plants, this technology was already highly mature.
Using interstellar technology, genetically synthesized plants could grow, sprout, and bloom much more efficiently than with a plant-type ability user.
Genetically synthesized plants did not need the help of plant-type ability users either.
Over time, the plant-type ability became recognized as the absolute trashiest ability in the interstellar era, bar none.
The original host’s uncle, Zhu Liang, had originally planned to wait for the original host to awaken, then use his status as an Awakened to arrange a commercial marriage, squeezing out every last drop of his value.
Who would have thought that the original host would awaken the trashy plant-type ability?
So, without a second word, Zhu Liang packed the original host up the very next day and sent him to the D-grade planet ‘Aispu’, leaving him to fend for himself.
The autistic original host naturally didn’t resist; he merely endured it in silence.
He used his pocket money saved over five years to rent this room and spent 10 Star Coins to buy a bag of polluted plant seeds, trying to catalyze them to prove that his ability was useful.
However, just like all previous plant-type ability users, no matter how hard the original host poured his spiritual power into them, the polluted seeds remained motionless without the slightest sign of sprouting.
After the experiment failed, the original host’s spiritual power was depleted. Coupled with his deep depression, he completely lost the will to live, and his consciousness plunged into the abyss and dissipated.
When he woke up again, he had become the Zhu Ran who possessed the mutated plant-type ability.
Having survived five years in the apocalypse, Zhu Ran didn’t judge the original host’s actions. He was not that Zhu Ran; he was merely a bystander who had just arrived in this world.
However, since Zhu Ran had transmigrated into this body, he would definitely settle the score for the injustices the original host had suffered.
“What belongs to you, I will help you take back.”
“What they owe you, I will make them spit out entirely.”
After Zhu Ran spoke, he felt that his previously somewhat stiff body became much more synchronized with him.
Correspondingly, his previously blurred senses also became sharp.
“Hiss…”
A sharp pain from his spiritual sea made the corner of Zhu Ran’s mouth twitch.
His spiritual sea, which had been nearly destroyed from self-detonation, had followed him over.
Right now, only a very small portion of Zhu Ran’s spiritual sea was usable. The rest looked like a ruin, full of scorch marks and ravines.
At this moment, he was heavily injured and on the brink of death. His spiritual sea was like a sieve without a single intact spot. If this were the apocalypse, he might have to consider shooting himself to avoid mutating after being bitten by a zombie.
Fortunately, compared to the apocalypse, the interstellar era was very peaceful. There was no need for constant fighting and killing, nor the need to guard against the possibility of the base being attacked at any moment.
He could recuperate in peace.
It was just that…
[As of Star Calendar December 25, 3024, your remaining balance is 75.2 Star Coins. Next month’s rent of 300 Star Coins will be automatically deducted. Insufficient balance, please deposit funds as soon as possible.]
Zhu Ran felt helpless.
He was almost out of money.
With less than a week until next month, he needed to earn 300 Star Coins within a week to continue staying in this cramped, cold room.
Otherwise, he would be thrown out by the AI enforcers to fend for himself in this harsh environment.
The original host actually had an inheritance, which was supposed to be returned to him by his uncle upon turning 18. But… the autistic original host never brought it up, and his uncle naturally monopolized what rightfully belonged to the original host, with no intention of returning it.
If Zhu Ran wanted to get it all back, he would definitely need to hire a lawyer and go to the main planet to confront his uncle. All of this required money.
In short… he needed money no matter what.
“I need to get some money first.”
Thinking this, Zhu Ran went online to search for the fastest ways to make money.
Become a mercenary and complete missions to earn money…
Become a streamer and profit from tips…
Join the military to get army benefits…
Sell alcohol in a bar for a commission…
…
At a quick glance, many of the fast money-making methods weren’t suitable for Zhu Ran.
His spiritual sea was severely damaged, and this body was extremely weak, making physical labor impossible.
Also, because of his severely damaged spiritual sea, he temporarily couldn’t control his unique fragrance, so he couldn’t work in crowded places.
As a mutated plant-type ability user, ever since Zhu Ran awakened his ability, he would unconsciously emit a fragrance, and the scent would grow stronger when he sweated or bled.
He wouldn’t be able to control his scent until his ability level improved.
In the early days of the apocalypse, Zhu Ran had once been locked in a cage because of his unique scent, used as bait to attract zombies and thrown into a horde, which almost cost him his life.
While unable to completely control his fragrance, Zhu Ran temporarily didn’t want to go out to work to avoid causing trouble.
As for jobs like streaming, setting aside the fierce competition, he wasn’t good at talking or hyping up the atmosphere either…
Filtering things down this way, Zhu Ran found that opening an interstellar shop might be the only way to solve his urgent need.
This job could be done at home without contacting the outside world, required no physical labor, and didn’t need him to talk and hype up the atmosphere. All he needed was to set up a holographic store, prepare the goods, and pack them for shipping.
It looked very feasible.
As for what to sell…
Zhu Ran’s gaze fell on the plant seeds scattered on the floor.
The original host once went without food or drink for three days trying to catalyze these polluted natural seeds, but failed.
Because of this, the final straw broke, the original host completely lost hope for the future, and his consciousness eventually dissipated.
Zhu Ran gathered the scattered seeds and put them into a bag, observing them carefully.
There were about 20 seeds in the bag. Right now, they looked entirely lifeless, without a single trace of vitality.
And this bag only cost 10 Star Coins, about the price of an ice cream.
From this price, one could imagine just how cheap polluted seeds were in the interstellar era.
Zhu Ran took out a seed, placed it in his palm, and mobilized his remaining spiritual power.
His spiritual power acted like a gentle spring breeze, slowly brushing over the fragile little seed, washing away its impurities and stripping away the black mist clinging to it.
The black, shriveled seed gradually shed its dark outer coat, revealing its original appearance.
The seed became plump and full, and its near-zero vitality slowly revived.
‘Whoosh’ ‘Whoosh’…
The seed’s epidermal cells began to communicate with the outside world, causing the air to slightly vibrate.
With a ‘crack’, the shell encasing the seed broke, and a tiny bit of tender green poked out.
Full of greenery and vitality.
The polluted natural seed, under the catalysis of Zhu Ran’s spiritual power, successfully sprouted.
This was something that had never happened in the entire interstellar era for a thousand years.
It was nothing short of a miracle!
If a doctoral student were to see this scene right now, they would definitely enshrine Zhu Ran’s seed carefully, worship the heavens and earth, and write a thesis about it.
Zhu Ran’s green eyes reflected the pale green, tender sprout. He smiled, his expression soft and warm.
Because of his pleasant mood, the slightly bitter base note of his scent became bright.
Like the traces left behind when sunlight spills across the earth.
But soon, Zhu Ran frowned and tilted his head as if thinking of something.
He needed to buy a flowerpot and soil.
But come to think of it… natural plants didn’t seem able to survive in the interstellar environment.
He was so poor right now, he definitely couldn’t afford expensive anti-radiation equipment.
So… was this newly sprouted seedling of his going to die?
Zhu Ran felt gloomy.
Translator’s Note: Welcome to the first chapter! It’s great to see Zhu Ran transmigrate and immediately start taking charge. As the synopsis mentions, this story is a fluffy, daily-life management novel where our protagonist is a mild heartthrob. The name ‘Aispu’ comes directly from the Pinyin for ē±ęÆę®. I can already smell the floral notes!
