Trigger

"How... how could this be? Isn't it supposed to only infect people into zombies? How did it... mutate?" Wang Ning's eyes widened, his expression one of sheer terror.

Xiong Ba was slightly taken aback as well, but he soon relaxed and said, "This is the 'University'! And this is merely the simplest 'Entrance Exam' for 'Freshmen'! Within the 'University', infinite possibilities exist. Infinite opportunities, infinite risks. Rookies, you should be a bit more sensible by now, shouldn't you? Therefore, I must kill him! Otherwise, you would all be willing to bet 10 years of your lifespan for him. If he mutates into a Nemesis, even I might not be able to handle it."

As he spoke, he prepared to fire at Wei Ming!

"You can't!" Yin Kuang gripped Xiong Ba's gun tightly and said, "You can't do this! He's still alive! Besides, doesn't he have a certain probability of obtaining a mutated T-Virus Enhancement? As long as he hasn't mutated yet, there is still hope, isn't there?!"

Xiong Ba sneered, "Naive! A 1% chance—do you think he has that kind of luck? Don't forget, the probability of mutating into a powerful zombie is far greater than the probability of obtaining a T-Enhancement. Can't you even calculate such a simple probability? And to think you have 7 points in Intelligence!!"

Xiong Ba possessed the special skill "Wolf Scent", and as a sophomore, he had already acquired a special effect that increased his Perception by 20 points. Furthermore, he possessed a rare "Scout" skill, which gave him a certain chance to see the base attributes of those weaker than him (skills and equipment could not be seen). Thus, in front of him, the attribute data of everyone here was likely laid bare.

Yin Kuang still refused to give up, "But there is still hope after all! No matter how small the probability, there is still a chance of success. Can you be certain he definitely won't obtain the enhancement? You were the one who said the 'University' holds infinite possibilities."

"Kid!" Xiong Ba said, "I have experienced more dangers than you have eaten meals. In front of me, you have no right to speak. Besides, if I didn't find you agreeable, just for defying me, I would have enough reason to throw you to the zombies. 'Respecting your seniors' has always been the first rule of survival in the 'University'! Do you understand?"

Wei Ming hurriedly pulled on Yin Kuang with difficulty and shook his head, "Forget it. Isn't it just losing 10 years of life? It's really no big deal. If I die, I die. I've tasted everything in life, except... I've never tasted death! It's just a pity that I'm going to fail this 'Entrance Exam'."

Yin Kuang gave a bitter smile, not knowing whether to mock himself for his own short life or to admire Wei Ming's open-mindedness. However, since Wei Ming had said so himself, he had nothing left to say.

Li Shuangmu patted Yin Kuang's shoulder at the right moment and sighed, "Since that's the case, we will respect your choice. Don't worry, after we return, we will share some of our Study Points with you." Li Shuangmu also felt a sense of guilt. After all, if he had looked at the gun a moment earlier, Wei Ming wouldn't have been bitten by the zombie.

"Hehe... then I will... thank... ahhh!! It hurts... it hurts so... much!!"

Bang!

With a gunshot, Wei Ming's head exploded like a smashed watermelon, and viscous black blood splattered across the floor.

"One student has died. Teaching Assistant Xiong Ba has had 1 point deducted from his Comprehensive Evaluation!"

Xiong Ba gave a slight, bitter smile, "I've really been dragged down by you bunch of trash."

Li Shuangmu looked at Wei Ming's headless corpse on the ground with grief and said, "Senior... actually, you saw that there was something wrong with that man earlier, didn't you?"

Xiong Ba replied, "Yes."

Ignoring the angry or wary gazes of the others, Xiong Ba said, "Rookies, please be mindful of your status, and please be mindful of mine. You are 'Rookie Students', and I am a 'Teaching Assistant'. My task is merely to assist you in completing a certain number of missions and to let you familiarize yourselves with the rules of the 'University'. I am not here to act as a bodyguard for a bunch of weak ants like you."

