Thuong Sinh followed the man in the green cap, veering away from the dense crowd.
By shifting just a few meters, the atmosphere changed completely. On this side, there was no noise, no jostling, no sound of children crying. There was only an inspection booth hastily built from a steel shipping container, with a few people—no more than five—scattered in a line. Each person stood a distance apart, maintaining absolute silence.
Two soldiers stood on either side of the entrance, rifles held across their chests, their gazes never leaving the line.
The man in the green cap stopped and tilted his head, whispering, "Wait here." He stepped forward and spoke briefly to the soldier guarding the booth. Though his voice was low, it was enough to make the soldier stand even straighter.
Thuong Sinh noticed that no one in this line looked at each other. Everyone kept their eyes down, as if trying to hide something.
It was the first person's turn. A middle-aged man was called. As he entered the booth, the metal door slid shut behind him. In less than a minute, the door reopened. He stepped out, his face pale and his collar soaked with sweat, but he held a grey metal card in his hand. A soldier led him toward a different direction—not toward the civilian residential area.
The second person went in. This time, it took longer. There was a faint sound of clashing metal, followed by a short "beep" from inside the container. About two minutes later, the person emerged without a card. Two soldiers immediately flanked him and, without a word, led him toward a small path obscured by a fence. He didn't resist; he only bowed his head.
Thuong Sinh watched, his expression unchanged, but he already had his answer: this place didn't just check identities. It categorized people.
The man in the green cap returned and glanced at Thuong Sinh. "Your turn."
The container door opened to a bright white interior. A metal chair sat in the center of the room, surrounded by simple but strange equipment: wires, small screens, and a curved scanning arm. A soldier sat behind a desk, not looking up.
"Sit down."
Thuong Sinh complied.
"Don't be nervous. It's just a standard check."
A device was strapped to his wrist, and the screen lit up. A string of numbers flickered past rapidly, then suddenly froze. The soldier stopped, and the man in the green cap narrowed his eyes, stepping closer.
"Is there a problem?"
The soldier hesitated for half a second. "Physiological indicators are normal. However, there is a very faint Energy reaction... but it doesn't look like an Awakened."
The room fell silent for a beat. The man in the green cap looked at Thuong Sinh, his gaze deeper than before. "Have you come into contact with something you shouldn't have?"
Thuong Sinh looked up, his gaze calm. "Do zombies count?"
A moment of silence followed. Then, the man laughed. This time, it was a clear laugh. "Ha... interesting." He waved his hand. "Note: Special Observation." Then he turned to Thuong Sinh. "Welcome to Duong Nam, but from now on... you are no longer an ordinary person."
Thuong Sinh stepped out of the inspection room. The metal door closed behind him with a dry clack, as if severing him from another world.
The man in the green cap was waiting nearby. He didn't look at Thuong Sinh immediately, focused on writing something on a metal clipboard. Thuong Sinh stepped forward, stopping a pace away.
"That room back there... what was it for?"
The man's pen paused. He looked up, his gaze no longer cold and evaluating but carrying a hint of caution. "Categorizing people for the shelter."
Thuong Sinh frowned. "Ordinary people?" he asked. "Or Awakened?"
The man nodded. "Correct." He paused before adding, "And another category."
Thuong Sinh said nothing, just waiting.
"Those who don't fit into the other two."
The man in the green cap began walking again, his boots making a dry sound on the concrete. This corridor was narrower than the main registration area, illuminated by cold white lights that stretched every shadow against the walls. "No Awakened Ability, yet not ordinary either."
He glanced at Thuong Sinh quickly. They stopped before a grey steel door with a small paper slip attached: Note: Special Observation.
"Your biological indicators exceed the standard."
Thuong Sinh narrowed his eyes. "Exceed the standard?"
"Strength. Reflexes. Endurance. Adaptability." His voice was flat, like reading a report. "There are people who have been bitten three times and didn't mutate. There are those who haven't slept in four days yet remain sharp. There are those who kill zombies with their bare hands."
He turned fully, his gaze intense. Thuong Sinh suddenly understood.
"That is why we don't dare call it evolution. We only call it... Transcendent."
