My Monster-Derived Skills Are the True Power
Chapter 1: Ordered to Traverse

Hairdryers, wristwatches, speakers, razors, mineral water bottles, electric meters…

Ordinary household items were displayed in glass cabinets like museum treasures, each meticulously labeled with a name, serial number, and date.

Li Ye’s gaze wandered across the exhibits, his expression complicated and conflicted.

Beside him stood a middle-aged man, his name tag reading "Yang Feng, Director of the Demon Capture Office."

Yang Feng’s demeanor was calm, his eyes fixed on Li Ye. "No rush. Take your time. For your first traverse, don’t aim for achievements, just aim to avoid mistakes. As I’ve always said, returning alive is already a victory. Li Ye, those who awaken temporal attributes are one in a million. Being able to traverse is your good fortune and your chance to change your destiny, to take control of your life.

For the nation, and for yourselves, do whatever it takes to survive. I know it’s tough, but time dictates the future. The sooner you leave, the more lives we save.”

Survive and return?

What a beautiful blessing.

When someone’s blessing is simply for you to come back alive, it’s a grim sign that returning alive is already a luxury. Yet Li Ye agreed on one point—becoming a temporal walker might be his only chance to change his fate.

He glanced at Yang Feng but said nothing, continuing to pick his demon companion.

Yes, those items in the glass cabinets shared one name—demon artifacts.

They had gained sentience.

---

Three years ago, humanity ruled the world.

Despite occasional conflicts and wars between nations, the planet thrived. At least in the Xia Kingdom, where Li Ye lived, prosperity reigned, and life was worry-free.

But overnight, a shroud of demonic energy descended like a dark cloud.

Ancient locust trees in parks, lions in zoos, carp in rivers, and even huskies raised at home—anything could be randomly corrupted by the demonic energy, gaining intelligence and incredible abilities.

These newly sentient demons thrust the world into chaos in an instant.

Order crumbled. Humanity fell from its lofty perch as masters of the Earth and became prey. Proud modern weaponry proved almost useless against the sudden demonic outbreak.

White funeral flags adorned households, and mourning became the norm. The human world turned into a hellish landscape.

By the time the situation stabilized, the global population had plummeted from nearly ten billion to under four billion.

Humanity’s survival owed its thanks to the sudden emergence of the Demon Capture Office.

When demons ran rampant, demon hunters stood up to fight back. What gave them the edge? The corrupted objects, now known as demon artifacts.

These demon artifacts, when used, endowed hunters with special abilities aligned with the artifacts’ attributes.

---

Li Ye wasn’t a demon hunter—he was a higher-tier existence: a temporal walker.

Demon hunters fought demons on home ground, typically chosen from elite agents and top soldiers—strong, agile individuals.

Temporal walkers, on the other hand, were an unusual group tasked with traversing to alternate universes. Their mission? Capture demonic energy that escaped to other realms and bring back advanced civilizations’ techniques for local use.

Temporal walkers played a far greater role than demon hunters.

While demon hunters stabilized the frontlines, humanity's true survival hinged on temporal walkers who brought back martial arts, Daoist techniques, sorcery, and magic that could be universally taught. These methods empowered ordinary people to defend themselves against demons.

However, not just anyone could become a temporal walker. Traversing required awakening temporal attributes, a rarity in itself.

In three years, only a handful had awakened this attribute, leaving the Demon Capture Office no choice but to use everyone they found. Unlike demon hunters, who underwent rigorous selection, temporal walkers were recruited regardless of imperfections.

The risks were staggering. Due to the unknown dangers of alternate universes, temporal walkers faced a mortality rate so high that only one out of ten survived. In most cases, out of a hundred walkers, only three or four returned alive.

Out of the 237 temporal walkers discovered since the Demon Capture Office's inception, only 8 remained alive.

---

Three months ago, Li Ye was just an ordinary college graduate, living off his family inheritance. During a routine screening, his awakened temporal attribute was discovered, and he was suddenly inducted as a temporal walker.

Now, after only three months of training, he was being sent on his first traverse—a mission with such a high mortality rate that it was almost certain death. His mood was understandably bleak.

But refusal wasn’t an option. The demons’ growth rate far outpaced humanity’s ability to counteract them. A single demon rampage could lead to mass casualties.

Temporal walkers raced against time. Either they brought back techniques to empower humanity, or demons wiped out the human race entirely.

Each successful traverse meant more lives saved.

---

Survive!

Yang Feng’s wish for survival might have been perfunctory, but Li Ye was dead serious. He was still young. He didn’t want to experience death, let alone die in a foreign land without a chance to return.

No matter the cost, he had to endure for a year in the alternate world.

Yes, each traverse lasted a year. The Demon Capture Office would use the demon artifact carried by the walker to anchor their position. After one year, they would initiate the recall procedure, bringing both the walker and artifact back.

The three months of rushed training felt like a joke. Li Ye had protested the short preparation time, citing the high mortality rate. Yang Feng had dismissed his concerns, stating that they had no choice.

Time wasn’t on humanity’s side. Demons grew stronger with each passing day.

Longer training wouldn’t guarantee survival. Success depended more on utilizing the demon artifact effectively.

---

Li Ye passed by the hairdryer (too conspicuous, rejected), the wristwatch (highly powerful but overly complex, rejected), and the speaker (too loud, rejected).

Then he stopped.

“Here, this one,” he said after a long pause.

The item was a football club badge. It was shield-shaped, gold-colored, and adorned with a crown. The design featured players holding hands around a football.

“Why this one?” Yang Feng was startled.

“It’s small and portable,” Li Ye replied with a faint smile. “As you said, survival is my priority. This badge is a team-type demon artifact, and teamwork increases survival odds compared to fighting alone.”

Yang Feng hesitated. "A team-type artifact? How will you fend off demons?"

Li Ye gestured toward the large slogans on the wall. “With all these restrictions on artifact use, it’s better to rely on a team. Sometimes, dividing the enemy’s attention is the best way to survive.”

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The rules were clear:

Minimize artifact use to avoid dependency.

Avoid repeated use of the same artifact to slow demonic corruption.

Avoid artifacts matching one’s personality to reduce susceptibility.

Maintain a steadfast will.

Avoid killing-oriented artifacts.

Demon artifacts weren’t treasures; they were demonic by nature. Prolonged use would corrupt the user’s mind.

Both hunters and walkers walked a tightrope, bound by these restrictions.

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Yang Feng forced a smile. "Time waits for no one. Since you’ve chosen, get ready to depart. Remember, survival is key. If you return alive, your future might truly change.”