Exposure

Before Duke left, he turned around and locked eyes with Monica. In the clear moonlight, Monica nodded subtly and then returned to the room.

The recent events had made their hearts race. It wasn't just the fear of facing infected individuals, but also the aftermath of the deaths of the scar-faced man and his companions. Though they were forced into a corner, the presence of four burly men's bodies and a bloody scene could easily attract the attention of the police.

Duke had always maintained a low profile, living cautiously. He knew that once he caught the attention of the authorities, Monica's identity might no longer remain hidden.

After Duke and the others left, Monica reentered the room. She used twine to tie the four bodies together and then wrapped them in coarse cloth. However, she suddenly felt that her strength had increased somewhat. She tried lifting one of the bodies and found it much easier than before.

In the dark of night, a petite figure carried a load larger than herself. Like an agile cat, she disappeared quietly into the end of an alley.

"It should be nearby," Duke guided Alexander and Martha's direction. He didn't lead them directly to the bodies to avoid appearing too precise.

Although Alexander and Martha didn't solely rely on Duke's guidance, they moved cautiously, stopping and observing carefully.

"Hmm? Hold on a moment," Martha's nose twitched slightly, and she looked towards the abandoned church around the corner. Duke had already noticed that direction and awaited their discovery.

Around the corner lay a massive corpse in disarray. This creature had a human outline, but its head was enormous, its mouth full of sharp teeth, and its limbs adorned with white spikes, covered in shredded flesh and blood.

Alexander furrowed his brow and attempted to shield Duke from the gruesome sight. However, he noticed that although Duke's complexion was slightly pale, he didn't exhibit any signs of discomfort or nausea.

"You've got some good psychological resilience, kid," Alexander patted Duke's shoulder, looking quite pleased.

"Do all infected individuals look like this?" Duke walked forward nonchalantly, his gaze fixed on the creature's remains.

Martha cautioned softly, "Be careful."

"It's alright, they're already dead, there's nothing to be afraid of," Alexander laughed heartily, his demeanor carefree.

"Look at this young man – he faces infected individuals so calmly. Then consider those students we took to the War Academy; some of them turned pale at the sight of a dead body! How can they go into battle like that in the future?" Alexander sighed.

At that moment, Duke felt a twinge in his heart. He recalled his goal, which was to enter the War Academy. He needed to reach an original Force value of 100, not only as the threshold for awakening but also as a requirement for applying to the War Academy.

The War Academy could be understood as a specialized university. However, it held an influence far beyond traditional universities. The mentors in various War Academies were all awakened individuals. The awakened students from the top War Academies could even assume positions in small cities' defense forces. Of course, combat was just one popular aspect of the War Academy; it also included research projects, but those focused on mutant creatures, infected individuals, and awakened individuals.

Duke's reason for wanting to enter the War Academy was simple – fixed allocation and good treatment. While he was deep in thought, Martha was engaging in casual conversation with Alexander.

"That's because the ones you see are the freshman year students. They'll be different after their initiation into the academy," Martha said.

Alexander shrugged, pulled out a cigarette, and took a couple of satisfied drags. Having already eliminated Infected #1, his mission was considerably lighter now.

Seeing that neither of them was paying any attention to him, Duke continued to wear a curious expression on his face. Then, gently, he touched the green aura.

"Hey, be careful," Martha cautioned anxiously, making sweat bead on Duke's forehead. He thought she might have noticed something unusual. Luckily, Martha only frowned slightly, expressing her concern.

"It's not a good thing to be too audacious. Being so close, if the infected creature scratches you, you might get infected," she finished, pulling Duke closer to her. Duke's complexion eased slightly, and he glanced at Martha. He had expected law enforcement personnel to be the mysterious types in black coats with poker faces, but this woman before him gave him the feeling of a friendly big sister next door.

Duke quietly stashed the green crystal away, nodding slightly as if understanding Martha's concern.

Alexander extinguished the cigarette butt and grinned with satisfaction. "What's there to fear? It's not that easy to get infected. Come on, let me give you a crash course."

