Chapter Five: To Kill or Not to Kill

"Fine. Watermark ad test...watermark ad test." Xia Yan gritted his teeth, lowering his head so that his hair concealed his face.

"Ha!" Wu Zhi hadn’t expected the boy to be so pliant. He switched the knife in his hand for a long blade, pointing it at Su Zhu. "Girl, pack up all the supplies here, put them in the backpack, and be quick about it."

Su Zhu looked at Xia Yan with fear, unable to fathom why he had agreed so readily.

"Hurry," Xia Yan snapped through clenched teeth, his mind blank.

His body had long lost the strength to stand; only sheer willpower kept him upright. If no one else were present, Xia Yan would have collapsed and slipped into unconsciousness.

The oppressive pain in his head was indescribable, like a hypnotic force urging him to close his eyes—for deliverance would come if he did.

In just a short while, all the food and water were packed into two large backpacks, each weighing dozens of pounds. Wu Zhi paid no heed and made Su Zhu carry one, snarling, "Woman, come with me. When I reach safety, I'll let you go."

"What?" Su Zhu exclaimed, "Impossible—what if you change your mind and refuse to let me go?"

"I keep my word. Besides, your man doesn’t object. If you’re unhappy, I’ll just kill you now." Wu Zhi threatened viciously.

"Go with him. Quickly," Xia Yan growled, his voice distorted.

Su Zhu heard this and a veil of tears blurred her eyes. Her face pale, she bit her lip and, coerced, walked ahead.

She could tell Xia Yan wasn’t himself but finally understood—this man was no different from others. When things turned against her, he would abandon her without hesitation.

"Wait..." Wu Zhi picked up the backpack, eyeing the downcast Xia Yan suspiciously. "What are you doing?"

He seemed to sense something amiss.

Silence. The room was still. Xia Yan did not move.

"Raise your head. What are you doing?" Wu Zhi barked.

"I'm struggling to resist the urge to kill you. Now get out." Xia Yan raised his gun with his right hand, head still lowered, but the barrel aimed straight at Wu Zhi’s head.

A chill crept through Wu Zhi’s heart, but he snorted, "If you shoot me, I’ll kill the woman instantly."

Wu Zhi was not only shrewd but cunning to a fault. Under normal circumstances, he would have seen through Xia Yan’s odd behavior.

But only moments ago, his three companions had been slaughtered in an instant by Xia Yan. Panic-stricken, he dared not fight him—he was truly terrified.

In such circumstances, he couldn’t risk lingering even a moment longer. All he wanted was to leave, to get as far from the boy as possible.

To stay with this harbinger of death—even ten lives would not suffice.

Once the two had gone, Xia Yan breathed a sigh of relief; if Wu Zhi had detected his condition, he would surely have killed him.

Forcing himself to endure the near-madness of his headache, he opened the backpack behind him and took out the "Eagle Eye" sniper rifle.

He assembled the rifle with practiced hands, preparing to snipe from his position.

Just then, Wu Zhi and Su Zhu had exited the building below. Without hesitation, Xia Yan pulled the trigger...

Afterward, his strength failed him, and he fell unconscious.

The whistling bullet and the darkness before his eyes arrived simultaneously.

At the same time, in front of the giant screen.

To stir up excitement for the match, the organizers spared no effort, their voices animated: "Look, audience, number sixty-one hasn’t retreated or given in! He’s set up a sniper rifle—my god, what is he about to do?"

Many spectators watched nervously. Night was falling—what was he planning at such a time?

Was he attempting a shot from here? Impossible...it couldn’t be...

...

Whoosh!

Wu Zhi was running fast below the building. The farther he got from Xia Yan, the safer he felt!

This time, he was truly frightened—finally escaping.

He couldn’t fight the boy now, only endure. This humiliation would be avenged when he claimed the championship and the genetic serum. Let the boy gloat for now—he’d deal with him later. Perhaps someone else would kill him first, saving him the trouble.

Wu Zhi glanced ahead at Su Zhu’s graceful figure, feeling a heat stir in his lower abdomen. He considered how to deal with her—she seemed terrified of death, likely willing to be his dog if he demanded it. Or perhaps he’d use her for pleasure, then kill her, converting her into points. With so many supplies, he could last a long time.

