EM

Southwest.

Border Defense Train Station!

In today's developed internet age, most people choose to buy tickets online, but here in this border town, due to outdated equipment, queuing to buy tickets still accounts for the majority.

In a long queue, a young man anxiously checked the time, gritted his teeth, stepped out from the back of the line, and hurried towards the ticket window.

"Hey? Someone's cutting in line!"

"Didn't you see we're all queuing?"

"Young people nowadays, how can they have such poor manners..."

The perfectly orderly queue was disrupted by the young man's actions, drawing a chorus of criticism and disapproval!

Everyone else is queuing, so why do you get to cut in line?

Who gave you special privileges???

"Sir, please go to the back of the line. Thank you for your cooperation."

The ticket seller said coldly.

The young man's face immediately flushed red.

Looking at the ticket seller awkwardly, he pulled out a certificate from his pocket: "I... I am a soldier. Can I buy a ticket first?"

Upon hearing "soldier," the noisy crowd immediately fell silent.

Military personnel have priority for tickets!

At any station in the country, whether it's for trains, ships, long-distance buses, or even civil aviation flights, this common slogan can be seen.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were a soldier!"

The ticket seller apologized immediately after glancing at the certificate.

"Wait!"

At this moment, an arrogant voice came from behind.

A man with a large belly and a thick gold chain around his neck glared at the young man: "Oh, so being a soldier makes you special, huh? Why should you get to buy tickets first?"

"I... I have an urgent matter." The young man's face was flushed.

"Everyone is queuing, who isn't in a hurry? Shouldn't you set an example and defer to the public?!"

The guy shouted loudly.

The young soldier stood there, at a loss.

"Truly, wherever you go, you find such parasites..."

Lu Yu put the manga he had just bought into his pocket and walked straight over.

The man with the gold chain was still spewing saliva, rattling off a stream of accusations.

"Hey, buddy!"

Lu Yu patted his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" He glared at Lu Yu.

"Nothing, just making sure you see clearly."

"???"

The man with the gold chain was bewildered.

Ouch!

Just as he was about to tell Lu Yu to get lost, he felt a heavy blow to his backside, and his bulky body lost control, rolling out like a meatball and falling to the ground with a thud.

Huh?

The people around were startled.

Who would have thought this rather delicate-looking young man was so fierce?

"Damn it! You..."

The man with the gold chain was furious.

Lu Yu ignored him, walked behind the young man, and pulled open his clothes.

"Open your dog eyes and see clearly!"

What?!

The man with the gold chain was stunned by the sight.

The people in the queue also changed their expressions!

Oh my god!!!

Is this... still a young man's body???

Covered in scars!

Rough skin, like cracked earth!

And several hideous, centipede-like knife scars, distributed across his chest, waist, and back.

It was hard to imagine what terrifying torment this young man's body had endured!

His two hands were as aged as a seventy-year-old farmer's, covered in thick calluses!

Living in an era of peace, when had they ever seen a person's body with so many scars?

It was so shocking!!!

Lu Yu also gasped sharply!

He knew this was a border soldier.

Border soldiers suffer greatly, and even face life-threatening dangers on every mission.

But it was only when they truly saw the scars before them that everyone understood this suffering was a hundred, a thousand times harder than they had imagined!

"Look closely, what were you doing at his age? Chasing girls? Playing games in internet cafes? Or asking your family for money? They risk their lives patrolling the border, defending the country, and protecting the safety of over a billion citizens of Dragon Nation..."

"Without them shedding their blood, could you live such a comfortable life and grow so fat? Without them, could you stand here acting tough? If it weren't for an extremely urgent matter, when would soldiers ever contend with the public?"

Yes!

How can there be a peaceful life?

It's just that in the darkness you don't know, someone is quietly bearing the burden for you.

The commotion also attracted the station's security guards.

The matter was simple; the man with the gold chain was causing trouble and was directly taken away.

"Thank you!"

The young soldier gratefully thanked Lu Yu.

"Go buy your ticket, border soldiers have it tough!"

For a soldier to be in such a hurry and not queue for a ticket, something extremely urgent must have happened.

"Brother, my father had a cerebral thrombosis and is still in the hospital. If I miss this train, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to go back. I'm afraid I won't see him for the last time, otherwise I wouldn't have..."

As he spoke, his voice choked up slightly, and his eyes reddened.

A man bleeds but doesn't cry!

If his old father wasn't dying, why would he leave his post?

Loyalty and filial piety have always been difficult to balance!

To defend the border, they sacrifice their small families for the greater good.

The two words 'soldier' are as heavy as a thousand jin!

"Then take a taxi back!"

"My family needs the money..."

Lu Yu sighed helplessly.

There are border soldiers, guarding the country's first line of defense at all times, sacrificing their small families for the greater good!

There are firefighters, facing natural disasters, fires, earthquakes, bravely carrying out rescue operations, rushing to the front lines without fear of death, saving countless innocent lives!

Not to mention battlefields, the number of people who die in disaster relief operations every year is not small!

Since they have priority in exercising the right to die over others.

Then why can't they have legal priority over others?

Are soldiers amazing?

Soldiers are, of course, amazing!

But some people nowadays only blindly idolize celebrities, calling handsome boys "oppa."

Generals' graves are unvisited!

Actors' family affairs are known worldwide!

Helpless, yet true.

"Issue the ticket immediately!"

The ticket seller immediately took the certificate to process it.

They guaranteed that even if there were no tickets, they would arrange for him to be in the crew compartment so he could catch this train home.

Lu Yu shook his head.

He didn't belong to this world and was powerless to change everything; he could only do his best.

"Ding! All professions are inferior, only studying is superior! Detecting that the host has grasped the faith of a soldier! Going to war for the country, fighting for the country, shedding blood on the battlefield without regret even in a hundred deaths!"

"The God-level Reading System has been changed to the Special Forces Reading Assistance System and activated early. Data scanning in progress..."

A clear and pleasant voice rang out in his mind.

What the hell???

Is this telling me to become a soldier?

One, two, three, four!"

"One, two, three…four!"

Southeast Military Region.

Six military-green trucks, filled with new recruits, slowly drove into the training camp square.

That's right, Lu Yu came to join the army!

Three days ago, after learning about the arrival of the system god, Lu Yu bought a train ticket to Donghai City, submitted his enlistment application, passed the new recruit physical examination, and became a glorious People's Liberation Army soldier.

When he got off the train and boarded the military vehicle, he saw those familiar faces.

Li Erniu, Wang Yanbing, He Chenguang… only then did he realize that he had come to the world of I Am a Special Forces Soldier!

The TV series "I Am a Special Forces Soldier" was very popular in his previous life, almost a household name.

This was a pure military world!

There were no world wars, no biochemical crises, and certainly no spiritual energy revival or scientific cultivation.

The overall environment of this world was almost the same as his previous life.

Except for occasional wars in the Middle East and the US constantly setting off fireworks at other people's doorsteps, it was generally peaceful and beautiful.

He didn't have to face life-and-death situations right from the start!

Speaking of the system.

He had a belly full of complaints he wanted to vent… He had been transmigrated for almost 10 years, and at first, the system told him that as long as he persevered and read a thousand books, he could activate the God-tier Reading System and reach the pinnacle of knowledge.

For this, Lu Yu spared no effort!

He studied diligently, burning the midnight oil every night.

From ancient and modern Chinese and foreign classics to the Three Hundred Tang Poems, from high school physics, chemistry, and mathematics textbooks to university calculus, and then to the material science and quantum computing researched by master's and doctoral students… He wasn't just knowledgeable about astronomy and geography, but also a modern top ten young theorist who knew five hundred years in the past and five hundred years in the future!

And he almost got an admission letter from Peking University.

But this system… told him to join the army?

What about the promised reading system!

What about reaching the pinnacle of knowledge?!

I've already read nine hundred and ninety-six books, and you just now tell me that this broken system can be activated early?

Alright… that's fine!

But changing from a God-tier Reading System to a Special Forces Reading Assistance System, what does that mean?

Lu Yu couldn't help but grin. You're a system, and you can change attributes at will?

Do you really think you're the Monkey King, capable of 72 transformations?

Damn it!

If that's the case.

Why did I read so many books?

"Host, there are golden houses in books, and beautiful women in books. Reading brings power, and knowledge changes destiny!"

"By reading and experiencing the knowledge and insights of the characters in books, as long as the immersion reaches 100%, you can use Merit Points to exchange for skills and items from the books. Whether it's the God-tier Reading System or the Special Forces Reading Assistance System, they are the same, just a change in name."

"The door to changing destiny through reading has opened for you. With me, you can gain various incredible abilities through reading and become an invincible Special Forces King… Host, please work hard!"

Lu Yu: "I believed your nonsense! You damn system, you tricked me into reading a thousand books. I might as well have slacked off and flirted with girls in that time."

System: "…"

Forget it.

Special forces it is!

In his previous life, joining the army was a childhood dream of his, but as he grew up, due to the pressure of life, he ran around everywhere, and the ideal of enlisting was long forgotten.

This was a regret.

In this life, being able to make up for this regret is also a roundabout way of fulfilling his military dream!

