Truth be told, along the way, Lu Yan had genuinely and seriously considered whether he should pretend that his “early warning” had failed to trigger.

After all, a flawless $100\%$ detection rate appeared altogether too terrifying.

However, because the instructor who laid out the traps was far too ruthless, falling into any of those pits would undoubtedly leave him in a thoroughly wretched state. Thus, Lu Yan ultimately abandoned that notion.

The System remarked, >[I truly mistook you for a grandmaster of the school of perfunctoriness; I never expected you to actually be a top-tier perfectionist.]<

Lu Yan didn’t actually harbor a profound obsession with claiming first place, but he did possess a genuine case of mysophobia.

In his daily life, a speck of mud sticking to the soles of his shoes was already the absolute limit of his tolerance; anything higher was out of the question.

By the time Lu Yan reached the destination, the timer on his watch read exactly one hour.

His body temperature was significantly lower than that of an ordinary person, yet upon finishing his run, a layer of a boiled, flushed crimson surged across his entire frame. Lu Yan possessed a fair complexion, so the flush looked exceptionally aesthetic—resembling a ripe peach.

A staff member stepped forward to unfasten his weight-bearing straps.

Lu Yan casually asked, “What position?”

“You are first. Everyone else is still on the route.”

Many Awakened of the combat stream were still currently locked in combat with Corrupted that had suddenly manifested mid-journey. The support stream faired slightly better, but they were still heavily battered.

Director Hu had already utilized his talent [Cell Division] to treat his own wounds multiple times.

Yet, even if everyone faced different obstacles along the way, this remained a grueling thirteen-kilometer mountain cross-country run.

The staff member offered a heartfelt sigh of admiration, “Your physical endurance is far superior to that of an ordinary support stream Awakened; many combat stream Awakened of the same rank can’t even match your current standard.”

“Thank you, I usually practice a fair amount of endurance training,” Lu Yan replied while wiping away sweat with a towel. “May I head back first? I would like to take a shower.”

The staff member originally wanted to say “yes,” but abruptly remembered that there were eyes watching through the surveillance monitors—especially the head instructor of this term, Tang Xun’an, who was notoriously strict about discipline. For a brief moment, he actually didn’t know how to answer.

He hesitated for a mere half a minute, and then, a voice drifted down from the surveillance camera hanging from a tree.

Tang Xun’an’s voice through the electronic equipment inevitably sounded a bit distorted, resembling the sound of several chunks of aged ice dropping into a glass filled with brandy.

“You may.”

Lu Yan went back and took a long soak. He then retrieved his cleaning gear and swept the dormitory he currently resided in until it was immaculately clean.

By the time he arrived at the classroom in the afternoon, the vast majority of the students were slumped over their desks to rest. Occasionally, a few delirious individuals leaned against the walls while staff members stood beside them holding spoons to feed them—a scene that was highly attentive and touching.

The hulking man who had previously taunted him on the mountain was present as well. He sat up straight, remarking with a teasing smirk, “Well, if it isn’t the support stream guy from the neighboring class? What’s the matter, did you withdraw halfway through the run and only just return now?”

The hulking man’s ID was Iron Fist. His talent was named [Vajra], which was a combat stream talent with a fairly decent ranking.

For the afternoon’s orienteering, he had only spent 1 hour and 20 minutes. After asking around, everyone else lagged behind him by over half an hour, leading him to believe that victory was securely within his grasp.

Lu Yan peeled open a carton of yogurt, not particularly in the mood to speak. Although he had rested for two hours, the high-intensity training still left his entire body aching and sore.

A few minutes later, an assistant instructor pushed the door open and entered.

“I am here to announce the ranking of this afternoon’s physical evaluation scores.” The assistant instructor conducting the class tonight was a refined, scholarly man wearing glasses, codenamed Viper. “First place: 503, Lu Yan.”

The prefix code served as both their room number and their student ID.

Countless astonished gazes instantly locked onto Lu Yan.

