Chapter 10: Cleansing

Returning to the barracks, Allen noticed his body felt sticky. After igniting the fire seed, he was drenched in sweat, unlike the usual perspiration from training. With the first source force vortex formed, his body naturally expelled some accumulated toxins. This is one of the benefits brought by source force. According to the manual from the instructor, as the intensity of source force increases and the system level rises, source force will continuously cleanse the body, facilitating its evolution.

According to the manual, every ten levels of advancement herald an evolutionary node. When crossing this node, the evolution of the body becomes more evident. Currently, igniting the fire seed merely expels toxins. When Allen forms the first genetic circuit, it will present an opportunity for comprehensive bodily enhancement.

What happens after forming the second and third genetic circuits remains unspecified in the manual, leaving Allen to explore it himself.

This is an entirely new world.

After taking a shower and returning to the barracks, Allen sensed a change in the atmosphere. Several boys around thirteen or fourteen seemed to have been waiting for him. Upon seeing him enter, they stood up and surrounded him with ill intentions.

"Move aside," Allen said coldly.

One of the white boys, grinning, said, "I heard you were raised by snow wolves."

After more than two months together, the boys had inevitably talked, and their backgrounds were no secret. Knowing Allen's past was not surprising. What was odd was that they brought it up now.

"That's none of your business," Allen replied, pushing him aside, intending to move forward.

Two larger boys blocked his path.

Behind them, a black boy watched with a faint smile. Allen wasn't naive; it was clear that these boys were following his lead. Allen remembered his name: Mao, the strongest in the barracks. Hence, a group had naturally formed around him. Previously, everyone was busy with training, and there was no interaction.

But today, with Allen being the first to ignite the fire seed, he stood out in the barracks, becoming an eyesore. Clearly, these boys, directed by Mao, were here to trouble him.

Realizing this, Allen took a step back, his gaze sweeping across their faces. "I know what you're trying to do. But if you have the energy, save it for the second injection of the potion to ignite the fire seed."

"What's this? A threat?" the white boy sneered.

Allen shook his head. "No, just a reminder. A reminder that it's best not to provoke me, as it won't benefit you."

Their expressions changed. The white boy looked to Mao, who frowned and clenched his fists. The white boy signaled his two companions, who checked outside and then closed the barracks. One by one, the windows were shut, and a strange atmosphere began to grow.

The other boys retreated to their beds, not daring to interfere.

When the last window closed, the white boy's smile vanished. He pushed Allen and said, "What are you so smug about? You just got lucky igniting the fire seed. You're just trash, a piece of garbage that follows snow wolves for scraps!"

Instead of getting angry, Allen laughed. "Is that so? What about you then? You wasted an opportunity, making you less than trash."

Their breathing grew heavy. The white boy's face reddened. "You bastard! You're just a mutt between a snow wolf and your mother..."

Before he could finish, a fist swung into his face. The boy's head snapped to the side, teeth and blood flying out.

With one punch, Allen sent the white boy reeling. His crimson eyes radiated a murderous intent. At that moment, he seemed to revert to a wild beast roaming the wilderness, his savage nature, seemingly tamed by training, resurfacing. He didn't roar or shout, but asked in a low voice, "Don't insult my mother! Are you looking to die?"

A chill ran through the boys' hearts. They looked at Mao. He pointed at Allen, and the boys, still youthful, shouted and charged. Despite two months of intense training, they were not as experienced as a seasoned mercenary. Allen had killed several mercenaries even before entering the camp.

To him, these boys' movements were full of flaws. He had never received formal combat training, but five years of wandering with snow wolves had taught him how to kill.

Allen suddenly crouched, slid sideways on all fours, and pounced on one boy, pinning him down. With a slight lift of his head, he slammed it down, dazing the boy. Allen then moved between the boys, his movements more agile than two months ago, easily subduing them.

In just a few punches and kicks, he had them all on the ground. This was in the barracks; elsewhere, they might have been killed.

The dictionary of snow wolves does not include the word mercy.

Mao was dumbfounded. This scene was far from what he had anticipated. Allen retreated to the window, smashing it with a punch. The glass shattered with a crisp sound. Mao's expression changed, thinking Allen intended to alert the instructors. He roared and lunged at Allen, but a flash of white light and a sharp pain in his neck stopped him.

The black boy instinctively halted, saving himself. Otherwise, the shard of glass in Allen's hand would have been plunged into his neck. Though shorter than Mao, Allen's presence was overpowering. He held the glass shard, steady despite his own hand bleeding, its edge aimed at Mao's neck, ready to sever the artery.

"If there's still a God in this world."

"I warned you not to provoke me. You chose the wrong target," Allen said.

The door to the barracks suddenly opened, and several tall instructors rushed in. One of them drew a whip from his waist and struck Allen's hand, knocking it and the shard away. Then Lieutenant Ron entered, whistling at the sight of the boys.

"Can anyone tell me what the hell happened here?"

Mao yelled, "Lieutenant, it was Allen, he..."

A whip lashed out, hitting Mao's nose and mouth, spraying blood. Ron, now holding a whip, sneered. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Using such foolish tricks to insult my intelligence! I told you, you're all trash. Seven or eight of you can't handle one person. Ten lashes for each of you!"

Then he looked at Allen, grinning. "You're no exception, kid. Fighting is forbidden in the barracks."

Allen and the other boys involved in the fight were taken to the parade ground, tied to posts under the scorching sun, and given ten lashes each by the instructors. The lashes landed on their chests, eliciting screams. Allen gritted his teeth, remaining silent, though every muscle trembled.

After ten lashes, Mao and the others had to be carried back by the instructors. Of the eight who left, only seven returned. The white boy who provoked Allen was whipped to death, sparing him the second chance to ignite the fire seed.

Allen walked back on his own, leaving a trail of bloody footprints. As the boys saw him, a thin but determined figure enter the barracks, they shivered, realizing that size doesn't always equate to ferocity.

The next day, Ron gave no rest to the injured boys; they had to participate in the usual training. Bearing injuries, they fell behind and suffered more beatings. Allen barely managed to keep up with the team, unable to outperform as usual.

After three days, their injuries began to heal. Half a month passed, and the boys had another chance to use the enlightenment potion. Allen, having already succeeded, enjoyed a rare moment of rest.

When the steel doors of the anti-aircraft hall opened, Mao walked out, proud and successful in igniting the fire seed.

Another month later, the third source force user emerged among the boys, a white girl named Mary. By the end of the two-month period, only Allen, Mao, and Mary had passed.

On the last day of the fourth month, the barracks doors opened. Ron entered, calling, "Numbers 666, 548, and 273, step out."

Allen, Mao, and Mary stepped forward. Ron nodded. "Come with me."

As they left, five instructors and a squad of armed soldiers entered the barracks, closing the doors. Gunfire and screams ensued. Through the windows, the flashes and bloodshed were visible. The three turned pale, realizing Ron was "eliminating" the unqualified in his own way.

As dawn broke, Allen reached his fifth month in the camp. After completing physical training, he sat at the dining table for breakfast. The dining area was unusually quiet. Mao and Mary each occupied a table. After the barracks were "cleansed," only three trainees remained in the camp.