Stone pile.

Five ’corpses’ looked at each other, finding it hard to accept what had happened to their team. Just thinking about those scenes made them feel very uncomfortable.

Dead.

The competition hadn’t even started, yet they were already eliminated.

The identity-code wristbands of the five individuals were seized, exposing their identity information. The enemy faced their ’corpses,’ discussing methods of disguise to continue eliminating their teammates.

This—

Was simply an enormous disgrace.

This five-person squad comprised four males and one female. The male team leader’s face was ashen, yet, as they had already been knocked out, they could only watch helplessly as their teammates fell into the enemy’s trap.

As this was a competition and not a real battlefield, each student wore a sensor. If the wearer suffered a fatal attack, the sensor would produce a protective shield to ensure the student’s safety. Meanwhile, the shield would endure the fatal hit intended for the student. The sensor would record the power level of this fatal attack, and if the level was enough to kill the student, then the student had to be eliminated.

This maximized student safety and ensured competition fairness.

Five ’corpses’ both looked confused:

[What should we do?]

[Lie here?]

[Will someone come to collect our bodies?]

[Or just lie here until the competition ends?]

[So sore all over.]

[That girl with the crossbow is really fearsome. When she targeted me, I had no strength to resist at all.]

[Where has her spiritual power reached that makes it so terrifying?]

...

Five ’corpses’ exchanged silent eye contact.

...

Outside.

Mu Jianling crossed her arms and scoffed at the sight of five students lying among the stones: "Such rules, utterly ridiculous."

No one among the 131st-grade Combat Department students sitting in the training room spoke.

Mu Jianling turned her head, facing the few hundred students below the podium, and suddenly asked: "Are these five people foolish?"

Students: "..."

Mu Jianling asked again: "Foolish, aren’t they?"

The students loudly replied: "Foolish!"

Mu Jianling continued: "Do they remind you of yourselves?"

The students almost bit their tongues in embarrassment.

Mu Jianling said: "To be so foolish, why compete on the battlefield? Isn’t it better to watch from the sidelines, offering peanuts, seeds, milk tea to drink and watch?"

Students remained silent.

The clearly insulting words were such that whoever responded would be considered foolish.

Instead of continuing to deride those foolish students, Mu Jianling suddenly shifted focus to criticizing the competition organizers: "These protective measures, utterly ridiculous. With no injuries and no deaths, what’s the point of battle? Might as well play house."

She was not heartless, nor would she purposely want students to die, but these protective measures crafted by the Alliance University’s officials and the First Military Academy for eliminated students did deeply frustrate Mu Jianling.

No bloodshed, no tears, no injuries...

How would they grow?

How would they take responsibility?

...

Mu Jianling, with a stern face, said: "Continue watching."

The students promptly turned to the screen, nervously awaiting Ji You’s confrontation with the sudden enemy.

At this moment, the enemy encampment concealed the five ’corpses.’ Ji You sorted through the five captured weapons and selected one—the Big Chopper, approximately a meter long.

This Big Chopper belonged to this squad’s leader. Its blade was extremely sharp, able to cut through ordinary iron and steel like mud. Yet, it was ineffective against those rare, specially-made metallic weapons of extraordinary hardness.

Among the five weapons, none were energy weapons; all were cold weapons, coinciding with Ji You’s previous suspicion—the squad was of low-level sophistication, equipped with primitive weapons and gear.

What about above the squad level?

Would modern weapons appear?

...

Such questions flashed through Ji You’s mind quickly; she had no time to ponder further because three people were advancing toward the encampment ahead.

He Nu, standing behind Ji You, cautiously asked: "New members?"

Ji You nodded: "I guess so."

Her eyes fixed ahead, she lightly asked: "Have you all memorized your names?"

No one responded.

Ji You called: "Zhang Jian!"

No response.

Ji You kicked Cheng Haoyue on the foot, saying: "Answer."

Cheng Haoyue: "..."

Cheng Haoyue twitched his lips: "I know. I’m just absorbing my new identity. Give me two seconds to acclimatize."

Ji You teased: "What’s there to adapt to? Zhang Jian is a lovely, simple, easy-to-remember name." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Cheng Haoyue murmured: "Simple and easy-to-remember, yes, but out of your mouth, it doesn’t sound nice."

Ji You turned to He Yu: "Memorized your identity?"

He Yu hesitated: "But aren’t there only one girl in this team? Now there are two, won’t we be found out?"

Ji You said: "Ignore those details. You’re the only girl here now."

He Yu: "What about you?"

Getting closer.

Three people were now within about 1,000 meters... Ji You lowered her voice: "I am part of the team too; what if there are originally three girls? I’m playing the one who hasn’t come yet."

He Yu pursed her lips: "You don’t know her name though."

If you attempt impersonation and suddenly she appears, then you’ll be exposed?

Regarding impersonation, He Yu had never learned, neither did Liu Jia, Wang Xin, nor Cheng Haoyue. Everyone was pretty tense at that moment, fearing any flaws exposing them all.

Ji You said: "Just focus on maintaining your part. Don’t worry, leave the rest to me; if it fails, we’ll slaughter them all. Besides, there’s plenty of room at the stone pile."

Hearing this, thinking of Ji You’s previous skills, everyone closed their mouths.

Ji You advised: "Speak less, do little, listen and observe more, understand?"

Everyone nodded.

Then.

The slowly approaching three people finally reached the temporary encampment—two men and one woman. Clearly, they traveled together, and upon seeing Ji You’s group, their faces revealed joy. One man waved at Ji You and the others and said: "Finally found the encampment."

"Almost thought we wouldn’t make it."

Ji You, beaming, waved back: "Come over, the path is here."