Chapter 8: Fight to the Death
Chen Ning’s eyes flared with both shock and fury. “You dare!”
Liu Xi smirked, a cold laugh escaping his lips. He twisted open the vial of Angel’s Kiss and, right before Chen Ning’s eyes, poured the bright red serum into the urinal.
Chen Ning, utterly exhausted from training, was pinned down by Xu Qiang and Gao Feng, unable to move. He could only watch helplessly as Liu Xi destroyed the very serum that kept him alive. Veins bulging on his neck, he growled, “Liu Xi… I won’t let you get away with this!”
Liu Xi grinned, a cruel glint in his eyes. “Haha, without the Angel’s Kiss, how do you plan to restore your strength? How will you survive tomorrow’s grueling training? Revenge? Survive first, maybe then you can think about it…”
With that, he swaggered off, followed by Xu Qiang and Gao Feng.
Chen Ning burned with rage, wanting to rush them, but reason held him back. Liu Xi was strong, fast, and always among the first to finish every task. With his two lackeys in tow, any fight would end in humiliation for Chen Ning.
Losing the Angel’s Kiss meant Chen Ning could not recover tonight.
With a grim expression, he went to the food hall, grabbed a meager meal, and returned to the dormitory. All he could do was lie down and rest, trying to mitigate his exhaustion and prepare for tomorrow’s trials.
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The next morning, Chen Ning awoke to a body that felt heavier than ever, bones aching, limbs weak and trembling. He knew he was in serious trouble.
To make matters worse, Hawk had again intensified the training. The 300-squat task had now increased to 600 squats in two hours.
The first to finish was Bai Yuhao, another elite from a noble family—calm, arrogant, and almost unnaturally capable. Every task, he finished first, a true prodigy of their group.
Second was Liu Xi, completing the task with a feral grin directed at Chen Ning.
Time ticked away. Two hours ended. Chen Ning, despite all his effort, had failed. For the first time, he could not complete a training task. Surprised, Hawk’s eyes narrowed but showed no mercy. Chen Ning and a dozen others were whipped five times each.
Five lashes struck Chen Ning’s back, instantly tearing his flesh open. Blood streamed down in sheets, and the blows were so heavy they even damaged the bones beneath.
Dragging his injured body to the food hall, he seated himself in a corner, biting back the pain.
Liu Xi, flanked by his lackeys, approached, his fake smile dripping with malice. “So, without the Angel’s Kiss, you’ve fallen into the vicious cycle, huh? Tomorrow won’t be any better. Fail again, five more lashes, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Hawk crippled you.”
Chen Ning’s face darkened. He knew Liu Xi spoke the truth—tomorrow could indeed be his end. In the Azurebird Training Camp, elimination meant death.
Liu Xi burst into triumphant laughter at the sight of Chen Ning’s face—filled with despair yet burning with unwillingness. Then, still grinning with pride, he turned and left with his two subordinates.
Chen Ning stared after him, realizing he had to act—or face certain death.
He forced himself to think. The only real solution: obtain an Angel’s Kiss vial. With it, he could repair his body, restore his exhausted strength, and tackle tomorrow’s grueling tasks.
But in the camp, Angel’s Kiss was precious—essentially a lifeline. Who would willingly give it away?
As for seeking help from the instructors, that was absolutely impossible. In the Phoenix Legion and within the Azurebird Camp, the instructors held nothing but contempt and disdain for the weak—they would never show them sympathy. In Butcher’s eyes, and in theirs, only the strong deserved to survive, while the weak were meant to be eliminated.
So if an Angel’s Kiss was impossible, what else could restore his body and strength in time?
Then it hit him—the first night in the camp, the Night of the Hachling Eagle. In the small black room, he had killed and drunk the blood of a dog. By morning, his injuries had begun to heal, and his body felt infused with strength.
Blood.
A thunderbolt of realization struck him. Ever since the predator zombie injured him and the virus infested in his body, blood seemed to amplify his abilities.
