Thora was quite curious about the condition of these candidates. Every examiner's gaze instantly focused on her. Valen studied her with cold, measuring eyes for a moment before uttering a single word. "Fine." Lance stepped forward. "Then you might as well bring me along too." As the top-ranked freshman, Valen naturally had no objection to his request. Though the gap between their rankings was almost comical—one in first place, the other in dead last. Shirley started scurrying after them with quick little steps, but she'd barely taken two before Jeremy stretched out an arm to block her. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Mercer didn't give you permission to follow. You can't come along." His smile was gentle, but his tone carried a note of sternness. Valen's explosive temper was well-known throughout Blue Star Military Academy. If this little girl tagged along without permission, she'd definitely get chewed out. Shirley looked displeased, but her body suddenly lifted off the ground. Tristan hauled her back with one hand, shooting Jeremy an unfriendly glance before muttering to Shirley, "The boss didn't say anything. Wait here." Shirley reluctantly settled down, throwing Jeremy one last disgruntled glare. Jeremy inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine. The way this group was staring at him made it seem like he'd bullied someone. But for the Wolffang crew, protecting their own never needed a reason. Luke had just finished packing up his small backpack, finally reunited with his laptop. He looked like someone who'd found a long-lost treasure, his mood visibly lifted. Ryan, meanwhile, kept scanning the area as if searching for someone. ... Thora and Lance were led to another hall. Inside, dozens of candidates lay on medical beds. Each one looked peaceful, as if simply asleep, with no visible signs of anything wrong. A doctor in a white coat stepped forward and gave Valen a respectful salute. "Mr. Mercer." Valen nodded. The doctor spoke in a grave tone. "These candidates have retained only their basic neural reflexes and metabolic functions. All other consciousness has been completely lost. In layman's terms, they're currently in a vegetative state. There's a high probability they'll never wake up." He paused, then added, "Their deep consciousness has already accepted that they're dead. This deceptive state of mind, if it continues to invade the brain long-term, could very likely trigger actual brain death."The implication was clear—if they weren't treated soon, these people would truly be beyond saving. Thora furrowed her brow and walked over to one of the beds. She studied the sleeping candidate carefully, then reached out and grasped their wrist. A ripple of blue energy flowed from her palm. Lance's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on Thora's hand. Valen's expression also shifted subtly. Thora withdrew her hand. She could only get a rough sense of their condition, but her ability had no effect here—these people weren't in a physical coma caused by illness. This was a "death" on the level of consciousness. Although Valen had brought the two of them in, he'd been observing their every move the entire time. The game had been infected with a virus. He couldn't rule out the possibility that there was a mole among the candidates, and whether that mole had been eliminated remained an unsolved mystery.Because of this, he maintained a guarded suspicion toward both Thora and Lance. At this point, no one could be completely cleared of suspicion. Thora stood up, her tone cold and detached. "The problem with the game originated from Blue Star Military Academy headquarters. If you want to investigate, Mr. Mercer, you should start by looking internally. Regardless of whether there's someone among the candidates working against the military academy, the responsibility for this incident lies with the academy. "The academy's negligence nearly cost every candidate their lives. As the chief examiner of this year's freshman assessment, Mr. Mercer, you should bear responsibility for that." Thora understood Valen's suspicions perfectly well. She didn't object to his vigilance, but she resented being expected to clean up someone else's mess—no one enjoyed doing that kind of work, and she was no exception.Valen's face visibly darkened with anger, but what Thora said was the truth. He could only respond coldly, "I will naturally take responsibility for this matter. There's no need for you to remind me, Thora." Thora nodded with an expression of satisfaction. "Good to hear." That look on her face only made Valen angrier. What kind of students had they admitted this year? Absolutely no respect for authority! He was already known for his explosive temper, and Thora's words had left him so thoroughly cornered that he couldn't even retort. A ball of fury sat in his chest with nowhere to go. Lance rubbed his nose with his finger, hiding the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He'd only come along to watch the show. He'd never intended to help save anyone, and now he openly wore the expression of someone enjoying the drama. Thora continued, "There's only one way to save these people." "What way?" Valen demanded urgently.