“The Beta smells so good.”
“Let me smell him. Let me smell him.”
The Alphas scrambled to get closer to Chu Li, treating him as if he were a mere tool for their lust. Their hideous faces pressed inward without restraint, but in the next instant, they were swung to the ground by someone wielding a club!
“Chu Li!”
Mo Yizhou squeezed through the crowd and handed the club in his hand to Chu Li. Chu Li gripped the weapon and slammed it down onto the “salty pig hand” (creeper’s hand) that was stroking his lower leg. The man instantly let out a howl of pain and let go.
“Chu Li, get up here quickly!”
Feng Yuming’s voice rang out from upstairs. Beside him stood a few high-level Alphas who had not yet lost their sanity; they were voluntarily blocking those who had already gone mad.
Feng Yuming reached out from above. Chu Li grabbed his hands, leaped directly over the group of Alphas at the stair landing, and climbed to the second floor.
He offered a word of thanks to Feng Yuming and hurried back toward the dormitory. As he reached the corner of the fourth floor, he encountered another crazed Alpha head-on. He raised his club and brought it down, knocking the man unconscious with a single blow before ducking into his dorm room.
Zhou Yueming’s voice broadcasted from the radio room:
“The military has urgently deployed protective masks and suppressant sprays. Alphas who still possess their reason, please assist others in moving to the open ground.”
The sudden outbreak of the heat period caused some Alphas to collapse into comas from mental trauma, while others, spurred on by the frenzy, rushed toward the dormitory buildings like a never-ending tide of zombies. Only a small fraction could maintain their sanity, but even their reason would not last long under the relentless assault of Omega pheromones.
“The Beta is on the fourth floor!”
“Get out of the way! Don’t stop us, we’re going up!”
The clamor from downstairs pierced through the night and reached Chu Li’s ears. Chu Li felt that staying on the fourth floor for long would be unsafe. Just as he was wondering where to hide, a sudden force slammed against the dormitory door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The violent impact made his eardrums vibrate.
Mo Yizhou and the others had failed to intercept them; the mob had surged up.
Chu Li instinctively took a few steps back, his eyes fixed on the crack of the door. At this moment, the Alphas’ pheromones were flowing in through the gaps in the door and windows.
If he were an Omega, he would have long been rendered weak and motionless by those pheromones, left like a fish on a chopping block to be slaughtered.
The alloy iron door in front of him could not hold for much longer, and once it broke.
He hesitated for a moment, then opened the window to observe the building’s exterior. At the very moment the door was about to be breached, he stepped onto the balcony railing, reached out to grab the railing of the fifth floor, and pulled himself up with all his might.
The fifth floor wasn’t safe either, so he had to keep climbing until he reached the rooftop.
No one had swarmed the empty rooftop yet. When he went to lock the protective door, he found it was an old-fashioned bolt lock.
The kind that could be kicked open with a single blow.
“Thinking it was useless,” Chu Li sighed.
Footsteps echoed in the stairwell. Somehow, the Alphas quickly discovered his tracks. They burst onto the roof, kicking the lock open.
Driven by desire, their minds were filled with nothing but thoughts of mating. They stared greedily and hungrily at Chu Li, who stood at the edge of the roof.
Their restless blood made them unwilling to wait a single moment, and they began hurling one vulgar remark after another.
“You’re just a Beta, why care so much?”
“Hahaha! Since you came to the military academy, you should have expected the fate of being fucked by us!”
Chu Li recognized them; they were members of Evans’ group. He tightened his grip on the club, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
The air around him was consumed by the Alphas’ breath, becoming abnormally scorched. The extreme tension actually caused him to calm down. While he spoke to stall them, he calculated the distance from this building to the next.
“Aren’t you afraid of violating military regulations?”
“We’ll just say our rut came and we couldn’t help ourselves, hahaha!”
Chu Li estimated the distance between the two buildings to be about seven or eight meters. A standard jump wouldn’t clear it, but now, he had to jump regardless. He couldn’t stay here to be eaten alive by this disgusting pack of Alphas.
