On his way, Lu Yan seriously pondered whether to pretend that the "warning" had not succeeded. His perfect warning rate seemed too terrifying. However, the instructor who set the trap was too ruthless, and falling into the pit would be utterly embarrassing, so Lu Yan abandoned that plan.
System: [I thought you were just a master of fudging, turns out you're a cancer.]
Actually, Lu Yan didn't care much about getting first place, but he truly had a cleanliness obsession. In his daily life, getting mud on his shoes was already pushing his tolerance to the limit. Anything higher was unacceptable.
When Lu Yan reached his destination, the timer showed exactly one hour. His body temperature was much lower than normal, but after the run, he was covered in a layer of boiling red. With his fair complexion, the red looked good on him, like a peach.
Approaching him, the staff helped him remove the weight belt. Lu Yan asked, "What place?"
"You're first. Others are still on their way."
Many combat-based Harbingers were still in a tussle with sudden pollutants along the way. The support Harbingers were slightly better off, but injuries were still evident. Director Hu had used his cell division talent several times to treat wounds. Even with varying obstacles, it was still a thirteen-kilometer mountainous cross-country.
The staff sincerely praised, "Your stamina is much better than ordinary support Harbingers. Many combat Harbingers of your level can't reach your current standard."
"Thank you. I do a lot of endurance training usually," Lu Yan said, wiping his sweat with a towel. "Can I go back first? I want to take a shower."
The staff was about to say "yes," but suddenly remembered that there were people watching through the surveillance, especially this term's Chief Instructor Tang Xunan, notorious for discipline. For a moment, they hesitated on how to respond.
They hesitated for about half a minute, then the voice from the surveillance hanging on the tree came through - Tang Xunan's voice sounded a bit distorted through the electronic device, like a few pieces of old ice dropped into a glass of brandy.
"You may."
Lu Yan went back and took a bath. He then fetched cleaning tools and meticulously tidied up his current dorm.
When he arrived at the classroom in the afternoon, most people were resting, some leaning against the wall, a few with unclear consciousness, and the staff feeding them with spoons, very considerate, very touching.
The bulky guy who had confronted him on the mountain was there too, sitting up, teasing, "Isn't this the support student from the next class? What happened? Quit halfway and only coming back now?"
The big guy's ID was Iron Fist. His talent was called Diamond, ranking well among combat Harbingers.
In the afternoon's orienteering, he took only one hour and twenty minutes. Asking around, others were at least half an hour behind him, considering themselves sure winners.
Lu Yan opened a box of yogurt but wasn't much in the mood for talking. Despite resting for two hours, the high-intensity training left him sore all over.
A few minutes later, the teaching assistant entered the room.
"I'm here to announce the results of this afternoon's physical test." The assistant teaching tonight was a bespectacled, mild-mannered person with the codename Viper. "First place, 503, Lu Yan."
The numbers on the front were room numbers and their student IDs.
Many surprised glances immediately turned to Lu Yan. He usually kept a low profile, but his distinctive face and high spiritual threshold left an impression on many.
After reading that, Viper set down the score sheet, "Alright, except for the first place, I don't think it's necessary for everyone to know. After all, for the academic faction, anything other than first place doesn't hold much significance."
"The top scorer this time is from the support faction. Of course, I'm not saying the support faction isn't good. But it seems the quality of this batch of combat Harbingers isn't up to par, which worries me for the real combat in two months."
"After all, the weaker you are, the more strain it puts on us teaching assistants. Even though there are casualty indicators, if there are too many deaths, I'll have to pour myself three cups as self-penalty."
Viper didn't seem to have much professional ethics, but what he said was indeed factual.
The staff member in front of the monitor covered their face: "This is why I've been advocating for a higher proportion of female Harbingers among the instructors."
Similarly affected by mental contamination, sixty percent of male Harbingers exhibit external aggression, while female Harbingers tend to display internal aggression. At least the latter won't harm others.
Those chosen to be teaching assistants among the Harbingers are already a group with relatively stable mental states within the Special Operations Department.
The evening training lasted only an hour, called Extreme Temperature Training.
System: "[It's about enhancing your body's endurance in extreme weather. In places affected by pollution, temperatures can reach as high as sixty to seventy degrees Celsius or as low as minus one hundred degrees Celsius. This one-hour training isn't just about enduring pain; it will also teach you how to increase your chances of survival in different temperatures.]"
"[The temperature in the cabin ranges from 55 to around minus 35 degrees Celsius, with staff monitoring and controlling the temperature in real-time. Overall, it's still bearable.]"
