Chapter 22: Reaching the Summit
◎Sequence◎
The nighttime rain was much lighter than the daytime rain, but once I stepped off the cliff that sheltered me from the wind and rain, the rapid downpour still drenched me. My head, shoulders, and feet felt the icy cold of the rain almost simultaneously.
Shi Hanqiao had tied her hair up before. The loose hair on her temples broke free from the restraints due to the rain, but was scared back by the wind and waves, sticking tightly to her face.
She ignored the two unruly strands of hair and walked towards her destination with firm steps. The wind and rain could disrupt her appearance and soak her whole body, but they could not shake her straight back and steady steps.
Luo Wusheng followed behind. He was in good physical condition, but he couldn't help but slow down his pace in the heavy rain. Even when Han Qiao led the way, the biting cold wind and rain not only poured into his body, but also blocked his vision.
He watched Shi Hanqiao's back as she distanced herself from him. His frozen mind was completely unable to comprehend why she, with a physical fitness level of only C, could walk so briskly in the wind and rain as if she were walking normally. He only knew that if he didn't call her, the distance between them would become larger and larger.
This is not a good sign.
Luo Wusheng opened his lips just a little, and the night wind and rain rushed towards the warmth, and the white mist he exhaled became an obstacle, blocking his eyes.
His blurred vision refocused after the white mist dissipated and he tried hard to adjust. Shi Hanqiao didn't know when she stopped. Half of her body was hidden in the invisible black, and the other half of her face facing him was dimly lit.
Traveling on a rainy night, in order to save energy, it is obviously not suitable to talk.
Luo Wusheng saw her stretching out her hand. She was soaked by the rain just like himself and looked extremely disheveled, but her cold and proud eyebrows, calm eyes and strong aura became a barrier against the wind and rain.
He grasped her hand without hesitation, feeling the invisible force once again. Unlike the force that had been transmitted through the cold body of the gun last time, this time the invisible force carried warmth, flowing in continuously.
The two walked one in front and one behind, holding hands tightly but without any romantic thoughts, walking silently in the dark rainforest, heading towards their goal with determination.
The place where they were stationed was very unfortunate, as it was far away from the Solitary Peak.
On the map, Lone Peak borders the rainforest, swamp, permafrost, and ocean. In other words, the four areas are centered on Lone Peak.
On the same rainy night, the other teams all went to bed early. Everyone was worried that the rain would continue.
In a corner of the rainforest, there is a team stationed that once occupied the large screen of the Joint Control Center for a long time. The new students have the same configuration as Shi Han, Qiao Luo and Wu Sheng's team, and the teachers of the Royal Military Academy once praised them highly.
There were only five men left in the team at the time, and seven days passed without a single casualty. Teachers at the Royal Military Academy repeatedly praised the commander for rallying the troops and bringing them together in an unprecedented unity.
However, every time Fox Eyes just smiled and didn't comment much.
Now, the three Betas in this team have gone to bed peacefully because they trust their Omega commander very much.
Alpha saw that the light was still on in Omega's tent, so he first sent a message asking if he could go over. After receiving a positive answer, he left his tent and walked over.
He carefully pulled the chain to protect it from the cold wind and rain.
"Why aren't you asleep yet? Are you planning how to complete the mission?"
Alpha's tone was soft and gentle, with an imperceptible caution in his voice. It didn't sound like a question between companions, but more like a question from a subordinate to a superior.
Originally, he should have focused on carrying out orders and not asked about other things, but some unknown emotion made him unable to help but come over and ask.
Under the light, the Omega's little face looked even cleaner and whiter, with soft black hair that looked well-behaved. When his frowning brows were raised, his eyes bloomed with a gentle smile that attracted the Alpha's full attention.
"I submitted the command keywords." Omega paused, but did not wait for Alpha to ask.
He calmed down and then pretended to be calm and said, "Huo Ran, aren't you going to ask me the result?"
"I believe you." Huo Ran looked intently at Li Sen, whose eyes were gentle.