Just as several men lunged at him, he turned around and leaped into the void with a sense of martyrdom. He couldn’t hear anything. Perhaps it was the wind rushing into his ears or the surge of blood in his body causing his ear canals to buzz.
In the moment of his rapid descent, his waist was suddenly hooked by a long, powerful arm. A familiar, fresh scent flooded his nostrils, instantly dispersing the foul air around him.
Like a drowning man pulled from an endless abyss, he was drenched, and his eyes were wet.
His eyelids flickered, and he slowly raised his gaze. The first thing he saw was the other man’s Adam’s apple moving.
The scene was exactly like a year ago when Lu Jin rescued him from the star pirate ship.
He looked at Lu Jin’s face. Lu Jin held a ladder dropped from a spacecraft with one hand and circled Chu Li’s waist with the other. His black trench coat whipped in the night wind. His deep eyes looked down, and his voice was low and mellow: “Can you still walk?”
“I can.”
Chu Li climbed up the ladder into the spacecraft. He stood before the glass cabin, still shaken, looking down at the crazed Alphas on the roof with lingering fear in his eyes.
The spacecraft hovered above. Unable to catch Chu Li, the Alphas could only howl impotently, shouting all sorts of unspeakable insults.
Hearing those words, Lu Jin glanced sideways at Chu Li. Under the brim of his hat, his gaze was as dark as ink: “As a Beta, you are bound to experience these things while staying in the military.”
Mockery, humiliation, and even violence were inevitable.
The walls people built in their subjective consciousness were deeper and more fortified than the boundary walls between the Upper and Lower Cities.
“I understand.”
From the moment he appeared in the military, Chu Li knew what he might face. Therefore, he didn’t care about the mockery or disdain of others.
The things he wanted to do destined him not to be delayed by such petty people.
On the surface, Lu Jin’s tone was harsh and cold, as if lecturing Chu Li to be mentally strong because others couldn’t help him. However, after speaking, his gaze narrowed toward the rooftop. In the next instant, he projected the pheromone pressure of a 3S-level Alpha.
The group of Alphas was instantly suppressed by the overwhelming pressure. Their spirits took a hit, and they fell to the ground, howling in pain, no longer able to utter a single foul word.
“If I hadn’t come to save you, were you planning to commit suicide by jumping?”
“It wasn’t suicide; it was an escape,” Chu Li said slowly.
“Silence followed,” Chu Li noticed Lu Jin’s annoyance.
For the first time in his life, he realized this Beta’s way of speaking was a bit irritating. Seeing that the Beta’s collar had been torn, exposing his slender neck and collarbone, he pulled off his coat with a darkened expression and draped it over Chu Li.
Sensing that Lu Jin’s mood wasn’t great, Chu Li quickly changed the subject: “Admiral, is that black ‘cloud’ causing the trouble?”
“Yes.”
Chu Li pulled the coat tighter and, after expressing his thanks, leaned against the cabin door to observe the “black cloud.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several figures in black walking against the crowd toward an arched building.
Lu Jin also noticed those strange people. He pressed his wristband, put on a specially made anti-toxin mask, and opened the spacecraft door.
“Chu Li, go back to Nebula first.” He had to stay to finish the cleanup.
Before Chu Li could say anything else, Lu Jin had already jumped down. Jumping with him were dozens of members from the “Hunt” unit.
The mecha Pompeii instantly appeared in mid-air. Lu Jin entered the cockpit almost immediately, becoming one with Pompeii as he controlled the mecha to charge toward the research building.
That arched building was the military academy’s research facility, housing many of the latest mecha research achievements.
As the spacecraft gradually moved away from the academy, Chu Li did not budge. He stood in place, silently watching Pompeii, which was surrounded by the Hunt soldiers.
His vision grew increasingly blurred; the figures of the mecha soldiers disappeared into the night, and the “black cloud” in the sky became a mere dot.
He wasn’t sure exactly what had happened, but he guessed that the mastermind behind the pheromone attack was likely targeting the only Omega in the academy, Song Xu.
Was it the rebels?
No, the rebels didn’t have that kind of capability, nor was there a need for them to deal with Song Xu.
