The lights suddenly turned on, illuminating the person tightly wrapped in blankets.

His sleeping posture showed a complete lack of security, like a baby curled up inside a mother’s womb. He hugged the snow-white pillow tightly in his arms, his forehead slightly drooping, resting against the corner of the pillow, which was already soaked with cold sweat.

In the next second, Li Po abruptly woke from his nightmare, eyes snapping open.

What greeted him was a cold, harsh light, piercing into his pupils and causing them to constrict slightly, a sharp pain spreading across his eyes. But he didn’t blink. His light brown eyes stayed wide open, staring directly ahead, so much so that tears were forced out from the corners of his eyes.

He sat up, rubbed his sore eyes, and without much expression, wiped away the few drops of warm tears.

Ah, a nightmare.

With his elbows resting on his knees, Li Po propped his forehead up, his messy black hair falling between his fingers, adding a certain chaotic aesthetic. He closed his eyes, trying to recall the dream, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember it.

As the fear slowly dissipated, Li Po let out a breath, rubbed his face, and looked at the clock on the wall—7:30 a.m.

Luckily, he wasn’t late.

– 

Training Ground No.1.

Li Po took the Star Key from the supervisor’s hand and walked towards Machine No. 250, only to find someone already standing there.

“?”

Jin Mu recognized the footsteps as Li Po’s right away. Annoyed, he scratched his head and asked with an unfriendly expression, “Why didn’t you accept my friend request?”

Li Po frowned; he hated this kind of presumptuous tone. But his face didn’t show it, instead, he feigned realization, “Oh, that was you?”

Jin Mu grunted gloomily, “Yeah.”

“So,” Li Po blinked and then smoothly changed the topic, “Why did you add me?”

“…” Jin Mu was at a loss for words. His face darkened, trying to stay calm, but inside he was struggling with turbulent emotions.

Yeah, why did he even add an Omega? He hated this type the most, didn’t he? Someone who looks like a fox, using their good looks to casually flirt with people, never showing any sincerity.

Thinking of this, the Alpha’s face turned even darker. He forced a reason, “Just checking how your recovery is going. After all, Omegas are more fragile than Alphas, so I figured you’d be too delicate.”

The more Li Po thought about that comment, the more unpleasant it felt, “No need to worry, I’ve recovered just fine.”

“Who’s worried about you,” Jin Mu immediately denied, puffing up his chest, “I’m just bored, looking for something to do.”

Li Po didn’t care whether Jin Mu was bored or not. His eyes glanced around, then he suddenly raised his eyelids and asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be on a mission right now?”

Jin Mu’s breath hitched under Li Po’s gaze, and his heart started beating wildly. “Just finished one. Gotta rest, or my body won’t handle it.”

Li Po nodded, showing a thoughtful expression.

Then he asked again, “Where do you usually get your missions from?”

Jin Mu wasn’t stupid, and this time he quickly noticed something was off.

“What are you planning?” He squinted his eyes, looking at Li Po with suspicion.

Li Po didn’t hide it, “I want to go on a mission too.”

As soon as he said that, a burst of suppressed laughter escaped from Jin Mu’s chest.

It took him a lot of effort to stop himself from laughing too much, and he finally spoke, “You, an Omega, want to go on a mission? Do you even think you can kill a pollutant? Won’t you wet your pants from fear? And besides, your mental strength is only at E-level, so all you can use are those close-combat weapons, which are useless. You’d only drag the team down. Who would dare team up with you?”

“…” Li Po lowered his eyes, expressionless, listening coldly.

Although he knew Jin Mu was telling the truth, that didn’t mean he agreed. Why should Omegas automatically be worse than Alphas? What kind of stereotypical gender bias was that?

When Jin Mu finished, noticing the Omega hadn’t said anything for a long time, he realized he might’ve gone too far. For the first time, he felt a sense of awkwardness and actually started reflecting.

Did he hurt the Omega’s feelings by speaking too harshly? He had never interacted with an Omega before, so he had no idea how to comfort one!

This was a real headache.

