Mutants - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Martial Initiate

It was already starting to get dark outside. To conserve energy, only one light was on. Inside the vehicle, everyone was consuming nutrient packs.

Nutrient packs were generally like instant coffee packets, except they contained liquid. You just had to tear open the top and suck it out.

There were many types of nutrient packs. The satiety-type was the cheapest and most common, designed only to keep one full for a day. Though called nutrient packs, they didn't actually contain much nutrition—just enough to keep you alive and not starving.

Take the most ordinary frontline combatant. If they didn't get any commissions or special bonuses, their annual base salary of 100 Alliance Credits was only enough to buy 100 satiety-type nutrient packs. They couldn't even feed themselves for a full year, let alone support a family. So, the basic family unit now required every member to work hard just to eat and survive.

Of course, that was assuming they didn't die.

However…

"Remember to refuel. I don't want anyone's reaction time slowing down due to insufficient satiety, affecting the mission. As long as the mission is completed, there will be a bonus, enough to cover the cost of the nutrient packs."

It wasn't the first time Ye Chen had said this, but he would still repeat the reminder.

Everyone had a family to support. No one knew who might skimp on their own food for their family's sake, and then affect the entire team.

Especially for people like them who expended a lot of physical energy. Once they engaged in combat, their consumption rate would increase dramatically. They basically needed two nutrient packs a day. Someone with a build like Knox would need three or four.

Of course, the rewards could indeed make up for the expenditure.

As they slurped down their nutrient packs, they noticed Sui Xin seemed to be struggling with something.

"You're not eating? Aren't you hungry?"

Sui Xin: "I'm not in good health and have poor absorption. Half a nutrient pack is usually enough to fill me up. I ate this morning, so I can't eat anymore now."

Lin Dan had never heard of such a thing in his life. There were people who couldn't eat?

Their memories from childhood were of hunger, extreme hunger. They'd wanted to pick up leather shoes from the gutter to boil and eat.

Just like this mission, the first nutrient pack on their early morning departure was a freebie from the group's operations department, meant as an incentive. Although it wasn't expensive, it was a freebie, and only a fool would pass it up. Many people with mediocre combat skills were willing to risk their lives for this one nutrient pack.

Being hungry was too painful.

"But once you start working, you'll expend energy and will definitely need to replenish your nutrients. Don't you need to refuel?"

They subconsciously wondered if this person had a special constitution.

After the ecological cataclysm, other creatures evolved faster than humans, but there were also some changes in human physiology. At the very least, human races were divided into A, B, C, D, and E social classes, from high to low. This class status was directly indicated on ID cards and various other credentials, and from there, different racial characteristics were further detailed.

For example, the higher the social class, the more one's appearance, constitution, and brain development tended to lean in a certain direction. Although not 100% certain, it aligned with big data trends.

Of course, these weren't the various supernatural abilities mentioned in the endless literary works of the old and new eras, like mutations or ancient cultivation.

The special human constitutions that existed today were just some stats that were higher than average. For example, many of these frontline combatants had increased strength, meaning higher muscle mechanics, and some had more developed ligaments, making them more agile. There were also people like Jenny with good memories who could remember complex technological attack methods, and some with high endurance, resistant to cold, heat, or hunger.

In fact, people like this had existed hundreds of years ago in normal times, but at most they were treated as special cases, curiosities of little value. After the disaster, a great wave washed over everything, and countless people died. Those who survived had some ability or luck.

Generation after generation, these re-screened people were more in line with the characteristics of the times—for example, if they didn't have these traits, they wouldn't have survived.

Could it be that Sui Xin was resistant to hunger? Her body's absorption and retention of nutrient solution were higher than the average person's. This type of person didn't have any practical, effective abilities, but they saved money. They really saved money.

For a moment, everyone was envious and jealous, and they secretly speculated that this person, with her educational background and academic achievements, coupled with such a hunger-resistant constitution, was probably a C-class or higher human.

