The dawn of the tenth day arrived as scheduled. The roar of helicopter engines resonated through the sky as a military transport helicopter approached the designated rendezvous point.
It was a rare expanse of level grassland deep within the forest.
The nascent sun cast its rays downwards, yet failed to dispel the pervasive chill lingering over the land.
As the pilot's gaze fell upon the clearing below, the hand gripping the control stick trembled involuntarily.
"Heavens... what precisely transpired here?"
The scene before them was harrowing: the once verdant grass was almost entirely saturated with dark crimson bloodstains. Over thirty fragmented corpses lay strewn haphazardly across the area, the air thick with the heavy stench of blood and decay.
"Hold! Observe over there! There is still someone alive!" the co-pilot exclaimed sharply, his vision keen.
Visible in a corner of the grassland, a figure drenched in blood sat silently—it was 13. He cradled the female soldier's corpse, which had begun to emit an odor, yet his face bore a serene, almost tender smile as he murmured, "We can finally 'depart'."
Simultaneously, at the edge of the jungle, a three-person squad cautiously approached the charnel ground.
"Tsk tsk, truly magnificent!" Number 36 observed the widespread carnage, a flicker of excitement in his eyes, stepping onto the viscous bloodstains as he led the way towards the helicopter.
"I presumed we had arrived tardily; it appears now our timing is impeccable," Number 1 followed closely, his tone betraying little emotion.
"Do you suppose... could there be only one slot remaining? If that proves the case, who remains behind?" Number 24 inquired with some apprehension as they walked.
"Hmph, there is no 'ladies first' protocol here. Should it reach that juncture, it shall be decided by individual capability," 36 responded callously.
"Surely... it wouldn't be such a coincidence? Personally, I find little appeal in harming women and children. If truly only two seats remain, you two proceed," 1 sighed, sounding somewhat resigned.
Both 36 and 24 cast contemptuous glances his way, retorting in unison, "Desist! You are hardly so benevolent!"
"Hahaha..." 1 chuckled awkwardly.
"It appears our fortune remains somewhat favourable," 36's gaze settled on 13 in the corner, scrutinizing the corpse in his arms and his blood-soaked state.
"Ugh... revolting stench..." 24 couldn't help but frown, instinctively covering her nose.
"Enough, cease the idle chatter, board the aircraft promptly!" 1, seemingly uninterested in prying into others' affairs, urged them onward.
The four arrived beside the helicopter. The pilot, wearing a gas mask, turned around, his voice strained, "Apologies, our orders are to retrieve four survivors. Currently, there are four individuals... plus one corpse. This... this likely contravenes regulations..."
"Is she your paramour?" 36 looked at 13, asking directly.
"Negative," 13 replied calmly.
"Then a relative?" 36 pressed.
13 shook his head.
"A comrade, then?" 36 asked finally, maintaining patience.
13 paused for a moment, then slowly stated, "I... seem to lack comrades."
"Then what in damnation are you doing hauling a putrid corpse around?!" 36 finally erupted, his tone extremely exasperated.
"'He' stated..." 13 gently tapped his temple, a peculiar smile on his face, "...that this woman must be taken from this place. 'He' upholds promises, therefore, I must fulfill this."
"Could... this exceptional circumstance be reported to superiors?" 1 addressed the pilot, his tone suggestive of negotiation.
"If it proves truly unfeasible," 13 suddenly turned to the pilot, revealing a chillingly "tender" smile, "I can eliminate any one of them to vacate a slot for my 'teammate'."
"What did you utter?! Who do you presume yourself to be?" 36 became enraged, abruptly raising the squad automatic weapon from his back, the dark muzzle aimed squarely at 13.
"Hold!" 24 swiftly pressed down 36's weapon barrel. "Refrain from impulsivity for now; await instructions from above." She glanced at 13; his expression, as though cradling the world's most precious treasure, moved her slightly. She nodded involuntarily.
13 seemed to perceive this subtle gesture of goodwill and returned a similarly smiling nod towards 24.
Just then, the pilot turned back again: "Excuse me... are you Number 13?"
"Affirmative."
"Doctor Nie instructed that if it were you, it would pose no issue." Upon receiving confirmation, the pilot immediately began operating the instruments, starting the helicopter. "Alright, no need to wait further, the quota is met. We depart!"
The four boarded swiftly. The helicopter ascended slowly, heading towards the setting sun, flying away from the brutal jungle towards the so-called "civilized world".