Then who could it be?
For this eerie “black cloud” to reach the academy’s airspace so smoothly, there was likely a mole inside the school.
While he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard an explosion. He saw the direction of the bursting starlight; it was the research building!
A beam of light erupted from the explosion and sped toward the spacecraft, getting closer and closer.
Until Chu Li could see clearly what that light was.
A mecha.
A purple mecha.
“Chu Li was speechless.”
The mecha pilot also spotted the spacecraft. Without any hesitation, the operator nimbly landed on the deck, exited the mecha, pried open the glass cabin door, and slipped inside.
Chu Li instinctively raised his hand to attack, wanting to force the intruder out. However, the opponent was incredibly agile. He dodged Chu Li’s attack almost instantly, moved behind him, and clamped a long-fingered hand firmly onto his neck.
A Beta’s gland isn’t as delicate or sensitive as an Omega’s, but it is still a private area. Being touched there caused Chu Li to freeze. He instinctively tried to strike back with his elbow into the man’s abdomen, but the man caught his hand and pinned him down onto the spacecraft’s control console.
Chu Li raised his foot to stomp on the man’s military boot, but the man seemed to anticipate his move. A knee suddenly pressed against Chu Li’s tailbone, rendering him unable to move.
With his wrists pinned behind his back, the man pulled out silver handcuffs from somewhere and shackled him. Then, he pushed Chu Li backward. Chu Li stumbled back several steps until he sat down hard in a chair.
The four wheels of the chair rolled under the force, hit the wall, and then, due to inertia, trundled back until he was right in front of the man.
The man stepped one foot onto the chair cushion between Chu Li’s legs to stabilize the moving chair. He bent his back and looked down at him. Outside his silver mask, he wore a special transparent protective mask, through which the curl of the man’s lips could be faintly seen.
“Long time no see, Little Master.”
“Chu Li remained silent.”
Chu Li’s arms were cuffed behind him, and he couldn’t break free. He glared coldly at the person in front of him.
Ignoring Chu Li’s angry gaze, the man took off his gas mask, picked up a nearby water cup, and tilted his head to drink. His subtle Adam’s apple rolled up and down along the elegant line of his neck.
Just then, several mecha warriors caught up outside the spacecraft. The leader was Zhou Yueming. Zhou Yueming circled the ship once and recognized it as Lu Jin’s private craft.
Earlier, Zhou Yueming had intended to charge toward the roof in his mecha to save Chu Li, but Lu Jin, piloting the spacecraft, had beaten him to it.
Chu Li should be the only one inside this craft right now.
Because of the one-way glass, Zhou Yueming couldn’t see the situation inside. He picked up the intercom and contacted the ship via radio.
“CI-E013, this is Zhou Yueming. Have you seen any sign of a purple mecha?”
Zhou Yueming’s voice echoed inside the ship. The man pressed the toe of his boot against the chair, pushing Chu Li toward the intercom. His breath fell just above Chu Li’s ear; his gentle voice carried a heavy sense of pressure.
“Little Master, you know what to say.”
Chu Li’s face darkened. The man pressed the intercom with one hand while the other gripped Chu Li’s neck, his fingers feeling as though they could snap that fragile neck with just a little force.
Chu Li kept his breathing steady and replied: “Instructor Zhou, I haven’t seen any purple mecha.”
“Chu Li, if it’s convenient, open the ship and let us come in to search.” Zhou Yueming was afraid the intruder might have slipped in. Though the ship didn’t look large, it was two stories high, plenty of room to hide a person.
“Instructor Zhou, the ship’s security is very tight. If someone broke in, I would definitely have noticed.”
Zhou Yueming was silent for a moment: “Then if there’s anything unusual, contact me immediately.”
“Understood.”
After the man saw Zhou Yueming and the others leave through the glass door, he opened the control panel and changed the spacecraft’s direction. He picked up the water cup he had half-finished and drank with a lazy posture, showing none of the desperation of a fugitive.
Chu Li asked: “Are you a rebel?”
The man smiled: “Yes.”
“But rebels usually act in groups.”
