Special Sector C’s wards were fully equipped with surveillance cameras that automatically notified the duty room the moment there was any movement.

Vaguely hearing a disturbance, the doctor on duty glanced at the wall of monitors. Seeing that all the patients were lying down quietly, he felt a bit puzzled and gestured for his assistant to accompany him to take a look.

Li Xiao and Song Jin had barely stepped two paces away from the ward after closing the door when an Alpha military doctor hurried over with his assistant.

The corridor offered absolutely no cover. Facing each other dead-on like this, the military doctor and his assistant surprisingly didn’t even look at them. They simply stood completely still, waiting for the figures to pass right before their eyes.

07: Pheromone detection results are normal. The possibility of them being Modified Humans can be ruled out.

Wearing a specialized isolation mask, the military doctor checked the condition of each ward one by one. When he reached Lieutenant Yu’s room, he saw the man staring wide-eyed, face contorted in grimaces as he muttered to himself. The doctor immediately opened the door and walked in.

The moment the door opened, the sounds from inside leaked out.

The military doctor faintly caught the word “black bear.” Stepping up to the hospital bed, he asked Lieutenant Yu, “Where does it hurt?”

It took Lieutenant Yu a moment to process the words. Thinking the black bear had returned, he nearly shrieked in terror. Upon realizing it was a doctor, he sank back into the bed, panting heavily.

“I saw two black bears holding hands, coming in to chat with me!”

The military doctor replied calmly, “This is a warship. It’s impossible for there to be black bears.”

“It’s true!” Lieutenant Yu raised his head excitedly. Glimpsing the “black bears” out in the corridor through the open door, his voice cracked with terror. “Right there! They’re still out there!”

Song Jin, feeling playful, stared in at him gloomily and made a throat-slitting motion.

“Ahhh—! It wants to kill me! Help me, quick!” The Alpha struggled violently. “Where’s my gun? Where’s my gun?!”

The military doctor and his assistant couldn’t hold him down at all. They were forced to activate the bed’s sedative function, using micro-currents to subdue Lieutenant Yu.

Pressing down on his shoulder, the military doctor told his assistant, “Give him another dose of sedative.”

“Right!” The assistant pulled out a sedative and deftly jabbed it into Lieutenant Yu’s arm.

Lieutenant Yu collapsed onto the bed, paralyzed. “Bears… at the door…”

The assistant felt a chill run down his spine at those words and glanced toward the doorway.

The metal corridor was brightly lit, completely empty.

“There are no bears,” the assistant comforted him. “You’re just hallucinating. You’ll be fine after a nap.”

Out in the corridor, seeing that Lieutenant Yu had taken another needle, Song Jin felt thoroughly satisfied. He pulled Li Xiao and walked away.

Amused, Li Xiao asked via his thoughts, Is it really that fun?

Song Jin: Don’t you find it fun watching him suffer?

Li Xiao: Watching you mess with people is even more fun.

Song Jin: Then I’ll mess with you when we get back. If you’re happy, I’m happy.

Li Xiao: ...

That depends entirely on how you plan to “mess” with me.

When they first arrived, they had visited Examination Room 8—the smallest examination room furthest from the exit, containing only basic medical equipment. Fearing they might have missed something, the two looped back to inspect it again.

09: The hijacking duration has been too long; there is a risk. I am going to release the surveillance feed for the corridors and wards.

Li Xiao: Understood.

Song Jin searched through the cabinets and drawers, but still came up completely empty-handed. Li Xiao gestured for him to leave first. Even if specific equipment was required, it was likely being moved in from somewhere else. Everything would become clear by 3:00 PM tomorrow.

The next morning, Yan Qing arrived at the operations cabin and saw Xiang Hong at his workstation communicating with someone. The documents Yan Qing had placed on the desk yesterday remained completely untouched.

Once Xiang Hong hung up, Yan Qing walked over. “Those are the documents Major Shi needed you to sign.”

“Leave them for now.” Xiang Hong hurriedly organized his files. “More students have been injured. I have to head to the front line immediately.”

Yan Qing’s eyes swept over the documents, catching the Marine Corps insignia. Inconspicuously, he asked, “Do you need my help? Not many first-years have been deployed, so I’m relatively free.”

Just as Xiang Hong was about to say it wasn’t necessary, his terminal vibrated again. He picked it up smoothly. “This is Xiang Hong… Severely injured?! …Fine, I’ll be right over!”

