Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Actions determine habits, and the biological clock that became habit firmly controlled time, waking the dreaming person at the precise moment.

"Hiss~"

My head hurts.

How much did I drink last night?

Everything still feels dizzy in front of me.

My self-restraint, capable of suppressing hormonal effects, can't control the erosion of alcohol on my body.

Luckily, my physical fitness is genuinely robust, and after shaking my head, the world in front of me started to sharpen.

It seems... no one else has woken up yet.

Hearing the rustling noise close at hand, You, who had been deep in sleep, lifted his head in a daze and opened his eyes. Propping himself up, he sat up half way, his shoulder-length hair falling naturally around him. While rubbing his eyes with his small palms, he asked in a soft, groggy voice, "What are you getting up for?"

As Bai E was putting on his clothes, he paused slightly, "Don't we have morning training?"

"Oh~ We said we could start later today, nobody has gotten up yet."

"Later..."

Alright then.

Bai E stopped what he was doing.

Starting later is good, my condition is indeed a bit off right now, might as well lie down for a bit~

Bai E, who had climbed back into bed, lay there with his eyes open, lying just to relax, as sleep was now out of reach.

Right, last night, amidst the haze, it seemed like I heard quite a few feedbacks from player missions.

Let's check the panel—

[Name]: Bai E

[Race]: Human

[Template]: Genetic Modification Prototype

[Hit Points]: 120/120

[Identity]: Leader (Li Ming)

[Physique]: 14.4/15

[Insight]: 11.7/15

[Reflex]: 12.2/15

[Mystic]: 8.2/∞

[Genetic Optimization Degree] (Current tendency: Orc): 0.1/100

[Skills]: Gun Fighting Skill, Lucky Shot (Current charge: 168/100)

Stealth (63/100)

Craftsmanship (3/300) (Level 1)

[Traits]: Thought Dullness, Battlefield Instinct, Well-Trained, Bloodthirsty Instinct (Dormant), Hive Mind (Dormant)

[Expertise]: Fast Recovery (Locked) unlocking progress 30%, Self-Restraint, Overlimit Drive

[Mastery] (Potential Points *9): Light Firearms Specialization (389/2000) (Level 4)

Heavy Weapon Specialization (246/300) (Level 1)

Ranged Weapon Specialization (153/1000) (Level 3)

Military Firearm Specialization (2/100)

Hand-to-Hand Combat Specialization (92/100)

Light Weapon Specialization (14/100)

[Spiritual Energy]: Unmastered

[Knowledge] (Tech Points *8): Firearms Maintenance (89/300) (Level 1)

Lumberjack (17/300) (Level 1)

Thievery (2/100)

Trapping (31/100)

First Aid (Bandaging) (Level 2) (Max level)

Anatomy (30/100)

Conventional Vehicle Driving (0/300) (Level 1)

Computer Hardware Maintenance (17/300) (Level 1)

Advanced Physical Training 3.0 (Max level)

[Technology]: Management+1, Sociology+3, Psychology+1

[General Experience]: 1485

[Combat Experience]:

[Research Experience]: 1000

[Mutation Risk]: Low

[Faction]: Li Ming (Prestige Level 1)

...

It's getting more and more luxurious.

Whether abilities like "Computer Hardware Maintenance" that Wen Jie reported are actually usable or not, merely possessing them is enough to make one feel blissful.

I really love the feeling of hoarding all sorts of resources and not using them, like being tightly wrapped in soft cotton~

Bai E was joyfully sizing up each item, eventually fixating his gaze on the 148/100 energy charge value for quite some time.

It's full again, huh?

Should I go blow up the fence?

Or maybe blast the mess hall's porridge maker?

With my current status, destroying this little stuff shouldn't warrant a court-martial, right?

I'm so tempted...

"Assemble!"

After breakfast, Bai E rushed to the physical training grounds, despite having already obtained the specialty—Overlimit Drive.

But a specialty is just a beginning, a process, a tool to accelerate training efficiency. The real goal is still the physical attributes improved through training.

