Chapter 37: A Special Interest

On the other side, Ludwig was leading Frank and Iman in their search for weapons. In a corner of the square, they found a battered wooden crate. Prying it open revealed a submachine gun, a sniper rifle, three hand grenades, and some ammunition. Ludwig took the sniper rifle and the grenades, handing the submachine gun to Frank.

Iman’s eyes widened. “What about me?”

Ludwig glanced at him, then pulled a single grenade from his own pack and tossed it over. “Here. Go play.”

Iman: “………………”

Was he placating a child? Go play?!

The dismissive, almost charitable attitude made Iman’s chest tighten with anger. “Don’t underestimate me! I can use a gun too.”

Ludwig looked at the person a full head shorter than himself. He held out the sniper rifle, pointing at a distant wall. “See that totem mask hanging on the wall over there? Try to snipe it for me.”

Iman followed his gaze, baffled. “What mask?”

The wall was over fifty meters away. Iman’s eyesight wasn’t that sharp, plus the swirling sand and dust obscured everything.

Ludwig said flatly, “If you can’t see it, use the scope to find it.”

Iman activated the sniper’s magnified scope and searched for a long time before finally locating the object he meant—a mask, barely the size of an adult’s palm. How had this guy even seen it from so far away? Did his eyes have some special function?

Grumbling inwardly, Iman nonetheless took aim seriously and squeezed the trigger.

The bullet sliced through the air, speeding toward the distant target on the wall… and obligingly struck the wall about ten centimeters to the side of the mask.

Ludwig retrieved the rifle from his hands, his tone cool and clipped. “And that’s what you call ‘knowing how to use a gun’?”

Iman: “…………”

Speechless yet again, a rare flicker of genuine embarrassment crossed Iman’s face.

Frank, watching Iman fume, was inwardly bewildered. At Herman University, it was always Iman who rendered others speechless. But today, this Hunter had shut Iman down twice in a row.

Maybe it was true what they said about certain people just being your natural nemesis?

Frank grinned cheerfully. “Iman, maybe don’t handle the guns. Just stick with us.”

Muttering darkly, Iman fell in line.

As expected, equipping the weapons triggered a scene event. A sudden, unsettling rustling sound echoed from the ground, like countless somethings slithering. The noise swelled rapidly, drawing closer. Ludwig’s eyes narrowed. He immediately led his two teammates toward the nearby wall fifty meters away, pressing against it and scanning alertly.

Moments later, the source materialized: an endless sea of snakes.

Countless giant serpents, a writhing, undulating mass, surged toward the three of them with terrifying speed. They flicked their tongues, emerald eyes fixed unblinkingly on the group.

Iman’s legs turned to jelly. He instantly ducked behind Ludwig, cowering and not daring to peek.

Ludwig glanced down at the trembling figure hiding behind him, refusing to show his face. He inquired dryly, “Afraid of snakes?”

Iman’s voice shook as he protested, “I-I’m not afraid of snakes!”

But his trembling voice betrayed him completely.

The corner of Ludwig’s mouth twitched upward, a micro-expression almost imperceptible. “Stay hidden. Don’t come out.”

Then he turned to Frank and issued rapid orders. “Use the submachine gun for suppressive fire. Clear the smaller snakes on the left. I’ll find the Snake King.”

Frank nodded crisply. “Got it!”

Iman, head tucked low behind both of them, flinched as the roar of gunfire erupted, hammering his eardrums.

Frank’s gunplay wasn’t nearly as surgically precise as Luo Fei’s, but his sweeping fire with the submachine gun was competent. Most bullets found their mark. Tongues of flame spat from the muzzle, a withering wave covering the left flank of the serpent tide. In moments, the ground was a carpet of twitching, shredded snake corpses.

Iman stayed hidden, time blurring as Frank’s gunfire continued its relentless roar.

Then, in the midst of the chaos, Ludwig suddenly mounted his sniper rifle. He closed his right eye, sighting with his left, scanning the seething mass of serpents. His crosshairs settled on a single massive serpent, its body a distinct, vibrant jade green amidst the others. He aimed for the head and squeezed the trigger.

Pfft.

The shot was barely audible amidst the din, but the bullet punched through, snaking a perfect trajectory through the chaos, and precisely struck the Snake King’s head!

Iman, who had been too scared to look at the swarm, had instead watched Ludwig’s every move with absolute clarity.