“I am a maverick rebel.”
Chu Li remained noncommittal.
The man set down the cup, leaning his lower back against the edge of the console, resting both hands behind him on the surface. His slightly arched posture caused the thin layer of muscle lines to show through his well-fitted white uniform.
He tilted his head, his gaze wandering over Chu Li’s face, neck, and then the black military uniform he was wearing. Behind the mask, an eyebrow quirked up.
“What is your relationship with Lu Jin?”
Chu Li raised his eyes and stared at the man: “Superior and subordinate.”
The other man didn’t speak. He leaned down until his eyes were level with Chu Li’s, and his fingers suddenly pinched Chu Li’s chin. Chu Li kept his face tense, his eyes cold.
During their standoff, a nearby display screen suddenly flickered on, automatically projecting a holographic image of Lu Jin’s upper body.
“Chu Li, why has the ship changed direction?”
Lu Jin’s words came to an abrupt halt. He could see the situation inside the ship through the camera. Seeing the man pinching Chu Li’s chin, Lu Jin’s expression froze instantly. Just as he was about to say something, the man quickly shut off the display.
The spacecraft had arrived over Wales. The man didn’t linger; he turned and opened the cabin door. Before jumping, he raised a hand to his forehead and gave Chu Li a military salute: “Little Master, we will meet again soon.”
“Chu Li watched him leave.”
The purple mecha appeared abruptly like a bolt of lightning, carrying the man away as they vanished into the horizon.
Chu Li got up to look for tools in the ship. He searched for a long time but couldn’t find even a piece of thin wire. His hands were still cuffed, and he couldn’t break free.
On the floor lay the protective mask the man had just discarded. Chu Li glanced at it and his gaze paused. He picked it up for a closer look and discovered that the switch for this mask had never been turned on.
A 3S-level Alpha like Lu Jin had to wear a mask when facing the “black cloud,” so why didn’t this person need one?
The only possibility was that he was an Omega or a Beta, so the highly purified Omega estrus pheromones had no effect on him.
Ten minutes later, Pompeii caught up with the speed of lightning.
Lu Jin retracted the mecha and stepped into the spacecraft. Seeing no sign of the mysterious man, his expression was grim: “Are you hurt?”
Chu Li shook his head. He had been sending a message and closed the communication window as Lu Jin approached.
Lu Jin caught a casual glimpse of the chat interface. Chu Li was talking to someone with a profile picture of a pink cream cake.
The person had likely seen the news about the academy on the Star Network and was asking if he was okay. Chu Li had replied very seriously with a long paragraph to put them at ease.
Without a word, Lu Jin activated a laser pistol and fired a shot at the handcuffs. The silver chain snapped instantly.
Chu Li rubbed his wrists: “How is the academy now?”
“The situation is currently under control.” Lu Jin was sparing with his words as he opened the control panel to reset the ship’s route. “The academy is going on a five-day break. You don’t need to go back for a few days.”
“Okay.”
The atmosphere in the ship turned silent. No one spoke again. When they reached the airspace above Nebula, the door opened, and Chu Li stepped out.
Lu Jin still had to go to the Yuan Palace to meet the Star Lord.
The pheromone attack incident was a major blow to the military academy’s reputation. The Empire was already trying to suppress the news, but it had leaked out nonetheless.
After finding out, the Star Lord threw a temper tantrum and ordered them to report immediately.
Chu Li hadn’t walked far when Lu Jin’s voice suddenly came from behind him: “Why did he pinch your face?”
“Huh?” Chu Li turned back to look at him, momentarily dazed before reacting. “He. He might have wanted to say something to me, but he jumped off the ship and left without saying a word.”
Hearing this, Lu Jin said nothing. The door closed. He twisted his wristband, his eyes dark and heavy.
Chu Li returned to Nebula and was greeted by the nanny, Ellie. Ellie said that since Qu Yi’s death, Nebula had not hired a new butler, so she was currently looking after him.
He was truly exhausted today and covered in grime. After showering, he sent a message to Mo Yizhou and the others to ask how they were. Once he received their replies saying they were safe, he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.