After some thought, he decided to take a more gentle approach, “There are three training grounds in District S. Training Ground No.1 is mostly for self-training and has a lower difficulty level. You can check out Training Grounds No.2 and No.3, but make sure you’re mentally prepared. You wouldn’t want to get scared.” He paused and added, “You could also visit the North Gate of the White Building. That’s where they bring back injured soldiers from missions.”

“Li Po, maybe District S is a safe haven for you, but it’s not for us. Every one of us could lose our lives on a mission, sacrificing ourselves for the stars,” Jin Mu suddenly turned serious, his tone solemn, “Missions aren’t child’s play like you might think. The pollutants won’t play games with you. One mistake, and they’ll take your life.”

After a long silence, Li Po finally lifted his eyes and stared at him, “Alright, I get it. Thanks.”

Jin Mu felt embarrassed by the stare, his bronze skin flushing slightly red, “You don’t need to thank me, I—”

“I’ll head to Training Ground No.2. You can carry on,” Li Po smiled at him, cutting off his words and quickly walking away.

“…” Jin Mu stood there dumbfounded, a ridiculous thought suddenly crossing his mind:

Had he been used?

Used and then discarded?

Damn it!

– 

Training Ground No.2.

Unlike Training Ground No.1, Training Ground No.2 was massive, shaped like a semi-circular arena, similar to a medieval Roman colosseum. The architecture was grand and imposing with Doric columns, and the tall walls were reinforced with solid copper, giving it an impenetrable feel that made one shudder just by looking at it.

At the center of the training ground was a large platform, surrounded by high railings, with iron chains reinforcing the gaps. Li Po, with his sharp eyesight, noticed faint reddish-brown stains on the chains, as if they were dried blood from long ago.

At this moment, a man stood at the center of the platform. He had dazzling long blond hair and piercing blue eyes, with sharp, Western-style features. He glanced briefly at the small crowd below the platform, his gaze suddenly stopping on Li Po.

The next second, he casually looked away, focusing his gaze into the distance.

“…”

Li Po raised an eyebrow but didn’t give it much thought.

“Landun, don’t lose too badly! I don’t want to have to drag you back!” an Alpha below the platform teased, laughing like someone enjoying the drama.

Landun flipped his blond hair, his tone playful, “I’ll try.”

The next moment, a beam of light shot down at the center of the platform. Landun immediately became serious, his eyes fixed on the beam, his whole body tense like a bow ready to release.

Suddenly, a small, unremarkable seed appeared on the ground. It started off the size of a fingernail, but quickly began to swell—

With a “pfft” sound, the seed’s surface split open, and countless dark green vines burst out, forming a dense net that shot straight toward Landun!

Landun reacted swiftly, pulling out a short knife to slash through the incoming web of vines, and before the liquid splattered on him, he quickly dodged out of the way.

“Zzzzz—”

The spot where Landun had been standing just moments earlier was now a huge, corroded pit. The dark green liquid filled the pit, bubbling ominously, releasing a ghostly steam.

Not good!

Landun’s pupils contracted as he quickly covered his nose and mouth. But he was a second too late and still inhaled a small amount of gas. In the blink of an eye, everything around him started to distort, and the dense vines were closing in, leaving him no room to escape. The pit in front of him had disappeared, leaving what appeared to be a flat surface, like the final haven, his only chance of survival.

What was real, and what was an illusion?

Landun bit down hard on his tongue, the taste of blood quickly filling his mouth. He closed his eyes and charged straight into the thickest mass of vines!

The illusion was broken, and the angry vines lashed at him, almost touching his body in an instant. Landun leapt with all his might, his golden hair cutting a sharp arc in the air.

Several sections of dark green vines were sliced off by his short knife, falling to the ground with a “plop.” The next moment, the vines suddenly extended, stretching and stretching—

Until they were as thick as tree trunks!

Landun, focused on dodging the airborne vines, didn’t react in time to the obstacle beneath his feet, almost tripping and falling face-first into the ground. He gritted his teeth and twisted his ankle into an unnatural angle, barely managing to stabilize himself.

At the same time, a vine struck from behind, wrapping tightly around his waist! The deep green vine lifted Landun into the air and violently slammed him into the railing—

“Thud!!!”