The man’s profile was sharp, coldly handsome, his eyes like honed steel. The motion of scoping and firing was breathtakingly cool. His tall frame, clad in that dark blue military uniform, only emphasized his erect, powerful bearing.

That austere, almost ascetic quality about him… Iman felt a sudden, undeniable pull of attraction.

With the Snake King taken out by Ludwig’s pinpoint shot, the snake swarm instantly lost cohesion, scattering in all directions and ignoring the three players.

Frank let out a heavy breath of relief, his voice filled with admiration. “Your shooting is insane! Finding the Snake King in that dense swarm!”

Ludwig stowed his sniper rifle, his voice level. “The Snake King has a distinct coloration—jade green. The swarm protects it and moves according to its path. Swarm-type scene creatures almost always have a leader. Take out the leader accurately, and the threat neutralizes.”

Frank stared at him, slightly awed. The man spoke as if sniping a specific target in a dense swarm of snakes was a perfectly routine, easy task.

This Hunter, like Mr. F, possessed terrifyingly formidable gun skills.

Frank took a breath to steady himself and asked, “Hey, that time in Zombie Siege when we ran into you… five players left alive, our four-man squad and you. Were you solo? Or did your teammates get eliminated earlier?”

Ludwig replied, “Solo.”

Frank’s admiration spiked. He gave a hearty thumbs-up. “Incredible! Going solo and surviving to the end in Nightmare Mode?”

Ludwig’s tone remained utterly flat. “This type of game isn’t difficult for me.”

Because Saint Romia Military Academy’s training courses were far, far more brutal.

Especially the battlefield simulation training—the holographic environments were even more visceral than this. They not only had to break through enemy encirclements, but also endure the constant trauma of teammates getting blown up beside them, or their own Mecha being hit and spiraling out of control. The true savagery of war dwarfed this kind of adventure game.

Ludwig refocused. “Let’s move.”

But the moment he took a step, he felt a small hand tentatively grasp the hem of his uniform.

He looked down. The short guy was looking up at him with a nervous, helpless expression, like a pitiful little animal, clutching his clothes and mumbling, “I-I’m actually an Omega… I’m really scared. Can I… stick close to you?”

Frank: “???”

If the students of Herman University ever witnessed Iman looking this pitiful and aggrieved, they’d collectively dislocate their jaws in shock.

This had to be an act, right?!

It absolutely was. Iman had suddenly found this Hunter fascinating. He wanted to befriend him, get to know him better. Everyone said Alphas liked gentle, soft Omegas. So Iman had temporarily leashed his own inner wolf, donning a harmless little bunny act to try and win the Hunter over.

Ludwig, however, was completely indifferent to his Omega status. He stated flatly, “If you’re scared, you can just leave the game early.”

Iman: “……”

This wasn’t following the script! A normal Alpha, faced with a pitiful Omega, shouldn’t he immediately offer protection? ‘Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you.’ Not ‘If you’re scared, just leave’? What the hell? Was this guy some kind of reptile?

Seemingly confirming Iman’s thought, Ludwig added, “Call for system assistance. Select ‘I can’t continue, I want to leave the instance early.’ The system will teleport you out.”

Frank, standing nearby, was fighting a losing battle to contain his laughter, his stomach cramping.

If holographic games could perfectly transmit real facial expressions, Iman’s face would currently be darker than the bottom of a burnt pot.

He straightened up instantly, releasing the man’s uniform. Feigning nonchalance, he declared, “I-I think I can still manage.”

Ludwig said simply, “Then let’s go.”

He strode forward. Watching his tall, retreating back, Iman’s lips curled into a private, icy smirk. Fine. You’ve managed to piss me off three times now. I’ll be collecting that debt, with interest. I refuse to believe that icy facade will hold forever.

A fierce, burning determination ignited inside Iman.

He completely failed to notice that since meeting this man, he’d already lost his composure to anger several times.

This person was just too unique. He was drawing Iman’s attention and focus, irresistibly.

Ludwig led Frank and Iman away from the square littered with snake corpses.

Iman kept his eyes shut the entire time, refusing to look at the gruesome scene. Since Ludwig wouldn’t personally shield him, Iman shamelessly grabbed Frank’s clothes instead, trailing behind him.

Frank chuckled. “Should I post your little secret about being afraid of snakes on the school forum?”

