“Would you like medical assistance? The nearest hospital is located in the North Sector of the Imperial Military Academy. Rerouting… Estimated arrival time: one hour and twenty-five minutes.”
“Next.”
“Now playing How Did a Beta Suddenly Differentiate Into an Omega?—may this melodramatic story bring some warmth to your heart.
Chapter One, Section One: Signs of Differentiation.
Ever since he encountered that Alpha on the street, he’d been feeling vaguely unwell—weak all over, running a fever, and his heart racing. What was happening to him? Had he come down with some terminal illness? What he didn’t know was that these were all classic symptoms of differentiating into an Omega. But how could that be possible? He was already a fully differentiated Beta! Just as he was about to—”
The Crown Prince’s expression turned stormy. His voice, low and sharp, sounded like it was forced through clenched teeth.
“Purge every one of these ridiculous, melodramatic novels from the database. I don’t want to hear another word of them.”
***
Chi Zhan stepped out of the sanitation room and reached for the spray bottle in the cabinet, only to find the one he’d collected earlier was already empty. Unwilling to give up, he gave it a hard shake, but all that came out was a faint mist—barely enough to count.
Each student was allotted only one recovery spray per month. The reason was simple: despite the rapid advancements in medical tech, medication still carried side effects. Recovery sprays not only promoted rapid cellular healing but also had a sedative effect. Overuse dulled pain receptors and could even cause gradual, irreversible damage to one’s mental strength.
Chi Zhan sighed in frustration. He’d been using the spray sparingly, but he’d spent so much time in the training hall lately sparring with others that he was getting injured far more often than before. Even conservative use couldn’t stretch it far enough.
Back in his dorm, Chi Zhan sat down at his desk and pulled up the Central Matching System interface, beginning to fill out the application with careful attention.
The entire process felt strange—unfamiliar and oddly novel.
For Betas, the Central Matching System was something they were never expected to use in their lifetime.
The average Beta’s pheromone concentration hovered around 5%, while Alphas and Omegas started at a minimum of 70%. In a system that matched individuals solely based on pheromone compatibility, there were only three words for a Beta: not worth it.
Notifications continued to pop up on the interface—messages like “Match successful between XX and XX, compatibility 80%.” Chi Zhan ignored them, clicking into the secretary officer application page and diving into the long and tedious form.
Hobbies. Favorite foods. Dream travel destinations. Views on marriage and expectations for a partner…
The deeper he went, the more it felt like a dating profile.
The final item on the form:
[Please provide a sample of your pheromones.]
For Alphas and Omegas, their pheromone samples functioned almost like an ID the moment they differentiated. But for Betas, no one ever cared what their pheromones were—what kind, what scent—because no one could smell them anyway.
Which meant: Betas didn’t have pheromone samples.
Chi Zhan opened a different tab and tried to schedule a sample collection appointment with the school medical center. But the page flashed a notice: All appointments for today are full. Please try again tomorrow.
“……”
Tao Ran strolled in with a bag of snacks, grinning from ear to ear.
“The campus store just stocked a new flavor—spicy crayfish chips! Come try—oh? Isn’t that the medical center’s appointment page? Chi-Chi, are you doing pheromone sampling?”
Chi Zhan made a soft sound of acknowledgment. He scrolled down and saw the registration deadline: three days from now.
Three days… and even after the sample was collected, it would take at least another three days to process.
Now that was a problem.
The Imperial Military Academy had strict rules. Students weren’t allowed to leave campus except on Sundays. Even requesting leave required a valid reason and multiple levels of approval.
And now?
Chi Zhan suddenly remembered—the academy had entered lockdown because of the royal visit. No one was permitted to leave under any circumstances.
All exits: blocked.
Tao Ran crunched on a chip, then passed another bag to Chi Zhan. Seeing his gloomy expression, he thought for a moment and said, “Hey, wouldn’t the med students know how to do pheromone sampling? I heard they learn that in their first semester.”
Chi Zhan hesitated. “You mean…”
“Yeah! Don’t we have a med student in our dorm?”
Beta dorms were four-person rooms. After moving to the junior-year building, Chi Zhan and Tao Ran had been assigned to the same dorm. The other two beds had remained empty until a few days ago, when a new occupant moved in. But everyone had been too busy with exams to properly introduce themselves.
Chi Zhan silently crunched into a chip. His tongue went numb from the spice—but it was oddly satisfying.
As they talked, the door opened.
The new roommate stepped in. Spotting both of them, he offered a warm smile and greeted, “Good afternoon.”
Chi Zhan hesitated. He still didn’t know the guy well, and despite the polite demeanor and ever-present smile, something about him felt… hard to approach. Asking for help felt awkward. Tao Ran nudged him under the table and shot him a look: Don’t waste the opportunity! If you miss this chance, there won’t be another!
But before Chi Zhan could speak, the roommate had already returned to his desk and started organizing his materials.
“If you hesitate, you lose,” Tao Ran whispered. “It’s just a small favor! If you don’t ask him, you’ll miss your shot at the secretary officer role!”
Exactly. Even if he didn’t get selected, he had to at least try. Besides…
The last thing the Crown Prince said still lingered in his mind. It had felt loaded with meaning. Though His Highness might be leaning toward choosing an Omega, it didn’t mean Chi Zhan had no chance at all.
With that thought, Chi Zhan stood up and approached the new roommate.
He recalled the name was—
“Cen Chi, do you have a moment?” Chi Zhan asked seriously. “There’s something I’d like to ask your help with, if that’s alright.”
Cen Chi paused briefly, placing a human anatomy model back into the cabinet. Then he turned to face Chi Zhan, smiling gently. “No need to be so formal. Go ahead—I’m listening.”