Lu Yan maintained a very low profile, but because his face was exceptionally striking and his spiritual energy threshold was high, many people held an impression of him.

After reading that single line, Viper set down the score sheet. “Very well, aside from the first place, I believe there is no need for all of you to get to know one another. After all, for the academic faction, anything that isn’t first place is completely meaningless.”

“The student who claimed first place this time belongs to the support stream. Of course, I am not suggesting that the support stream is inferior. However, it appears that the quality of the combat stream for this term is rather lacking, leaving me quite worried about the actual combat exercises two months from now.”

“After all, the more incompetent you are, the more exhausted we assistant instructors become. Although there are quotas for casualties, if too many die, I can only go and penalize myself with three cups of wine.”

Viper clearly lacked professional ethics as a teacher, but the words he spoke were indeed a hard fact.

Behind the surveillance monitors, a staff member responsible for recording buried their face in their hands, “This is precisely why I have been constantly advocating to increase the proportion of female Awakened among the instructors.”

When their mental states fell into disarray due to contamination, $60\%$ of male Awakened manifested outward aggression, whereas female Awakened mostly manifested inward aggression. The latter, at the very least, wouldn’t inflict harm upon others.

The Awakened who could be selected to serve as assistant instructors were already a batch of individuals whose overall mental states were relatively stable within the internal ranks of the Special Operations Department.

The training at night lasted for a mere 1 hour, titled “Extreme Temperature Training.”

The System explained, >[It’s simply to enhance your body’s threshold of tolerance under extreme weather conditions. Due to the presence of contamination in certain areas, extreme high temperatures of sixty to seventy degrees Celsius and ultra-low temperatures of one hundred degrees below zero will manifest. This 1-hour training session isn’t purely an exercise in self-torture; it will also instruct you on what actions to take when confronting different temperatures to maximize your survival rate.]<

[The temperature within the metallic pods fluctuates between roughly 55 degrees to minus 35 degrees Celsius, with staff members monitoring and controlling the temperature in real-time. Overall, it is still entirely tolerable.]<

Lu Yan muttered, “No matter how one looks at it, this doesn’t appear to be something a human can tolerate.”

The System’s voice sounded thoroughly amused, >[Do you truly still consider yourself a human? ]<

Lu Yan felt the four rows of shark teeth within his oral cavity itching slightly, and he couldn’t resist nudging them with his tongue.

The metallic pods utilized for extreme temperature training closely resembled sauna rooms. They weren’t large, making it very easy to regulate the temperature.

For Lu Yan, low temperatures were actually quite easy to endure. However, as the temperature gradually climbed above fifty degrees, the fish scales upon his frame began to surface uncontrollably.

Lu Yan turned on the faucet, plunging his head straight into the basin. The gill slits beside his ears commenced breathing, spouting streams of water, yet he remained desperately parched.

The assistant instructor’s voice echoed through the intercom system: “When the temperature ascends to forty-five degrees Celsius, the extreme heat will already begin to impair human activity. Beyond this point, every single degree of increase is fatal to an ordinary citizen, causing all temperature-reducing organs within the body to operate under overload. Awakened, however, will develop heat resistance. Pay close attention to your physical condition; if you experience severe discomfort, please press the door release button or the distress button immediately.”

The moment the words fell, Lu Yan pressed the door release without a shred of hesitation.

Lu Yan wasn’t the first trainee to choose to open the door, but his adverse reaction was exceptionally severe.

Upon leaving the high-temperature environment, he began leaning against the wall, dry-heaving in sheer agony.

Before the surveillance monitors, the logging researcher observed, “His source of contamination originates from an aquatic organism. In past historical records, this category of Awakened possesses an exceptionally poor tolerance toward high temperatures.”

Bringing the newly recruited personnel uniformly to the headquarters for training wasn’t merely for instruction; it was also to allow the relevant staff to better comprehend their distinct traits, facilitating future operational assignments.

Tang Xun’an nodded slightly, expunging the “Gange Desert” proving ground from the list of alternative options.

