Chapter 19: A Fateful Crossroads

Outside the lounge, four high-ranking Safe Zone officials, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, exchanged wry smiles and glances.

After speaking, Xiao Hai ordered them to come out immediately, clearly in a foul mood.

“Oh, after all that fuss—it turned out to be a complete farce.”

Shaking his head, a slightly older official sighed, feeling as if fate itself had played a cruel trick.

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone hesitantly added:

“We’re letting Yenir’s case drop, but Commander Xiao has ordered an investigation into someone obstructing the tests… I haven’t reported yet.”

“One of the trainees—a mixed-blood—committed suicide. He was the very person suspected of framing Yenir for a virus infection.”

“After his death, all leads went cold.”

Wearing a peculiar expression, the investigator overseeing the case immediately sensed that something was deeply amiss.

However, after the other three exchanged puzzled glances, they quietly advised:

“Forget it; with his death, the matter is settled.”

“Commander Xiao had taken this seriously only because he saw potential in Yenir. Now though…”

He shook his head and continued:

“I reckon Yenir had a falling out with that mixed-blood trainee, so someone in the monitoring team must have tampered with things.”

“And as for the suicide, it was likely because he feared that Commander Xiao’s focus on Yenir would eventually drag his elders into trouble.”

“If you insist on pursuing the investigation further, I doubt Commander Xiao will even pay you any mind. You might even end up offending someone.”

“In my opinion, you’d better drop it.”

Listening to his companions, the middle-aged investigator hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

Even though he felt the matter wasn’t as simple as it appeared, it did seem to be as his colleagues suggested.

What’s the point of digging any further? Yenir no longer held the same value.

At least with one death, there’s some closure.

…..

Outside the gathering area, Captain Huang, leading the patrol, abruptly halted and listened, surprised by the orders coming from above.

After a moment, he sighed deeply and pressed the push-to-talk button with a grave tone:

“Received.”

“We’re heading back now.”

One of his team members, puzzled after the transmission ended, asked:

“Captain Huang, why are we suddenly pulling out?”

“Weren’t we ordered to protect Yenir?”

Captain Huang shook his head slightly:

“It’s unnecessary now—Yenir’s protection level has been downgraded. The Military Department believes it’s not worth wasting guard forces on him.”

With that, a trace of regret flashed in his eyes.

“Let’s go—bid Yenir farewell, and then we withdraw.”

……

“Bang-bang-bang”

A gentle knocking sounded at the door.

Hearing the knocks from outside the metal door, Yenir set aside his short dagger and swung the door open immediately.

Seeing Captain Huang standing at the doorway, he smiled and asked:

“Captain Huang, what’s the matter?”

“Is there any news from the higher-ups? Or have the investigation results come in?”

As he spoke, Yenir keenly noticed the grim set on Captain Huang’s face, which stirred a slight unease within him.

In the next moment, Captain Huang gave a wry smile and saluted him:

“Yenir, the results are in.”

“The Capital authorities believe your potential is only second-tier, so the Safe Zone has cancelled your privileges.”

“Even the latest Seed Plan has no spot for you.”

“I’m here to inform you that we’ll be leaving shortly.”

Hearing this, Yenir was suddenly stunned.

Only second-tier potential? Losing your spot in the Seed Plan!?

Impossible! His talent was rated SSS—even if he was just marked as double-S in the tests, that alone proved his potential.

In a flash of realization, a few seconds later, Yenir suddenly understood that he had overlooked the most critical detail!

He is a Willpower Type!

Damn it, he had completely forgotten that in the Huaxia Battle Zone, no one realized that Mental Type Awakeners were the true key to reaching fourth tier!

In his previous life, it took until the final year for the Capital Military District to inadvertently discover that Awakeners were stuck at the third tier—all because of insufficient willpower attributes.

Just as before the third tier Awakeners with other attributes held an advantage in battle, at the fourth tier it is the willpower attribute that becomes paramount.

A heavy dread settled in his heart. Before Yenir could speak, Captain Huang, relaying the information, continued:

“Moreover, the investigation into you being framed before the test has concluded.”

“The drug that caused your blackout was administered by a mixed-blood trainee, Zhang Haichao. He bribed an inspector and claimed that he saw you being infected by zombies during outdoor training.”