Iman glared daggers. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Frank immediately raised his hands in surrender. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Despite his fierce tone, Iman’s fingers clutching Frank’s shirt were trembling slightly.

Frank found it a little funny. This Omega wasn’t really as scary as the rumors claimed. Once you got past the surface, he was quite endearing. Just… exceptionally forward, lacking the typical Omega reserve or shyness.

As a senior, Frank patiently guided him around the corpses on the ground.

Iman was genuinely terrified of snakes. A single snake in real life could make him freeze solid. And today… a literal swarm of them.

By the time they finally navigated past the field of reptilian death, Iman was utterly drained. His legs felt weak, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Then, instantly, the sharp crack of a gunshot rang out from somewhere nearby. Ludwig’s reaction was instantaneous. He pivoted, seized Iman’s arm, and yanked him behind cover with such force Iman felt his shoulder might pop out of its socket.

Fury flared—until he saw the bullet pfft into the sand exactly where he’d been standing a split second before.

Iman: “……”

Oh. He had been saving him. So maybe the man wasn’t completely cold-blooded after all?

The guy’s deep, cool voice followed right against his ear: “Stay sharp.”

Iman sucked in a breath, nodded firmly, and stuck close to his back.

Ludwig crouched low behind a broken section of wall. “Both of you, take cover. Hostile players nearby.”

Frank scrambled into position, crouching beside him, using the wall for cover. He asked tensely, “Looks like our position is compromised. That last shot was aimed at us.” He glanced at Iman, concern in his voice. “You okay?”

Iman shook his head. “Fine.”

Ludwig was already mounting his sniper rifle again, slipping the barrel through a crack in the ruined wall, scoping the distance.

Just as he thought—at least three figures huddled behind another broken wall section further out.

Frank asked, “Do we wait for the captain to regroup, or push out?”

Ludwig was silent for a moment, then spoke with measured calmness. “Not yet.”

The black barrel of his rifle protruded slightly from the gap. Ludwig waited behind cover, patient as a predator observing prey.

But the opposing trio was also exceedingly cautious, never showing themselves.

Ludwig decided. “Stay put. I’ll flank around from the side.”

It was a highly dangerous move. If he broke cover, the enemy could easily snipe him.

Iman couldn’t stop himself. “You’re that confident you can flank them?”

Ludwig’s reply was a single syllable: “Yeah.”

Then, he moved.

He burst from behind the wall. The three enemies instantly opened fire. Three shots—bang, bang, bang—kicked up sand right where his feet had been an instant before. But he had already tucked into a fluid combat roll, the bullets striking harmlessly behind him. He came up behind another crumbling wall segment a dozen meters away, smoothly, flawlessly.

His movements were agile, powerful, and controlled. His expression never wavered from its icy calm.

Iman watched, a strange, unfamiliar feeling blooming in his chest.

This guy was seriously cool. Annoying, icy personality aside, he was undeniably different from any Alpha Iman had ever met.

What followed was a clinic in tactical movement. Ludwig used sprinting, tumbling rolls, lateral slides—all applied with practiced precision—evading their fire and maneuvering to a slightly elevated flanking position. He settled behind cover, brought up his rifle, closed one eye…

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three sharp reports. Immediately after, three system kill notifications scrolled: Hunter eliminated [Player X].

Three consecutive shots, scoping and firing within seconds. All kill shots.

Even Iman had to acknowledge the terrifying precision of his sniping.

Elsewhere, after Luo Fei and Mo Han neutralized the falcon attack, scavenging more weapons and ammo triggered another event: an attack by a swarm of giant Lizards.

This time, however, they had found numerous grenades. They simply lobbed them into the approaching mass, blowing huge gaps in their ranks while firing and retreating. Turning a corner, they ran right into Ludwig’s group of three.

Iman practically flew toward them, excitedly calling out, “Mo Han!”

Mo Han asked, “How’s your side?”

Iman reported, “Just took out three players trying to ambush us!”

Mo Han nodded and turned to Hunter. “Gear status?”

Ludwig reported concisely, “Submachine gun and sniper rifle both low on ammo. Three grenades left.”

Mo Han confirmed, “We have plenty of spare ammo. We’ll distribute. Get ready for the final Safe Zone engagement.”

Luo Fei stepped forward, asking them, “Did you encounter any scene creature attacks?”

Ludwig nodded. “Mm. Snake swarm attack, right at the start.”

A snake swarm?

