Chapter 2: A Desperate Gamble

Early morning. The glaring white light was overwhelming.

After briefly shielding his eyes with a hand, Yenir quickly adjusted to the brightness.

Not far off, several armed soldiers had clearly heard the dull gunshots and were moving toward the direction of the sound.

What should I do?

Thinking fast, Yenir rapidly assessed his predicament.

Suspected infection, armed murder, and an escape from confinement…

Time was running out. Although the Testing Plaza wasn’t far, it was useless to explain to the patrolling soldiers that he wasn’t infected.

Force my way in?

Without unlocking his talent, relying solely on an assault rifle and his own flesh, he couldn’t possibly take on an entire squad.

So the only viable plan was to seize a nearby influential hostage and force him to lead the charge!

Whether that meant killing the guard or threatening him at gunpoint, the outcome was secondary.

If he could just break into the testing area and unleash his talent, all his problems would melt away.

Without hesitation, after quickly running through several scenarios in his mind, Yenir met the rushing soldiers with a calm, determined gaze.

“Who are you!?”

“Drop your weapons! Hands up!”

“Alert! An infected has escaped!”

Amid the shouts, a low-level Awakener, visibly both surprised and angry, led several soldiers in a tightening circle.

“Drop your weapons! Cover your head with both hands!”

Seeing the Awakener arrive before him, a flicker of resolve passed over Yenir’s eyes. Without a moment’s pause, he dropped his assault rifle—a bold move that left the otherwise alert soldiers momentarily stunned.

But in the very next second, just as the squad leader at the front exhaled in relief, Yenir instantly discarded his rifle, lunging forward. With lightning speed, he flipped his right hand and drew the handgun from his waist.

Wham!

The muzzle pressed against the squad leader’s temple, and the cold metal sent a shock through the man’s entire body.

Then, a voice devoid of any emotion resonated:

“Don’t move.”

“Any movement and I’ll shoot.”

In a chilling tone, Yenir maintained his grip on the leader’s temple while quickly shifting his stance, as if using the man as a human shield.

In an instant, as the soldiers finally came to their senses, they were horrified to see their Awakener squad leader being overpowered by an ordinary recruit!

Yenir’s decisiveness and ruthlessness completely shattered their preconceived notions about recruits.

He was just a teenager—how could he be so resolute?

“Let go of the leader! Don’t make a move!”

“Attacking the Security Zone forces is a capital offense!”

Disregarding the panicked shouts, Yenir tilted his head slightly and said directly:

“Take me to the Testing Plaza.”

“You have three seconds to decide. Cross that and you’re dead.”

Decisive and no-nonsense, Yenir stated his demand without any wasted words. Ever since he was forced to retaliate against the guard, events had been set in motion beyond repair.

Even if he surrendered now and claimed to have a god-level talent, no one would believe him—and he wouldn’t even be granted a chance to prove it.

With his throat dry, the squad leader trembled inwardly, a deep sense of frustration welling up inside him.

Yes, he was an Awakener, but a level-one Awakener couldn’t withstand bullets with just his flesh! Who would have thought that an ordinary person would dare coerce an Awakener in the Security Zone!?

Feeling the unwavering authority in Yenir’s tone, the leader couldn’t help blurting out:

“What are you doing in there? Do you want to take the test!?”

“If I’m not mistaken, you don’t have an Awakener bloodline—you’re just an ordinary person! Even if you get in, you’ll still be nothing more than normal once the test is over!”

“This recruit, perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding—let’s talk this over…”

Swish!

Unmoved by the protest, Yenir swiftly drew a dagger with his left hand and pressed it against the squad leader’s neck.

With a slight pressure, the man immediately stiffened as a sharp, piercing pain shot through him.

Damn it! This lunatic! He’s really going to get himself killed!

Resigned, the leader took a deep, shuddering breath and, with a hoarse voice, signaled the surrounding soldiers to move Yenir toward the Testing Plaza.

With a complicated expression and a sullen tone, he slowly began to speak:

“Kid, you’d better bet on awakening—but even if you do become an Awakener, death is inevitable.”

Without a word, Yenir fixed his gaze on the blinking system countdown, pressing the dagger down even further.

……

Tianfeng Security Zone – Testing Plaza.

Early morning. The biting cold wind swept through.