“However, the culprit is already dead…”

After Captain Huang finished speaking, he glanced regretfully at the stunned Yenir.

In his view, it was natural for Yenir to be shaken by the news and be unable to accept it immediately.

With a sigh, he softly said ‘take care’ and, after a nod, turned and left without further word.

Yenir’s worth had diminished greatly; he was no longer deemed worth protecting.

Standing there, under the impact of the twin pieces of news, Yenir only slowly returned to his senses after a long moment.

A faint, bitter smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He never expected that the Capital Military District would utterly fail to recognize his value.

Should he now tell them that he is actually an SSS-level Mental Type Awakener—the true key to reaching fourth tier?

Moments later, Yenir shook his head, dismissing the thought.

Even if the news were to spread, the higher-ups would likely never believe him.

No one believes the words of the weak; that’s just human nature.

In fact, in his past life, even after the authorities discovered this, it took them a long time to accept the truth. After he was found, they even hesitated over whether or not to fully support him.

It wasn’t until the Huaxia Battle Zone was pushed to the brink that they attempted to provide him with abundant resources. And when he became the first third-tier Mental Type Awakener, everyone was shocked to realize that Mental Type battle prowess undergoes a dramatic transformation at the third tier—capable of breaking into the fourth tier!

With a soft sigh, Yenir accepted this reality with a complex expression.

Until he reached the third tier, he’d probably have to rely solely on himself. The Safe Zone might offer some help, but it could never match what the Fire Seed Plan would provide.

A small mercy in misfortune: even though he hadn’t received major backing from the authorities, he possessed the Sword God System. He could easily manage the resources for the first three tiers.

Significant resources are truly needed only after the third tier.

Suppressing the whirlwind of thoughts, Yenir regained his composure.

He exhaled softly, unable to shake the memory of Captain Huang’s second piece of news.

Was the one who framed him merely a trainee?

A glimmer flashed in his eyes; deep down, he felt there was something fishy about the whole affair—it wasn’t as simple as it appeared.

Zhang Haichao? Suicide?

He didn’t even know this guy…

A heavy dread filled him—this case brimmed with suspicious details. And with the culprit dead, given his current standing, even if he wanted to investigate further, the Safe Zone wouldn’t lift a finger.

So he had to rely on himself?

After a brief moment, Yenir silently dismissed that notion. Even if he wished to dig deeper, he had no resources at his disposal!

But giving up was not an option! In his previous life, had he not been targeted, none of the subsequent tragedies would have occurred! It was, in essence, the very root of all the ensuing misfortunes!

He had to boost his strength as quickly as possible…

If there were indeed other shadowy figures behind this, capable of pushing a trainee to suicide to cover up the truth, then that force was undoubtedly formidable.

Should they strike again…

Yenir’s expression hardened as he quickly resolved to take action.

Rapidly reaching the third tier would resolve all issues—the current situation was far better than in his past life!

At his pace, he was confident that he wouldn’t be long before attaining third tier status.

Tomorrow, he would head out to hunt mutants! And he needed to ensure that his little sister and mother found a safe haven!

……

The next morning outside the Safe Zone.

The area was filled with noisy chatter.

Large groups of survivor squads, preparing to venture out, were loudly assembling teams.

“Beacon Squad! Recruiting Speed-type Awakeners. Head to the gas station! Participants earn 3 credit points each!”

“Falcon Squad: Seeking a Constitution-type Awakener to hunt first-tier mutants! Successful candidates will receive preferential rewards!”

..

Outside the city, Yenir, clad in a black combat uniform and carrying an assault rifle acquired for a B-tier allocation, moved through the crowd alone.

Although his privileges had been drastically reduced, the Military still awarded him some credit points, banking on his potential to ascend to at least second tier.

Glancing around, he saw utter chaos everywhere.

After the apocalypse, although food was scarce in the city, one could always find something useful. That’s why some survivors still ventured into the urban jungle in search of supplies.

Of course, many Awakeners also teamed up to hunt mutants.

“Hey, kid with the assault rifle, want to join our team?”

At the edge of the crowd, a small team of zero-tier Awakeners, struggling to recruit enough members, immediately spotted the lone figure of Yenir.

Though his tier was indiscernible, the burly leader noticed the B-tier Military emblem on his combat uniform at once.

