Lin Sui quickly reached an agreement with the other party and turned to wave at his teammates. Only then did Shen Yuqing and the others dare to approach.
Lin Sui said, “They’re also heading to the safe zone. I’ve talked it over with them we’ll go up together, and whatever we find will be up to our own skills.”
With few people around and plenty of resources in the safe zone, there wasn’t any real conflict of interest yet. Traveling together wouldn’t hurt.
Shen Yuqing’s gaze swept over the members of the other team a five-A squad that clearly had the momentum to compete for the top ten.
But one of them stood out wearing a mask, so thoroughly covered that “fully armed” would be an understatement.
Noticing Shen Yuqing’s stare, one of the alphas from the other team explained, “He’s allergic. Can’t be exposed to sunlight.”
Shen Yuqing withdrew his gaze and didn’t look again.
The eleven of them moved upward at a steady pace. Taking the main road was much easier than trekking through the woods. Though climbing the ladders was exhausting, not having to blaze their own trail saved them a lot of energy.
The frequency of the system announcements had decreased, indicating that most people had already moved upward.
They couldn’t afford to stop, pausing now would only invite conflict.
With fewer people, communication was manageable. But with more, things could get messy.
So, no matter how tired they were, they gritted their teeth and pushed on.
However, Song Lejin was lagging behind. Lin Sui, busy talking with the other team, didn’t notice.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shen Yuqing saw the fully armed alpha approach Song Lejin and reach out to steady him.
Song Lejin frowned but didn’t pull away. Instead, he turned his head and exchanged a few words with the alpha, who then let go and silently moved behind him, seemingly acting as his protector.
“What’s wrong?” Song Wangzhuo noticed Shen Yuqing’s distraction and asked.
Shen Yuqing snapped out of it and shook his head. “Nothing.”
That alpha was surprisingly considerate.
But something about it felt off.
He glanced back at Song Lejin, who had fallen behind, only to find Song Lejin looking back at him at the same time.
Both froze for a moment before Shen Yuqing recovered first. Calmly, he asked, “Can you keep up?”
Song Lejin seemed surprised by the question. Tilting his head up, he smiled. “I’ll manage. Don’t worry.”
Their brief exchange caught Lin Sui’s attention. He walked over to Song Lejin and took hold of his arm. “You okay?”
Song Lejin shook his head. “I’m fine. Let’s keep moving. Don’t let me slow everyone down.”
Lin Sui was about to nod when he suddenly sensed an alpha’s pheromones laced with an oppressive edge. Frowning, he turned to look behind Song Lejin, where the allergic alpha stood.
Song Lejin also turned his head, giving the alpha a cold look before saying to Lin Sui, “Let’s go, A-Sui.”
The pheromones in the air vanished as if they had never been there just a figment of Lin Sui’s imagination.
Lin Sui hummed in acknowledgment, his brow smoothing as he helped Song Lejin continue upward.
After several stops and starts, they finally reached the safe zone just before four o’clock.
The safe zone was cordoned off with caution tape, marking out an open area with three mobile units inside, stocked with the supplies they would need.
Now that they had arrived, their temporary alliance dissolved. Everyone rushed in to grab what they could.
Although it was a free-for-all grab, each person could only take a limited number of items.
Song Wangzhuo was the first to react, heading straight for the resupply zone. As soon as he entered, he claimed a set of ammunition refills ten rounds in total.
Shen Yuqing followed closely behind. Most of them initially went for the ammunition refills.
While the others queued up to collect their supplies, Song Wangzhuo and Shen Yuqing were already checking out the other areas. The remaining two rooms contained food and tents with sleeping bags.
The entrance to the second stage wouldn’t open until noon the next day, so they had to spend the night on the mountain.
Nowadays, most travelers used capsule tents compact and easy to deploy with just a button press. However, the tents provided by the school were outdated, bulky, and time-consuming to set up.
So, the best option was to just take the sleeping bags.
The two of them slung their sleeping bags over their shoulders as the others gradually arrived.
According to the rules, no fighting was allowed in the safe zone, making it completely secure. Song Lejin suggested, “Let’s rest for a bit.”
He was genuinely exhausted.
Lin Sui, ever the follower of Song Lejin, wanted to hurry down the mountain to scout a good spot but still agreed. “You rest. I’ll go talk to them.”
While collecting supplies, they had also reached another agreement to team up and set an ambush together on the way down. With 200 spots available in the second stage and no immediate conflict of interest between the two teams, cooperation was the optimal strategy.