"I'm right." The Omega pursed his lips tightly, stretched them into a straight line and slightly curled up. The fake smile was soon replaced by real frustration. He bit his lip, his eyes full of resentment as if he had infinite grievances. His emotions were so fast that the camera ball couldn't capture them. He lowered his head, revealing a beautiful, white and slender neck, making him look well-behaved and fair, arousing people's endless desire to protect him.
"What's wrong?"
Lissen's voice was soft, with a hint of nasal tone due to frustration, scratching people's hearts like a feather.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to compare to my brother."
Luo Wusheng, the Omega who had no Omega vibe at all. He was competitive, always had a cold face, and acted like everyone owed him something.
When Huo Ran thought of him, he frowned and comforted him clumsily: "Don't be sad, you are much better than him."
"He guessed the key words on the first day, but I just guessed it now. I'm really too stupid." Omega couldn't help but slap his head, but a pair of hands grabbed his wrist to stop him from hurting himself.
“Don’t do that!”
Huo Ran looked at him nervously. When facing someone he liked or disliked, his reaction could not be fake.
The former can talk freely and show off his Alpha charm in various ways, but when facing the latter, he can only be nervous and nervous, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet or what to say.
After a long nervous moment, he finally managed to utter, "We will definitely complete the task just announced as quickly as possible."
"But..." Omega raised his head, his tearful eyes revealing obvious confusion and struggle.
Huo Ran immediately asked, "But what?"
"I don't know if this is the right thing to do. I'm really torn."
Liesen stated the key words of the command mission. "If that's the case, we'll have to abandon non-military professionals, but they are our teammates after all, so I don't know what to do."
"I really hope that I have reached a wrong conclusion, but the answer has been verified successfully, I..." Lisen's voice was a little choked, and he lowered his head and couldn't continue speaking halfway.
"You're right. Don't worry about it anymore." Huo Ran carefully reached out his hand and patted his shoulders twice to comfort him. "Rest first. We still have to go to Solitary Peak tomorrow."
"I am responsible for everything."
Huo Ran made sure that Li Sen had calmed down, then walked out of his tent, but did not return to his own tent.
[Lexen is so well-behaved and cute! His little face looks so soft, I really want to rub it, slurp it!]
[Gray wolves, stop drooling.]
【The biggest wolf is right next to him! 】
[This pairing is also very cute, the silently guarding Gray Wolf Knight Ax and the innocent and kind sheep Soft O! ]
[Innocent and kind? You're kidding! Lissen is one of only two Omegas to pass the command department exam, okay? How can he be described as innocent and kind?!]
[Look at Luo Wusheng next door. He's a ruthless man! He's decisive and would shoot without blinking an eye.]
Luo Wusheng is the outlier, isn't he? He has a genetic mutation and acts flamboyantly, but why can't other Omegas who have been admitted to the command department still retain their gentle and innocent side?!
[That's right, Luo Wusheng is the abnormal one, okay! Our Lisen is the best Omega!]
[This Omega speaks from personal experience. Based on my intuition, I think Lesin is a bit fake.]
[I also said that I am an Omega, because I think Lisen is well-behaved and kind, while Luo Wusheng is a cold-blooded pervert.]
I agree with the previous commenters. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the words 'trade off'. I have a bad feeling. I believe the school had a purpose for this question. If the presence of non-military students was inevitable, then Lishen's struggle and ambivalence are normal human behavior. But for someone like Luo Wusheng to shoot without hesitation, how cruel must he be to be so indifferent?!
The images of the two teams were selected by artificial intelligence and displayed in turn, sparking heated discussions on the Star Network. The controversial voices became louder and louder, causing more discussion than before Shi Hanqiao.
There is an essential difference between the two. Shi Hanqiao's behavior of "killing" her teammates caused controversy, which did not involve others. Everyone's focus was on herself, and the official's lack of explanation was the best explanation, at least allowing most of the audience to calm down and wait for developments.
Until now, the audience still doesn't understand the true meaning of "trade-offs", but they can understand Shi Hanqiao's behavior, and because of her Alpha identity, many people who questioned her began to praise her foresight and praised her for being decisive and efficient in doing things.
However, the artificial intelligence pushes out the images of the two teams in turn, and the audience compares the attitudes of the two Omegas towards the same thing.