Diving from an old pickup truck, the burly leader flashed a hearty smile and approached Yenir, saying:

“Kid, want to join us in hunting mutants?”

“A first-tier beginner mutant—complete the hunt and you’ll earn 3 credit points!”

“You seem new, huh? Stick with us and you’ll be safe!”

Hearing this, Yenir looked up at the burly man, shook his head, and indicated that he didn’t need to join.

For him, possessing an SSS-level skill meant that teaming up would only dilute his Psionic experience.

Seeing Yenir decisively refuse, the burly man’s expression turned cold as he snorted.

“Hey, kid.”

“I was trying to help you out—don’t be ungrateful!”

“Guys like you, who just become Awakeners and think they’re invincible, have cost us countless lives!”

“Clear the way.”

With a cold tone, before the burly man could finish, Yenir shot him a chilly look.

Not that he needed a team—even if he did, aligning with this group was out of the question. The compensation offered clearly treated him as a rookie. Teams like these were notorious for assigning newcomers the most perilous tasks.

The burly man, infuriated by the reply, had been scamming outside the city for days and wasn’t about to let a rookie slip away.

Just as he was about to issue a threat, his gaze locked with Yenir’s.

In the next instant, as he met the cold, unfitting gaze in the young man’s eyes, he was momentarily stunned.

That piercing stare was as if he had faced death countless times—such a look was reserved only for high-tier Awakeners.

By the time he came to his senses, Yenir was already far ahead, fading into the distance.

In an attempt to salvage his pride, he glared at Yenir’s receding figure and couldn’t suppress a scoff.

Damn, what a freaky kid.

…..

On the wasteland, a lone figure dashed at breakneck speed.

Trailing behind, hordes of decayed zombies relentlessly pursued him.

Treading on a highway overgrown with wild grass, Yenir fixed his gaze on a vast, dense forest in the distance.

Beside a towering tree, a rusted highway sign emerged from the canopy, its faded letters barely spelling out ‘305 National Road.’

This used to be a bustling national highway, but over time, it had morphed into an endless forest.

The Rotten Corpse Forest…

Muttering the name of the area, Yenir quickly cross-referenced it with the route etched in his memory.

Regarded as one of the most perilous locales outside the Tianfeng Security Zone, the Rotten Corpse Forest teemed not only with endlessly respawning zombies but also with two first-tier mutants. One, a tree-spirit-like mutant, even reached the pinnacle of first tier.

Ordinary Awakener squads wouldn’t dare venture inside without teaming up.

“To progress from zero to first tier as an Awakener, you need to kill three first-tier mutants…”

“I’ve already taken down a first-tier pinnacle mutant in the simulated instance. Although the experience was halved, it’s equivalent to a regular first-tier mutant.”

“Kill two more casually and you’ll level up. Defeating the tree-spirit mutant might even net you extra experience…”

Quickly calculating the Psionic experience needed, Yenir headed straight into the heart of the forest.

Armed with the Sword Breath Torrent, his only concern was how to lure the two mutants together for a swift, simultaneous kill!

“Roar!”

“Roar!!”

Amid the roars, zombies drawn by human scent emerged from all directions in the dense jungle.

As he sprinted, and despite Yenir’s agile turns, numerous zombies crashed headlong into tree trunks—but tirelessly, they quickly clambered up again to give chase.

Too many zombies had been attracted.

Surveying his surroundings, Yenir flipped his B-tier assault rifle from his back and aimed at the foremost zombie.

Although he was less than half a kilometer from the spot where he remembered the tree-spirit mutant, the number of zombies multiplied severalfold as he advanced.

Seeing over a hundred zombies block his path, he didn’t hesitate and fired shoulder-mounted shots.

He shifted his aim while moving.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

Dodging nimbly through the trees, every bullet he fired, thanks to his exceptional control, found the zombies’ foreheads.

Muzzle flames erupted as the whistling gunfire shattered the darkness of the woods in an instant.

With precise, controlled bursts, the advancing zombies fell in waves like blades of grass being cut down.

“Click.”

Discarding an empty magazine casually, Yenir scooped up his rifle and charged straight through an opening in the encirclement toward his target.

In no time at all, amid a stampede of pursuing zombies, Yenir spotted a giant mutant whose insides looked as if hollowed out by tree roots.

