Chapter 666: A Test of Fate

“Lord Yenir!?”

Different from what Yenir had expected, once he realized the grave danger of this so-called test, Ming Luo and the others instinctively glanced at him with concern.

They weren’t afraid of the risk—they were worried about Yenir! They could sacrifice themselves for the sake of intel, but Yenir must never be lost!

If Yenir were to get into trouble here, it would be nothing short of a devastating blow to the entire Capital Military!

“Lord Yenir! Perhaps you should leave this place first! The three of us can gather intel here, and you can command us from afar. We promise…!”

“No need for further words. This situation is extremely complex—I have my own plan.”

Seeing Ming Luo and the others worry about him, Yenir merely shook his head, assuring them not to fret over his well-being.

The more dangerous it gets, the more we must investigate. Although that earlier scene was bizarre, Yenir was absolutely sure he wouldn’t encounter any trouble during the test.

If even he were to falter, then there’d be no point in fighting. Forget about Huaguo fighting to the death—humanity would simply surrender.

Seeing Yenir’s unwavering determination, Ming Luo and the others fell silent, vowing silently that if any trouble arose, they would be the first to step in.

Soon, as the initial panic in the crowd eased—perhaps lured by the promise of becoming Third-Stage Awakened or out of trust for the Rebels—two women and one man, all Second-Stage Awakened, cautiously stepped forward.

“Colonel, can we be part of the third batch?”

Watching the trio muster their courage, the Rebel Representative let out a quiet sigh of relief and quickly smiled as he beckoned approval:

“Of course! That was merely an accident. Please, trust the Military—there’s nothing wrong with the test!”

“I personally guarantee that anyone rated between B-level and above will receive an extra 1000 Credit Points after the test! Consider it a bonus enlistment fee!”

With such generous rewards, brave souls were bound to step forward. Reminded of the traitors in the Capital, the trio exchanged determined looks, took a deep breath, and re-entered the testing device.

“Buzz.”

The machine whirred to life as blue light reappeared.

This time, under the anxious gaze of tens of thousands of survivors, after only a brief pained roar, the three emerged in less than two minutes.

One of the Second-Stage mid-level girls, assisted by soldiers as she stepped out, stared in disbelief at her own hands before excitedly addressing everyone:

“I broke through! I feel… I feel like there’s something extra in my mental power! I really feel stronger!”

“But…”

Recalling the testing process, the girl hesitated, unable to fully shake her lingering doubts.

At the very moment the device activated, she felt as if she had turned into a zombie yet retained her own consciousness. Her entire vision was bathed in blood-red, and an indescribable hunger made her emit a low, primal roar.

Truthfully, that state had frightened her, but it passed swiftly. Once her senses returned, she wondered if it had all been nothing more than a hallucination.

“No need to worry. The test is essentially a measure of willpower, much like strengthening muscles. This is the method the Military painstakingly discovered for training mental power.”

“You’re doing well—you might even break into Third-Stage!”

Before the girl could voice her concerns, a Rebel member, standing calmly behind her, began explaining in a gentle tone.

Listening to his explanation, the girl suddenly understood. With gratitude for the newfound strength, she nodded appreciatively.

“Excellent! Two people from this batch met B-level standards! The Military will grant your promised rewards immediately!”

“Congratulations—perhaps soon you’ll all become Third-Stage Awakened!”

The atmosphere quickly ignited. Seeing that the third batch not only emerged unscathed but also received extra rewards, several daring Awakeners in the crowd eagerly raised their hands, signaling that they wanted to be next!

Amid the crowd, Yenir’s eyes flashed with a hint of something unusual.

Of course, his reaction wasn’t due to trusting the Rebels—it was because he finally understood what these Rebels were up to!

“A small amount of the virus is aerosolized, then combined with a special agent to affect the mind.”

“The aerosolized virus temporarily boosts various human attributes upon inhalation. These guys—are they planning to create artificial zombies or mutants!?”

Even Yenir, who had witnessed some depraved tactics before, was shocked by the Rebels’ extreme methods.

Apart from the first wave’s sudden outbreak, subsequent infections with the zombie virus have an approximate three-hour transformation period, with the speed depending on both the zombie level and a human’s physical condition!

The higher the zombie level, the faster the transformation. However, high-level zombies usually don’t need to infect humans—they simply bite the moment they see one!

And the better one’s physical condition, the longer the resistance.

During this period, as the virus invades, human cells become briefly active in an attempt to eliminate it, leading to a temporary boost in power that may even trigger a frenzied state. That’s why many survivors inadvertently infect those around them—thinking they’re fine, only to end up dooming everyone!

Suppressing his inner anger, Yenir forced his mind to work at lightning speed.

Although he now understood what the Rebels meant by ‘resonance,’ Yenir still couldn’t fathom its purpose!

Is their aim to infect the entire Tianjin Battle Zone? To turn every Awakened into a mutant within hours?

What sense does that make? Zombies have no minds, and even if mutated, they’d only kill anyone in sight!

Unless…

“The Rebels not only control the Sea Beast… no, rather, the Mother can control zombies!?”

“No… This can’t be…!”

“If that’s really the case, then there are already plenty of high-level mutants in the Huaxia Battle Zone who can be controlled—there’d be no need to manufacture another batch!”

“And if even mutants can be controlled, then it’s a lost cause!”

Yenir’s mind raced as he pondered—whatever the Rebels’ goal, it was disturbingly twisted.

Watching one survivor after another step into the test, he envisioned a scene of hellish devastation.

“If I want to find answers… maybe I should take the test too!”

“My physical condition is strong enough to purge the virus before mutation sets in! I could even ‘sacrifice’ myself for a Revival!”

“Wanna take a gamble?!”

“The higher my test level, the deeper underground I’ll be sent, and the more information I’ll access!”

“Unless I force my way in now, I can only rely on the test…!”

As Yenir fixed his gaze on the crowd ahead, deliberating whether to aim for an A-level or the highest grade, a voice laden with resentment suddenly cut through the air near him.

“Scum! I thought you had guts—turns out you’re just a coward with no shame!”

“Pathetic wimp!”

Yenir turned in shock, only to see the young girl who had accompanied him during the inspection glaring at him with fury.

Her intense, scrutinizing gaze made him appear as if he was too scared to take the test at all.