Chapter 1
"That is how things are," the director said. "You should prepare yourself when you go home."
The director wore a black uniform. He crossed his arms and looked at the thin young man. A small flash of pity showed in his eyes.
"I have been drafted?" Lin Yuan asked.
He was stunned. He had just traveled into this body and had no time to adjust. This news was a total shock.
For a normal student, the military was not always bad. The government paid well, and soldiers were treated with respect. But that was only true during times of peace.
Now, there were rumors of an alien invasion at the border. Many people believed this draft was meant to send new soldiers to the front lines.
Humans had expanded through space for millions of years. They had taken over many star systems. Eventually, they met other alien races. Resources were limited, so humans fought many wars to keep them. The defeated aliens were now hiding in the dark, waiting for a chance to fight back.
"This is bad," Lin Yuan thought. His heart sank.
He knew humans usually won their wars, but the local battles were brutal. Some aliens were incredibly strong. There were stories of monsters tearing apart giant metal spaceships with their bare hands.
In these battles, even the best human soldiers had a high death rate. Around 20 to 30 percent of them died. Also, these wars were top secret. Soldiers could not talk to their families. Space wars lasted a long time, sometimes for hundreds of years.
If Lin Yuan went, he might spend the rest of his life on a cold ship. He would never walk on a green planet or see an ocean again.
"Director, can we talk about this?" Lin Yuan asked. "My parents need me. I also have a younger sister."
The director tapped his desk. "Do not worry. If you serve, the government will care for your family."
He explained the rewards. His father would get a promotion. His mother would get a good job. His sister would go to school for free. When she turned 18, she could go to a top university.
"Have you thought about your future?" the director asked.
Lin Yuan felt conflicted. These rewards were very good. His father had been stuck in his job for years. His mother needed work. His sister's education was a great opportunity.
But he still felt uneasy. Why did his family's happiness require his sacrifice? He had only been in this body for a few days. He did not want to give up his life.
"I still prefer living on a planet," Lin Yuan said quietly.
Once he joined the military, he would lose all freedom. It was better to speak up now, even if it didn't change anything.
"Lin Yuan, every citizen must serve," the director said. "This draft is mandatory. You have no choice. Besides, this is a chance to see things most people only read about in books. If you do well, you might be transferred back home later."
The director waved his hand. "Go now. Spend time with your family."
Lin Yuan walked out. A long line of students waited outside the door.
A boy with dark skin grabbed Lin Yuan's arm. "What did he want?"
"You will find out soon," Lin Yuan sighed and kept walking.
He had heard about the draft on the news last week. He didn't think it would happen to him. His planet had five billion people, and they only needed a few hundred thousand soldiers. The odds were one in a hundred thousand.
The previous owner of this body never won the lottery, but Lin Yuan had won this unlucky draw.
When he got home, his whole family was there. His father, mother, and sister sat around a cake.
"Xiaoyuan," his mother said. She looked like she wanted to cry. His father sat with a dark look on his face. They already knew.
"I will talk to your uncle tomorrow," his father said. "Maybe he can help."
His uncle worked at a research institute and had some friends in high places.
"Do not bother," Lin Yuan said. This was a government order. A regular researcher could not change it. If they really had powerful friends, his name never would have been on the list.
"I am tired," Lin Yuan said. "I am going to my room."
He lay on his bed and tried to think of a way out.
"Connect to the Goddess of Wisdom," he whispered.
The Goddess of Wisdom was a massive AI system that ran human civilization. It was fair and followed the law perfectly. Every citizen had access to a small part of it.
"Citizen Lin Yuan, what is your question?" a robot voice asked.
"How can I be exempt from the draft?" Lin Yuan asked.
The voice replied that there were three ways to skip the draft.
First, he could become an Evolver. Evolvers were special humans with super powers. They were too valuable to be used as common soldiers.
Lin Yuan sighed. He was just a normal person. Becoming an Evolver was expensive and took a long time. He didn't have the money for the special medicine needed to change his genes.
"What is the second way?" he asked.
"Level four citizens can skip the draft," the voice said.
Human society had twelve levels of citizenship. Most people stayed at level one forever. Level four was very high. On his entire planet of 50 billion people, only the Governor was level four.
"And the third way?"
"Reach level two citizenship by helping humanity," the voice said.
This was also hard. Level two citizens had the same rights as Evolvers.
"How do I help humanity?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Creating a new way for humans to evolve would be a great contribution," the voice answered.
Lin Yuan rubbed his eyes. He couldn't do any of these things. He stayed awake until midnight, then finally fell asleep.
Suddenly, a strange force pulled at his mind. He saw a giant, glowing gate in his head. Inside the gate was a shimmering blue screen.
"What is this?" Lin Yuan woke up instantly.
The gate was still there, deep in his mind. Then, glowing words appeared in front of his eyes.
Name: Lin Yuan.
Identity: Keeper of the Gate.
Level: None.
Talent: None.