Beyond the Zenith

These kinds of purge-and-trap operations targeting Wiper infiltrators among the recruits happened almost every year. As Zhang Dao’an put it, infiltration was simply unavoidable.

If one were to look back throughout history, one would discover that both the Wipers and the Preservers had originally grown out of the Azure Coalition itself, hatching from the same nest.

The founder of the Wipers’ Snow Lotus organization had been one of the top two scientists of his era within the Azure Coalition.

The silent genius, codenamed Ne[1], had gone from a defender of hope to wielding the scepter of annihilation. One could only speculate as to the experiences and conclusions that had led him down that path.

This year at the 425th was still special, of course, because the roster assembled for the operation had been extraordinary, including the regiment commander, the lead advisor, the head instructor, and a Captain-ranked platoon leader.

There was also Miss Mira, who had sacrificed her modesty and worn a bikini to sell the act.

The late-arriving veterans clutched their heads and wailed in anguish. Not because they had missed the three masters’ midair relay slaughter, but because they hadn’t made it in time to catch Mira coming out of the water.

By now, Mira had bundled herself in a Coalition-issue gray autumn coat, pulled the hood low, and hidden in a corner.

A large-scale mountain sweep was underway. Follow-up operations like these seldom turned up anything, but failing to conduct one would have been negligent. There was always the possibility that someone was still out there.

“What are you thinking about?” Han Qingyu asked, noticing Wen Jifei staring into space.

“Replaying those forty seconds of Commander Li, Instructor Zhang, and Lao Jian going at it.” Wen Jifei’s eyes burned, pointing at where said juggling had taken place. “Forty seconds. Those three bodies never hit the ground. Did you see that?”

“Yeah. They were just fooling around, though. If they’d been serious, it would’ve been over in one hit.”

“I know. It’s just that I—I wish I could suit up so badly. To fight alongside you all, weaving through formations with millimeter precision, killing Sharpies on the razor’s edge between life and death. Little Qing...”

Han Qingyu was quiet for a moment.

Wen Jifei managed a smile, then sighed. “It’s a pity. After what I just saw, I know it’s time to finally let this go.”

After seeing the footwork, coordination, and split-second timing required even in the easiest, most relaxed conditions, Plague Chicken understood that someone like him could never reliably hold a position in a formation.

“I’m sorry, everyone. Guess I’m stuck living a long life,” he joked, bouncing right back, spinning around to tease the six Dormitory 11 members who would be suiting up.

Lao Jian walked over with a grin. “See? Told you his spirit was fine.”

Regiment Commander Li had come along with him.

“Regiment Commander, does this operation count toward merit? I contributed again, right?” Han Qingyu asked immediately. “Will it help with future promotions?”

Lao Jian was used to this by now.

Regiment Commander Li blinked. “It’ll go on record, sure. Do you really care that much?”

“Yes.” Han Qingyu nodded without hesitation.

Regiment Commander Li laughed. “Who knew you had ambitions of climbing the ranks?”

In truth, Han Qingyu only wanted more energy cores.

At this point, the soldiers had finished collecting the wreckage on land. The Coalition did seem to always have scrap items to pick through after each fight. Han Qingyu had thought about it and concluded that this was probably one of the key reasons people kept fighting. If every battle ended with nothing but a dead giant on the ground and nothing to show for it, motivation would surely wane.

There was still one body in the water.

A soldier on the bank started stripping down to go retrieve it. Unease rippled through the crowd, mostly from the recruits. They had all endured grueling training and seen plenty of brutal footage in the historical archives, but that didn’t mean the sight of severed limbs floating in blood-red water was any easier to take in.

Mira’s clean vertical exit from the water and bisecting slash had been savage.

A female soldier started retching, setting off a chain reaction. More signs of discomfort spread. Disgusted murmurs and pained expressions appeared all around.

The boys of Dormitory 11 turned to look. They were standing closer to the scene than most.

Han Qingyu had already seen soldiers impaled on a Sharpie’s pillar blade and had even killed people himself. Despite this, he couldn’t help but grimace, stomach turning like the rest of them.

Regiment Commander Li frowned when he noticed this, and a flash of irritation shot through him. This was tolerable from anyone else, but not from a future Color Eraser platoon leader.

“You don’t need to take your clothes off anymore,” he told the soldier about to go in, glancing at Mira in silent question.

“The water’s clear,” Mira confirmed.

“Good. Han Qingyu, you’re up.” Regiment Commander Li pointed at him, then at the reservoir.

Han Qingyu stared.

“Get in there. That’s an order,” Regiment Commander Li instructed, getting more irritated with Han Qingyu’s expression every passing second.

The regiment commander was angry. There was no other choice. Han Qingyu reluctantly pulled off the coat he’d just thrown on.

“Don’t think of it as dead-body soup,” Wen Jifei said unhelpfully.

“Then what should I think of?” Han Qingyu asked, taking off his pants.

“Just tell yourself it’s Platoon Leader Mira’s bathwater.”

“Huh... you know what? That actually helps.”

This conversation was exchanged in low voices, but Mira, standing right behind them, heard every word. Her face turned bright red.

Han Qingyu unhesitatingly launched himself off the bank in a classic country-boy cliff dive, plunging headfirst into the water with a splash.

Mira thought she saw his eyes flicker with something almost like eager excitement in that instant, but couldn’t help but wonder if she’d seen correctly.