The steel door opened to reveal a capacity testing room. The space was larger than Thuong Sinh expected, with high ceilings and white metal-tiled floors. The man stepped aside, signaling for him to enter. He gave a thin smile.
Thuong Sinh entered without looking back. "So, which category do I belong to?"
Standing outside the door, the man gripped the steel frame and answered curtly: "Currently? Category Three."
The door slammed shut. Boom!
The equipment lit up simultaneously, indicators turning from red to yellow. A cold electronic voice rang out:
"Subject: Thuong Sinh." "Temporary Classification: Transcendent." "Testing sequence initiated."
The room's lights shifted to a pale white. A metal frame rose from the floor to chest height, covered in thick rubber. Countdown numbers appeared on its surface.
[ Strength Test – Direct Strike ]
Strike with full force.
Thuong Sinh stood still for a second. He didn't take a deep breath or clench his fist like an ordinary person gathering power. He simply adjusted his stance and took half a step forward.
Thud.
The punch looked ordinary, but the metal frame vibrated slightly. The numbers on the screen surged and stopped abruptly. A small line appeared below: 'Force stable, no explosive burst detected.'
The lights turned yellow. The frame lowered. Before Thuong Sinh could think, the floor beneath him split, revealing a gap.
[ Reflex Test – Auto-Evasion ]
From four sides, mechanical arms sprang out, tipped with soft objects but moving at extreme speeds. No countdown. No warning. The moment the first one lunged, Thuong Sinh moved.
He didn't jump back or roll. He used tiny, economical shifts—just enough for the objects to graze his skin. The arms accelerated. Thuong Sinh maintained steady breathing, his eyes unwavering, his body moving as if long-accustomed to this kind of attack.
The lights turned pale green. The arms retracted. Finally, a thin metal helmet lowered from the ceiling, stopping centimeters from his head.
[ Neural Test – Mental Pressure ]
A low, steady sound, almost imperceptible, echoed through the room. The lighting began to change slowly and irregularly. To an ordinary person, their nerves would frazzle. To an Awakened, their Energy would fluctuate.
But on the monitor outside, Thuong Sinh's graph was nearly flat. No Awakened Ability waves detected. No unconscious activation. Pressure tolerance: High.
The electronic voice spoke again: "Phase one complete. Preliminary evaluation: Subject is not an Awakened. Physicality: Above Standard. Reflexes: Above Standard. Neural Stability: Above Standard."
Outside, the man in the green cap watched the screen, his expression unchanged. Only the corner of his mouth twitched slightly before returning to normal. The lights in the testing room faded, leaving only a dim yellow glow.
Click.
The steel door opened a crack. The man's voice drifted in: "Congratulations."
It was a mere notification. Thuong Sinh stood still, not stepping out immediately. "Is that all?"
"Phase one," the man replied. "Your file will be flagged. During your stay in Duong Nam, you don't need to queue for distribution." He looked at Thuong Sinh as if placing an object in its correct slot. "But every action of yours will be recorded."
Thuong Sinh stepped out. "Sounds like house arrest."
"No," the man said. "It's surveillance." He turned and signaled for him to follow the corridor. "Here, we don't treat you like an Awakened, but we don't view you as an ordinary citizen either. Consider yourself temporarily unattached."
Thuong Sinh didn't respond, only asking one question: "Can I see the mother and daughter again?"
The man in the green cap glanced sideways. "They are at the East Survival Registration Zone. If there are no issues, they will be assigned a spot tonight. As for you, you're off duty today."
He handed Thuong Sinh a room card. It was black with a dark gold border, bearing only a room number and a sector code. "Your room is in Sector C."
"Where is Sector C?"
"....." The man was silent for a beat. "Not easy to find. Follow me."
Thuong Sinh said nothing, tucked the card into his pocket, and followed. They left the inspection area, crossing a narrow passage. "This is Sector C," the man said. "The dormitory for Awakened and special individuals."
Thuong Sinh slowed his pace. "A dormitory?"
The corridor widened, lined with steel doors bearing room numbers. At the end of the hall, they stopped before door C10-03. The man swiped the card.
Click.
The door opened. "Your room."