IMAO Chapter 24

After silently complaining about Ji Rong being a useless Alpha, Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong finished breakfast and headed straight to today’s training ground.

Instructor Horace stood with his arms crossed behind his back, chest out, body as straight as a pine tree. His olive-green eyes coldly glanced down at the time—five minutes until class. Scanning the students who had already arrived at the training field, he nodded in satisfaction after a quick headcount.

Jiang Yuan had just arrived to find his classmates eagerly waiting for the lesson to begin. After all, those who could pass the military academy entrance exams and pilot mechas were all skilled fighters.

Regarding yesterday’s events in the game, when the students of Class 1 saw Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong arriving together, they cried out in mock despair, “Our class’s two powerhouses have arrived!”

After the students whispered among themselves for a moment, Instructor Horace immediately began today’s combat lesson. Following a quick, simple explanation of fighting techniques, he said in a stern voice, “Learning set moves is useless in combat. If you want to learn it quickly, you must fight. To learn how to fight, you must learn from getting hit.”

“Alright, now pair up and practice.”

As soon as Horace finished speaking, everyone’s gaze fell on Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong. Yesterday, their mechas had completely overwhelmed the others, but in hand-to-hand combat, even if they couldn’t beat Ji Rong, they could surely defeat Jiang Yuan. After all, these Alphas still had a physical advantage.

Just as they were pairing up, Ji Rong nudged Jiang Yuan with his elbow, intending to suggest they team up. However, someone beat him to it, “Jiang Yuan, want to pair up with me?”

Jiang Yuan turned to look at the tall, burly boy who had called out to him. All the students were freshmen, around eighteen years old. Jiang Yuan remembered this student’s name was Su Yu. “Sure,” he replied.

Behind Su Yu stood several other male classmates, clearly his friends who had egged him on.

Ji Rong, who had been beaten to the punch: …

Hearing Jiang Yuan agree, the surrounding students who had wanted to pair with him silently regretted not acting faster. Jiang Yuan was the only Beta in the class. Even though he was remarkably skilled, he was still at a physical disadvantage against the Alphas. This might be their only chance to defeat him!

As the others paired off, those familiar with Su Yu warned Jiang Yuan, “Don’t be fooled by his stupid looks, Jiang Yuan. He’s actually quite cunning! His family’s fighting style is passed down and really powerful!”

“Be careful, Jiang Yuan! Watch out for his attacks!”

Su Yu had a youthful, almost cute face. As they faced each other, he scratched his head and said, “Jiang Yuan, you attack me first!”

Jiang Yuan hesitated, “Is that really okay?”

Su Yu scratched his head again. “Don’t worry! I may not look it, but I’m really good at fighting! Even my dad can’t beat me!”

“Alright then!” After some thought, Jiang Yuan agreed to Su Yu’s request.

Jiang Yuan’s stamina was indeed inferior to an Alpha’s. Even though he had worked hard to improve his physical condition, there were still fundamental differences between their bodies. As a result, Jiang Yuan fought with more technique!

Seizing a critical moment, Jiang Yuan raised his arm to block Su Yu’s attack, then immediately kicked out, striking the back of Su Yu’s knee!

“Thud!”

Su Yu dropped to one knee.

Su Yu hadn’t expected to leave such an opening and end up on his knee so quickly. In reality, with Alphonse’s help, Jiang Yuan had seen more than just this weakness. However, Jiang Yuan felt that in a fight between classmates, he couldn’t aim for the face—that would be too unsightly!

Su Yu shifted to the side to create distance between himself and Jiang Yuan. Jiang Yuan didn’t pursue. A flying kick was about to land on Jiang Yuan’s head when he sidestepped, dodging the attack. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Su Yu’s hand, and with a quick maneuver, Su Yu found himself flat on his back, spread-eagled on the ground!

His legs instantly ached!

Su Yu scrambled to his feet. Many classmates had been watching surreptitiously and witnessed his embarrassing moment. Su Yu took a deep breath, then turned to look at the two companions who had egged him on earlier, his face a picture of misery. He felt so exhausted!

Wasn’t this supposed to be the only class where they could possibly defeat Jiang Yuan?

How annoying!

Jiang Yuan offered Su Yu a hand up. Once on his feet, Su Yu looked at Jiang Yuan and said, “Jiang Yuan, I’m getting serious now. I’m attacking!”

Jiang Yuan nodded, looking bewildered. So his opponent hadn’t been serious before?