In fact, Chen Ning had heard before that when ordinary zombies consumed fresh blood—especially human blood—it could trigger tremendous changes in them.
For lower-level zombies, the key to evolving into higher forms was blood.
That was also why zombies relentlessly attacked humans—it was an instinctive drive for their species to evolve.
Chen Ning, however, was human. Drinking human blood was something far too insane for him to even consider.
But animal blood… that might be possible. After all, he had already been pushed to the edge of a cliff, desperate.
Still, even getting animal blood wouldn’t be easy.
First of all, the new recruits had strictly regulated schedules for eating, training, and resting. Moreover, with so many Azurebird soldiers guarding and patrolling the base, Chen Ning had no way to wander around freely to hunt animals for blood.
Chen Ning was deep in thought when someone approached with a tray. “Mind if I join you?”
Looking up, Chen Ning saw Bai Yuhao—the strongest member of their group—choosing to sit at his table despite other empty spots.
“Not at all,” Chen Ning said.
Bai Yuhao sat down. Chen Ning glanced at his food—it was simple, just a bowl of rice and a plate of vegetables. Chen Ning couldn’t understand how this guy, who ate like a vegetarian, could still possess such incredible strength.
“You have a problem with Liu Xi?” he casually asked.
Chen Ning blinked. “What do you mean?”
Bai Yuhao smirked. “I saw Liu Xi tailing you into the bathroom yesterday, destroying your Angel’s Kiss.” He glanced at Chen Ning’s grim expression and added, “That bastard didn’t kill you himself, but he threw you into the abyss, watching you struggle, and fail.”
Chen Ning bit his lip. “And why are you telling me this?”
Bai Yuhao leaned back slightly. “Just curious… Do you want another vial of Angel’s Kiss?”
Chen Ning’s heart leapt. Bai Yuhao was strong enough to complete the training without it. Could he really be offering his own serum?
“Yes… you’re saying you’d give me your vial?” Chen Ning asked, hope and caution warring in his tone.
Bai Yuhao shook his head, smiling. “No.”
Chen Ning froze, feeling mocked. “Then what do you mean—getting another vial?”
Bai Yuhao explained slowly: “You’re in a death spiral, slowly dying. But do you know about the tradition here?”
Chen Ning frowned. “What tradition?”
“Redemption.”
Chen Ning’s eyes widened. “Redemption?”
Bai Yuhao said: “It’s a chance for capable soldiers to recover. A soldier who fails can apply for redemption—spend half an hour locked in a room with a grizzly bear. If you survive without serious injury, you’re pardoned. Lose your vial? You can try redemption. Survive with minimal wounds, and the instructors will grant you a new Angel’s Kiss. They’re cold, but they won’t let a strong soldier die for nothing.”
He raised an eyebrow at Chen Ning. “Half an hour with a grizzly isn’t easy. Are you brave enough?”
…
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In the instructor’s office, Major Guan Qing, on duty tonight, looked at the battered recruit before her. “Chen Ning, you’ve lost an Angel’s Kiss and now want to apply for a redemption?”
Chen Ning nodded firmly. “Yes, Major!”
Redemption was for official soldiers only, and each only had one chance. Guan Qing noticed his chest plate: name and number 999. She recalled the black room starved dog incident.
She watched Chen Ning with interest. Was he seeking redemption to regain the serum—or was the zombie virus in him driving a thirst for blood, now targeting the grizzly?
“Even trained soldiers rarely risked facing an angry, starving grizzly, but I will make an exception this one time, I approved it.”
“Thank you Major!” Chen Ning saluted.
What Guan Qing doesn’t understand, Chen Ning had no other choice left. This was a fight to the death.
The worst case is to die by the claws and jaws of a grizzly.
But, if he survived, drank the bear’s blood, regained an Angel’s Kiss, and grew stronger, then Liu Xi and his lackeys would be the ones in trouble.
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