Snezhnaya, Fatui New Recruit Training Ground
"Ha! Hyah!..."
Within the icy training grounds, rhythmic shouts echoed. Groups of Fatui officers were rigorously training their fresh recruits.
The young recruits' chests were filled with unwavering loyalty and passion for Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa. They fought with all their might against the frigid weather, pouring their youthful sweat onto the snow-covered training grounds.
Half an hour later, after a grueling session, the recruits were led by their respective officers to the rest area at the edge of the training ground to recover before the next round of training.
Suddenly, a new squad marched through the doors. Their officer looked full of energy, carrying something resembling a large phonograph on his shoulder.
In contrast to their leader's spirited demeanor, the recruits trailing behind looked utterly lifeless. It was as if they weren't walking toward a training session but toward their impending doom.
"At ease! Attention! Look right... Align!"
At the command, Luo Qing looked over his young subordinates and nodded with satisfaction, his voice booming.
"Alright, boys, you know the drill. Warm-up first! Form four lines, spread out!"
At Luo Qing's command, the soldiers reluctantly shifted into formation, lining up in four neat rows. Once they were set, he placed the oversized phonograph down, inserted a disc, and hit play.
The disc began to spin, and after a brief burst of white noise, a deep male voice filled the training grounds:
"The vast horizon is my love, flowers blooming beneath the endless green hills, what kind of rhythm makes you sway the most..."
As the catchy tune blared, the four rows of recruits started to dance rhythmically to the beat.
"The winding river comes from the sky, flowing towards a sea of vibrant colors..."
Some of the newer recruits, witnessing this bizarre scene for the first time, couldn't hold back their confusion.
"Sergeant... Is this their training? Why does it look so... abstract?"
"It's normal. Their sergeant is even more abstract."
Belov, who was observing the scene, lit a cigarette and sighed. Luo Qing was doing just fine before. Why, a month ago, did he suddenly go off the rails and start playing this abstract game...?
"Alright, boys! For Her Majesty's... uh, long legs—no, I mean, for Her Majesty's honor! Train hard, no slacking! I'll be keeping an eye on you!"
After the peculiar dance routine concluded, Luo Qing glanced at his system interface.
[Frustration Value from Jiekar +1]
[Frustration Value from Tomeli +1]
[Frustration Value from Newnhoude +1]
[Frustration Value from Volderhund +1]
[Total collected: 30 Frustration Points]
Feeling quite satisfied, he offered a few words of encouragement before heading to the rest area.
"Luo Qing, you keep messing with them like this without proper training. If they go complain to Childe, you might not even get to keep your job as a training officer."
Belov glanced at Luo Qing, who had ditched supervising to slack off in the rest area, and sneered while taking a drag from his cigarette.
"You just don't get it, Belov. In the freezing cold, you need to warm up before training. I'm doing them a favor! Now, hand me a cigarette."
Unfazed, Luo Qing took the cigarette from Belov and watched his recruits from a distance while puffing clouds of smoke.
"By the way, did you hear the latest news from above?" Belov asked casually.
"News?" Luo Qing asked, confused. "What news?"
Belov took another long drag and explained calmly,
"Since Childe rose to his position, the Trainee Harbinger spot has been vacant. Word is they plan to pick another Trainee Harbinger soon to accompany Childe to Liyue."
"A Trainee Harbinger? Is that a thing?"
"You've been a training officer for years now, and you didn't know?"
Belov gave Luo Qing a disdainful look and continued,
"Becoming a Trainee Harbinger is the only way we have to move up the ranks. Childe himself was promoted through this process. If you're selected, as long as you don't get yourself killed, there's a good chance you'll become a full-fledged Harbinger.
I think after Childe, it should be the Twelfth seat, right? You'd even get your own code name.
Speaking of which, what code name would you pick if you were chosen?"
"Code name, huh..."
Luo Qing thought for a moment.
"How about... Handsome Rich Guy?"
[Frustration Value from Belov +1]
"I can't have a normal conversation with you."
Belov shook his head, extinguishing his cigarette. He gathered his recruits and headed back to the training grounds. Halfway there, he turned back to remind Luo Qing,
"They're choosing the Trainee Harbinger from among us veterans, and your name's on the list. You'd better be prepared."
Now alone, Luo Qing leaned back against the wall and opened his system interface again.
It had been a month since he transmigrated to this world, taking over the body of a Fatui recruit training officer. Not only that, he'd also been bound to some strange "Frustration Value Collection System."
As long as he frustrated others, he could collect Frustration Points.
As for what those points were used for...
Luo Qing glanced at the familiar lottery screen in the system, feeling a mix of emotions.
[Frustration Wish Lottery — for the most frustrating lottery experience]
[Current Wish up item: Spirit Speech: Time Zero]
[100 Frustration Points per attempt]
[Note: Guaranteed item every 90 attempts]
"Come on, I'm usually super lucky. Ten draws should definitely get me a gold item."
Muttering to himself, Luo Qing steadied his nerves and pressed the "10 Draws" button.
Including the points he'd just collected from Belov, he'd accumulated exactly 1000 Frustration Points — enough for a single 10-draw attempt.
The lottery screen lit up with ten shooting stars.
Golden flash—!
Just kidding.
There was no gold, only purple.
As the system's soft chimes echoed, the results of the 10-draw appeared before him.
Purple: "Spear Technique: Thirteen Fatal Thrusts"
Blue: Loud Laughter Item Card x1
Tearful Crying Item Card x1
Let's Learn to Meow Item Card x2
Dizzy Spell Item Card x1
Nausea and Vomiting Item Card x1
Physical Enhancement Item Card x1
Strong Spray Paint x1
Portable Recorder x1
One purple in ten pulls. Not bad for someone blessed with luck, right?
"What the hell... Thirteen Fatal Thrusts?!"
Luo Qing's face twitched as he stared at the results. He wondered where these random items were pulled from.
All the items in the lottery came from other worlds. Aside from the golden "up" item, which rotated periodically, the rest were purple and blue items that were purely luck-based.
But seriously... a purple item, and it's "Thirteen Fatal Thrusts"? Isn't that a bit too much?
Luo Qing felt that he couldn't just be called unlucky; he had to be the ultimate, all-time, grand champion of misfortune.
Stubbing out his cigarette, Luo Qing's eyes looked vacant as he strode back to his recruits.
No more slacking off — he'd wasted 1000 Frustration Points.
Time to squeeze some more out of them.
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T/N: Phonograph, instrument for reproducing sounds by means of the vibration of a stylus, or needle, following a groove on a rotating disc.