"Boom..."

A dull thud echoed, and Ethan Grant winced as a sharp pain shot through his face.

What the hell! Who threw something at my face?!

He opened his eyes slowly, and the first thing he saw was the blue seat cover of the car seat in front of him. Turns out, that's what slammed into his face just now.

Up ahead sat the driver, still ranting as he drove, spitting words out like bullets:

"That idiot, got eyes like they're for decoration! Doesn't know how to watch for cars?!"

Apparently, someone had crossed the street without looking, forcing the driver to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting them. Thanks to the sudden stop, Ethan had been flung forward by the momentum, smacking right into the seatback.

Wait a sec... this is a taxi?

Wasn't I just on a mission with the troops, gravely injured and unconscious?

So, how on earth am I sitting in this cab now?

His mind spun in confusion, swirling with memories that... clearly weren't his.

It hit him like a freight train—he hadn't died. He had somehow crossed into another world, taking on the identity of someone who shared his name.

In this world, Ethan Grant was 18 years old. A top scorer in the entrance exams, now a military academy student.

Born into a struggling family in the mountains, he had fought hard to escape poverty and chase his dream of serving his country. Beside the seat was a plastic bag with bedding inside.

Ethan Grant's mom, worried that someone might take the wrong bag when getting off the train, had written on it: "Army Command School, Ethan Grant."

It was a little embarrassing, sure, but it overflowed with a mother’s love.

With Ethan’s grades, he could've easily applied to a top-tier university, but he still chose the military academy. Not just because he wanted to serve the country and protect it, but also because attending a military school meant no tuition fees, plus a stipend.

Coming from a poor mountain village, a regular college was out of reach for his family—they couldn’t afford the tuition or living expenses.

As Ethan sorted through the memories of this life, a sudden electronic sound echoed in his mind.

"Ding!"

"Military Strength System activated... binding in progress..."

A system? Seriously? He thought systems were just something from novels. But now, it seemed like reality.

The voice continued.

"Congratulations, host, the system has successfully bound with you."

"A Rookie Gift Pack has been placed in your inventory. Would you like to open it?"

"Open it," Ethan responded decisively.

"Opening Rookie Gift Pack..."

"Congratulations, host! You’ve received a Special Forces Physical Ability Experience Card—valid for 30 minutes."

Thirty minutes?This is basically useless.

Oh well, having something is better than nothing, right? Maybe it’ll come in handy any second now.

Suddenly, a deafening sound echoed.

"Boom!"

A garbage truck slammed into a school bus, sending both vehicles flipping over.

In the chaos that followed, pedestrians screamed, garbage rained down from the sky, and children inside the bus wailed uncontrollably.

The taxi driver slammed on the brakes in panic.

"What the hell happened?"

Ethan Grant froze for a moment.

The driver frowned deeply. “Looks like a school bus crashed into a truck up ahead!”

A school bus?

Ethan's face darkened.

And then, just like that, the system chimed in.

「Ding!」

「System mission triggered: Rescue injured individuals from the accident.」

「Mission reward: Body Enhancement Potion +1.」

As the notification sounded, Ethan had already thrown the car door open and bolted out towards the wreckage.

In his past life, Ethan had been a soldier of Huaxia.

The duty of serving his nation and protecting its people was ingrained deep in his soul.

Without a second thought, instinct took over, propelling him forward the moment he processed the crash.

In the mere seconds it took him to sprint towards the site, Ethan's brain was already communicating with the system.

“System, activate the Special Forces Experience Card!”"The system has activated: Special Forces Experience Card."

"Friendly Reminder: The Experience Card temporarily enhances the host's physical abilities to the level of a Special Forces operative. However, after the experience ends, the host's body will enter a weakened state requiring rest and recovery."

Ethan Grant raced towards the overturned bus, leaping onto it without hesitation.

Using his bare hands, he struck the window hard.

The bus windows were built tough. Even with the physical boost from the Special Forces card, Ethan's hand got injured. But he didn’t let that slow him down—he jumped straight inside to rescue the passengers.

Inside the overturned bus, the sound was chaos. Kids were crying loudly, their voices blending into a deafening chaos. Some were trapped under seats, others bleeding profusely. Two kids had impaled their legs on broken handrails; blood was gushing out.

Most of the children were piled together in a tangled heap, their fear paralyzing them. They didn’t know what to do—they were in shock, overwhelmed by the disaster. If fully-grown adults often freeze under such circumstances, how could these kids possibly handle it?

To make things worse, Ethan noticed the sharp smell of gasoline in the air.

"Dammit!" he muttered under his breath.

The fuel tank must have ruptured. If the leak continued, an explosion was almost inevitable. The situation was spiraling out of control.Ethan Grant immediately sprang into action, carrying a child with an injured arm out of the wrecked bus and handing him to the crowd that had rushed to help.

Shouting at the top of his lungs, he commanded, "Call the police and the fire department right now!"

The child was received by an elderly man who carefully held him, his wrinkled face etched with worry and sorrow. His trembling voice broke as he muttered, "Poor kid… How much pain their parents will feel when they find out."

Without wasting a second, Ethan darted back inside and soon emerged with another kid in his arms. He glanced around and spotted the old man, still nearby, cradling the first child and murmuring comforting words.

Ethan handed off the second child to another person rushing to aid, his voice sharp and urgent as he yelled, "Get the kids somewhere safe, quickly!"

"The bus is going to blow soon! Call the police, firefighters, and get ambulances here!"

Hearing the dire warning, the good-hearted bystanders turned frantic, their movements suddenly more hurried. A few young men tried mimicking Ethan, smashing at the bus windows with their bare hands, but without his strength, they couldn't even crack the glass and ended up injuring themselves.

Seeing their struggles, others scrambled into the vehicle through the window Ethan had already broken earlier, determined to aid the rescue effort. But lacking any training or coordination, the chaos inside only slowed Ethan down. The crowd's well-meaning interference had turned into an obstacle, frustratingly blocking the way as people fumbled to free more of the trapped children.Ethan Grant had no choice but to smash two more windows with his bare hands, creating new entry and exit points for the rescue.

Even so, progress was painfully slow. While there were plenty of people willing to help, most weren’t strong enough to pitch in. Many simply stood around the bus, catching the kids Ethan managed to pull out.

Thankfully, Ethan’s enhanced physique, courtesy of the Special Forces card, combined with his rescue experience from his previous life, allowed him to bring out several children quickly.

With everyone’s efforts combined, more than half the kids were saved in no time. However, the air inside the bus was thickening with the stench of gasoline. The bus was on the verge of exploding—time was running out!

Ethan’s movements became faster and more direct. Earlier, he had tried to be cautious, worrying about whether his actions might hurt the injured children. But now? There was no room for hesitation. Compared to the danger threatening their lives, a bit of discomfort meant nothing.

He pulled another child free, then turned to yell at the people catching them, his voice cutting through the chaos, “I need one able-bodied person to stay here and help me! Everyone else, move back to a safe distance!”