Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Had Queqiu not shown this scene to the Alphas themselves, it's doubtful anyone would believe that an Omega, especially one so petite and seemingly devoid of combat ability, could annihilate a small insect swarm in mere seconds using such simple, direct, and brutal methods.

It was almost a pure, contrasting beauty of violence.

After the bright light faded, the sniper cannon on Queqiu's shoulder disassembled back into a delicate, small weapon, which suited him even better—right, such a beautiful and adorable little Omega should wield such a fine and elegant weapon!

Carrying a sniper cannon on his shoulder and blasting at the insects was an unexpected move!

Until Queqiu returned after dealing with the swarm, the Alphas remained in their stunned state, gazing dumbly as he walked towards them.

Xu Feng was the first to snap out of it, dashing out like a cannonball and crashing into Queqiu's arms.

He rarely allowed himself such freedom of emotion, especially in front of so many people, excitedly saying to Queqiu: "Queqiu, you were amazing! So cool!"

Queqiu passively caught the excited Xu Feng, who was slightly taller than himself with drooping rabbit ears, looking down at him with some surprise at his speed.

"Hmm..."

It's true that rabbits might not be strong in combat, but their speed is unmatched by most Alphas.

He no longer worried about Xu Feng's safety; if it really came down to it, he could just make a quick escape.

Xu Feng's action seemed to bring the other Alphas back to their senses, as they all ran over to Queqiu, bombarding him with enthusiastic praises.

"As expected of our first-year top student, so impressive!!"

"That shot just now was super cool!"

"Whew, thank goodness for our princess. Otherwise, we would have been insect food today QAQ"

"Even the upperclassmen can't compare to a single finger of our top student; our top student is truly the most outstanding combat student at Dark Star Military Academy!"

"Even the students from the capital star couldn't match up!"

Seeing the group getting carried away, Queqiu quickly interjected, "Okay, okay, what's our next move? Do we go find other groups to reestablish contact, or do we continue eliminating the insects?"

His question stumped the Alphas, whose enthusiasm had just peaked. They scratched their heads, unable to reach a consensus.

Some thought the current situation was unclear and unlike previous live combat assessments, so it would be safer to find the instructors and regroup with the main force first.

Others believed that the insects didn't seem too tough to beat, and since they had already mustered the courage to come out, they might as well complete the assessment objectives.

Everyone had their own opinion and made valid points, leaving the group indecisive. Eventually, they all turned to Queqiu, leaving the final decision to him.

Xu Feng looked at him earnestly and said, "Queqiu, you are our team leader. Now that we can't contact Instructor An, the command is yours. You should make the decision, and whatever it is, we will support you unconditionally."

"Xu Feng is right; we will support you unconditionally."

"Yes! You are the team leader; we'll follow your lead!"

"Whichever decision you make, we can accept it."

Queqiu's gaze settled on Xu Feng's face, then swept over the other nine Alphas, realizing that not just Xu Feng, but every Alpha looked at him with trust. He took a deep breath and finally nodded: "Okay, since your final decision is to trust me, I will do my utmost to ensure we all achieve a good outcome, and I promise to bring everyone back to the school safely."

He turned around, facing the vast expanse of the Gobi desert and the impending insect tide at the horizon, his eyes growing steadily more resolute.

"We'll clear all nearby insects as quickly as possible, then actively try to establish contact with the other teams and Instructor An. That's the plan, let's move out."

"Yes!"

Ten Alphas instantly straightened up, their expressions turning firm, with a fiery determination in their eyes.

Following Queqiu, they marched through the swirling sands of the boundless Gobi.

Meanwhile, the team led by Figo encountered serious trouble.

Unlike Queqiu's team, their helicopter crew didn't falter at a critical moment. Upon noticing the Blackwing insect tide and magnetic interference disrupting communications, they promptly chose to make an emergency landing.

However, their luck wasn't as good as Queqiu's team; upon landing, they immediately faced an attack from ground insect swarms. Fortunately, with a relatively balanced overall strength and under Figo's command, they managed to fend off the attacking swarm.

Yet, as they continued their journey to find other groups, an unexpected incident occurred.

One of the Alpha team members, a horned bull, suffered a genetic disorder outbreak.

Without any warning or premonition, by the time the teammate in front of him noticed, the horned bull's hair had already started to grow on the back of his hand.

"Huoding, what's wrong with your hand, are you injured?" The Lion Alpha, while handing over a nutrient drink, noticed the other's hand wrapped tightly in bandages.