People like this generally had moderate assets in society, were somewhat successful, held management positions in various industries, or had small businesses with stable economic sources in the world. They also had upwardly mobile networks, unlike them who lived on the edge.

Faced with their complex and envious gazes, Sui Xin seemed a bit unaccustomed to their attention and said with some embarrassment, "But, I don't have to do any labor."

The people present: "…"

They suddenly felt a little attacked, but Lin Dan and the others quickly apologized.

"Before, we were actually a bit prejudiced against you. This time, it's all thanks to you, Consultant Sui. Otherwise, we would have been in big trouble."

Knowledge workers like Sui Xin had been cooped up by the corporation for a long time and hadn't had much experience dealing with people. Sometimes, her emotions were right on the surface.

"Prejudice?" After a moment of confusion, she quickly realized something, looked at everyone, and seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

The others felt even more embarrassed. Jenny scratched her head and mumbled, "You might not like to hear this, but someone said before that you got into our team by latching onto a high-level executive and pulling strings. You were parachuted in, which was already strange, and with that rumor, they became prejudiced."

They rarely interacted with personnel like her and lacked understanding, so they just saw her as a burden. Plus, her various quotas were high, and she could even override Ye Chen in terms of leadership, which made them quite unhappy.

—If the mission was really completed, this burden would definitely take most of the credit.

Because of this, their attitude towards her was poor.

Now that they discovered she had real substance, they knew they had been shortsighted.

They all apologized. Sui Xin was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't know how to say this. You probably won't like to hear it."

Jenny: "It's fine. What's there that we can't hear?"

Sui Xin said awkwardly, "You think I was parachuted in to snatch the rewards, but actually, on our side, I'm considered to have been exiled for offending someone. After all, this mission is considered to have a very low survival rate in our internal analysis. In a way, I wish I didn't have to come."

"I've never heard of anyone who was kept by a big shot and pulled strings just to rush off and die with someone. It's not like they're a bodhisattva."

She really knew how to talk, even adding the words "with someone."

The others: "…"

As expected, they didn't like to hear it.

This person was much more likable during the previous four or five hours of silent melancholy.

How could she attack them with just a few casual sentences?

Ye Chen suddenly asked, "So, who did you offend?"

Sui Xin suddenly hesitated, saying gloomily, "It won't do you any good to know."

She touched her face and looked out at the dim Gobi world.

"Anyway, a man wanted me to do that kind of thing. I wasn't willing, so I was suddenly notified to go on this mission. Under normal circumstances, my assessment scores within the Think Tank are average, so it wouldn't have been my turn."

Indeed, for such a dangerous mission, they would either send someone more outstanding to ensure success, or send the most useless person to their death. There was no need for someone mediocre like her to be sent as cannon fodder.

Ye Chen: "So, the premise for your Think Tank to issue this mission was that they believed the success rate was very low?"

Sui Xin: "Everyone before died, so of course it's low. It's not like it'll succeed just because I'm here."

She had a somewhat naive yet perceptive nature. Her words sounded a bit like self-deprecation, tinged with a gloomy pessimism.

Suddenly, it explained why she had maintained a cold silence for four or five hours earlier.

She wasn't pretending to be profound; she was genuinely emo.

In her eyes, this was a journey to death.

And the Think Tank's comprehensive assessment was practically an ironclad verdict. This showed how dangerous the operation was. Weren't they all just being sent to their deaths?

Ye Chen's gaze swept over the somewhat grim faces of the others, and he said lightly, "Which mission isn't dangerous? If you're scared beforehand, why even participate? Get out of the car and run."

Run away?

The thought of Tianxi Group's pursuit and bounty on deserters sent a chill down everyone's spine.

The major consortiums were rivals, but they treated those who deserted mid-mission as traitors, maintaining a rare unified front in blacklisting them—unless the person was so valuable that they could be secretly recruited by another consortium.

This was to maintain their authority, a warning to others.

The mission might not mean death, but running away definitely would.

