Chapter 10: Take Up the Burden!

*It was true that leveraging the system's power was indeed the strongest and most efficient option currently available.*

*But Shen Hao still wasn't certain how seriously the higher-ups were taking this or if they even realized the severity of the crisis.*

*Therefore, he needed to set his own terms.*

"I just briefly looked over the school's teachers and students," Shen Hao said, his expression weighted with somberness, "and the proportion of people replaced here is roughly one in ten."

"One in ten!" Yang Jun jolted sharply.

His expression froze for a moment.

He had already known the number of people present when the school was locked down.

Four thousand eight hundred students and over two hundred thirty teachers!

One in ten—what did that mean?

A full five hundred people!

*Five hundred lives. Five hundred families. Were these lives erased silently, right under their noses?*

Yang Jun instinctively clenched his fists, his eyes practically glowing red.

*Protecting their homeland and defending their nation… What kind of home were they protecting, and what kind of nation were they preserving?*

"This school is a disaster zone. The situation in the city outside shouldn't be as severe," Shen Hao said, feeling just as heavy when he first noticed this pattern. "But take note of how little time has passed. You should understand what the speed of this spread implies."

Indeed, even counting from the day of "Star Jump," it hadn't been more than a month.

*And if we were to start from the beginning of the monsters invading this school—then the time was even shorter yet.*

*Still, the tally had already reached one in ten!*

*If a year or two passed without discovery, without detection, would the entire world silently transform into a monster's domain?*

*A chill ran through Shen Hao's heart at the thought. If he hadn't obtained the cheat, if he hadn't discovered this in time…*

*Perhaps, without him even realizing, his family—or even he himself—would end up replaced by these monsters. And yet, the monsters would walk around with his face, pretending he was still alive!*

"I will report this situation immediately," Yang Jun said, taking a deep breath to steady his emotions, locking eyes with Shen Hao. "Any request you have—name it. We'll do whatever's necessary to meet it. But please, you must accept the role of team leader. We cannot afford to lose more lives!"

*Right now, he was the only one who could possibly suppress this crisis.*

*Without him, it simply would not work!*

"I have three demands," Shen Hao said bluntly. "First, I need support—troops and Chosen Ones, especially Chosen Ones. I need to assemble an elite squad of Chosen Ones. Note—the key is elite. They don't need to possess White Talent, but they must follow orders and exhibit bravery in battle. Second, since I'm bringing myself into this situation, I require access to the highest level of intelligence available. Third, once this operation is concluded, the special task force must remain intact, and I need authorization to make decisions regarding personnel and funding."

*Three demands: one to address the present, and two with the future in mind.*

Yang Jun heard these words and stared deeply at Shen Hao.

*These requests almost confirmed that Shen Hao had decided to integrate into the system—or at least to collaborate intensively—and that he sought a certain degree of power and authority.*

*But, faced with this situation, the scariest thing wasn't ambition. It was hesitation—the fear of stepping forward and taking responsibility.*

"I'll report all your demands. It shouldn't be a problem," Yang Jun replied without hesitation. "Moreover, I will personally join the task force. In fact, an elite squad of Chosen Ones is already being assembled and is expected to arrive—fully ready—in about three hours."

"Good!" Shen Hao nodded decisively. "Let's not waste time. After locking down the school for over three hours, there's already unrest and murmurs among the students. To prevent the monsters among them from catching on and triggering chaotic retaliation, we need to lift the lockdown and let the teachers and students return to their routines."

"Understood!" Yang Jun stepped into action without delay.

Orders like these left no room for hesitation.

*Actually, he had already pieced together Shen Hao's reasoning.*

*Moving within the school was too risky.*

*It was better to release everyone, mark the monsters within the crowd, and then act with precision.*

Yang Jun quickly set the plan into motion.

Shen Hao watched his retreating figure, his expression devoid of emotion.

*Taking on the identity of team leader also meant taking on the weight of responsibility.*

*It couldn't be denied—the pressure was substantial.*

*He was increasingly grateful for the Talent of [Sovereign] he had drawn. Without it to manage his emotions, he might not have been able to withstand this strain, let alone think rationally under such circumstances.*

"Brother." Qiuyue's voice came from the doorway.

"How are Mom and Dad doing?" Shen Hao glanced at the wall nearby.

His parents were in the next room. At this range, he could clearly sense the rhythm of their breaths.

"They've mostly calmed down but are still worried. After all, the world has suddenly become so dangerous," Qiuyue said, with a lingering hint of fear in her tone.

However, when she gazed at her adoptive brother, a flicker of admiration surfaced in her eyes.

*She had nearly lost all hope herself.*

*Feeling like the entire world was the enemy, weighed down with guilt toward her adoptive parents.*

*But she hadn't expected her brother to be a Chosen One as well. Not only that—he had immediately figured out what had been happening to her and swiftly cut through the chaos to unearth the truth.*

*On top of that, he possessed the power to identify monsters!*

She had overheard the discussion earlier.

*Her adoptive brother was now the leader of a special task force, charged with managing the entire crisis!*

*If it had been her in his shoes, she couldn't even fathom handling such pressure.*

*But he remained composed—almost confident, even.*

"What's your Chosen One Talent?" Shen Hao asked, looking directly at his adoptive sister.

Back when they adopted her, he had been away at college, only visiting during summer and winter breaks, so their time together had been limited.

But he had often heard his parents praise her.

*She was undeniably remarkable.*

Academically, for one, and as evidenced now by her emotional resilience—she had recovered with surprising speed.

*For a typical sixteen-year-old girl to face an ordeal like this, it would be impressive just to avoid mental collapse, let alone defeating monsters while staying silent to protect herself.*

"A Boxer. Just a White Talent," Qiuyue said, pursing her lips as though embarrassed. "It gives me a powerful boxing aptitude and significantly increases the power of my punches."

As she spoke, she demonstrated several boxing movements.

They were sharp and efficient, even producing an audible rush of air with each blow.

*Though this level of strength came from her Extraordinary Talent, it was clear that she had secretly been practicing* after gaining her powers as a Chosen One.

"When you killed that monster, you should have earned some points too, right?" Shen Hao pressed further. "How many? Did anything drop?"

*He wanted to analyze the rules governing points and drops.*

*After all, his three monsters hadn't been killed by his own hands—they belonged in a peculiar category of self-inflicted deaths.*

"I did," Qiuyue replied quickly, though her face paled slightly at the memory. She calmed herself and continued, "A hundred and fifty points, plus a first-kill drop—a Blue Elite-level ability ball."