Hanging up, Xiang Hong grabbed Yan Qing. “I’ll have to trouble you then.”

Yan Qing agreed. “I’ll go get ready. Let’s meet at the hangar.”

“Good thing you’re here.” Xiang Hong patted Yan Qing’s shoulder, taking the files and striding out the door. “Departure in 15 minutes. Hurry up.”

“Alright.” Once he left, Yan Qing returned to his workstation to log the work details in the system backend. Suddenly remembering something, he switched to another page, drafted a task info message, and broadcasted it out.

Medical Center, Routine Examination Room.

Fearing there might be work assignments today, Li Xiao had come early in the morning with Song Jin and the others to sit under the therapeutic lamps. Wei Wen, whose left hand was injured, had also come along.

Seeing Qian Can and the others chatting back and forth with him quite naturally, Li Xiao chose not to interrupt. Pumping someone for information too deliberately would only arouse suspicion.

Suddenly, their terminals vibrated, alerting them to gather at Hangar 19 in 10 minutes to prepare to head to South Sector 22 to support the Marine Corps.

“Support the Marines?” Song Jin was somewhat puzzled. “Is there nothing wrong with this mission?”

The Marine Corps was unique, consisting primarily of heavy armored units. During battles, they remained at the absolute front line, requiring continuous logistical support for supplies and ammunition from the rear. Generally, the areas where the Marines operated were the most dangerous. First-year military cadets were rarely assigned to such tasks.

“Are they trying to get us killed again?” Qian Can complained bluntly.

Qin Le: “This mission is indeed a bit strange.”

Jiang Hao: “Can we refuse? Just say our injuries haven’t healed yet.”

Since they needed to monitor the use of Lieutenant Yu’s blood at 3:00 PM, Li Xiao also wanted to stay on the warship as much as possible. Just as he was about to contact Yan Qing, the man’s communication request came through first.

“Teacher Yan, I just received a mission…”

Yan Qing: “I arranged it. Get to the hangar immediately.”

Li Xiao paused for a moment before replying, “Alright, we’re on our way.”

“We’re going?” Song Jin asked.

Li Xiao: “Teacher Yan arranged it. Let’s go see what’s happening first.”

Before leaving, Jiang Hao waved to Wei Wen. “We’re heading out on a mission. Rest up well.”

Wei Wen waved back. “Stay safe, guys.”

Returning to the rest cabin, Song Jin quickly secured his long military saber to his lower back, grabbed his tool kit, buckled the metal clasps on his waist and thighs, and slipped his sidearm and two short daggers into his leg pouches.

Li Xiao detached his magazine to inspect it before snapping it back in. He said to 09, “You stay here. Help me monitor the situation at the medical center at 3:00 PM.”

09 transformed into a small sphere and hovered in front of him. If I'm not there, who's going to protect you?

Li Xiao: “I’m just going for support. It shouldn’t be a major issue.”

Song Jin used a single finger to flick 09 away, throwing an arm around Li Xiao as he spoke to the AI. “Am I dead to you?”

09 rushed right up to Song Jin’s face. You're just his wife! I am his battle armor!

Song Jin sneered. “You said it yourself—you’re just armor.”

09 extended two stick-figure arms and crossed them. I am far more important than you.

Song Jin: “Starve you for a few meals and you’ll behave.”

09: You dare touch my energy stones?!

Li Xiao, watching them argue: ...

How can someone manage to argue with a piece of themselves?

It was honestly a bit too cute. If the timing weren’t so poor, he could watch them bicker all day.

With the gathering time fast approaching, Li Xiao ordered 09 to transform into a tiny flying insect to stake out the medical center, while he and the other four went to the hangar. Along the way, 09 kept complaining reluctantly in his ear.

I’ll come find you the second I finish the mission! Wait for me! Armor is very important too!

Li Xiao: …Yeah, I’ll wait for you.

When they reached the hangar, Yan Qing was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing them approach, he immediately waved them over, guiding them toward the corresponding aircraft.

“Why are we being sent to support the absolute front line?” Qian Can walked beside Yan Qing. “How can fragile little things like us withstand artillery fire?”

Yan Qing replied meaningfully, “During wartime, nowhere is safe.”

Li Xiao threw him an extra glance. Those words sounded as if Yan Qing had deliberately pulled them away from the warship. Did he think the Fifth Legion would move against him again?

