[This Talent Is Amazing]

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[Loading past life. 1% 35% 50% 91% 99% 100% Loading complete.]

[Congratulations, you have become— a recruit!!]

[Special talent loading. Loading successful.]

[Diligence Compensates for Lack of Talent: Geniuses are made up of 99% talent and 1% sweat. Although you only possess that one percent, as long as you work hard, you can make up for some of your own shortcomings.]

The Simulator was making up nonsense again!!

[Player talent detected—Death Omen. Self-awakening requires no additional Admission Ticket.]

[Player talent detected—Indomitable Through Hundred Deaths. Self-awakening requires no additional Admission Ticket.]

[Player talent detected—Endure Hunger. Purchasing it from the mall requires an additional equivalent Admission Ticket expenditure (100 Simulation Coins) before it may be brought in.]

[Player talent detected—Child of the Night. Obtaining it through drawing lots requires an additional Simulation Scenario Admission Ticket expenditure (1 Simulation Coin) before it may be brought in.]

[Players may carry a maximum of three talents into each Simulation Scenario. Please consider carefully.]

When he saw that bringing [Endure Hunger] into the Simulation Scenario required 100 Simulation Coins, he had been about to curse the Simulator for being a profiteer. But the moment he spotted the lone 1 Simulation Coin beside [Child of the Night], he instantly brightened.

Well, well. I'd finally caught another chance to freeload!

Starting out as a recruit meant he did not need to worry about food. As the saying went—the emperor did not starve his soldiers.

"Fine. Death Omen, Indomitable Through Hundred Deaths, Child of the Night."

His vision went black as he entered [Campaigning].

"Recruit, what are you looking at? I'm talking to you!"

When He Zhao came to his senses, he found himself standing in an enormous drill ground, surrounded by neatly equipped Xuandu Army infantrymen.

"He Zhao!"

"Here!"

He answered instinctively, only to be met with the instructor's gloomy face.

The burly, fierce-looking instructor strode up to Someone surnamed He and glared at him viciously.

"I've said it countless times: answer 'Present'! Men, drag him away and give him ten military-cane strokes."

He Zhao: "???"

What kind of bizarre start was this? I got beaten the moment I arrived!

Two soldiers responsible for military discipline stepped forward and dragged He Zhao away.

Then they gave him ten light strokes.

He had just entered camp. Beating him until he could not get out of bed and delaying his training would be going too far.

"Shout louder. Make it more miserable. And when you leave, make your expression look more pained."

While being beaten, He Zhao cried out so heart-rendingly it sounded as though his heart had been torn apart.

Even the soldiers beating him could not help but admire him. What incredible acting!

Acting, my ass.

One blow had nearly killed him on the spot.

If they had not held back, wouldn't it have been Game Over again?

By the time he returned to the ranks clutching his butt, every recruit present, without exception, was far more obedient than before.

The instructor nodded in satisfaction and walked to stand opposite all the soldiers.

"Come. Follow me and practice every move!"

Suppressing the pain, He Zhao copied the instructor's movements.

After an entire morning passed, the Simulator suddenly displayed a notification.

[Special talent Diligence Compensates for Lack of Talent activated.]

[Congratulations. You have learned Basic Fist Technique!]

He Zhao hurriedly checked the notification and saw that a line of information had appeared in the upper-left corner of his vision.

[Basic Fist Technique: 0/100 (Roughly Understand)]

Did this 100 mean practicing the fist technique a hundred times?

"Next, practice freely for half an hour." After saying that, the instructor left the drill ground, leaving behind a group of clumsy recruits awkwardly practicing the Basic Fist Technique.

Some of them had decent comprehension, and each move they made looked fairly convincing.

The passing Instructors nodded repeatedly. This batch of recruits was of good quality. At the very least, there were quite a few promising seedlings worth focusing on.

He Zhao, meanwhile, devoted himself wholeheartedly to the fist technique. The Basic Fist Technique was simple and easy to learn, and with the special talent Diligence Compensates for Lack of Talent, he swung his arms while limping, each form flowing as naturally as mercury spilling across the ground.

Of course, it would have been even better if he had not taken ten military-cane strokes.

After completing one set of the fist technique, the 0/100 ticked once.

[Basic Fist Technique: 1/100 (Roughly Understand)]

"There's hope!!"

He Zhao's eyes lit up. After dying and dying and dying and dying, he had finally gotten lucky once.

"Perfect. This time, it's in the bag."

What dangers could there be in a Recruit Camp?

The captain under Hundred-Household Wu of the Xuandu Army, from his previous identity, had said that training would take at least half a year.

"Hehe, I wonder what rating the Simulator will give me when this Simulation Scenario ends. Right, no matter how much the Past Life Mall sells Diligence Compensates for Lack of Talent for, I'll definitely grind it out!"

Suffering, spending coins, grinding—this Simulator was truly something else!

After practicing the Basic Fist Technique five times in a row, He Zhao sat on the ground, panting heavily.

His muscles felt slightly torn, while waves of hunger rolled through his stomach. Practicing fists was actually more exhausting than hauling bricks.

"So you do know when to stop?"

The instructor who had just had him beaten with military canes walked toward He Zhao, taking the opportunity to mock him.

"Don't underestimate the Basic Fist Technique just because it's basic. It is the most reasonable fist technique, distilled from the experience of countless predecessors in our Great Xuan Army. Whether you're a genius or a mediocrity, you can always gain something from it.

"Ordinary people can practice the fist technique at most three times a day before falling into a state of weakness and soreness all over. You, kid, were a little reckless. You insisted on practicing five times before stopping.

"If you can reach the Proficient level within half a month, remember to come find me."

With that, the instructor patted He Zhao on the shoulder and left.

Afterward, He Zhao faced countless gazes, some envious, some jealous.

A Xuandu Army recruit instructor represented not only formidable strength, but also an enormous network of connections and the emperor's trust.

Out of five thousand recruits, he had singled out He Zhao for special attention. How could the others not be envious, jealous, and resentful?

Ruthless He Zhao: "What are you looking at? Believe it or not, I'll beat you up?"

In the real world, I was meek and submissive. In the Simulation Scenario, I struck out with Heavy Punches!

At worst, he would spend another 12 Simulation Coins to enter again. What did he have to fear?

The group looked at one another, then turned around and continued practicing their fists in earnest.

Private brawling meant military-cane strokes!

After the earlier show of force, none of them wanted another beating for the time being. It simply was not worth it.

The instructor who had yet to leave chuckled. Another thorny one.

But I like that!

The sense of accomplishment from forging an unruly recruit into a fine piece of steel truly made the instructor unable to stop.

At noon, He Zhao alone wolfed down five huge bowls of rice, drawing amazed clicks of the tongue from the comrades around him. What a Rice Bucket!

In the afternoon, they began endurance and strength training.

That evening, after He Zhao recovered his stamina, he practiced the Basic Fist Technique once more before lights-out.

Practicing too much would leave hidden injuries and cause irreversible damage to the body?

Sorry, at worst, I'll just start over!

[Basic Fist Technique: 9/100 (Roughly Understand)]

"???"

That wasn't right. Five rounds during the day plus one round at night should have made it 6/100.

Why was it 9/100 instead!

Wait, I seemed to have a talent called [Child of the Night].

A threefold enhancement in every aspect!

Well, damn. It could even enhance my talents.

The next moment, He Zhao's eyes turned red.

Don't stop me. I want to practice fists—the kind where I practice until I die.