LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 98 - Falling Behind
Jiang Hui was unaware that people were watching her “miserable” training journey from the sidelines; she was solely focused on pushing forward.
She struggled to pull her foot out of the sticky swamp, but when she tried, the other foot also got stuck. With a sudden jerk, she nearly fell into the mud, managing to keep her balance only by wobbling awkwardly.
However, this caused her to lag behind the classmates in front of her by a relatively long distance.
It was only because she was at the back that she realized she couldn’t keep up with the team. It wasn’t that her physical fitness was poor—well, in essence, it was… but she had regained a lot of energy after taking the supplements during her time in the mental space. It was just that the physical exhaustion couldn’t be restored so easily. At this point, her spirit was relatively high; she felt better than she did before the shooting battle, when she didn’t feel exhausted at all.
The reason she felt strained now was due to the change in her position.
Earlier, Jiang Hui had been in the middle of the group, which was a mix of different fitness levels. Some classmates were quite fit, while others were struggling. The team had been arranged randomly by height, so everyone had to accommodate one another—those who were faster slowed down for the slower ones, and the slower ones had to push themselves to keep up. That’s why Jiang Hui felt more at ease before.
Having gone through a round of shooting, those who remained were basically those with some foundational skills. Even if they weren’t from military-related majors, many had decent physical fitness and quick reflexes. Jiang Hui, having experienced both physical and mental exhaustion, inevitably found herself lagging behind the group.
Fortunately, the instructor didn’t criticize her for falling behind and occasionally glanced over at her, making her feel tense, and she couldn’t help but quicken her pace.
Team Leader Instructor: …
The kids nowadays really don’t seem to be very perceptive. He had hinted several times for her to return to the middle of the group, but each time she misunderstood.
What use is there in having a flagbearer at the back of the team? If you fall behind, even if the others reach the destination within the allotted time, the points they earn would be reduced significantly. Otherwise, why would Lieutenant Lando have mentioned the flag in the first place? It was also a hint.
These students didn’t seem to take this seriously or perhaps didn’t care at all, genuinely believing that simply making it to the destination smoothly was enough.
Jiang Hui didn’t realize that the other classmates also failed to understand this, and so things could only unfold this way. After all, the team leader was just a temporary leader serving in a supervisory role and couldn’t really help them, so he simply gave up.
This was a vast swamp, stretching for several kilometers, and they couldn’t find another route. They could only work hard to wade through this difficult terrain, hoping to reach the other shore to get back on track.
At this point, the group was no longer as quiet as before; some began to engage in brief conversations. The instructor didn’t stop them, so several students, gradually struggling to keep up, started talking softly to each other, encouraging one another. Some even initiated chants, and the back of the group responded enthusiastically, creating a lively atmosphere.
One student turned back several times, looking at the tiny black dot in the distance that was Jiang Hui, and worriedly said, “What about the person at the back… Do we really not need to wait for her? We’re about to switch to the simulated night phase, and if it gets completely dark and she gets lost, what will we do?”
The person in front dismissed him, saying, “Why does she have to tag along? She clearly got hurt and couldn’t keep up, yet she insisted on following us. Isn’t she just dragging us down now?”
Moreover, she had been half-conscious when they carried her into the medical tent, but when she came out, she seemed full of energy. She probably rested well in the infirmary, while they had to make do with those nutritionally inadequate quick meals back at the camp. Naturally, he felt displeased with Jiang Hui.
The one who asked felt instinctively that something was off but couldn’t find a reason to argue against it. Seeing that the others didn’t seem to care much, he decided to let the matter rest.
The group continued to advance in an orderly manner and did not stop because of the lagging individual trailing far behind.
…
“What’s going on with that squad leader?” a young-looking female officer couldn’t help but frown as she watched this scene unfold.
“I remember him, I have some impression of him. He seems to be… one of the Mace family’s kids. He’s among those sent here for practical training, coinciding with the school’s military training, so he got called up as well.”
Most people present were familiar with the Mace family; it was a large and well-established family with a rich history, having produced many notable figures in the military. Although their status had somewhat declined in recent years, a lean camel is still larger than a horse; they still had some depth in their heritage.
However, Captain Marlene didn’t care much about the Mace family; she wanted to know if this officer truly understood the purpose of military training. It was amusing and infuriating to see both students and instructors forgetting their original intentions and acting foolishly.
Having just experienced the frustrating incident of a trusted student disobeying orders, Marlene felt her already bad temper was becoming increasingly hard to control as she observed this officer’s behavior.
“Don’t be upset, Captain. This young master from the Mace family was reportedly forced into this situation by someone else, so he’s probably not too happy about it right now. Besides, he’s done reasonably well with his responsibilities; he’s accomplished what he needed to. There’s no requirement to accommodate every single student during the training,” said an older officer from the adjacent class.
While there was no official requirement, what was the purpose of the training? It was ostensibly to improve individual fitness and combat effectiveness, but more importantly, it aimed to enhance each person’s cohesion in a high-pressure environment, gradually helping them understand the need to fight for the honor of the group.
She had watched for a whole day, and while many instructors couldn’t manage to do this, numerous soldiers could guide students to gradually understand the power of the collective, helping them navigate through difficulties in a mutually supportive environment. These weren’t particularly difficult tasks because there were always people in their past who taught them this, and every soldier was clear about it.
This young master from the Mace family had a commendable resume and grades, and his rank was relatively high among his peers, but his military spirit still left much to be desired.
…
By the time Jiang Hui finally extricated herself from the swamp, the main group ahead had already disappeared from sight.
Jiang Hui was not surprised at all, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit at a loss, unsure whether to stay put or muster up the energy to catch up. However, she didn’t know how long the people ahead had been gone, and with no clear path in sight, she was uncertain about whether she should continue moving…
In the end, she looked down at her muddy legs in confusion, half lifting them before putting them back down, unsure of how to proceed.
“Do you still want to continue?” Suddenly, a voice came from ahead.
Startled, Jiang Hui instinctively looked over, only to see someone who shouldn’t be there standing in front of her.