Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Bai E continued his training, immersed in his own world.

Turn it down?

He knew the instructor might mean well, but was it too cautious to turn down a mission just because of some rumors he'd heard?

Not to mention, he wasn't even sure if such an action was allowed in the camp, especially since he had no other valid reason right now.

An even more important point... as an artificial human, he probably didn't have the same level of freedom as natural humans.

Most likely, it wasn't as simple as wanting to turn down the mission.

Besides, even if he didn't go, there would always be other soldiers to take his place.

Bai E didn't take the matter to heart, perhaps it would be somewhat challenging, but he had to witness it firsthand.

...

[In strenuous exercise, you've pushed past your own limits, physical strength +0.1.]

14.7 now.

The closer he got to his limit, the more complicated Bai E felt, after all, waste was shameful.

Poking at the colorful mush in front of him, Bai E's eyes became slightly unfocused.

He was also unsure about the status of his application for the Gene Optimization Solution.

As for hoping for the contingency plan he had in place on Wen Jie, that was probably still far off.

From the feedback received, Wen Jie was probably being overworked with some sort of electronics research and manufacturing, and it would be a long road before he could access truly advanced knowledge.

"Bai E." Stay connected through empire

Suddenly, a figure sat down opposite him at the dining table.

Carlos's voice came in low and sudden, "You know about the mission you have tomorrow?"

Bai E's eyes refocused, and he calmly looked at Carlos, "I know."

"Good, you must go on this mission."

"Huh?" Bai E looked puzzled, then nodded as if he finally understood, "Isn't that my duty?"

"No... the information you got might not be complete. This mission is risky, the three previous scout teams sent to investigate the target area have all disappeared without a trace, with the only information returned being a preliminary size analysis. Normally, a target with incomplete information like this should be further investigated... or ignored.

They wouldn't just send you directly to rendezvous with refugees."

Carlos glanced around sharply, his gaze keen as can be, and continued in a low voice, "So, you don't have the full mission details. What I mean is... if something seems off, run. Bring back any information you've gathered, but remember, this time your mission is not to focus on assisting the refugees but to investigate first. I suspect those refugees themselves are the threat."

This wasn't unusual.

Certain demonic cultists or mutants who couldn't make it in the cities nearby… Of course, cultists were fewer, as most needed to follow demons' orders to infect more humans in the world, whereas mutants tend to be ostracized and leave cities on their own.

For such beings, if it's not convenient, the military wouldn't bother to go after them specifically.

After all, this world was full of enemies, whether it was humans, bugs, orcs, machine intelligence, mutants, or demonic cultists… encounters always started with a fight.

Of course, the possibility that the group of refugees are normal humans but hostile to the city wasn't ruled out.

Or maybe some unspecified risks are involved with the environment near them.

There were many possibilities. What made this particular Refugee Slum stand out was that three scouting parties had somehow carelessly vanished while exploring it.

Whether to continue to investigate or to give up in such circumstances wasn't really the issue; sending out more elite squads for a joint exploration was standard procedure.

Soldiers, well... they're there to be used up, for scouting and collecting information; it's all in a day's work.

But from the perspective of the squad being sent out, if misled by intelligence and heading unprepared into a cave, they likely would end up like those three scouts.

And yet, Bai E couldn't afford not to go.

Fortune favors the bold, and if he refused such a mission that was optional at best, his application for the Gene Optimization Solution would inevitably face complications.

"So you have to be extra careful. The mission can fail, and it's okay to gather intelligence, but you must return safely. After you come back this time, you should be able to get the Optimization fluid injected."

Delaying and finding ways to make the applicant have an accident, these tactics were all too obvious, yet an open strategy he couldn't refuse.

Bai E appeared to be digesting the information and after a while, he slowly nodded, "I understand."

"Good, just be careful, and try to keep your teammates alert as well," Carlos emphasized, patting Bai E's shoulder across the dining table, then turned and left.

Even though he wanted to support Bai E, the necessary training experience was indisputable.

The growth of any warrior is incomplete without facing risks over and over again, with each crisis serving both as an opportunity to toughen oneself and a good chance to establish prestige.

