Nathan Lockwood's spiritual power wasn't agitated to an unbearable degree, but ever since they got out of the vehicle, the two of them could hardly be called lucky.
From the start of the joint exam, they had already run into two A-level and one B-level Xenobeast in one go.
Nathan Lockwood had researched data from previous joint exams. He knew that no more than a hundred A-level Xenobeasts were released into the entire mountain range. With over a thousand students participating, the probability of any given squad encountering an A-level Xenobeast was quite low.
Not to mention, some A-level Xenobeasts were small and skilled at hiding. They would conceal themselves where no one could find them, and with good luck, they might never be discovered by the end of the exam.
He hadn't expected to encounter three Xenobeasts right at the beginning. What they might run into later was impossible to say.
So, rather than enduring it, it was better to have Zoe Pierce soothe him directly. After all, she was the squad's rightful Omega.
Zoe Pierce drew closer and extended a still-damp hand. Her slender, pale fingers were beautiful, and even her nails were a faint, delicate pink.
Nathan Lockwood caught a faint, sweet scent—not her pheromones, but a delicate fragrance from her hair.
His eyes darkened.
Compared to Nathan Lockwood's composure, Zoe Pierce seemed far more cautious.
This was the first time she would be performing a soothing since she had woken up. As she laid her hand on Nathan Lockwood's, the soft pads of her fingers brushed against his rough, calloused palm.
Both of them paused the moment their palms touched.
The warmth from their palms seeped through their skin, reaching something deeper.
It was far too intimate. Even though Zoe Pierce knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, she couldn't help but press her lips together.
But she quickly did her best to ignore the intimacy and began to channel her spiritual power.
Closing her eyes, she could see Nathan Lockwood's spiritual power as a vortex. A few strands of black silk drifted from the dense, white cyclone. Her own spiritual power gently enveloped it. In just a moment, she watched the black strands dissipate, and the white vortex grew even stronger than before.
Just as she was about to withdraw her spiritual power, she was suddenly pulled by Nathan Lockwood into the cover of the nearby woods. His spiritual power turned the tables, enveloping and concealing hers.
'My spiritual power can't get out.'
They were now pressed against a tree. Nathan Lockwood's large hand gripped her wrist, and she had practically crashed straight into his chest. Lifting her gaze, she saw the sharp line of his jaw.
"Shh." His cool gaze shifted to the side, and Zoe Pierce's eyes followed.
There was no movement in the woods. Just when you might think nothing was going to happen, an Alpha in a school training uniform walked out of the forest.
He was covered in scratches from the undergrowth, and his eyes lit up when he saw the stream ahead.
Zoe Pierce froze. At this distance, the other Alpha hadn't spotted them yet.
Her gaze shifted to Nathan Lockwood. She had long known that while every Alpha possessed spiritual power, its application varied. Some specialized in territorial reconnaissance, others in mechanics; the advantages and scenarios for its use were not monolithic.
The spiritual power abilities of Miles Sherman's squad members had always been a mystery, as no one had ever publicly disclosed their skills.
And now, Zoe Pierce's heart quickened. 'So Nathan Lockwood's spiritual power can also conceal our presence.' No matter an Alpha's Spiritual Power Level, they should at least have basic sensory awareness.
She couldn't help but wonder for a moment, 'If I tried to hide using my spiritual power, would Nathan Lockwood notice?'
'Would he be like Damien Pierce, or would he spot my anomaly at a glance?'
The Alpha who had emerged from the forest walked straight toward the stream. Nathan Lockwood released Zoe Pierce's hand, and in the next second, her spiritual power, not yet dispersed, was suddenly unleashed from its restraints.
She could clearly see Nathan Lockwood shoot forward like an arrow. The dense, white vortex of his spiritual power dispersed into countless threads that suffused his entire body, pushing his speed to its absolute limit.
The Alpha by the river belatedly sensed the danger behind him and threw himself to the side. A rock on the ground suddenly exploded with a loud BANG, kicking up a cloud of gray dust.
"Who's there?!" the Alpha shouted as he dodged, not even having time to look up.
The air around him felt like it was being sucked away. A blade of distorted air slashed his face, and a trail of bright red blood instantly streamed down from the wound.
Nathan Lockwood didn't answer. Instead, he appeared behind the Alpha with incredible speed, twisted his arms behind his back, and kicked the back of his knees. With a THUD, the Alpha was forced to his knees.
He sucked in a sharp breath of cold air from the pain, but when he saw Nathan Lockwood's face, his own turned pale.
'It's over. A terrible start.'
His face contorted, but then his eyes darted to the side and he caught sight of Zoe Pierce watching from behind a tree. A flash of delight crossed his face. Feeling Nathan Lockwood's hand about to press his elimination button, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Zoe Pierce! Zoe!!"
Just as he expected, Nathan Lockwood's hand paused.
His eyes narrowed slightly. He looked down at the unremarkable-looking man before him, then his gaze shifted to Zoe Pierce.
"It's me, Ethan Grant! We were in the same group during our freshman year, remember?" Ethan Grant looked at Zoe Pierce as if she were his savior, his eyes filled with hope.
Zoe Pierce had already stepped out from behind the tree.
"You know him?" Although Nathan Lockwood had heard what Ethan Grant said, he didn't release his hold.
Eliminating Xenobeasts in the joint exam wasn't very profitable, but eliminating other participants was. Reducing the number of members on other teams directly affected a squad's chances of advancing in the later stages.
Of course, Zoe Pierce didn't know Ethan Grant. She hadn't even recognized Damien Pierce at first, let alone a group member from her freshman year.
She shook her head at Nathan Lockwood. Ethan Grant felt his world come crashing down. Meeting Zoe Pierce's eyes, which were clearly looking at him as a stranger, he suddenly recalled the recent rumors about her—that she had amnesia.
Now he was sure of it, because the way Zoe Pierce looked at him was with the utmost unfamiliarity.
"No, no, no, Nathan Lockwood, Lucas." A wise man knows when to yield. The joint exam had just begun, and Ethan Grant really didn't want to be eliminated so soon. "Let's talk about this! I don't want to 'die' so quickly."
If his elimination button was pressed now, the teachers would retrieve him based on his Intelligent Brain's location. It would be too humiliating.
If Ethan Grant hadn't seen Zoe Pierce and called out her name, Nathan Lockwood would have already pressed his elimination button and taken him out.
His leg pressed against the man's back, his custom leather boots firm on the ground. Just as he was about to eliminate him, he heard Ethan Grant say, "Lucas, I'll trade you the location of a White Mallow Flower if you don't eliminate me."
Nathan Lockwood's movements paused once again.
Zoe Pierce didn't know what a White Mallow Flower was, but Nathan Lockwood's family was in the medical equipment business, so he was very knowledgeable about certain medicinal products. The White Mallow Flower's main property was calming the nerves, which was very useful for Alphas whose spiritual power was prone to over-excitation.
In today's society, Alphas used their spiritual power as casually as eating or drinking, which often led to overuse.
Meanwhile, Omegas were the rarest of all secondary-genders. Those who could provide timely and rapid soothing for Alphas were even fewer and farther between, leading to large numbers of Alphas spending prolonged periods in a state of spiritual hyperexcitement.