Lu Yan: "This doesn't look like something humans can endure."
The system's voice was oddly cheerful: "[Do you still consider yourself human?]"
Lu Yan felt the four rows of shark teeth in his mouth itch and couldn't resist pushing them with his tongue.
The metallic chamber used for Extreme Temperature Training resembled a sauna. It was small and easy to control the temperature.
For Lu Yan, the low temperature was easy to endure. But as the temperature gradually rose above fifty, scales on his body uncontrollably emerged.
Lu Yan turned on the faucet, plunging his head into the pool. Gills on his ears started breathing, spewing water, yet he remained incredibly thirsty.
The assistant's voice came through the speakers: "When the temperature rises above forty-five degrees Celsius, it starts affecting human activity. Every degree increase is fatal for ordinary people; all organs that promote cooling will work beyond capacity. Harbingers, however, develop heat resistance. Pay close attention to your body. If you feel unwell, please press the door-open or call-for-help button promptly."
Before he finished speaking, Lu Yan immediately pressed the door-open button without hesitation.
Lu Yan wasn't the first student to choose to leave, but his abnormal reaction was exceptionally severe.
After leaving the high-temperature environment, he began dry heaving against the wall in agony.
The research scientist responsible for recording in front of the monitor said, "His contamination source comes from aquatic organisms. According to past records, Harbingers of this type exhibit particularly poor heat tolerance."
Bringing newly hired employees to headquarters for training wasn't just for training purposes; it was also to help relevant staff better understand their characteristics for future work arrangements.
Tang Xunan nodded slightly and removed the "Gauntlet Desert" from the list of options.
...
...
Lu Yan lived up to his reputation as a top scorer in the college entrance exam, excelling in both theoretical and practical courses.
Especially in combat classes.
His weapon of choice was a bow, and with his enhanced physique, his arrows became precise, reaching distances of up to 300 meters. Like a hunter with a guaranteed shot, this accuracy extended to his use of firearms.
If Lu Yan hadn't used arrows rounded and padded for safety, the first casualty might not have occurred two months later during an exercise but rather in the classroom.
Other combat-oriented Harbingers had lost their temper due to Lu Yan's prowess.
"Lu Yan's talent warnings make it impossible to ambush him. It's ridiculous how he uses cold weapons. Just creating distance results in an arrow shot. It's unfair!"
"I suggest moving Lu Yan from support to combat. Typically, each team has one support. Don't let him occupy a valuable support spot!"
During such discussions, Iron Fist remained silent, silently intensifying his training.
He couldn't understand it. He was twice Lu Yan's size, had nearly the same spiritual threshold, and awakened as a combat-oriented Harbinger early on. He should have been on par or even ahead, so why couldn't he defeat Lu Yan?
Meanwhile, Director Hu, the second-highest scorer in the college entrance exam, struggled in his academic performance.
He had contemplated quitting numerous times but the thought of his grandson's schooling in the capital and his son's household registration in the metropolis kept him persevering.
The rewards for good performance were evident. Apart from the monthly 10-point bonus, starting from the second week, every night, personnel delivered medicinal bath sachets for body enhancement.
"For body strengthening, it's full of pollutants. Not drinkable at all."
The smell resembled herbal concoctions when dumped into the water tank. Wang Yu, out of curiosity, tasted it but soon spat it out.
Lu Yan rested his hand on the bath's edge, letting Wang Yu vomit to his heart's content.
Thankfully, there were no surveillance devices in the bathroom.
"Is it really that awful?" Lu Yan found the scent rather pleasant.
However, he wasn't reckless and had no intention of drinking his bathwater. But one day, exhausted from training, he accidentally fell asleep in the bath, and water entered through his gill slits, tasting like sewerage.
The first month of training passed amid the students' groans.
Theoretical classes concluded, morphing entirely into practical ones, leaving no time for complaints.
The time quickly approached for the final practical exercise.
Though the training period was short—less than two months—people like Chen Anzhi, with good personalities and warmth, had already made many "friends" in school.
There was a magnetic charm about him that attracted both men and women.
Yet, Lu Yan wasn't interested in this puppy-love charm.
If he had to mention preferences, he leaned toward a more traditional aesthetic, favoring a curvaceous figure.
As he pondered, Tang Xunan, whose figure seemed slender, arrived with a dog.
Xiao Ming spoke up, "Congratulations on completing the first phase of training. Only two students voluntarily withdrew within this month, and there were no resets of points, which is quite gratifying."
