Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It wasn't until the start of the morning drill was announced that they retracted their gazes and set off at a run.

Yes, running.

No matter how advanced evolution becomes, running remains an absolutely crucial component of physical training.

The entire Class 023 moved in formation, with Class C9 trailing at the end, many displaying a languid posture.

Even so, Lin Fu couldn't keep up with the pace of all the members of Class C9 and was left far behind.

He bowed his head, lips sealed tight, advancing at his own rhythm. He could hear his heart pounding forcefully within his chest, the heat in his blood steaming up, seeping through his pores and condensing into a fine sheen of sweat.

Class A1 moved at a swift pace, completing a lap of the seemingly endless training track in no time, passing by Lin Fu one after another.

Some sentinels, unable to bear the sight, whispered as they passed him, "You can take a rest, don’t worry, no one will report you to the instructor."

"Right, if anyone talks too much, I’ll take care of them for you!"

Lin Fu, lacking the extra energy to speak, knew that opening his mouth would only sap his strength. He silently shook his head, expressing his resolve, undeterred as he continued forward, even as one class after another passed him by.

When Tang Qian ran past him, he saw Lin Fu's ashen face and lagged behind, worriedly asking, "Shall I help you? You're a guide; you have to take it slow."

Lin Fu still shook his head.

With a worried expression, Tang Qian caught a glimpse of their instructor watching from a distance and had no choice but to hurry off after offering a few words of caution.

Lin Fu maintained his pace.

As he ran, he measured the distance of the track.

Employing spatial technology, though imperceptible, every time one reached a fixed point, the distance of the track would extend again, beyond the estimation of the naked eye, reliant only on counting steps.

When it was Class C9's turn to overtake him, someone suddenly broke away from the formation, slowing down to a small, shuffling pace beside Lin Fu.

His face showed no sign of exertion, in stark contrast to Lin Fu's flushed, sweat-drenched appearance, he seemed quite at ease.

Lin Fu merely glanced at him briefly before averting his gaze.

Whatever, as long as he didn’t interfere with his training.

However, the other person clearly didn't share this sentiment, moving closer with a smile and a friendly self-introduction: "Hey there, pretty boy, my name's Albert Harvey, your classmate. And yes, as you've guessed, I'm that Harvey you're thinking of."

After speaking, he elegantly flicked back his platinum blonde locks, revealing a full forehead, and lifted his chin towards Lin Fu.

Lin Fu, without a sideways glance, switched lanes to take the inner curve, completing half of his first lap.

Albert: "..." The pretty boy really doesn’t give face.

But considering it's a beauty, he generously let it slide.

He picked up speed, effortlessly catching up to Lin Fu, and continued, "Why did you want to come to the military academy? Honestly, I'm really curious. Since you can pilot a mech, it proves you have some psychic strength. Besides, being the pampered young master of the Lin family, why seek suffering here? Like me, if it weren’t for my old man and brother forcing me, I’d be quite happy with a civilian post."

He finished with a proud grin, "Of course, being a member of the Harvey family, even a civilian role would have to be a parliamentary minister."

Lin Fu didn’t respond, and he didn’t mind, familiarly sharing his grand vision of living off his family's wealth and strongly suggesting Lin Fu do the same to escape the bitter sea of hardship.

Lin Fu: "..." Forgot what count I was on.

If he had any strength left, he would've sealed this Harvey’s mouth with tape.

Harvey, completely unaware of being a nuisance, accompanied Lin Fu for half a lap. Watching Lin Fu’s pallor, he stopped in his tracks, pensively staring at his slowly retreating figure.

After a while, he caught up, supporting Lin Fu’s arm, his hand passing under the other armpit, babbling, "I'm not taking advantage of you, okay? I just see you're about to faint. You really are as stubborn as my brother, so damn stubborn."

As he spoke, he effortlessly supported Lin Fu, speeding along, and finished the small remaining stretch of the first lap in a few minutes.

Lin Fu, unable to break free while being supported: "..."

He proudly introduced his "heroic deed" to his classmates after catching up with Class C9 and letting Lin Fu down, earning a chorus of "Well done" praises.

Lin Fu’s face went numb.

However, during the few minutes he was carried, his strength did indeed recover a bit.

At least enough to speak.

He said to Albert, "Thanks, but no need for next time, I'll stop on my own if I can't hold up."

Albert, still chuckling with his classmates, looked dumbfounded as Lin Fu walked away on his own.

His face a picture of confusion.

He ruefully touched his nose, thinking he was kindly helping the little guide, so why didn't it seem appreciated?

The notion that someone would deliberately seek hardship was beyond his comprehension.

Lin Fu began to recalibrate.

After his exchange with Harvey, no sentinel appeared to accompany his run. However, as Class C9 passed by, they would, in a tacit understanding, whisper words of encouragement: “Keep it up.”

Lin Fu's face turned from red to pale, and his hot sweat slowly became cold, clinging stickily to his skin.

Squinting, he mentally noted as he completed the lap: 5,935 steps.

Nearly seven kilometers, a distance an average sentinel could cover in less than ten minutes without exerting full effort, maintaining speed after countless seven-kilometer stretches.

His vision darkened in waves, and before collapsing, he thought the gap was much larger than he had anticipated.

*

When Lin Fu awoke, the sky was already dark, and judging by his surroundings, he seemed to be in the school infirmary.

Glancing at his smartwatch, it was already 7 p.m.

A faint taste of iron lingered in his throat, and every slight movement was torture due to the soreness in his limbs.

Just a morning run, and merely one and a half laps at that, had left him completely drained.

Lin Fu exhaled, enduring the soreness as he got off the bed, buttoned up his jacket from the bedside, and stepped out.

The school doctor, seeing him, immediately tried to push him back to bed: “What are you doing up? Rest properly.”

Lin Fu, leaning against the door frame: “Teacher, I have classes tonight.”

The teacher: “What class is more important than your health? You’re a guide, don’t emulate those sentinels who don’t know how to take care of themselves.”

Lin Fu, helplessly: “Teacher.”

The doctor scrutinized him for a while, sighing and angry, before tossing him a spray bottle: “For muscle fatigue relief. Use it regularly!”

Lin Fu smiled: “Thank you, teacher.”

He safely stowed the bottle, his spirits lifted.

While Guides indeed pale in comparison to the robust physiques of Sentinels, this disparity is not irreparable. Moreover, with the advanced medical technology of the interstellar age, even muscle fatigue can be disregarded as long as one can endure. Strengthening one’s physique is merely a matter of time.

The evening’s course was on psychic control training.

Sentinels, with their unstable psychic powers, are prone to a wide variety of stimuli, especially when confronting the Zerg on the front lines.

The Zerg are capable of launching psychic attacks; any mishap can severely injure a Sentinel’s psyche, inducing madness, and even regression in rank. On a battlefield swarming with thousands, the absence of rescue is a death sentence.

Besides, severe fluctuations in negative emotions can also harm their psychic strength. Without control and learning to stabilize their psychic power, even regular grooming by a Guide can lead to significant trouble.

Such courses had little relevance for Lin Fu, a Guide, but as a non-native lacking in common knowledge, gaining any additional insight was beneficial.

The classroom was an amphitheater, and the lesson had already started when Lin Fu arrived.

He quietly entered through the back door and found a seat near the entrance.

The man at the front podium, dressed in a camel-colored coat with gentle and clean features, glanced up when Lin Fu entered, seemingly casting a glance in his direction.

Lin Fu watched him, uncertain if it was merely an illusion.

He thought the teacher seemed to smile at him upon seeing him.