Soldiers defend their homes and country, shedding blood on the battlefield.

Never regretting even a hundred deaths!

Just like that border guard he met at the station!

He dedicated all his passion and blood to his homeland.

Since it was fate's arrangement, he had no choice but to accept it.

With a thought, he opened the attribute panel.

A virtual interface similar to a game appeared before Lu Yu's eyes:

Host: Lu Yu

Age: 18

Position: New recruit rookie

Physique: 7

Strength: 7

Speed: 8

Merit: 0

Skills: None

Tasks: None

Note: Normal person's values are 10.

Looking at his various stats, Lu Yu fell into contemplation.

The indicators of this body were all very poor, not even reaching the level of an average person.

These past years, he had been so focused on the goal of reading a thousand books that he rarely exercised!

Staying up all night reading every day, how could his body be good?

Thinking of this, he once again severely criticized the system.

This scamming system was indeed unreliable!

System: ㄟ (▔,▔) ㄏ… (Innocent face!)

Now that he had entered the military camp, improving his physical fitness was urgent!

Otherwise, it would be difficult to endure the upcoming training.

Lu Yu leaned against the carriage, closed his eyes to rest, appearing to be sleeping, but deep down, he was silently communicating with the system.

"By the way, System, is there any beginner's gift package?"

"Ding, detecting that the host has arrived at the military camp and officially become a People's Liberation Army soldier, you have received a special reward: one free extraction of a random book!"

As soon as the voice fell, he heard the system's voice.

Lu Yu's eyes lit up.

Haha! What you wish for, you get!

The scamming system finally did something decent… Lu Yu rubbed his hands, eager to try it out.

"Wait… this is a new recruit camp, where would I find books to read?"

Suddenly realizing something, Lu Yu looked a bit disheartened.

This problem was indeed not easy to solve!

He scratched his head, and suddenly his right hand touched a hard object in his back pocket, which felt like a book.

That's right!

Didn't he just buy a book at the train station? It was a comic book, Marvel's "Black Panther."

He quickly pulled it out to look, and sure enough, it was that one!

"Haha! There's always a way. This book was originally meant to pass the time while waiting for the train, but I didn't expect it to come in handy now."

Lu Yu felt delighted, immediately picked up the comic book, and started flipping through it.

At the same time, information about the book appeared in his mind:

Title: "Black Panther"

Type: Marvel

Level: Peak-tier

Immersion: 0%

"Peak-tier? What the hell is that… Never mind, I'll read it first!"

Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth!

Whether he could extract skills and items from the book.

It all depended on this… With the system's enhancement, the immersion reached 100%, and Lu Yu quickly sank into reading.

The green military trucks carried the new recruits to their first stop, the new recruit camp.

Twenty minutes later.

Upon arriving at the new recruit camp, Lu Yu let out a long breath, awakening from the system-enhanced reading immersion.

"Ding dong~"

Sure enough, the system prompt sounded as expected.

"Congratulations, Host, you have successfully achieved 100% immersion in 'Black Panther' and thoroughly read the entire book. You can extract an item/skill from the book once. Do you wish to extract?"

"Extract!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, extraction successful! You have obtained one portion of Marvel World Heart-Shaped Herb 2.0!"

Hearing the system's voice, Lu Yu was stunned.

He naturally knew about the Heart-Shaped Herb.

This was a large herb that grew in Wakanda in Black Panther. Due to a meteorite impact, it underwent mutation and possessed powerful and incredible abilities.

Each generation of Black Panther, by applying this herb to their body, could enhance various physical attributes. Both their speed and strength would far surpass ordinary people, similar to the Super Soldier Serum injected into Captain America!

However, the Heart-Shaped Herb's ability was even more impressive than the Super Soldier Serum, ranking first among Marvel's four mysterious potions.

It could be said that as long as a mortal consumed the Heart-Shaped Herb, they could instantly transform into a superhero!

But what was this 2.0 version about?

"The Heart-Shaped Herb 2.0 version is an upgrade based on the original, making it more suitable for a wider range of people, and its effects are better than the first generation."

The system stepped forward to explain.

"Understood."

Lu Yu rubbed his hands, full of excitement.

"Do you want to use it immediately?"

"Use!"

The plot has been adjusted; the original Super Soldier Serum has been changed to Heart-Shaped Herb and will be gradually replaced later. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to your reading experience.

Immediately.

Lu Yu felt as if currents of electricity were coursing through his body, and every cell seemed to be filled with a mysterious power.

His muscle fibers were clearly growing, his strength was increasing, his mind became incredibly clear, and he felt a warm, comfortable sensation, as if his whole body was soaking in warm water!

Products from the system must be high-quality!

Sure enough, version 2.0 was different.

Five minutes later.

Lu Yu took a deep breath and felt his body had changed.

It was like a powerful engine, with robust muscles that could unleash terrifying energy at any moment.

He could be described as light as a swallow; he was completely reborn.

He opened the attribute panel again.

The values on it had changed:

Host: Lu Yu

Age: 18

Physique: 30 (Normal people are 10, outstanding special forces soldiers)

Strength: 30 (Normal people are 10)

Speed: 30 (Normal people are 10)

Merit Points: 0

Skills: None

Backpack: Heart-shaped herb (Fusion progress 20%... Fusion paused!)

Noticing that the fusion was only 20% complete, Lu Yu silently gave a middle finger.

He had thought he would gain all of Black Panther's abilities!

It seemed his physical condition was too weak; only by continuously strengthening his physique could he ultimately complete the fusion.

However, even 20% fusion of the heart-shaped herb was enough to bring him up to the standard of a special forces soldier!

He could easily face the upcoming recruit camp training.

"Er Niu, wake up!"

Feeling the car stop, Lu Yu opened his eyes and patted Li Er Niu, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder.

"Let me sleep a little longer."

The simpleton smacked his lips a few times and rolled over.

"He really is a pig!"

Beside them, Wang Yanbing muttered softly, got up, and jumped out of the car.

"Er Niu, dinner's ready!"

Lu Yu smiled and leaned close to Li Er Niu's ear.

"What? Dinner's ready, where? Where is it?"

Li Er Niu quickly opened his eyes and looked around.

After scanning the car and realizing they were still inside, he pouted: "Lu Yu, you tricked me?"

"We're here, let's get off!"

Lu Yu pulled Li Er Niu along, and they jumped out of the car.

On the scorching square.

A group of new recruits stood lazily, observing the barracks, pointing and gesticulating, as if everything was so curious.

Lu Yu looked up and saw the national flag fluttering on the flagpole, as if dyed with fresh blood, solemn and majestic.

And in the center of the square, the powerful iron fist sculpture, with an unstoppable momentum, seemed capable of punching a hole in the sky!

He took a deep breath, filled with emotion.

This was the Iron Fist Regiment, a unit with iron-like discipline.

Those rookies, also entering the barracks for the first time, were stunned by this scene.

The air seemed to be filled with the smell of gunpowder.

Making people too nervous to even breathe loudly!

If there were no soldiers, no blood and sweat they shed, how could there be such peaceful and comfortable life today?

A powerful, iron-like army is the guarantee of a nation's happiness and stability.

A square-faced instructor, standing as straight as a pine tree, looked at the rookies with a sneer, remaining silent.

Suddenly, he noticed Lu Yu in the crowd, his brows furrowed, feeling that this kid was a bit unusual, with a very imposing aura.

"What kind of place is this? Damn, it's too run-down, isn't it?"

Just then, a dissatisfied voice rang out from the crowd.

Lu Yu glanced at the guy: "Then what are you doing here?"

This guy was clearly a troublemaker, relying on his tall stature, he glanced at Lu Yu disdainfully: "None of your business! If my family hadn't forced me to come, would I come to this godforsaken place to suffer? You bumpkins are only fit to stay in this place..."

As a result, before he could finish speaking, Lu Yu kicked him flying.

He let out a scream, rolling on the ground like a ball, staring at Lu Yu with fear and dread.

"Instructor, someone is causing trouble as soon as they arrive, a troublemaker..."

Old Hei was about to step forward but was stopped by Gong Jian: "Wait."

At this moment, Lu Yu had already walked forward.

The guy shivered in fear, quickly propping himself up with his hands and retreating on all fours, scared to death.

"Don't worry, with someone like you, I'm afraid of getting my hands and feet dirty by hitting you."

Gong Jian laughed heartily and said to Old Hei, "Haha! This soldier has personality, I like him! Let's make these rookies behave!"

"Yes."

Old Hei walked over, roaring like thunder: "Look at all of you, slouching around, haven't you eaten enough?"

"Stand in formation in 30 seconds! Anyone who isn't standing straight or properly will be sent back to the starting point!"

Whoosh!

The rookies seemed to wake up.

After a series of scattered noises, they lined up neatly.

Lu Yu followed the formation, standing at the back of the crowd... "We are pests, we are pests, the righteous old squad leader must eliminate, eliminate the pests!"

Old Hei ran in front, asking, "What are we?"

"Pests!" the rookies shouted.

"Very good! Sing along with me, we are pests, we are pests!"

"We are pests, we are pests, the righteous old squad leader must eliminate, eliminate the pests!"