Its entire body was ashen black, with long, resin-like fingers; upon seeing the intruder, the mutant sprang into action.

“Si-ha!!”

Its voice was raspy.

A twisted human face roared out from the charred tree trunk.

Fixated on the first mutant he had lured, Yenir’s eyes revealed no trace of panic. After firing a few aimed shots to stoke its enmity, he resolutely darted toward the next target.

….

Midway through the woods.

A squad of Awakeners, armed with various weapons and carrying rifles, cautiously advanced.

At the forefront, a dark-skinned young man hacked away a blocking vine and suddenly halted.

“Did you hear that?”

Their ears perked up.

“It sounded like… gunfire!?”

Turning to his companions in surprise, the young man’s eyes brimmed with uncertainty.

Though they were armed, in the zombie-infested Rotten Corpse Forest, they dared not fire recklessly. Any shot could attract mutants—and for a squad barely above first tier, that would be catastrophic.

“I heard it too.”

“Maybe one of those rookie squads has intruded?”

“Shooting here would be a death wish, wouldn’t it?”

Behind the young man, a tall guy carrying a crossbow, his expression odd, couldn’t help but glance toward the direction of the gunfire.

After a moment, as the gunfire grew more intense, they began to mutter curses under their breath:

“Damn it! That gunfire sounds like it’s coming from just one person!? Who in their right mind is stupid enough to come in and shoot!?”

Frowning, the burly leader’s expression grew serious:

“Forget it all.”

“That person seems to be attracting a lot of zombies—and they’re headed near the tree-spirit mutant.”

“Let’s move—fall back for now!”

“If we haven’t found any Psionic Fruit yet, don’t let that kid get killed first!”

Upon hearing this, they nodded heavily, a trace of resentment flickering in their eyes.

But barely had they begun to retreat when the best-hearing Awakener with the crossbow suddenly turned back:

“Damn it! I swear I heard the tree-spirit mutant and a strangler!”

“Damn! How did that guy manage to draw in two mutants!”

As the words died away, they were startled by the sound.

Within two or three seconds, they too heard continuous roars, and even the leaves beneath their feet trembled as if signaling a nearby disturbance.

Exchanging glances, they instantly realized that the looming zombie horde and mutants in the distance had all been drawn out!

“Run! Get out of here first!”

“Those monsters are right nearby!”

Terrified, as the roars grew louder, they bolted immediately.

But just as they turned, a sudden, overwhelming pressure burst forth from not far away.

What was that!?

Before they could react, the sky darkened abruptly as thousands of silver-white sword energies materialized out of thin air, pelting down like a torrential storm.

….

Amid the zombie horde, ignoring the two mutants chasing him, Yenir abruptly turned and locked his skill onto his pursuers.

Sword Storm!

As the storm formed, waves of sword energy imbued with terror surged into existence. The silver streams cascaded from the sky like a curtain, enveloping everything.

“Boom!!”

Mercury-like, the sword energy descended, encircling Yenir like wings at high speed. In the next second, the streams shot forth, instantly obliterating the two mutants. Without pause, the sword energy shattered the mutants and then dispatched the remaining zombies in an instant.

A Sword Lotus bloomed.

A rain of blood ensued as clusters of bloody mist erupted from all directions under the onslaught of the Sword Storm.

With one blow, nearly a thousand zombies were instantly reduced to chunks of flesh, crashing to the ground.

“Crash, crash”

Listening to the sound of falling bodies, Yenir exhaled softly, satisfied with the destruction he had wrought.

Just like in a simulation, a deep pit tens of meters wide appeared where he stood, and the two mutants pursuing him were reduced to dust before they could even touch him.

At the same time, crisp system notifications began to pop up one after another:

“Ding: Superseding kill on a first-tier intermediate mutant (Strangler) — 120% Psionic experience gained.”

“Ding: Superseding kill on a first-tier pinnacle mutant (Tree Spirit) — 120% Psionic experience gained.”

“Ding: Obtained material: Tree Spirit Shell (White).”

“Ding: Obtained equipment: Withered Wood Armor (White).”

“Ding: Obtained material: Giant Claw (White).”

“Ding: Obtained Psionic Fruit (Corpse Fruit) x1.”

…

“Ding: Psionic experience full. Level up! Gained 7 free attribute points!”