After Lin Sui explained the plan, everyone agreed. After all, climbing the mountain right after arrival was draining, and even alphas needed to replenish their stamina.
Shen Yuqing had drunk a bit too much water. Handing his things to Song Wangzhuo, he said, “I’m going to the restroom.”
For convenience, there were makeshift toilets along the route, but few used them. Now that the safe zone was secure, it was time to take care of business.
Song Wangzhuo nodded silently. “Alright, be careful.”
Shen Yuqing headed toward the restroom.
After finishing up, he stepped outside, turned on the faucet, and washed his hands. Cupping some cold water, he splashed it on his face. It was sweltering.
The safe zone was set up in an open area with no shade, and the sun was at its fiercest. He rinsed his face again but realized he’d forgotten a towel, so he wiped his face roughly with his hands and prepared to leave.
Just then, a tissue was handed to him.
He looked up, it was Song Lejin.
With no one else around, Song Lejin dropped the act. Coolly, he said, “Here.”
Shen Yuqing hesitated, and Song Lejin tilted his head. “What, afraid I poisoned it?”
Only then did Shen Yuqing take the tissue. “Thanks.”
Song Lejin replied, “No problem.”
Then, glancing at the restroom, he added, “Mind keeping watch for me?”
As an Omega, he naturally had to be cautious.
Shen Yuqing gave a quiet “Mhm.” “I’ll wait outside.”
Song Lejin finally entered the restroom.
Standing guard at the door, Shen Yuqing scanned the surroundings carefully. He asked, [Can you check when the next wave will arrive?]
[At least another 40 to 50 minutes,] the system replied. [It’s chaos down there no one can move. Their strategy is, ‘If I can’t go up, neither can you.’]
Shen Yuqing didn’t need the system to tell him. The constant announcements made it clear half the participants had been eliminated in just a few hours.
[It’s brutal,] the system remarked. [Makes me want to fire off a few shots myself.]
Shen Yuqing chuckled lightly: [“Sure, come on over.”]
The system made a resentful expression it was just a bunch of code! How could it wreak havoc?
But knowing it would still be a while before anyone came up, Shen Yuqing felt much more at ease. He stretched lazily and continued waiting for Song Lejin.
The system said: [“Host, I get the feeling Song Lejin has something to tell you.”]
Otherwise, his knight in shining armor, Lin Sui, would have shown up already. There’d be no need for Shen Yuqing to stand guard outside the restroom.
Shen Yuqing replied: [“Who knows? Last time he didn’t say anything either.”]
To this day, they still hadn’t figured out what Song Lejin had wanted to say that day.
The system flickered twice before darting off to watch the commotion at the foot of the mountain.
Soon enough, Song Lejin emerged. After washing his hands, he said, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Shen Yuqing simply gave a noncommittal “Hmm” and started walking back toward the group.
“Shen Yuqing,” Song Lejin called out to him again.
Shen Yuqing stopped in his tracks, then turned to face Song Lejin. “What is it?”
Song Lejin said, “I feel like you have some hostility toward me.”
Shen Yuqing replied, “Why would you think that?”
Song Lejin took a few steps closer. “Then tell me, am I wrong?”
“No.” Shen Yuqing saw no reason to hide it. A faint smile played on his lips. “You’re not exactly friendly toward me either, are you?”
The two stood in the shade, a light breeze rustling their clothes and dispelling some of the heat.
Song Lejin said, “It’s not you I have a problem with.”
“It’s Song Wangzhuo you dislike.” Shen Yuqing finished the thought for him. “But because I’m protecting him, you’ve extended that hostility to me as well.”
Song Lejin chuckled softly. “Can I ask why you’re so protective of Song Wangzhuo?”
Shen Yuqing countered, “What about you? Why do you dislike him so much? As far as I know, you two barely interact. I can’t imagine what he could’ve done to upset you. On his behalf, I apologize. But let’s skip the hired thugs, hospital assassinations, and car crashes from now on, alright? It’s exhausting.”
As Shen Yuqing laid out each incident one by one, the smile on Song Lejin’s face vanished completely.
His eyes turned venomous, locked onto Shen Yuqing.
Shen Yuqing waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t look at me like that. There’s no need for pretense between us. Let’s just lay our cards on the table, don’t you think?”
Song Lejin remained silent. Shen Yuqing stretched again. “If you’ve got nothing to say, I’m going back to sleep.”
With that, he turned to leave.
The next moment, he heard Song Lejin ask, “When did you reincarnate?”