Energy cores. Energy cores.

Han Qingyu hadn’t expected to get a chance to put his hands on one today.

Based on his gathered knowledge, Regiment Commander Li, Lao Jian, and virtually all other officers and soldiers shared a common understanding that nobody could absorb source energy directly the way he could.

Nor could they precisely gauge an enemy’s remaining source energy before a fight or their exact combat expenditure either.

Mira’s slash had severed the assassin’s metal harness, and the maneuvering device had sunk to the bottom.

Han Qingyu surfaced, drew a deep breath, and dove down. His figure disappeared from the view of those onshore.

Reservoir water wasn’t like a stream or the sea. It wasn’t crystal clear. No matter its cleanliness, any real depth would turn it gray-blue or dark green.

So, of course, he was going to steal. The more people around, the easier it was to do it. This was the same logic that brought pickpockets to train stations.

Han Qingyu spotted the fallen seventh-generation maneuvering device almost immediately, resting in the silt at the bottom. Even better, the energy core had popped out of its case.

Treading water, he picked up the device and felt the source energy pulse against his palm. One drop, two drops, three drops, four. This core was nearly full. Not letting his greed get the better of him, he siphoned off only one drop and left three.

He still had air left after that, so he hugged the device and swam toward shore, staying underwater.

As he approached the lakebed near the patch of grass where they’d all been sitting, maybe three or four meters down, he felt a faint tug.

Source energy. There was more of it.

I haven’t touched anything. How can I feel it? Don’t I need to make contact? Wait, it was the same a moment ago. I just didn’t notice because I could see it. Is it because of the water? Can water transmit the sensation within a certain range?

If that’s the case, what if I pissed at the wall of the source energy storage depot? Could I siphon some off that way too?! Han Qingyu’s mind raced as he swam closer and searched through the rocks.

It didn’t take long, as a maneuvering device wasn’t exactly small. Soon, he floated before a complete seventh-generation maneuvering device.

What do I do with this one? Leave it here and come back for it later? Han Qingyu dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. If I get caught doing that, they’ll slap a Pure Purgatory label on me!

Come to think of it, I really do look the part. The kind of deep-cover agent they invest heavily in, groom over years, plant in the hope that one day he’ll rise to power and turn things upside down. After all, I’m a coincidental witness with an exceptional integration level and major pre-enlistment merit. The targets I killed just happened to be Wipers too. It really does fit perfectly.

Do they seriously not suspect me at all?

Han Qingyu had guessed correctly. He was, in fact, under suspicion, though this kind of scrutiny wasn’t targeted at him personally. It was simply standard procedure for every recruit the Coalition deemed worth investing in. That was why, even though he had already been placed in a prospective tier, he still had to pass a two-year probationary period.

During those two years, Han Qingyu wouldn’t receive any secret resource allocation or special training. If he happened to die within that period, then he died. The Coalition had lost many A-rank soldiers throughout its history. If someone couldn’t even survive training and entry-rank combat, it only proved they were never going to become a pillar of the Coalition.

Han Qingyu’s mind was made up. He couldn’t leave this device behind.

The energy core in this second device wasn’t full either. Testing the water transmission again, he absorbed two drops without touching the core, leaving most of it behind.

Then, he swam upward, breaking the surface with a splash.

He held one device in each hand. One wrecked, one intact.

Spitting out the foul water from his mouth, he said, “I just earned more merit.”

***

Regiment Commander Li stared at the untouched seventh-generation maneuvering device on the ground, chuckling through his fury.

“Ha! I fucking knew there was still one more. They were smart. Knew not to show their face.” A grin lingered at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were ice as he turned to address the crowd, “You’re better off never showing your face, because the second you do, I’ll take your head off.”

Nobody made a sound.

An atmosphere of suspicion naturally made it harder for soldiers, especially recruits, to build trust. Still, it was better than placing faith in a Wiper agent.

Real trust and reliance on one another were best forged in the life-and-death environment of combat.

“I’m giving you two choices. One, you can seek me out on your own, and I’ll guarantee you won’t die. You’ll work, and you’ll eat. Two, forget your past, become a true Coalition soldier, and go to the battlefield.” His gaze swept across the silent crowd, then he waved his hand. “Dismissed.”

Then, leaning over to a subordinate, he muttered, “I’m heading over there. Bring a few of the guys. When nobody’s expecting it, shove the rest of Dormitory 11 into the water. Don’t pull them out until they pass out. Whoever hid the device underwater must be a strong swimmer.”

Meanwhile, Dormitory 11 had gotten dressed and were preparing to head out, talking as they went.

“Hey, you don’t think the Pure Purgatory mole could be in our dorm, do you?”

“Get out of here. If they were in Dormitory 11, they would’ve killed Little Qing in his sleep ages ago.”

“That’s true... Wait, no, your logic doesn’t hold up. They wouldn’t have known Little Qing was worth killing until after the test results came in and the big commendation came through. I mean, they snuck in at great cost. They could still have bigger plans.”

Everyone froze.

“Now that you mention it... That’s actually possible.”

“Yeah. Damn, my hair is standing on end.”

In the middle of their chatter, a voice came from behind Han Qingyu and the others, tone flat, almost lifeless.

“It’s me. I’m the one from Pure Purgatory. I’m sorry, Little Qing. I’m sorry, everyone.”

1. This is written in English in the raws ☜