Su Yu attacked again, this time more fiercely. However, Jiang Yuan calmly blocked Su Yu’s not-so-fast punch. As Jiang Yuan dodged this fist, another came straight for his face. Without thinking, Jiang Yuan sidestepped this attack and silently delivered a kick to Su Yu’s stomach!

Su Yu tumbled to the ground, on the verge of tears. All his attacks had been easily read, and he’d been kicked down by Jiang Yuan countless times!

This wasn’t sparring; it was a proper beating!

Finally, the big boy Su Yu looked imploringly at his two companions. However, his two friends deliberately avoided his gaze, choosing to ignore him.

Su Yu: …

Su Yu was now scared. He didn’t mind practicing with others, but getting beaten like this? He wasn’t stupid! Although Jiang Yuan had been restrained each time, never hitting his face, Su Yu’s face still felt painful. Falling all over the place like this was incredibly embarrassing!

“Instructor, I want to switch partners!” Su Yu whimpered to Horace.

“Instructor… I want to switch too…” A bruised and swollen-faced boy came over, holding his face and pleading pitifully to Horace.

The culprit who had beaten the boy so badly was, of course, Ji Rong. When Su Yu had paired with Jiang Yuan, Ji Rong had randomly picked a partner. Thinking about earlier, he couldn’t control his strength, and his sparring partner suffered for it.

Horace had observed the situation. He nodded slightly, realizing there was no point in pairing people with such mismatched abilities. He directly called out Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong, instructing them to practice together.

Hearing Horace’s order, Jiang Yuan didn’t want to practice with Ji Rong but had no choice but to accept his fate.

Practicing with Ji Rong inevitably meant physical contact. Ji Rong’s pheromones were too domineering, even affecting him as a Beta. But now there was no choice; it seemed no one else in the class was willing to pair with him…

With Alphonse as his cheat device, he could predict his opponent’s next move based on their body language. Alphonse was definitely the most useful thing he had ever bought, most helpful on the spaceship, and even after transmigrating and dying, it was still the best.

Ji Rong walked up to Jiang Yuan, smiled slightly, and said, “Let’s begin.”

Jiang Yuan: “Mm.”

Setting everything else aside, Ji Rong was very strong. His violent attacks, like a fierce wind, were completely at odds with his roguish smile!

They practiced all morning, each having wins and losses. After lunch, there was another combat class in the afternoon. Jiang Yuan didn’t want to team up with Ji Rong; this useless Alpha couldn’t control his pheromones at all, constantly releasing them unintentionally, which annoyed him.

However, when it came time to pair up in the afternoon, Jiang Yuan… Jiang Yuan couldn’t find anyone willing to team up with him! Except for Ji Rong, none of the thirty students wanted to pair with him. Even Su Yu, who had volunteered to be his partner in the morning, flat-out refused him.

“Jiang Yuan, you should pair up with Ji Rong. You two are more suitable!”

Jiang Yuan: …

“That’s right, that’s right. You two are better suited together. Fighting with us… isn’t that bullying?”

Jiang Yuan: …

After witnessing Jiang Yuan and Ji Rong practice together this morning, everyone had already categorized them separately. Their eyes seemed to say:

“Jiang Yuan, you must be self-aware. We won’t team up with you!”

“You and Ji Rong together, isn’t that great? Us? We’re out of your league!”

“No matter who we choose to pair with, it won’t be you, don’t worry!”

Jiang Yuan resigned himself to his fate. It seemed he could only team up with Ji Rong this afternoon, enduring the strong scent of Ji Rong’s pheromones.

Ji Rong, who had been watching Jiang Yuan intently, leaned against the wall. Seeing Jiang Yuan return, he whistled and said, “Looks like it’s just you and me again.”

Jiang Yuan glanced at him and said, “Ji Rong, can’t you control your pheromones at all?”

Ji Rong: “Not really.” (Actually, I can! It’s just that I can’t when I’m around you!)

Jiang Yuan: “What’s wrong with you?”

Ji Rong: “I get excited easily when fighting, and when I’m excited, I can’t control myself. But you’re a Beta. Shouldn’t you be insensitive to pheromones? Besides, my scent isn’t unpleasant. It shouldn’t distract you during the fight, right?”

Jiang Yuan: “…” He was at a loss for words. He couldn’t exactly say that Ji Rong’s pheromones made his heart race, could he?

Seeing Ji Rong’s smile, Jiang Yuan rubbed his head, really wanting to hit him!

