Chapter 668: Revelations at the Test Chamber

Test Level… Grade A!

Amid surprised murmurs, a Youth was led out of the test chamber by two soldiers. His fists clenched excitedly and his face flushed with exhilaration.

Hearing that his resonance test results hit the highest level currently available, the Youth trembled with excitement all over.

Though utterly exhausted, his deliberate overexposure to the test mist nearly drove him to the brink of gnawing at his own teeth, an uncontrollable urge to devour flesh.

But the end result was worth it!

According to his friend in the Military, as long as you score Grade A you’re bound to become Third-Stage!

Even though this version of Third-Stage isn’t quite like the norm, for an Awakener with his less-than-stellar Innate Talent, this test completely changed his fate. From today on, he’s a Third-Stage recruit!

Without pausing to savor his joy, the Youth gave Yu Keran a firm nod before swaying away, his eyes scanning the crowd desperately.

Spotting Yenir and his group, he mouthed a silent challenge, his raised chin oozing defiance.

Though he couldn’t bring himself to lash out at Yenir for bullying his sister, he vowed that once he became Third-Stage, that bastard would pay!

Yet, to the Youth’s surprise, Yenir didn’t seem angry or anxious at all.

Perhaps it was just his imagination.

Even while still in line, Yenir appeared to ignore him completely, his eyes even filled with a tinge of pity!

“Lord Yenir, that kid bears a great hostility towards us… but judging by his condition, he’ll probably soon succumb to zombification.”

“What are these lunatics trying to do?”

Sharing Yenir’s dismissive attitude towards the Youth’s hostility, Ming Luo’s expression turned grim when he realized the so-called enhancement was nothing more than a viral infection. He felt their base was nothing short of a ticking time bomb!

According to the Rebels, after testing they’d be confined to an underground base for another round of ‘training’.

But by Ming Luo’s estimate, there won’t be time for that – even before testing here is over, some Awakener will begin zombifying and devouring others!

With tens of thousands of infected Awakener expected and countless mutations emerging from the carnage, one could easily spawn even a Peak Third-Stage entity!

“It can’t be as simple as it seems. Look at the expressions on these Rebels, especially the lowest-ranked Researchers. If the zombification really breaks out, they’ll be the first to die.”

Soon it was Yenir’s turn. He gave a slight nod, signaling Ming Luo to focus on the busy Researchers.

He couldn’t believe that the Rebels treated death so cavalierly, calmly standing by despite the imminent danger. Even if they had to retreat, if they lacked special measures, they could simply let the infected Awakener offload the virus gas directly.

No sooner had Yenir frowned in thought over the Rebels’ strategy than an alert from Fang Hao suddenly lit up.

“Yenir! Trouble in the Southern Battle Zone! Massive hordes of corpses and mutated entities have broken free of the System’s controls and are moving towards the Border!”

“Their numbers are estimated to exceed twenty million!!”

“That number is still climbing! We can’t pinpoint the source!”

……

At the Capital Temporary Command Center, Fang Hao stared intently at images sent from satellite feeds, originally preparing to rush to the Southwest Battle Zone.

On the border defense line, formed by six secure fortresses, countless black dots surged like a tidal wave. In high-resolution images, dozens of colossal high-level mutants—each as massive as a mountain—could be seen amidst them!

Overhead, Spiritual Energy Fighters had already taken off in an emergency, buying precious time for the defenses.

Spiritual Energy warheads crashed into the horde like splashing water; moments after detonating into a sea of flames, they were snuffed out by an endless tide of corpses!

As if mobilizing for a massive war, the entire southern defense line was plunged into extreme peril!

“Fang Tong! We can’t locate the source at all! The reconnaissance team has cross-checked over ten thousand satellite images from the past month with no anomalies! It’s as if these zombies emerged from the ground without a central point!”

“And according to intel from the frontline’s suicide squad, these zombies were infected only recently – their bodies show very little rotting!”

“What do we do now? Withdraw the assembled troops back for defense? If the horde breaches the line, they’ll flood into the plains where survivors won’t have a chance to escape!”

Puzzlement reigned in the command room as a thick, oppressive cloud seemed to weigh down on everyone.

………..

“Fire Wolf Squad, Lin Ye! Prepare for testing!”

“Kid, what are you spacing out for?”

Inside Base Two, Yenir stared blankly at the message from Fang Hao, his heart pounding with shock.

The sudden upheaval left him momentarily stunned.

After hastily replying for Fang Hao to send reinforcements to the Southern Battle Zone, Yenir, without a moment to delve deeper into the plans, had to attend to matters on his end.

It wasn’t that Yenir was at a loss over the Southern Battle Zone’s horde; though their numbers were vast and strangely manifest, the Military’s strength was more than capable of handling it. The danger lay in high-level mutants breaching the city walls, allowing masses of zombies to flood in and inflict heavy casualties. But as long as the high-level mutants were quickly eliminated, everything remained controllable!

Years of building a robust border defense had made it sufficient to withstand a conventional horde!

What truly unsettled Yenir was a thought that had been nagging at him!

(Could it be… that the Rebels actually control zombies and mutants?!)

(An outbreak among the Awakener in the midst of a massive war couldn’t be mere coincidence…!)

(But… but!)

Suppressing his growing unease, Yenir could only push forward into the testing machine as the suspicious gazes of the Rebels’ soldiers followed him.

“Bzzzz”

As the familiar blue light flared up, the machine spewed out dense mist laced with the zombie virus.

Feigning a deep breath, Yenir stared intently at the sudden burst of red light inside the machine.

For some reason, he felt that this test might finally reveal some long-sought answers!