The first day of recruit training began like this.

With the strict Old Hei squad leader and iron-like discipline, the recruits experienced both pain and joy in their arduous training.

"Squat down! Squat down! All of you, squat down!"

After running around the training ground, Old Hei shouted.

The group of new recruits looked bewildered but still squatted down as instructed.

"Do you know why I'm called Old Hei (Old Black)?"

The rookies exchanged glances.

No one answered!

Old Hei's eyes held a sneer: "My surname isn't Hei, but I'm black (ruthless) and fierce enough in training! Ruthless and merciless! That's why everyone gave me this well-deserved nickname. We'll have a very pleasant time in the upcoming training!"

Hearing this, the new recruits all shivered.

The training had just begun, but many already felt a chill in their hearts... "Are you all deaf? Do you understand?"

Old Hei roared.

"Understood!"

The new recruits then snapped awake and answered in unison.

"Remember, this is the Iron Fist Regiment, with iron-like discipline! Originally, your entire team could rest for a day, but someone among you violated discipline on the first day, so everyone, including the whole team, will be punished."

Old Hei narrowed his eyes slightly and said coldly.

"Ding! System mission triggered: Win first place in the upcoming extreme training. Mission successful, gain 400 merit points reward!"

Hearing the system's voice, Lu Yu's body trembled.

The system actually issued a mission at this time?

Winning first place in the upcoming extreme training, could Old Hei's punishment mission be this extreme training?

A reward of 400 merit points was quite good!

Lu Yu couldn't help but feel eager to try.

These 400 merit points had to be obtained; he wouldn't give up even one merit point.

The new recruits collectively groaned; after running a dozen laps just now, their feet were almost Waste, and they still had to run more?

Old Hei then straightened his expression: "I want to reiterate once again, this is not your home, where you can do whatever you want. Here, you must obey discipline, iron-like discipline! You only have to obey, obey, and obey again! All of you, stand up!"

The rookies stood up with a rustle.

"Pack your bags and start the extreme training. There are no rules, it's just an extreme long-distance run! Until you run out of strength, until you're completely exhausted!"

Old Hei pointed at the flagpole on the mountaintop and shouted: "After I give the order, you will run around the base of the mountain and up the mountain, until you have no strength left, until you collapse!!!"

A chorus of wails erupted from the crowd!

Extreme long-distance running.

Run until you drop!

Isn't this a death wish?

"Hmph, let me tell you, the first rule of survival on the battlefield is: the harder you train and the more you carry in your backpack, the faster you'll be able to run when it matters! This could save your lives… So, check your packs carefully, and don't be short on anything!"

Holding a megaphone, Old Hei urged the rookies: "The more you try to slack off during training and carry less, the slower you'll run on the battlefield! Bullets don't have eyes, so if you don't want to die, you'd better open yours."

"Alright, load up your weights, and then… start running!"

Old Hei gave the command.

He Chenguang, holding a large rock, chuckled mischievously and looked at Wang Yanbing, intending to put it in his backpack.

"Hey, hey, hey, what are you trying to do?"

Wang Yanbing was startled, quickly dropped the rock, and glared at He Chenguang.

"I'm helping you save your life! Didn't you hear Squad Leader Old Hei?" He Chenguang laughed.

"Alright, alright, then I'll help you out too."

With that, Wang Yanbing also picked up a few large rocks and started putting them into He Chenguang's backpack.

Li Erniu dreaded running the most; it had always been his weakness in school. After just a few laps around the track, he was already out of breath.

"You two stop arguing. You're all in the same boat, so just bear with it."

Wang Yanbing snorted, clapped his hands, and challenged He Chenguang: "Got the guts to compete?"

"Compete then, why would I be afraid of you?"

He Chenguang was fearless and even eager to try.

Wang Yanbing had disliked He Chenguang ever since the phone incident, and He Chenguang, being proud, certainly wouldn't admit defeat.

So, the two had always been arch-rivals!

With their loads packed, Old Hei gave the order, and everyone ran forward with all their might.

Ah ah ah ah!

The new recruits roared as they ran along the mountain path.

He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing naturally led the charge, at the very front of the team, while Li Erniu, gasping for breath, lagged behind.

Lu Yu didn't immediately speed up, mixing in with the main group at a steady pace.

With 20% of the Black Panther's heart-shaped herb integrated, this kind of running posed no challenge to him.

Even with dozens of kilograms of weight!

Armed extreme cross-country!

He handled it with ease!

The mountain road was rugged and full of various stones. After running for a while, the new recruits began to feel unbearable, especially with their backpacks full of stones, which felt like a heavy mountain pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe.

Wang Yanbing and He Chenguang gritted their teeth, their faces drenched in sweat.

But the two competed against each other, neither willing to yield, pushing with all their might to try and overtake the other.

They were evenly matched; sometimes He Chenguang led, sometimes Wang Yanbing led, neither able to gain a decisive advantage.

"Comrade Yanbing, you need to work harder, or you won't catch up to me!"

He Chenguang glanced at Wang Yanbing, who was about two meters ahead, and immediately laughed.

"Keep dreaming!"

Wang Yanbing was unconvinced, lowering his head to catch up, thinking, I will not lose to you.

He gritted his teeth and went all out. Although his steps were heavy and he was exhausted, the desire to defeat He Chenguang gave him strength.

Moreover, he believed He Chenguang must also be very tired!

Soon after, the two arrived at a steep slope, covered in sharp rocks.

Both of them gasped.

At this moment, Lu Yu also began to pick up the pace, gradually overtaking most of the new recruits.

With 20% of the heart-shaped herb integrated, Lu Yu now possessed 20% of the Black Panther's abilities.

Even though it was only 20%, it was enough to make Lu Yu's physical functions several times superior to an average person, reaching the level of a top-tier special forces soldier.

He stood out among the new recruits.

It was too easy for him!

He followed closely, arriving at the steep section.

The weight on his back wasn't much of a problem for him. Looking at the steep slope ahead, he knew he had to climb it bare-handed.

Seeing He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing standing still, Lu Yu didn't waste time. He immediately lay down, using his arms to support himself on the ground, protecting his rifle in front of him, and began to push off the ground to climb upward.

His palms stung slightly from hitting the hard rocks, but for Lu Yu, it was still within his tolerance.

If he couldn't even endure this much hardship, how could he become a special forces king!

"Climb."

He Chenguang glanced at Wang Yanbing and started to climb, mimicking Lu Yu's movements.

"Oh my goodness, this is not something a human can do."

Wang Yanbing could only grit his teeth. He didn't want to lose to He Chenguang, so he also used both hands and feet to climb upwards.

As they climbed, both felt their bodies aching as if they were falling apart, especially the sensation of their bodies scraping against the rocks – it was excruciatingly refreshing.

But in contrast, Lu Yu was much more relaxed and at ease, like a skyrocket, he quickly climbed to the top in a few swift movements.

The subsequent new recruits also followed one after another, all staring dumbfounded at Lu Yu, who had already climbed dozens of meters ahead.

"My heavens! Is that guy even human?"

"Not at all!"

"He's like he's on steroids."

"I think he looks more like he grew up eating pig feed!"

The new recruits chattered, unable to understand how Lu Yu could be so fast. How were they supposed to live like this?

"What are you still standing there for? If you have time to talk about others, why don't you climb yourselves? If you don't move, I think you'll be tormented into pigs!"

From behind, Old Hei's deep roar came, and the group shivered in fright.

"Quick, quick, quick!"

"Charge!"

The rookies shouted, one by one, they lay down, using both hands and feet, exerting all their might to climb upwards.

Looking at Li Erniu, who was lagging behind, Old Hei kicked him: "Get climbing, didn't you eat?"

Li Erniu was already out of breath, and with that kick, he collapsed directly to the ground, his face flushed red, still unable to get up.

Old Hei shook his head helplessly. This was the first one to drop out. He didn't bother with him anymore, turning his gaze towards the hillside.

Lu Yu's figure was already far ahead.

He couldn't help but gasp in surprise: "What did this kid eat to grow up? His physical fitness is ridiculously strong. In such a short time, he's left those new recruits so far behind."

"I can't do it anymore!"

"Can't run!"

On the rocky steep slope, new recruits began to fall behind and collapse due to exhaustion.

"Go! Record the physical condition of those who have fallen."

Instructor Gong Jian commanded.

Record the information of these individuals to make a classification, so as to target specific training.

"Yes!"

Several veteran soldiers quickly walked over.

Wang Yanbing and He Chenguang, the two top performers among the new recruits, were still fiercely competing against each other, with neither gaining a decisive advantage!

Meanwhile, Lu Yu had already easily passed the steep slope, stood up, and sprinted with all his might towards the mountaintop.

Reaching the flagpole at the summit, he let out a long breath, shook his limbs, and began to stretch his body.

He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing also passed the rocky steep slope and ran to the flagpole.

They collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Brother, you're amazing!" He Chenguang gave Lu Yu a thumbs up.

"You guys aren't bad either."

Lu Yu grinned, then turned and ran back down the mountain.

"Where are you going?" He Chenguang asked, confused.