Around the plaza, on imposing fortified walls, fully armed soldiers stood watch, adding a grim aura to the scene.

Inside the vast Third Military Academy, over two thousand cadets dressed in black and white stood in precise formations, waiting for the test.

At the podium, among ten high-ranking representatives, a middle-aged Awakener looked down on the scene like an overlord surveying ants.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Liao Tian, representative of the Military Committee in the Tianfeng Security Zone!”

“Before the New Era, global nuclear contamination spread, mutating countless marine species! Only one in ten people survived!”

“And it was then that the first-generation Awakeners emerged and united with the military to save China!”

“Today is the most important day of your lives—a moment to test for talent!”

“Succeed and become a Combat Awakener to protect your sector; fail and you’ll leave here to live an ordinary life!”

“Now, descendants of Awakeners will be tested first!”

The wind howled fiercely.

Below the podium, in a formation of soldiers clad in black combat uniforms, dozens of anxious eyes fixated on the massive diamond crystal at the center of the plaza.

This test was like a doomsday exam—only far more ruthless.

Succeed and you’ll ascend instantly; fail and you become nothing more than cannon fodder.

As cadets in white combat uniforms filed onto the test platform, envious glances were exchanged among the onlookers.

Awakener descendants—those born to Awakeners—typically possess superior physiques from birth, making their awakening almost a given.

Compared to the 10% chance for ordinary people, Awakener descendants receive top-level privileges—even in testing, they get priority.

“I don’t know what my talent is, but I want to be a Strength Warrior…”

“Maybe spellcasting is better—safer, and I heard there’s protection too.”

“Stop overthinking; just being able to awaken is enough. Who knows how many of you will actually manage it…?”

Amid quiet discussions, the first candidate from the white team stepped forward for testing.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly pressed his hand against the Test Crystal.

After a moment, a faint glow emerged:

“Candidate 001, Mixed-Blood Han Gang! Talent Level D! Suitable for: Strength Warrior, Ground Heavy Infantry!”

“Candidate 117, Mixed-Blood Zhao Tian! Talent Level D! Suitable for: Agility Archer, Third Artillery Regiment!”

“Candidate 231, Mixed-Blood Fang Yong! Talent Level C! Suitable for: Constitution Shield Warrior, Iron Guard Regiment!”

…

At the podium, ten high-level Awakeners dressed in two-toned combat uniforms glanced down with obvious displeasure. One middle-aged man in a white military uniform wore an expression tinged with irritation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s tests are rather mediocre. So far, we have only 3 candidates at Level C and 26 at Level D. Compared to last year, the quality hasn’t changed at all!”

During the discussion, another high-ranking official from the Security Zone sighed:

“The offspring of Awakeners intermarrying can only purify their bloodlines to this degree. I don’t know how we’re supposed to select any elite candidates from such quality.”

Barely finishing his words, another academy official in a white uniform shook his head:

“Mixed-blood candidates are always superior to ordinary folks. I’m afraid the next batch won’t have a single Awakener among ten!”

“Orders from above: select those with outstanding talent and send them to the capital for training under a Level Three. I wonder if our Security Zone can even find a qualified candidate!”

“All I can say is that there are too many ordinary people in our Security Zone! I don’t understand why these average folks are even allowed to test—it’s a total waste of valuable resources!”

The tone was indifferent and cold. After those words, the two Awakeners in black combat uniforms nearest to him looked visibly grim.

They weren’t Awakener descendants but rather a few high-level individuals who had clawed their way up from ordinary people.

Although the mixed-blood elite weren’t directly targeting them, the condescending tone still stung.

If no qualified candidates can be found among the mixed-blood descendants, then those representing ordinary people will be even rarer.

Moments later, the dean of the Military Academy looked upon the nearly finished first round of tests with deep disappointment.

His expression darkened as he slowly spoke:

“If we can’t find any candidates, then so be it.”

“But from today, our Security Zone will no longer waste its resources.”

“Orders from above have been issued: ordinary people participating in the tests will no longer be granted…”

Before he could finish his sentence,

a commotion at the plaza entrance interrupted him.

In the distance, several fully armed soldiers with walkie-talkies shouted.

“Attention, everyone!”

“An infected hostage-taker is storming the test!”

Huh!?

In an instant, amid countless staring eyes, a teenager emerged from the entrance, slowly advancing while holding a military officer hostage.