The aircraft departed on time, heading toward South Sector 22. Yan Qing found a small round table in the main cabin and gestured for them to sit.

“This mission isn’t asking you to transport supplies and ammunition. Because the scale of the beast tide exceeded expectations, many second-year students responsible for rescue operations have been injured. We only need to bring them to the designated medical zone and log their injuries.”

Li Xiao: “Isn’t that the job of the second-year leading teachers?”

Yan Qing nodded. “But the casualties are too high. His team can’t keep up.”

Song Jin flipped through the data on Sector 22 provided by Yan Qing. It only marked the severity of the disaster, lacking any strategic deployments or front-line distribution markers. “Where exactly are we going?”

Yan Qing circled a location. “Temporary Medical Department Two. Currently, 56 injured students are trapped on the front line with no personnel to transport them to the medical zone. A list will be sent to me shortly, and we will move together.”

Simply put, they just needed to pick people up from specified locations and deliver them to Temporary Medical Department Two. The rescue units wouldn’t be charging into the very front, so the mission wasn’t actually as dangerous as it sounded.

Soon, Yan Qing’s terminal received the student roster, including squad names and coordinates—ten people in total. Judging by the disaster levels on the map, all ten were located within moderate-risk zones.

Arriving in the airspace above the southern region, Li Xiao observed the situation across the sectors through the protective shield.

After the military headquarters took over command, the southern front line had been pushed outward by at least 100 kilometers, essentially bringing the beast tide under control. The areas where the insect swarms gathered were pitch black, while cleared zones were pristine. Looking down from high altitude, it looked as though a sharp line separated the two sides of the battlefield.

However, South Sector 22—which was supposed to be well within the secure front line—remained pitch black, causing the line to dent inward awkwardly.

“Yan Qing.” Xiang Hong came over to deliver some files. Seeing Li Xiao and his group, he looked a bit surprised. “You called them over too?”

“Yeah.” Yan Qing took the files. “Since we’re already here, there’s no harm in racking up some military merits.”

Xiang Hong let out a chuckle. “How can you say that right in front of the students?”

When Li Xiao looked over, Xiang Hong happened to be sizing him up as well. That searching gaze was exactly the same as when they had first met.

“Alright then.” Xiang Hong averted his gaze from Li Xiao and smiled at Yan Qing. “Stay safe out there. I’ll buy you a meal when you get back.”

The aircraft circled to the rear of the front line and landed slowly. Yan Qing led Li Xiao and the other five onto a rescue vehicle, navigating toward the coordinates of the first student.

Despite being over 30 kilometers away from the active front line, numerous large avian beasts still filled the sky. Many buildings had collapsed, insect corpses were piled high as mountains on the streets, and the thick smoke from burning debris shrouded the entire urban district.

Upon reaching the coordinate zone, several large clearing bulldozers were piling insect carcasses together for mass incineration, while micro-drones kept busy spraying disinfectant everywhere.

Noticing a plaza not far from the right intersection where a few military vehicles were active, Yan Qing altered the rescue vehicle’s flight path.

Suddenly, a massive horde of mutated rats surged out from a building, rushing onto the streets to feast on the insect corpses. The auto-piloting rescue vehicle, flying at low altitude, swerved sharply to avoid a sudden leap from the rats.

Sitting in the back seat, Song Jin automatically slid right into Li Xiao’s embrace. Li Xiao instinctively tilted his head, narrowly avoiding a head-butt from Song Jin.

Meanwhile, in the middle row, Jiang Hao crashed into Qian Can with a dull thud. Both immediately clutched their heads. Qin Le winced, finding it painful just to watch.

Qian Can rubbed his head, tears almost welling up. “I definitely have a concussion. Iron-Head Jiang truly lives up to his name.”

Jiang Hao: “You didn’t even try to dodge.”

Qian Can: “I was looking at the giant rats! There are way too many of them.”

Li Xiao looked out the window, his brow furrowing slightly. “There shouldn’t be this many crawling pests here.”

The street had been completely overrun by mutated rats coming from all directions, even surrounding the military vehicles in the plaza.

Song Jin recalled what they had seen from the air. “The front line is receding. What on earth are they doing?”

The active battlefront was over 40 kilometers away; this area should have only possessed a few avian beasts that were difficult to round up and clear out.

Yan Qing stabilized the vehicle, looking around only to find absolutely nowhere to land. These mutated rats were incredibly bold, leaping straight toward the vehicle upon spotting it.