And a miserable death at that.

The consortiums had special departments just for hunting down traitors…

After everyone's emotions were soothed, the vehicle gradually fell silent.

But Lin Dan brought up the somewhat frightening leader of the Red Eye gang.

"It's still not certain if he's the founder of that organization, but for this operation, he's the leader. Captain, I saw you fighting him earlier. Was he using a gun and a weapon in each hand?"

Even if he hadn't brought it up, Ye Chen would have.

"Yes. I was worried for a moment that he was a Martial Initiate."

Speaking of "Martial Initiate," this was different from the "scholar-official" recorded in the ancient history of the peaceful era. The current concept of "Martial Initiate" originated from a passage.

"With the collapse of the ecosystem and the restructuring of order, the apocalypse is nigh. When law and order's efficacy wanes, power and capital escape their cages, claiming mountains as their kingdoms. Clans establish their domains, cities become forests, and the denizens of the alleys rise to survive. Slaughter is endless. The martial become initiates, serving as dogs and horses for others."

This wasn't a prophecy, but a conclusion made in despair by a highly respected old scholar of the literary school during a massive, bloody turmoil that represented the severe collapse of social order.

That time, the government's authority failed, and the ferocity of chaotic martial force was exposed, heralding the arrival of a chaotic era.

"Martial Initiate" was his understanding of the abilities revealed by some of the bloody individuals who acted during that time.

To put it bluntly, it was combat ability.

Those who served as dogs and horses for others were elegantly called "Adepts."

These people were different from the ordinary frontline combatants of the consortiums who were just getting by as cannon fodder. They were stronger, more valuable, and "Martial Initiate" was a standard of assessment.

It was basically common knowledge—the Martial Initiate test had three parts: Basic Weaponry, Basic Combat, and Basic Reflexes.

Just the basics were enough; there was no need to measure combat power.

As long as one passed the basic level of any of the three, they were considered a true Adept.

Tianxi Group naturally had Adepts as well. Some Adepts would appear on the front lines, but usually for secret missions or to lead a team.

Logically, with such abilities, one wouldn't normally mix with the precarious illegal organizations in the ruins zones. After all, they could easily get a job in a consortium or even a government department, with guaranteed benefits, and wouldn't have to suffer in the harsh environment of the ruins zones.

Unless this person was a criminal, not tolerated by the Federation, or not tolerated by the consortiums.

Jenny asked curiously, "So, is he one? I saw him controlling that scimitar. It was pretty scary."

Ye Chen: "Probably not. Of the three basic skills, he used that magnetic wristband to control the scimitar's rotation. His skill in controlling the weapon wasn't very high, so he doesn't meet the criteria for Basic Weaponry. Then there's Basic Combat. I fought him in close combat, and he's about the same as me. I can't pass, so naturally, he can't either. Finally, there's Basic Reflexes. I've heard that Basic Reflexes is the hardest part. Most people become Martial Initiates through the first two, but people who pass Basic Reflexes can multitask, even handling two or three things at once. And within a five-meter range, after seeing an enemy fire a bullet, their neural response can be so fast that they can directly control their body to dodge."

"I heard their test includes catching birds or other flying objects in the dark."

Everyone: "?"

Lin Dan was confused: "But at that time, the range was only three meters, too close. And he could multitask, so…"

Ye Chen: "It's different. The bullet was fired from his hand first. According to the assessment criteria and the details of the combat scene, he was the attacker who initiated. After he fired, regardless of his personal perspective or the first-mover advantage of firing the gun, he should have confirmed at the time of shooting that Sui Xin was wearing a helmet, and that her body was clumsy. When the helmet blocked the bullet, he should have realized he couldn't kill her. Given that you and I were still nearby, if he had really passed Basic Reflexes, he would have either dodged immediately to avoid our attacks, or realized that the bullet would ricochet off the helmet… He did neither. It's clear he hasn't passed Basic Reflexes."