Lu Yan truly lived up to his reputation as a top student who scored over seven hundred points in the National College Entrance Examination. Whether it was theoretical classes or practical courses, his results were consistently outstanding.

Especially during combat class.

The weapon Lu Yan selected was a bow. He had already practiced using a compound bow in the past; following his physical reinforcement, the arrows he loosed were impeccably precise, possessing a firing range that extended up to 300 meters. Resembling a hunter who delivered a fatal blow with a single strike, this precision likewise carried over to his usage of firearms.

Were it not for the fact that the arrows Lu Yan utilized were completely rounded off and fitted with protective padding, the first instance of casualties probably wouldn’t have occurred during the field exercise two months later, but rather right inside the classroom.

The other combat stream Awakened had been thoroughly ground down until they completely lost their temper.

“Lu Yan’s talent is Early Warning; it’s completely impossible to launch a surprise attack on him. Dammit, the moment you open up a distance, a single arrow flies your way. This kind of cold weapon is far too unfair!”

“I propose kicking Lu Yan out of the support stream and assigning him to the combat stream instead. If I recall correctly, deploying for missions generally entails equipping the entire team with a single support stream member. Do not let him occupy a precious slot for support stream Awakened!”

Whenever these moments arose, Iron Fist always remained tight-lipped, silently increasing his own training regimen.

He didn’t quite understand. His physical build was twice the size of Lu Yan’s, their spiritual energy thresholds were roughly on par, and the talent he awakened was a top-ranking combat stream ability. Logically speaking, he ought to be the undisputed number one of their term—so how on earth could he fail to best Lu Yan?

Meanwhile, Director Hu, who served as the individual with the second highest entrance exam score back in the day, displayed a thoroughly shambolic performance throughout the learning process.

He had contemplated withdrawing countless times, but at the thought of his grandson’s school district housing in the Imperial Capital and his son’s household registration in the Magic Capital remaining unsettled, he could only grit his teeth and persevere.

The skewing of resources resulting from an excellent performance was glaringly apparent. Aside from the 10-credit reward distributed at the conclusion of each month, starting from the second week, staff members delivered medicinal bath packs for soaking every single night.

[It’s used for physical reinforcement, utilizing a vast array of materials harvested from Corrupted; it tastes terrible.]<

The moment this item was dropped into the water tub, a heavy scent of herbal medicine wafted out. Out of sheer curiosity, the King Vessel Fish delivered a single lick, and very quickly couldn’t resist vomiting it back out.

Lu Yan rested his hand outside the rim of the bathtub, allowing it to throw up to its heart’s content.

It was also entirely thanks to the fact that surveillance cameras were never installed within the bathrooms.

“Does it truly taste that terrible?” Lu Yan felt it smelled rather fragrant.

However, he wasn’t a person who enjoyed courting death, nor did he harbor any intentions of drinking his own bathwater. Yet, there was a day when Lu Yan was far too exhausted from training and inadvertently fell asleep within the bathtub. The water flooded in through the gill slits behind his ears, and the taste resembled a sewer.

The first month of training thus passed amidst the wails and laments of the trainees.

The conclusion of the theoretical classes meant they shifted entirely to practical application courses. Everyone was so exhausted they no longer possessed the energy to cry out to the heavens and earth.

Time swiftly arrived at the final week preceding the real-combat exercise.

A training duration of less than two months wasn’t considered long, but someone like Chen Anzhi, who possessed an amiable and enthusiastic personality, had already made countless “good friends” within the academy.

He seemed to possess a certain magical charm; regardless of gender, anyone who drew close to him would find themselves captivated.

However, Lu Yan truly harbored zero interest toward this pitiable, delicate type.

If one had to specify, his aesthetic leanings were rather traditional—he favored a generous chest and a slender waist.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Instructor Tang, whose waist appeared exceptionally slender, arrived while leading his dog.