Lu Yu smiled slightly, his gaze profound, and said to the two future soldier kings, "The army emphasizes teamwork! No matter how strong an individual is, they are just a sheep. Only when everyone unites can we be a pack of wolves! I'm going to help Er Niu!"

With that, he turned without hesitation and ran down the mountain.

He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing were stunned. They exchanged glances, then gritted their teeth, stood up, and followed Lu Yu down the mountain.

Old Hei, the squad leader who had walked over, looked at Lu Yu's retreating figure, a hint of admiration in his eyes: "This kid is a born good soldier! Not only is his physical fitness formidable, but his ideological awareness is also very high... The future is promising, very promising!"

Li Er Niu got up several times and fell down several times, but he never gave up. It had to be said that this brute's stubbornness was quite impressive.

Lu Yu was the first to arrive, supporting him and running forward with him.

He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing also came to help others, running up the mountain together!

"Brother Yu... I'm, I'm sorry, I dragged you all down. I'm useless! I'm not worth your help..."

Li Er Niu cried as he spoke, his face filled with guilt.

"Don't say such disheartening words! We're a team, we need to help each other. We brothers walk together!"

Lu Yu patted Li Er Niu's shoulder, comforting him.

On the other side.

Old Hei and Gong Jian were standing at the top of the mountain, talking.

"How are the results?"

"This Lu Yu is far ahead, his physical fitness is terrifyingly strong, very good!"

Old Hei rarely praised anyone.

"He's a good prospect for a soldier king. With a little training, his future is limitless. And his awareness is high too, he's definitely the best among this batch of new recruits."

Gong Jian smiled and nodded, then looked at He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing: "These two kids are also good. Although they're a bit behind Lu Yu, they're still outstanding among them. As expected of the soldiers Number Five picked."

"This Li Er Niu, I don't know what Number Five was thinking, sending him over too? His physical fitness is a bit poor, he's a drag." Old Hei added.

Gong Jian glared at him, saying, "No one is born a soldier king. If his physique is a bit weaker, he can just train more in the future. We still have the assessments below, maybe he has some talent in shooting."

"However..." Gong Jian gave a wry smile: "Number Five's nose is sharper than anyone's. Now it's good, this kid came in first. I originally wanted to hide this soldier for the Iron Fist Regiment, but now it's hard..."

At this moment, Lu Yu also helped Li Er Niu reach the mountaintop.

The group walked down.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission and achieving first place in extreme training. Awarded 400 merit points."

The system's voice made Lu Yu feel a sense of delight.

He wasn't surprised by the results of this extreme training at all.

What a joke!

If he couldn't even win this, he might as well find a piece of tofu to bash his head in!

"400 merit points in hand!"

"Lu Yu... are you really a new recruit? Why is your physical fitness so terrifying?"

Gong Jian looked at Lu Yu, his face still filled with curiosity.

"Instructor, I'm just an ordinary new recruit. As for my good physical fitness, it should be the result of frequent exercise in the past."

Lu Yu answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Gong Jian nodded, this explanation was plausible.

"You are outstanding! Of course, you two are the same!"

Gong Jian smiled slightly, also glancing at He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing.

"Your three physiques are not suitable for regular training anymore. Rest in place for a while, then go to the tank training ground. I'll be waiting for you there!"

"Yes!"

Old Hei replied, turned around, looked at Lu Yu, He Chenguang, and Wang Yanbing, and said, "The instructor said that you three will be responsible for helping Li Er Niu more in the future. Your scores will be averaged."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu didn't react much, but Wang Yanbing's face changed.

"I'm sorry, I dragged you guys down!"

Li Er Niu's face was full of shame.

"What a waste."

Wang Yanbing muttered softly.

Lu Yu's eyebrows shot up, and he looked at Wang Yanbing unhappily: "How can you curse your comrade like that? Does that mean I can curse you like that too?"

"I..."

Wang Yanbing's face turned red, unable to utter a single word.

In the extreme long-distance run just now, he and He Chenguang had indeed lost to Lu Yu.

"If you want to be assigned to a good company in the future, you have to work harder."

Lu Yu patted Li Er Niu, comforting him: "Er Niu, you have to believe in yourself, you can do it!"

"Brother Yu, I'll listen to you, I'll definitely work hard."

Li Er Niu nodded seriously.

"Rest in place for ten minutes, and empty your backpacks."

Old Hei ordered.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, found a spot to sit down, and removed the stones from their backpacks.

Lu Yu emptied his backpack and leaned against a tree trunk, communicating with the system in his mind.

"System, what books can I extract with 400 merit points?"

"The minimum extraction requires 100 merit points. The host can extract four ordinary-level books."

"Ordinary-level?"

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow.

Recalling that the "Black Panther" comic book was classified as peak-level, he asked, "How are the book levels divided?"

"This system divides books and skill items into ordinary-level, elite-level, master-level, grandmaster-level, peak-level, legendary-level, perfect-level, and god-level!"

"The merit points required for different levels of extraction vary. For example, the lowest ordinary-level only requires 100 merit points, while the highest god-level requires over 100 million merit points for extraction! Ordinary-level books can only allow the host to extract ordinary skills, while god-level books can allow the host to extract god-level skills."

"The Super Soldier Serum currently owned by the host is an item extracted from the peak-level book "Black Panther" and belongs to the peak-level tier!"

After listening to the system's explanation, Lu Yu suddenly understood.

It seemed his luck was pretty good, having drawn a peak-level book.

If it had been an ordinary-level one, this free extraction opportunity would have been wasted!

"Then how do I earn merit points?"

"Just like today, this system will issue missions, and completing them will earn you corresponding merit point rewards. The greater the influence you create, the more merit points you will receive!"

Lu Yu rubbed his chin.

He would temporarily keep these 400 merit points and not exchange them for ordinary-level skills.

In this world of special forces, ordinary-level skills mostly fell within the scope of new recruits. He was a man destined to become a special forces king, so they were meaningless to him.

At the very least, he needed elite-level ones!

Or even master-level or grandmaster-level skills!

Mastering elite-level skills would allow him to gain a foothold in the army and become an outstanding individual.

As for master-level skills, they would definitely make him comparable to a standard special forces soldier, and grandmaster-level would undoubtedly put him at the level of a special forces king, no doubt about it!

"I wonder what kind of existence those skills beyond grandmaster-level are?"

Thinking of this, Lu Yu asked again, "How many merit points do elite-level skills require?"

"One thousand points!"

Lu Yu sighed.

He had to keep working hard!

Read more books!

After a ten-minute break, the rookies, led by Sergeant Hei, arrived at the tank training ground.

Looking at the massive, steel behemoths before them, excitement surged on everyone's faces.

Compared to seeing them on TV, the immediate sense of deterrence and oppression made the new recruits hold their breath and stare wide-eyed.

Tanks, known as the kings of land warfare, driving these things was far cooler than any Ferrari!

They completely blew any sports car out of the water.

No explanations accepted!

Boom! Whir! Whir!

On the training ground, an armored main battle tank roared into view and stopped in front of the new recruits.

Gong Jian climbed out of the tank and smiled at the recruits below: "How about it? Isn't this big guy handsome?"

The recruits, their spirits lifted, answered in unison: "Handsome!"

"Cool?"

"Cool!"

They looked at Gong Jian with envy.

This training, it couldn't be that they were going to drive tanks, could it?

Many people's eyes showed fanaticism.

He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing were even more eager to try.

Even Li Erniu's eyes lit up!

Only Lu Yu, with a sidelong glance at the group of people foolishly enjoying themselves, curled his lips.

"Cool? Handsome? You'll be crying later!"

Others didn't know what this so-called courage training was for, but he was very clear.

"Everyone, there's no need to be afraid," Gong Jian spoke again.

Huh?

Why be afraid?

What did the instructor mean by that? Many people's brains hadn't quite caught up yet.

"When you go to the battlefield in the future, you'll inevitably come into contact with this big guy. Now, I'm going to let you experience firsthand what basic courage is! Old Hei."

"Here!"

"Give them a demonstration."

"Yes."

Old Hei jogged to the front, straightened his body, and stood in the tank's path.

Uh!

What was this about?

The new recruits exchanged glances.

The smiles on their faces gradually froze, then disappeared... Boom! Boom!

The armored tank roared to life, emitting a huge rumble.

Its two tracks clattered as they moved, charging forward relentlessly.

What?

Could it be... The new recruits' faces instantly turned pale.

Expressions of terror appeared as they realized what was about to happen.

In front of such a behemoth, if someone truly stood in its way, they would be crushed in an instant.

It looked like Old Hei's body was about to be smashed.

Bang!

In the nick of time, Old Hei's body leaned forward, pressing tightly against the ground, his hands covering his head, and his legs tightly together.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The tank's tracks rolled over him.

The scene was like an elephant about to crush an ant.

Fortunately, the ant had burrowed into a crevice.

Old Hei got up, brushed the dust off his body, and spat out the dirt from his mouth.

The new recruits, meanwhile, gaped and applauded with admiration.

Clap, clap, clap, clap... "Who wants to go first?"

Gong Jian asked with a smile.

