Curse the Mainframe! 376 Targets For Those Around Them

The next day, Nicholas Moon kindly prodded him awake, which was more than he expected.

Alex's eyes snapped open, startling the other teen, and he lurched backwards, clutching his heart. He looked fully startled as he lost the sleepy look that had previously been on his face, the scare waking him up fully.

He looked a little more alive than he did yesterday, but he still looked dead on his feet. Alec was more surprised that the teen wasn't slumped over, cradling his pillow.

"You scared me," Nicholas said dryly, clutching his pounding heart.

Alec chuckled. "Well, aren't you awake now?"

"Too awake, if you ask me. Anyway, get up!" Nicholas said, brushing his hair back. The dark circles under his eyes looked darker than ever. "Training is going to start soon, and they'll punish whichever person isn't there on time."

Alec climbed out of the bed and hurriedly got himself ready under his roommate's watchful eye.

Before he managed to leave the room, Nicholas grabbed his arm.

"Wait. Listen to me first. No matter what you hear out there, you should know that roommates have to look out for each other if they want any chance in hell surviving this place. A single person alone is easy pickings for them to climb up the rankings."

Alec inwardly raised a brow but was willing to play along with the competition 'rules'. He smiled at Nicholas, who looked a little dazed at his smile. "Then, I'll follow your lead."

Nicholas smiled back a little hesitantly, but he seemed pleased that his new roommate was willing to listen. "Alright. Just remember, no matter what they say, I've got your back. So make sure you guard mine as well. If you have any questions, you should come to me."

Alec looked a little confused. "I heard you've only been here a week more than me. Do you really know everything?"

Nicholas let out a dry laugh. "It's only been a week, but it feels like a year already. Without a roommate, this place is truly hell on earth. Luckily it only took a week. If it was any longer, I would probably have to fear for my life."

The teen stepped out of their room, and Alec followed after him without saying anything else.

The moment he left the room, Alec could feel all the gazes that trailed after them, acting like they were a tasty snack that the hungry predators could rip into at any time.

Nicholas' mouth was set in a firm line, showing none of the weakness he had inside the room.

He whispered to Alec as he walked beside him, "Don't show any weakness. That's the time they all decide to pounce. Fake it till you make it, baby."

The smile on Alec's lips curled a little more. "Alright," he said calmly.

Nicholas eyed him. "You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would," he said, sounding almost approving. "You're tougher than you look."

Alec raised a brow and chuckled, not offended. "Really?" he said, playing the innocent teenager. "Well… I may have a bit of experience with things like this."

After saying that, he turned his head away, firmly ignoring all the looks as if they weren't there at all. His actions were very natural, and Nicholas almost thought that he was the more experienced one instead of himself.

Nicholas was intrigued but seeing that Alex didn't seem interested in explaining anything further, he didn't push it.

The two roommates made their way deeper into the building without having any breakfast at all, where there were other pairs of roommates waiting for the instructor.

According to Nicholas, they weren't allowed to have breakfast until they decided their rankings for the day, which would then decide their breakfast.

Alec felt a little bored by that. It wasn't anything new to have this kind of tactic in order to foster competition between pairs, thus increasing their drive to work harder.

It just seemed so… mundane. He actually expected better – or worse.

Yet, the harder they worked only caused them to fall deeper into the company's trap.

It was a vicious cycle where the people who were produced from the system were cementing the brainwashing that the brand was putting them through, making use of human psychology.

The soldiers produced at the end would be perfect for them to use and exploit.

And with how transmigrators usually had some sort of growth cheat where they grew stronger at a quicker pace than others, they were the perfect soldiers to foster.

Strong, but under their control, which was what they were aiming for in the first place.

Transmigrators would never make it high up the company's totem pole, and they were considered expendable, which disgusted Alec.

They entered a bare room that had nothing else inside. The floor didn't have any kind of padding either, and it was just solid concrete.

The instructor immediately threw the pairs into battle against each other in the bare room, which meant that they had to fight hand to hand using teamwork.

Out of ten battles, 'Alex' and Nicholas won all of them, which surprised the instructor greatly. After all, Alex Fields and Nicholas Moon were relatively new, and they had not been part of the training for long at all.

The instructor could not help but give them a few looks, sizing them up.

Was this the start of the new 'dream pair'?

The last dream pair that the instructor had taught had been Sekai and Xin Yi, who were famous for their fantastic results, but bad relationship.

The other pairs looked at Nicholas and Alex with hostile eyes. They did not like that new threats had appeared, and they it didn't even register to them that this was not how they would have reacted before.

Now, the sense of competition and rivalry had been stirred up by the instructor's not-so-subtle glances at them, and Alec knew that trouble was incoming.

By the time the 'class' was dismissed, Alec and Nicholas sat at the table in the cafeteria.

Having taken first place, their meal was the top meal that everyone else envied.

Almost everyone was looking at them. There were more eyes on them than that morning itself. Rumours had already started spreading viciously, becoming more and more distorted.

Nicholas and Alec were quiet.

Alec still had the faint smile on his face, as if he couldn't care less, but Nicholas' face was pale, even if it was blank.

Nicholas whispered to Alex, who was way too at ease in this situation, "We've overdone it. Now, all the other teams will be looking at us to check for whenever we slip up. We've become targets!"

Alec's smile widened a little. "You mean… as opposed to before? We were already targets for being the 'new guys'."

Nicholas looked like he started despairing before he forcefully froze a look of stoicism on his face.

Alec continued like he hadn't seen it. "Besides, this way, once we put the first ones that come after us in place, the rest of them will fall in line."

Nicholas sighed tiredly. "It's not that simple around here. But…" Nicholas gave Alex an accessing look. "You sure are stronger than you look. You're really strong. I'm not sure if I'm lucky or not."

Alec smiled nicely at Nicholas, but their fantastic lunch was interrupted by someone coming up to their table.

Both of them turned to look at the newcomer.

It was lady who looked mature and alluring, delivering a message for Alec. "Alec, it's time for you to meet your mentor. After breakfast, report to Room 1-2."

Finished with what she was saying, she walked off, her heels clacking against the floor.

Nicholas raised a brow. "That doesn't seem… usual."

Alec titled his head, his smile not changing. "Regardless, I have to go."

He stood up, clearing the rest of his lunch. Nicholas nodded, standing up as well, falling into line with Alec.

"I'll go with you."

Chapter end

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