People generally accept the pride and arrogance of Alphas, like when Shi Hanqiao took the initiative to shoot her "teammate." Knowing it was a necessary test during military training, the audience simply praised her. As for Omegas, people generally accept their kindness, gentleness, and innocence, as this is the safest approach.
Therefore, when Luo Wusheng and Liesen, two Omegas who were both admitted to the command department, showed very different attitudes towards the same thing, the audience's reaction was extremely intense, just like pouring clean water on boiling oil, and the Star Network forum was about to explode.
In contrast, the Joint Control Center was much quieter.
The center of the big screen is the scene of Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng arriving at the foot of Duxing Peak, which is enough to explain the problem.
At five in the morning, the rain was still falling.
After the rain continued to weaken at night, a ray of light appeared on the horizon, and the rain tended to intensify again, as if it wanted to force this little bit of light back behind the thick clouds.
Duxing Peak, as the name suggests, is a mountain where one can only walk alone.
The mountain road is not only rugged and steep, but the constant heavy rain washes away the already slippery stone steps. People walking on it need to be on their toes and be careful at every step to reduce the risk of slipping.
"Be careful."
Shi Hanqiao's voice penetrated the wind and rain and reached Luo Wusheng's ears.
Although the path up the mountain is narrow, it is still wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
The higher they went, the colder the wind was, the more they stopped in their tracks. The bone-piercing rain dripped down their clasped hands, leaving their wrinkled fingertips completely bloodless.
Luo Wusheng was so cold that his palms were numb and he could only maintain a stiff grip. Even though he could not feel the warmth of her palms, he knew that she was pulling him hard.
When he had walked nearly one-third of the way up the mountain, the rain began to pour down. It was as if a curtain of water suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. The cold rain swelled in his eyes and he could not see anything clearly.
Every time he took a step, he realized that he was not penetrating one layer of water curtain, but layers of water curtain. He could only hold Shi Hanqiao tightly with his left hand and hold the mountain wall with his right hand to force himself to keep up with her pace.
Luo Wusheng really couldn't see the road ahead clearly. He could vaguely see that there was a corner. He groped for the steep cliff when his right hand suddenly felt empty and his feet stepped on empty air. His heart quickly jumped and he fell straight off the cliff.
The senses were infinitely prolonged, and the long falling process was less than three seconds in real time. Luo Wusheng stopped falling and Shi Hanqiao grabbed him.
“Let go!”
Luo Wusheng instantly judged the situation, opened his palms, and shouted at her, ignoring the cold rain rushing into his mouth and nose.
In order to ensure the personal safety of the students, the camera balls following each team have multiple functions. Not only does it have the function of live broadcast, but most importantly, each camera ball has an automatic protection function. At the same time, just in case, there is a dedicated person watching behind each ball to prevent artificial intelligence from being unable to provide timely rescue.
Luo Wusheng had already seen what was below, and the camera ball had opened its protective shield. In this situation, rather than dragging down Shi Hanqiao, it would be better to let her let go and conserve her strength so that she could go further.
He chose to travel through the rainy night because he was too confident in himself and Shi Hanqiao. For a moment, the thought that flashed through his mind was not regret, but a review.
He reviews every battle after it, and he has already determined his own 'death'.
"Shut up!"
As the woman shouted, a strong force came from his left arm. The slowly rising feeling interrupted his thoughts and Luo Wusheng's brain froze.
When he came to his senses, he was already standing on a cliff that was barely wide enough for one person to walk. A forearm as strong as an iron chain tightly wrapped around his waist, leading him to the left along the space on the cliff.
"Do you not trust me, or do you not trust your own plans?"
The deep female voice was almost touching the auricle, along the ear bone, and into Luo Wusheng's eardrum. He could clearly feel her lips not touching his ear, but there was only a thin layer of water between them, and he could fully feel the heat of her breath.
The slight warmth was magnified dozens of times in the extreme cold, and his ears inevitably became hot.
It was raining heavily on the steep and rugged mountain wall, which was obviously not a place to talk.
Shi Hanqiao walked behind, holding Luo Wusheng's waist with his right hand, and holding the rough mountain wall with his left hand, helping him adjust his breathing and rhythm and continue to climb.
