For over ten years, he’d bought all kinds of lottery tickets and never won a single prize. Yet when faced with the one-in-a-hundred-thousand chance of conscription, his luck had finally come through. Wei Boda found his parents waiting for him in the dining room. Even his young sister, who could never sit still, was perched quietly in her chair. She stared at the cake on the table, drool gathering at the corner of her mouth, but she didn’t dare reach for it. His mother, Lu Qiong, stood up, her eyes brimming with unspoken fears. His father, Wei Shoucheng, sat with a deep frown, lost in thought. The news of Wei Boda’s draft had obviously beaten him home. Compared to him, his parents had known for hours. “There might still be a way around the conscription,” Wei Shoucheng said, his voice heavy. “Tomorrow, I’ll go see your uncle and ask him to pull some strings.” The uncle he mentioned was a distant relative, a man who held a decent position at a research institute and had more than a few connections. Wei Boda shook his head. The conscription policy was a direct decree from the central government. Forget an employee at some obscure research institute; even the Feiyun Star Governor would have to pay an astronomical price to bend those rules. And if Wei Boda had connections that high up, his name would never have appeared on the conscription list in the first place. Before the list was finalized, one might have had a sliver of hope, a chance to use money or influence to be overlooked. But once a name was on that list, it was as good as carved in stone. “I’m going back to my room.” After forcing down a few bites of food, Wei Boda excused himself and returned to his room. How do I get off that list? He collapsed onto his soft bed, a desperate sliver of hope still flickering within him. “Connect to the Wisdom Sovereign.” After a moment’s thought, Wei Boda sat up. The Wisdom Sovereign was one of the three great AIs of the Star River Human Federation. She was the core intelligence of the entire Xinghe, a vast processing system that managed its operations, oversaw the affairs of every citizen, and strictly monitored any deviation from the civilizational charter. In the two-million-year history of the Void Voyage Era, humanity’s ability to dominate so many other races was thanks in no small part to the three goddesses. Without their absolute impartiality, the Star River Human Federation would have likely collapsed into civil war long ago, never growing into the vast, brilliant Xinghe it was today. Humans were creatures of emotion, prone to cognitive bias and flawed decisions. The three goddesses were not. Their only priority was the continuation and prosperity of the human race as a whole—no selfishness, no prejudice, only absolute fairness. Of course, the Wisdom Sovereign that Wei Boda was connecting to wasn't her true consciousness. It was a minuscule sub-consciousness derived from the whole, a privilege afforded to every citizen. “Tianqiong Level One Citizen Wei Boda, please state your question.” An electronic, synthesized voice, broadcast through the omnipresent network, echoed in his ears. “I want to know the conditions for exemption from conscription,” Wei Boda asked, choosing his words carefully. “Forced conscription originates from Article 156 of the charter, intended to maintain the stability and military readiness of human Xinghe. All human citizens have a duty to comply.” “The following three conditions can exempt an individual from forced conscription.” “One: Chaofanzhe. Humans who are on a path of evolution are considered the future of human Xinghe and possess the privilege to refuse conscription.” Chaofanzhe… Wei Boda’s expression turned complex. In the long history of the Void Voyage Era, evolvers were no secret. There were many ways to become one, but they were mainly divided into two categories: unique-type and common-type. Unique-type was self-explanatory—evolutionary paths that were not widely available or replicable. Certain families who passed down their traits through ancient bloodlines fell into this category. So did individuals who underwent a unique, unrepeatable mutation and gained extraordinary powers. Common-type evolvers were those who had embarked on a stable, documented evolutionary path. These included Xuemai Wuzhe, who used expensive gene medicine to kickstart their evolution, and spirit Dashi, who were forged into living weapons through harrowing training regimens and specific cultivation methods. Any stable evolutionary path was incredibly precious, a trove of knowledge bought with the lives of countless ancestors. “I’m just an ordinary person,” Wei Boda muttered to himself. That meant unique-type evolvers were a world away from him. If he wanted to become an evolver, he could only look to the common paths. But that wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight, even with fast-tracked methods like that of the Xuemai Wuzhe. That kind of speed was fueled by priceless gene medicine and other treasures. Within the Star River Human Federation, gene medicine was a tightly controlled substance. Ordinary people had absolutely no way to acquire it legally. Even if by some miracle a vial of it appeared in front of him, Wei Boda couldn’t possibly afford it. As he was lost in thought, the cold, synthesized voice spoke again. “Two: Tianqiong fourth-level citizens have a privilege exemption every ten years, which can be used to avoid forced conscription.” “Fourth-level citizen…” The corner of Wei Boda’s mouth twitched. In the Void Voyage Era, human Xinghe had established a twelve-tier system for its citizens. The higher the level, the more privileges one enjoyed. The only way to raise one’s citizen level was to make tangible contributions to human Xinghe, a process overseen and judged with absolute fairness by the three goddesses. It was extraordinarily difficult to advance. Ninety-nine percent of all humans were born and died as level-one citizens. Of course, the benefits for high-level citizens were immense. From level four onwards, a citizen was granted a privilege exemption every decade. They could use it to waive penalties for others, short of serious crimes. Forced conscription was included. With the Wei family’s connections, how could he possibly meet a fourth-level citizen? The entire population of Feiyun Star, all fifty billion permanent residents, had only a single person who had reached that rank: the Feiyun Star Governor, a towering figure who held the fates of billions in their hands. “What’s the third option?” Wei Boda asked, his hope fading. “Three: Contribute to human Xinghe and rise to a second-level citizen. You will then be exempted from forced conscription.” The synthesized voice fell, and Wei Boda fell silent with it. A second-level citizen, even one who wasn't an evolver, held a status no lower than most who were. The privileges afforded to evolvers were naturally granted to them as well. But this was even harder than becoming an evolver. At least Wei Boda knew the methods to become an evolver, even if they were beyond his reach. As for what kind of contribution the Wisdom Sovereign would recognize to promote him to a second-level citizen, he was completely clueless. “What specific actions are considered contributions?” Wei Boda probed. “Providing a brand-new evolutionary path will be rewarded with an immense contribution.” The synthesized voice spoke again. Vaguely, Wei Boda understood. The Wisdom Sovereign placed a tremendous value on new evolutionary paths. She wouldn't offer such a reward otherwise. “I’ll have to think of another way.” Wei Boda rubbed his temples. The three options presented by the Wisdom Sovereign were all dead ends. None were possible for him right now. Especially the last one—providing a brand-new evolutionary path? If he had that kind of ability, he would have become a second-level citizen long ago and wouldn't be worrying about conscription now. Midnight came and went without him noticing. Exhausted, Wei Boda finally drifted into a deep sleep. Then, a strange, irresistible force pulled his consciousness deep within himself. There, in the depths of his mind, a grand, towering gate of light had appeared. Within the frame of the gate, a pale blue light curtain shimmered like the surface of water, rippling with a gentle, continuous pulse. Wei Boda gasped in shock. He jolted awake. Even with his eyes open, he could still feel the presence of the gate of light in the recesses of his mind. A moment later, rows of illusory text flickered into existence in his field of vision. [Identity: Holder of the Wanjie Zhi Men] [Divine Skills: None]

Chapter 2: A Lottery He Won