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive. 36 sat opposite 13, making no effort to conceal his antipathy and disdain for him.
"You are sniper-type, correct?" 24 noted that 13 carried only an AWP sniper rifle and one combat dagger.
"Affirmative." 13's voice remained placid.
"In engagements of this scale, snipers are typically the primary targets for elimination. Your survival to the end..." 1's sharp gaze fixed on 13, his tone assertive, "...indicates you are exceptionally 'potent'!"
"Tch... I reckon he likely hid amidst some corpse pile, waiting for the others to annihilate each other, then emerged furtively for opportunistic shots?" 36 speculated disdainfully, observing the dried blood crusting 13's form.
"In principle, the vast majority of individuals here were indeed dispatched by me. As sniper ammunition is scarce, I endeavoured to utilize pistols and close-quarters combat..." 13 reached up, picking off a piece of dried, blackened blood scab from his face, explaining lightly, "Naturally, the drawback of this approach is susceptibility to injury, and also... becoming soiled."
These few understated sentences, however, caused the other three individuals in the cabin, including the pilot and co-pilot upfront, to stare at him in shock. This seemingly ordinary sniper was, in fact...
"Merely jesting." Seemingly noticing the others' peculiar gazes, 13 suddenly grinned. "How could I possess such prowess? As the gentleman just stated, I survived fortuitously purely through opportunistic shots."
"Hmph, I knew you were no formidable character..." 36 turned his head, gazing out the window, ignoring 13 further.
"What is your designation number?" 1's gaze swept almost imperceptibly over the hilt of the knife visible behind 13's back.
"13."
"Your jest... is indeed quite amusing." 1 gestured towards the knife with his eyes, implying understanding.
13 smiled knowingly, raising his index finger to his lips in a "hush" gesture.
"She... holds significant importance to you?" 24 asked softly, looking at the corpse in 13's arms, its features now unrecognizable and beginning to emit the odor of decay.
"Mm. To '13', she is the first... person he regretted killing, and also... the first teammate." 13 extended his hand, gently stroking the female soldier's cold, rigid cheek.
"You constantly refer to '13', '13', as if you are not him?" 1 acutely detected the peculiarity in 13's phrasing.
"Theoretically, 'he' and I are the same individual, but I... am not 'him'," 13 replied after seeming consideration.
"Multiple personalities?" 1 blurted out in surprise.
"Somewhat analogous. When 'his' emotional fluctuations are intense, or when encountering insurmountable dilemmas and dangers, 'I' emerge."
"Then you... what are you?" 24 asked subconsciously.
"Me?" 13's smile suddenly became intensely radiant, like the midday sun. "I am merely an 'emotion'."
In that instant, 24's heart throbbed erratically for no discernible reason.
"Alright, everyone, the journey concludes temporarily." Just then, the co-pilot suddenly turned around, a pistol now in his hand, its muzzle pointing at the group. "Now, I request you all disembark the aircraft."
"What is the meaning of this?!" 24's brow furrowed tightly, her tone laced with anger.
"Participate in the final assessment. Consider it... the last major question before the graduation examination, an 'assigned composition'."
"Are you jesting! We are at least twenty meters above the ground here! If you intend to eliminate us, could you devise a more imaginative method?" 36 peered down below, scoffing.
"This altitude is mandated by superiors. Naturally, you are not expected to simply leap." The co-pilot pointed to a black metal pack behind their seats. "Each of your seats is equipped with a simple jetpack. Don it and jump. As you near landing, it will automatically eject high-pressure gas to provide cushioning. However... there are only four packs, and the maximum weight capacity is 100 kilograms."
"Two queries," 13, hitherto silent, spoke up. "First, if one refuses to write this 'composition', can one depart?"
"We will immediately execute refusers; even the corpse will not be retrieved," the co-pilot's tone was frigid, devoid of any emotion, leaving no doubt as to the veracity of his words.
"Second, what is the topic of the 'composition'?"
"'Surpassing the Master'." As the co-pilot spoke, he pressed a button. The cabin doors on both sides slid open slowly, wind instantly rushing in. "Your mission is to eliminate the designated target individual. Once we confirm the target's life signal has ceased, we will return to retrieve you."
"Tsk, composition writing is my lifelong aversion!" 36 reacted first, swiftly donning the jetpack, grabbing his squad automatic weapon, and leaping unhesitatingly from the doorway.
