Chapter 6: Classes Begin

In the Bathroom

Cold water drenched Mu Qianling's flushed body as he gritted his teeth and suppressed the restlessness raging inside him.

Only after a long time did the fierce craving for skin-to-skin contact gradually fade away.

Since childhood, he had suffered from a condition similar to skin hunger.

Yet ironically, he was also deeply repulsed by physical contact.

Whether it was an Alpha, Beta, or Omega, touching another person's skin made him intensely uncomfortable. In severe cases, it even caused nausea and vomiting.

As a result, he had almost never engaged in physical contact with anyone.

Whenever the skin hunger became unbearable, he simply endured it until it passed.

The same was true during his rut.

After the age of sixteen, Alphas entered a rut once every month.

Most used suppressants to control it and waited until adulthood to bond with their Omega partners.

But Mu Qianling was a double S-rank Alpha.

Even the strongest suppressants couldn't completely restrain the turmoil inside him.

His rut was more intense than that of ordinary Alphas and required far greater soothing.

His personal physician had once stated that if he never found a compatible Omega and continued to suppress himself indefinitely, he could one day die from a mental-power eruption.

Mu Qianling couldn't help touching his neck.

The tingling sensation left by warm breath still seemed to linger there.

He let out a heavy breath.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Until lights-out that night, Mu Qianling didn't say a single word.

Song Qiu secretly glanced at his tightly pressed lips and cautiously curled himself into a ball before falling asleep.

Listening to the faint breathing coming from across the room—careful and alert, like a wary baby animal—Mu Qianling found his thoughts repeatedly replaying the scene outside the bathroom.

He spent the entire night awake.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Over the next two days, Song Qiu left early and returned late, spending nearly all his time working at the milk tea shop.

Mu Qianling behaved exactly as before.

He treated Song Qiu like air.

This greatly reassured Song Qiu.

The Omega owner, Fu Ling, had completely become a hands-off manager.

She would disappear almost immediately after arriving.

Song Qiu wasn't sure whether it was his imagination, but more and more Omegas were visiting the shop.

By the second afternoon, business had become so busy that he barely had time to drink water.

Groups of Omegas surrounded him asking for drink recommendations.

Though most of them were really trying to get his contact information.

Since Song Qiu disliked socializing, he politely declined every time.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Early Monday morning, Song Qiu hurried to class.

The first lesson was Introduction to Mental Power.

Once everyone had taken their seats, a tall and powerfully built Alpha walked into the classroom.

A long scar ran across the side of his face and up toward his forehead, giving him a fierce appearance.

His name was Wan Zhongchang.

He was both the instructor for this course and the class advisor.

His stern gaze swept across the room full of relaxed, carefree cadets.

He had already reviewed every student's file.

His overall assessment could be summarized in one word:

Spoiled.

Far too spoiled.

These Alphas and Betas had grown up pampered.

None of them had truly suffered.

They thought getting an A-rank mental-power score and entering the First Military Academy was some great achievement.

They had no idea that a single mutant creature on the battlefield could easily take their lives.

Perhaps because there hadn't been a major contamination-zone expansion for decades, people had become complacent.

The students were all laughing and joking around without the slightest appearance of future soldiers.

Recently, however, mutant activity had begun increasing again.

Just one week earlier, a new Contamination Zone had appeared near the southwestern slums.

It stretched over twenty kilometers and was the largest newly formed contamination zone in the past ten years.

Coincidentally, one of the students in this very classroom came from that area.

He had entered military school just before his slum became part of a contamination zone.

What was that student's name again?

Wan Zhongchang glanced at the attendance sheet.

"Which one is Song Qiu?"

"Present."

The response came from a frail-looking little Beta.

Clean-faced.

Skinny arms like sticks.

Wan Zhongchang frowned.

This kid obviously lacked physical training.

Students from outside the districts were usually harder to manage.

And compared to the others, he had started much later.

He would need special attention.

In other words:

Train him until he nearly breaks.

Many of Wan Zhongchang's strongest students had been trained that way.

Now they were all monsters in combat.

"Mm. Sit down."

Memorizing Song Qiu's face, he cleared his throat.

"Everyone stand up immediately."

"Thirty laps around the track."

The First Military Academy's athletic field was enormous.

Even one lap was exhausting.

Thirty was brutal.

The classroom erupted in complaints.

"What are you whining about?"

Wan Zhongchang frowned.

"You're all acting delicate."

"Should I transfer you to the Post-War Department instead?"

Everyone knew the Post-War Department only accepted Omegas.

Its purpose was logistics and medical support.

Combat soldiers were even assigned to protect them.

Telling Alphas to transfer there was basically a direct insult.

The freshmen had only recently entered military school and were full of pride.

Sure enough, the challenge worked.

One by one, they rushed toward the track.

Wan Zhongchang nodded with satisfaction.

Then, one second later, his face darkened again.

That Beta from outside the districts was lagging behind at the very back of the group.

He looked like a little rabbit tail dangling behind everyone else.

Was he trying to draw attention to himself?

At the rear of the group, Song Qiu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Sure enough, the next second—

A booming voice echoed across the field.

"The one in the back!"

"Yeah, you!"

"Song Qiu!"

"Five extra laps!"

Song Qiu: "???"

His life was over.

All he could do was grit his teeth and run.

After thirty-five laps, Song Qiu was completely exhausted.

His legs trembled so badly he could barely walk.

Many students had collapsed halfway through.

Song Qiu somehow forced himself to finish.

The reason was simple.

Wan Zhongchang had announced that anyone who failed to complete the run would have to continue at lunchtime.

And every day at noon, the cafeteria provided free nutritional meals for thirty minutes.

Life was truly difficult.

What could he do?

He was hungry.

A single meal could defeat a hero.

At this point, he felt like he could eat ten cows in one sitting.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The entire morning passed in what the academy called "physical training."

The moment class ended, Song Qiu dragged his aching body toward the cafeteria.

The first floor served standard meals.

Cheap.

Large portions.

The second floor consisted of private dining rooms that cost several times more.

Many students ate downstairs.

The upstairs area was also busy, filled with wealthy-looking students whose shoes alone probably cost tens of thousands of Star Coins.

Song Qiu didn't even glance in that direction.

He headed straight for the free nutrition-meal station in the corner.

Fortunately, nobody was standing in line.

He wouldn't have to wait.