The "rescue" operation in the abandoned factory district was so efficient it was jaw-dropping. Almost as soon as Lin Mo saw through the "scam," all the young participants in the trial and their battle pets had been swiftly transferred to the heavily guarded military camp.
The training ground, usually filled with a grim, martial atmosphere, had temporarily been turned into a place for reassurance and assembly. Powerful floodlights illuminated the grounds as brightly as day, while solemn-looking guards stood all around. A dense crowd sat in the center of the grounds: the young participants who had just endured a harrowing ordeal, both physically and mentally.
Calling them "a sorry sight" would have been a compliment.
Tattered clothes were the bare minimum. Nearly everyone's combat uniform was covered in stains, tears, and dried blood (some of it their own, some from monsters, and some... maybe ketchup?).
Bruised and swollen faces were everywhere. But worse were their eyes, clouded with a mixture of lingering terror, bewilderment at having survived, anger at being deceived, despair over failing the test, and deep confusion about the future of themselves and their battle pets.
Their battle pets were hardly any better. Some hung their heads, listless; others were wrapped in bandages and whimpering nonstop. A few even deliberately kept their distance from their handlers, glancing away with a faint, barely perceptible hostility. A heavy gloom hung over the entire grounds, occasionally made worse by a sob.
Wang Keke and Lin Mo sat relatively close to the front. Wang Keke had already changed into a clean combat uniform. Her little face was still somewhat pale, but she had calmed down considerably and was gently smoothing the ruffled white fur on Lin Mo's back.
As for Lin Mo, he lay there expressionless (a tiger's face couldn't do much, anyway), his amber eyes half closed. He looked like he was resting, but inside, he was already seething and cursing up a storm.
Damn it, look at these idiots. They got sold out and they're still sitting here scared! He surveyed his peers, some crying and others staring blankly, feeling superior to them (even though he'd been tricked too, at least he'd seen through it, right?).
And those traitorous battle pets. Now you know to keep your distance? Where were you before? You got a little food and lost your heads. Serves you right for getting eliminated!
My Tough Skin almost got beaten to pieces by those actors! And now you're telling me it was all an act? Who's paying the medical bills? What about compensation for emotional distress?
Just as Lin Mo was raging inside, using every foul curse he could think of to insult the planners and their ancestors, a dignified set of footsteps sounded from the raised platform ahead.
The entire grounds fell silent in an instant. Everyone's gaze, including those of the restless battle pets, instinctively turned toward the sound.
General Qin Zhan led the way, followed by Wang Qingtian and the heads of the major families, senior military officers, representatives of martial arts schools, and dozens of others. They strode onto the platform with solemn expressions, their imposing presence in stark contrast with the miserable "defeated soldiers" below.
Lin Mo's tiger eyes narrowed into a dangerous slit as he glared at Wang Qingtian and Qin Zhan onstage.
So it was these scheming old bastards! They staged this whole show! Just wait until I get you—
Before he could finish his threat, General Qin Zhan had already walked up to the standing microphone at the front of the platform. He didn't speak right away. His sharp, falcon-like gaze slowly swept over every young face below. It seemed to carry a tangible weight, making many people lower their heads without realizing it.
"Children."
Qin Zhan spoke. His voice rang through the loudspeakers across the grounds. It was low and hoarse, yet possessed a strange power that seemed to pierce straight into people's hearts.
"I know you're angry right now." His opening words hit the feelings of most of them head-on. "Angry that you were deceived, angry that you were treated so roughly, angry that you couldn't see any hope when you were in despair."
A faint commotion and a few muffled gasps rose from the crowd.
"I know you're discouraged, too," Qin Zhan continued. His tone was calm, but held an unquestionable strength. "Discouraged by your own helplessness, discouraged by your battle pets' betrayal, discouraged to discover that you're nowhere near as strong or steadfast as you imagined."
More people lowered their heads and clenched their fists.
"I know you're unwilling to accept this, and that you're confused." His voice rose slightly. "You can't accept that you failed like this, and you're lost, wondering where the road ahead will lead!"
Those three statements struck everyone's heart like three hammers, laying bare the deepest and most genuine emotions inside them.
Lin Mo scoffed inwardly. Bah! Beat them with a stick, then offer them a date? I'm not falling for that! You make it sound so nice, but this mess was your doing in the first place!
"But!" Qin Zhan's voice suddenly rose like a thunderclap, seizing everyone's attention. "Have you ever thought about why we did this today? Why we 'tormented' and 'deceived' you in such a seemingly cruel way?!"
He paused, his gaze flashing like lightning. "Because the real wilderness, the real battlefield, is ten times more cruel than what you just experienced! A hundred times! A thousand times!"
"There are no scripts out there! No rescue! No one cares about your grievances or anger! The only things you can rely on are the weapons in your hands, your comrades by your side, and... the battle pets you regard as your partners!"
He pointed at the battle pets below, their eyes darting away or their bonds with their handlers already strained. "Look at them! Look at the partners you've carefully raised and pinned your hopes on! Under pressure, pain, and hunger, how many of them can withstand the test?!"