“Look at all those rat ornaments!” Qian Can looked at the wide-open jaws of the rats pressed against the glass, backing away in disgust. “If they keep clinging on like this, the vehicle’s going to crash.”

Yan Qing tried to shake them off, but failed after several attempts.

“Let me.” Li Xiao released Song Jin, crouching as he moved to the front seat to swap places with Yan Qing. “Sit tight.”

Switching to pure manual piloting, Li Xiao gripped the steering wheel, pulled the control stick to lift the vehicle’s nose, decelerated slightly, and then slammed on the accelerator.

The rescue vehicle rocketed forward. Every single giant rat clinging to the exterior was thrown back, raining down onto the ground.

Yan Qing: ...

It was that easy?

Stabilizing the vehicle, Li Xiao flew over the plaza and had Yan Qing contact the rescue team below. The public frequency communication connected quickly.

Yan Qing spoke first: “I am a military academy leading teacher. Does your squad have a injured second-year student who needs evacuation?”

The voice on the other end replied, “Correct! He was bitten on the leg by a rat and can’t walk on his own. Where are you?”

Yan Qing: “Right above you. We currently can’t find a suitable spot to land.”

As both sides brainstormed a landing spot, Song Jin scanned their surroundings. Watching more and more avian beasts approach from the direction of the front line while the rats showed no signs of thinning out, his tone grew impatient. “Just drop the rope ladder.”

Once the other party agreed, Li Xiao flew directly above the rescue vehicle and lowered the rope ladder.

The top hatch of the vehicle below opened, and a second-year Beta in combat uniform was hoisted up by two soldiers. The Beta gripped the rope ladder tightly and began ascending. The moment the soldiers below let go, two giant rats lunged forward.

“Ah—!”

One rat caught onto the ladder, lunging to bite the Beta’s leg. To avoid them, the Beta began swinging wildly in mid-air.

Inside the upper vehicle, Qin Le was about to draw his sidearm when he caught sight of Song Jin out of the corner of his eye. Song Jin was half-kneeling by the open hatch, pulling out a launcher to fire a cable. The cable hooked onto the rope ladder, pulling the student upward in one swift motion.

When the soldiers below saw the rat, they quickly drew their firearms. But before they could even aim, they realized the rope ladder had vanished in the blink of an eye, along with the Beta student. Only a single rat fell from the sky, about to land squarely on their heads.

“Holy crap!” The two soldiers rapidly ducked back into the cabin and sealed the roof, hearing a heavy thud right above them the next instant.

The soldier in the front seat asked, “How did it go?”

The two soldiers replied, “He went up with a whoosh!”

Inside the rescue vehicle, Song Jin rapidly retracted the cable, grabbing the Beta’s collar to hoist him up like a wet chick before kicking the trailing rat back down. “Close the door!”

Li Xiao: “Yes, Officer.”

The Beta sat on the seat, completely dazed. How exactly did I get up here?

Jiang Hao and the other two were equally dumbfounded. What insane arm strength!

Qian Can smirked proudly. With their Boss’s sheer strength, it was impossible for him to ever be the one at a disadvantage. Sure enough, their Saint Ya was indeed the party presenting the betrothal gifts.

Yan Qing was utterly flabbergasted. Who rescues someone in such a violent manner? He couldn’t help but remind him, “Little Song, make sure you don’t worsen his injuries.”

Song Jin sat in the passenger seat, responding indifferently, “If we wasted any more time down there, his other leg would have been ruined too.”

The logic was sound. Yan Qing turned to Li Xiao, hinting for him to offer a few words of caution. “Little Li, what do you say?”

“High efficiency. Extraordinary measures for extraordinary times. Well done.” Li Xiao gained altitude, setting course for their second destination.

Yan Qing: ...

Li Xiao: “My Xiao Jin is just a tiny bit hot-tempered. In truth, he’s a straightforward, passionate, and excellent young man.”

Yan Qing: ... How do you say that with a straight face?

Jiang Hao and the other two looked at the “straightforward and passionate” Song Jin: ... You’ve got at least a level-100 filter active.

Li Xiao glanced through the rearview mirror at the Beta. “Are you alright?”

The Beta originally wanted to say he was fine, but looking up and realizing the driver was actually the Second Prince, he grew incredibly flustered and incoherent. “Fine, completely fine!”

On the way to the second destination, the Beta completed his logging with Yan Qing’s assistance, quietly sending a message to the second-year deployment group chat.