Luo Fei’s gaze flicked to Iman, who was projecting calm. He asked with genuine concern, “You okay?”

If he remembered correctly, Iman was deathly afraid of snakes.

Once, as a child, Iman had been visiting the Royal Palace. Luo Fei had been watching some holographic educational video involving snakes. Iman had fled the room instantly, his small face sheet-white. Later, he’d overheard Uncle Snow mentioning that Iman was phobic of elongated, slithering creatures—snakes, caterpillars, anything like that. The sight made him freeze up completely.

Fear of certain creatures was a primal, instinctive response. With the game’s hyper-realism, facing a snake swarm attack… Had Iman not completely panicked?

Hearing Mr. F’s question, Iman just answered casually, “I’m fine.”

He wondered briefly why Mr. F had singled him out for concern, but dismissed it as polite small talk.

After regrouping, the five of them headed together toward the Desert Oasis, the Safe Zone of the Cambra Desert instance.

The desert was vast. The human ruins they’d spawned in were just one small part. The oasis lay across a stretch of Gobi Desert. En route, they faced sporadic attacks—a few snakes here, some lizards there, the occasional dive-bombing falcon. Nothing on the scale of the earlier swarm events, just ambush tests of player reflexes.

Even so, every time a snake appeared, Iman would tense up and duck behind someone.

Luo Fei, observing, noted with surprise that he consistently chose to hide behind Ludwig.

This discovery puzzled him greatly. Since when had Iman gotten so familiar with Ludwig?

Ludwig had brusquely shut him down… shouldn’t Iman be avoiding him, annoyed? Yet here he was, tailing Ludwig like a determined little shadow, the perfect loyal puppy. Truly, the mind of this Omega was an enigma.

Still… Iman focusing his attention on Ludwig rather than hovering around Mo Han was, for Luo Fei, a definite blessing.

The five crossed the Gobi Desert, finally reaching the oasis. At this point, the player count remaining in the Safe Zone was over forty.

Ludwig suggested, “Still a lot of players. We should secure an advantageous position first.”

Luo Fei agreed, “You take point. I’ll cover the rear.”

Both had undergone military survival training. In complex environments, finding the optimal tactical ground was second nature. Ludwig advanced swiftly in a low crouch. Iman stuck right behind him, then Frank, then Mo Han. Luo Fei brought up the rear, providing overwatch.

The sounds of intense gunfire echoed from multiple directions. Kill notifications scrolled incessantly across their vision.

Iman stayed glued to Ludwig’s back, watching him drop two more ambushers with two clean shots, and his heart beat faster and faster. This full-immersion combat was exhilarating. He just bitterly wished he could actually shoot; then he could be the one taking people out.

With two professional-level wilderness survivalists like Ludwig and Luo Fei guiding the way, the five-man squad quickly found and secured an ideal position within the Safe Zone. They took up ambush points, coordinating their fire to eliminate every player who passed through their kill zone.

— Congratulations! Squad [MH], [Mr. F], [Genius], [Hunter], [Handsome Only Three Seconds] wins this round!

This victory felt even easier than the Zombie Siege the week before, largely due to Ludwig’s presence.

The squad already had Mr. F, a shooting expert. Hunter was his equal. Mo Han’s pistol skills were superb. Frank was solidly above average. And though Iman was a dead-weight tagalong who couldn’t shoot, he didn’t hinder their coordinated slaughter.

Game over, the squad was teleported to the waiting area. It didn’t disband immediately.

Iman walked directly up to “Hunter”. “I want to learn how to shoot. Can you teach me?”

Ludwig coolly replied, “If you want to learn to shoot, go to a proper shooting range for instruction.”

Iman beamed. “I don’t like the shooting range instructors. You teach me.” His tone turned sly, bargaining. “Do you like mecha? I’ll give you a top-of-the-line mecha as tuition.”

Ludwig was quiet for a beat. “…Fine.”

Iman internally cheered. He was already plotting to have his father acquire an excellent mecha for this guy. An Omega giving an Alpha gifts—in his mind, that was entirely normal. If he found an Alpha he liked, he’d even prepare betrothal gifts when they married.

Luo Fei was utterly floored. Never in a million years would he have predicted his ice-king roommate holding any appeal for Iman.

This was an incredibly convenient twist of fate.

If Iman went off to pester Ludwig from now on… he’d finally leave his Mo Han alone.