Dawn hadn't fully broken when Chen Wei was already standing in the middle of the village square with his hands folded behind his back. The morning air felt cold, thin fog still blanketing the ground, and dew dampening the grass growing between the stones.
Before him thirty five village youths stood with varying postures. Some stood straight because they were still enthusiastic, some slouched from fatigue, some nervously shifted their weight from one foot to the other. All still wore shabby peasant clothes. Brown cloth pants, patched long sleeved shirts, and straw sandals.
Chen Wei observed them one by one with a sharp gaze. In his mind the system panel was already open.
[AVAILABLE RECRUITS: 35]
[Status: Untrained]
[Recommended Formation:]
- 15 Militia (Light Infantry)
- 10 Spearman (Spear Infantry)
- 10 Archer (Bowmen)
Standard formatin for small territory defense. Militia as cheap frontline, Spearman for defensive formation, and Archer for ranged attacks. Balanced, efficient, and matched available resources.
"You've all made the choice to join," Chen Wei said in a loud voice that broke the morning silence. "But choosing alone isn't enough. From now on you're no longer farmers. You are soldiers. And soldiers follow rules."
Several youths glanced at each other with doubtful expressions.
"First rule," Chen Wei continued while slowly stepping before the line. "You wake when I command. You eat when I allow. You sleep when I say it's enough. No questions. No complaints. If you violate this... you're out."
A large bodied youth with burn scars on his arm raised his hand hesitantly. "S-sir... we still have families to take care of. Fields that must..."
"Your families will be taken care of by other residents not joining training," Chen Wei interrupted without hesitation. "Fields will be managed together until you finish basic training. If you want to protect your families then you must focus on becoming strong. Not half hearted."
The youth closed his mouth but his eyes still held doubt.
Chen Wei stopped in the middle of the line. "I know you're scared. I know you're uncertain. But the bandits you fought yesterday, they weren't trained. They were just a mob of stupid raiders relying on numbers. Real enemies. Trained soldiers from major nations, they're far more dangerous. If you're not ready you'll die. Simple as that."
Tense silence.
"Now," Chen Wei opened the system panel and selected the recruitment option. "I'll divide you into three groups. First group, Militia. You'll be trained to fight close range with sword and shield. Second group, Spearman. You'll learn spear formation for defense. Third group, Archer. You'll train accuracy with bow."
Thin blue light appeared around Chen Wei. Visible only to him. The system panel displayed the unit division interface.
[SELECT RECRUITS FOR EACH UNIT]
Chen Wei stared at the line with quick calculations. He pointed at fifteen people on the left side. Mostly medium built youths with aggressive expressions. "You lot, Militia."
Then ten people in the middle with taller stronger postures. "You, Spearman."
And the remaining ten who looked more agile and calm. "You, Archer."
[CONFIRM UNIT DIVISION]
[15 Militia: Cost 750 Metal]
[10 Spearman: Cost 1000 Metal]
[10 Archer: Cost 1500 Metal]
[Total: 3250 Metal]
[Available Resources: 500 Metal]
[WARNING: Insufficient resources!]
Chen Wei frowned. He forgot that recruitment required upfront costs, not just training. Metal was used for weapons, armor, and basic equipment. Without that they were just a group of farmers with sticks.
But the system panel displayed another option.
[ALTERNATIVE: Manual Training Mode]
[Cost: 0 Metal]
[Duration: 7 days per unit]
[Effectiveness: 60% compared to instant recruitment]
[Note: Manually trained units require direct Commander supervision.]
Chen Wei smiled faintly. So the system was flexible. Good. He didn't have enough metal now but he had time. And expertise.
"Alright," he said while closing the panel. "Change of plans. You'll still be divided into three groups but training will be manual. Meaning I myself will train you."
Shocked murmurs spread.
"You think I can't?" Chen Wei smirked. "I used to..."
He stopped his words. Almost said "general in another world." Stupid. Had to be more careful.
"I once studied military strategy from various sources," he continued quickly. "And I know how to train troops from scratch. So you're lucky."
The youth who protested earlier, his name was Liu Feng. Chen Wei remembered from the original body's memory. He raised his hand again. "Master Chen... with respect, how can we be sure your training will work? We're not soldiers. We've never even held swords before yesterday."
Chen Wei walked closer to Liu Feng until their distance was only a hand's breadth. Liu Feng was taller than him but somehow he felt smaller under Chen Wei's gaze.
"You're right," Chen Wei said quietly but sharply. "You're not soldiers. You're weak, slow, and untrained. But yesterday you chose not to run when bandits came. That means you have guts. And guts can be sharpened into strength... if you're willing to listen."
He stepped back. "Now I'll give you one last choice. Whoever wants to leave, go now. No punishment. But if you stay here then you follow my rules until the end. Understood?"
No one moved.
Chen Wei nodded with satisfaction. "Good. Now, Militia group, follow me. Spearman and Archer, you rest first. Your turn this afternoon and evening."
Training began brutally.
Chen Wei brought the fifteen Militia candidates to an open field outside the village. The ground there was hard and dusty, suitable for physical training. In the corner of the field several thick wooden logs stood upright. Remains of old fence posts.
"First of all," Chen Wei stood before them with hands on his hips. "You'll learn how to stand properly."
One youth, a carpenter's son named Zhao Hu, laughed lightly. "Stand? We've been able to stand since we were one year old sir."