He was genuinely concerned about his teammate's injury, reaching out to unwrap it, "Were you hurt by the insects while breaking through? Let me check it. I have anti-inflammatory and pain relief medications. If bitten by the insects, don't just bandage it up and think it's okay; it needs to be treated immediately."

However, the Horned Bull Alpha quickly withdrew his hand, his eyes darting away, "It's just a scratch from an insect's leg blade. I'm fine, don't worry."

The Lion Alpha was puzzled but didn't press further, simply handing him the nutrient drink, "Alright then, make sure you rest."

He returned to the group, but the more he thought about it, the more it didn't add up: he just wanted to check Huoding's injury, so why was he so nervous, almost as if he didn't want it to be seen?

After much consideration, the Lion Alpha worried that Huoding might refuse treatment not to be seen as a burden, so he gritted his teeth and approached Figo to explain the situation.

"Are you sure he's injured?" Figo furrowed his brows after hearing the report, sensing something amiss.

Caught off guard by the question, the Lion Alpha hesitated, recalling the incident, "I'm not sure, that's what Huoding said. But looking at the bandage... it seemed to have no blood on it."

Now Figo was even more confused, "No blood? Then why is he bandaged?"

The Lion Alpha honestly shook his head, "I'm sorry, captain, I don't know. He was very resistant to my examination."

Figo reassured him, "It's okay, you did well. Let me go and ask Huoding what exactly is going on."

Approaching the end of the group, the Horned Bull Alpha lowered his head upon seeing Figo, seeming afraid.

Suppressing his suspicion, Figo approached, asking with concern, "What happened? Tafi said you're injured."

Before Figo could say more, Huoding instinctively denied, "No! I'm fine!"

But as he came to his senses, he realized his reaction was too strong and quickly shut his mouth.

Figo's frown deepened: Huoding didn't seem like someone who was genuinely okay.

Pretending to ask casually to avoid pressuring him, Figo kept his eyes on Huoding's evasively hidden hand.

"Are you sure you're okay? Does the wound not hurt anymore?"

Huoding stuttered, "No, no more pain, thank you, captain."

"Good, we just cleared a small swarm of insects, and there's still a lot of fighting ahead. It's best if you're really alright."

As Figo said this, pretending to turn away, Huoding relaxed his guard. In the next instant, Figo swiftly turned back, seizing Huoding's injured hand and tearing off the bandage, exclaiming in shock, "A beast transformation?!"

Huoding struggled violently, panicking, "No, it's not! I'm just injured!"

Their commotion quickly drew the attention of many team members, who stopped in their tracks and hurried over.

The Lion Alpha was the most anxious, asking, "Captain, what's going on?!"

Figo ripped off the tightly wrapped bandage on Huoding's hand, exposing the black needle-like hairs on his hand, causing a chorus of shocked gasps.

"What is this?!"

"A transformation into a beast?!"

"Beast transformation is a symptom of a genetic disorder, Huoding is..."

"He has a genetic disorder!"

"What?! Impossible! He was fine before we left!"

Figo never expected Huoding to hide the fact that he was experiencing a genetic disorder outbreak!

With his secret exposed, Huoding dropped his guise. Lifting his head, his green eyes were already bloodshot.

As Figo was still in shock, Huoding broke free and, filled with fury, charged at the Lion Alpha, shouting, "Why did you have to meddle! Why!"

Figo hadn't anticipated Huoding's sudden burst of uncontrollable power. Caught off guard, he was thrown aside. Regaining his balance, he saw Huoding's murderous intent and urgently commanded the others, "Quick! Subdue him!"

The Lion Alpha was completely stunned, never expecting his mere suspicion to uncover a genetic disorder. This revelation was beyond his expectation, leaving him too shocked to even consider fleeing.

Tang Butian was the quickest to react among all the Alphas. He charged forward, wrestling Huoding to the ground with a back slam. Sitting on his back, he handcuffed Huoding's hands and slapped his head hard several times, "Have you lost your mind, attacking your own teammate?!"

Huoding struggled wildly, further enraged by Tang Butian's actions.

He let out an angry roar, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying, his muscles seeming to double in size in an instant.

Huoding suddenly raised his head, his forehead horns hitting Tang Butian squarely in the shoulder. Tang, weaker in genetic level, was already at a disadvantage and was now flipped onto the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain.

Figo's pupils constricted: "Tang Butian!"

Clenching his fists in anger, he directed the remaining Alphas to launch a joint attack, struggling to subdue the completely berserk Horned Bull Alpha.

Huoding's strength had doubled due to his genetic disorder, but fortunately, there were ten Alphas of similar level and strength. Despite his enhanced abilities, Huoding was quickly overpowered and subdued under their combined assault.

