Targeted Training

As Wei Zitong was about to start running, Jace reached into the void and pulled out a thumb-sized electronic device, sticking it directly onto Wei Zitong.

"What is this?" Wei Zitong asked, confused.

"A little gadget." Jace surprisingly smiled, but Wei Zitong could clearly see the scummy expression of that con artist A-Jace on his face.

As expected, Jace's next words confirmed Wei Zitong's thoughts: "It can measure your weight, calculate the distance you run, and most importantly, if you can't run back within the allotted time, it will self-destruct and release at least 10,000 volts of electricity as punishment!"

"Hiss..." Wei Zitong gasped, not daring to delay any longer. Carrying a weight of 450 jin, he sprinted forward!

The physical condition of the three girls might have truly reached their limit. Wei Zitong encountered them around the 4.5-kilometer mark, as they had started nearly half an hour before him.

The three of them were stunned when they saw Wei Zitong because they heard his heavy footsteps, heavier than Zhao Xin's. Any lingering resentment they had towards Wei Zitong instantly vanished, replaced by...

Schadenfreude...

Even though their faces were pale from exhaustion, they couldn't help but laugh.

Wei Zitong rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but as soon as the three saw him about to speak, they ran far away as if avoiding a plague!

"Senior, if you have anything to say, please say it after training!" Rui Mengmeng, being the most sensible, quickly explained, "I'm worried that Instructor Jace will impose heavier penalties on you!"

The other two girls nodded repeatedly, thinking Mengmeng's words made sense. They were considering Wei Zitong's well-being, not disliking him!

Wei Zitong was speechless and could only pass by the three of them.

When he reached the 5-kilometer mark, he saw Zhao Xin completing his final return run.

"Hey, hey, hey, Zitong, why are you running back?" Zhao Xin called out loudly from a distance. Although his face was flushed and he was drenched in sweat, his voice was full of energy, showing little sign of fatigue.

Seeing how effortlessly he was managing, Wei Zitong sincerely mourned for his training tomorrow.

"I was punished with running..." Wei Zitong replied weakly as Zhao Xin caught up to him with a sprint.

"Hey, it's okay. Look, isn't it me, Brother Xin, who ran 100,000 meters and still made it through?" Zhao Xin said while patting Wei Zitong's shoulder to comfort him.

But he soon noticed something unusual about Wei Zitong's gait and felt a jolt. He repeatedly asked, "Why do you look heavier than me?"

"I'm naturally heavier than you, and I'm carrying an extra 100 jin, so of course I'm heavier than you!" Wei Zitong replied, rolling his eyes.

"Holy crap, that's brutal?" Zhao Xin felt his mouth go bitter. "Then won't Brother Xin be in big trouble tomorrow? No, I have to pretend to be more tired!"

Hmph, dream on. Wei Zitong glanced at the thumb-sized object stuck to his body. If he wasn't mistaken, this thing probably had a listening function. Jace was likely monitoring their conversation right now, and Zhao Xin was in for a tough time tomorrow!

Just as Wei Zitong expected...

During training the next day, Zhao Xin's load jumped from 200 jin to 500 jin, and the training distance increased from 100,000 meters to 200,000 meters. Jace also attached the same thumb-sized device to Zhao Xin.

Zhao Xin immediately considered dropping out.

Not only Zhao Xin, but everyone else's training volume also increased significantly. Even Jace himself had Wei Zitong add the same load as Zhao Xin.

The first day was just adaptive training, or rather, baseline training, to see where everyone's physical potential lay. The second day began targeted training.

As the first-tier member, Zhao Xin naturally suffered the most. Following him were Lena, Liu Chuang, and Ge Xiaolun in the second tier, all of whom had their loads increased by 200 jin. Since Lena possessed a Divine Body, increasing her load once depleted Wei Zitong's energy, forcing him to replenish it from Lena again.