Suddenly, Wu Zhi’s expression froze; his mind was pierced by the sound of something slicing through air.

He looked down in disbelief.

Blood—copious blood gushed from him, his body weakening as if something vital had been drained away. A hole had been blown through his abdomen...

What...what was happening? How could he be wounded from such a distance?

"This...what is happening to my body...no, I don’t believe it!"

"I won’t die...the championship will be mine, the genetic serum will be mine..."

Wu Zhi could not accept it, but he understood his fate: he would die fighting for the championship, he was not the protagonist after all. But—what precision! It was already night! And how had they obtained such a rare sniper rifle? There could scarcely be a handful in the entire ancient city!

His team of four had acquired almost no supplies, few weapons, not a single firearm.

Yet those two...only two...

Wu Zhi was almost mad; the bullet had not killed him outright—he had a last gasp left. He could die, but he would not let them profit easily. At least, he would destroy their supplies.

"Xia Yan...Xia Yan didn’t abandon me." Su Zhu gazed at the scene, her heart suddenly clear, a faint smile blooming. At the same time, she watched Wu Zhi warily, ready in case he became more vicious.

So Xia Yan hadn’t intended to forsake her. His head hurt—nearly to madness—but he persisted.

Then, with the sniper rifle, delivered Wu Zhi a fatal blow.

Wonderful, Xia Yan. Truly wonderful!

Su Zhu smiled with joy.

The organizer’s voice rang out, "Let’s see what miracle has occurred! This youth, with a single shot, hit number thirty-three. Though not in a vital spot, the sniper rifle’s power means thirty-three is as good as dead. Impressive! Number sixty-one, truly remarkable!"

Many watched, astonished.

"He hit from there?"

"His marksmanship is incredible!"

"Such talent at his age!"

"We might consider betting on him—though his chances aren’t highest, he certainly offers hope."

"It wasn’t a perfect shot, though—slightly off. If he’d hit dead center, his rating would be even higher."

"A bit off target, so maybe his aim isn’t truly that precise. Perhaps luck played a part."

None of them knew Xia Yan had fired while enduring a near-mad headache, barely able to shoot. If they knew, they’d be frightened out of their minds.

...

In a half-conscious state, Xia Yan heard Su Zhu calling his name in alarm.

When he awoke again, the world was shrouded in darkness. Outside the window, mutant creatures howled, their cries echoing across the sky and through every corner of the earth.

"You’re awake?" Su Zhu’s voice sounded nearby.

"Yes." Xia Yan smiled bitterly; his headache was truly fatal—had it struck earlier, the consequences would have been dire.

"What's really wrong with your body? This isn’t ordinary acclimatization." Su Zhu worried, "I was desperate at the time—thank goodness your aim was true and the sniper bullet struck his abdomen."

"Only the abdomen?" Xia Yan’s face twisted in anguish; he had aimed for the heart, yet the shot had veered so far off.

"Yes. He didn’t die immediately, and in his frenzy tried to kill me. Luckily I reacted quickly and dodged. But in his madness, he tore off his backpack, spilling most of the clean water—we’re left with only two large bottles, enough for three or four days."

Xia Yan’s expression darkened. "That was my mistake."

Without water, survival was impossible—a fatal blow for Xia Yan and Su Zhu.

They had gathered so many supplies; it should have lasted them a long while. But a single upheaval left them empty-handed, forced to start over.

"We’ll have to search other areas." Xia Yan decided without hesitation. "Originally, I entered to find my brother Ding Li. He’s strong, but might not survive the late stages of this deadly contest."

Su Zhu had heard of Ding Li—a formidable criminal, but not among the top contenders in this survival tournament.

...

"Your headache...let me warn you," Su Zhu said. "Symptoms like this are dangerous. If it’s not acclimatization, it’s likely caused by a genetic defect."

The criminals were once human, but due to genetic flaws, their lifespan never exceeded thirty. Xia Yan had never considered his lifespan—he was only fifteen, with half his life ahead.

Yet those nearing death experienced similar headaches and fainting spells.

Fifteen—if his genetic defect meant his life was almost over, it wasn’t impossible, but highly likely.