Figo quickly secured Huoding with handcuffs and shackles. Taking advantage of the chaos, Tang Butian kicked him a few times in anger.

By the end, the Alphas were exhausted and gasping for breath. They had not anticipated a B-level Alpha exhibiting such terrifying destructive power during a genetic disorder episode. Even though they held back to avoid seriously injuring him, Huoding proved to be dangerously overwhelming.

After resolving one difficulty, they were faced with a new challenge:

How to deal with Huoding's genetic disorder outbreak?

The Alphas looked at each other, none wanting to speak first.

Among them, Figo's expression was the most grave.

As the team leader, facing such an extreme situation, he had to, and must, be the first to step forward.

His tone was solemn, "Let's discuss, what should we do now?"

After posing this question, there was a long silence, with only the howling wind of the Gobi desert responding to Figo.

After a prolonged silence, Figo spoke again, "What are your thoughts? This matter is not just about Huoding or me; all twelve of us in this team need to take responsibility and make a decision."

Everyone understood this reasoning, but who dared to speak so casually?

This decision wasn't about who would draw the enemy's fire or who would launch a surprise attack from behind;

This decision involved the life and death of a companion they had spent countless days and nights with.

They couldn't easily come to a conclusion.

The atmosphere became stagnant, the oppressive heat and thick air adding to the suffocating tension.

Seeing no one speaking, Huoding, as the one facing judgment, saw a glimmer of hope.

Completely subdued, his demeanor changed from his previous aggression to a humble plea, "Please, captain, it wasn't intentional. I didn't know why my genetic disorder suddenly acted up. Don't execute me here, take me back for psychological counseling. I can get better."

Seeing Figo's silence, Huoding turned to the other team members, begging each one, "I'm sorry, really sorry. I didn't mean to attack you; I couldn't control myself. Once I get better, I'll accept any punishment, just don't kill me, okay?"

"Please, I beg you."

The Alpha, who usually never shed a tear even in the toughest times, now abandoned all dignity, kneeling and weeping, pleading for his life. The others couldn't bear to watch this heart-wrenching scene and turned away.

After a moment, the Lion Alpha, Huoding's closest friend, couldn't bear to see his friend so humiliated and spoke out, "Captain, Huoding's genetic disorder was triggered by this unexpected incident, it's not his fault. We can take him back to the school and let the principal decide."

With him leading, the other Alphas also chimed in, "Yeah, Huoding fought hard against the insect swarm. The genetic disorder isn't something he wanted."

"Anyway, let's take Huoding back first."

"After all, he's our classmate. We've trained and completed missions together for months. We shouldn't sentence him to death because of his genetic disorder. Give him another chance, captain."

Figo remained silent, not voicing his opinion.

Kindness is always simpler than cold-bloodedness; had he been just a team member, he might have said the same.

But now, as the team leader, he must bear the responsibility for every member.

Figo was indecisive, instinctively wanting to look to his right, but the familiar figure that usually stood there was absent.

He glanced at Tang Butian, who seemed to want to say something, opening his mouth but ultimately remaining silent.

Besides that, everyone was pleading for Huoding's sake.

Seeing there was still hope, Huoding eagerly looked towards Figo, his crimson eyes filled with anticipation.

Huoding claimed he didn't want to die, and his teammates begged for him not to be executed on the spot.

How similar was this scene to what Figo had once experienced?

The same scenario, a comrade suffering from a genetic disorder episode.

Only, he never imagined that one day he would be in the position of Instructor An.

His inner turmoil was intense, the past self that hated Instructor An and the present self standing in An's shoes were fiercely tugging at him, almost tearing him in half.

One voice, that of Instructor An, coldly saying to kill him, or else face unimaginable consequences;

The other voice, his own, pleading to spare him, no Alpha wishes for a genetic disorder, he is innocent.

Everyone awaited Figo's decision, dozens of eyes fixed on him.

Just before speaking, Figo's mind flashed through many scenes, but it finally settled on the one where he saw their team leader shot and falling, with Instructor An coldly holding a gun.

Eventually, he closed his eyes and said, "Tie him up. We'll decide what to do after we regroup with the head instructor."

After speaking, he turned and continued marching, not looking back at his teammates.

But he knew deep down that he was a coward for not being able to save his team leader from Instructor An a year ago; and now, still a coward for not being able to act decisively like An did, even if it meant carrying a heavy psychological burden.

The atmosphere in the team became oppressive for the rest of the journey.

No one wanted to speak much; they just walked in silence.

Despite no more insect swarms disturbing their path, each person's heart was overshadowed by a heavy, oppressive cloud.

