Chapter Fifty-Six: The Radiation Zone

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

After purchasing his blade, Ye Bai spent all his time in the high-pressure training room. As a freshman, he could only handle training under twenty times gravity. He had tried thirty, fifty, or even higher pressure at first, but under such extreme forces, he almost collapsed in the training chamber, or found the long blade too heavy to even lift.

It was only after Mu’er, his intelligent assistant, ran the calculations that Ye Bai settled on training at about twenty times gravity. Under this pressure, his body felt as if it weighed twenty times more; every step forward was a struggle, and the sword in his hands weighed at least fifty or sixty kilograms heavier than outside.

At the end of the first day, Ye Bai’s body was wracked with soreness. He returned to his dorm and fell asleep face-down on the bed without even bothering for a shower. On the second day, he could manage to leave marks on the iron stake with his blade under the twentyfold gravity. By the third day, this morning, Ye Bai woke to a distinct sense of increased strength, his attribute power more substantial than before.

Bang, bang, bang.

Explosive sounds rang out continuously in the high-pressure training room. Ye Bai gripped the sword with both hands, hacking again and again at the iron stake. The academy’s training equipment was forged from who-knows-what material; even with over a thousand kilograms of force in one arm, he could only leave faint white marks on its surface.

His arm muscles quivered under the counterforce, blood and energy surging to resist the crushing pressure. As his body compressed under the immense load, sweat laced with black grime streamed from his pores, dripping onto the floor.

“Ye Bai, come get your gear. We’re heading for the Radiation Zone tomorrow.”

Before every mission, Yao Ling always prepared their supplies in advance. She was well aware that, aside from her medical skills, she had little else to offer. Last time, she hadn’t even had a chance to act before being eliminated by the Pharaoh. Throughout the journey, she’d been protected by Ye Bai and Cao Xiaoseng, only restoring Ye Bai’s stamina a few times and purging toxins from Cao Xiaoseng.

If she hadn’t been eliminated so early, perhaps Xiaoseng wouldn’t have fallen so soon either; maybe, together, Ye Bai and Cao Xiaoseng could have dealt with the Pharaoh more easily. She regretted not having combat abilities like Ye Bai’s or Xiaoseng’s uncanny movement techniques. Though the two of them were always kind to her and never complained, guilt gnawed at her heart. She too trained late into the night at the athletic grounds, but change comes slowly, like ice forming over a river. All she could do was contribute more in daily life.

“Alright, I’m coming,” Ye Bai replied.

After a quick shower, he placed his blade in his wardrobe and made his way to Yao Ling’s quarters.

Every girl has a dream in pink, and Yao Ling was no exception. She rarely dressed up outside, usually wearing a touch of light makeup and casually chosen clothes, but that didn’t mean her tastes were plain or monotonous.

As soon as Ye Bai entered, he spotted a yellow-and-white-spotted leopard rummaging in the center of the living room.

“Xiaoseng, you’re early today,” Ye Bai said, surprised. Usually, Cao Xiaoseng was the last to arrive—had the sun risen in the west?

Just then, Yao Ling emerged from the bedroom, floral bunny slippers on her feet. “If you hadn’t come, Xiaoseng would’ve picked out all the good stuff,” she said, nodding and smiling softly.

At that moment, Cao Xiaoseng finally looked up, glanced at Yao Ling, then at Ye Bai. After a full three seconds, he replied sluggishly, “It’s already been divided.”

Looking at him, Ye Bai wondered if he’d sleepwalked his way here, but seeing the three piles of weapons on the floor, he realized his guess was wrong.

Yao Ling’s place was unlike her sister’s, who had her room plastered with all kinds of cute anime characters. Here, the lower half of the walls were a pale beige, the upper half white, and by the window stood a bookcase crammed with medical texts.

“I’ve already researched the basics of the Radiation Zone and sent them to your neural assistants,” Yao Ling began. “But since you’re both here, I’ll give a brief overview of our objective: the Radiation Zone.”

