But whether he could actually find His Highness the Crown Prince… that remained uncertain.
It was pitch black all around, the silence broken only by strange, sporadic cries echoing in the distance. Chi Zhan had terrible night vision. Normally, in this high-tech era, that wasn’t a problem—one could just use a comms device for illumination. But tonight, that very weakness had become his fatal flaw.
He patted his empty pockets, muttered a few words of encouragement to himself, then turned to search for firewood. That classmate’s joking remark had become a self-fulfilling prophecy—without any lighting equipment, he’d have to resort to the most primitive method: starting a fire by friction.
Squinting into the dimness, Chi Zhan carefully scanned the area. It looked like a shallow marsh nearby, and all the branches he picked up were damp—completely useless.
As he searched, his thoughts kept circling back to what had happened not long ago.
If he remembered correctly, that person had said, “They threw an Omega like you in here.” That line alone was baffling.
In the absence of pheromonal interference, the difference between Betas and Omegas wasn’t all that significant. But the way that Alpha had spoken—so sure, so matter-of-fact—it was like he’d completely misidentified him…
What puzzled him even more was how they’d found him in the first place.
In the Covert Reconnaissance course, Chi Zhan consistently scored top marks. If he wanted to hide, no one should have been able to find him.
He bent down to pick up another branch when suddenly, a faint “crack” brushed his ears—a sound like a military boot stepping on a twig. Chi Zhan froze for just a second, then calmly continued gathering branches as if nothing had happened. At the same time, he silently drew his particle gun.
A shadow darted past behind him. His eyes were useless in this darkness, so he shut them, relying instead on the air currents and the subtle shifts in pressure around him. The moment his assailant struck, Chi Zhan spun around and raised his particle gun to block.
Bang!
The impact jolted his wrist, sending a numbing tremor through his arm. But in that moment, the particle sword completed its charge. From its edge, a high-purity, dazzling blue light burst forth, instantly illuminating the small space around them.
This was the moment Chi Zhan had been waiting for.
Charging the particle gun consumed immense energy. Chi Zhan had done the math—he could fire it maybe three times before the weapon was rendered useless. He had to conserve its use.
But now, he had no choice.
His opponent clearly wasn’t someone to take lightly. Their combat skills were so refined, it sent a chill down Chi Zhan’s spine. Even the academy instructors didn’t move like this…
Chi Zhan opened his eyes—and froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
“Your High—”
He never imagined that after searching for so long, the Crown Prince would appear in front of him just like this. Instinctively, he lowered his particle sword.
But the prince showed no interest in exchanging pleasantries. That handsome, sharply defined face was cold, devoid of any warmth—instead, it radiated a quiet, lethal menace. His voice was low and dangerous: “Cadet. Caught by me. You know what that means.”
Chi Zhan’s expression hardened. He pressed his lips together and raised his weapon again, tension stiffening his spine.
“Your Highness… please, instruct me.”
The Crown Prince was unarmed. By all appearances, Chi Zhan held the advantage. His speed was like the wind—quick and agile. For a moment, even the Crown Prince couldn’t catch him.
But after getting poked a dozen times by Chi Zhan’s half-powered blade, the prince finally seemed done with the charade.
His expression twisted with what looked like pain. One hand pressed to his chest, as if Chi Zhan’s attack had actually landed on a vital point.
Chi Zhan was stunned. He had wanted to win, yes—but never to injure him.
Standing a short distance away, he asked cautiously, “Your Highness… was I too rough? Should I call for a medic?”
The Crown Prince’s brows were furrowed tight. He said nothing.
This was the same prince who’d once remained expressionless even after his starship had taken a direct hit. Yet now, he seemed too hurt to speak.
How was that possible?
Chi Zhan had deliberately held back, careful not to injure him…
In that moment, he completely forgot this was a combat trial. After defeating the enemy, he should have immediately taken the identification badge. But concern got the better of him, and he moved forward hesitantly.
“Is it here that hurts… ah—!”
The world flipped upside down.
Chi Zhan was slammed to the ground, his wrists locked tight, a knee pinning his legs. It felt like a whole mountain had dropped on top of him—he couldn’t move an inch.
The once-grimacing Crown Prince now wore an entirely different expression—leisurely, amused, almost smug as he gazed down at him.
“……”
He couldn’t believe it.
The Crown Prince had lied to him.
“…How could you?!” Chi Zhan burst out after holding it in for so long, furious. “That’s not fair!”
“Oh? So you do know what’s unfair,” the prince quirked a brow. “And what were those tickles you just gave me? What intensity setting did you use on that particle gun? Hm?”
Chi Zhan clamped his mouth shut. He didn’t respond.
Not that the prince had been expecting an answer. He picked up the particle gun, glanced at the energy gauge—and chuckled.
“One bar? That won’t even stun a rabbit. Is that how gentle you are with all your enemies?”
“That’s because…”
“Because what?” the prince murmured as he leaned closer, one hand braced beside Chi Zhan’s head. The move made his presence overwhelming, oppressive. Chi Zhan suddenly found it hard to breathe.
He turned his face away.
The truth was… it wasn’t that he’d gone easy. But using a weapon in this context just felt—dishonorable.
“Silent again?” the prince observed. “By the rules, I should be taking your badge now, shouldn’t I?”
“Do as you please,” Chi Zhan said stiffly.
“Still sulking?” the prince mused, eyeing him with interest. He lazily began to search Chi Zhan’s body for his ID badge, speaking idly, “With your skills, I assume you’ve already collected a few by now. Should be enough to pass, right?”
Chi Zhan paused. “No.”
That answer wiped the playful edge off the prince’s voice. He gave Chi Zhan a long, unreadable look and said slowly—
