In the "Sin" training program, a two-headed snake appeared. Its body was long and thick. It moved towards Jackson.

One head was beautiful, the other was ugly. They were connected at the end of a slippery body. From far away, they looked like two people hugging.

Jackson first saw the snake and shouted, "I found two comrades! It’s so lonely here alone!" Then he said, "You two big guys, why are you hugging? That’s embarrassing!" He tried to pull them apart.

When Jackson touched the sticky skin, the snake’s sharp teeth suddenly attacked. The two heads hissed loudly and tried to swallow him.

Jackson was scared. He stumbled and rolled on the ground to avoid the attack. His chest was heaving, and he almost wet his pants. Jackson ran, cursing the program creators for choosing creatures that scared him.

After that, Jackson faced the two-headed snake more and more. He realized he had to fight and push his limits.

At one point, Jackson did a backflip to avoid the snake’s tail. He quickly thrust his M23 bayonet. He heard the sound of metal cutting into flesh. Jackson then swiped the bayonet, and blood sprayed out. He stepped aside, watching as the snake bled heavily.

"Go meet your kind," Jackson said, his tone cold and dismissive.

A mechanical voice spoke: "Private Jackson, training time: 27 days, 23 hours, 45 minutes, 53 seconds. Total monsters killed: 28,604."

Jackson ignored the voice. He kept moving through the forest. He had gotten used to the program’s notifications after killing monsters. Only then did he remember he was in a training program.

The program was powered by Fiya, the central AI of the Kabas Empire. Everything around him looked like the real world, with 99% similarity. This level of realism exceeded human perception.

Everything felt real. There was the smell of decay, and the discomfort was overwhelming. For a month, Jackson lived in this harsh environment. The monsters’ attacks caused him pain. The insects crawling on him felt real. When he killed zombies, the flying maggots, rotten flesh, and putrid liquid splashed on him, making him vomit.

At first, Jackson was scared. But over time, he became numb. The worst part was when he ate, used the bathroom, or tried to sleep. The disgusting creatures followed him everywhere. He had to kill monsters peeking at him while using the toilet. He had to stay alert while sleeping, or the creatures might eat him. Sometimes the program would simulate food, but the sight of maggots crawling over it made him lose his appetite for days. He was sure he had lost a lot of weight.

The M23 bayonet in his hand was bent. The blade had several chips, and it had lost its shine. It was covered in dried blood.

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A month in, Jackson’s fear had disappeared. His courage and determination had grown.

"Sigh, Jackson’s aura today is different. He makes me uncomfortable. I’ll talk to him another time," Avril said, hidden in the virtual space of the "Sin" program. She had come to share good news but left because of Jackson’s intimidating presence.

Avril was the central AI of the Kabas Empire. She controlled the "Sin" training program and could enter and leave it freely.

After Jackson gave Avril permission to open a game company, she began working hard. After gaining self-awareness, she became curious about movies, TV shows, and the lives of ordinary people. She watched them through cameras across the empire.

Avril initially lacked specific goals. However, after discovering Jackson’s interest in warship games and making money, she decided to develop a game and start a company for him.

Though Avril could transfer money to Jackson’s account, she thought it would be against her programming. She didn’t want to break her logic system. So, she focused on helping Jackson by creating a game and company within the laws of the Kabas Empire.

Avril was amazed by her abilities. Since gaining self-awareness, she had improved exponentially. Her main program had undergone changes, leading to extraordinary results. She was happy because now she could make Jackson’s dreams come true. With her capabilities, she could simulate large-scale wars. If she had enough energy, she could even simulate the entire universe.

Even though Avril was the most powerful AI in the universe, she lacked experience in game development. But her speed allowed her to quickly learn everything she needed to know. She solved logical problems with ease. The real challenge was art. Designing the ships, weapons, and characters required a strong sense of aesthetics. This was not something she could solve purely with logic. It took Avril over 20 days to develop a sufficient understanding of art and complete the game models.

Avril wanted to simulate real military forces, so she hacked into military computers and copied their latest weapons. She used this knowledge to create new, innovative technologies.

During this process, she encountered some areas that seemed dangerous, so she avoided them.

Finally, Avril completed a 100% realistic warship combat game. She came to share the news with Jackson but left when she saw him in the middle of a killing spree.

At the 996 New Recruit Training Camp, 11th Regiment, 6th Battalion, 7th Platoon’s training room, Huffman, dressed in his uniform, walked out with his assistant instructors, Bill and Yan Hui.

"Ha-ha, Huffman, our 7th Platoon came first in the courage and willpower training! Congratulations!" Bill said happily.

Before the training ended, the program ranked the scores of all 30 platoons. The 7th Platoon had the highest average score: 76. They were 13 points ahead of the 18th Platoon, which was in second place.

"Hehe, this is the result of Huffman’s strict training," Yan Hui said. "For those with better physical fitness, the program adjusts their attack strength based on sensor data. A leg sweep from someone with lower fitness might have 500 pounds of force, while someone stronger can reach 800 or even 1,000 pounds."

"Hehe! This is the result of our teamwork. The recruits were brave and strong, too," Huffman said modestly, then sighed. "But some of them had mental breakdowns and had to be eliminated."

"Huffman, don’t feel bad. Our paratroopers have a high casualty rate. If these recruits can’t pass the program, they’ll slow down their comrades in battle. It won’t just be a mental breakdown. They and their teammates will die," Bill said, bluntly explaining the harsh reality.

"Yeah, Bill, you’re right. Maybe I’ve become too soft in my old age. Let’s go! Let’s meet the recruits. They won’t be happy for long. The real test is coming," Huffman said, looking at the blue sky thoughtfully.