...
This first month.
Every day began precisely at 6 AM with the piercing reveille, unwavering like thunder.
No matter how late they had patrolled the previous day, everyone had to imdiately get up, tidy their quarters within the allotted ti, eat, and then usually have thirty minutes to an hour of unified cultivation ti.
Their schedule was packed to the brim.
City patrols occupied most of their ti, with day and night shifts rotating.
From initial novelty and tension to eventual numbness and routine.
They asured the cold, towering walls of South Cang Fortress with their footsteps.
The scenery before their eyes consisted only of the mist ahead and the wilderness behind.
Internal guard posts were far more monotonous—guarding warehouses, important passageways, or the periter of the command center.
What they required was patience and vigilance.
Equipnt observation and maintenance opened their eyes to new horizons.
They were permitted, under the guidance of veterans, to observe those powerful city defense weapons up close.
Massive spirit-powered crossbow bolts that required several people to embrace.
As well as those thermal weapons and missiles.
Aircraft, artillery, and drones.
And the ground-to-ground tactical missile silos deep within the fortress, protruding like the fangs of a giant dragon.
It inspired awe and reverence.
They also needed to assist with so simple weapon maintenance tasks.
Physical training and tactical learning were interspersed throughout.
The fortress training grounds were more brutal and direct, everything aid at practical combat application.
They learned more efficient battlefield communication gestures, squad defensive formations, ergency casualty treatnt, and standard response procedures against different types of mist creature attacks.
This month contained no blood-pumping battles.
Instead, it was mostly day after day of repetition, monotony, and forcibly instilled battlefield survival rules.
Their skin grew rough from the wind.
The restless energy of students in their eyes gradually gave way to steadiness.
Their movents beca more crisp and efficient.
They encountered more battlefield veterans, heard more tragic or bizarre stories.
And witnessed with their own eyes teams returning from missions, passing by them in silence, carrying casualties and exhaustion.
...
Early morning, one month later.
All students here for training were once again assembled on that familiar airport open ground.
The scar-faced officer still stood at the front, his expression as cold and hard as ever.
Looking at the students standing ramrod straight below.
He slowly spoke: "One month, rookies.
This past month, we didn't throw you directly to the monsters—letting you wander inside these walls, look around, get familiar with weapons—consider that my and the fortress's final rcy toward you student kids.
But! Starting today! The easy days are over!
The adaptation period has ended! You're no longer guests here for observation and learning!
From today onward, you will be integrated into the fortress's formal patrol and defense rotations! You'll undertake real combat missions!"
A slight stir rippled through the ranks, but it quickly settled down.
The officer seed satisfied with this reaction and continued roaring: "Mission difficulty and danger levels will be comprehensively upgraded! You might be assigned to forward outposts closer to the front lines!
You might participate in short-range clearing patrols! And you might encounter small groups of mist creatures!
Scared? There's still ti to regret it now!
Go submit your applications, admit you're cowards, deserters, then get expelled from your academies—the deserter charge could land you several years in prison! Anyone want to quit now?!"
The formation fell completely silent, no one responded.
Su Zhan and his companions also stood perfectly straight, eyes fixed forward, quietly listening to the officer's speech.
"Good! At least you've got so balls!"
The scar-faced officer nodded: "Rember what you learned this month! Rember the survival skills the veterans taught you! On the battlefield, what saves your lives is strength, vigilance, teamwork, and damn luck!
Mission orders will be issued to squad leaders shortly! Everyone better be on full alert!
I don't want to call your nas during roll call a month from now and get no response!
One final piece of advice for you...
On the battlefield, if you want to live, you first have to forget how to fear death! Now, dismissed! Get the hell ready!"
The speech ended without extra words, maintaining his familiar style.
...
Night fell.
A camouflage-patterned armored transport vehicle delivered Su Zhan's squad to a forward outpost at the very edge of South Cang Fortress's defense system.
This outpost was quite small, more like a sturdy concrete bunker embedded into barren mountain cliffs, with only a few firing ports and observation windows, connected by a narrow passage to the patrol path below.
Its position was extrely exposed, almost pressed right against the perpetually lingering thin mist edge.
At the outpost entrance, two soldiers responsible for shift change had been waiting for so ti.
After simple password verification and identity checks, the handover began.
Liu Ziming imdiately demonstrated his signature talent, taking advantage of the squad leaders—Su Zhan and the other captain—verifying the checklist.
He grinned and moved closer to the other two veterans.
Pulling two packs of obviously expensive cigarettes from his pocket, smoothly slipping them into the soldiers' hands:
"Brothers, you've worked hard! This place is really remote! Co on, have a smoke to refresh yourselves, just a small token, don't mind it!"
The two veterans paused, looked at the clearly non-military-issue premium cigarettes in their hands, then at Liu Ziming's familiar smiling face, their guarded expressions softening slightly.
At forward outposts, these small gestures weren't uncommon and could bridge distances quickly.
One veteran deftly tore open the cigarette pack, flicked one out and put it in his mouth, mumbling: "Kid's got so manners, huh? Vermilion Bird Academy?"
"Hehe, brother's got sharp eyes!"
Liu Ziming quickly pulled out a lighter and lit it for him: "We'll need to rely on your guidance from now on! This place... looks pretty creepy, no big movents, right?"
The veteran took a deep drag, squinting as he savored the rich flavor, then slowly exhaled the smoke ring:
"Movents? Nothing major, but constant minor ones. Just so low-risk mist creatures, and they're disorganized attacks—you can handle them."
The other soldier also lit up and added: "Keep your eyes sharp at night. In this damned place, when the fog thickens, anything could crawl out of it."
Liu Ziming put on an attentive learning expression: "Could you elaborate a bit more?"
The veteran concisely shared experience: "Just don't panic. Panic leads to mistakes. Guarding this tal box, as long as large numbers of monsters don't simultaneously get close, you're generally fine."
The brief five-minute handover period quickly passed amid the smoke and short chatter.
Soon, the handover procedures were complete.
The two veterans stubbed out their cigarettes, patted Liu Ziming's shoulders: "Alright, kid, the outpost is yours now. Stay sharp, don't fall asleep."
With that, they briskly boarded the armored vehicle.
The engine started, and it soon disappeared into the darkness.
In front of the outpost, only Su Zhan's five-mber team remained.
A heavy pressure descended.
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