Outer Maze, hundreds of Radar Devices silently rose.
The spherical tops of the devices began to spin.
Invisible Force Fields surged like a tide through every corner of the maze, relentlessly agitating the nerves of the trainees, pushing them to the brink of collapse.
Bang!
“Sorry!”
Lin Zhen’s face was covered in tears as he hammered his fists down again and again onto 518’s face.
518 had never been his match, let alone now, when Lin Zhen’s weapons and equipment far outclassed his.
The outcome of this life-and-death battle had been clear to both sides from the very start.
And it was precisely because the other side, knowing death was inevitable, still met it head-on with such resolve.
It was only after ending his opponent with his own hands that Lin Zhen felt such intense pain and guilt.
And under the influence of the Force Field, these emotions only grew stronger and stronger.
Looking at 518, now silent forever.
Lin Zhen staggered to his feet, stumbling backwards until his back hit the cold wall.
The pain in his heart finally burst free.
He clutched his head, tears streaming down uncontrollably, slowly sliding down the wall until he sat, overwhelmed by agony, and let out a scream:
“Ahhhh!”
Suddenly, a rush of familiar memories flashed before Lin Zhen’s eyes, and a power even fiercer than last time surged up from deep within his bones.
The awakening that had been interrupted before now started anew.
And because it was his second awakening, this time the fluctuations were even more terrifying than before.
His equipment and weapons, even the nearby Alloy Walls, all began to shudder and groan violently.
The entire space trembled under the waves of his awakening.
But at the same time.
What Lin Zhen didn’t notice was that, within 518’s body, a strong and steady heartbeat began to echo again.
Catalyzed by blood and despair, empowered by the Awakening Force Field, it wasn’t just him—518 and other trainees, all on the edge of life and death, now faced their own awakenings.
The hardest threshold of the Star Energy Bloodline awakening began to be crossed, one by one.
Iron Anvil roared as he smashed a fist, cracking the Alloy Floor.
Zi Jiu panted, mouth full of blood, the silver blade in her hand igniting in fierce flames.
0001 pressed a hand to his face, violet light flickering in his eyes, the world around him breaking down and slowing under his gaze.
Lying on the ground, bloodied and barely breathing, Kaos was suddenly lifted gently into the air by a soft breeze swirling around his body.
Yun Che knelt in pain, always reserved, but now sobbing uncontrollably after killing his friend.
Behind him, the shadows writhed and clawed as if alive.
The cat-eared boy collapsed in agony, dense fur covering his whole body.
Beside blond 0002, a phantom of a stage appeared…
Just as Yun Ruoxi had said.
The War Camp had spent a whole year cultivating these trainees—not to let them kill each other in the annual assessment.
Awakening—this was their one and only goal.
The War Camp had paid an unimaginable price for it.
Those Raw Meat Steaks came from specially bred Star Beasts, able to stimulate and strengthen the Star Energy Bloodlines within their bodies.
The cost to raise one was astronomical—each piece worth a fortune, yet served to them daily as food.
The endless blue liquid in the treatment pods was in fact laced with dozens of costly serums.
Some enhanced vitality, some boosted physical prowess, and some even repaired Gene Defects.
Otherwise, even someone like 0001 could never have achieved such terrifying growth in just a single year.
Living together in the War Camp, the trainees hadn’t noticed.
But now, even trainee number 9998, put anywhere else, would be a true little monster.
At the same time, thanks to all these serums, every trainee’s vitality was abnormally strong.
Unless decapitated on the spot, even if their heart was pierced, they could survive for a minute or two.
This was the War Camp’s only safeguard for them.
Otherwise, how could someone as gravely wounded as Aili have held on for days and made it to the end?
But if, in that brief window, standing at death’s edge, a trainee still failed to awaken their Star Energy Bloodline—especially under the Awakening Force Field—
The War Camp would simply deem that trainee worthless.
Even if they died right there in the maze, it would not stir a single emotion.
Lin Zhen’s awakening continued.
Tears blurred his vision as he stared blankly at his own hands, as if seeing this body for the first time.
The Alloy Floor around him screeched and tore, slabs floating up one after another.
They formed a Metal Shield around him.
Even more shocking, all of his equipment and weapons disassembled themselves in an instant into basic components, orbiting him like rings of stars.
Crying, Lin Zhen lifted his head in confusion, as torrents of mechanical knowledge rushed uncontrollably through his mind.
The next second.
The floating parts began to spin, collide, and reassemble at lightning speed—or even twist directly into new forms!
Ka-cha ka-cha.
The sounds of metal clashing were like a torrential downpour, countless parts snapping together in the blink of an eye to form a textbook-perfect High-End Laser Rifle—then, just as swiftly, breaking down and transforming into other weapons and gear.
“Holy crap, Magneto!”
“The catboy turned into a full Hakimi!”
“Transmutation!”
“Fullmetal Alchemist, right? (lol)”
“So, what’s little Xi’s ability?”
In the monitoring room, Dr. Forefinger zoomed in with great interest as he watched the scene unfold.
“Is 432’s ability metal manipulation? No, it’s even finer than typical metal control… It should be called [Metal Reconstruction], yes, a fine power with great potential.”
“Dr. Forefinger, you’re interested in 432?” Behemoth turned to ask.
“Mmm.” Dr. Forefinger nodded calmly, “Compared to the usual [Internal Abilities] that directly manipulate one’s own body or spirit, I prefer [External Abilities] that directly affect the world around us.”
“And especially those that control [metal matter]. You know my research focus—it’s a perfect fit.”
“I see.” Instructor Behemoth nodded. “I’ll keep a closer eye on him.”
With that, he turned his gaze to the cubicle where Yun Ruoxi was.
At this moment in the Despair Maze, only Yun Ruoxi’s section had yet to produce an awakened.
But that wasn’t surprising.
Even though the Awakening Force Field there was tripled, the number of people was far more than triple—closer to fifty times.
More crucially…
Yun Ruoxi had never once struck to kill.
On the monitors, her every move was swift and ruthless, but she always pulled back the moment her opponent lost the ability to resist.
“Preventing others from awakening at death’s door, to avoid greater threats? Clever, very clever.”
Instructor Behemoth’s eyes narrowed, staring at the girl in the feed, the corners of his lips curling into a cruel smile.
“But can you really keep going? Even ants can kill an elephant in numbers, and you’re not even a real elephant. With your senses sealed, defeat is only a matter of time.”