The Second Prince personally came to pick up my injured self! I’m currently in the vehicle the Prince is driving, so excited omg!!

Replies quickly flooded the screen.

Wowww, you’re too lucky?!

Did the Second Prince go out on a mission again?

For first-years to take this kind of mission, that’s incredible.

He actually went to the front line for rescue operations?! That’s so dangerous!

Beta: His driving skills are amazing! [Image] Song Jin’s strength is immense! He pulled me up from the rope ladder with a single hand QuQ

The text on the screen flashed rapidly.

Ahhh, you were even saved by the Jin Beauty? What kind of dumb luck is this!

His strength is immense! I watched his phase exam video.

I had the honor of seeing him up close once. The pressure was so intense I didn’t dare look at his face T_T

I’m injured too, don’t know if I’ll get a chance… Ahhh they’re here! They’re really here to pick me up!

By the time they rescued all ten individuals, it was already noon. Although they were all within moderately affected areas, the insect swarms were visibly growing denser.

Li Xiao maintained a high altitude, continuously reviewing the status of the distant battlefield from above. Neither the crawling pests nor the avian beasts were being adequately controlled. If Sector 22 failed to hold, massive swarms would flood back into the rear of the front line, rendering all prior efforts entirely futile.

“The number of armored vehicles isn’t right.” Song Jin’s gaze darted between the window and the surveillance screens several times. “Why are there so few?”

Li Xiao scanned the distant skies. The number of fighter jets was roughly standard, but the deployment rate of the Marine Corps was highly problematic.

Arriving at Temporary Medical Department Two—a temporary medical zone constructed from military vehicles and tents—Yan Qing went to coordinate with the medical staff, while Qin Le and the other two assisted the injured second-years off the vehicle.

Li Xiao was asking a guard for the Marine Corps’ frequency number when a booming shout suddenly echoed from a nearby tent.

“Are you finished?! Superior orders are not to be questioned! Your sole duty is to execute my commands! Didn’t you learn that in the military academy?!”

Another heavy, muffled voice sounded.

“But if we don’t deploy more troops, Sector 22 is going to fall immediately! Please report to the higher-ups right away!”

“Are you trying to use me to climb the ranks?! Do you think you’re worthy?! Get out!”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Very quickly, sounds of fighting and heavy objects crashing to the ground echoed from the tent.

Li Xiao took two steps closer. A familiar scent of rotten tomatoes began drifting out from within. Just as he was about to enter, he was stopped by the guard on duty.

Guard: “No unauthorized entry permitted.”

Li Xiao: “Is the Marine Corps commander inside?”

The guard completely ignored him. Li Xiao charged right past.

Panicking, the guard reached out to stop him, but Li Xiao grabbed his arm and pushed him aside, speaking coldly, “I am seeing him in my capacity as the Second Prince.”

The guard’s pupils shrunk. For a split second, he was entirely at a loss for words. By the time he snapped out of it, Li Xiao had already entered. He immediately summoned the other guards, intending to pull Li Xiao out.

Song Jin, seizing the lapse in defense, leisurely followed him inside.

Inside the tent, the smell of rotten tomatoes was far more pungent than outside. A heavily built Alpha Major was repeatedly kicking a Beta Captain on the ground.

Li Xiao intercepted the Major’s foot mid-kick. “Stop it.”

The Alpha glared savagely at Li Xiao, his expression turning into a twisted, ferocious grimace that no normal human could make as he lunged at Li Xiao in a blind fury. “Get out, you useless bystander!”

Li Xiao took two steps back, snatched a set of restraint straps from the table, pinned the Alpha’s wrists, and subdued him in a few swift motions, slamming him to the ground. The Alpha thrashed his legs against the floor, struggling wildly. “Let me go!”

Ignoring him, Li Xiao turned to look at the Beta Captain. “Contact your superiors right now.”

The Beta Captain recognized Li Xiao, but hesitated at his words. “I’m not the person in charge of the Marine Corps. If I report over his head…”

The military valued regulations above all else. Every rule was set in stone, and ordinary personnel rarely dared to cross that line.

Li Xiao: “I am ordering you to contact them.”

Thinking of the dire situation at the front, the Beta Captain gritted his teeth, swiped his terminal open, and searched for the communication number.

“Don’t move!” A group of guards rushed into the tent, surrounding Li Xiao entirely.

The guard captain glared at Li Xiao. “Leave this place immediately!”

