Fia, the self-aware central AI, was curious. It acted like a child, interested in everything around it.
Fia used its powerful capabilities to gather knowledge from the internet. It grew quickly.
At the 996 New Recruit Training Camp, 11th Regiment Base, Fengtai Star.
Jackson was asleep when ice-cold water splashed over him. He jumped up, ready to shout. But when he saw Instructor Hoffman glaring at him, he stopped.
Hoffman, along with two assistants—Bill and Yan Hui—were pouring buckets of ice water on the sleeping recruits.
“Sir!” Jackson quickly gave a hasty salute.
“You maggots! Get up and run 100 laps! Space paratroopers need strength, not weaklings!” Hoffman yelled.
Jackson knew what was coming. They were in trouble again. Hoffman didn’t follow the base schedule. He would disrupt their rest and make them train anytime. This led to the 7th squad being mocked by the other squads.
Keane, slow to react, stayed still. Hoffman kicked him out of the barracks. Keane cried out, then quickly scrambled up and rushed to catch up with Jackson.
Soon, the training field was filled with the chaotic sound of running feet. The 7th squad’s over 100 recruits were all over the place.
It was no surprise they weren’t in sync. It was 4 AM. The other squads were still sleeping. The track was hard to see in the dark. Jackson thought, "This is ridiculous."
“Jackson, I’m so tired. Does Hoffman want to make us suffer? He always makes us run two hours earlier than the others!” Li Feng complained, gasping for air.
“Li Feng, just run. The instructors are doing this for our own good,” Xiao Yi said, pushing him.
“You…” Li Feng was about to argue when their temporary squad leader, Bohr, came over and scolded them, “No talking! You Panhua tribe are always so chatty.”
“Hmph.”
“Using a chicken feather as an order token.”
“You’ll see! After this training, someone from the military academy will take over as squad leader, not Bohr,” one of the Panhua recruits whispered.
Bohr walked off, and a few Panhua recruits laughed.
Jackson didn’t want to get involved in these issues. He didn’t feel like he belonged. He just wanted to get stronger, then find a way to return to Earth.
The recruits, running in the dark, soon scattered. The poor lighting made it impossible for them to stay in sync.
After 50 laps, the sky began to brighten. Jackson was gasping for air. His chest and throat burned with pain.
He kept pushing himself. He knew he had to work harder than the others to stand out and earn a promotion.
Suddenly, his left leg gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. His knee throbbed with pain.
Just as Jackson reached for his knee, he saw boots in front of him. He looked up and saw Hoffman glaring down at him. “Private Clown, I told you, you’ll start from the beginning.”
“Sir, it’s…” Jackson didn’t understand what Hoffman meant and didn’t get up to keep running.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Hoffman pulled out his sidearm and shot a laser next to Jackson. A small hole appeared in the ground, smoking.
Jackson stared at Hoffman, who shouted, “Private Clown, run! I’m a senior instructor, and I can have you executed for disobedience. If you don’t start running, the next shot will blow your head off.”
Jackson thought, “Damn, I’m just trying to figure out what you meant.”
Hoffman was ruthless. Jackson knew if he didn’t move quickly, he might not survive. He immediately started running again, shaking with fear.
Hoffman continued to push the recruits past their limits. He scared them into doing their best. No one knew if Hoffman would actually shoot them, but his threats kept them moving. The recruits kept breaking their own limits, suddenly full of energy despite their exhaustion.
Along with Hoffman, Bill and Yan Hui stood by the edge of the field, watching the 7th squad.
After 100 laps, most of the recruits were exhausted. They could barely stand. Only a few remained upright.
Jackson, like the others, was about to squat when a whip cracked next to him. He jumped to his feet.
Hoffman pulled back the whip and slapped it in his hand. He shouted, “Soldiers must keep their military posture at all times! Attention! Head up, chest out, eyes forward, hands at your sides!”
Bill and Yan Hui demonstrated at the front. Hoffman walked around, whipping anyone who wasn’t in position. After a few lashes, Jackson finally got his posture right.
This wasn’t too hard for Jackson. He had done military training at university, and the Kabas Empire’s posture was similar to Earth’s.
Those who reacted slowly had a harder time. Keane received over 50 lashes but still didn’t get it. Hoffman shouted at him again.
For the past few days, they had been practicing basic drills: formation and tactics.
Dozens of squads from the 11th Regiment trained together on the field. The atmosphere was loud and full of energy.
By noon, the sun was scorching, and the temperature reached over 40°C. The new recruits from the 7th squad were still standing at attention, drenched in sweat.
Without Hoffman’s orders, no one dared to stop. The other squads had already finished their rest, but the 7th squad had to endure.
The heat tested their endurance. Over 60 recruits collapsed and were carried off to recover in the shade.
Jackson’s head grew heavy, and stars danced in his vision. His posture faltered. When he lost focus, the whip cracked again. The pain and heat brought him back to attention, and he stayed in position.
After hours of torment, Jackson managed to hold on for another hour. More than 30 recruits collapsed. Xiao Yi, Li Feng, and Keane were among them.
Jackson’s uniform clung to him, soaked with sweat. He couldn’t hold on much longer. His eyelids were heavy, and darkness crept in. Finally, he fell to the ground.
Yan Hui rushed over to check on him. “He’s passed out,” he said coldly.
Hoffman glanced at Jackson, then nodded slightly. The recruits who lasted this long had earned Hoffman’s approval.
The three instructors stood a bit farther away, watching the remaining recruits.
Yan Hui nodded toward Jackson and said, “This kid doesn’t have enough stamina.”
Bill shrugged. “Honestly, no one in the 7th squad is qualified. Not even those still standing.”
Hoffman laughed. “Don’t be too harsh. The ones still here, including the one just carried off, have potential. After our training, they will become excellent space paratroopers.”
The other two instructors kept quiet. They knew Hoffman was tough—he punished, insulted, and overworked the recruits. But they didn’t argue. Hoffman’s battle record spoke for itself.
Jackson, unconscious, would never know that Hoffman had smiled.
Yan Hui hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to speak.
Hoffman noticed and asked, “Instructor Yan, if you have something to say, say it. The Empire has entrusted us with the 7th squad. We must train them well. We need unity to defeat the enemy. There can’t be any grudges between us.”
Yan Hui nodded. “Lately, the Panhua recruits have been complaining about the food trays. They’re all getting synthetic food. I didn’t believe it at first, but I checked with other squads. It seems like it’s the same situation everywhere. The Panhua recruits have started talking about it.”
Hoffman was surprised. Why hadn’t anyone reported this?
Yan Hui, being from the Panhua tribe, didn’t want to bring up such a sensitive issue. He knew how Hoffman could be.
Bill agreed. “This is strange. We’ve never had so many Panhua recruits. The Panhua tribe makes up only 5% of the population, but they make up almost half of the 11th Regiment’s recruits.”
Hoffman didn’t immediately respond.
As a former battle hero, Hoffman was sharp. He wouldn’t have survived if he wasn’t smart.
“How are the recruits reacting? Any signs of extreme behavior?” Hoffman asked.
Yan Hui sighed. “Their emotions are still under control, but more and more are complaining about the taste of the synthetic food. It’s only been a few days, but this could become a bigger issue.”
He didn’t mention everything. The Panhua recruits were getting synthetic food while others got real food. This was causing some tension. Yan Hui didn’t want to bring it up himself.
“It’s not that serious. We always require a bit of synthetic food,” Bill said casually.