Empire's Hounds!

Nearly two hundred years after they fought in another world, two years had passed on Earth as well.

After Li Yuan left, the effects of his Mental Contamination dissipated, but the altered perceptions of the people were not reversed.

And so, the Earth developed peacefully for two years.

This stalemate was finally broken when a spaceship sailed from the moon toward Earth.

A group of mechanical life forms wants to conquer Earth. They possess technology that surpasses Earth's level and are even non-natural creations from the previous chaos.

Yes, the computer has arrived.

As the only outsider, and the only one in the entire Earth, isn't this a perfect opportunity?

On the very day the computer arrived, the last land headquarters of the Chaos Splitter was struck by an energy laser that fell from the sky.

The last member of the Chaos Splitter vanished into nothingness at that moment.

The God-Chosen World.

In the nation of 009, there is an orphanage on the border of the empire.

Located in the far north, it was very cold, and five or six children were warming their hands and their cheeks were red around the campfire.

The children ranged in age from five or six to thirteen or fourteen.

The eldest of the children was named Annas. He was very handsome and sat quietly by the fireplace, turning the pages of a book.

He was not originally an orphan. His father was an Imperial soldier who died in a border conflict many years ago, and his mother was also an Imperial, but he never met her.

He was a pure-blooded Imperial citizen, not a mixed-race rare person.

After his parents died, he was sent to this orphanage.

Annas has a habit of running a long distance every morning before getting up and every night before going to bed. He trains himself exactly according to the standards of an Imperial soldier.

He was waiting for an opportunity, an opportunity to join the army.

Every ten years, the empire conducts a six-month military skills training program in which the entire population, including children, must participate.

Today, Annas was flipping through that yellowed book as usual.

Just then, a little girl came up to him. "Hmm, you've read this book many times, haven't you?"

Annas remained silent, and the girl continued, "So what exactly is in the book that interests you so much?"

Annas closed the book. "An imperial war history, just something to pass the time."

"If you're free, you can play with everyone. You've never participated in the games the dean leads. Why don't you play with everyone?" the girl asked.

"Why?"

Before Annas could answer, a boy about Annas's age sat down next to him, "Because he wants to join the army."

"Am I right, Annas Leonard?"

Annas: "Aren't you the same, Ross?"

The boy Ross took the imperial history book from Annas's hand. "Yes, but the reason I want to join the army is because I want to end the war completely."

"The empire entered the Cold War period. Everything seemed peaceful, but in reality, the war never ended. My father and mother were killed by a shell that fell from the sky on their way to the Capital Boer."

"But I still don't know which country fired that shell."

"All of this is due to the empire's endless expansion and foreign aggression. If the empire continues to go its own way, it may eventually lead to its demise."

"So I wanted to change the empire and end this endless war, which is why I joined the army."

And you, Annas?

Annas did not answer Ross's question.

Seeing this, Ross stopped asking questions. "The initial training will begin in a week at the latest. Get ready."

About six days later, the imperial soldiers arrived at the orphanage and shook their heads after confirming the children's information with the director.

Children who are not of mixed race with rare ethnicities and are under the age of sixteen are exempt from military service.

But the two children, Annas and Ross, walked up to the soldier and struck an awkward military pose.

"Sergeant Major, we are willing to participate in the training!"

The lead sergeant looked at the two children.

"You're going to participate in the training camp?"

Annas and Ross both nodded emphatically.

The sergeant stared at him for a long time, then whispered a few words to the soldier beside him.

"Kids, the training camp is going to be tough. It'll last for six months. If you can't take it and start crying and deserting, you'll get your head shot."

"If you're afraid of dying..."

"We are not afraid!" x2

Upon hearing this straightforward answer, the sergeant fell silent, gazing at the two children before him into deep thought.

These two children are not even as old as his daughter.

Has the empire reached the point where it has to send its children to the battlefield?

"Okay, follow me."

After saying that, the sergeant turned around and left the orphanage.

And so, Annas and Ross successfully joined the training camp.

The intensive training lasts for six months, during which they will be trained according to the standards of a regular army.

For the first three months, students run five kilometers every morning and evening, interspersed with other training, such as combat training, firearms skills training, and political and ideological courses, with very little rest time.

For the next three months, the daily 5-kilometer run will be changed to a 5-kilometer run with a load, and simulated combat exercises will be conducted.

There will be an assessment after the six-month period ends.

Those whose ratings are below D will not be able to join the army and will be sent back.

Those who score D or above in all categories can be considered as reserve troops, and those who score C or above in all categories can be considered as regular troops.

Higher ratings are less meaningful, unless one is a genius who has received extensive training, it is impossible to get a rating of C or higher.

The training sessions were conducted in different regions, with each region's sergeant major overseeing and implementing the unified training.

The area where Annas and his group were located was the northern border of the empire, which was extremely cold, and everyone was wearing heavy coats.

Among the adults, the two children, Annas and Ross, stood out.

But once you've chosen to participate in the training camp, no one cares whether you're a child or not.

The sergeant major approached them. "Today is the first day of intensive training. Are you all cold?"

"It's not cold..."

"To be honest!"

"Cold!" xN

"Then hurry up and start running! Run all the way from here to the Sai River. If you can't get there before noon, run the round trip!"

"Did you understand?!"

"I understand!"

The sergeant blew his whistle sharply, "Get running, you Imperial hounds!"

The Empire's training is brutal; it's common for people to die during training, but this is just the beginning.

Five kilometers is strenuous even for adults.

Not to mention the two children, Annas and Ross.

However, as time went on, an unexpected situation arose: Annas maintained a consistent speed, closely following the group at the front.

Ross gritted his teeth and managed to keep up for a while.

"No way, those two kids actually managed to keep up?"

"Heh, I can only say that they are indeed the Empire's Hounds. Even as puppies, they can stand on their own."

"Speed it up, all of you! My goat can roll faster than you guys. Are you trying to run another round trip at this speed?!"