"Truly incessant..." 1 sighed, efficiently donned his pack, and followed suit.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" 24, preparing to jump, watched in astonishment as 13 began fitting the jetpack onto the female soldier's corpse.
"My weight is approximately 55 kilograms; she... weighed at least 50 kilograms while alive. Combined, it exceeds the limit. Therefore, it is safer for her to descend first," 13's tone was as calm as if discussing the most mundane matter.
"Are you insane?! This is a full twenty meters high! Do you intend to jump without anything?!" 24 exclaimed incredulously.
"It matters not." 13 carefully fastened the pack's buckles for the female soldier, walked to the doorway, selected a direction with denser trees below, and gently tossed the corpse out. "My calculations indicate the trees below are approximately ten meters tall. If I land accurately atop the canopy, utilizing branches for cushioning and employing techniques to dissipate force, the effective fall height is equivalent to roughly three stories, within controllable limits."
"You... you are serious?!" 24 had initially assumed 13 was merely jesting or expressing discontent in this manner.
"I never jest, particularly concerning matters of life and death. This decision was made after careful calculation and confirmation of feasibility," 13's gaze began searching for a suitable landing spot below.
"Lunatic! I disregard you! Serves you right if you fall to your death!" 24 stomped her foot angrily, donned her pack, and jumped.
"I say, buddy, you are truly exceptionally 'bold'! Daring to jump from this height?" The co-pilot watched 13, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"Trouble yourself, convey a message to Doctor Nie Yun for me." 13 ignored his mockery, his face once again displaying that sun-like radiant smile. "Inform him, the 'emotion'... has activated." With that, he picked up his AWP and vaulted out of the cabin.
"Imbecile!" The pilot muttered, watching the freefalling figure.
"Truly foolish?" However, even amidst the roaring noise of the propellers, 13 clearly heard the pilot's faint assessment.
There was no time for hesitation during the descent. 13 adjusted his posture in mid-air, raised the AWP, aimed steadily at the top of a preselected large, leafy tree below, and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
The large-caliber sniper round instantly rent a breach in the dense canopy; the powerful recoil slightly decelerated 13's falling momentum.
Subsequently, within an incredibly short interval, he fired two more shots consecutively.
"Bang! Bang!"
The initially dense treetop completely vanished, leaving only a bare, fractured plane just large enough to accommodate one foot.
"Done," 13 uttered a soft cry. At the precise moment his downward force was nearly spent, his right foot landed accurately on that fractured surface. Immediately, an extreme deep knee bend skillfully cushioned and dissipated the remaining impact force. The entire process was fluid and seamless, verging on perfection.
Inside the cabin, the pilot and co-pilot were already dumbfounded.
"Is he... is he human or a monstrosity?"
13 ignored the gazes from above, his figure tumbling lightly from the treetop to the ground. However, the instant he landed, three dark muzzles simultaneously aimed at him. The situation became momentarily awkward.
1 was the first to react, lowering his M4 rifle and smiling, "Heard the gunshots earlier, so... reflexively, reflexively, haha..."
24 and 36 also lowered their weapons subsequently.
"You... you actually jumped down just like that?" 24 stared at the unscathed 13, astonishment written all over her face.
"Inconsequential. I believe that even without jetpacks, each of you possesses methods for safe landing," 13 shrugged nonchalantly. "Am I correct?"
No one answered his question.
"Alright, attention all! Commence equipment check, report individual status!" 1 immediately switched to serious captain mode, issuing orders. Over the past ten days, 24 and 36 had grown accustomed to and accepted 1's leadership.
1 had initially thought a maverick individual like 13 might be resistant to following orders, but unexpectedly, 13 showed no hesitation, immediately beginning to inspect his equipment with proficient and standard movements, like a seasoned veteran.
"Number 36, equipped with one squad automatic weapon, 157 rounds remaining, one combat dagger!" 36 reported loudly.
"Number 24, equipped with one MP5 submachine gun, 85 rounds remaining; one P2000 pistol, 24 rounds remaining; one combat dagger!" 24 followed suit.
"Number 1, equipped with one M4 assault rifle, 109 rounds remaining; one Desert Eagle pistol, 27 rounds remaining; one combat dagger!" 1 also reported his equipment status.
"Number 13, equipped with one AWP sniper rifle, 12 rounds remaining, one combat dagger," 13 reported last.
"Excellent. In that case..." 1's gaze swept over the perilous, unfamiliar forest before them, tightening his grip on the M4 rifle. "Let us begin writing our 'composition'!"