Chapter Sixty-One: Grade A Assessment

Good heavens, this windfall could last a whole year. Moreover, it was rumored that the winner could make a request worth up to a hundred thousand points—whatever it was, the Park would fulfill it. That was what Mu You truly yearned for.

Damn it, once I’ve raised my access privileges, I’ll dig up every last secret of Death Row Paradise. Staring at the dazzling string of numbers before him, Mu You addressed all the condemned prisoners of the thirteenth floor.

“Order whatever you like for breakfast—it's on me.”

“Woohoo!!”

The prisoners erupted in excitement, flocking to the cafeteria window to order the delicacies they’d been longing for.

Mu You had just sat down when Hu Lei arrived, carrying his tray.

“You've recovered this quickly?”

Seeing Mu You devouring breakfast as if nothing had happened, Hu Lei looked at him in disbelief.

Mu You swallowed an entire fried egg, took a big gulp of soybean milk, then burped loudly and nodded.

“Monster,” Hu Lei murmured, sitting opposite Mu You and starting his own meal. The prisoners of the twelfth and thirteenth floors, seeing their leaders together, began to gather in small groups, sitting, chatting, and laughing as they ate. The atmosphere gradually became lively.

Mu You thoroughly enjoyed the moment, but noticed Hu Lei’s troubled expression and sought a topic.

“By the way, I saw Xuan Yao just now. She came to visit me.”

“Cough…”

Xu Chen, who was shoveling rice nearby, suddenly choked, coughing violently with his back to them. Mu You’s words were far too blunt—after all, the girl’s father was right there.

But Hu Lei only nodded, then waved his hand, signaling he didn't want to talk about it. He pushed his meal aside and fixed his gaze on Mu You, as if brewing something.

Mu You felt uneasy under Hu Lei’s stare and hurried to explain, “She just brought me some apples. We barely crossed paths—nothing happened.”

Hu Lei waved his hand, directly asking, “What are you planning to do next?”

Mu You immediately stammered, mumbling, “I… I’ll just let it be. Really, nothing happened between us…”

Hu Lei nearly rolled his eyes. He’d forgotten that although this kid was powerful, cunning, and brilliant, he was still a complete novice when it came to matters of the heart—practically an emotional insulator. With no other option, Hu Lei pulled the conversation back to his own direction.

“I’m not talking about that. I won’t meddle in you kids’ affairs. I mean the upcoming promotion assessment. An Ruxiang and I both have the strength of A-level condemned, but we’ve kept it hidden to avoid trouble. Since our abilities were exposed a week ago, the assessment is likely imminent.”

Hu Lei’s words carried unprecedented gravity. Mu You sobered, knowing Hu Lei had revealed his abilities because of him. The promotion to A-level condemned sounded far from straightforward. Mu You’s face showed an apologetic look, which Hu Lei noticed, smiling to indicate it was nothing, before continuing:

“My daughter’s abilities have undergone qualitative change since her death sentence, reaching the threshold of A-level condemned. As for you, you’re already recognized as the strongest condemned in Block A. So, there are five candidates for this assessment.”

Mu You frowned. Himself, Hu Lei, An Ruxiang, Xuan Yao—that made four. “Who’s the fifth?”

“It’s the old man—me.”

Before Hu Lei could answer, a hoarse voice replied from behind Mu You. He turned to see a venerable elder sitting nearby: white hair, youthful face, lean yet muscular, every movement radiating explosive force.

The dangerous condemned of the tenth floor: Wan Yan Zang.

Other floor leaders began to gather, including An Ruxiang and the small-eyed condemned.

An Ruxiang remained alluring, her frost-cold eyes ignoring everyone but finally settling on Mu You, her chin giving a barely perceptible nod.

Mu You raised his soybean milk in silent greeting, then drained it.

Xu Chen and He Jing prepared to give up their seats, but Wan Yan Zang stopped them, motioning for them to stay.

“No need to leave. What comes next concerns you both as well.”

The atmosphere in Block A’s cafeteria became intensely subtle. Nearly all the condemned prisoners ate in silence, but their glances frequently swept toward the thirteenth floor’s table.

At Mu You’s table sat the dangerous condemned from each floor. Besides Mu You’s trio, An Ruxiang’s side had gained an awakened member.

The small-eyed condemned, seeing everyone’s attention on him, coughed awkwardly and tried to leave, only for An Ruxiang to pinch his thigh hard, forcing him to sit back down with a grimace.

“Damn, you’re a dangerous condemned too? I’d never have guessed!” Xu Chen exclaimed in astonishment. The condemned on the first floor nodded vigorously—seriously, this creep had awakened powers without a word, where’s the justice!

The small-eyed condemned shrugged, drooping his head as if to say, “Fate decided it—I can’t help it.”

“Enough,” Wan Yan Zang cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention as he solemnly announced:

“The much-rumored Perfect Academy is about to open.”

At his words, the mood darkened. Everyone lowered their gaze, staring at their fingers in silence.

“They say it’s for condemned education, but it’s really deep indoctrination. The instructors are core personnel from the Central Region’s experimental base, the artificial Sky Island—Jiulong Lihe Bay. Plus, our own park’s A-level and above condemned will occasionally appear, collaborating with the instructors for spiritual and physical conditioning.”

At the mention of “conditioning,” the small-eyed condemned shivered involuntarily. Given the rumored tastes of the Sky Island monsters, that word was disturbingly accurate.

“So, this year’s A-level assessment will be even harder. Normally, we might risk everything for a chance, but if the Sky Island people conduct the assessment themselves, our odds of survival are slim to none.”

Wan Yan Zang’s eagle-sharp gaze swept over the dangerous condemned present, continuing:

“The information blockade is severe. Even with my network, this is all I could learn. We know nothing about the instructors’ abilities, course types, assessment standards, semester missions, schedule, or personal safety. There’s only one thing we can do—stick together.”

Everyone exchanged glances. Though it was impossible to read each other’s thoughts, there was a sense of resignation and bitterness.

Wan Yan Zang finally fixed his gaze on Mu You and spoke again.

“Only by supporting each other will the higher-ups be wary. If we’re picked off one by one, we’re doomed. No matter how strong any individual is, against the upper echelon’s manipulations, we must go all out and cooperate if we hope for anything.”

Mu You listened with a polite smile, but inwardly grew increasingly cautious.

The old fox truly lives up to his reputation—this is the setup for a trap…