Cheng Yaowen, Wuji Yi, and Rui Mengmeng also had their loads increased by 100 jin. Only Qilin and Du Qiangwei did not have their loads increased because their primary abilities were not close-combat oriented, and their physiques did not require excessive strengthening. Their gene models also couldn't withstand high-intensity training in a short period.

As for Wei Zitong himself, he maintained the same 300 jin load as during yesterday's punishment run.

This terrifying load-bearing training continued for a full week, during which some people's loads were constantly increasing.

For example, by the seventh day, Ge Xiaolun and Liu Chuang's loads had reached a staggering 1,000 jin. Jace himself also carried 1,000 jin.

Rui Mengmeng showed the fastest progress. By the seventh day, she could already endure a 600 jin load for a 100,000-meter run.

Zhao Xin's load did not increase; it remained at 500 jin from the second day. However, Jace changed his training focus to speed.

Zhao Xin's training distance increased by 100,000 meters each day, with Jace's requirement being that he finish before everyone else.

By the seventh day, Zhao Xin's speed was lightning-fast, earning him the nickname "Lightning Zhao"!

After all, not everyone could run 700,000 meters, or 700 kilometers, within five hours while carrying 500 jin!

Wei Zitong knew this was not Zhao Xin's limit. Zhao Xin's gene model destined him to reach supersonic speeds; this was merely tapping into a fraction of his potential.

Compared to powerful gene users like Zhao Xin, Qilin's training was much easier. Her gene model dictated that running 100,000 meters within five hours without any load was her limit. She was more adept at ultra-long-range sniping.

Du Qiangwei was similar. She excelled at spatial control and wasn't particularly strong in close-quarters combat. Her ability to endure the training was mainly due to her gene development having started earlier and progressing further than most.

After these days of rigorous physical training, the growth rate of Zhao Xin, Ge Xiaolun, and Liu Chuang made Du Qiangwei's performance seem somewhat dim.

As for Lena, she was a Divine Body, a Divine Body whose powers were largely sealed. No matter how intense the training, it wouldn't significantly affect her. Of course, she didn't need extremely intense physical training either, as her primary role wasn't close-quarters combat.

Compared to the varying performances of the others, Wei Zitong's own performance was unremarkable. He was neither outstanding nor lacking. Without using his abilities, he couldn't compete with Liu Chuang or Ge Xiaolun in terms of strength. His physical condition was similar to Cheng Yaowen's.

Jace saw this clearly. As long as Wei Zitong didn't cause any trouble using his abilities, he wouldn't excessively increase Wei Zitong's training volume.

"How long are we going to be running like this every day?" Liu Chuang complained during dinner.

"Who cares? We've all gotten through it!" Cheng Yaowen said, shaking his head.

"That's true!" Ge Xiaolun nodded in agreement, saying, "I can't believe I can run 100 kilometers with a 1,000 jin load without any problems!"

"If I had to say who performed best these past few days, it would be Brother Xin. That speed..." Wei Zitong interjected.

"Right!" Cheng Yaowen nodded, then looked at Zhao Xin and asked, "Brother Xin, just how fast can you run?"

"It's not that fast, just a bit faster than regular cars!" Zhao Xin was actually very happy, but he had to act humble on the surface, saying, "If I run into a supercar like Zitong's, I'm done for!"

"That's still pretty good!" Wei Zitong said, "Your gene development is just the tip of the iceberg. The reason Super Soldiers can surpass ordinary mechanical creations is that their potential is definitely far beyond this!"

"Yeah, go for it, Xin Ye!" Cheng Yaowen said with a grin, "You should be running 800,000 meters tomorrow, right? Let Zitong increase your weight to a thousand catties, and try to squeeze out your genetic potential!"

Zhao Xin was originally excited to hear that his potential was just the tip of the iceberg, but when he heard Cheng Yaowen say he'd be weighed down by a thousand catties, his face instantly turned pale. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no need…"

Cheng Yaowen was about to say something else when he suddenly heard the assembly whistle. He quickly finished the food on his plate and ran towards the sports field with everyone else.