The moment the gunshot rang out, all three people wrestling nearby froze.

The man’s injured wrist made it almost impossible for him to pull the trigger, leaving only one possibility—the gunshot came from the Omega. Realizing this, the remaining man’s expression changed. Summoning strength from who knows where, he violently broke free from Di Kai’s hold, snatched back control of the shotgun, and immediately pulled the trigger!

Bang—

As the shot rang out, Di Kai’s face turned deathly pale. His eyes widened, bloodshot and webbed with pain. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead, and his fleshy face twitched in disbelief. He glanced down at his abdomen—he had been shot.

Seeing that the shot missed any vital organs, the man attempted to fire again, but Yang Guang, who had rushed in from behind, grabbed him by the neck and nearly choked him unconscious. The man’s eyes rolled back, yet he still tried with all his remaining strength to pull the trigger.

Di Kai, driven by sheer survival instinct, ignored the intense pain in his abdomen and rushed forward, grabbing the cold gun barrel with his hand, inching it away with gritted teeth.

Di Kai’s body was naturally strong and his explosive power remarkable. He managed to push the gun away, preventing it from moving even a fraction of an inch closer. The man, now drenched in sweat from the struggle, realized he was losing. Finally, he stopped resisting, releasing his grip on the gun entirely.

Di Kai hadn’t expected the man to let go so suddenly. He staggered, almost falling face-first into the dirt. As he regained his balance, the man suddenly broke free from Yang Guang’s hold, pulled something from his pocket, and lunged at him.

Yang Guang, already injured, was covered in cold sweat from the pain, and he reflexively pulled his arm back when the man struggled free.

Instead of going for the shotgun on the ground, the man rushed at Di Kai, balling his fists and raining down punches on Di Kai’s wound!

In an instant, Di Kai’s face turned pale. His mouth filled with the taste of blood, and even his breath reeked of iron. He clenched his teeth, gripping the man’s iron-like fingers, trying to shake him off, but the man clung to him like a leech.

Yang Guang, panicking and drenched in sweat, rushed to pick up the shotgun, but just as his fingers reached for it, he froze. A second later, he looked up in shock—Li Po was calmly standing there, one foot on the gun. His cold voice cut through the air: “Let me handle this.”

Yang Guang blinked, then dumbly nodded, withdrawing his hand without a word of protest. Li Po didn’t spare him another glance. He stepped past Yang Guang, approaching the man from behind.

In one swift motion, he raised his gun, pressing it against the man’s back. “Let go.”

The man’s body stiffened. His face, hidden beneath a bulletproof helmet, changed dramatically. He immediately ceased all movements, his eyes closing in resignation. After a long, tense silence, he slowly raised his hands.

Di Kai, battered and bruised, with his stomach wound nearly torn open, finally managed to break free. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, his face contorted with rage. Without warning, he rushed to retrieve his handgun, aimed it at the man, and fired!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, three new bullet holes appeared in the man’s body. His bulletproof vest wasn’t capable of stopping close-range shots, and the soft armor was punctured in several places. Although Li Po quickly stepped aside, he was still splattered with blood.

“…”

His black combat uniform was instantly soaked in crimson. Li Po lowered his gaze, staring at the blood now staining his clothes. His face suddenly paled, and he turned to the side, bending over as he dry-heaved.

Yang Guang, alarmed, rushed over to help, but before his hand could touch Li Po, it was swatted away. “Don’t.”

Li Po’s fingers were ice cold, and just that brief touch made Yang Guang flinch. Awkwardly withdrawing his hand, his face shifted through various emotions, but his voice remained filled with concern. “Are you okay?”

Li Po straightened, wiping his mouth without expression. He hadn’t actually vomited anything, but the constant churning in his stomach made him feel awful.

Suppressing the overwhelming nausea, he finally replied with a pale face, “I’m fine.”

Meanwhile, the gunshots hadn’t ceased.

Di Kai seemed to have gone mad, turning the man into a sieve. Not only that, but he ripped open the man’s bulletproof vest, pulling out a tri-edged military dagger and repeatedly stabbing the body, over and over, as if venting his frustration and seeking revenge.

Even Yang Guang couldn’t watch anymore. He walked over and patted Di Kai’s shoulder. “Enough. He’s dead. Save your strength; we still have to deal with the pollutants.”

