Chapter 5: Not at All Like an Alpha

Ji Laili’s movements became smoother and more fluid. What started as dodging turned into a full-on offense.

His body felt more agile than ever before. Techniques that once drained his stamina now felt effortless, almost second nature. Ji Laili was getting into the rhythm, completely immersed in the fight.

After just a few exchanges, Egger was already impressed. This was a promising recruit!

There were far too many Alphas who boasted about their skills, proclaiming themselves as the best in the world. But no matter how talented they were outside, once they stepped into the Federation, they were quickly put in their place. Egger had disciplined so many that he had grown tired of it.

It was rare to come across an Alpha like Ji Laili—someone not only cunning and intelligent but also physically strong. Egger immediately felt satisfied and even looked at Ji Laili with a touch more kindness.

Egger respected those with true strength.

That being said, rules were rules. If someone stepped out of line, they needed to be taught a lesson. So, Egger decided to get a bit more serious.

Ji Laili quickly noticed the shift in Egger’s approach. Rather than backing down, he was eager to continue. He could sense it—his limits weren’t here yet.

Just as he prepared to launch another attack, the system’s voice suddenly popped up.

[Host’s body has not fully adapted yet. Engaging in too much combat could destabilize your Alpha genes.]

Hold back?

Ji Laili hesitated for a moment. But seeing how excited Egger was, how was he supposed to “hold back”?

As he pondered, a loud, arrogant voice interrupted him—

“Ji Laili is f*cking incredible!”

Ji Laili: ? What are they up to now?

His crescent-moon-shaped eyes were full of curiosity. He couldn’t help but glance over.

An Alpha, kneeling on the ground with his mouth twisted to the side, turned his head and shouted back to his group,

“More than ten rounds, and he’s still standing! Say whatever you want—he’s insane! He’s the real deal!”

The patrol squad sneered, holding down the arrogant Alpha with an iron grip while mocking them.

“Short-sighted fools! You can’t even see Ji Laili’s true strength. The instructor was holding back, and you’re already worshipping him?”

“And what does Ji Laili sparring with the instructor have to do with you? Look at yourselves—how pathetic!”

The Alpha held his head high and roared, “Pathetic, my ass! Ji Laili is one of us! I’m proud of him!”

“That’s right!” Another voice chimed in, “Do any of you dare to challenge the instructor? Huh? Anyone? Jealous much?”

“LMAO, look at your ugly faces, you must be so envious!”

Patrol squad: “Ji Laili is trash! The instructor’s gonna knock him down in no time!”

Freshmen: “Ji Laili is your daddy! Go cry about it, but even if you do, the instructor still won’t lay a hand on him!”

The Alphas in the patrol squad were fuming, their eyes practically shooting fire. They had completely lost their usual calm and “senior” demeanor.

If not for the fact that the instructor hadn’t given the order, they would have already pinned these cocky freshmen down and taught them a hard lesson.

Ji Laili, caught between being called trash and being called “dad,” couldn’t hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing.

This group was too hilarious!

His laughter curled his eyes into crescents, but before he could fully enjoy the moment, the world spun around him. The next thing he knew, he was staring at the bright interrogation room ceiling lights.

“You must not lose focus in battle. Every second counts for survival. Letting outsiders distract you—what a fatal mistake.”

Egger’s expression was cold with disapproval. He swept his sharp gaze over the rowdy Alphas, and both groups instantly fell silent.

Especially the freshmen—they suddenly realized that their argument with the patrol squad had distracted Ji Laili during his fight. Regret was written all over their faces.

Damn it. They should’ve trashed-talked in private! Now, they had messed up their own guy’s momentum.

Egger snorted. “All of you—confinement for the night. You can come out tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Instructor!”

And so, Ji Laili was transferred from the brightly lit interrogation room to the pitch-black confinement cell.

A dozen Alphas sat in a cramped space, but somehow, it didn’t feel too crowded. Ji Laili sat cross-legged in a small corner.

Around him, the Alphas were full of rebellious energy, throwing out bold declarations.

“Brothers, we’ll go again tomorrow! We won’t fall into the same trap twice!”

“Count me in! My recon skills are top-notch—I was ranked first! Next time, they won’t catch us!”

“Wait… if you’re ranked first in recon, how did you still get caught? Sounds fake!”

Ji Laili couldn’t help but snort in laughter. It was like flipping a switch—instantly, everyone around him cracked up.

The Alpha who had claimed to be first in recon blushed and huffed, “It was an accident! And hey, you guys are here too! Failure is the father of success! What’s the rush? Eventually, we’ll be the ‘fathers’ here!”

Ji Laili was still laughing when someone bumped his arm. He turned to see an Alpha looking awkward.

“Hey, man. About earlier… sorry.”

“Huh?” Ji Laili blinked.

“For making you lose focus!” The guy said loudly. “If we screwed up, we admit it!”

“Yeah!” Another Alpha slung an arm around Ji Laili’s shoulders. “We don’t do fake apologies. We messed up, so we own it.”

These guys were wild, but they had a sense of honor. If Ji Laili hadn’t been distracted, he probably could’ve lasted a few more rounds. They felt a little guilty about interrupting his fight.

“That’s all?”

Ji Laili smiled, his eyes curving as he casually brushed off the arm around his neck. “It’s nothing.”

“I was reaching my limit anyway. No big deal.”

Honestly, if they hadn’t caused a scene, he wouldn’t have had a way to exit the fight without looking bad.

These Alphas were practically his saviors.

The so-called “saviors” had complicated expressions. They felt even more awkward now.

Alphas were naturally competitive. If someone had distracted them in a fight, they’d be furious.

But Ji Laili? He was calm, smiling, like a carefree, tousled-haired pup radiating warmth.

“You really think that?”

“Man… don’t sugarcoat it. If you’re pissed, fight me! I’ll let you have three hits!”

“Yeah, don’t be like those patrol squad guys. If you wanna fight, just fight!”

Ji Laili tilted his head back, propping himself up on one knee. He waved them off, disinterested. “Nah. We’re all friends. No need.”

“Aren’t you guys tired? Just rest.”

“…”

Silence. That was fast. Sleeping already?

Ji Laili lifted his eyelids.

And was instantly met with a dozen pairs of misty, emotional eyes.

Startled, he leaned back—only to smack his head against the wall. His curls puffed up as he cursed, “Sh*t!”

“Dude… what are you guys doing?”

The dozen freshman Alphas, eyes brimming with emotion, looked at him with complicated expressions.

Then, in unison, they declared—

“You’re nothing like an Alpha.”

…What? Wasn’t that basically saying he wasn’t a real man?!

Ji Laili: Excuse me?

He stared at them blankly, but that didn’t stop them from getting even more fired up.

“Good bro! Good little brother! From today on, you’re our little bro!”

One after another, fists pounded his chest in a show of camaraderie.

Ji Laili: “…”