The afternoon practice was even more intense because Jiang Yuan suddenly changed his rhythm, actively attacking. Jiang Yuan threw a sudden punch, but Ji Rong tilted his head to dodge. Jiang Yuan’s fist came at Ji Rong again, while simultaneously reaching to grab Ji Rong’s arm.

Ji Rong curled his lips, his body quickly retreating. Before he could steady himself, he noticed Jiang Yuan flash a smile, lightly kicking at his ankle. Then Jiang Yuan leaped back to dodge, but Ji Rong was quick. He grabbed Jiang Yuan around the neck, and they both fell to the ground.

Ji Rong pulled Jiang Yuan down with him, his hand pressed against Jiang Yuan’s neck. As they fell, Ji Rong embraced Jiang Yuan, ending up sitting on top of him.

Jiang Yuan’s back was pressed tightly against Ji Rong’s chest, surrounded by the intense Alpha pheromones unique to Ji Rong. Jiang Yuan felt dazed.

Ji Rong’s handsome features were restrained, and there was no smile on his face at this time. His deep black eyes held a captivating power. The man’s hand gripped Jiang Yuan’s neck, his palm alarmingly hot. His expression was one of restraint and suppression. Combined with the almost drowning scent of Alpha pheromones, this sensation made Jiang Yuan’s back inexplicably shiver, instinctively wanting to get away.

Pushing Ji Rong’s hand away, Jiang Yuan said, “I give up. Get off!”

Hearing Jiang Yuan’s voice, Ji Rong snapped out of his trance and got up from Jiang Yuan. After standing, he extended his hand to Jiang Yuan.

Jiang Yuan hesitated for a moment but still grasped Ji Rong’s burning hand and stood up.

“Let’s continue!” Ji Rong’s deep voice sounded by his ear.

Jiang Yuan nodded, and the two resumed their combat.

Meanwhile, on Red Planet, at the Jiang residence.

Song Yirui brought lunch to visit Qiu Jingming. As soon as he opened the door, he was enveloped by the sweet, intoxicating scent of an Omega in heat. The pheromones clouded his judgment, making his heart race.

“Rui-gege…” a voice called softly from the couch. A beautiful boy, delicate as a porcelain doll, curled up on the floor. Tears glistened in his eyes as he bit his lower lip, his body aching with desire for an Alpha.

To prevent Song Yirui from leaving early, Qiu Jingming took the heat-inducing drug two hours ahead of schedule. Now, catching the Alpha’s scent, he felt his body temperature soar.

Qiu Jingming’s clothes were in disarray, soaked with sweat and revealing his pale chest. His face flushed an alluring shade of pink.

“Ah…” Qiu Jingming let out a soft moan. He craved the Alpha before him, longed to be held and possessed. The drug-induced heat left his entire body feverish with need.

The moment he caught Song Yirui’s scent, Qiu Jingming struggled to his feet and stumbled towards him.

Song Yirui was at a loss for words. He never imagined that a simple lunch delivery would lead to encountering Qiu Jingming in heat!

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. An Alpha facing an Omega in heat was bound to lose control. He knew he should leave immediately, while he still had a shred of rationality left.

But…

Qiu Jingming’s trembling body drew closer. As he reached Song Yirui, his strength seemed to give out. He collapsed against Song Yirui’s chest, his face pressed close.

“Rui-gege, help me, please… I feel so awful, so uncomfortable.”

Qiu Jingming’s hands clung to Song Yirui, making him shudder. With his last bit of willpower, Song Yirui tried to push Qiu Jingming away. “Jingming, I… I…”

“Rui-gege… don’t go… please…” Lost to the heat, Qiu Jingming was sure that the person in front of him was Song Yirui. He threw caution to the wind and pressed his lips against Song Yirui’s!

Feeling Qiu Jingming tremble against him, Song Yirui looked down at the Omega. His own pheromones burst forth, no longer under his control. Qiu Jingming’s fair skin flushed a beautiful shade of red, a light sheen of sweat on his body. The Omega’s potent scent finally overcame Song Yirui’s resistance.

Song Yirui’s reason crumbled in an instant. He gently stroked Qiu Jingming’s hair and murmured, “I’m here. I won’t leave.”

The air grew thick with their heated breaths. Song Yirui unbuttoned his collar, revealing his muscular chest as they pressed close together.

He knew this was wrong, but the Alpha-Omega heat… he truly couldn’t control himself.

I’m sorry.

Jiang Yuan will understand.

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