Only then did Di Kai stop. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he muttered bitterly, “I can’t believe how unlucky I am to be stuck with this mission.”

He didn’t name names, but it was clear he was implying someone in particular—mocking Li Po for bringing bad luck and causing them to run into such a tough situation.

Yang Guang’s face turned icy cold when he realized this. He didn’t bother arguing and instead distanced himself from Di Kai, turning his attention to Li Po.

Li Po, however, didn’t seem to care. He stood quietly, lost in thought. After a while, he walked over to the man Di Kai had turned into a pincushion, nudged his face to the side with his foot, and kicked off his protective mask, revealing the man’s exposed ear.

Li Po’s gaze sharpened—behind the man’s ear was a small tattoo.

A tattoo Li Po recognized instantly—a black hourglass.

Without a word, Li Po turned and walked over to the other man he had shot earlier. As expected, there was the same tattoo behind his ear.

A flicker of thought crossed Li Po’s mind. Could the Wusha Association be connected to the crematorium? Why would their people show up here?

A sense of unease settled over him, but he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he stared blankly at the bullet hole in the man’s temple, momentarily lost in thought.

Yang Guang, who had followed Li Po over, didn’t notice his trembling hands. Glancing at the body, he murmured in disbelief, “I didn’t expect you to actually kill someone…”

Li Po, expressionless, hid his hands behind his back. He stared into Yang Guang’s eyes and asked, “Did he deserve to die?”

Yang Guang flinched at the intensity of Li Po’s gaze, instinctively stepping back and nodding in agreement. “Yes, he did.”

Only then did Li Po look away, his gaze drifting into the distance as he murmured softly, “I think so too.”

Yang Guang, realizing something, hesitated for a moment before awkwardly offering comfort. “You don’t have to feel guilty. If you hadn’t killed him, he would’ve killed you. You were just protecting yourself.”

Li Po nodded slightly, then glanced at Yang Guang. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

Yang Guang blushed and pressed his lips together. “No… no, I haven’t.”

Li Po: “…”

“But I’ve seen my teammates kill before. There was one mission where this guy, Jin Mu, was really impressive. He practically carried me and the others the whole time, hahaha…”

Li Po, disinterested, simply responded with a cold, “Oh.”

Sensing Li Po’s lack of enthusiasm, Yang Guang scratched his head and cautiously asked, “Should we deal with the bodies now? There are still pollutants to take care of.”

Li Po gave a faint nod.

The bodies of the two attackers still lay by the dirt mound. None of the three spared them a second glance as they limped toward the pile of corpses.

Yang Guang’s arm wound, though previously bandaged, had reopened during the fight, and blood began flowing again. Fortunately, Alphas had a higher pain tolerance, so he managed to endure it.

Di Kai, on the other hand, wasn’t faring as well. Clutching his abdomen, each step was a struggle. His stomach wound was bleeding profusely despite using Yang Guang’s hemostatic medication, and aside from the searing pain from the bullet, he also felt a strange cramping sensation. He didn’t think much of it, dismissing it as less significant than the bullet wound.

Li Po had sustained the least injuries. Though his entire body was covered in blood, including smears on his face, the damage was mostly superficial. His hands were bruised and swollen, but he didn’t seem to care, gripping his gun as they walked.

By now, both Yang Guang and Di Kai knew Li Po had a gun, so there was no need for him to hide it anymore. Without the immediate threat of danger, Di Kai grew suspicious again, stealing glances at the weapon in Li Po’s hand.

What was his true mental strength? Why had he kept it hidden, playing everyone for fools?

But now wasn’t the time for answers, so Di Kai suppressed his questions, planning to address them once the mission was over.

Li Po noticed his gaze but ignored it, continuing to walk toward the pile of corpses without a word.

The distance from their position to the pile was about two or three hundred meters, but halfway there, Di Kai could no longer move. His face was drenched in cold sweat, and even his lips trembled. “I can’t keep going, it hurts too much. You guys go ahead, I need to rest.”

Li Po glanced at him, saying nothing.

Yang Guang, however, was clearly displeased. “This is a C-level mission, and there are only two Alphas, both injured. If you start whining, should I find an excuse to stop too and leave Li Po, an Omega, to handle it alone?”

