"Let's go eat together? I'll tell you about being an instructor," Instructor Wang said with a nod. Qi Yuan readily agreed to Instructor Wang's invitation.
The instructors' cafeteria was separate from the students'. As soon as he entered the cafeteria, all eyes were on him.
For the National Guard Army recruits, the military training was like a little vacation. They were still ordinary people in private and would joke around with vulgar humor, trying to establish a father-son relationship with their teammates.
The chief instructor still remembered this eccentric assistant instructor. How is he still here?
"Chief, this is Qi Yuan, the instructor from Shen City University I mentioned yesterday," Instructor Wang quickly explained, "He's an A-level superhuman among this year's freshmen."
The room erupted in astonishment, everyone gasped in unison.
The chief instructor nearly dropped his chopsticks. Old Wang didn't give him a heads up before unleashing this, the bastard.
He was certain this son of a bitch just wanted to make fun of them.
Instructor Wang and the combat class instructors all revealed wicked smiles. They winked at each other and nodded towards the chief instructor's direction.
The chief instructor took a deep breath, barely regaining his faculty of speech, "Young man, you are quite promising."
"You flatter me too much."
Qi Yuan appeared humble and polite on the surface, but his eyes glinted with amusement. Pitting the chief instructor who would publicly chastise him was quite delightful.
After successfully seeing his teammates' shocked expressions, Instructor Wang received enthusiastic fists and feet from his teammates.
When he barely escaped from their clutches, Qi Yuan and the other instructors had already finished their meals and were waiting for him at their seats.
Instructor Wang angrily scolded them for having no sense of unity and selling him out directly. However, the others just laughed without showing any remorse.
What did the people Instructor Wang had schemed against have anything to do with them?
After joking around, Instructor Wang began telling Qi Yuan about the upcoming military training arrangements.
This afternoon, after dividing into squads, there would be a three-day squad coordination period. The location was set at the school's outdoor training grounds.
The third-year upperclassmen would also form squads and enter the grounds, wandering in designated areas as monsters to eliminate the freshmen squads.
Freshmen squads would gain one point for each successful evasion, five points for eliminating upperclassmen squads, and lose one point when eliminated. The squads were ranked by cumulative points, with prizes for the top three squads of each grade.
Aside from squad points, the instructors would also grade individual squad members. At the end of training, students whose total score across all events was failing would need to take a makeup exam.
Those still unable to pass the makeup would be deemed uncooperative with the curriculum by the school and face expulsion.
The instructors only had two responsibilities during the coordination period: grading squad members and correcting their mistakes after the period ended.
"I understand."
Although Qi Yuan's squad was in name only, Instructor Wang as the lead instructor would provide assistance, so Qi Yuan wasn't too worried.
After the meal, they returned to the indoor training hall.
The freshmen were already raring to go, battle lust permeating the entire hall.
They fought fiercely on the floor while Qi Yuan was bored to the point of dozing off below.
Even if his combat skills were inferior to those on stage, his 10x Strength Reduction could easily turn the tables.
His superior physique allowed him to clearly see every attack and react in time to dodge or counterattack.
Currently on stage were Jiang Wenyin and Gao Changze's match.
Jiang Wenyin was a Strength superhuman. The hundred-jin heavy sledgehammer was like a child's toy in her hands, lightly lifted up. Only when the sledgehammer struck the ground with a deafening boom did others realize its true weight.
Facing Jiang Wenyin, Gao Changze narrowly dodged her attack, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.
This woman ate spinach or something?
Such monstrous strength!
Unfazed after the probing attack missed, Jiang Wenyin firmly grasped the sledgehammer and swept Gao Changze's legs with a horizontal swing.
The sledgehammer traced an afterimage in the air. Gao Changze twisted his body to evade the attack, leaping backward several steps to widen the distance.
He took out a gun that had been enhanced by superhumans from his jacket, eyes glinting sharply.
Superpower - Multiplication.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Gao Changze fired several bullets in succession, doubling their speed.
This was the highest multiplier he could currently use.
Too fast!
Unable to track the bullets with her eyes, Jiang Wenyin bit her lip and quickly considered countermeasures.
Soon she figured it out.
She couldn't see the bullets clearly, but she could see Gao Changze's actions and predict the bullets' trajectories from his movements and the gun muzzle.
The bullets shuttled through the air and eventually collided with the sledgehammer in a shower of sparks, unable to penetrate the sledgehammer. The deflected bullets scattered in all directions.
While firing, Gao Changze wielded a dagger in his other hand. His right foot pushed off the ground as he leapt at Jiang Wenyin.
Double speed!
Blocking the bullets was already strenuous. The sledgehammer in her hands couldn't return to defend in time.
Seeing Gao Changze about to succeed and end the match, Jiang Wenyin calmly released the sledgehammer and ducked to avoid his charge.
She then kicked upwards with rabbit legs empowered by her superstrength, punting the unbalanced Gao Changze flying away after his attack missed.
Only then did Jiang Wenyin pick up the sledgehammer again and resume a defensive stance.
"Ow, damn!"
Gao Changze rubbed his waist as he got up. The kick nearly dislocated his spine.
Double speed was still too taxing. He couldn't perfectly control his body's reactions.
But it wasn't without gains...
He turned his gaze to Jiang Wenyin's weapon, having likely noticed...
Jiang Wenyin weighed the sledgehammer in her hands with knitted brows.
The once-familiar weapon had inexplicably doubled in weight, highly uncomfortable for her.
Was it back then?
Jiang Wenyin recalled Gao Changze's fingertips brushing the sledgehammer as he flew back.
Her superpower only affected herself. She was rather helpless against powers that targeted objects.
Still in battle, she didn't have time to devise countermeasures.
So she simply swung the sledgehammer a few times to adjust to the new weight.
The two exchanged over a dozen bouts, deadlocked.
Unfamiliarity with the heavier weapon prevented Jiang Wenyin from fully utilizing her strength, while Gao Changze was also unable to overpower her.
Once he got close, the sledgehammer deterred him from attacking recklessly. Her tremendous strength made him not dare to strike lightly.
The evenly-matched battle rapidly drained their stamina.
Suddenly, Jiang Wenyin smashed the ground with the sledgehammer, pounding the same spot repeatedly.
Caught off guard, Gao Changze stepped on the fractured floor.
Losing his footing, he hurriedly adjusted his body to maintain balance.
A shadow fell over him as Jiang Wenyin rushed forth sledgehammer raised...
"Whoosh—"
Gao Changze suddenly vanished from Jiang Wenyin's sight. Just as she looked around for her opponent, she felt a chill against her neck.
A dagger was held to her throat.
"I concede."
Although unclear how he approached, concealed cards were commonplace.
The situation settled, Jiang Wenyin gracefully admitted defeat.
Hmm?
Qi Yuan straightened up in the stands, the unexpected development contrary to his expectations.
Gao Changze's speed for that last strike was at least several times faster.
Among their average level of combat for Class 1, that burst could easily rank near the top.
Why was everyone pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?