Xiaotian barked open its maw, “Congratulations to all of you on completing the first phase of your studies. Within this month, only 2 trainees actively withdrew, and for the time being, no trainee has had their credits completely cleared to zero, which leaves me feeling highly gratified.”

“Everyone remains relatively cut off from external news here at the training center headquarters. I can inform you that over the past month, a total of 64 new cases of contamination sickness have emerged across the globe. Over seven thousand individuals have perished, and 6 Awakened have fallen. Among them, the single case of the ‘B-rank Infectious Disease: Cannibalistic Fetish’ alone resulted in over five thousand additional fatalities within the infected cities.”

“With the commencement of the second phase, it is time to prepare for the final real-combat exercise. This time, following consultations, the location we have selected is City P, which is precisely the site where the A-rank Contaminated Zone ‘Luochuan Botanical Garden’ is situated. Rest assured, however; you all will not be penetrating deep into the botanical garden. Rather, the headquarters has discovered that along the peripheral regions of the botanical garden, the spore virus is displaying a expanding trend. Thus, we intend to dispatch personnel to conduct a purge. Not only you, but the instructors will likewise accompany you throughout the journey.”

As they spoke, several staff members entered while carrying two heavy metallic pods.

Lu Yan was already thoroughly proficient with these metallic pods.

Back at the hospital, that infected military officer had been carried in by personnel in exactly the same manner.

The staff member stated, “Allow me to introduce them first. These are aberrated humans infected by the spore virus, currently at the secondary stage.”

Speaking of aberrated humans, many individuals present had rather unpleasant memories stirred up.

Those who could become Awakened had all come into contact with a source of contamination. Many among them had been rescued by members of the Special Operations Department before joining the organization.

The pod doors slowly slid open, revealing the aberrated humans within.

This individual’s expression was thoroughly terror-stricken, yet their entire frame was securely restrained within the pod. The person appeared exceptionally emaciated; conversely, their body was covered in a dense growth of red-and-white dotted mushrooms.

It was precisely the kind of red mushroom frequently encountered within fairy tales, named Amanita muscaria, belonging to a category of the Amanita genus.

These mushrooms had even sprouted out from within the eye sockets, beneath which lay deep-green fungal root systems.

“Individuals infected by this category of spore virus will display three distinct characteristics. This is the most commonplace variety among them, turning into a culture medium for venomous mushrooms. However, these mushrooms upon their frames still fall within the category of flora and can be harvested for medicinal purposes.”

The System added indifferently, >[Many research achievements of the scientific institutes are harvested from Corrupted cultivated upon the bodies of aberrated humans.]<

“This category of aberrated human possesses virtually zero aggression. However, it is imperative to exercise caution regarding the mushrooms growing upon their frames. Certain mushrooms are highly toxic, while others possess hallucinogenic properties.”

The second pod door slid open. The first thing to emerge was actually a segment of a rootstock in a root-whisker state.

This tentacle-like root rapidly extended outward. Tang Xun’an cast a sidelong glance, drawing the Huangchen blade at his waist and severing it directly at its source.

A shrill shriek of agony echoed from within the pod. Streams of a gray, decaying aura diffused along the wound; within a mere few breaths of time, this tentacle aged and regenerated, ultimately dying off completely.

This was the power of time.

The staff member opened the pod door with lingering trepidation. Lying within was a human silhouette resembling a ginseng root. The entire frame had completely withered to death; prior to passing away, they had likely put up a struggle, their desiccated root-whiskers contorting wildly in midair.

“This is the second category of aberrated human, which we refer to as ‘Vegetative Humans’. They prefer to display activity during daytime and possess a flourishing vitality. Their aggression is relatively high, but their infectivity remains low.”

“The research institute has developed specialized pesticides targeting this specific condition. Our real-combat exercise mission entails entering the contaminated zone under the accompaniment of the instructors to spray pesticides in small squads.” Xiaotian propped up its canine paw at this juncture, stating with absolute gravity, “This is likewise the sole mission. There is no competition involved, nor is there any need for everyone to compete. If an uncontrollable peril manifests within the contaminated zone, we will notify you to evacuate at the very first instance.”