The scene was silent.

No one dared to try!

"Ding! System mission triggered: Complete the courage training."

Lu Yu was startled, then his expression brightened.

The system really did issue a mission!

"Mission requirement: Lie on your back, eyes open throughout! Mission success: Reward of 600 merit points. Failure: Deduction of 300 merit points."

"Damn it! System, are you messing with me?"

Lu Yu shivered all over.

Closing his eyes, like Old Hei just now, would have been simpler.

This crappy system actually wanted him to keep his eyes open?

Lu Yu suddenly felt uncertain.

But the system mission had to be completed!

What could he do?

The 600 merit points had to be obtained.

Combined with yesterday's 400 merit points, he would have 1000 merit points, enough for an elite-level skill extraction!

"Report."

Lu Yu stepped forward and shouted, "I'll give it a try."

Gong Jian nodded and smiled: "Good. You came in first in the extreme training just now, and now you're the first again. Your courage is commendable, and I look forward to your performance."

"Report, I'll go too!"

He Chenguang also stepped forward.

He had already set Lu Yu as his goal to catch up to.

"Good, you two go together."

Gong Jian's lips curved into a smile.

These new recruits were getting more and more interesting!

Lu Yu and He Chenguang took their positions.

Boom, boom, boom!

The tank charged forward again.

A hurricane of wind and dust blew in their faces, making it hard to keep their eyes open.

Lu Yu's face was expressionless, staring as the tank roared like a giant beast, accelerating towards him.

"For five hundred merit points, I'm risking my life."

Lu Yu muttered inwardly.

Even with 20% of the heart-shaped herb integrated, a hit from this iron turtle would either kill him or leave him crippled!

Dying would be fine, but being crippled would be truly miserable.

Five meters, four meters, three meters... The tank was getting closer and closer.

It was like a moving wall!

It created immense psychological pressure.

Whoosh!

He Chenguang took a deep breath, calculated the distance, and performed the same action as Sergeant Hei.

He lunged forward and lay down!

Just as he neared the ground, he glanced at Lu Yu beside him.

Lu Yu's expression was stern, his pupils slightly constricted, staring at the rapidly approaching steel behemoth, roaring in his heart: "Come on!"

Dust flew everywhere!

His body, transformed by the Heart-Shaped Herb 2.0, reacted with lightning speed.

Boom~!

Lu Yu quickly leaned back.

His eyes wide open!

In an instant, the tank passed over his head.

"That's scary, this kid's got some guts!"

Old Hei let out a long breath, then his face filled with surprise.

"Nonsense!"

Gong Jian cursed, his eyes fixed on Lu Yu's supine body beneath the tank.

This kid really knew how to add drama to his own act.

"Did I see that right?"

"Lu Yu... he actually kept his eyes open!"

"What a god!"

The new recruits were all dumbfounded.

This Lu Yu, he was too courageous, wasn't he?

Everyone held their breath, including Lu Yu beneath the tank.

The clattering sound of the tracks echoed in his ears, as if they could crush his body at any moment.

A strong smell of gasoline filled his nostrils, along with various dust and powders.

Lu Yu dared not move.

His eyes wide open, he watched the dark shadow above him slowly move away.

Finally.

He saw the light of day again!

Phew.

Lu Yu let out a long breath. He had done it, hadn't he?

It wasn't as scary as he imagined!

He rolled over, agilely jumped up, and brushed the dust off his body.

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the courage training. You have received 600 merit points, which have been credited to your account!"

Lu Yu excitedly waved his hand.

Finally, he had 1000 merit points. It wasn't in vain.

He Chenguang also got up and gave Lu Yu a thumbs-up: "Brother Yu, you're awesome!"

Lu Yu smiled, and the two jogged back to Gong Jian's side.

"Lu Yu, you're quite bold, aren't you? Who told you to act on your own initiative!" Gong Jian snorted with a cold face.

Glancing at Gong Jian's soaked back, Lu Yu secretly chuckled. So scared, and still trying to intimidate me?

"Your behavior just now was disobedience to command and defiance of arrangements. This is being unorganized and undisciplined!"

Old Hei followed up, feigning anger.

"Report, I just wanted to increase the difficulty a bit and achieve self-transcendence! Besides... Sergeant Hei didn't specify any actions when he demonstrated, did he, Sergeant?"

Lu Yu looked at Old Hei with a smile.

At these words, both of them fell silent.

They had originally intended to use this opportunity to suppress this kid and make him obedient, but they didn't expect him to seize an opening.

"Instructor, you see..." Old Hei leaned closer.

"Alright, this kid is as cunning as a monkey. We can't suppress his arrogance this time. He got lucky!"

Gong Jian waved his hand helplessly: "Next group, step forward."

"Yes!"

"Next group, fall out!"

Old Hei turned around and roared: "I'm telling you, don't come up with any new moves. Do it exactly as I demonstrated. Violators will not be treated lightly!"

He wanted to make it clear beforehand, fearing someone might pull a stunt like Lu Yu.

"Report!"

Wang Yanbing shouted: "I request to go!"

Lu Yu and He Chenguang had both gone, so he naturally couldn't fall behind.

He couldn't compare to Lu Yu, and he had originally aimed for He Chenguang, but since He Chenguang went with Lu Yu, he had to team up with someone else.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

The tank continued to roll over their heads.

After returning to the team, Wang Yanbing's face was pale, and his calves were even cramping a bit.

"Are you alright?" Lu Yu asked, looking at him.

"No... nothing!"

Wang Yanbing waved his hand.

He looked at Lu Yu with admiration!

He had been so scared with his eyes closed, he couldn't imagine how Lu Yu managed to do it with his eyes open.

With the first few people leading the way, the subsequent recruits teamed up and went one by one.

Although they were very scared, they could only grit their teeth.

Finally, only Li Erniu remained, who hadn't gone yet.

"Erniu, don't be afraid! So many people have gone up, you're no worse than them, you'll definitely pass."

Lu Yu comforted him.

"Mm."

Li Erniu nodded vigorously, but his face was still very pale.

Since he was the only one left, he didn't have a team.

The tank started, accelerating its charge!

Watching the tank get closer and closer, Li Erniu's pupils widened, and his lips trembled non-stop.

In his eyes, it was as if he was facing a man-eating steel monster, and his heart was in a panic.

He lay down, face down on the ground!

The tank was still advancing.

This monster, in his eyes, became even larger, its face ferocious, as if it could swallow him whole and chew him into bloody pieces.

"I... I can't!"

His heart pounded, as if it would leap out of his chest.

He kept shifting his body, retreating backward!

Lu Yu sighed inwardly. With this retreat, Li Erniu basically had no courage left to face it.

"Oh my god!"

Sure enough, Li Erniu couldn't bear the immense psychological fear, and with a sudden scramble, he got up and ran away.

"Stop! Stop quickly!"

Gong Jian and Old Hei's faces changed dramatically.

But the tank driver couldn't hear their voices at all, and the tank was getting closer and closer to Li Erniu.

This time, it was over!

Gong Jian's face was devoid of color.

Causing a fatality would mean a court-martial.

"Look! Someone's rushing up?"

"It looks like... Lu Yu!"

"So fast!"

While they were all stunned with fear, only Lu Yu thought of going up to save someone.

While the new recruits admired him, some also worried.

Because that was a tank!

Invincible on land!

Lu Yu was excellent, but could he save Li Erniu from under the tank?

"I believe in Brother Yu!"

He Chenguang's eyes burned, and he clenched his fists.

Unbeknownst to them, among the new recruits, Lu Yu had already implicitly been regarded as the number one.

Lu Yu charged out like a fierce leopard.

Li Erniu was already dazed, running forward heedlessly.

But no matter how fast he was, how could he outrun a tank?

He was about to be hit by the tank, which was still moving forward due to inertia.

No sooner said than done!

Lu Yu reached Li Erniu's side in the blink of an eye.

He pushed off the ground with his back foot, his body soaring into the air, then pushed off the tank with his other foot, and his hands, quick as lightning, grabbed the cannon barrel.

His legs dangled in mid-air, he lowered his hands, grabbed Li Erniu's camouflage training uniform collar, and with a slight pull, lifted the other man from the ground.

Then, with one hand, he threw Li Erniu onto the tank's top cover with a thud.

Clatter!

Clatter!

The tank moved forward another five or six meters before finally coming to a stop.

"Holy crap! Throwing a person with one hand, he's even more awesome than Superman!"

He Chenguang couldn't help but curse.

Wang Yanbing also twitched the corner of his mouth, his heart profoundly shaken.

Bang!

Lu Yu let go and did a somersault to the ground.

Li Erniu was utterly bewildered, sitting blankly on the tank, seemingly not having fully recovered yet.

After a long while, he finally shrunk his neck and gulped frantically.

"Erniu, are you alright?"

Lu Yu climbed onto the tank and patted Li Erniu's shoulder.

Li Erniu suddenly came to, fear spreading in his heart. He stared blankly at Lu Yu, and only after a few seconds did his emotions collapse, and he started crying loudly, hitting the tank with his hands.

Just now, he had been truly terrified!

He almost thought he was going to be crushed into a meat patty.

