Chapter 2

Year 1081 of the Dark Calendar.

Planet Dilan.

A bright golden sun hung low in the sky, mercilessly pouring down scorching rays, turning the black-brown rocks into searing hot surfaces, and filling the air with a faint smell of sulfur!

The planet was located on the frontier of the Yan Yun Federation, with a harsh natural environment. Despite significant technological improvements in recent years, development remained unsatisfactory due to the short time frame. However, the discovery of several rare mineral resources on the planet had steadily increased its popularity.

Thirty years ago, the military saw potential in this place and allocated substantial resources to establish an advanced military academy here. They centralized the training of recruits from various immigrant cities on the planet, subjecting them to rigorous and brutal training.

In the wilderness about ten kilometers from the base, a large group of fully armed trainees was undergoing cross-country training.

As the evaluation neared its end, most of the trainees were on the verge of exhaustion, their faces pale, breathing heavily, and their young faces showing deep fatigue.

However, no one dared to slack off. The academy's rules were extremely strict, and any detected attempts to cheat would result in severe punishment from the instructors! The feeling of being worse off than dead was enough to haunt one for a month!

Qin Huang tightened his smart combat belt, lifted his head with great effort to look at the sun, and took a few labored breaths. The scorching air rushed into his throat, causing a burning pain that almost made his lungs feel like they were on fire, making him extremely uncomfortable!

Sweat streamed down his forehead non-stop, blurring his vision, and the figures of his classmates gradually faded into the distance, leaving him struggling to catch up at the back!

The weight of his marching equipment on his back grew heavier and heavier, almost like a mountain, threatening to suffocate him at any moment!

"Sure enough... I'm going to fail the task again, aren't I?" he thought helplessly, his legs still moving mechanically as he ran towards the assembly point on the distant horizon.

There was no doubt that he would be the last one again! According to past precedents, being late would result in a severe punishment of whipping, regardless of one's background. The instructors would show no mercy in this regard!

"...Boss, keep going, it's less than a kilometer!" At some point, a large, muscular trainee turned back and shouted at him. He reached out to try to take his backpack.

Qin Huang shook his head and said with great effort, "Don't... If you break the rules, the instructor will punish you too!"

"No problem, I have good physical fitness, a few whips won't hurt me!" The big guy said nonchalantly, snatching away his ion gun, high-frequency oscillating knife, multifunctional tactical helmet, composite armor vest, proton high-explosive grenades, concentrated energy batteries, and other items!

Qin Huang couldn't argue with him and gave up.

Without the burden, his speed increased significantly, but they were still the last to reach the destination. The other trainees were already lining up and resting!

Instructor Luo Tianxiong, with a face full of scars, stood on a large granite rock, his arms crossed behind his back. His expression was grim, and his deep black alloy power armor was spotless. The scorching sunlight fell on it and was silently absorbed.

His sharp eyes were cold and lethal, filled with a bone-chilling killing intent. Under his gaze, no one could help but feel a chill, even the most rebellious trainees lowered their heads and submitted, not daring to show any disrespect!

Countless bloody examples had already proven how foolish it was to challenge the authority of the instructors!

Watching the last two trainees support each other back to the ranks, Luo Tianxiong raised his scarred, muscular wrist to his face, glanced at the miniature optical brain on it, and said expressionlessly, "You two are one minute and fifty-one seconds late!"

"As for the consequences, you know them, so there's no need for me to repeat them, right?"

Qin Huang pressed his dry, cracked lips together and said nothing. Begging for mercy was meaningless in front of this ruthless instructor!

He silently took off his military uniform jacket and walked over without a word, lying down.

Luo Tianxiong pulled out a thick, dark golden whip from behind his back. The flexible alloy steel wires were intertwined with the tendons of a black rock hoofed beast, forming a rough and sturdy weapon with many sharp barbs, and dried bloodstains were visible.

This terrifying weapon, in the hands of this equally formidable instructor, had become a source of fear for many trainees and countless native beasts!

The flexible whip was raised high, creating a hair-raising whistling sound as it sliced through the air, leaving trails of afterimages, and landed heavily on Qin Huang's back, leaving a deep purple lash mark that swelled visibly!

The intense pain almost made the young man faint, but his rationality told him that if he really couldn't hold on, the consequences would be even more severe!

He bit his lower lip tightly and forced out a syllable, "One..."

Luo Tianxiong's expression remained unchanged, and he swung his arm, delivering the second lash without hesitation, followed by the third, fourth...

The heart-wrenching sound of the whipping echoed in the air. Qin Huang's back was covered in shocking purple lash marks, bloodstained, and even the trainees watching the punishment were chilled to the bone!

