Jake's business was booming, while the nearby barbecue stalls' businesses had significantly declined. Over the past few days, their sales had been increasingly dismal, just barely enough to cover costs. Although their stalls weren't entirely empty, they were struggling to break even.
Now, these stall owners were not only being extorted by Hanson and his group, forced to compensate Hanson, but they were also under Hanson's watchful eye. Who knew if Hanson and his group would frequently demand money from them in the future? Adding to their woes, the disturbance caused by Hanson's group the previous night further worsened their already faltering businesses.
All these factors combined led the barbecue stall owners to make the resolute decision to withdraw. They realized that staying here any longer would not only prevent them from making a profit but might even lead to losses. Thus, leaving seemed like the wisest choice.
Jake was indifferent to the situation. As long as those people didn't cause trouble for him, he had no reason to pay them any mind. He believed in fair competition and didn't think his business would be stolen away by those individuals.
It was the unpaid Hanson and his group who continued to grumble for a while before reluctantly leaving, frustrated over losing those few barbecue stalls. With the others gone, Jake's business was thriving even more in the evening. Most people who refrained from eating at the storefront barbecue places chose to eat at his stall. As a result, his stall was bustling with customers from start to finish, keeping both him and Alan busy.
Fortunately, Jake's strength and stamina had improved significantly. If it was before,, he would have been sore and tired after working at such a high intensity for several hours, lacking the energy to enter the gaming world.
However, the present-day Jake was a far cry from his past self. No matter how tired he was, he wouldn't let it hinder his visits to the gaming world.
When Jake reappeared in the gaming world, the sky was just beginning to brighten. Many people were still sound asleep, as Eli's training intensity was notably higher than that of other squads. After a day of training, everyone was exhausted.
"Everyone, wake up and assemble!" Within less than ten minutes of Jake lying down, Eli's booming voice echoed through the camp once again.
"As expected," Jake sighed, adjusting his clothing before stepping out of his tent.
Jake was the first to arrive again. Eli smiled approvingly at Jake before turning his stern gaze toward the other tents. More and more people gathered in the small square, and while they still seemed a bit sluggish, their disposition had improved compared to yesterday. Upon arriving, no one dared to complain but instead obediently took their positions. They hadn't forgotten the punishment from yesterday.
Seeing the noticeable progress from the previous day, Eli nodded in satisfaction. However, he quickly resumed his stern expression.
"The day's training had begun!"
The intensity of the third brigade's training remained higher than that of the other squads. Yet, due to the reward system Eli had implemented, there were fewer complaints. After all, most of those drafted into military service were impoverished, struggling individuals like Brenton and his friends. They often faced challenges even getting enough to eat, let alone consuming meat. In this context, the chance to earn meat soup through diligent training was more than enough motivation.
Currently, everyone in the third brigade understood one thing: no matter how hard they trained, they could never surpass the squad leader of the fourth squad. In the eyes of the others, that squad leader was a monster, possessing terrifying strength and extraordinary endurance. No matter how intense the training, he never seemed to tire.
It could be said that Jake's reputation and prestige within the third brigade were only second to Eli. Even the other squad leaders were clearly overshadowed by Jake.
As for the members of Jake's squad, they admired Jake even more now and followed his orders without any hesitation.
After a day of training, everyone lay on the ground, gasping for breath and resting. However, Jake actively approached Eli and requested additional training.
While the others admired Jake's endurance, they didn't know that Jake's motivation was simply to expedite the training and finish sooner, without delaying his return to real-time.
"Don't you need a moment to rest?" Eli looked at Jake and asked.
During training, Eli noticed that while other squad leaders might use the opportunity to supervise their team members to slack off a bit, Jake had never done so. Throughout the training, Jake's intensity was no less than anyone else's. However, while others were too exhausted to move, Jake didn't even need to rest and voluntarily requested to start training as soon as possible.
"No need," Jake smiled and said, "I think I can continue."
"Since you're not tired, let's begin," seeing that Jake wasn't as fatigued as the others, Eli no longer refused and started training with Jake.
Others who saw Eli training Jake individually didn't feel envy or jealousy. Instead, they admired the special treatment. They weren't interested in enjoying such privileges; at the moment, they just wanted to rest and recover.
"Shoot ten sets of arrows first, then we'll move on to other exercises," Eli led Jake to the archery range.
Jake nodded in agreement, having no objections. With Eli's guidance, he could use the bow and arrows without any restrictions or having to pay, which was much better than the real world. Naturally, he cherished this opportunity.
After several days of training and careful guidance from the two "teachers," Jake's archery skills had significantly improved. However, Jake still felt that he was outside the realm of professional archers and there was a gap between him and them.
Yet, when Jake fired the arrows for the fifth set, a familiar mechanical-like voice rang in his ears.
"Through continuous practice, you have comprehended the Archery skill. Current level: Novice."
Comprehended a skill? Jake was momentarily surprised, then quickly opened his attribute panel to check. Sure enough, he saw that he had gained an "Archery" skill with a displayed novice level.
Although compared to the array of advanced skills, this novice-level skill might seem insignificant, even a bit inconspicuous, Jake was quite excited. This was the first skill he had self-comprehended, and furthermore, it was his first combat skill among all his skills. This realization not only improved Jake's combat ability but also enlightened him. Skills could be learned not only through others' teaching but also through self-comprehension.