A race against death

"Unfortunately, you're late!" Wang Quan narrowed his eyes at the recruits outside the training grounds. "Training Camp rules say you must assemble here within three minutes of the whistle!"

"Anyone who hasn't entered the training grounds can warm up with twenty laps carrying weights!"

"Of course, if you can get inside, you're exempt from punishment!"

At those words, many of the late recruits saw a glimmer of hope. After all, the misery of running twenty laps after being woken at three in the morning went without saying.

The recruits began trying, but no matter how hard they struggled, they could not take a single step forward.

The training grounds were right before their eyes, yet they might as well have been on the far side of the world.

Gradually, these unlucky latecomers had no choice but to go run their laps.

Some still tried to break through that invisible wall. Among them was Shen Qingzhu, who already had one foot inside the training grounds.

The pressure stabbed at Shen Qingzhu like hundreds upon thousands of silver needles. Blood and sweat seeped from his pores, soaking his uniform.

Everyone watched him, whether they were sprinting around the track or standing inside the training grounds.

Shen Qingzhu's face twisted in pain, but he stubbornly refused to make a sound.

As the seconds ticked by, most of his body forced its way through the mental barrier Wang Quan had erected.

At last, Shen Qingzhu stepped into the training grounds.

He staggered, gasping for breath, as sweat mingled with blood dripped from the tip of his nose.

Just watching was enough to imagine the agony he had endured. The recruits running laps were grateful they had not persisted.

Shen Qingzhu took three minutes to recover, then struggled to raise his head and meet Wang Quan's eyes. His voice came out hoarse. "Instructor, does what you said earlier still stand?"

"It does!"

"You don't have to run laps!"

"But don't be late next time!"

"Fall in!"

Shen Qingzhu swayed. His vision blurred, and he pitched forward.

Just before he fell, Wang Quan caught him. Reverse Cursed Technique activated, a silver light flashed, and Shen Qingzhu abruptly came to his senses.

"All right, get your ass back in line!" Wang Quan rolled his eyes at Shen Qingzhu.

"Oh!"

"And put your cap on properly!" Wang Quan tapped Shen Qingzhu on the head and straightened his cap.

"Those who weren't late can rest where they are!"

"Those who were, go collect your weights!"

Wang Quan's figure blurred, and he appeared on the Martial Arts Platform in a flash.

"Head Instructor Wang, what level was that pressure you set up?" Hong Hao asked curiously.

"Only the pool realm!" Wang Quan waved a hand and smiled casually.

"Then that kid Shen Qingzhu isn't bad. He might look like a punk, but he's got grit!"

Hong Hao glanced at Shen Qingzhu and nodded in approval.

The sky began to pale, and morning training ended.

Most of the recruits looked miserable. Those who had been punished with laps were suffering worse than death.

Back in the dorm, Baili Pangpang let out a long breath and collapsed onto the hard bed. "Thank goodness Brother Quan trained me for a month beforehand. Otherwise, I'd definitely have been running laps today," he muttered.

"You're not far off either. It's not your stamina, it's your laziness!" Lin Qiye said irritably.

"Hehe!" Baili Pangpang scratched his head, his tone turning slightly fawning. "But I've got you, Qiye!"

"A punctual wake-up service. How thoughtful!"

The moment he finished speaking, Lin Qiye hit him square in the face with a slipper. "Drop dead, you damn fatty!"

Baili Pangpang pulled off the slipper, yawned, and prepared to enjoy a nice nap.

But the instant he lay down, the shrill whistle sounded again.

"Fuck!"

"You can't screw with people like this!"

Baili Pangpang scowled and put on his uniform, swearing all the while.

Having learned their lesson during morning training, the recruits did not dare slack off. They charged toward the training grounds with every ounce of strength they had.

"Huh?!"

"Come on, man! Are you trying to scam me?"

A recruit simply toppled over right in front of Baili Pangpang, giving him a fright.

On closer inspection, he seemed to be one of those who had been punished with laps.

"Pangpang, hurry! You're going to be late!"

Lin Qiye, running at the front, called out a warning. Baili Pangpang belatedly realized what was happening and went numb with panic. All he could do was sprint for his life.

Just before Wang Quan pressed his stopwatch, Baili Pangpang rushed into the training grounds with not a second to spare. Looking back, he saw recruits sprawled all over the ground, all of them among those punished with laps.

Immediately afterward, a group of conscript medics in white coats hurried over. As though gathering mushrooms, they tossed the unconscious recruits onto stretchers and cheerfully carried them away.

"Good, good!" Wang Quan nodded in satisfaction, then changed his tone. "But some people are cutting it awfully close. Push your luck often enough and it'll run out. Watch yourselves!"

Baili Pangpang looked this way and that, then silently lowered his head. He seemed to be the only one who had barely made it in today.

"You can have breakfast now. You have twenty minutes!"

"Enjoy your meal!"

The corners of Wang Quan's mouth rose. He was looking forward to the recruits' screams. The real hell had yet to begin.

Twenty minutes later, at the training grounds.

The recruits stood in neat rows below the Martial Arts Platform, looking rather unwell, perhaps because breakfast had consisted of bloody raw meat.

On the Martial Arts Platform, Wang Quan sat in a lounge chair. The catlike Thunder Tiger that had previously been caged lay beside him, completely unrestrained.

He looked up, glanced at them, and said quietly, "Today is physical training. I'll be in charge!"

The recruits breathed a sigh of relief. Physical training would be much like their morning session-weighted runs, cross-country running, and the like. Even ordinary people could handle that.

As for the Thunder Tiger, everyone assumed the beast was Wang Quan's pet.

"Your physical training will consist of running. No weights required!"

Wang Quan's lazy voice rang across the training grounds. At the words "no weights required," the recruits were positively delighted.

Just then, the Thunder Tiger stood up. Facing the morning sun, white fur stirring in the wind, the beast looked imposing.

Wang Quan rose and walked to the edge of the Martial Arts Platform. "Running has another name, too. It's called..."

He paused, then his low voice, edged with a chill, echoed in the recruits' ears.

"A race against death!"

"If you run too slowly, you'll die!"

"All right, on the count of three, everyone get onto the track!"

The recruits looked bewildered, finding Wang Quan's words rather baffling.

Only Lin Qiye and Baili Pangpang looked as though they were facing a formidable enemy, bracing themselves to sprint.

"You two look really nervous!" Molly said in puzzlement beside them.

"Molly, listen to me. In a moment, you absolutely have to run for your life!" Baili Pangpang warned her kindly.

"Isn't it just running laps?" Shen Qingzhu rested both hands behind his head and rolled his eyes at them. "What's there to be scared of?"

Just then, Wang Quan's booming voice rang out. He said only one word.

"Three!"

The instant the word fell, Lin Qiye and Baili Pangpang shot toward the track at full speed.

"Hey, why are you two jumping the gun?"

"Exactly! The instructor said he'd count to three!"

Molly followed without hesitation, the third to dash out, with Cao Yuan right behind her.

The next second, a tiger's roar shook the heavens, and the true race against death began.