"If everything that just happened had been real, how many of you would already have become the cold 'severed limbs' lying in the corner?! And how many of your battle pets would have turned into nightmares that devoured you?!"
A barrage of heart-shaking questions crashed down like heavy blows, leaving many young people pale and trembling. They remembered the despair inside the cages and the unfamiliar gazes of their battle pets, full of greed or resentment. A wave of belated fear washed over them.
"We didn't do this to humiliate you!"
Qin Zhan's voice carried sorrow and resolve. "We did it to shatter your unrealistic fantasies! To let you see the bloody truth with your own eyes before you paid a far more terrible price! To show you what you'll really need to fight monsters and protect your homes in the future!"
He took a deep breath, his tone turning impassioned. "Yes, the results of this test were ugly! Most of the 271 pairs failed! This proves that there are serious problems with the path we've followed until now!"
"But!" His voice rose again, filled with unquestionable strength. "We also saw hope! We saw bonds that endured even in desperate situations! We saw loyalty from those willing to give everything for their partners!"
His gaze swept over them like a searchlight, settling precisely on Wang Keke and Lin Mo!
In an instant, every eye in the grounds focused on the girl and the tiger!
Wang Keke felt a little embarrassed under everyone's gaze and instinctively edged closer to Lin Mo. Lin Mo, meanwhile, was on high alert inside.
Holy crap! Here it comes! This is the big moment! They're going to make an example out of me!
Sure enough, Qin Zhan pointed at Lin Mo, his voice loud and full of praise. "Take Wang Keke of the Wang Family and her Mutated Winged Tiger, Mimi, for example!"
Roar—!! (My name is Lin Mo!) Lin Mo roared furiously in his heart, but on the outside, he could only maintain a "mighty and composed" pose. He even had to lift his head slightly to play along and accept the gaze of the whole crowd (which felt to him like a public execution).
"Under extreme pressure! In the depths of hunger! It didn't abandon its handler! It didn't waver in the face of fear or temptation! It used its body and its will to protect its partner!" Qin Zhan's voice was compelling. "It proved to us that humans and beasts can build a genuine, unbreakable bond of trust—one that transcends instinct and taming!"
"It, along with the few other pairs that passed, represents our hope for the future! They are the foundation on which the Beast Taming system can truly be built!"
Onstage, Wang Qingtian wore an appropriately proud and pleased expression. Below, the heads and representatives of the other families looked on with complicated expressions: envy, jealousy, scrutiny... a little of everything.
"So, children!" Qin Zhan spread his arms, his voice resounding through the night like a great bell. "Don't dwell on your anger and discouragement! What you experienced today isn't the end. It's the starting point of your true growth!"
"Wipe away your tears! Let go of your resentment! Carve today's humiliation and lessons into your hearts! Then take them with you and grow stronger! Reexamine your relationship with your battle pets! Build genuine bonds that can withstand the test of life and death!"
"The future of Base City and the future of humanity need you! They need you and your truly loyal partners to forge the road ahead together! Do you have that confidence?!"
He practically roared the final question, his voice carrying a powerful, undeniable force of will!
After their initial shock, shame, and reflection, the eyes of some of the young people began to change. A light had been kindled in them, mixed with resentment, determination, and renewed fighting spirit!
"We do!!"
At first, the answers came from only a few, but more and more voices joined in until they swelled into a roar. It was uneven, but carried the resolve of people who had burned their boats!
"We do!!"
"We do!!"
Wang Keke was caught up in the moment, too. She waved her little fist with all her might, her pretty face flushed with excitement.
Only Lin Mo remained unmoved.
He lay there watching the young people around him, as fired up as if they'd been given a shot of adrenaline, and the big shots onstage wearing expressions that said, "We're doing this for your own good." He felt nothing inside. If anything, he wanted to laugh.
Keep fooling them, why don't you? He silently rolled his eyes (if a tiger could roll its eyes). Drawing them a pretty picture, putting on a show of virtue, shifting the blame, and morally blackmailing them—it's a smooth combo!
Foundation? Hope? They just think I'm easy to control and want to use me as a model project, don't they?
Damn, there are too many tricks in this place... Lin Mo felt a wave of exhaustion. I just want to quietly Devour and evolve, then run away with Keke! Why is that so hard?!
The commendation (brainwashing) ceremony gradually drew to a close amid the "enthusiastic" atmosphere. Lin Mo listened with a deadened expression as Qin Zhan announced that resources would be redirected toward those who performed well and that they would receive special training. He also listened as Wang Keke's name and his own "glorious deeds" were mentioned again and again.
He felt that his grand plan to "develop steadily, lie low, and become a god" was being forcibly pushed off course by those scheming old bastards.
No! Lin Mo roared inwardly in defiance. I absolutely won't give in! I have to find a way to break out of this!
He looked at Wang Keke beside him, her little face flushed with excitement, then at the sanctimonious men on the raised platform. A bold and dangerous thought quietly began to take shape in his mind...
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