“Yet, even so, I must declare that almost every single year, there are trainees who lose their lives at this final stage. Not merely for this exercise alone; every single time you deploy for a mission in the future, the possibility of sacrifice will always exist.”

The classroom descended into absolute silence; the atmosphere grew thoroughly heavy.

The moment Xiaotian’s words fell, the head instructor, who had barely spoken throughout the entire training duration, suddenly remarked, “This kind of life is something I have lived for eighty-four years.”

Only at this moment did several trainees discover to their utter astonishment that Tang Xun’an wasn’t actually mute.

Tang Xun’an gazed upon this batch of newly recruited employees beneath him, stating from the bottom of his heart, “I harbor no grievances whatsoever, though I am well aware that many individuals cannot accept this. It is still not too late to withdraw now.”

Director Hu felt a slight urge to raise his hand, but scanning his surroundings, not a single soul turned tail and fled. He could only grip his right hand with his left hand with a thoroughly sorrowful expression.

He was fast approaching fifty years of age this year. Prior to arriving, he possessed a beer belly; after training for over a month, his clothes now stripped away to reveal a frame entirely composed of taut muscle—anyone who laid eyes upon him would praise him as an elder remaining hale and hearty.

The corners of Chen Anzhi’s mouth still carried a faint, imperceptible trace of a smile. Throughout these two months of training, his harvest had likewise been immensely bountiful. Previously within his dreams, the Great Deity had even stroked his head as a form of encouragement.

Iron Fist clenched his hand into a tight fist, a resolute gaze locking within his eyes. Although no requirements were imposed upon the mission, he swore that he would absolutely become the environmental sanitation worker who sprayed the greatest amount of pesticide.

Lu Yan had amassed twenty-nine credits. He was short of a mere 1 credit to purchase that silver bow, so naturally, he wouldn’t withdraw either.

For the trainees, they merely required to eradicate contamination along the outer perimeter, preventing the source of contamination from expanding outward.

For Tang Xun’an, however, his mission entailed penetrating deep into the core of the botanical garden to thoroughly liquidate several A-rank Corrupted residing within.

The mutations among the flora and fauna within City P had grown increasingly severe. If they weren’t purged soon, millions of citizens in the vicinity could potentially face a fatal peril.

Not a single soul withdrew. Having trained to this point, withdrawing would mean their credits would be completely wiped to zero—no matter how one looked at it, it was a losing proposition.

The System let out a “tsk”: >[When he spoke those words, he might as well have sheathed his blade first.]<

__

Appendix: Manifested Talent Index

(Ranked according to the strength of the talent and its utility to humanity; the final manifestation is influenced by the spiritual energy threshold)

• 1: Apocalypse (Healing Stream)
• 2: Life and Death (Unmanifested)
• 3: Time
• 4: World (Unmanifested)
• 5: Judgment (Unmanifested)
• 6: Omniscience
• 9: Dragon Bone
• 12: Resurgence (Healing Stream)
• 13: Genetic Recombination
• 17: Life Drain
• 25: Devour (Healing Stream)
• 29: Phoenix
• 33: Fusion (Healing Stream)
• 42: Karmic Fire
• 59: Virtual World
• 66: Foresight
• 74: Bloodthirsty Gene
• 89: Barrier
• 99: Dream Walk
• 138: Mirage
• 167: Regeneration
• 168: Proliferation
• 178: Vajra
• 197: Hypnosis / Bewitchment
• 219: Bone Blade
• 238: Mimicry
• 271: Teleportation
• 273: Titanic Strength
• 309: Homing Shot
• 319: Stealth
• 346: Clue Perception
• 371: Tracking
• 378: Affinity
• 392: Severe Pressure
• 432: Cell Division
• 501: Early Warning
• 679: Fleetfoot
• 914: Cross-Species Communication