Chen Wei stared at him flatly. "Standing as a farmer and standing as a soldier are different. Now. Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, weight in the center. Hands ready in front of chest. Try it."
They tried. The result was a mess. Some too wide, some too stiff, some almost fell from losing balance.
Chen Wei shook his head. "Again."
"But..."
"AGAIN!"
They tried again. And again. And again. Until ten times Chen Wei corrected their posture one by one. Kicking wrongly positioned feet, pressing backs that were too hunched, pulling shoulders that were too tense.
After an hour they were all sweating despite having done nothing but stand.
"Now," Chen Wei picked up a thick wooden stick from the pile beside him. "You'll learn how to attack. Not with swords yet. With sticks. Because if you can't control a stick you won't be able to control a sword."
He pointed at the wooden post in the corner of the field. "That's your target. Hit until your hands go numb. Then hit again. One hundred times per person. Start."
Liu Feng stared at the post with an incredulous expression. "One hundred times? Our hands will break!"
"If they break it means you're too weak to be soldiers," Chen Wei replied coldly. "But they won't break. You'll just feel pain. And that pain will make you stronger. Now... START!"
One by one they struck the wooden post with sticks. The sound of wood hitting wood echoed across the field. At first their strikes were weak. Hesitant. But Chen Wei stood behind them watching with a sharp gaze.
"Harder! You want to tickle enemies or kill them?"
"Wrong posture! Right foot forward, weight follows!"
"Don't close your eyes! If you're scared of sticks how will you face swords later?"
They struck. Again. Again. Again. Their hands began trembling. Palms blistered. Some people even screamed in pain but no one stopped because Chen Wei didn't allow it.
When one hundred strikes were complete they all collapsed to the ground gasping for breath. Sweat drenched their entire bodies. Some people even vomited at the field's edge.
Chen Wei stood among them with a merciless expression. "Good. You're not dead yet. That means you're strong enough to continue."
"Co... continue?" Liu Feng stared at him with wide eyes.
"Of course." Chen Wei grinned. "We just finished warming up. Now, run around the village. Three laps. Whoever's slowest gets another hundred strikes."
Desperate groans sounded but they still rose shakily and began running.
Chen Wei watched them with satisfaction. The system panel displayed progress.
[MILITIA TRAINING: DAY 1]
[Progress: 5%]
[Status: Recruits very tired but morale remains stable.]
[Estimated Completion: 6 days]
Good. Faster than the system's estimate. Because Chen Wei knew exactly how to train troops efficiently. Push their bodies to the limit but don't break them. Let them feel pain but also give them a sense of small achievement every day.
In the afternoon it was Spearman and Archer's turn. Their training was slightly different. Spearman focused on formation. How to stand together, how to lock shields, how to thrust simultaneously. Archer focused on hand stability and breathing. How to draw the bow without shaking, how to aim calmly even under pressure.
The sun was almost setting when all the first day's training finished. Those thirty five youths lay sprawled in the village square with bodies full of bruises, scraped hands, and gasping breaths. But no one complained. They were too tired for that.
Chen Wei stood before them with folded arms. "First day done. You're all still alive. That's already good. Tomorrow we continue. And it'll be harder."
Liu Feng raised a trembling hand. "Master Chen... may I ask something?"
"Speak."
"Why... why are you doing this?" Liu Feng's voice was hoarse. "I mean... you could just recruit mercenaries. Or find troops already trained. Why bother training us who are just farmers?"
Chen Wei was silent for a moment. Good question. The honest answer: because the system gave efficiency bonuses for self trained troops. But he couldn't say that.
"Because mercenaries can be bribed," Chen Wei finally answered. "Trained forces from outside have divided loyalty. But you... you were born in this village. Your families are here. You won't run when war comes because you're fighting to protect your own homes. That's what makes you valuable."
Silence. Then slowly the recruits' expressions changed. Their eyes that were previously tired and desperate now showed something else. Determination.
Chen Wei turned and walked away. "Rest. Tomorrow morning we start at five. Don't be late."
That night Chen Wei returned to his house and opened the system panel. The Barracks he ordered yesterday were almost complete. Progress at 80%. Tomorrow afternoon that structure would stand and make training far more efficient.
He also checked his territory status.
[QINGHE VILLAGE: DAY 2]
[Population: 127]
[Troops in Training: 35]
[Resources: 510 Metal, 220 Food]
[Daily Income: +10 Metal, +20 Food]
[Status: Stable]
Income still low but stable. Chen Wei opened the construction menu again and planned the next step. After Barracks finished he needed a Farm to increase food production. Troops in training needed more food. Then Mine for metal because weapons and armor wouldn't be cheap.
But most importantly he needed to ensure there were no external threats for the next week. The Heifeng Mountain bandits who escaped yesterday would definitely report to their boss. A counterattack could come anytime.
Chen Wei closed the panel and stared at the small map hanging on the wall. A map of the local area he found in this house. Heifeng Mountain was to the northwest, about three days' journey on foot. The bandit base there was estimated to have one to two hundred people.
"Thirty five against two hundred," Chen Wei muttered while smiling faintly. "In another week... that's no longer a nightmare."
He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. His body was tired but his mind remained active. Arranging strategies, calculating possibilities, planning step by step. This was just the beginning. This small village would become the foundation of an empire that would shake the entire world.