Clang… Clang…….
A massive brass-colored steam train rumbled in from the distance, coming to a steady stop in front of the platform.
The doors slid open to both sides.
Suddenly, a huge hand shot out, gripping the edge of the door frame with such force that the carriage creaked painfully under the pressure.
Then.
A towering man, nearly three meters tall and clad in a deep gray precision combat suit, bent down and squeezed out of the carriage.
He stretched his burly frame and took a few strides to the front of the crowd.
Compared to the boys, none taller than 1.8 meters, he was like a moving mountain, his shadow easily engulfing those standing in the front row.
The hulking man grinned widely, and before he even spoke, several kids’ legs gave out, collapsing to the ground.
They scrambled back up in a panic.
“My name is Behemoth. You can call me Instructor Behemoth.” His voice was deep but carried with piercing clarity.
“From today on, you are all recruits of the battle camp. I know some of you are unwilling, but I’m afraid resistance is futile. Here, there is only one way out—death.”
He looked around.
“My time is limited. The last ten minutes was the train’s arrival time. Now, I’ll give you three minutes to stand in your assigned spots.”
“Timing—start.”
With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and swept his cold gaze over everyone.
Stand in their assigned spots?
What does “assigned spot” even mean? Where exactly are these spots?
Thinking of the boy’s tragic fate earlier, no one dared to question the order.
The crowd instantly stirred.
Three minutes isn’t long, but it’s not short either—just enough for most to stumble around and find their positions.
“Time’s up.”
Instructor Behemoth watched as dozens still ran around chaotically in the crowd, then suddenly snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the indicator lights on the collars of those who hadn’t found their spots turned yellow.
Zzzzztttt!!
A strong electric current surged from the collars.
Over a hundred piercing screams filled the air as bodies convulsed and collapsed, the scent of burning flesh quickly spreading.
“Good. Some are willing to experience a little punishment early on for the rest of you. Let’s applaud their courage.”
Behemoth clapped expressionlessly.
The slow, heavy applause echoed like a hammer on every heart, suffocating.
He clapped his hands, eyes scanning the crowd, just as a smirk began to curl on his lips, seemingly about to speak more—
Clap clap clap clap!
Suddenly, clear and decisive applause came from the back of the crowd.
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Then some realized what was happening, others followed passively, and scattered claps slowly began to ripple out.
“Good. Few recruits can follow my orders so quickly after arriving at the camp.”
“Most of you would have been flat on your backs at the base today. Be thankful he saved you.”
Instructor Behemoth stopped clapping, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes. “Who was the first to clap just now? Step forward.”
At the very back of the crowd, Lin Zhen took a deep breath, a helpless wry smile on his face.
He was the one who had started the applause.
He hadn’t wanted to be the first to stick his neck out, but seeing the corner of Instructor Behemoth’s mouth lift, he couldn’t help himself.
So, against his better judgment, he stepped forward.
“Already been singled out? That’s bad, bad news. The protagonist’s definitely going to get targeted again.”
“If he’s not targeted, can he even be the protagonist?”
“True enough…”
A stream of transparent bullet comments flew across the upper right corner. Yun Ruoxi quickly glanced at them before fixing her gaze on Lin Zhen.
Sure enough, everything was unfolding just like the script. That overly righteous guy still chose to stand out.
But unlike the original plot, with her intervention, Lin Zhen’s number fell at the very end, not somewhere in the middle.
Who knows if this will affect the upcoming storyline… but it doesn’t matter.
Her debut in Stellar was already quite successful.
Not only had she won over the audience, but she also misled them into thinking she was the female lead, gaining a sizable boost in popularity.
All that mattered now was that Lin Zhen didn’t die or end up crippled.
After all, as the main character, he had the most screen time. Without her constant interference, the story would probably slowly return to the right track.
[Popularity: 12487]
On the other side, out of camera view, a flicker of disdain passed through Yun Ruoxi’s eyes.
Having personally stepped into the story and experienced it once, she now clearly saw the world’s true nature:
This world was a stage for entertainment.
Everyone was an unwitting tool acting out the script.
All ambition, love, hate, and brilliance were just script settings.
Since it was acting no matter where or for whom, she might as well make it work for her.
She would mercilessly use everyone to become the sole star on the stage.
Lin Zhen had just taken a step forward when a soft, hesitant voice came from beside him.
He turned his head.
The girl claiming to be Yun Ruoxi was on tiptoe, her ruby eyes filled with worry.
“Brother Lin Zhen… please be careful.”
“Mm, I will.”
Lin Zhen smiled gently at her.
What a cute little girl. How could she be so troubled? Luckily, he had saved her.
He strode through the crowd toward the front.
Instructor Behemoth’s gaze landed on the number on Lin Zhen’s collar, a trace of amusement appearing on his lips.
“You’re sensible, so I’ve decided to reward you. From now on, you’ll inherit the highest number among those rule-breaking recruits, and that person will take your place.”
[Number 9991 → 1046]
The number on Lin Zhen’s collar quietly changed.
“Now, return to your place, 1046.” Instructor Behemoth said coldly, as if ordering him forward was just an excuse for this.
Despite his strong displeasure and reluctance at being forced to switch spots, Lin Zhen answered loudly:
“Yes, Instructor Behemoth.”
He knew how to speak properly with the right people—a reason why he could thrive even at such a young age in this rubbish heap.
Watching Lin Zhen return to the crowd, Instructor Behemoth suddenly raised his hand and pointed at his retreating back, bursting out in loud laughter:
“I can tell that 1046 is unhappy with my reward, but he still chooses to obey!”
“Obedience! Hey, this is an important quality to survive in our battle camp. You all should learn from him!”
“So, the first order—listen carefully. From now on, your names and pasts are all invalid! The number on your collar is your only name!”
“The number will also determine your status in the camp—everything you’re entitled to will be directly linked to it.”
His smile suddenly vanished, his face turning ice cold.
“By the way, a reminder.”
“The first year of camp selection will eliminate all recruits with numbers above 5000.”
“Take care of yourselves. This camp is for selecting warriors. We do not raise deadweight.”
With that, Instructor Behemoth gave a sharp wave of his hand, his voice booming like thunder:
“Now, all aboard. I’ll take you to see where you’ll be spending the next three years—the ‘Fit’!”