"Actually, I really regret taking this 'Teaching Assistant' job. The quality of your batch is truly low. Last year, when I was where you are now, I was already carving my way through the sea of bugs in Starship Troopers! Unlike you lot, who complain about heaven and earth at the slightest setback." Xiong Ba was extremely disdainful, "Reiterating once more, the first rule of survival in the 'University' is to respect your seniors. Do you think every senior is as easy to talk to as I am? Don't joke around. Alright, enough talk, let's go."

Just as everyone was about to leave, a weak voice suddenly came, "Wait... wait a moment."

Qian Qianqian said, "Look... this was found in his... his chest pocket..."

Everyone looked over; it was a photograph, a picture of a dog. It was still stained with fresh blood. The "he" Qian Qianqian referred to was the zombie that had been headshot by Li Shuangmu.

"What's there to look at? It's just a dog," said Liu Xiatian, who was eager to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Qian Qianqian hurriedly said, "No... it's not. There's... a Hidden Mission..."

"A Hidden Mission!?"

Xiong Ba snatched the photo of the dog and immediately received a notification.

"You have obtained a special item: Photo of Guide Dog Mary."

"You have triggered a Hidden Mission: Save Guide Dog Mary."

"Mission Introduction: The blind man Mike has lost his guide dog. They share a very deep bond. Poor Mary, it could be in danger at any moment. Kind-hearted people, please help find the lovely guide dog Mary. God will bless every kind soul."

"Mission Requirements: Find and rescue the guide dog Mary within 1 hour."

"Mission Reward: ???"

"Failure Penalty: None."

"Accept? Yes/No."

Xiong Ba smiled with a strange expression, "Should I say your luck is absolutely explosive, or should I say your luck is truly rotten to the core?"

"Why?" Li Shuangmu asked, "What happened? Is there something different about this photo?"

"And what about that Hidden Mission?" Wang Ning asked.

Xiong Ba looked around and said to the shadows not far away, "Let's go to that secluded spot, and I'll explain it to you."

Once everyone was hidden in the shadows, Xiong Ba explained, "Hidden Missions are one of several known special missions in the 'University's' 'Scenario Assessment'. The various special missions are 'Hidden Missions', 'VIP Missions', 'Area Missions', 'Revenge Missions', and 'Part-time Missions'. Setting the others aside for now, let's talk about Hidden Missions. This is a special mission triggered by accidental events. In principle, any event can trigger a Hidden Mission. But in reality, the probability of a Hidden Mission appearing is very low. Hidden Missions have one common trait: the rewards are unknown, and the severity of the penalties varies. Completing a Hidden Mission might make you rich overnight, or it might leave you penniless overnight. Furthermore, the difficulty of Hidden Missions is generally very high, and they may even trigger a series of consecutive missions. Fundamentally, this is a high-risk gamble with an unknown rate of return. Giving up is a pity because such missions are very rare, yet accepting them carries huge risks. It's incredibly frustrating. That's why I said I don't know whether to call you lucky or unlucky. Fortunately, this time there is no penalty for failure. I assume that's out of consideration for you rookies."

Everyone was digesting Xiong Ba's words, and they summarized it into one sentence.

"Tasteless to eat, but a pity to discard!" Wang Ning said.

"Not entirely correct, but you could say that. After all, the nature of gambling is too strong," Xiong Ba said. "Of course, I said it before: I am merely a Teaching Assistant. I have no right to interfere with your missions. How you choose is your freedom. Discuss it among yourselves—accept or refuse." After saying this, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

If it weren't for the restrictions of the "Headmaster", he would actually prefer to wander around himself and experience this "Entrance Exam" which was extremely easy. Of course, he was only thinking about it. He knew very well that once he intervened in the "Entrance Exam" mission, the "Headmaster" would immediately increase the difficulty of the mission. The result of that would be that he might not gain any benefits at all and would waste 6 points of his Comprehensive Evaluation—once the difficulty increased, none of these rookies would survive.

Additionally, the "Headmaster" would likely hold him accountable and give him some "rewards". Then Xiong Ba would truly be beyond tears.

Of course, if handled well, a "Teaching Assistant" could still obtain significant benefits during an "Entrance Exam".