The technicians in charge of maintaining the game immediately stepped forward. "We're still investigating, but after multiple tests, this shouldn't even happen in the virtual world. The data shows the problem happens exactly when a player dies. Our first guess—" The technician's face went rigid. Every examiner stared at him. "Apocalypse has been tampered with. Someone planted a virus." His words fell, each syllable hitting like a hammer. A military academy–developed game had been hacked at a critical moment! Blue Star Military Academy's freshman assessment tests were always highly confidential. Even the examiners knew little about the third-round evaluation. It was the first time to use a fully immersive holographic game. There was only one explanation—there was a mole inside!The sabotage had to come from someone on the inside, aiming to wreck the enrollment. If they had helpers inside the game, the consequences could be catastrophic. Those accomplices could kill freely in-game, and any player who died would actually die. That was far more than a mere challenge to the academy's authority. "Locate that virus program now!" Valen ordered. The maintenance team snapped to attention. "Yes, sir!" "Also, send a system notice and cancel points for killing players." The technician looked tense. "Mr. Mercer, we can't modify the program or access the system. The game is completely locked. We can't contact players. They can only follow the game until it ends. The program is sealed. No one can change it without the highest-level permissions." The person who planted the virus had blocked even the technicians."Why the hell didn't you say that sooner?!" Valen's anger flared as he paced. None of the examiners said a word. They could only watch helplessly as the game unfolded. "Jeremy, report to the academy." "Yes, sir." "Monitor the game closely. Technicians must find the virus quickly and figure out a way to get inside." "Yes, Mr. Mercer." Everyone in the hall immediately sprang into action. Candidates who had "died" were taken aside for investigation and care. Valen's eyes stayed glued to the game. He had never faced a failure this serious. Most of the candidates were talented and eager to join the academy. Even if they failed, they would return to their empires and become future leaders. He couldn't let them die because of his own oversight. ... Inside the game, two players' scores were skyrocketing—Ash and Number 79. Seeing their rapid gains, other players muttered curses. "Player killers!" Ash got the most complaints. Every point she earned came in multiples of 30, making it obvious she was farming kills. Many players groaned. "Are they here to do quests or just hunt people? This ruins the game!" Thora picked up the gun on the ground and tucked it into her bag. Watching the defeated player dissolve into data streams, she sighed. "I just want to do my quests. Why does someone keep trying to kill me?" Draven's lips twitched slightly. Thora really wanted to focus on her tasks, but along the way, solo players and teams kept attacking her. She had no choice but to fight back.After this player was killed, Draven's expression suddenly changed. "Stop killing players for now." Thora looked at him, puzzled. "Why not?"