Chapter Five: Exposure

Before Duke left, he turned around and locked eyes with Monica. In the clear moonlight, Monica nodded subtly and then returned to the room.

The recent events had made their hearts race. It wasn't just the fear of facing infected individuals, but also the aftermath of the deaths of the scar-faced man and his companions. Though they were forced into a corner, the presence of four burly men's bodies and a bloody scene could easily attract the attention of the police.

Duke had always maintained a low profile, living cautiously. He knew that once he caught the attention of the authorities, Monica's identity might no longer remain hidden.

After Duke and the others left, Monica reentered the room. She used twine to tie the four bodies together and then wrapped them in coarse cloth. However, she suddenly felt that her strength had increased somewhat. She tried lifting one of the bodies and found it much easier than before.

In the dark of night, a petite figure carried a load larger than herself. Like an agile cat, she disappeared quietly into the end of an alley.

"It should be nearby," Duke guided Alexander and Martha's direction. He didn't lead them directly to the bodies to avoid appearing too precise.

Although Alexander and Martha didn't solely rely on Duke's guidance, they moved cautiously, stopping and observing carefully.

"Hmm? Hold on a moment," Martha's nose twitched slightly, and she looked towards the abandoned church around the corner. Duke had already noticed that direction and awaited their discovery.

Around the corner lay a massive corpse in disarray. This creature had a human outline, but its head was enormous, its mouth full of sharp teeth, and its limbs adorned with white spikes, covered in shredded flesh and blood.

Alexander furrowed his brow and attempted to shield Duke from the gruesome sight. However, he noticed that although Duke's complexion was slightly pale, he didn't exhibit any signs of discomfort or nausea.

"You've got some good psychological resilience, kid," Alexander patted Duke's shoulder, looking quite pleased.

"Do all infected individuals look like this?" Duke walked forward nonchalantly, his gaze fixed on the creature's remains.

Martha cautioned softly, "Be careful."

"It's alright, they're already dead, there's nothing to be afraid of," Alexander laughed heartily, his demeanor carefree.

"Look at this young man – he faces infected individuals so calmly. Then consider those students we took to the War Academy; some of them turned pale at the sight of a dead body! How can they go into battle like that in the future?" Alexander sighed.

At that moment, Duke felt a twinge in his heart. He recalled his goal, which was to enter the War Academy. He needed to reach an original Force value of 100, not only as the threshold for awakening but also as a requirement for applying to the War Academy.

The War Academy could be understood as a specialized university. However, it held an influence far beyond traditional universities. The mentors in various War Academies were all awakened individuals. The awakened students from the top War Academies could even assume positions in small cities' defense forces. Of course, combat was just one popular aspect of the War Academy; it also included research projects, but those focused on mutant creatures, infected individuals, and awakened individuals.

Duke's reason for wanting to enter the War Academy was simple – fixed allocation and good treatment. While he was deep in thought, Martha was engaging in casual conversation with Alexander.

"That's because the ones you see are the freshman year students. They'll be different after their initiation into the academy," Martha said.

Alexander shrugged, pulled out a cigarette, and took a couple of satisfied drags. Having already eliminated Infected #1, his mission was considerably lighter now.

Seeing that neither of them was paying any attention to him, Duke continued to wear a curious expression on his face. Then, gently, he touched the green aura.

"Hey, be careful," Martha cautioned anxiously, making sweat bead on Duke's forehead. He thought she might have noticed something unusual. Luckily, Martha only frowned slightly, expressing her concern.

"It's not a good thing to be too audacious. Being so close, if the infected creature scratches you, you might get infected," she finished, pulling Duke closer to her. Duke's complexion eased slightly, and he glanced at Martha. He had expected law enforcement personnel to be the mysterious types in black coats with poker faces, but this woman before him gave him the feeling of a friendly big sister next door.

Duke quietly stashed the green crystal away, nodding slightly as if understanding Martha's concern.

Alexander extinguished the cigarette butt and grinned with satisfaction. "What's there to fear? It's not that easy to get infected. Come on, let me give you a crash course."