After walking about another third of the way, the road was no longer rugged and became a smooth road that could accommodate dozens of people.
At this time, the rain stopped, and the sunlight penetrated the thick clouds and fell on Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng.
Shi Hanqiao was the first to let go of Luo Wusheng and distanced herself from him. If it weren't for the fact that he was W, she wouldn't have taken the initiative to take him along.
But as soon as she let go, the pale Omega staggered and fell down.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Shi Hanqiao still reached out and put his arm around his waist, then slowly lowered him to sit on the ground.
"My leg is cramping."
Luo Wusheng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. His physique was S-level, but he had not received any formal training. He had walked all night in the rain, stepped on ditches, and climbed mountains. His calves had long been unable to bear the strain.
Shi Hanqiao pinched her brows, then squatted down beside him, lifted his cramped leg and placed it on her own leg. Her first reaction was that his legs were quite well-proportioned, and then she reached out and gently kneaded the calf.
She couldn't really leave Luo Wusheng here, after all, he was W,
"Three favors, figure out how to repay me later."
The Demon Lord is still the same Demon Lord, refusing to pay in vain.
Luo Wusheng, who was surprised that Shi Hanqiao would actually squat down to rub his legs, was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."
"I'll give you all ten."
He had originally intended to win over Shi Hanqiao, not because of her mother's identity, but because of her herself.
Whether he owes her or she owes him, it is always a means to narrow the distance between them.
Luo Wusheng agreed too readily, which made Shi Hanqiao unhappy. He pressed his words and said, "Okay, ten then."
Without waiting for him to change his mind, Shi Hanqiao looked up and saw him nodding with a smile again. He withdrew his hand, let go of his calf, and stood up in a bad mood.
"Okay, stand up and try."
There seemed to be a gentle force still remaining on his legs and abdomen. When Luo Wusheng stood up, his body swayed a little, and the next moment a hand reached out and firmly grabbed his arm.
"Let's go, it's not far ahead."
After he stood firm, Shi Hanqiao did not let go, and strode towards the top of the mountain while holding his arm.
At eight o'clock in the morning, the sun shines on the earth.
When Lissen got up, there were panda circles under his beautiful almond-shaped eyes, and he looked extremely haggard.
Seeing Huo Ran approaching, he forced himself to cheer up, forced a bright smile on his face and said, "As for the others, it's time to go to Solitary Peak."
Huo Ran said, "There's no one else. We're the only two left in the team."
Liesen stood there in a daze, as if struck by lightning. Tears welled up in his eyes instantly, but he still held on, stubbornly trying not to let the tears flow down.
"you......"
Lissen's face was full of disbelief. Huo Ran half coaxed and half comforted him for a long time before he calmed down and started walking towards the Solitary Peak. However, he looked unhappy all the way and didn't smile once.
After the rain, the sky cleared up, a rare clear sky.
All the teams set off, rushing towards their common destination - Solitary Peak.
There are very few people watching the live broadcast in the morning and daytime, but in the evening, more and more people come.
I just happened to encounter the trigger for the second task.
At seven o'clock in the evening, a small team that was close to the Solitary Peak lost three non-military teammates on the cliff section, and the remaining three members reached the summit.
There are three types of military students, ABO and Omega. Omega's combat ability is very weak, but he is the one who got the protective suit at the beginning. After he slipped on the edge of the cliff, the protective shield automatically turned on the protection function and stretched out the iron hook to firmly grasp the cliff wall.
It's amazing how lucky I am.
“Will we be the first?”
Luo Wei looked at the deserted summit with surprise and joy. There was only a long table with many blank wooden boards on it, and a robot behind the table with a screen on its chest and abdomen.
"No, someone has already reached the summit."
There was obvious joy in Luo Wuming's voice. The other girl A wanted to understand why he was happy even though someone else had snatched the first place.
Luo Wei walked forward and took a look. There was a ranking on the robot screen, and the first column read: Shi Hanqiao, Luo Wusheng.
On the long table, on the wooden board at the upper left end, the names of the two people were written in black pen. The handwriting was sloppy and unrestrained, and the strokes were free and unrestrained.
"Should we write the names of our fallen teammates on the back?"
