Chapter 93: Struggle

Inside the alloy gate.

Lin Zhen closed his eyes, focusing his mind, trying to sort out his chaotic thoughts.

There was constant commotion outside the door, with screams rising and falling, but Yun Ruoxi’s voice was never among them.

That meant she was still holding on.

But why… did Behemoth change the assessment target, making all the trainees try to stop her?

Was it because of Yun Ruoxi’s mysterious identity?

Or was there another reason?

And was he really supposed to strike at her?

But as before, apart from obeying the War Camp’s orders, it seemed he had no other choice.

Lin Zhen’s brows were tightly furrowed, an unnamed fire burning in his chest. He couldn’t make sense of it, couldn’t think anything through.

He hated this War Camp that always forced him to act against his companions.

He wanted to escape from here!

The farther away, the better!

This urge to run was even a hundred times stronger than when he had to execute sinners in the Misty Forest.

“It’s almost our turn.”

518 tilted his head, listening, and spoke in a low voice.

“…Understood.”

Lin Zhen slowly lifted his head. The signal light shifted from red to green, and with a creaking sound, the large gate slowly opened inward.

He took a deep breath and stepped out.

There was no point in thinking so much—if the order was only to stop her and not to kill, that meant Behemoth didn’t want Yun Ruoxi dead.

He just needed to follow orders.

Just… follow orders…Can he really do it?

He walked out the gate, looking into the distance.

His pupils suddenly contracted, his fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and even his breathing stopped in an instant.

That… what on earth is that?

Not far away.

The blue-haired girl, covered in blood, stooped low, floating slowly toward them.

Her fair, delicate face was riddled with bulging veins, with dried blood still under her eyes and beneath her nose.

But that wasn’t the point.

What truly made every trainee’s heart tremble was the dozen or so alloy weapons deeply embedded in her back.

They were almost entirely buried in her flesh.

Some had even pierced straight through her thin body.

The tips protruded through her uniform, constantly gathering drops of blood, which dripped down to mingle with the blood on her face.

A trail of splattered blood marked her path behind her.

In the eyes of the other trainees, Yun Ruoxi seemed like a demon that had crawled out of hell.

They couldn’t comprehend it.

How could someone, wounded to such an extent, still remain conscious, still keep fighting, keep moving forward?

What was she fighting for?

Was she even human anymore?

Fear and shock seized everyone’s hearts.

But for Lin Zhen, Chaos, and Yun Che, all they felt was shock and an indescribable heartache.

Especially Lin Zhen.

He had spent over ten days with Yun Ruoxi.

He knew she wasn’t someone unafraid of pain.

On the contrary, she was simply incredibly strong—willing to endure suffering unimaginable to others for the sake of her goal.

“Who are you doing this for?” Lin Zhen silently mouthed.

Thinking of his own experiences, he suddenly understood something, and subconsciously took a step forward, asking softly:

“Is it for Xiao Ai?”

Maybe she heard his voice, or maybe she simply saw the familiar faces of Lin Zhen, Chaos, and Yun Che—

As soon as his words fell,

Yun Ruoxi’s lips slowly curled into a gentle smile, just like before, but tears of agony uncontrollably streamed down her face.

Those tears instantly shattered the forced calm of everyone in the main group.

“War Camp… those beasts!”

Lin Zhen cursed inwardly, his anger almost tangible, as if it would set him ablaze.

Yun Che, Chaos, and even 498’s breaths all grew rough, and they silently clenched their fists.

Ever since Yun Ruoxi entered the main avenue, the audience following Lin Zhen’s point of view—

Watching Yun Ruoxi slowly float closer from afar, set against Lin Zhen’s inner monologue and everything that had happened before… they were the most shocked of all.

Because they knew just how much blood and sweat Yun Ruoxi had shed for Xiao Ai.

“Damn, this is what a real man looks like, Xiao Xi.”

“Real woman (correction)”

“I never realized before, but seeing it from Lin’s perspective, I finally understand how insane Xiao Xi is—charging all this way, carrying such heavy injuries, just to save her sister.”

“Not just insane, it’s tragic to the extreme. Just looking at these wounds, I’m getting phantom pain.”

“I can’t lay a hand on Xiao Xi in this state!”

Chaos flung his hand aside in anger, turning to retreat back inside the gate. “If the War Camp wants to punish me, then let them.”

Before he finished speaking—

The collar on his neck suddenly erupted with a blinding arc of electricity.

Zzzzzzt!

The violent shock instantly dropped him to his knees, barely able to breathe.

But compared to before his awakening, Chaos could now withstand the current for a short while.

So he struggled to get up, trying to walk back inside.

Yun Che silently stepped forward to support him.

But in the next moment—

Before everyone’s eyes—

An even brighter flash of electricity burst out, the intensity more than three times stronger than before.

Both of them collapsed, limp on the ground, as Instructor Behemoth’s icy voice echoed from all directions.

“Everyone, move now! Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“All that you have comes from the War Camp. The War Camp can grant you awakening, but it can also take this power back. So don’t think you can defy orders just because you’ve awakened.”

“If you don’t want to know what happens to star energy users who disobey—then move!”

A wave of overwhelming helplessness, with Behemoth’s words, instantly swallowed everyone present.

They swallowed hard, faces full of pain.

Even awakened, they were still slaves to the War Camp, with no way to resist.

Lin Zhen clenched his fists in silence, his knuckles pale.

“D-damn it!”

Chaos let out a resentful growl. He and Yun Che supported each other, trying to get up, but kept collapsing.

Just then—

A gentle, invisible force softly lifted them up.

Almost by reflex, they looked to Yun Ruoxi.

“It’s all right.”

The girl smiled faintly. “You… all come at me together. This is my own trial.

I’ll hold back.”

498 gritted his teeth, breaking the stalemate first and charging at Yun Ruoxi.

But for some reason, Yun Ruoxi caught a glimpse of tears and pain in his eyes.

This guy…

She gave a helpless smile in her heart—it seemed she had changed someone’s fate again.

Her thoughts flashed by.

Yun Ruoxi suddenly raised her right hand and swung. A massive wave of psychic force took shape as a giant hammer and instantly swatted the charging 498 away.

Then several more laser blasts shot toward her, piercing two layers of Telekinetic Shield before being deflected.

Yun Ruoxi turned to face the direction the lasers came from.

Lin Zhen was aiming a long laser rifle at her, his eyes full of struggle.

“Don’t worry!”

She mouthed silently, lips moving as her hands swiftly opened forward, her psychic force blasting away the star energy users who rushed in, then turning again to Lin Zhen, giving him a gentle smile.

But the gentler she was, the more furious Lin Zhen became.

That smile was like a knife, stabbing straight into his heart.

Why… why did someone as gentle as her always have to endure the cruelest trials?

How unjust the heavens had been to her!

A trace of moisture slid past Lin Zhen’s eye, which he quickly wiped away.