Only that pair of crystal clear eyes, dark, sharp and clean, was unstoppable, much like some weapon that had been drawn from its sheath.
Drake Easton moved with the crowd and upon seeing such a disheveled Flossie Wright, he didn't seem to have any sympathy for her. Life in the forces was organized and orderly. From the moment she decided to become a soldier, she must be ready to obey everything. Sneaking out of the bedroom in the middle of the night, no matter what she wanted to do, was against the rules!
Suppressing the urge to kick at her, Drake Easton's face darkened to its utmost, and he harshly questioned, "Flossie Wright, what are you doing here?!"
With the help of the deputy squad leader, Flossie Wright struggled to stand. She felt as though all her senses had been shut off. Her sore and powerless muscles were constantly screaming at her. She tried to stand a bit straighter and loudly answered, "Sir, I didn't want to hold anyone back, so I practiced extra at night. I didn't expect to pass out!"
Her firm and forceful words stunned the female soldiers of the second squad, and their views of Flossie Wright began to change.
As far as they understood, Flossie Wright was the kind of pampered young lady who had poor physical strength, arrogance and rudeness, and unrepentant behavior. It was as if everyone should yield to her. Despite her lack of strength, she still tried to compete with others. They never expected her to practice extra at night.
"You practiced on your own, isn't the training given to you every day enough?!" Drake Easton glared at Flossie Wright frightfully, his coarse voice shaking the air. His gaze locked onto Flossie Wright as he shouted furiously, "Since you want it, I'll oblige you. Your morning five-kilometer run will be doubled to ten kilometers. You won't get to eat if you don't finish!"
After saying this, he glanced at the remaining female soldiers, his voice ringing out, "You are all the same! All in one squad, don't let anyone say you're not united. You'll all accompany her for the run!"
As his words fell, the faces of nearly all the female students in the squad turned pale, and they hesitated where they stood.
They had been in the forces for less than a month and were just getting used to five kilometers. If they had to add another five kilometers now, they would definitely be drained half to death by the end of a round.
Seeing the female soldiers unmoving, Drake Easton's expression instantly darkened and he roared, "What are you all waiting around for, do you think it's too little to run?"
With such a rebuke, no one dared to hesitate any longer. Led by the deputy squad leader, they immediately started running.
Naturally, Flossie Wright fell to the rear. This body was weaker than she had imagined, and she hadn't had time to recover her strength yet. It was already impressive that she could run. She tried her best to adjust her breathing rhythm and steady her pace, but the discomfort in her chest was a constant reminder of her weakness.
Occasionally, someone would swiftly run past her, whether male or female, all wearing the same ocean camouflage as her.
The feeling of unfamiliarity gradually faded with the surrounding environment, and a still somewhat dazed Flossie Wright found herself reflecting on the vibrant place she was now in. The transition from a mercenary to a soldier felt like a dream. But she could clearly feel the reality in front of her: the soldiers sweating in the morning air, the boundless blue sky, the fresh air she breathed into her lungs, and even the discomfort in her chest and body constantly reminding her of the reality of being alive.
But the betrayals and deaths felt blurry and unclear under such a strong sense of reality.
Suddenly feeling a wave of malicious gazes, her thoughts were gradually distracted by the figure who had just lapped her but was now running alongside her. Flossie Wright shifted her gaze, and saw the figure beside her.
With a beautiful face and a tall, full-bodied figure, even wearing the standardized camouflage uniform could not hide her elegance and charm. She was undoubtedly a rare beauty in the forces.
Subconsciously, Flossie Wright retrieved the other person's information from her memory.
Jocelyn Carrington, a standout female soldier in the new recruits, with talent and appearance in equal measure. Her physical strength was above average, and her shooting skills ranked among the top, almost qualifying her to be the top marksman among the new recruits.
"Flossie Wright, if you want to train, train to death. No one cares. But, you better not drag us along with you!" Jocelyn Carrington frowned, her gaze mixed with disdain and arrogance. But seeing that Flossie Wright didn't react with the anger she expected, her face turned sour. Watching several female soldiers overtaking her from behind, she murmured the word "useless", and quickly quickened her pace to catch up.
Having been provoked for no apparent reason, Flossie Wright didn't bother arguing with her. Casually glancing at the back of her head, she continued to maintain her leisurely speed, even if her distance from the group was increasing. She kept the same steady pace.
After all, the most important thing right now was figuring out how to get through the ten kilometer run.
Moreover, this run made her acutely aware of a serious crisis. The physical condition of this "useless" body had to be quickly improved.
During the morning ten-kilometer run, Flossie Wright fell behind almost by a third of the entire distance. By the time she finished and joined the rest of the second squad, it was already noon. The time to have breakfast in the cafeteria had long passed, and even if she had hurried over, she wouldn't be able to get even a sip of soup.
"Attention, stand at ease!" Having had his fill of food and drink, Drake Easton came over and started to muster the forces, "You all have missed breakfast today, so don't bother. We have shooting training later, if you pass, you can go eat. If not, keep running!"
The requirements for the shooting training were simple, a lying shooting at 100 meters with support, 30 rings within 5 bullets to qualify.
Shooting was an everyday matter for Erina Taylor, but for Flossie Wright, scoring zero was also commonplace. So, while everyone in the squad was discussing how to perform well, she was contemplating in her mind how to take on the challenge of scoring zero.
"Next group, Victoria Phillips... Jocelyn Carrington, Flossie Wright!"
As the names were called one by one, everyone took their 95-style rifles and walked to their positions. But when Flossie Wright heard her own name, she unmistakably detected a tone of discrimination from the officer calling the names. It was as if he was resentful of her wasting bullets.
Ignoring the discrimination, Flossie Wright casually flexed her fingers, laid down next to Jocelyn Carrington, and then took aim.
"Begin!"
The rough voice sounded, followed by the echo of countless gunshots spreading across the vast field.
Flossie Wright half squinted her eyes, the gun in her hands somewhat cold. The feeling of coolness spread through her skin, inexplicably giving her a sense of security.
Her finger curled and she gently pulled the trigger, each bullet having an obvious rhythm.
One shot, two shots, three shots...
The bull's-eye of the target was pierced once and again by the blanks, each bullet undoubtedly hitting the target.
Hitting, hitting, hitting...
Yet no one could see that Flossie Wright's target had no movement at all.