Landun hit the railing hard, his chest crushed under the impact, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He raised his hand, wiped his mouth, and was just about to struggle to his feet when his gaze met a pair of light brown eyes—

Li Po: “…”

Landun: “…”

Li Po caught the strong scent of blood in the air. He frowned, taking an imperceptible half-step back, putting a bit of distance between himself and Landun.

Landun: “………………”

He smirked, pressed two fingers to his lips, and with a slight touch, blew Li Po a subtle, teasing kiss, his expression ambiguous.

Afterward, he no longer looked at Li Po, placing his left hand on the ground, gripping the short knife tightly. As the vines lunged at him, he thrust the blade into the center of the vine, using the force to propel himself into a graceful backflip!

The more the vines split, the weaker they became individually. Gradually, they began to twist together, forming thick ropes that attacked Landun from all sides.

Landun smiled. This was exactly the result he wanted!

Clutching his painful chest, he moved skillfully between the vines, his golden hair fluttering up and down. As he ran, a few strands were caught by the vines, pulled straight out, with a few roots still attached, stained with blood.

Watching from below, Li Po sucked in a breath, “Tsk—”

That looked painful.

After several rounds, a shocking scene unfolded—the vines had twisted themselves into a tight knot, completely immobile.

Seizing the opportunity, Landun quickly found the root of the vine. With a flick of his short knife, a cold light flashed, and the vine was cleanly cut at the base. Then, with a sharp stab, he completely destroyed the seed core!

At the same time, the beam of light disappeared.

The dark green vines, the dripping liquid, the corroded pit…all of it vanished without a trace.

Li Po glanced over and was suddenly stunned—though the pollutant had disappeared, the blood on Landun remained?!

A large “WIN” floated in the air, signifying Landun’s victory.

Landun, used to this, casually tossed his golden hair. His gaze briefly swept over Li Po, and then, with a “pfft,” he spat out another mouthful of blood.

“…Damn.”

An Alpha below the platform cursed as he climbed up and dragged Landun away like a sack of potatoes.

Li Po stayed in place, staring thoughtfully at the bloodstain near the railing.

“What are you thinking?” A voice suddenly came from behind.

Li Po turned to see an Alpha with a face that was hard to describe.

The guy had a sharp, monkey-like face, looking like a scrawny monkey—definitely not a good guy. His tiny beady eyes were set far apart, giving him an unsettling appearance.

In short, he looked weird.

“Nothing,” Li Po didn’t feel like talking much.

The scrawny Alpha nodded, “So, have you decided?”

Li Po frowned, “Decided what?”

“I already told you, didn’t I? You’re looking for a protector, right? Let me bite your neck, and I’ll cover for you from now on.”

“…”

Li Po thought expressionlessly, oh, it’s this idiot.

Seeing no reaction, the scrawny Alpha raised his hand, reaching for the gland at the back of the Omega’s neck. “You’re pretty bold, aren’t you? With so many Alphas around, you dare not wear a suppressant patch. Trying to seduce someone?”

Li Po’s brows furrowed, and as soon as the Alpha raised his hand, he decisively took a few steps back, a deep disgust flashing in his eyes, “Don’t touch me.”

The scrawny Alpha’s hand stopped in midair, but he didn’t seem embarrassed. He naturally let his hand fall and said, “As long as you stay in District S, sooner or later, someone’s going to eat you up. Since that’s the case, why not face reality?”

Li Po stared at him coldly, saying nothing.

“I’m pretty easy going. You just need to let me bite your neck. It’s not like it’s a permanent mark, so what are you afraid of? Or do you think another Alpha will be gentler than me?”

“To be honest, no way,” the scrawny Alpha continued his attempt to brainwash Li Po. “Alphas are possessive creatures. No matter who it is, if you fall into their hands, they’ll eat you up without leaving a single bone behind.”

Finally, Li Po raised his eyelids and moved.

He lazily let out an “oh” dragging out the sound, his eyes filled with mockery, “So, Mr. Alpha, what are you trying to prove?”

“Are you trying to prove… that you’re not up to the task?”