"In the training center headquarters, information is relatively closed off. I can tell you that in the past month, there have been 64 new cases of contamination worldwide. Over 7,000 deaths, including six Harbingers. Among them, the 'B-class contagion, Cannibalistic Craving,' alone led to over 5,000 deaths in the infected city."
"Moving to the second phase, we'll prepare for the final practical exercise. This time, after discussion, we've selected P City, specifically the 'Luochuan Botanical Garden' in the orange contamination zone. But don't worry, you won't venture deep into the garden. The headquarters discovered that the edge of the garden is showing signs of spore virus diffusion. Therefore, we're preparing to send people for cleanup. Not just you, but the instructors will also accompany."
As he spoke, staff brought in two heavy iron containers.
Lu Yan was already familiar with these iron containers.
In the hospital, that infected officer was brought in the same way.
The staff introduced, "Firstly, these are mutated individuals infected by the spore virus in the second phase."
Mentions of mutated individuals triggered unpleasant memories for many present.
Those who became Harbingers had been in contact with pollutants. Many were saved by special action unit members before joining the organization.
The chamber door slowly opened, revealing the mutated individual inside.
This person appeared terrified, but their body was restrained within the chamber. Emaciated, they were covered in red and white-spotted mushrooms.
It resembled the red mushrooms often found in fairytales known as Fly Agarics, a type of Amanita muscaria.
These mushrooms even sprouted from their eye sockets, with a dark blue fungal root underneath.
"Those infected by this spore virus exhibit three main characteristics. This is the most common type, becoming a breeding ground for poisonous mushrooms. However, these mushrooms still fall under the plant category and have medicinal properties."
The system added casually, "[Many research findings in the institute stem from pollutants grown on these mutated individuals.]"
"These types of mutants are generally non-aggressive. But be wary of the mushrooms growing on them. Some are highly toxic, while others induce hallucinations."
The second chamber door opened. Unexpectedly, a segment of root-like tendrils emerged.
Tang Xunan glanced, drew a yellow powder from his waist, and directly cut it from the root source.
A painful scream echoed from the chamber. A grey decay spread with the injury, and within moments, the tendril aged, regenerated, and ultimately withered away completely.
That was the power of time.
The staff, still trembling, opened the chamber door, revealing a ginseng-like humanoid. Completely desiccated, it seemed to have struggled before death. The dried tendrils twisted in the air.
"This is the second type of mutant, referred to as Plant People. Active in the daytime with robust vitality. They're more aggressive but less contagious."
"The institute developed specialized pesticides for this situation. Our practical exercise mission involves entering the contaminated zone with instructors to spray pesticides."
Xiao Ming raised the dog's paw at this moment, speaking solemnly, "This is the only task. No competition is necessary. If there's uncontrollable danger in the contaminated area, we'll immediately initiate evacuation."
"Yet, I must emphasize, almost every year, a student dies in the final stage. Not only in this exercise but in every future mission, there's a possibility of sacrifice."
The classroom fell silent, the atmosphere heavy.
Just as Xiao Ming finished speaking, the head instructor, who hadn't spoken much during the entire training, suddenly said, "I've lived this life for eighty-four years."
At that moment, some students were surprised to find out that Tang Xunan wasn't mute.
Tang Xunan looked at the new batch of employees below and sincerely said, "I have no complaints, but I know many can't handle this. You still have time to quit."
Director Hu wanted to raise his hand, but looking around and seeing no one intending to escape, he grimly clasped his left hand with his right.
Approaching fifty,
he came with a beer belly but after a month of training, his body was now lean and muscular. Everyone praised him for being in great shape.
Chen Anzhi maintained a subtle smile. In these two months of training, he also gained a lot. Previously, in his dreams, a magnificent deity had patted his head as encouragement.
Iron Fist clenched his fist, his gaze resolute. Although there were no specific demands for the task, he vowed to become the janitor who sprayed the most pesticides.
Lu Yan had accumulated twenty-nine points. He only needed one more point to buy that silver bow and certainly had no intention to quit.
For the students, their task was to remove contamination from the periphery, preventing the spread of pollutants.
However, for Tang Xunan, his task was to enter the botanical garden and thoroughly eliminate several A-class pollutants.
The mutations of flora and fauna in P City had intensified. Without cleaning up, millions nearby could be at risk.
No one chose to quit. They had trained this far, and resetting points upon withdrawal seemed like a loss.
The system sighed, "[When he said that, he should've retracted the blade first.]"
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