The Great Sheng dynasty was gone. The year the insectoid horde surged up from beneath the earth, the sun stopped shining as brightly after it set. Black things, upright and as tall as people, crawled across every patch of land. Wherever they passed, the earth turned sour, the water bitter, and the crops failed to produce grain. People retreated underground, into the mountains, and anywhere the insects had yet to reach. Iron could not pierce their shells. Torches could drive them back only a few steps, and arrows lodged in them without bringing them down. The Great Sheng dynasty lasted less than two years.
When Zhang Shan climbed out of the earth, a silver mark had appeared in his palm. Beside him stood a hundred humanoid giant ants, as tall as he was, waiting for him to speak his first word. He said, “Go.” The ants followed him.
The silver mark was connected to a System. Every time he killed a humanoid giant insect, the mark settled the reward. A hundred gold coins appeared, and the insect's corpse was left behind to feed the ants. The System contained an invisible warehouse where he could store anything and retrieve it whenever he wanted. He had exchanged gold coins for a knife, medicine, salt, and a well-fitting coat. As long as he had enough coins, he could get what he needed.
He also discovered that the System gave more than just him its gifts. After he died, he could get back up. His wounds healed on their own, and whenever he wanted to travel, he could close his eyes, choose a place, and reappear there. His younger sister, Zhang Xue, was the same. So was his wife, Li Wei. The System never explained why. It simply lit up whenever he needed it.
Now he stood on an open patch of land, his hoe planted in the loose soil. The insects were still pouring in, but he was no longer retreating. Behind him stood a hundred humanoid giant ants, lined up in three rows, waiting for him to speak his next word.
