Chapter 1: The Strongest Physical System

In the heart of the Endless Wilderness, where the boundless wasteland stretched for miles, the city of Hongyuan stood defiantly. Flanked by imposing mountain ranges on two sides, the city’s other perimeters were guarded by a formidable wall, towering twenty meters high and over three meters thick.

Within Hongyuan’s embrace, three powerful families resided, the Zhang family, the Lin family, and the Ye family. Founded over a century ago, these families interwove their fates, fortifying their bonds and standing united in the face of adversaries.

On a day that seemed no different from any other, a new life emerged in the Zhang household. The third son of the esteemed patriarch Zhang Tianlong welcomed a baby boy into the world with his wife. Joyous laughter filled their home, for a growing family was a beacon of hope amidst the unforgiving wasteland.

Zhang Tianlong and his son, Zhang Xun, conferred and decided upon a name for the newborn, Zhang Shen. They wished for their heir to lead a prudent, cautious life, blessed with longevity and prosperity.

Slowly, the infant Zhang Shen stirred, his tiny eyelids fluttering open for the briefest of moments before being shut again, repelled by the blinding light. Through the narrow slits of his eyes, he caught glimpses of the bustling crowd gathered around him, their voices a symphony of excitement and joy.

A strange realization dawned upon Zhang Shen, and he thought to himself, “Have I been… reincarnated?”

Though the idea was baffling, Zhang Shen found solace in the familiar realm of fiction. Orphaned from birth, he had immersed himself in a world of novels and animations, where transmigration and reincarnation were not foreign concepts. His past life’s memories flooded back, and he recalled the fateful night he died.

He had been riding his motorcycle home after a long day, only to be struck down by a speeding luxury car, its driver intoxicated and reckless. His last glimpse of that world was the driver’s face, distorted in the rearview mirror.

A surge of anger coursed through Zhang Shen, but he was helpless to exact any revenge. With a heavy heart, he sighed, “All I can hope for is that the traffic police will do their job and not let him get away.”

Exhausted by the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, Zhang Shen’s tiny body could no longer withstand the strain. He soon succumbed to a deep, dreamless slumber.

Over the course of the next month, Zhang Shen’s life was dominated by sleep, punctuated only by the occasional need to eat, drink, and tend to his basic needs.

As his body grew stronger and his eyes adapted to the light, he began to gather information about the world he now inhabited. The revelations were nothing short of astounding.

Could it be that children as young as seven or eight were capable of lifting stone mills as part of their training? That by the age of sixteen or seventeen, they could soar through the air, their fists and feet a whirlwind of fury?

Gurgle!

This was no ordinary world.

A mixture of excitement and dread filled Zhang Shen. While the prospect of a life filled with heroic exploits and adventure was thrilling, the dangers inherent to such a world were equally terrifying.

What if he were to become an innocent bystander, caught in the crossfire of a battle between unimaginable forces?

“What if there exist beings so powerful, they can annihilate stars with a single punch?” he wondered.

“Even while bathing, I could be obliterated by a shockwave in the blink of an eye.”

The very thought sent shivers down his spine.

But fate had not entirely forsaken Zhang Shen. He noticed a faint, flashing dot in his field of vision, which had previously eluded him due to his lengthy slumbers.

Could it be…?

In the stillness of the night, while the world around him slept, Zhang Shen lay in his cradle and attempted to touch the dot with his tiny hand. However, his physical body could not interact with it.

Zhang Shen pondered for a moment and focused his attention on the dot. Silently, he willed in his heart, “Open.”

Instantly, a virtual screen visible only to him materialized before his eyes.

The Strongest Physical System

Host: Zhang Shen

Physical Level: Infant (0-1 years old)

Progress: 5%

Evaluation: Outcome uncertain in a confrontation with a one or two-month-old infant.

The panel was minimalist, devoid of any extraneous information. But to Zhang Shen, it represented his hidden advantage, a ray of hope in this unpredictable world.

“System, is that you? Can you make a sound?” he whispered into the darkness.

“Little AI? Little AI, are you there? Please come out and teach me how to use this system. Hey! Is anyone there? Lord God? Any AI? Please respond. I’m really scared.”

Despite numerous attempts to communicate, Zhang Shen came to the disheartening realization that the panel lacked even a rudimentary AI. It was nothing more than a simple display.

“How am I supposed to use this thing?” he lamented inwardly. “There’s not even an instruction manual. What terrible design.”

Despite his frustration, a sense of relief washed over him. While the world he inhabited was perilous, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this mysterious panel was a lifeline, a key to his survival.

“I’ll have to study it bit by bit. With this, I can build the confidence to not only survive but thrive in this extraordinary world.”

The following day, Zhang Shen made a curious discovery. As he ate his meal, a progress bar appeared beneath the panel. The bar displayed a percentage, followed by a descriptor in brackets that changed depending on how much he consumed, 50% (half-full), 80% (eight-tenths full), and 100% (full).

This enigmatic development sparked a revelation within him.

Once he stopped eating at 100% (full), the progress bar vanished after approximately fifteen minutes. In its place, a series of +1s appeared, akin to experience points, which contributed to the progression of his physical level.

Five days later, following another satisfying meal, Zhang Shen watched as his progress inched from 5% to 6%. Simultaneously, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his tiny body, barely the size of two palms, had grown stronger, even if only slightly.

Upon opening the panel, Zhang Shen noticed a change.

The Strongest Physical Body System

Host: Zhang Shen

Physical Level: Infant Level (0-1 years old)

Progress: 6% (+1%)

Evaluation: Greatly increased chances of winning against a one or two-month-old baby

Observing the shift in the panel, Zhang Shen confirmed that his earlier suspicion was correct, his physical body had indeed grown stronger.

Could it be that I can grow stronger simply by eating? The thought excited him.

‘Panel, I’ll eat until you’re bankrupt,’ he vowed.

With this newfound method of strengthening himself, Zhang Shen transformed into a voracious eater, feasting daily.

His sudden change in appetite did not go unnoticed by his parents, Zhang Xun and Lin Yanqing.

“Husband, something seems off with Little Shen. My older brother and second sister’s children only ate eight or nine meals a day at most when they were young, and they didn’t eat much. Little Shen is having thirteen or fourteen meals, and he eats quite a bit each time.” Lin Yanqing, Zhang Shen’s mother, worried that something might be wrong with her son.

Zhang Xun reassured his wife, “Don’t worry, my father just checked on him, and Little Shen is perfectly fine. In fact, he’s very healthy.”

He too had observed his son’s unusual eating habits and minimal waste, leading him to believe that Zhang Shen was somehow able to absorb and digest most of the food he consumed, an extraordinary feat for an infant.

‘Could it be that my son possesses a unique physical constitution?’

The notion excited Zhang Xun, but he also knew the importance of discretion. His father, Zhang Tianlong, had arrived at the same conclusion after observing Little Shen, and he had urged Zhang Xun not to divulge the secret.

Zhang Xun understood the gravity of the situation. If word got out, whether true or false, it could jeopardize Zhang Shen’s safety and potentially expose him to harm from others.

Thus, he chose not to share the secret with his wife, opting instead to comfort her. He knew that the fewer people who knew a secret, the more secure it would remain, regardless of how close those individuals might be.