Not satisfied, Yang Guang added, “And he’s an E-grade mental strength Omega. Is this how we treat him?”

Di Kai snorted, his tone laced with mockery. “You really think he’s E-grade? That whole ‘special privilege’ thing is pure nonsense. Only a fool like you would believe it.”

Yang Guang, now fully on Li Po’s side, was infuriated by this remark. Even his dimples disappeared as he snapped, “How can you say that? He just saved your life. If it weren’t for him, you’d be dead by now!”

“You—” Di Kai, knowing he was in the wrong, couldn’t argue. Reluctantly, he stood up and said, “Fine, I’ll keep going.”

But he wasn’t faking. Di Kai was in excruciating pain, his face pale as a ghost. His stomach throbbed as if being torn apart, twisting his expression into a grimace. When the wave of pain subsided, he regained his composure.

Just as he took another step, a sharp pain suddenly flared in his abdomen. The sensation was eerie, and he froze in place, his expression darkening.

He released his hand from his stomach and looked down. One glance, and he went rigid, his entire body freezing as if his blood had turned to ice.

What was that?!

How could this be…

Scenes from the earlier fight flashed before his eyes, and he quickly recalled something. In an instant, his blood ran cold. He clenched his teeth so hard it felt like they might shatter.

Damn it!

He stood there trembling, until even Yang Guang grew impatient and urged him, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and catch up. The sooner we finish the mission, the sooner you can get back to S District for treatment.”

Startled, Di Kai quickly lifted his head to look at the two.

Luckily, Yang Guang wasn’t paying attention to him and kept walking after a brief scolding. Li Po, on the other hand, glanced at him briefly before withdrawing his gaze without a word.

“Damn it, you bastard!” Di Kai cursed under his breath, spitting in frustration as he covered his abdomen and forced himself to walk forward.

No one could find out, he thought.

Soon, they reached the pile of corpses.

The stench was overwhelming, and Li Po, who had already removed his mask, was once again caught off guard by the smell, his face paling.

Before the ambush, he had assumed this would be a routine mission and hadn’t paid much attention to the corpses—honestly, he was too afraid to look.

But now that the Wusha Association was involved, he couldn’t avoid it any longer. Kneeling down, he carefully inspected the bloated and decaying bodies.

The corpses had been dead for some time, their skin bloated and turning green. Fighting off his nausea, Li Po observed closely. As his eyes moved to the back of one corpse’s hand, his expression sharpened, a sudden realization lighting up his gaze.

Even though the body’s hand was severely swollen, he could still make out something faint—a series of needle marks.

The marks were clustered, with five or six punctures on each hand. Li Po inspected the other bodies and found the same thing.

How could that be? It wasn’t unusual for someone to die of illness, and it wasn’t strange for them to have received injections beforehand, but why did every exposed body in this pile have needle marks? One or two might be a coincidence, but all of them? That seemed too unlikely.

And then he remembered the earlier attack by the Wusha Association…

Li Po’s expression turned cold.

Yang Guang, noticing the change in Li Po’s demeanor, asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Just then, Li Po’s peripheral vision caught a slight movement at the center of the pile, as if something was squirming beneath the corpses.

His mind raced. He quickly suppressed his emotions and asked, “How long would it take to go back and forth between here and S District?”

Yang Guang, unsure of Li Po’s intent but eager to help, thought for a moment and replied honestly, “About 20 to 30 minutes. Maybe just 15 if you’re fast.”

Li Po nodded.

Without hiding from Di Kai, he turned to Yang Guang and said, “Go back to S District and tell the officer I’m in danger. Get him to come immediately.”

Yang Guang hesitated, an awkward silence falling over them. “Which officer?”

Was it who he thought it was?

Li Po gave him a puzzled glance. “Jiang Yu, of course. Who else?”

Yang Guang was stunned. Did Li Po really just refer to the commanding officer by name? And he was just an Omega who had barely joined S District!

Plus, why call on the commanding officer for such a minor issue?

“What if he’s not there? Or if he doesn’t want to come?” Yang Guang stammered.

Li Po shrugged indifferently. “Then forget it.”

“Huh?” Yang Guang hadn’t yet realized that when Li Po made this request, his first instinct wasn’t to refuse but to think about how to face the commanding officer’s cold demeanor.

