When Thora saw the name "Samuel," she instantly recalled the identity card she'd obtained from the Westvale Research Institute in Astralis. Name: Thora Green Blood type: Not registered in the Blue Star Database Gene sequence: Contains unidentified segment No. 734 Physical condition: Perfect Affiliated project: Project Spirit Wolf Project Director: Samuel Blake The abnormalities in her body were most likely connected to "Project Spirit Wolf," and to Samuel. She knew Samuel was a once-in-a-century scientific genius on Chaules and even across all of Blue Star, but ever since his unexplained disappearance 18 years ago, there had been no trace of him. Even a hacking prodigy like Luke couldn't find a single lead. Thora was never one to dwell on things she couldn't solve. If she couldn't find answers, she'd set them aside for now and focus on what was in front of her. She'd initially picked up this book because of Samuel's name, but once she opened it, she became completely absorbed by its contents. The military technology described was even more advanced than what she'd seen during her time in the apocalypse. She sat up straight with her hands resting on the table, reading with complete focus. The more she read, the more she gained. Samuel's vast knowledge spoke for itself, and the various warfare models and tactics mentioned in the book were incredibly valuable references. Even though she was already an experienced commander with expertise across multiple fields, she never stopped absorbing knowledge—everything in the world was constantly changing, and the only way to stay ahead of the game was to keep learning, even if it meant learning from enemies. Adrian was aware of Thora's every move and knew she'd stayed to read, yet he never once looked at her. His gaze remained fixed on the pages in front of him. But if Thora hadn't been so focused, she would have noticed that his pages hadn't turned in quite some time. And the book in his hands was exactly the same as hers. ... By the time Thora had read through less than a quarter of the book, darkness had completely fallen outside. When she looked up, she noticed that the food across from her hadn't been touched at all. She frowned slightly, finding it a bit odd. Then she caught sight of the book he was reading—the same as hers—but didn't ask about it. Glancing at the darkened sky, she suddenly remembered that Shirley and the others were still waiting for her.She stood up, returned the book to the shelf, and turned to leave. "I don't like cold food. Remember to bring it earlier tomorrow." Adrian spoke flatly, his eyes still not leaving the pages. This was the first thing he'd said to her since those two brief sentences when she'd first arrived. Thora thought to herself, Does this guy think I'm going to be his delivery girl from now on? She was about to explain, but then she heard Adrian continue, "The Blazing Fire tactics in that book would be interesting to apply in special operations." His voice remained cold, revealing no emotion. Thora's eyes suddenly lit up, and she changed her mind. "Fine." With that single word, she agreed to tomorrow's delivery. As she walked out of the library, a figure brushed past her. The person took two steps, then turned back to look at her. Thinking she might have bumped into him, Thora glanced back and nodded. "Sorry." Then she strode away. Behind her, the corners of the man's lips curved up as he turned and walked into the library. ... Inside the library, 13th floor, section B. "I just ran into someone on my way here," Tobias said, his tone carrying a rare hint of interest. "You're not the least bit curious about this year's freshmen?" He'd already anticipated Adrian's reaction, but still wanted to try getting a rise out of the guy—after all, nothing in this world seemed capable of moving him an inch. Adrian was the strongest man in the military academy. From the day he enrolled, he'd held the top spot on both the department and academy-wide overall rankings, and no one had ever surpassed him. He turned a page and spoke flatly, "Not interested." Tobias scoffed and said nothing more. He turned to grab a book from the shelf, but caught sight of a chair slightly out of place from the corner of his eye. Surprise crept into his voice. "Someone actually sat across from you?" Adrian remained silent, his expression as impassive as stone. Tobias didn't press further, though he was surprised—Adrian's territory was off-limits to everyone. Except during training or combat, he never allowed anyone near him, so seeing that someone had actually sat there felt unusual. Before leaving, Tobias reminded him, "Mr. Ewing wanted me to let you know that the military academy's comprehensive assessment is next month. Before the test, go to the Academy Research Division for a full physical examination and sample collection." Adrian nodded. "Got it." Tobias raised an eyebrow and turned to leave.It wasn't just Adrian—all of them had to do sample collection. The purpose was to study how much of their physical potential had been unlocked, and then customize training programs specifically for them. This was what made Blue Star Military Academy truly worth attending. ... After leaving the library, Thora headed straight for the cafeteria. Suddenly, her eyes sharpened as she sensed danger. Before she could react, a sharp object came hurtling toward her through the air at blinding speed. And some kind of force pinned her firmly in place. She couldn't move at all.