Being injected with the Gene Optimization Solution was just the starting point for Bai E's hoped-for advancements; climbing step by step within the military framework was the real long-term goal.

From his recent covert operation, Bai E had already shown a certain level of leadership, with a few more impactful victories, his advancement in military rank and position would naturally follow.

Keep up the good work; the future is always bright.

Watching Carlos leave, Bai E narrowed his eyes.

It could be said that Chavez's rank was limited, but now that even Carlos said this, it seemed this mission indeed had some trick to it.

It looked like he had to arm himself to the teeth before leaving.

In the latter half of the morning, practical combat training.

"Now, pair up and spar. Use all your strength to defeat your opponent. If no winner emerges within 1 minute, you'll train for a whole day!"

Having not heard his voice for several days, Drill Instructor Dan's voice was still deep and resonant.

"Reporting, Drill Instructor!" A voice suddenly rang out from the assembled training group.

Dan's gaze turned towards the recruit who had been missing for a few days, his expression calm, "Speak."

"I wish to challenge you."

It wasn't that Bai E was getting carried away; just last night in the arena, he was able to trigger the sparring mode and rigorously learn from the combat experience of those bare-knuckle fighters. Could he repeat this process with Dan?

Indeed, during the previous secret operation selection competition, the sparring mode hadn't been triggered—Bai E initially thought it might have been due to the attitude of his opponents.

But after reflecting last night, could it also be a factor of his own mindset?

In fact, back then, his experience storage was limited, and even if the option for sparring mode had appeared, he wasn't in the mindset to learn.

In other words... he had "refused" this method of improvement himself.

It seemed that in many of the tasks he triggered before, the factor of his own "desire" was also present, so could his mindset also affect the triggering of tasks and modes in the game system?

Regarding the various features of the game system within him, Bai E didn't yet understand them fully; he could only try to fumble through in various situations.

Upon hearing Bai E's request, Dan's bright eyes instantly lit up.

Challenge him?

Good! Very good!

No matter the strength level, this kind of courage deserved commendation.

Moreover, since he dared to issue a challenge, he must have some skills, right?

"All units, take a break and watch!"

Whether for the purpose of learning or to let other soldiers understand the gap, Dan had the training group pause their training and observe the sparring between her and Bai E.

This was the first soldier who had taken the initiative to challenge her; she couldn't let this rare teaching opportunity go to waste.

Dan clenched her fists, an excited flush visible on her face.

"Come!"

...

"A new recruit is challenging the instructor."

"What the fuck, which new recruit is so fierce?"

Even during training, unusual commotion easily attracted attention from other training groups in the vicinity.

A few drill instructors gathered together, their eyes filled with surprise.

"Has there been a revolt among Dan's new recruits?"

"I feel like I've seen that recruit before..." one of the instructors said, stroking his chin doubtfully.

"Isn't it that rookie of honor?"

His war record of rescuing 423 comrades on the battlefield was well known, but in their view, the most crucial aspect was the "Number 3 throat strip," the miracle drug. This soldier could only be commended for his willpower.

The slight display of ability was perfectly intercepting air strikes with a Type 77 rifle, as mentioned in passing by Marshal Weslin.

However, they were neither marksmen nor had they witnessed it with their own eyes—who knows the true merit?

But no matter the merit, that shouldn't translate to ability in close combat.

Now, arrogantly challenging his own drill instructor, even that commendable quality seemed to have vanished...

Ignorant of his own limitations!

Simply put, he's become inflated.

...

"What's going on over there?"

The officer who was closely following Yueying likewise heard the commotion on the training field.

After observing for a while, he located the focus of the controversy—

All the training groups in this area were made up of new recruits from recent batches; it was rare to see a soldier bold enough to challenge an instructor.

But from a distance, he couldn't make out the appearance of the soldier; to him, the soldiers in uniform training attire nearly all looked the same.

But it wasn't important; what good could a presumptuous new recruit gain under an instructor's watch?

He would probably be put down within a few moves; there was nothing interesting to see.

"Miss Yueying?" Dunpus looked puzzled as he observed the Elf Race lady suddenly stop.

Yueying gazed far into the distance, her sight traveling through space, "Let's see."