Bai E was always serious about training.

"You don't need to train today." Seeing Bai E honestly standing amongst the crowd, Chavez singled him out.

"Begin your training." After giving the command, Chavez took Bai E aside, "Your combat instructor Dan has informed me, you have a match later. You need to stay sharp."

Although the physical strength expended in training can be quickly converted back during short rest periods through the action power reserves, the soreness inflicted on the body is inevitable and would somewhat affect actual combat.

"A match?" Bai E appeared slightly stunned, though he had already realized—

The selection within the New Recruit Training Group yesterday was just an appetizer. The spots for that relic are limited, and the competitors... are likely the entire military camp.

"Got it."

"Good." Chavez nodded, "Then wait here for a while, Dan will come to get you soon."

"Okay."

As Chavez mentioned, Dan quickly arrived and took him to a strangely unfamiliar sand field.

Warriors selected from various training groups or special squads surrounded the square sand field, waiting.

Anyone sent here after passing the initial selection was seen as promising by their respective instructors, so the gap in strength among them wouldn't be too big.

And no soldier in the military camp was an exceptional being. The top level of combat strength was similar among everyone. Bai E scanned the group and realized that his comrade Dashan's strength configuration was probably the standard template for these tough men.

However, there were a few whose burst rates seemed particularly fierce...

"The match procedure is simple. In a moment, we will call out names in the order collected, pair up two by two, and the winners will fight the next round until we have a single victor," Dan quietly explained in Bai E's ear.

It's not that the military operation requires only one person, but observing who goes the distance is convenient to score each warrior.

Furthermore, while assessing combat skills, they also observed the ability to maintain performance through continuous battles—a two-for-one deal.

After all, the military operation calls for more all-around soldiers, and those who can multitask are undeniably the ideal candidates, or perhaps simply excel in one particular area too much to be ignored.

This is a matter of scoring weight, a basis for the final judgment by the officers.

Dan's gaze swept over the waiting warriors, especially lingering on a few whose reputation in the camp was fierce, while continuing to caution Bai E, "There are nine rounds total. I heard that you only start getting commendations from the fifth round onwards. Do your best and don't be pressured."

She wasn't privy to all the details, but performing well would definitely be noticed by the military. It was important to strive for what could be fought for; if it was beyond one's capabilities, there was no use in blaming heaven and earth.

She had always been open-minded.

"Mhm," Bai E nodded in acknowledgment.

He indeed wanted to perform well in the match to increase his chances of qualifying for the military operation, but if he truly lacked the strength, there didn't seem to be much he could do.

In terms of attributes, his physical condition wasn't stronger than that of the veterans present.

In terms of skill, without even a Level 1 in Gun Fighting Skill, let's not talk about how bad I am.

There was no way around this, limited by time and experience.

Now, he had only a little over a thousand general experience points left, and his combat experience was squeezed dry.

So even though he had tried hard to learn from Dan during her first instructional session and subsequently used experience points to improve himself, he was now just a Level 3 in Gun Fighting Skill without any special attribute boosts, far behind these burly men who were mostly Level 4 or 5 in Gun Fighting Skill.

His only hope seemed to lie in the specialty he had over them—Overlimit Drive.

A 50% extra power output, relying on brute force to break through... not entirely hopeless.

If he could last till the final rounds, when everyone's condition was impacted by facing equally matched opponents and they couldn't maintain their combat level, using his Overlimit Drive to "steal a win" was not impossible.

The assumption here is He could last that long.

Just hope the first two rounds are fights between weaklings... Bai E's gaze swept over the excited fighters.

Not only himself was selected from the New Recruit Training Group, but there were also a few sacrificial lambs sent by their instructors. The number was small; first come, first served…

"Almost time." Seeing the officer in charge stepping onto the high platform at the center of the sand field, Dan patted Bai E's back for the last time, "Good luck. Try to go further, but no worries if you lose. Consider it a learning experience. I'll be off now."

[Triggered Side Quest—The Final!]