In the residential area of the Port of Dawn, a middle-aged man jogged through the silent and empty road while wearing nothing but black shorts and a T-shirt. It was early in the morning, and the sun was slowly rising from the lines of the boundless horizon.
The middle-aged man was Abraham Shepherd, the Fleet Admiral of the United Navy.
Yesterday, he and his high officers, Lux and Morgen, held several meetings throughout the day. He also had to sign several papers regarding the recent plans of the UNS Light Bringer and Port of Dawn.
It was an exhausting day for the Fleet Admiral.
Fortunately, his hard work wasn't for nothing. He was given his designated lodgings in the residential area by Lieutenant Commander Morgen. It was a simple two-story house.
But that was enough for Abraham. After all, for the first time in his life, Abraham had a home for himself. Not a small apartment that he barely could afford, but a real home.
"I almost couldn't wake up from that comfortable sleep." Abraham yawned as the day before was exhausting for him. To think that being high-ranking didn't change anything.
He still had to work, but he wasn't bothered by it.
To be fair, he was working for his own organization. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make as it benefited him nonetheless.
Anyhow, he continued to jog through the quiet road of the residential area. It was mostly desolated because the utility personnel were working hard to stabilize the situation in the Port of Dawn.
"The morning is lightening." He sighed and felt his heart at ease. It was the best time to train his body to become, at least, average as he was somewhat weaker than that at the moment.
Several dozen minutes soon passed, and Abraham was running through the road with exhaustion evident on his face. He felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders, and his limbs were also turning stiff.
He knew he was weak, and the stamina his body contained was bare bones. But he didn't want to give up.
Before the early morning training, he asked Systema an important question. Will his training give him solid results? Like those in novels where completing a training quest would advance their strength to a higher level.
Systema's answer was clear.
'| No. |'
Abraham understood that the Naval Gacha System didn't have such functions, which made him wonder if it was efficient to train himself. His questioning thoughts made Systema speak even further.
'| Training requires determination, sacrifice fuels strength. The Fleet Admiral can train or not train, but personal strength can mean life and death in some circumstances. |'
He knew what Systema meant. It was okay that he wouldn't train, but he might die in the future if he does so. There would be moments when he couldn't rely on the United Navy to solve his problems.
So, he must be ready for that significant moment.
With this in mind, he continued his plan to train, and now he was jogging.
Abraham gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He kept himself upright and continued running through the streets. It was easy to give up, but difficult to continue. However, he didn't desire to stop.
He wanted to continue no matter how hard it became.
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as his consciousness became hazy. He took deep breaths and controlled his breathing. He didn't know if it was working.
Though… He felt his condition not worsening.
"I must not pass out!" Abraham wryly smiled and forced himself through the problematic ordeal. It would be embarrassing if his subordinates saw him pass out in the middle of the road.
That would tarnish his reputation as the Fleet Admiral if he had some.
Afterward, every second felt like a decade for the middle-aged man. It appeared as though everything slowed down. Like he was in his own world. However, fortunately, he succeeded.
He completed the goal he wanted to achieve.
For the first time after high school, he won against himself.
He ran for about 5 miles, circling a small part of the residential area. It was about 8 kilometers in the metric system. That was an achievement in his own dictionary.
Besides the concrete pole somewhere in the residential area, Abraham was barely alive as his ragged breath resounded in his ears. He was exhausted beyond relief as this was the first exercise he had done for years.
"I can't believe this… I actually managed to do it." He was grinning while looking like he was about to pass out. He silently lay on the concrete pole and planned to rest for some time.
His heart was rapidly beating like a machine gun. He felt a bit nervous since he might get a heart attack out of nowhere from the palpitations he was feeling.
"I won't die from a heart attack, right, Systema?" Abraham gulped and questioned his close confidant. She was the one who knew his body inside and out.
The familiar yet perfect mechanical bell rang inside his mind. It was about time for her to arrive.