"To put it more directly, if he were a Martial Initiate who had passed the Basic Reflexes test, then either I or Sui Xin would have died afterward."

Lin Dan: "Then it would definitely be Consultant Sui. I saw her fall on her butt. If the car hadn't stopped her, she would have rolled over."

That's very rude of you.

Sui Xin's face turned red. She hugged her helmet tighter but couldn't refute it.

Ye Chen glanced at her and smiled, "Consultant Sui, you're all scholars over there. Don't you have any training in this area?"

Sui Xin: "Some do. Some people are also very physically strong, and the company will focus on training them. People like me can only work in an office and can't participate in that training. My constitution is a bit weak."

"But, will that bad guy come after us again?"

Ye Chen: "Even if he has more people, they won't be able to find us."

Jenny: "This time, I definitely won't let them track us, don't worry! And he's not an Adept, so he's not that strong. We have more people here. Unless their entire organization or two or three organizations team up, they won't be able to take us down. They'll calculate that themselves."

That made sense.

Sui Xin carefully recalled the details of the young man's encounter with them, from the moment he appeared until he fled, afraid that such a villain might have left some trick up his sleeve to track them down later.

But after going over it meticulously, she found that from the moment he broke the window to when he grabbed her, the only things he had touched were her and the vehicle.

So if he had left any tracking device, it was either on her or the vehicle.

However, compared to the threat of these people, Ye Chen and the others were more worried about the impending cold snap.

Sui Xin was also worried, so she peered out the window at the cave entrance.

After everyone checked their own gear, Sui Xin refocused and began to inspect herself. She then discreetly checked the vehicle's configuration. Finding no extra items, she was certain they weren't being tracked by the latter. But she thought of another possibility. She had intended to give a subtle reminder but found that they didn't need her to say anything.

Ye Chen was also a seasoned veteran. He had his men carefully check the spoils of war from the other side that were assigned to their respective vehicles.

"Make sure there are absolutely no tracking devices attached. Everyone, be thorough!"

Five minutes later, the third squad suddenly sent an alert—they found it!

"Found a thumb-sized tracking sticker on the bottom of an oil drum. The son of a bitch, what a malicious mind!"

"These desperados have to have a few tricks up their sleeves to survive in this environment. It's not like we haven't seen it before. Good thing our Captain Ye is experienced."

Ye Chen was about to destroy the tracking sticker when Sui Xin suddenly said, "Why don't we put it on a moving creature and let them chase it? Instead of letting them have nothing to do, let's give them something to do."

Oh, that seemed to work.

Knox couldn't help but praise her, "I didn't expect you, so skinny, short, and quiet, to be so despicable."

Sui Xin: "?"

After dealing with the hidden danger and confirming the safety of each vehicle's squad, everyone finally relaxed and prepared to rest. Sui Xin hadn't expended much energy, but she was clearly physically weak and soon became drowsy. In a daze, she saw Ye Chen and Jenny lowering their heads to check their equipment.

There was nothing unusual about that, but Sui Xin glanced at the vehicle's energy level data on the armored vehicle's display, as well as the allocation and their charging quotas. Because of the fierce battle during the day, while in the vehicle at night, everyone's equipment was basically connected to the vehicle for charging. In the charging state, the energy level of each person's equipment was clear at a glance.

And because this was the command vehicle, the power supply situation of the other six vehicles was also centralized here, available for Ye Chen and Sui Xin, the two with leadership authority, to view.

She glanced at it and immediately memorized the data of everyone in this vehicle. After closing her eyes, she calculated in her mind: including her and the driver, there were a total of 9 people in this vehicle. Her own quota was 30%, Ye Chen's was 15%. Except for the driver, the rest shared the quota equally. Based on the charging speed and the current state where everyone's equipment was collectively reduced to standby mode with almost no consumption, among these eight people—Jenny and Ye Chen had been maintaining a slight energy output.

She had a faint guess: they were secretly chatting privately.

What, was there some gossip she couldn't hear?

I really want to listen.

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