Seeing that both were fine, the stones in Gong Jian and Old Hei's hearts finally dropped.

Today's events had truly stirred their emotions!

First, Lu Yu's stunt almost scared them to death.

Then, Li Erniu fled in battle. If anything had happened, the responsibility would have been entirely theirs.

Gong Jian took off his hat, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.

He cursed inwardly, when did new recruits become so hard to manage?

Given the level of danger today, it was fortunate that their hearts were strong enough, otherwise, they might have really suffered heart attacks.

"Ding! In view of the host saving a comrade's life, a reward of 500 merit points has been granted."

The system's notification sound suddenly rang out.

"Hmm?"

Lu Yu was a little surprised.

This time, the system hadn't issued a mission. He saved Li Erniu purely out of personal action, not wanting to see anything happen to him.

If he hadn't intervened, Li Erniu would have surely died!

Lu Yu wasn't a savior; he couldn't control other people's lives.

But as a comrade, he certainly couldn't just watch Li Erniu get into trouble in front of him, which is why he acted selflessly.

He didn't expect the system to actually give a reward?

It was an unexpected gain!

Now, he already had 1500 merit points, and the next skill extraction was imperative!

"After training ends, I'll go to the library!"

Lu Yu immediately made a decision.

Due to the near accident, the training was also forced to stop.

Gong Jian went to the regiment commander's office to make a report.

He was probably going to be criticized.

Training ended in the evening.

Having expended too much physical energy, these new recruits, upon entering the mess hall, were like wild wolves, devouring their food.

After eating and drinking their fill, they all returned to the barracks and collapsed onto their beds, falling asleep immediately.

The first day of the recruit camp had left them exhausted, and they needed to rest up to face the upcoming torment.

Night fell.

After a long day, Lu Yu lay on his bed, feeling it was the most comfortable moment of the day.

Suddenly, he heard a strange sound. Lu Yu looked up in confusion and found that in Li Erniu's bed next door, his quilt was pulled over his head, and he was shaking.

He must have been thinking about what happened during the day, feeling sad, and crying again.

After some thought, Lu Yu still got up, went to Li Erniu's bedside, pulled his quilt, and asked, "Erniu, what's wrong?"

"I feel so useless... I'm timid, and I can't do anything, always dragging you guys down."

Li Erniu sobbed softly, his face covered in tears.

"Erniu, don't rush, take your time. No one is born strong; strength has to be improved step by step! As long as you persevere, you will definitely become stronger."

Lu Yu gently patted his shoulder and comforted him.

"Brother Yu... do you think I can really do it?"

Li Erniu looked up, his eyes teary, at Lu Yu.

"You don't believe me?" Lu Yu smiled faintly.

"I believe you!"

Lu Yu pointed downwards: "Get up."

"What for?"

"I'll give you a massage. This can relax your muscles, promote blood circulation, and quickly relieve your fatigue," Lu Yu said.

"Oh, okay."

Li Erniu agreed, immediately got up, and lay face down on Lu Yu's bed.

Two chapters combined into one, a four-thousand-word chapter, please vote.

Watching Lu Yu massage Li Erniu, Wang Yanbing turned over, smacked his lips, and asked, "Does this really work?"

"Of course."

Lu Yu replied confidently.

Among the thousand books he had read, there were also various medical texts. While Lu Yu didn't claim to be a master of medicine, he understood some aspects. What he was using on Li Erniu now was a massage technique to promote blood circulation and reduce bruising.

"Hehe, Brother Yu, try it on me someday!"

The guy said shamelessly.

"Get lost and go to sleep."

Having asked for a rebuff, Wang Yanbing pouted, pulled the blanket over his head, and continued to sleep soundly.

The other new recruits who weren't sleeping looked at Lu Yu with admiration. To have such a brother and comrade was truly a great fortune in life!

The next day.

The rooster crowed at dawn, the sky barely starting to lighten.

"Erniu, Erniu, time to get up!"

Li Erniu opened his sleepy eyes and saw Lu Yu fully dressed, standing by his bed.

"Brother Yu, it's so early, where are we going?" Li Erniu hadn't fully woken up. "The reveille hasn't sounded yet!"

"Do you still want to improve your physical fitness? Get up, I'll go train with you."

Lu Yu pulled back his blanket.

Li Erniu immediately lost all sleepiness, looking at Lu Yu with a touched expression, and quickly got out of bed.

Once they were ready, the two quietly left the dormitory and went to the mountain road in the camp.

"Erniu, after you start running, adjust your breathing: three long breaths, two short ones."

"Mm-hmm, I got it!"

Li Erniu nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

When the reveille sounded, in the dormitory, He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing got up at the same time, but then froze.

Because Li Erniu and Lu Yu's beds were empty; there was no one there.

The two exchanged glances, and both thought of one word: extra training!

"Come on, let's go check."

Getting up and dressing quickly, the two immediately ran towards the camp.

After others noticed, they also followed.

On the small hillside outside the camp, sure enough, they found Lu Yu and Li Erniu.

Lu Yu stayed by Li Erniu's side, urging him to run hard and cheering him on.

Although Li Erniu was exhausted, he still gritted his teeth and persevered!

Everyone was stunned.

"So Erniu works so hard!"

"I was wrong, I shouldn't have mocked him yesterday."

"I was wrong too."

"Having a brother like Lu Yu is Erniu's luck!"

He Chenguang glanced at them and shouted, "We are a team, everyone is Erniu's brother. Come on, let's run together."

A group of people rushed over, accompanying Li Erniu and running with him.

"Erniu, don't give up, persevere!"

"That's right, Erniu! Keep going!"

"We all believe in you!"

Seeing so many people appear, Li Erniu's eyes welled up. "Why are you all here? What are you doing?"

"Because we are all brothers!" He Chenguang smiled slightly.

"And count me in!"

Wang Yanbing added, "Erniu, I shouldn't have mocked you yesterday. Let's work hard together."

"I..."

Li Erniu was very touched. He raised his sleeve to wipe away his tears and continued to persevere.

Not far down the mountain.

Old Hei and Gong Jian were already standing together.

"A bunch of little rascals!"

Although he cursed, a relieved smile appeared on his face. "A true collective should be united like this! Wolf-like unity, when brought to the battlefield, will make the enemy fear."

"Haha, Lu Yu led all of this! We still underestimated him."

Gong Jian said with deep feeling, "A sheep leading a pack of wolves, no matter what, they are still a flock of sheep. But a wolf leading a flock of sheep will truly become a pack of wolves! That's what a team is! This kid always surprises us so much; his future is limitless."

Old Hei nodded.

"Let's go, it's our turn to make an appearance! Oh, and tell the mess hall to increase the food portions recently. Don't let these little rascals wear themselves out. With all this extra training, their nutrition needs to keep up," Gong Jian instructed.

"Yes, Instructor!"

From that day on, every morning before dawn, there was always a group of vibrant figures running and bustling on that mountain road.

They shouted slogans, facing the rising sun, moving forward with unwavering determination!

Training ended at noon.

After eating in the cafeteria, Lu Yu headed straight for the military library.

Going to the library was imperative.

In the afternoon, they would be practicing shooting, and he needed to brush up on his firearms knowledge, otherwise, he wouldn't feel confident.

At his current level, let alone hitting the bullseye, he wasn't even sure if he could hit the target!

If he missed completely, that would be too embarrassing.

He would probably become the laughingstock of the entire military region!

The library usually didn't have many people, with many seats empty. Only a few old soldiers studying for promotion exams were quietly reading.

There were quite a few books here, but they all pertained to military industry and professional fields.

Lu Yu found the category he needed.

After several selections, he picked out a book that perfectly met his current needs.

Holding the book in his hand, information appeared—

Title: "Simón the Sharpshooter"

Type: Biography, Novel

Level: Elite

Immersion: 0%

Lu Yu found a seat and began to read quietly.

With the system's reading enhancement, his reading immersion reached 100%. Even with a dry biography like this, Lu Yu read it with great interest.

Simón the Sharpshooter was a Finnish soldier, and also the sniper with the most kills on the world sniper leaderboard. The enemies who died by his hand were countless, almost all shot in the head.

Because he liked to wear white camouflage and traverse the snow-covered wilderness, concealed deep in the jungle, his enemies fearfully called him—the White Death.

He was the only sniper who could shoot enemies without the aid of a scope, possessing an almost abnormal keen perception and hawk-like eyes, truly a real-life 'Hawkeye'.

To this day, his record remains unbroken.

In the hearts of many snipers, Simón was an undisputed 'God of Snipers'!

Besides his most proficient sniper rifle, he could also use dozens of firearms and light weapons of varying sizes and forms, with god-like marksmanship.

Lu Yu followed Simón's perspective, adventuring through jungles, mountains, and snow, as if he himself had become a sharpshooter.

Executing various secret missions for the country, eliminating all invading enemies!

He was completely immersed in reading.

Time passed unknowingly.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for spending one thousand merit points to extract this book, gaining mastery of Simón the Sharpshooter's various firearm skills, firearms knowledge, hundred-paces-through-the-willow-leaf headshot sniping skill, and mastery of sniper camouflage and concealment."