Luo Wuming held a wooden board with three people's names written on it in his hand. Facing the robot, he asked the two surviving teammates for their opinions.
Woman A was anxious to confirm the second place name and said impatiently, "Doesn't it say in the rules that you have to be present before you can write your name?"
"Yes, that's what the rules say." Luo Wei also agreed with Woman A's point of view and acted strictly in accordance with the rules.
There was no commander in their team, and everything was discussed. Now there were two votes against, and only Luo Wuming voted in favor. He couldn't say anything, so he had to obey the majority and hand the wooden board to the robot. The names of the three of them appeared in the second row on the screen on its abdomen, which meant second place.
No one noticed the green light flash in the robot's eyes.
The robot placed the wooden board under the board with Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng's names written on it, and then said to the three of them: "Congratulations, the first task has been completed."
As soon as it finished speaking, the watches of the three people flashed at the same time, and each of them added 500 points.
The robot then moved to an open space and faced the three people. "Please stand in front of me. I will escort you all back to the foot of the mountain."
The three followed the instructions and stood in the designated area. As the robot finished its countdown, the ground began to shake and they fell slowly and evenly, like taking an elevator to the bottom of the mountain.
There was a palace at the bottom of the mountain. When the three of them came out of the elevator, they saw a magnificent hall. The sound of machinery rang out in the empty hall.
[Congratulations to the three of you for becoming the second team to complete the first mission. Now please follow the ground indicator lights to your rooms to rest and start the next fixed mission.]
The three of them followed the arrow that appeared on the ground to the three-bedroom suite. With the help of the mechanical butler, they took a nutritious bath. The wounds on their bodies healed and the mental fatigue dissipated in the water.
The three of them recovered to perfect health, changed into new clothes, and went to the restaurant to find their opponents - Shi Hanqiao and Luo Wusheng.
The second task is simple and crude, which is to engage in close combat in groups of two according to the order in which the teams reach the summit.
The winner will continue with the military training, and the loser will be eliminated directly.
[Note: The second mission's battle is a one-shot match. This means that no matter how many members of your team survive, they all fight together.]
This is an unfair matchup.
The purpose of the second task is simply to eliminate half of those who can reach the summit.
Relatively speaking, it is not cruel.
[Please both parties discuss the battle time and then inform me.]
"Let's do it now." Luo Wusheng spoke first. He looked at the three of them, but when he glanced at Luo Wuming, his expression remained unchanged. "Do you accept?"
"good!"
Luo Wei agreed first, and the other two Alphas didn't have time to discuss it.
Mechanical Butler: [Please return to your respective rooms and prepare. Please arrive in Battle Room 1 in fifteen minutes for the battle.]
When the three of them returned to the room, Woman A asked Luo Wei why she didn't discuss it before agreeing.
Luo Wei said: "We will definitely win."
Woman A disagreed. "The three of us rushed here as soon as the rain stopped. We're very close to Lone Peak, so we have the advantage of arriving second. Unless the other two are stationed even closer to Lone Peak than we are, they braved the rain to reach the summit."
"You saw how heavy the rain was yesterday. Anyone who dares to climb to the summit in the rain must be very powerful. You shouldn't agree so easily."
Luo Wei shook his head with a mysterious smile on his face.
"We have two Alphas who can fight, and the other side only has one Omega who can fight. We will definitely win."
"What do you mean?" Woman A looked confused.
"The female A on the opposite side, Shi Hanqiao, has only C-level mental strength and physical fitness."
Luo Wei's words were like a bombshell, shocking both Woman A and the audience who were watching the live broadcast.
In less than two minutes, the StarNet exploded, and the scene from two years ago was repeated.
【Author’s words】
La la la la ~~~~
Small Theater
After being together
A certain Joe (playing tricks): Forget it, since he is W.
Mou Sheng (angry): Do you like me or W?!
Mou Qiao (suppressing laughter): You two are the same person.
Mou Sheng (arms on hips): No matter what, you have to choose one today! Either me or him, either him or me.
A certain Qiao (sinister, his hand sliding onto the well-proportioned and strong calf): No need to choose, you still owe me ten favors, so let's repay them together with our bodies.
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