Chapter 57: What the Hell, a Mutant Uprising?

The instructors’ first mission had been issued, and just as Ji Laili expected, it eliminated the majority of the Alphas.

The real brilliance of the mission, however, lay in its aftermath.

Some of the earliest eliminated Alphas had been cautious enough to avoid direct contact, narrowly escaping their fate.

But the ones who were eliminated later didn’t leave the field—they transformed into mutants.

A large number of mutants was impossible to guard against. One accidental touch, and you’d become one of them—just another name on the elimination list.

In just the first ten minutes of the training exercise, a quarter of the Alphas were wiped out.

As time passed, the elimination rate only increased.

The freshmen not only had to fend off sudden attacks to avoid being eliminated by a direct hit to their red markers but also had to stay constantly alert—was their opponent just another competitor, or had they already turned into a mutant?

The tension was suffocating.

At the center of the city stood towering buildings and skyscrapers. The higher the concealment factor, the greater the danger.

Bang—

A golden laser beam sliced through the air with a sharp hum.

The Alpha had been focused on his target ahead, and by the time the humming reached his ears, his brain still hadn’t processed what had happened.

A burning pain erupted in his chest.

He looked down—his red marker was smoking.

A boy leapt down from the high-rise, his short chestnut hair ruffled by the wind.

Ji Laili twirled his quantum gun and grinned. “Hey, buddy. Thanks for the backpack.”

“Corpses” weren’t allowed to speak. No matter how grim his expression was, the Alpha could only toss his backpack aside in silence.

His figure began to fade—a signal that he was awaiting removal from the game.

Ji Laili didn’t care. Cheerfully picking up the backpack, he rummaged through it for supplies.

By now, he had already headshotted quite a few Alphas. His score kept climbing higher and higher.

His ID number was even in the top ten of the leaderboard displayed on his goggles.

As for first place…

Biting down on a nutrient pack he had fished out from the backpack, Ji Laili’s gaze landed on the top of the ranking list.

His eyes glimmered with amusement. “Po-ge, you’re really working hard.”

“Zhai-ge isn’t bad either.”

The two of them were neck and neck, swapping places every ten minutes or so.

Earlier, when Ji Laili checked, Zhai Yifei had been in the lead. But not long after, Lei Po had overtaken him.

Compared to them, he was still hanging onto tenth place—kind of weak, honestly.

Maybe it was time to find them.

Ji Laili, utterly lacking in camaraderie, thought to himself: If I take out the top nine, won’t that put me in first place?

Beep beep—

A new mission popped up on his goggles.

Current remaining players: 128.
Mission issued: The Ultimate Antidote
The cunning mutants have turned the battlefield into a warzone where no one can be trusted. But hope remains—the C-Class Medical Building has the cure.
Command orders all participants to seek out the antidote. Obtaining one grants +10 points and immunity from the mutant infection.

Ji Laili immediately saw the hidden meaning in the message—this was the final phase of the assessment.

With all participants heading to the C-Class Medical Building, every Alpha left in the game would be converging in one place.

No one knew how many antidotes were inside, but one thing was certain—there were a lot of Alphas.

Ji Laili had already encountered several Alphas along the way. Each time, he took them out with his quantum gun, only to round a corner and run into another.

It was getting ridiculous—every three steps, another one popped up. His trigger finger barely had time to rest.

“Holy shit!”

A furious curse erupted from somewhere behind him, drawing the attention of the Alphas who had been preparing to attack Ji Laili.

Seizing the moment, Ji Laili fired a few shots, then bolted up the stairs.

Behind him, frustrated voices roared—

“Damn it! They told us to come here, but they never said they were bringing all the mutants too!”

“Stop complaining and shoot to the left! I almost got touched!”

“Shut the hell up! I’ll shoot wherever I want—if you die, good riddance!”

“Shit, the whole place is crawling with mutants. Can we at least work together for a bit? There’s no way to survive this alone!”

Oh, so that’s how it is…

Ji Laili skipped three steps at a time, casually processing the situation.

