Chapter 21 - Exhausted

Translator: Li_Voon_Loke

“It’s only 3,000 meters?”

“Isn’t that too little?”

Quite a few recruits were muttering to themselves.

They looked down on this training program. Odin Academy’s daily morning exercise training was to run 3,000 meters on an empty stomach. The recruits had already gotten used to the intensity of the 3,000 meters training.

Moreover, whether it was the military posture or the training formation, the instructors had let the recruits practice running. Running could be said to be one of the most popular training programs for recruits, so they didn’t think much of this new training program.

He Yingbo naturally knew what these little brats were thinking. He glanced at them and said, “All of you are very confident. If you can run these 3,000 meters in twenty minutes, today’s training will be over. The rest of the time will be at your disposal!”

Hearing the instructor’s words, many people in the sixth team cheered.

If they could run the 3,000 meters in 13 minutes and 20 seconds, they would pass, but the instructor had actually extended it to 20 minutes.

To run 3,000 meters in 20 minutes, even a fitness enthusiast who had not received military training could do it.

The recruits all felt that today’s training could end early.

“Zhao Rui, step out!” The instructor took out a map from his bag and called out Zhao Rui’s name.

Ever since Zhao Rui was selected as the leader of the sixth team by He Yingbo, Zhao Rui had been helping the instructor train the recruits.

“This is the topographic map of the area. I have already drawn out the 3,000 meter cross-country route for you. As the leader, you will lead the sixth team to run forward. During this period, no one is allowed to fall behind. Otherwise, you will be held accountable!”

He yingbo had designed a closed cross-country route. After the sixth team finished running, they would return to this open space.

“Yes, instructor! I will definitely complete the mission!”

After taking the map, Zhao Rui gave He Yingbo a perfect military salute.

The instructor looked at the cell phone in his bag and said to the recruits, “You can set off now. The time is 8:46 am. As long as you return here before 9:06 am, today’s training will end early.”

“All sixth team members! Turn right! Run, go!” Zhao Rui looked at the map and gave the order to his comrades.

The other soldiers of the sixth team were very cooperative with Zhao Rui. They all wanted to run 3 kilometers in 20 minutes so that they could have a good rest for the day.

However..

The recruits had only run less than 500 meters when they realized that something was wrong.

As expected, it was more tiring than running 1,000 meters on the field.

This was a mountain path that went uphill. Compared to running on flat ground, they had to lift their feet higher. Moreover, the soldiers had to control their balance while advancing.

The uphill path was getting steeper and steeper, and some of the recruits almost fell to the ground.

As the leader, Zhao Rui immediately slowed down when he saw this scene and ordered, “Everyone, slow down!”

Previously, the soldiers only wanted to finish running 3,000 meters as soon as possible, so their steps were very big. However, on such a rugged mountain path, even if they took big steps, they might not be able to reach the finish line as soon as possible. They might even fall to the ground.

When the troops finally ran past the uphill path, they saw another steep downhill path. If they continued to move at their previous speed, many of their comrades would fall.

Zhao Rui hurriedly gave another order. “Everyone! Slow down! Slow down!”

There was finally a smooth path ahead. After less than 200 meters, there was another long steep slope.

The entire sixth team was on the rugged and steep mountain road. The constant changing speed made everyone breathless. They finally understood why the instructor had said those words so decisively just now.

Cross-country training was different from running on the field. The ground of the field was flat, so the soldiers did not have to worry about it. They only needed to run with full strength to complete the task.

The terrain in the wild was complex and varied, and it was extremely rugged. The soldiers had to consider the impact of the terrain when they moved, so their speed could not be compared to when they were on flat ground.

Some recruits began to complain.

“I’m so tired. I knew the instructor was not that kind.”

“Give us 20 minutes. I don’t think we can run 3,000 meters in 40 minutes on the mountain.”

Zhao Rui immediately issued a warning, “Keep quiet!”

Whether it was his ability or his character, Zhao Rui had won the respect of everyone in the sixth team.

Therefore, after Zhao Rui issued the warning, his comrades stopped talking and continued to run with their heads down.

Not long after, many of the recruits’ running speed had slowed down a lot, and their stamina began to decline. The line that was initially straight gradually became messy as their speed became non-uniform.

He immediately gave the order to rest. “All of you! Halt!” Zhao Rui was very clear that if they did not rest, someone would fall behind.

“Rest on the spot… we’ll gather and continue to complete the training!”

Zhao Rui originally wanted to give the order to rest on the spot for ten minutes, but Zhao Rui did not have anything on him that could be used to measure the time, so he changed his words to “rest for a while”.

“Class monitor, how much further do we have to run?”

Bai Xiaofei endured the soreness in his legs and limped to Zhao Rui’s side to ask.

Zhao Rui looked at the map in his hand and compared it to the signs on the roadside. He replied in a low voice, “I’m afraid we’ve run less than two-thirds of the way.”

“What? We ran…”

Bai Xiaofei wanted to say something, but was immediately stopped by Zhao Rui with a look.

“Keep your voice down, don’t let anyone hear you!”

Bai Xiaofei nodded to show that he understood Zhao Rui’s meaning.

Several people in the team were running out of strength. If they knew that they had only run for less than 2 kilometers, they would probably be even more unwilling to continue running, and the time to complete the run would increase again.

After a short while, he ordered, “Everyone, return to formation! Turn right! Run!”

Although the remaining 1,000 meters of the mountain slope was still rugged, after everyone had a rest, their physical strength and condition seemed to have returned to the beginning.

This group of exhausted recruits finally returned to the instructor.

“Reporting, instructor! All the soldiers of the sixth team have completed the cross-country 3,000 meters training!” Zhao Rui reported the completion of the mission to He Yingbo.

“You came back earlier than I expected.”

He Yingbo didn’t tell the soldiers how much time they had spent, but everyone knew that it must have taken much more than 20 minutes.

At this time, Zhao Rui suddenly felt the soreness in his legs. Zhao Rui had never carried out specialized training for cross-country runs before. His comrades were exhausted beyond words, Zhao Rui’s body was alsol tired.

However, Zhao Rui was the class monitor and the leader of the sixth team. Before he finished bringing all the soldiers back to the instructor, the sense of responsibility in his heart made him completely ignore the fatigue in his body.

Only when the mission was complete did Zhao Rui feel the same tiredness as his comrades..