If he really went to tell him, wouldn’t the commanding officer just kick him out? After all, that man wasn’t known for being patient. If he could use force, he wouldn’t bother with words.

The more Yang Guang thought about it, the more hesitant he became. He tilted his head toward Di Kai. “You’re the one seriously injured. Why don’t you go back? I’ll stay here and help Li Po deal with the pollutants.”

He had expected Di Kai to jump at the chance, already imagining how he could spend more time with Li Po alone. But the next moment, a cold reality hit him like a bucket of water:

“No, you go. I can manage.”

Di Kai’s tone was firm, leaving no room for discussion. Yang Guang found this odd but couldn’t figure out why. Reluctantly, he agreed. “Fine, I’ll go.”

Li Po’s gaze flickered over Di Kai before settling back on Yang Guang. He smiled faintly. “Good. Just tell him I’m in danger—nothing else. I’ll explain the rest when I get back.”

Yang Guang, momentarily dazzled by Li Po’s smile, nodded dumbly. Taking out his communicator, he summoned a starship.

…

After Yang Guang left, Di Kai sneered at Li Po, his voice dripping with disdain. “You could’ve just used a communicator to contact the commanding officer, but you sent someone in person instead. Did the dirt scramble your brain?”

Li Po turned to face him.

His face was still smeared with blood, his black combat uniform stained even darker. His gaze lowered, revealing a pale wrist bruised and swollen, with visible cuts on his knuckles. Despite these injuries, his black hair remained clean and fluffy.

By contrast, Di Kai was covered in blood and grime, his black combat suit smeared with filth, looking as if he’d just rolled in mud. His hair was matted with dirt and ashes, making him appear utterly disheveled.

Between the two of them, it was Di Kai who looked like he’d had his brain buried in the dirt.

Li Po wasn’t angry. He simply stared at Di Kai with quiet intensity.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Di Kai felt an unsettling sense of danger in Li Po’s gaze. He found himself unable to meet Li Po’s eyes, quickly turning his head to focus on the pile of corpses.

Even Di Kai could tell something was moving in the pile.

Just as he prepared to release his mental power, Li Po spoke up:

“You still want to kill them?”

Di Kai furrowed his brows in confusion. “Of course, it’s part of the mission.”

Li Po gave a faint smile, then asked with a hint of amusement, “I thought you wouldn’t want to kill anymore—since, after all… they’re your kind.”

It was like a bomb went off in Di Kai’s mind. His pupils dilated instantly, and his hand tightened over his abdomen. His expression turned horrified. “What the hell are you talking about? How could I possibly be the same as pollutants? Are you insane?!”

Li Po finally turned fully toward him, locking eyes.

“Aren’t you?” he asked, taking slow steps toward Di Kai, his gaze sliding down from Di Kai’s face to his tightly clenched abdomen. “Don’t you know what’s inside you?”

Di Kai’s face went ashen, his mouth clamped shut in silence. Yet with each word Li Po spoke, the pain in his abdomen intensified, cold sweat dripping down his body.

Without making any sudden movements, Di Kai’s hand inched toward the gun tucked at his waist as he cautiously asked, “How did you figure it out?”

Li Po stopped right in front of him, frowning as if in deep thought before smirking. “That guy had something in his hand. Didn’t you notice?”

Of course!

Di Kai had suspected it before. The moment the man put down his gun and lunged at him, pounding his wound with his fists, it wasn’t just to harm him—it was to ensure that the object in his hand made contact with Di Kai’s blood.

Di Kai shuddered, his entire body cold with fear. He pressed his hand tightly against his abdomen, his eyes darting toward Li Po with desperation. “What the hell was in his hand? Why has it turned me into this?”

Li Po shook his head in mock sympathy. “How should I know?”

“Then what should I do?” Di Kai’s legs wobbled as fear hollowed out his gaze. Terrified of the pollutant growing inside him, he gave up hiding the truth, letting his hand fall away from his abdomen to reveal the wound.

It was a horrifying sight.

Di Kai’s combat uniform had been torn open by the bullet, and his abdomen was a bloody mess. Around the wound, a cluster of tiny black dots clung to the flesh. Upon closer inspection, those black dots were wriggling, slowly eating away at the decaying tissue.

He was clearly infested by a pollutant.

Li Po stared calmly, though inwardly he was alarmed.