“The Radiation Zone can’t be found on any ordinary map. To outsiders, it may as well not exist, yet it’s very real, lying not far from the main city. Before the Age of Darkness, humans didn’t possess attribute powers, relying on firearms to fight mutant beasts. Ordinary guns could only kill body-tempering level beasts, and only the more powerful weapons could take down entry-level mutants.”

Ye Bai nodded. He’d seen this information in the library.

Yao Ling turned back to the bedroom and returned with two books, handing one each to Ye Bai and Cao Xiaoseng.

“These books describe the mutants we might encounter.”

She settled on the sofa opposite Ye Bai and continued, “Back then, hordes of mutant beasts attacked the cities, led by foundation-level monsters. The battles were horribly one-sided—humans suffered devastating losses, cities fell, and the creatures took over. With no other option, the leaders resorted to nuclear weapons and other mass destruction to cleanse the overrun cities.”

Ye Bai opened the book to the first page, where a picture showed a long-limbed, fanged creature. He read the description below:

Type H Mutant. Slender build, extremely fast, displays some intelligence, adept at ambush, or uses other mutants as bait...

Before he could finish reading, Yao Ling’s voice continued.

“At first, the mass destruction worked well; several cities were almost cleared of mutants. But before long, a new threat arose. The creatures who survived the blast edges mutated a second time. The ones that reappeared were now immune to radiation, their bodies even larger. More shockingly, some grew two heads—each from a different original species.”

Gradually, Cao Xiaoseng seemed to blend into their little group. Now, when they conversed, he no longer drifted off to sleep as he once had.

“In the early Age of Darkness, no one could withstand such lethal radiation. But for humanity’s survival, our ancestors pressed on, fierce and unyielding, daring death itself—perhaps entrusting their hope for survival to us.”

As she spoke, Yao Ling’s eyes, brimming with vitality, clouded with sorrow. The teardrop-shaped mole at the corner of her eye made her look like a lotus under the rain.

“Many didn’t die at the claws of mutants, but to the radiation. At first, yellow spots appeared on their bodies, then came the ulcerations, but they kept fighting. The longer they held out, the fewer reinforcements had to join them—and the fewer who suffered radiation’s agony.”

“Are those mutants our predecessors?” The question slipped from Ye Bai’s lips before he even knew why.

Yao Ling nodded. “Not all died from radiation. Some mutated, producing antibodies and surviving. Maybe fortune finally favored them. The survivors gained strength several times—or even tenfold—beyond ordinary people. Some developed exoskeletons, razor-sharp and resilient, with all sorts of other mutations. They helped humanity through its darkest hour. But once the Three Kings brought attribute power from the Nether Sea Forbidden Zone, something happened, and all the mutants were driven out.”

Whether Cao Xiaoseng took it as a story or truly felt its weight, he asked what had happened.

Yao Ling shook her head. “I searched the entire library, questioned everyone in my family—no one knows. I suppose only the Three Kings know what happened during that time.”

When she finished, Ye Bai had nearly finished the book as well. He had never seen such a grotesque array of monsters—patched together, fused, shriveled, bloodthirsty.

Yao Ling quickly went over their gear: each person would have a tent, compressed rations, and a pulse gun. As for medicine, she hadn’t packed it here, likely having already prepared enough supplies herself.

The sun was already setting behind the western hills before they realized how much time had passed. After saying goodbye to Yao Ling, Ye Bai returned to his dormitory.

Ye Bai had actually suggested to Cao Xiaoseng that, after this month, he move into the next-door dorm so they could look out for each other—and, most importantly, so Ye Bai wouldn’t have to worry about Cao Xiaoseng oversleeping again.

Cao Xiaoseng agreed, but switching dorms required the counselor’s approval. That would have to wait until after the assessment mission, when they could ask Zhang Jian about it.