Stepping on the gradually fading, disappearing theme drumbeat.
Yun Ruoxi hurried past the collapsed cybernetic man, her face filled with anxiety as she rushed toward Lin Zhen in the back.
“432! 432! Are you okay?”
「Thunderbolt King just zapped this guy unconscious」
「The fight animation is insane, they’re burning the budget」
「Sigh, if Punch 3 and jo7 had this budget, you Starry Sky fans are eating so well」
“I’m fine, not dead yet.”
Lin Zhen forced a smile through the pain, but before he could finish speaking, the girl suddenly threw herself into his arms.
A faint fragrance washed over him, making him freeze in surprise.
Before he could even register the dull pain in his chest from the impact, he heard low sobbing from the embrace.
“Wuwuwu, you scared me to death, just now, just now… I really thought you were about to…”
Listening to her, Lin Zhen’s face unconsciously softened into a gentle smile, as he reached out for the first time to gently rub her hair.
Yun Ruoxi’s hair was even softer and fluffier than he had imagined.
The feel was surprisingly pleasant, not at all like someone who had struggled to survive in the jungle for over ten days.
What is this… an invincible anti-oily-hair physique?
“It’s fine, you saved me, didn’t you?”
As dusk deepened, Lin Zhen gently stroked the top of her head again and again.
The girl’s sobbing gradually ceased. Though she didn’t speak, she lifted herself up on her toes like a kitten happy to be petted.
「Suddenly realizing Xiao Xi has a bit of Hajimi’s vibe」
「True, she likes huffing during fights, falls for head pats, and stands on tiptoe」
「Kind of weird, but kinda cute」
“All right now?”
After a while, Yun Ruoxi mumbled, her voice muffled.
Lin Zhen heard her clearly and withdrew his hand with a soft laugh.
“It’s good if you’re not crying anymore.”
“I don’t like crying, only when I can’t help it.” Yun Ruoxi pouted, her face reddening.
“All right, all right.”
Lin Zhen shook his head with a smile, but then pain suddenly stabbed at his chest again, making his face abruptly pale.
He glanced at the sky, which was nearly night, and just as he was about to speak—
The pain intensified.
At the same time, his head felt as if it had been smashed by an iron hammer, throbbing painfully.
His vision darkened again and again. His body went limp, and his breath came so ragged that he fell to his knees.
The girl’s anxious shouts rang by his ear.
But they seemed to drift further and further away, growing more and more indistinct, until he couldn’t hear anything at all.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, he forced himself, gathering his final strength, to point at the distant, bound trainees, and with immense effort, barely managed to utter a few almost inaudible words.
“Save… save them.”
After that, Lin Zhen completely lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
On camera, only the blue-haired girl remained, her face full of fear. Just coaxed into calm, she now let tears stream down her cheeks again.
She shook Lin Zhen hard, but seeing he had no response, finally seemed to recognize reality.
Wiping away her tears, her expression grew resolute.
She gently set Lin Zhen down and quickly ran to untie the three captured trainees.
Then she directed them to gather weapons.
Together, the four of them lifted Lin Zhen and hid in the pit that the criminal had used as a hideout before.
At this moment—
The audience, who had been furiously spamming “can’t help it” and “little crybaby” on the barrage, suddenly realized something.
Actually, Yun Ruoxi had always been strong.
“Can’t help it” wasn’t an excuse—it was the truth.
She was a girl who only revealed her vulnerability and cuteness in front of people she trusted.
In front of outsiders, she was more dependable than anyone.
Outstanding ability, exceptional talent, upright character, even a knack for command.
This multi-faceted, lively image of a girl quietly took root in countless viewers’ hearts.
Unnoticed, Yun Ruoxi’s fan club was growing at an unprecedented speed.
The pit’s cover closed, and the dusky forest sank completely into the night.
The camera slowly sank, finally settling in a hidden Underground Observation Base beneath the ground.
The instructors, led by Behemoth, sat in a circle.
In the center, a holographic projection was streaming “spectacular scenes” from every corner of the forest in real time.
Lin Zhen and Yun Ruoxi’s side of the story also occupied a significant portion of the screen.
“Ridiculous! She actually interrupted the awakening process!” Instructor Behemoth slammed the table, his expression dark.
“Nothing could be done—no one can control emergencies.” Instructor Xiaguang subtly spoke up in Yun Ruoxi’s defense.
“But this No. 219 is truly gifted. When she awakens, there may be a surprise.”
A man’s voice, carrying a smile, suddenly rang out.
Only then did everyone notice a man in a white robe sitting quietly in the room.
His figure was obscured by the instructors on either side, making him utterly unremarkable.
His face, too, wore a genial smile, not a hint of menace. Compared to the instructors, he looked more like an ordinary, harmless person.
Yet everyone present regarded him with undisguised respect.
When he spoke, the room instantly fell silent. Only Behemoth slowly offered an explanation.
“Her combat talent is already top two in the war camp, and her bloodline concentration tested very high, Dr. Forefinger.”
“Then why is her number so low?” The man known as Dr. Forefinger asked with interest.
“She was tormented by 0001 in virtual space before, and developed somatization mental trauma. In battle, she can lose control due to fear.”
Instructor Behemoth briefly explained the grudge between 0001 and Yun Ruoxi.
“But the Overlord fed her Star Frost, and although it caused some mental damage, it seems to have unexpectedly cured her symptoms.” Heishan Instructor added.
Dr. Forefinger nodded in understanding and suddenly asked:
“Why is the Overlord interested in No. 219?”
“That’s because… she’s from that family.”
Behemoth’s vague answer made Dr. Forefinger instantly understand.
He nodded.
“I see. You did the right thing. Ignore her. In the war camp, she’s just an ordinary trainee.”
“If she survives to the end, that’s her ability. If not, it’s her fate—no one else to blame.”
“And as for the awakening, no need to rush. This is just the beginning. The real meal is the second stage to come, isn’t it?” He smiled.
Behemoth followed suit with a laugh, “As you command.”
The camera froze on Instructor Behemoth’s smile, then cut back to inside the pit.
The whole scene lasted only a few dozen seconds, but the barrage exploded with analysis, overwhelmed by the wealth of information within.
「So Lin in the cell was about to awaken, but got interrupted by Xiao Xi showing up?」
「Guess it’s easier to awaken under high pressure. Makes sense why the war camp treats trainees like this」
「That Overlord—my blind guess is he’s the fierce figure behind Xiao Xi at the end of the OP」
「Not necessarily. He’s a villain, so why give Xiao Xi the Star Frost? That medicine cured her mental trauma」
「Xiao Xi’s first appearance was so elegant. She must be from a powerful background, probably a noble from some big force」
「Dr. Forefinger… what kind of name is that?」