At night, the squad found a sheltered spot to rest. Figo sat alone on a hill, keeping watch, distant from his teammates.

The Lion Alpha, worried about the locked-up Horned Bull Alpha, took some nutrient drink to check on him. His movement caught Tang Butian's attention, the Brown Bear Alpha who seemed unreliable but displayed the keen sense and decorum expected of an Alpha warrior in such times.

He called out to the Lion Alpha, "Where are you going?"

Tafi, feeling guilty, hid the nutrient drink behind his back, whispering, "I’m just going to relieve myself, I'll be back soon."

Tang Butian frowned, "I'll go with you."

Tafi had no choice; not wanting to arouse suspicion, he agreed.

They arrived at a dimly lit sand dune, and Tang Butian said, "Drop your pants."

Tafi, sweating profusely, replied, "We're not at that level of open honesty yet."

"We're both Alphas, what are you being so coy about? You have what I have."

Tafi, on the verge of tears but thinking of the pitiful Huoding, gritted his teeth and unbuckled his belt.

Tang Butian raised an eyebrow and whistled, "Wow, that's quite impressive. But still, it falls short compared to Figo."

The Lion Alpha: "..."

He was so angry that his lion mane seemed about to explode.

Oblivious to how his scrutinizing gaze resembled that of a creepy stalker, Tang Butian even dared to ask, "Why aren't you peeing?"

"How can I pee with you staring straight at me?" Tafi was at a loss for words.

"Okay then," Tang Butian seemed a bit regretful, "I'll look away. Hurry up."

He turned his back, idly fiddling with his short, round bear ears.

"Are you done yet?"

"What's the rush? After the front, shouldn't I take care of the back too?"

Tang Butian muttered, "Why so much fuss."

He waited patiently for another five or six minutes, then couldn't help calling out, "Hey, you didn't forget to bring toilet paper, did you?"

"Tafi?"

After calling out several times without a response, Tang Butian suddenly had a bad feeling. Bracing himself for the worst, he turned around, only to find no one behind him; Tafi was long gone.

"Damn it!"

He started running back, but halfway there, he heard a piercing scream from the direction where Huoding was kept—

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

The heart-wrenching scream echoed through the Gobi desert, jolting all the team members awake.

They all rushed over, with Figo and Tang Butian leading the charge. However, by the time everyone arrived, it was too late.

The Horned Bull Alpha's long, curved horns, like lethal blades, had pierced through Tafi's abdomen, lifting his crimson intestines at their tips. Under the pale moonlight, the horrific and bloody scene was vividly visible to all—

In Tafi's hands, he still held the nutrient drink he brought for Huoding, but his face, especially his eyes, were forever frozen in shock, incomprehension, and deep fear.

He probably couldn't understand, even in his final moments, why his comrade, who was fine just hours ago, could end his life in such a brutal way.

Huoding, revealing a cruel laugh, viciously pulled his bloodied horns out of Tafi's stomach, and warm blood sprayed out instantly, falling like a red rain upon the Gobi desert.

The innocent Lion Alpha collapsed to the ground, eyes wide open in death.

The completely deranged Horned Bull Alpha tore off the intestines from his horns and stuffed them into his mouth, devouring them greedily.

Nutrient drink?

No, he didn't need nutrient drinks; he craved blood!!

"Ugh—"

The Alphas witnessing this scene covered their mouths, vomiting uncontrollably.

Even one Alpha, splashed with Tafi's blood, screamed and fainted from the shock.

Tang Butian, barely holding back his nausea, activated his gravity ability. Seizing the opportunity as Huoding was brought to his knees by the sudden force, he shouted to Figo, "Shoot now!"

"No, no, no!!!"

"I'm not guilty, I'm just ill—"

With the sound of a gunshot, all of the Horned Bull Alpha's resentment and roars came to an abrupt end.

His massive body fell to the ground with a thud, raising a cloud of dust.

As the gun smoke and flying sand dispersed, Figo was revealed, standing with a gun in hand.

His expression was impassive, momentarily resembling the very Instructor An he had once despised.

His cheek was stained with a large patch of blood, it was unclear whether it was Tafi's or Huoding's, who died by his hand.

But at the moment he fired, more than two lives ended.

What also perished was the coward who had once harbored naive hopes about genetic disorders.

Author's note:

Thus, Instructor An had shot Figo's former team leader immediately, knowing that any delay could lead to a tragedy.

If Queqiu had been there, he would have revealed his healing ability and cured Huoding.

But Figo was just an ordinary person, lacking Instructor An's decisiveness and Queqiu's healing powers, as helpless as the other Alphas in the face of a genetic disorder.