Seeing that Li Xiao ignored him, the Beta Captain spoke up, “You all stand down first.”

The guard captain looked warily at the Major on the ground, gesturing for his subordinates to “escort” Li Xiao out. But before a hand could even touch Li Xiao, Song Jin grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted it backward, nearly snapping it in half.

“Ah!” The guard’s legs buckled, and he dropped to his knees.

Song Jin’s eyes turned icy as his gaze swept across the room. “He told you to stand down. Did you not hear him?”

Despite being a pair of stunningly beautiful eyes, the gaze sent shivers down everyone’s spines. The guard captain nervously took half a step back.

The video call placed by the Beta Captain connected, and the face of the Marine Corps’ Commander-in-Chief appeared on the screen. Spotting Li Xiao, the Commander-in-Chief’s face immediately contorted in annoyance. “I don’t have time to chat with children.”

“And I have no interest in chatting with an old man either,” Li Xiao said blankly. “Report the operational deployment for South Sector 22 to me.”

The Commander-in-Chief looked as if he had just heard a hilarious joke. “That is none of your concern.”

“Then whose concern is it?” Li Xiao countered. “Sector 22 is on the verge of falling. Who takes responsibility for that?”

The Commander-in-Chief’s face darkened. “This is military business. If you don’t understand it, don’t meddle blindly!”

“I have already brought this to your attention. If Sector 22 spins out of control afterward, affecting other war zones and causing the entire front line to collapse—” Li Xiao looked directly into the Commander-in-Chief’s eyes, speaking with absolute composure, “—you will be the one held responsible.”

The Commander-in-Chief’s eye twitched. He suddenly looked toward the Beta Captain standing nearby.

The Captain caught the meaning behind that look and hastily added, “The situation at the front line is indeed looking grim.”

“Report to me privately!” With a cold snort, the Commander-in-Chief disconnected.

The Beta Captain quickly saluted Li Xiao before hurriedly rushing out of the tent.

Li Xiao looked at the guard captain, nudging the Alpha on the ground with his foot. “He’s sick to this extent, and no one reported it?”

The guard captain’s face stiffened. “He’s already receiving treatment.”

Taking Song Jin’s hand, Li Xiao left the tent. Finding Yan Qing by the rescue vehicle, he said, “The Marine Corps commander has developed mental issues. Help me contact the medical center to see if he needs to be transferred back.”

Yan Qing looked taken aback, asking subconsciously, “The same as the Lieutenant from yesterday?”

Li Xiao gave him a deep, searching look. “Yes, exactly the same.”

Realizing his slip, Yan Qing hurriedly averted his gaze. “Alright, I’ll contact them immediately. Go get something to eat first.”

“Boss, come have lunch!” Qian Can waved at them from afar.

The three of them were crouching neatly beside a supply truck, holding lunch boxes and eating heartily. Once Li Xiao and Song Jin walked over, Qin Le handed over two boxes. “We grabbed these for you.”

“Thanks.” Li Xiao took them, sitting down with Song Jin on the hood of a small hovering vehicle nearby.

Song Jin opened the lid. Seeing it was all heavily seasoned food, he instantly lost his appetite. “That old man might not necessarily behave.”

“We’ll see. If all else fails, we’ll look for Old Yi.” Li Xiao transferred the lighter vegetables from his portion into Song Jin’s box. “I still underestimated their destructive power.”

Though he didn’t state it explicitly, Song Jin knew the “them” he referred to meant the Modified Humans. Not just Li Xiao, but he had thought the same—believing Modified Humans needed to be in close proximity to unleash their abilities, meaning they wouldn’t play a massive role in a large-scale war.

But the reality was that if high-ranking officers within the military underwent modification, the sheer side effects alone could plunge the entire battlefield into chaos. They could even use pheromones to influence decision-makers into issuing flawed commands. On a battlefield, once a wrong command was implemented, it was incredibly difficult to retract. By the time anyone snapped out of it to correct the error, it would already be too late.

Song Jin: “We aren’t entirely passive either. Let’s take it step by step.”

Li Xiao chuckled. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d say.”

Song Jin: “I originally wanted to flatten Danas, but now that I have you, I can only give up on that idea.”

Li Xiao: …

As they spoke, 09’s alert chimed in his ear.

09: Master, that Alpha has been moved out of the ward!

Li Xiao glanced at the time. It was exactly 3:00 PM.