Chapter 109: The Gap, Fight It Out
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Good luck…Good luck!”
On the four-hundred-meter training ground, the first batch of five recruits from the first squad began their training.
On the sidelines, the recruits cheered loudly, full of enthusiasm.
Not far away, the seasoned soldiers of the Iron Blood Company watched with amusement, reminiscing about their own past.
“What a familiar scene. Last year, 1 was also that high-spirited,” sighed a veteran as he observed the cheering recruits.
However, in the next moment, the veteran bit their head off.
“You newbie!” The one who made the swift move scolded with a laugh, “You’re barely a fresh recruit yourself! Why are you pretending to be an old squad leader?”
“Hehe, I guess you’re right. 1 may have been around for a bit longer, but I’m no veteran,” the soldier admitted, his tough facade crumbling.
“That’s true. When these new recruits join forces, you’ll become the experienced ones,” the other soldier remarked.
“Of course, that’s still two months away. Besides, we might not get many new recruits. There might not be a single one joining your class in the end. If that happens, I’ll request to transfer two from the first or second batches to your squad. You’ll still be a little brother!”
“All! How is that possible? If it comes to that, I’d rather betray them and join whichever squad has new recruits!”
“I’ll kill you, and you still want to betray me?” Another veteran interjected, walking over to the scene.
In an instant, the soldier quickly apologized, his bravado gone.
“Two minutes and eight seconds…2 minutes 17 seconds, 2 minutes 25 seconds, 2 minutes 41 seconds.”
The four results were announced one after another, but strangely, there were no decimals after the seconds.
As for why there were only four results, it was because none of them had successfully returned yet. They were still struggling to climb out of the pit.
Wang Ye observed that the most effective attack was a head strike, followed by a leg strike. However, despite their best efforts, they couldn’t overcome the challenge, and the creature in the pit kept them at bay.
“Alright, pull him up and move on to the next group!” Commander Wu Jianfeng declared, not willing to waste any more time.
He knew it was unlikely for the recruit to climb out at this point.
Without any further words or taunting, he turned to the platoon leader and simply said, “Continue!”
“I’m done. This is incredibly tough…”
“That Lu Zilin is from my school. He’s a sports student, and he always performed exceptionally well during training. I can’t believe he only managed two minutes and eight seconds this time…”
“I had a feeling earning a third-class merit wouldn’t be this easy…”
On the sidelines, as the first recruit’s attempt concluded, the others felt a heavy blow to their morale.
The best result so far was only two minutes and eight seconds, which was far from the impressive records set by the veterans!
Furthermore, this result was achieved by a group of sports students who had consistently excelled in physical fitness during training, making them among the fittest in the company.
Despair started to set in.
Before they saw the detailed data, they had some hope, but now…
Third-class merit?
How could they ever hope to achieve it?
At that moment, Wang Ye refrained from participating in the recruits’ discussions. His mind was conflicted as he weighed his options.
Should he take a gamble?
Certainly, his bet wouldn’t be to wait for the next round and give it his all then. Given his current situation, even if he was stronger than Lu Zilin from the previous class and spent more time familiarizing himself with the field, Wang Ye estimated that his results wouldn’t surpass Lu Zilin’s by much. It might even be an extravagant hope to perform better than the previous veteran with the worst results.
If he wanted to unleash his seed’s power, he needed to use skill points. However, he hadn’t yet completed the 400-meter obstacle, so he couldn’t use the skill just yet.
As for the idea of running once, then transforming it into a skill and adding points to rerun, Wang Ye dismissed it as nonsense. The significant improvement from the first to the second run, such as reducing the time by 30 to 40 seconds, was too absurd.
If he were to do this, he had to increase his speed and stamina first. He needed to run as well as he did the first time, and then ask for a second attempt. Simultaneously, he could invest points in the 400-meter obstacle.
This seemed like the only viable solution.
Speed and stamina were crucial, but what other aspects could he enhance?
Wang Ye pondered on this matter deeply.
Considering his options, Wang Ye decided against adding points to the 100m sprint and 3km sprint. Instead, he chose to invest in the 400 meters and 3 kilometers.
Even though the loom sprint provided a higher speed increase of 0.1 points, its explosive skills and experience were not suitable for the current situation. Wang Ye’s physical strength wouldn’t be able to sustain such intense speed for the required distance.
On the other hand, the speed increase from the 400m sprint was only 0.05 points, but its corresponding techniques and experience could be put to use in the current challenge. Wang Ye had already reached level 2 in the 400-meter sprint skill, and when he leveled up, he had also incorporated some additional experience and skills.
Wang Ye recognized that the experience and skills gained from running the 400-meter race a hundred times were more valuable and stable compared to someone who had only run it ten times.
With determination, Wang Ye made up his mind.
He decided to give it his all.
Gritting his teeth, he focused his mind and activated his skill points.
He was resolute in his decision, knowing that he could always earn more skill points in the future. But the opportunity to achieve a third-class merit was too significant to pass up.
Wu Jianfeng’s mention of target practice as a possible route to third-class merit seemed like a challenging task for Wang Ye. While he had the system’s support, obtaining third-class merit through shooting was no easy feat.
To gain the merit, Wang Ye had to hit the 10th ring with his first shot, or else subsequent shots wouldn’t count. Even if he managed to hit a full ring, it still didn’t guarantee third-class merit. Luck played a significant role, and it wasn’t something that occurred every year.
Similarly, becoming a training model also had a chance of obtaining third-class merit, but it wasn’t certain. It might end up rewarding only one exceptional recruit in the end.
If it came down to that, Wang Ye could only resign himself to regret.
He was aware that in the army, one could take exams to enter military schools during the second year of compulsory service or the first year as a corporal. However, after his rebirth, he had forgotten most of the knowledge from high school. While he had fused with the memories of this life, the person he was now was quite ignorant and incompetent, with his brain filled mostly with gaming and other unrelated memories.
Taking a self-study exam in the army would be no different from attempting to study at Qingbei University. The army life was already demanding with various training activities, leaving little time and energy for studying.
The only chance to take an exam might be if he was assigned to an extremely idle position and unit, which was highly unlikely. After all, the purpose of joining the army wasn’t to secure a job or receive a hefty retirement fee—it had a more profound meaning for Wang Ye.
As Wang Ye contemplated the possibility of taking an easier path and becoming a training pacesetter in a relatively idle position, Qin Li, a fellow recruit, interrupted his thoughts.
“Hey, Brother Wang, are you cold?” Qin Li asked, noticing Wang Ye’s trembling.
Wang Ye quickly tried to dismiss any concerns. “Uh, no, I’m just shaking a little to relax my muscles!”
He couldn’t reveal the truth about his drastically improved physical fitness due to the system.
Curiously, Qin Li decided to try the relaxation technique by shaking his body as well. He imitated Wang Ye, causing his entire body to tremble.
Wang Ye looked at Qin Li with a speechless expression, finding his behavior amusing and somewhat childish. He couldn’t help but smile at Qin Li’s antics..