Chapter 4: A Display of Authority

In the first twenty minutes or so, the trainees strictly obeyed Colin’s orders: they neither spoke nor moved, and the hall remained deathly silent. But another ten minutes passed, and the fear Colin had instilled in their hearts gradually faded. Some began to shift their stiff, aching legs, and the bolder ones even squatted down.

As time ticked by and Colin still did not appear, the trainees’ vigilance loosened further. More and more of them started moving about, and some even began to whisper to one another. The noise in the hall grew bit by bit. At first, they made an effort to keep their voices down, but soon the volume spiraled out of control, and the hall descended into a growing clamor.

“These fools are in for it,” Zhang Ran thought, standing straight and utterly still. His gaze flickered over the increasingly undisciplined children, and he couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. With the experience of his previous life as a mercenary, he saw through Colin’s tricks at once. Clearly, this was the first lesson Colin meant to teach: he only seemed to have left, but was surely waiting outside, observing the scene within.

Because of herd mentality, more and more trainees let down their guard and joined in the chatter. The noise swelled, and the hall became a cacophony. After all, these children, though gifted with the potential of the evolved, were only seven years old. Even factoring in the rapid maturation of those born in the wilds, their minds were no more developed than middle schoolers on Earth—restless, rebellious, and at the height of their defiance.

At first, Colin’s intimidating presence had kept them in line for about half an hour, but soon enough, childish restlessness prevailed. Zhang Ran, having seen through the ruse, stood ramrod straight and unmoving. Even when a few children tried to talk to him, he did not respond.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out at one side of the hall. For reasons unknown, a handful of boys began arguing, and then started to fight, adding to the growing chaos.

At that moment, the main doors burst open with a resounding bang. Colin strode in, followed by several burly, fierce-looking men, each wielding a thick black club, nearly five centimeters in diameter. The temperature in the hall seemed to plummet by ten degrees. The children, who had been chatting merrily, felt a chill run down their spines. The boys who’d been fighting turned pale, their bodies trembling with fear.

“Well, well, very good! Some moved, some talked, and some even dared to fight!” Colin stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes sweeping over the children, his voice cold enough to make those who’d broken the rules shudder. “At first, I was worried my first lesson wouldn’t leave a deep enough impression. It seems my worries were entirely unnecessary.”

“Drag out those who fought! Today, I’ll show you the consequences of defying orders!” His face darkened as he stretched out his right hand, pointing at the boys who’d been brawling. A chilling smile curled his lips.

“Yes, sir!” The burly men behind him exchanged glances, their eyes glinting with cruel anticipation. They strode forward, seized the four fighting boys as if picking up chicks, and hauled them to the center of the hall, lining them up.

“In this place, there’s only one result for defiance: death.”

A savage grin contorted Colin’s face. He raised his right arm, which suddenly glowed red. Before their very eyes, his arm swelled, growing thick and powerful. With a backward swing, he gathered his strength and punched forward.

A thunderous crack split the air. Colin’s arm became a blur of motion as he struck the first boy’s head. According to the chip’s observations, Colin’s strength had reached a frightening fifteen points. Even aided by the chip, Zhang Ran couldn’t follow his movement—he saw only a flash of red.

Four dull thuds echoed. The heads of the four fighting boys exploded like watermelons, spraying blood and brain matter everywhere. Their headless bodies collapsed, twitched a few times, and then moved no more.

“Clean this up.” Colin’s tone was calm, as though he’d just squashed four ants rather than killed four children. He turned to face the rest of the trembling trainees.

“Those who spoke or moved, you’re in luck. Originally, I intended for you all to die. But as you’re new, I’ll make an exception. Step forward now. Five strikes will be your punishment. Of course, if anyone tries to deceive me, I promise your fate will be worse than theirs.”

A wry smile flickered across Colin’s rough face as his eyes swept over the children. Many hesitated, fear and struggle plain in their eyes. But recalling the fate of the fighters, one by one they stepped forward and lined up obediently.

“Lie down. Take off your clothes.” He spoke coolly to those who’d stepped forward, then looked over at the ten or so children still standing against the wall.

“One more chance. No one else?” Seeing the coldness in his gaze, two more children crept out, trembling with terror.

“I do not tolerate cleverness,” Colin said icily, pointing at three of the trainees. “You two—ten strikes each! As for you three, this is your third chance. I’ve given you enough. If you still don’t value your lives, then die!”

The three boys turned deathly pale at his words, but it was too late for regret. As three of the burly men approached, their bodies shook uncontrollably—one even collapsed in fear.

The three wailing boys were dragged to the center of the hall. Colin took a black club from a guard, raised it high, and brought it down hard.

Three more dull thuds. The hall was now home to three more headless corpses. The stench of blood filled the air, turning the hall into a vision of hell itself.