The system's pleasant prompt made Lu Yu just want to say one thing: Awesome!

He felt completely invigorated, especially after reading a physical book, his mind filled with enjoyment and pleasure.

After closing the book, Lu Yu felt full of confidence, with an urge to immediately grab a gun and do some shooting.

He checked the time; it was almost time for afternoon training.

He then returned the book and jogged towards the shooting range.

Attention, all! Stand at ease! Right dress! Eyes front! Rest!"

At two in the afternoon, the new recruits assembled promptly on the training ground.

Instructor Gong Jian stood in front of the formation, scanned the group, and loudly asked, "You've been in the army for days now, but you haven't touched a gun, have you?"

"No!"

The new recruits answered loudly, their faces alight with excitement.

Whispers began to spread through the crowd.

Men, from a young age, are interested in guns. Who didn't have a few toy guns when they were kids?

Compared to yesterday's physical training and this morning's courage training, these are just the most basic.

Being a soldier is for the battlefield, not the sports field. No matter how fast you can run, can you outrun a bullet?

Therefore, a gun is a soldier's soul!

Marksmanship plays a decisive role on the battlefield.

A sharpshooter isn't made by just trying hard; it requires enough talent and a massive amount of ammunition.

Many new recruits were eager to try. Lu Yu had stolen the spotlight in the previous two training sessions, and they wanted to regain some face in this shooting exercise.

Soon, everyone was led to the shooting range.

Type 56 semi-automatic rifles, Type 95 assault rifles, Type 88 sniper rifles, and various other firearms were meticulously arranged, gleaming and polished, glinting coldly in the sunlight!

"Do you want to touch them?"

"Yes!"

"Good, today I'm going to teach everyone how to shoot."

The new recruits were all rubbing their hands together, feeling an itch to get started.

After a brief explanation, Gong Jian instructed the instructors to distribute the guns.

This time, the new recruits were given Type 81 rifles.

Compared to the Type 56, the Type 81 was upgraded in all aspects, with a longer barrel providing higher accuracy and greater range and power.

"My goodness! This thing is really heavy!"

Li Erniu chuckled as he held the gun, his eyes looking at it as if it were his wife, sending shivers down Wang Yanbing and He Chenguang's spines.

This silly ox wouldn't actually sleep with the gun tonight, would he?

Next, the instructors taught the new recruits how to familiarize themselves with the guns.

Soon, the main event arrived.

The new recruits began target practice on their own.

"Next, we'll begin target practice. Each person gets 10 rounds for free shooting!"

The instructors loudly commanded.

"Five people per group. The first group shoots, the second group prepares."

The new recruits began free shooting.

The training ground sounded like firecrackers going off, with continuous gunshots.

As expected, Li Erniu missed the target.

"Are you a pig? How can you miss the target like that?"

The instructor criticized him unceremoniously.

"I... I was wrong!"

"What's the use of being wrong? Someone like you, you want to go to the battlefield and kill enemies? I'd be thankful if you didn't kill your own people! Get out of here!"

The instructor cursed angrily, even kicking Li Erniu.

Li Erniu was already lacking confidence, and being scolded like that made him feel even worse.

He hung his head, not saying a word, his face flushed red, and stood alone to the side.

"Report!"

Lu Yu stepped forward and shouted loudly, "They are all new recruits. Everyone has a first time, and it's inevitable to miss the target! You can't insult soldiers like that."

Hmm?

The instructor turned around, glared at Lu Yu, and snapped, "What, you, a new recruit, are you not convinced?"

"That's right!"

Lu Yu stood tall and unflinching.

"Report!"

"Report!"

Seeing this, He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing also stepped forward, shouting loudly, "We're not convinced either."

"Oh? This batch of new recruits has a lot of guts, ganging up to be troublemakers?"

Being contradicted face-to-face, the instructor's expression was not good, but he knew these few soldiers were key targets for the regiment's cultivation.

He couldn't use conventional methods to deal with them, so he could only confront them openly on the shooting range!

With that thought, the instructor smiled coldly, extended his hand, and pointed at Lu Yu, He Chenguang, and Wang Yanbing respectively: "Alright then, I'll make you convinced! The three of you, step forward!"

"Yes!"

The three strode out, holding their guns, and stood before the instructor.

"You don't like being called rookies? Alright, I'll give you a chance to prove yourselves. Ten rounds, same rules, whoever has the higher score wins. If you lose, you run fifty laps around the training ground. Do you dare to bet?"

"Instructor, what if you lose?" Lu Yu said calmly.

Upon hearing this, several instructors all burst into laughter.

What kind of joke was this? Would they lose?

They were all veterans who had been in the army for several years, and they were intimately familiar with their guns. Would they lose to three new recruits who had never touched a real gun?!

"If we lose, we'll apologize to you and also accept the punishment! Run fifty laps around the training ground, how about that?"

The instructor was full of confidence.

"Very fair and just." Lu Yu smiled slightly.

The instructor picked up a gun, went to the shooting position, lay down on his side, set up the gun, and began to aim.

Bang.

He fired.

"Nine rings!" The announcer reported.

The instructor smiled. This shot was quite stable.

Bang bang bang.

He adjusted his aim and continued to fire.

"Ten rings!"

"Ten rings!"

"Eight rings!"

"..."

After ten shots, the final score was ninety rings.

A pretty good score, within his passing level, and the instructor was quite satisfied.

After all, true sharpshooters are rare in reality. This level was already considered a master marksman.

The new recruits' faces showed some worry. Ninety rings was a high mountain for them. Lu Yu and the other two were new recruits, and it was their first time shooting. Could they possibly exceed that score? Most of them felt uncertain!

Li Erniu's face was even uglier, full of guilt, believing that his own incompetence had dragged Lu Yu and the others down.

"It's your turn."

The instructor turned around, looking triumphantly at Lu Yu and the other two.

Without a word, the three grabbed their guns, went to the shooting position, and lay down in turn, setting up their guns and aiming.

"Hmm, their posture is quite good, quite standard."

The instructor glanced at them indifferently and slowly said, "But good posture doesn't mean good marksmanship! If you don't hit the target, everything is useless."

Holding the gun, Lu Yu felt a familiar rhythm emanating from within. This gun felt like a comrade who had accompanied him for many years.

His soul and bloodline merged with this gun, becoming part of his body.

One man, one gun, as if they had become the masters of the shooting range!

Only one bullet was needed.

He was the sharpshooter Simo, known as the 'White Death'.

Taking a deep breath, the distant target appeared in his sight.

He almost didn't need to make a judgment; he instinctively knew from which angle to shoot, and where the bullet would land.

"Fire." The command was given.

With a bang, Lu Yu disengaged the safety and gently pressed his index finger down.

"Report the score."

"Ten rings!"

The new recruits, who had been tense, paused for a moment, then immediately broke into expressions of wild joy.

They actually hit ten rings, that was incredible!

What?

The instructor was stunned.

No mistake, right? Ten rings! How was that possible?!

He grabbed the binoculars in disbelief and looked at the three targets, his face instantly darkening.

It really was ten rings!

Not a single deviation!

Then he looked at He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing; they also had ten rings!

His mind was in a jumble, cursing inwardly. Three new recruits, and they could actually hit ten rings?

Perhaps... it was just luck? The instructor consoled himself with this thought.

Then came a few more shots.

Bang, bang.

"Ten rings!"

"Ten rings!"

Bang, bang, bang.

The fourth shot, the fifth shot, the sixth shot... continuous crisp sounds kept ringing out.

"Ten rings!"

"Ten rings!"

"Nine rings!"

Every time the target caller's voice rang out,

the instructor's heart sank a little deeper!

Gradually, his face turned bitter, almost as dark as the bottom of a pot, filled with gloom.

Although someone scored nine rings, there was only one nine-ring shot, which meant the lowest score was ninety-nine rings!

After ten consecutive shots, Lu Yu threw the gun aside and got up from the ground.

He didn't even need to look; he knew his score.

This was the confidence brought by elite-level marksmanship!

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing elite-level shooting for the first time, you have been awarded 800 merit points!"

Lu Yu was stunned, not expecting the system to give a reward for completing elite-level shooting.

However, this feeling was really good!

With 800 merit points in hand,

he felt delighted.

"One hundred rings!"

"One hundred rings!"

"Ninety-nine rings!"

As expected, the target calling sound soon came.

He was actually completely outdone by three new recruits, two of whom even scored one hundred rings, humiliating him right to his face!

Although he felt incredibly stifled, the fact was, he had indeed lost.

"Yay!"

The rookies cheered, flocking around Lu Yu and the other two like heroes returning from a triumphant battle.

The other instructors also looked displeased.

They rose and fell together!

This time, they were ridden over by the new recruits.

Not far away, Old Hei and Gong Jian, who were watching, exchanged glances, both showing surprise.

The usual atmosphere in the army was to admire the strong, and appropriate competition was beneficial for promoting progress!

They were happy to put pressure on the new recruits, so they didn't stop them.

But looking at the commotion in front of them, something seemed off... Could it be that the instructors lost?