Even if Xia Yan survived and won, if his lifespan was ending, victory would be meaningless. Not even genetic serum could restore lost years.

"It doesn’t matter. As a criminal, I’ve long accepted this fate," Xia Yan replied coldly. "But I won’t die here—I must at least reunite with Ding Li and survive to the end. If I die, it will be after leaving this place."

"Alright." Su Zhu nodded silently, her gaze lingering with a trace of hesitation on Xia Yan’s eyes.

...

Twenty days passed.

"Twenty-five days in total—the survival tournament has undergone several major shake-ups. Now, only about ten contestants remain," the organizer announced excitedly, synchronizing the big screen. "Those who’ve bet on these survivors could win immense payouts."

Many bettors grumbled; this reshuffle had eliminated most unknowns and mediocre competitors.

Except for a handful of favorites with low odds, few familiar faces remained.

"First, the lone wolf of darkness—number seventy-five, Mr. Brooke. He leads with 173 points, ranked first. This fearsome man is a ruthless killer, able to storm teams and slaughter all their members."

"Second, the muscular powerhouse—number one, Antoine. He and his two teammates have swept through the competition, now holding 135 points."

"Third is the clever, well-connected Mr. Matthew, number seven. Let’s see—he has far fewer followers now, only five. Perhaps the repeated battles have reduced their numbers! Mr. Matthew now has 101 points, ranking third."

"Fourth and fifth are this affectionate couple, now huddled together in love! Number sixty-one, Mr. Xia Yan, with 77 points, ranks fourth. Number seventy-six, Miss Su Zhu, with 42 points, ranks fifth."

"We’ve also found a last surviving lone wolf—number ninety-nine, Mr. Ding Li. His injuries are tragic; he’s been hunted by Matthew’s team but escaped several times, even using a remote bomb to cost Matthew several followers. Mr. Ding Li has 32 points, ranking sixth."

The survival tournament had lasted twenty-five days; only five remained.

After twenty days, Xia Yan and Su Zhu had met no other survivors. In their explored areas, corpses littered the ground, but not a single living soul.

This reshuffle had been drastic; before the end, most criminals were dead, leaving only the strongest.

Though Su Zhu hadn’t mentioned it, she had hinted that Xia Yan’s friend Ding Li was likely dead.

"We’ve explored zones C, D, E, and B, and once encountered Matthew’s gang—but didn’t engage. They numbered twelve," Xia Yan explained.

"We haven’t checked zone A, but with Antoine and Brooke’s arrogance, they’ll surely gather there at the end. If we go, we’ll likely run into them," Su Zhu warned.

"We must go to zone A. Our food and water won’t last five more days," Xia Yan said calmly. "My brother Ding Li wouldn’t die so easily, so he must be in zone A. Perhaps he’s holding on, but facing Antoine and Brooke, his odds are grim."

"You’re crazy! Fighting them would put us in danger. Don’t act rashly," Su Zhu protested.

"We must fight—or let them take first place," Xia Yan insisted. "Why did you enter this tournament? Even if forced, you could have postponed it for years. Since you’ve joined, you must aim for a high ranking."

Everyone entered for the same reason—to earn a high enough rank, or even the genetic serum.

To escape the status of criminal and become human—this was every criminal’s dream...but the dream was painfully elusive.

"But you never killed proactively," Su Zhu said, surprised. "I thought you weren’t after a high rank. When we passed two survivors days ago, you didn’t attack them."

"In the early and middle stages, I wouldn’t kill unless necessary. My goal was survival," Xia Yan explained. "But in the final stage—either we die, or they do. If we don’t kill, we die, so I choose to kill."

He looked at Su Zhu. "Early in the match, causing too much trouble can bring vengeance and trouble, so it’s best to avoid that. But in the end, we must fight for first place, for the genetic serum, and give everything."

"But our opponents are Antoine and Brooke! How can we win against such terrifying people?" Su Zhu protested.

Xia Yan sighed, "There’s no other choice. If we want to become human, we must fight them. Either die at their hands, or gain new life!"

They had to fight, whether against Antoine, Brooke, or Matthew's team.

Even if weaker, there was no other option. To wait passively was to be slaughtered, to be sheep, surrendering the throne of first place.