Chapter 7: Can an Enigma Be Reverse Marked?

Qi Wei’s expression turned astonishing.

He turned to look at Qu Zhuzhu Qing, who was sitting on the sofa tightly clutching the Pheromone Storage Dish.

“Implanting the pheromones of someone who died ten years ago into a gland? Whose gland?” Qi Wei was completely bewildered.

Implanting pheromones into a gland was a form of artificial marking.

A permanent mark.

The Alpha pheromones in this culture dish were potent and still active, meaning there was a possibility of successful artificial marking.

But this was clearly inappropriate.

“Even if the pheromones in the storage dish are still active, the person has been dead for ten years!” Qi Wei’s voice grew shrill.

After an Omega is marked, they need to spend every heat period with their Alpha; otherwise, even Suppressants wouldn’t be entirely effective.

Being marked by a dead person meant every heat period for the rest of their life would be excruciatingly painful.

No one would do something so insane!

“Zhuzhu Qing, even if your brother had someone he loved, even if you want to fulfill your brother’s wishes, you can’t be so inhumane…” Qi Wei took several steps back, looking horrified.

Qu Zhuzhu Qing shot him a disdainful glance, hardly wanting to engage.

But from Qi Wei’s words, he had already drawn a conclusion.

The pheromones in this storage dish could be used for marking.

“I remember Omega pheromones can be artificially implanted to reverse mark an Alpha, right?” Qu Zhuzhu Qing asked softly.

But his tone was calm, clearly indicating he already had the answer in mind.

Qi Wei stared at Qu Zhuzhu Qing in terror.

Qu Zhuzhu Qing was an Enigma.

The pheromones in the storage dish belonged to Bai Tan, an Alpha.

So what Qu Zhuzhu Qing was really asking wasn’t whether an Omega could reverse mark an Alpha, but whether an Alpha could reverse mark an Enigma!

It was too insane.

This idea was utterly mad.

An Enigma, whose pheromone level surpassed countless others, wanted to be marked willingly.

And by an Alpha who had been dead for ten years!

“Qu Zhuzhu Qing, do you have any idea what you’re saying?” Qi Wei rushed up to him, slamming his hands on the coffee table. “Have you lost your mind?”

Qu Zhuzhu Qing’s gaze remained composed.

He didn’t look at the pale-faced Qi Wei, whom he had frightened, but continued to stare intently at the storage dish.

The dish was well-sealed, yet he still felt as if he could catch a faint whiff of the white sandalwood scent inside.

It was too faint.

Not enough.

It needed to merge into his flesh and blood, never to part again.

Qu Zhuzhu Qing leaned his head back, sinking his entire body into the sofa.

Even his breathing seemed feeble.

“Qi Wei, these past few days, I caught an assassin from the Polar Domain.” Qu Zhuzhu Qing spoke as if exhausted, pausing to catch his breath before continuing, “I don’t know what methods they used, but his face was identical to my brother’s…”

Qi Wei looked up, his expression turning grave.

He spent most of his years in the lab researching biological agents and had little contact with Altered.

But when had those brutal and savage beings started playing mind games?

“If I hadn’t received accurate intel beforehand and known his identity, I would have almost mistaken him for my brother.” Qu Zhuzhu Qing’s eyes, fixed blankly on the ceiling, were filled with deep exhaustion. “I almost couldn’t tell the difference…”

Qi Wei listened quietly as Qu Zhuzhu Qing spoke.

Qu Zhuzhu Qing always appeared too aloof and ruthless in front of others.

Only when facing Qi Wei could he shed some of his pretense.

Qi Wei knew exactly how difficult Qu Zhuzhu Qing’s journey had been.

When Qu Zhuzhu Qing left Chu Shen, he was only thirteen years old.

From then on, it was the belief in revenge that kept him going until today.

At fourteen, he entered the most brutal Special Training Center of the Commandery, living on the edge of life and death every day. He fought his way to his current high position and, in the process, stripped away all the gentleness he once had.

He was like a beast blinded by hatred.

Even when exhausted, he never stopped the slaughter.

But now…

“Qi Wei, I can’t hold on any longer.” Qu Zhuzhu Qing closed his weary eyes with difficulty.

As the hatred faded, all that remained in his gaze was lifeless stillness.

It was as if only hatred made him feel alive.

“Zhuzhu Qing…” Qi Wei didn’t know what else he could say to comfort him. The despair of a heart that had given up could never be pulled back, no matter what.

All words felt weak and unnecessary.

“Help me implant the gland,” Qu Zhuzhu Qing opened his eyes and looked at Qi Wei.

Those once sharp and spirited eyes now held a despairing emptiness.

He couldn’t bring himself to beg, but his tone was infinitely subdued.

Chu Shen had left him with very little.

A photograph, a Coalition Badge without a serial number and missing a corner, and a diary that abruptly ended the year he turned thirteen.

Nothing more…

Just one thing connected to Chu Shen was enough to keep Qu Zhuzhu Qing going for a long time.

He had long learned to be content.

Because fate had never given him the chance to ask for more.

“Zhuzhu Qing, you need to think this through carefully. Once an Enigma is Reverse Marked, it can never be undone. You won’t even have a chance to regret it.” Qi Wei’s expression remained hesitant.

The Heat period for an Enigma was already hard to endure because conventional Suppressants on the market only targeted Alphas.

Enigm pheromones were too potent; Suppressants couldn’t restrain them at all.

If he marked someone else and had companionship during his Heat period, it would naturally be more bearable.

But if he were the one marked and had to endure the Heat period alone, Qi Wei could hardly imagine how agonizing that would be.

“At least I won’t die.” Qu Zhuzhu Qing smiled bitterly.

No matter how painful the Heat period might be, at least it could keep him alive, right?

He was on the verge of collapse now.

The weight of hatred was almost crushing him.

Killing brought no satisfaction for revenge; Chu Shen would never return.

“Also, the files only stated that he died in action ten years ago, with no remains recovered.” Qu Zhuzhu Qing turned his head; his eyes filled with morbid longing.

He should have accepted Chu Shen’s death long ago.

But he needed something to hold onto, even if it was an unrealistic hope.

“What if he isn’t dead? What if he comes back? Once I’m marked, I’ll be the first to sense his Pheromone.” For a moment, a flicker of hope appeared in Qu Zhuzhu Qing’s eyes.

Qi Wei couldn’t bring himself to shatter Qu Zhuzhu Qing’s illusion.

In the end, he nodded with great difficulty: “Alright, I’ll prepare the surgery for you. But the risk of failure is high. If it fails, your gland could suffer lifelong complications, including Pheromone imbalance and during heat periods…”

Qu Zhuzhu Qing merely smiled. “With your abilities, when you say the risk is ‘very high,’ it still means at least more than half chance of success.”

For him, this was already considered good.

Hadn’t his life always been fought for this way?

Only in the past, fighting desperately was just to kill a few more Altered.

No matter how many he killed, it never made his life any easier.

But this time, what he was gambling for was a mark that could forever connect him to Chu Shen.

It was the only thing related to Chu Shen that he could grasp.

Wasn’t this worth more than all the lives he’d fought for before…

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