Chapter 17: Latest Numbering and One-Year Arrangement

“9992 sister… you, you actually finished eating it?!”

The blonde girl stared at Yun Ruoxi in shock from beginning to end.

She hadn’t expected that the gentle sister she’d seen before would also have such a desperate side.

But what was even more incredible was this:

She really did stand out among tens of thousands and became the very first trainee to finish eating the raw meat.

Is this what Effort to Survive means… Suddenly, it was as if she understood the meaning behind what Yun Ruoxi had told her earlier.

Yun Ruoxi was unaware of 9993’s thoughts.

Just like a criminal returning to the scene of the crime, even though she knew the camera was still on her, after the performance ended she couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the barrage of comments.

Seeing the enthusiastic response on the Display Screen, she was quite satisfied, even feeling a sort of spiritual joy welling up inside her.

Her performance was a success, and the audience recognized and accepted her “growth”!

“The initial growth has already shown itself like this, but that was only in mindset. Next, I have to continue to show growth in strength.”

Yun Ruoxi quickly reviewed her follow-up plan in her mind.

Then, hearing 9993’s question and realizing the camera had not yet switched away, she continued her act.

She gently wiped away her tear stains and revealed a fragile smile on her face:

“I met a very strong boy… he saved me and told me the reason I have to keep going.”

“Is he your boyfriend, sister?” 9993 suddenly looked up, eyes sparkling brightly.

Yun Ruoxi’s expression stiffened for a moment, barely noticeable.

No, little one, what kind of logic is that? Even in the interstellar era, a ten-year-old dating is still considered puppy love.

“No.” She showed a hint of shyness and whispered, “Hurry and eat. If the time’s up, be careful of punishment.”

“Mm!” Unexpectedly, 9993 didn’t ask further, but took a deep breath as if making up her mind, and began stuffing raw meat into her mouth, copying Yun Ruoxi’s actions.

And 9993’s behavior seemed to stimulate the other trainees at the table, who gradually started trying to swallow the raw meat again.

Compared to the first five thousand trainees, they still had a sense of imminent danger of elimination at any time.

And it was this urgency that pushed them to resist their physiological instincts.

At that moment, the camera switched away to a group shot.

The protagonist groups that had appeared before also showed up in this phase. Although they didn’t perform outstandingly, each of them managed to finish all the raw meat just before the time limit.

With Instructor Behemoth’s broadcast announcing, “Time’s up,” both large dining halls instantly became a sea of surging electric shocks.

Screams echoed one after another.

Four people at Yun Ruoxi’s table suffered.

Although they had tried their best to eat, it’s not so easy to overcome the body’s resistance.

They collapsed, convulsing, with black smoke coming from their mouths.

Fortunately, this time the electric shock was apparently less intense, and soon they forced themselves to stand up one by one.

“I’m disappointed in your performance,” Instructor Behemoth’s rough voice rang out. “Especially those in the top five thousand, you’re not even as good as 9992! Starting now, we will rearrange all the numbers.”

As he finished speaking, all the trainees’ collars emitted sounds like a classic arcade game’s Points Settlement.

Yun Ruoxi lifted her collar and looked at the Display Screen protruding at the front, just barely visible.

【Points Settlement: Reward Points +100】

【Detected current number 9992, triggered Motivation Coefficient, final points gained 100×4000% = 4000】

【Updating ranking…】

NO.1 -10000 points

NO.2 -9999 points

NO.3 -9997 points

NO.4424 -4008 points

A green upward arrow lit up beside her collar number, numbers rapidly rolling before finally settling on -4424.

At the same time, a cheerful game-like level-up sound played.

“Hm? Jumped directly to 4424th?”

Such a huge leap in rank surprised Yun Ruoxi. She had originally expected somewhere around six or seven thousand.

It seemed that too many of the top five thousand trainees had failed the task and lost a lot of points, which allowed her 4008 points to rocket her to a mid-to-upper position.

She glanced at the anime-style Display Screen. The situation there confirmed her guess.

Among the nine trainees sitting with Lin Zhen, six failed to finish the task and were convulsing on the floor after the electric shocks.

Along with the brutal Points Settlement information, their collars played sorrowful background music.

【Points Settlement: Punishment Points -100】

【Detected number 1045, triggered Punishment Coefficient, final points deducted -100×3000% = -3000 points】

【Current points 5955, new number 3879】

“This…. they actually deducted that harshly?” Lin Zhen’s face went pale.

Although he had guessed the camp’s intention—not only was he not deducted points, he had even climbed several hundred places into the top thousand—the huge penalty still shocked him.

“This Punishment Coefficient relates to the number, so the closer to the front your number is, the harsher the point deduction?”

“Then in reverse… does that mean her 100 point reward was also magnified proportionally?”

Lin Zhen hurriedly lifted his collar to check the ranking list.

But then he suddenly remembered that the number itself was the rank—as Yun Ruoxi’s rank changed, he no longer knew what her number was—so he could only lower his collar in a daze, deep in thought.

“Ugh, such a brutal rule. The numbers will change very frequently like this. How are we supposed to remember our character numbers?”

“But at least it gives a lifeline to the stragglers.”

“Why not just use the original numbers?”

“Don’t worry about the protagonist group, they won’t die anyway! I was a bit worried about my blue-haired mom, but now she should be in a safe zone, right?”

“I calculated it. Xiao Xi has 4008 points now. With the top five thousand collectively tanking, she’s definitely in the top five thousand V now.”

Pretty accurate…

Yun Ruoxi withdrew her gaze and looked at 9993 beside her, curiously asking, “Did you get any Reward Points?”

“No, but thankfully I wasn’t deducted either.” 9993 pointed at 9996, who was still convulsing and blackened all over, and patted her chest with lingering fear.

9997 didn’t finish the task and was deducted 100 points, leaving him with -93 points now.

No, he should be called 9999 now.

“Sister, you’re already ranked 4424th, so impressive.”

Yun Ruoxi smiled faintly but didn’t respond.

This is just the beginning.

With her goal of being beautiful, strong, and tragic, she had only one position in her eyes.

0001!

After the meal ended, the trainees lined up again according to the new numbers and were led by soldiers to a spacious open-air plaza outside the Rhombus Base.

There, with his back to the dazzling twin suns, Instructor Behemoth’s figure looked especially tall and imposing.

He scanned the crowd and loudly announced the training plan for the coming year:

All trainees will be evenly divided into ten classes to undergo training including physical fitness, Close Combat, and Stellar Energy Basic Theory.

Each course will be assessed monthly. Outstanding performance will earn Reward Points; failure will result in point deductions.

Any trainee failing three assessments, or whose points fall below 4000 within three months—

Will be eliminated!

Instructor Behemoth didn’t mention where the eliminated go.

But those desperate faces dragged away by soldiers during the Test Phase suddenly appeared in some minds.

“Here it comes, classic academy arc!”

“4000 points in three months? This is a competition of the titans!”

“Suddenly I feel like my final exams aren’t that scary anymore…”

“Go Xiao Xi! Mom’s rooting for you to jump from 4424 all the way to 0001!”

“Boy-mom, chill out, no boy-mom!”