Could the pollutants be controlled by humans? The Alpha at White Tower’s north gate, Hong Mao at Training Ground 2—they had also been infested by similar parasites. Was it all orchestrated?

Li Po’s heart sank at the thought.

Though Di Kai appeared vulnerable, exposing all his weaknesses, in the shadows he was discreetly reaching for his gun, slowly drawing it inch by inch.

But the next moment, a gun barrel pressed against his forehead.

Li Po stared down at him with a faint smile. “Reaching for your gun?”

Clang!

The pistol fell to the ground with a sharp thud.

This time, Di Kai’s legs really gave out.

He had always bullied the weak and feared the strong. The only reason he had targeted the Omega in the first place was that he thought Li Po was easy prey—someone who wouldn’t resist no matter how he was treated. He had never expected Li Po to be anything but a soft target. Yet, it turned out, Li Po was the last person he should have messed with.

Di Kai’s regret consumed him.

He was terrified of death, especially knowing that pollutants were treated with zero tolerance in S District. He was well aware of what had happened at Training Ground 2. The commanding officer hadn’t hesitated to shoot, and now that Li Po had sent Yang Guang to call for him… If that man arrived, Di Kai’s fate was sealed.

Panic took over, and Di Kai’s fear turned into groveling. With a thud, he fell to his knees, crying and begging for mercy. “I know I was wrong! I shouldn’t have bullied you, shouldn’t have gone after you in the first place. Please, spare me this time! I swear, I’ll never show my face in S District again.”

“I can’t go back! They’ll kill me! Please, believe me—I’ll leave S District, find a doctor at a human base to remove the parasite, and live a normal life. I won’t hurt anyone again.”

“Can you forgive me? If you let me live, I’ll be your loyal servant!”

Ignoring the blood still oozing from his wound, Di Kai slapped himself repeatedly, groveling so hard he tried to cling to Li Po’s legs.

Aren’t Omegas supposed to be soft-hearted? They’re terrified of blood, right? There’s no way Li Po will actually kill him. He only killed earlier because his life was in danger—it wasn’t deliberate!

Suddenly, Li Po moved.

He took a step back, his expression full of disgust. “You’re repulsive. Don’t touch me.”

Di Kai froze.

His face filled with disbelief as he looked up at Li Po. “What did you say?”

Li Po said, “I said you look like a dog.”

“…”

Di Kai’s teeth ground together until they nearly cracked. His arm muscles tensed, as if he was ready to lunge at any moment, but the gun was in Li Po’s hand. He could only swallow his rage, suppressing his humiliation as he whimpered, “Call me whatever you want. If it makes you feel better, I’ll take it. Does that mean you’ll let me go?”

“You called me a dog, so I’ll bark. Woof! Woof! Woof!” Di Kai barked in humiliation, then asked, “Is that enough?”

Li Po’s face remained expressionless, but inside, he nearly laughed out loud.

Damn, the guy could really degrade himself when needed. Impressive.

Di Kai, eager to placate Li Po, added desperately, “The commanding officer is coming. If he sees I’ve been infested, I’m done for!”

The reminder struck a chord with Li Po—Jiang Yu was indeed on his way. This needed to end quickly.

His face turned cold as he raised his pistol, answering Di Kai’s plea with action.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, hitting Di Kai right in the already injured spot on his abdomen. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his eyes bulging in agony. “You son of a—”

Bang!

Another shot rang out.

Li Po, his face still expressionless, shot Di Kai in the shoulder.

“What did you call me?” Li Po asked calmly, as if they were having a reasonable discussion.

“…” Di Kai was drenched in cold sweat. His mouth hung open, trembling lips pale, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at Li Po, too afraid to speak.

Li Po, finding the scene distasteful, decided it was time to end things.

Lowering his gaze, he stepped forward and ground his heel into Di Kai’s hand as it supported his weight on the ground. Applying pressure, he muttered to himself:

“I told you, I hold grudges.”

As the words left his lips, Di Kai let out a hoarse cry. The next moment, a hot barrel pressed against his temple.

Li Po looked down at him, his smile gentle, but his finger squeezed the trigger with ruthless decisiveness—

Bang!

Blood splattered, painting the ground in red.

Li Po released the gun, letting it drop to the floor with a thud.

It was over.