*Ding!*
| There's no need for the Fleet Admiral to worry. Getting a heart attack will be the least of your worries. The platoon leader of the Marines in the UNS Light Bringer is trying to find you. He will arrive at your location in an ETA 2 minutes. |
The words of Systema shocked Abraham to life. His eyes were wide open as he immediately stood up on the spot. The Marines were excellent and unbridled soldiers.
He didn't want to appear weak before such individuals, so he pulled himself up.
Abraham took care of his sweat and calmly leaned on the concrete pole as if he were enjoying the morning sun. After a minute, the roars of the engine echoed throughout the streets.
He opened his eyelids and saw a Humvee heading towards his location. Inside should be the platoon leader of the Marines.
After the Humvee stopped near Abraham, its doors slowly opened. What emerged was a young man with blond hair and blue irises. He wore the typical marine uniform and cap.
A smile was on his face as he looked forward to the Fleet Admiral of the United Navy. He walked towards Abraham and swiftly saluted after arriving before him.
"2nd Lieutenant Campbell of the Alpha 1st Platoon. Greetings, Fleet Admiral."
Abraham gazed at the buffed marine and felt a bit envious of their body. He also wanted to have a toned body, unlike his flimsy-looking self.
But he shook such envious thoughts out of his head as he had to respond to the 2nd Lieutenant in front of him.
"2nd Lieutenant Campbell, what brings you here?" Abraham questioned since it was surprising for someone to seek for him so early in the morning.
"Apologies if I have disrupted your exercise, Fleet Admiral. Captain Lux wanted me to introduce myself to the high command. I am also given the duties of being your personal guard at the moment."
Campbell calmly explained his reasoning to the scrutinizing middle-aged man. After Abraham heard of it, he raised an eyebrow.
Getting a personal guard wasn't out of the possibilities that appeared in his mind, but being followed by someone else was discomforting for someone like Abraham.
'What should I do?' Abraham quietly thought to himself while watching the 2nd Lieutenant with a cold gaze.
On the other hand, 2nd Lieutenant Campbell felt a bit nervous after meeting the cold gaze of the Fleet Admiral. He wondered if he had done something wrong to the high command. Was he too relaxed? Easy-going? Or not respectful?
It wasn't Abraham's aim to intimidate the platoon leader. However, there was nothing he could do about his weird habit.
Besides, it was hard to know when he would be looking at someone coldly, he was too disconnected from his facial expressions.
"2nd Lieutenant, I want you to help me train. I desire to get my body up to date and even stronger. I might need your assistance to do so." Abraham said as calmly as possible.
Talking with someone that got a larger figure than him was a bit daunting, but it wasn't something that he couldn't handle.
The words of the Fleet Admiral brightened the eyes of Campbell. To think that the high command would be asking for his assistance and advice.
Campbell couldn't stop himself from smiling as he immediately bowed to the Fleet Admiral, expressing his utmost agreement.
"It will be an honor, Fleet Admiral."
And so, the training session of Campbell and Abraham began.
The first thing the two carried out was to enter a gym nearby. It was the first time Abraham entered a gym as he wasn't the type to exercise or build his body. He felt a bit nervous as thoughts about failing to carry dumbbells weighed on his mind.
Inside the gym were the Marines working out in their free time. Abraham was shocked to see the troops training themselves. He thought they would be taking their time in the barracks.
He didn't know if he should regret choosing the platoon leader to assist him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Abraham could only accept the consequences of his choice.
Five hours later…
In the massive concrete gym of the residential area were the roars of the Marines resounding throughout the building and the expanse surrounding it. Their deafening roars resembled the war cries of ancient times.
It was as if they were fighting a life-and-death battle against an opponent or army with superior numbers than them. A battle of a dozen against hundreds and thousands.
However, in reality, the truth was stranger than what was previously thought. After all, inside the gym alongside the Marines was the highest command of the United Navy, Fleet Admiral Shepherd.
He fought for his life while performing a 500 push-up session, not wanting to falter or act cowardly before his subordinates. Such was the unfortunate fate of the Fleet Admiral.
On the other hand, the noisy Marines in the gym were merely grunting out their support loudly like goddamn cavemen.
Now, he really was regretting it.