Chapter 20: A New Evolution—Steel-Boned Titan! (紫)
Inside the Military Confinent Room
Under the dim yellow glow of a single overhead light, Zhuang Yan braced himself against the rigid tal fra of his cot, his feet propped on a small wooden stool. Push-up after push-up, his body moved in steady, chanical precision.
“2,000 push-ups a day? Aren’t you exhausted?”
The duty officer stationed at the door leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed, watching him with mild amusent. Zhuang Yan barely lifted his head. “Got used to it. Feels weird if I don’t.” The officer chuckled. “You’re not even gonna be a soldier much longer. Why still pushing yourself?”
Zhuang Yan paused mid-rep, his breath steady. “Wait… has the verdict been decided?”
“No idea.” The officer shrugged. “But, damn, you really made history. In this whole regint, you’re the first recruit who dared to punch a squad leader.”
Zhuang Yan smirked. “First?”
The officer grinned. “Yeah, first… except maybe for that lunatic of a captain we got.”
Zhuang Yan’s movents halted for the first ti. “Who?”
Before the officer could respond, footsteps echoed down the corridor. The officer imdiately straightened, snapping into a crisp salute. “Captain Miao, sir!”
Stepping into the doorway was Miao Lian, commander of the Night Tiger Recon Unit. The highest-ranked officer in the regint’s elite force.
Zhuang Yan sat up, wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeve. This was the guy who ran the most feared unit in the entire regint.
Miao Lian’s eyes swept over the room before locking onto Zhuang Yan. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
“You’re quite the celebrity, aren’t you? The recruit who managed to rough up our oldest, anest squad leader.”
Zhuang Yan didn’t respond.
Miao Lian crossed his arms. “I had to see for myself—what kind of mutant they sent .”
Still, Zhuang Yan remained silent.
Miao Lian raised an eyebrow. “What, no argunt? You don’t think it’s a big deal?”
Zhuang Yan sighed. “He started it.”
Miao Lian grinned. “Oh? So that makes it okay?”
“I don’t start fights. But I don’t let people walk all over either.”
The grin widened. “Good answer.”
Miao Lian took a step closer, his presence weighing down on the room like a storm cloud.
“Tell the truth, kid. Do you still want to be a soldier?”
Zhuang Yan hesitated. “…Yes. And no.”
Miao Lian tilted his head. “Explain.”
Zhuang Yan exhaled.
“I like the guys here. I like pushing myself. I like the training, even the pain. But…” He frowned, “The rules, the rigid discipline—it’s suffocating.”
Miao Lian studied him for a mont. Then he laughed.
“You coward.”
Zhuang Yan snapped up. “What?!”
Miao Lian scoffed. “What kind of man gives up because of ‘rules’? You like the challenge, the training, the brotherhood—but you’re ready to quit over a few regulations?”
Zhuang Yan clenched his fists.
“I’m not a coward.”
Miao Lian’s smirk disappeared. His voice was cold steel when he spoke next.
“Then prove it.”
“Stay. Beco a real soldier.”
Zhuang Yan scoffed. “Yeah? And who are you to change my fate?”
Miao Lian’s grin returned. “Who am I? Kid, I’m the one who decides if you’re out… or if you’re coming with to Night Tiger.”
Zhuang Yan froze.
The elite unit? The one every hardened veteran fought tooth and nail to get into?
Miao Lian turned without another word and walked out the door.
The confinent room door swung open.
“You’re free to go,” the officer announced. “Your punishnt’s over.”
Zhuang Yan blinked.
Have… have I just been recruited?
……………………………………………………………………………………………
While the rest of the recruits celebrated their graduation from boot camp, Lin Yi sat cross-legged on his bunk, eyes shut, deep in thought.
Inside his mind, his abilities hovered before him like an open book.
[God of Competition (Gold)][Hundred-Step Marksman (Gold)][Master of Combat (Purple)][Photographic mory (Blue)][Physical Titan (Blue)]
Each ability was a stepping stone, sculpting him into a warrior beyond human limits. And today—he had one more upgrade. He had already refined his skills, accuracy, and combat reflexes to perfection. But there was one area he hadn’t maximized yet. His body. The foundation of everything.
“System. Upgrade [Physical Titan].”
A surge of energy exploded through Lin Yi’s body. His muscles tightened. His bones hardened like reinforced steel. His very flesh beca resilient beyond natural limits.
[Steel-Boned Titan (紫)] Activated.
—“Your bones are as strong as forged tal, your body as unyielding as tempered steel. Even against the mightiest predators, you stand unshaken.”
Lin Yi’s eyes snapped open.
He exhaled slowly. This was beyond human. With this—even unard, he could fight and kill a tiger. He clenched his fist, feeling the raw power coursing through his veins. His body was no longer just fit—it was a weapon. And soon… he would test it on the battlefield.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
The recruits would officially be assigned to their units tomorrow. Lin Yi was bound for Night Tiger Recon; Zhuang Yan… had unknowingly secured his place as well; Chen Xiwa remained clueless, but his fate was already sealed. The next phase of their journey was about to begin. But what none of them knew was that soon, they wouldn’t just be competing for military excellence. They would be fighting for survival.
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