The two quickly walked forward, grabbed their binoculars, and looked at the three targets, their faces filled with both shock and delight.

Ninety-nine rings!

He put down the binoculars and looked at Wang Yanbing: "Not bad."

A new recruit achieving such a score was beyond their expectations.

Gong Jian didn't mince words; arrogant soldiers are bound to lose.

He then looked at He Chenguang's target, and the smile on Gong Jian's face grew even wider.

"One hundred rings! Good kid, a born sharpshooter."

All the new recruits showed envy, but He Chenguang was indeed impressive, scoring one hundred rings right off the bat.

Wang Yanbing, however, looked dejected.

Just one point difference, he lost to He Chenguang.

The last one was Lu Yu's target, also one hundred rings!

As soon as his gaze fell upon it, his expression froze, and his smile solidified.

As if in disbelief, he rubbed his eyes, then looked again, carefully, but there was still no change.

The atmosphere was silent for a second or two.

The crowd also noticed Gong Jian's unusual expression.

Only Lu Yu, the person involved, wore a confident expression, a slight smile on his face, and said nothing.

Finally, Gong Jian put down his binoculars, pointed forward with some shock, and took a deep breath: "Bring Lu Yu's target over."

"Yes, pay attention, pay attention, bring target 16 for review."

Wang Yanbing and He Chenguang looked at each other, a little puzzled.

Soon, Lu Yu's target was brought over.

Gong Jian glanced at it, and indeed, it was exactly as he had seen through the binoculars.

But he still couldn't help but his pupils slightly contract, his heart filled with shock.

With the target so close, it was impossible for everyone not to see clearly.

The arrangement of the bullet holes on it made everyone gasp in cold air: "Hiss!"

A group of instructors walked up, also opening their mouths in disbelief.

They looked at Lu Yu as if they had seen a ghost!

They saw ten white bullet holes neatly and regularly arranged on the bullseye of the target, forming a perfect circle.

"Holy crap! A circle made of bullet holes? What a god!"

"He's a tough guy, I admit, I couldn't draw such a perfect circle with my hand."

"Compared to him, I feel like a piece of trash..."

"His physique is abnormal, and his marksmanship is so awesome! Was he sent by heaven to deliberately annoy us?"

Several instructors buried their heads, their hearts having long categorized Lu Yu as non-human.

And he actually used bullets to make a circle, he must have done it on purpose to annoy people.

Wang Yanbing and He Chenguang shook their heads and smiled bitterly.

Lu Yu's marksmanship was so powerful, it was incredible.

The two of them completely lost any desire to compete!

"See that? This is the best soldier I've ever led! All of you, learn from him!"

Gong Jian cast an appreciative glance at Lu Yu and shouted loudly.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Soon, enthusiastic applause erupted on the scene.

From this moment on, in everyone's hearts, Lu Yu had become an insurmountable mountain, an admirable existence!

The bullet holes on Lu Yu's target were evenly distributed, and with their experience as veterans, they could tell at a glance that even if they measured with a ruler, the distances would be equal.

This terrifying body control showed that he had a complete and meticulous grasp of bullet trajectories and shooting angles, achieving absolute precise control, which couldn't be achieved by luck alone.

Besides 'genius,' there was really no other word suitable for Lu Yu!

"All of you, who prided yourselves on your excellent marksmanship, were outdone by a new recruit. Isn't that shameful? A bet's a bet, now hurry up and run laps on the training ground!"

Gong Jian said to the instructors in a deep voice.

"Yes."

The instructors were helpless; this time, they had lost completely.

They began to run laps around the training ground, feeling depressed.

"Lu Yu, keep up the good work, I have high hopes for you!"

Gong Jian walked over and patted Lu Yu's shoulder.

"Yes."

...More than two months of new recruit training flew by!

Over these two months, Lu Yu's merit points also increased to 3100, and he achieved first place in all the new recruit assessments.

His achievements had completely convinced He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing, who willingly called him Brother Yu.

Next, they would face the combat exercise.

This was a great opportunity to earn merit points.

Only one week of new recruit training remained; after the new recruits were assigned to companies, it would determine which company they would spend the next two years in.

Next month,

the Sharpshooter Fourth Company would hold its selection.

This was the company that the new recruits were eagerly striving to enter, and their training became even more rigorous.

As the final assessment period drew closer, everyone, in addition to their rigorous training, also entered a state of intense preparation.

Especially the Sharpshooter Company, which would soon hold selections, urged everyone to train even harder.

Previously, the rookies had not heard of the Sharpshooter Fourth Company, but now they knew what kind of place it was.

The Sharpshooter Fourth Company was the most mysterious and powerful ace company of the Iron Fist Regiment, truly the elite of the elite, and the most coveted destination for all the new recruits.

If one could enter the Sharpshooter Fourth Company, it proved that they were the best soldiers and would receive even better training.

Legend has it that any soldier pulled from the Fourth Company was a top-notch sharpshooter.

However, the number of recruits each year was very limited, and for these few spots, everyone went all out!

The most prominent were He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing, who trained harder than anyone to compete for a spot; even Li Erniu, with the help of Lu Yu, He Chenguang, and others, improved significantly, successfully overcoming his psychological fear and achieving great results, progressing towards excellence.

Among everyone, only Lu Yu seemed to be an exception.

Aside from earning merits, he wasn't interested in the glory of entering the Sharpshooter Fourth Company.

He currently possessed excellent shooting skills but lacked a suitable weapon.

Although the Sharpshooter Fourth Company had many good guns—the Type 88 sniper rifle, the Type 95 semi-automatic rifle, the Type 92 pistol—his going to the Fourth Company still needed consideration.

"Each year, the competition for the Sharpshooter Fourth Company is fierce. It's no exaggeration to say that the Sharpshooter Fourth Company is the ace of aces in our regiment! However, only the cream of the crop among you, the top-tier soldiers, will have a chance to be selected. This is a very small probability!"

On this day, Old Hei and political instructor Gong Jian were responsible for gathering the rookies at the outdoor training camp for a speech.

When mentioning the Sharpshooter Fourth Company, even the unyielding Old Hei Squad Leader showed a smile on his face.

The rookies, one by one, had fervent looks in their eyes.

They all said a man should strive for self-improvement!

Which good man wouldn't want to become stronger?

And joining the Sharpshooter Fourth Company would give them the opportunity to become stronger.

But among the crowd, there was one exception, and that was Lu Yu!

The sharp-eyed Gong Jian frowned, his gaze falling on Lu Yu, and he thought to himself, "This kid is usually more active than anyone, so why does he look half-asleep now?"

However, a soldier as outstanding as Lu Yu, with a little training, would definitely be the elite of the elite!

Could their Iron Fist Regiment really keep such a person?

Gong Jian fell silent for a moment… The last week also passed quickly.

Training ended for the day.

Old Hei allowed everyone free time to prepare adequately.

After finishing his training, Lu Yu, having nothing to do, returned to the dorm and saw Li Erniu staring blankly.

He remembered that Li Erniu's company assignment seemed to be to the mess hall.

Lu Yu understood his feelings.

Although his various scores had developed towards excellence after more than two months of training, there was still a significant gap between him and top soldiers like He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing!

And he couldn't compare to Lu Yu, which made Li Erniu completely lack confidence, and he had been feeling very down these past two days.

However, the inner hurdle could only be overcome by himself; all Lu Yu could do was help him at critical moments.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly thought of something.

After the Sharpshooter Fourth Company selection assessment ended, the next challenge would be the military exercise with the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade.

This exercise was the top priority!

It was also the turning point in the destinies of He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing.

If he wanted to join the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade and become a member of the Red Blood Cell team, he needed to prepare early.

Finally, amidst widespread anticipation,

The last day of recruit training arrived as scheduled!

The selection for the Sharpshooter Fourth Company officially began.

The assessment consisted of several events.

Mountain armed cross-country, blindfolded disassembly and assembly of firearms, 400-meter obstacle course, high-crouch side crawl, live-fire shooting, and so on.

From the start of the armed cross-country, Lu Yu consistently maintained the lead, with He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing closely behind, in the second echelon, striving to catch up.

Li Erniu was alone in the third echelon, ahead of the other new recruits.

As for the rest of the group, though they wanted to catch up, they found their physical strength lacking, quickly losing their rhythm, panting after only a few steps, and relegated to eating dust behind.

Each assessment was carried out intensely.

"Lu Yu, first in armed cross-country!"

"Lu Yu, first in rock climbing!"

"Lu Yu, shortest time for firearm disassembly, first!"

"Lu Yu, first in the 400-meter obstacle course!"

Without exception, Lu Yu consistently took the lead in these events.

"Holy cow, is this still a new recruit? Even special forces aren't this awesome!"

Lu Yu's astonishing achievements also left the various regimental, battalion, and company commanders who came to observe the assessment completely dumbfounded.

The other new recruits, on the other hand, were utterly despairing.

Although they also worked very hard, as long as Lu Yu, He Chenguang, and a few others were present, the threshold for the Sharpshooter Fourth Company seemed insurmountable.

Yet, no one was jealous; Lu Yu relied on his strength, and in the army, only the strong are revered, so they were convinced.