No wonder some of the enemies he had supposedly eliminated kept chasing after him.

Like right now—there were at least five or six mutants hot on his heels.

Shooting them did nothing; instead of being eliminated, they just became even more relentless.

By now, they had been chasing him around the building for several laps. Ji Laili was panting from the constant running.

He glanced over his shoulder, tugged his goggles up, and flashed a bright smile.

In the crowd of pursuers, he recognized a few familiar faces.

His eyes lit up. They’re acquaintances!

“Suge, it’s you! Pinggu Bro, you’re here too!” Ji Laili greeted them enthusiastically. “How about we negotiate a bit? Wouldn’t it be better to chase someone else? Running after me must be exhausting.”

There was no rule saying that mutants couldn’t talk.

The Alpha called Suge arched a brow, then grinned.

“Well, well. Didn’t expect you to remember me.”

“Of course I remember!” Ji Laili nodded rapidly, full of sincerity. “Bro, I remember your shooting skills were insane. You were incredible during training.”

“Oh? Thanks for the compliment.”

Suge nodded, seemingly pleased—then immediately reached out to grab Ji Laili’s shoulder.

Ji Laili’s heart nearly stopped.

Using the machinery beside him for leverage, he leapt upward, his Alpha agility allowing him to grab onto the ceiling light fixture.

The fixture swayed under his weight, and his pulse pounded in his ears.

Looking down, he saw the group of mutant Alphas below him grinning wickedly.

Suge’s smile widened. “You’re a good guy—better than Lei Po and Zhai Yifei.”

For a moment, Ji Laili almost thought his rare display of friendship had actually moved the guy.

Then Suge finished his sentence—

“As one of the strongest competitors, if we turn you into a mutant, that’d be like winning in a different way.”

Pinggu’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Chasing after those weaklings is boring. I only like high-difficulty targets!”

At those words, the other Alphas nodded in agreement, looking smug.

“Hunting the strongest—that’s what we should be doing.”

“The rest aren’t even worth it. You, Ji Laili—you’re the only one who deserves it.”

Ji Laili: “…No. No, I really don’t.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself! Once you join our team, we can wipe out the remaining Alphas in one fell swoop!”

“Especially Lei Po and Zhai Yifei.”

“Life as a mutant is lonely and cold—we should bring those humans along to keep us company!”

The Alphas were fired up, their voices filled with conviction!

“Humanity is destined for extinction! Join us, the mutants, and usher in a new era!”

Ji Laili’s mouth twitched. Damn, they’re really putting on a show.

Suge chuckled. “Once everyone has turned into a mutant, let’s see what the instructors will do then.”

“So, how about it? Will you take part in this great revolution?”

Ji Laili: “……”

So this whole mess is the instructors’ fault, huh?

What the hell is even happening now?

A mutant uprising?

He couldn’t hold back and let out a grin.

But as the saying goes, joy comes before disaster—he had barely enjoyed his amusement for a second when the chandelier he was clinging to let out a weak creak, creak.

The Alphas below thought they had convinced him. “So, what do you think?”

Ji Laili’s gaze was sincere. “I’ve thought it through. You guys make a lot of sense. If everyone turns into a mutant, I bet the instructors will have a massive headache.”

Suge gave him an approving look. “Then, welcome to—”

Smack!

Out of nowhere, a backpack came hurtling down, slamming into an Alpha’s face. He blinked in confusion and pulled it off.

“Shit! That little bastard is trying to escape!“

Dangling mid-air, the curly-haired boy flashed them a dazzling grin, his sharp canine teeth adding a mischievous charm.

The next second, his hands tightened, veins subtly protruding against his fair skin.

With a smooth motion, his body swung gracefully, powered by the strength of his waist and arms—then he launched himself into the air!

“Damn it!”

“Catch him!”

Crash!

The chandelier, unable to withstand the force, came crashing down, sending dust flying everywhere.

Ji Laili landed on one knee, turned back, and waved. His curly hair bounced playfully as he grinned.

“See you next time~”