"...Twenty-four, twenty-five!" With the last lash, the instructor finally stopped. The young man on the ground was on the brink of both physical and mental collapse.

He struggled to maintain his composure and said hoarsely, "Instructor, Trainee No. 19 Qin Huang sincerely thanks you for the twenty-five lashes!"

This was the school's rule. Trainees who received lashes had to count them themselves. If they fainted, they would be whipped again. After the punishment, they had to report this to show they had no resentment.

"Hmph!" Luo Tianxiong's expression softened slightly, and he said coldly, "This is the third time this semester that you have been punished for failing to meet training requirements! The final exam is in two months. If you continue like this, you will not only face even harsher punishment but also be expelled! I hope you understand the gravity of the situation!"

"Yes, I understand!" Qin Huang replied softly.

Then, Luo Tianxiong turned his gaze to the fat trainee beside him and said calmly, "Wu De, I appreciate your brotherly loyalty. On the battlefield, this might be a commendable quality, but your actions violate the school's training rules, so..."

Wu De sighed resignedly, not daring to argue, and obediently lay down on the ground.

Another flurry of whips followed, the sound of the whip striking flesh mixed with pig-like screams echoing in the air.

"...Don't forget your identity and your mission!" After the punishment, Luo Tianxiong put away the whip, his sharp gaze sweeping over the entire scene, and he said grimly, "You are the elite seeds selected from the major immigrant cities on this planet, the foundation of the Federation, and the hope of human civilization's future! Therefore, such extreme load training will only increase in the future! If anyone feels they can't handle it and admits they are a coward, they should leave now! We don't need weaklings here!"

"Yes, Instructor!" The hundreds of trainees responded in unison.

"Alright, that's all for today's training, dismissed!" Luo Tianxiong turned and walked to a nearby silver-black military hovercar, opened the door, and sat down. The car lifted off lightly and sped away.

This was a privilege of the instructors. As for the trainees, they had to walk back to the school on their own.

"Boss, are you okay?" A deep-eyed, slender trainee walked over, carefully helping Qin Huang up, and said softly.

He was Wu De's twin brother, Wu Neng, but from their physique, they looked very different.

"Relax, I won't die!" Qin Huang gritted his teeth and replied.

Wu De grunted a few times, saying nothing, but his small eyes were already roving over some attractive female trainees.

Whispers from the other trainees reached them:

"...This guy is really unlucky. He's been whipped the most this semester!"

"...He wasn't like this before. I don't know what happened. His physical fitness has declined a lot recently..."

"...What else could it be? It's just too much overtraining, plus insufficient resources, leading to overexertion of his physical potential!"

"...Yes, if he continues like this, he will likely collapse! In the future, he might..."

"...Isn't it obvious? With his foundation, without sufficient high-level resources, all his efforts will be in vain!" A tall, handsome trainee with a proud expression said.

His influence was clearly significant, and his words immediately drew a series of agreements and flattery.

Or looks of contempt, pity, or ridicule were cast at Qin Huang, who ignored them and, with Wu De's help, struggled towards the school.

In their state, their speed was naturally not fast, and they soon fell behind. It would probably be dark by the time they reached the school!

This planet was still in the development stage, and the dangers of the night wilderness were self-evident. Temperatures would drop below zero, and all kinds of terrifying native beasts would appear. Without sufficient strength, one could not survive in such an environment.

Halfway through, the hovercar descended slowly, and the towering figure walked down.

"Good day, Instructor!" The three of them quickly saluted.

Luo Tianxiong frowned and examined Qin Huang for a moment, then said, "I don't understand what's wrong with you lately! You used to be the youngest trainee in the school, but also the most diligent! Your talent wasn't the best, but your test scores were always top-notch! But now..."

He shook his head, threw a delicate sealed metal bottle over, and said calmly, "Regardless, I hope you can return to your previous state for the next evaluation! Otherwise... you know the consequences!"

The hovercar sped away.

Wu Neng picked up the rapid-acting organic healing spray and carefully applied it to Qin Huang's back wounds. The spray worked well, a cool sensation spread over the skin, and the wounds healed quickly.

He first treated Qin Huang's injuries and then helped his brother.

"I'm fine, use more on Boss!" Wu De grunted, "I can handle these injuries!"

His physique was more robust than three normal trainees combined, standing there like a human bear, with formidable defense.

Without the burden of injuries, their speed increased significantly. As the last rays of the sunset were about to disappear, the pale blue energy shield dome and the tall metal walls of the immigrant city finally came into view. In the distance, the roars of some beasts could already be heard.

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