Chapter 100: Chapter 95: The Outpost Fortress’s Predicament, Retraining the New Recruits

Lin Feng noticed Li Ran’s new rank insignia. He was surprised to see he’d been promoted from first lieutenant to captain.

When they had gone to the field hospital to visit Qin Hu the day before yesterday, Li Ran had successfully upgraded to lv16, Tier One Middle Stage, from fighting the Zerg Race on the front lines.

He was only a step away from the Late Stage.

But with the war starting ahead of schedule, the number of Awakeners was soaring. Previously, reaching the Tier One Late Stage and having some military merits was enough for a promotion to captain. Now, you had to have truly exceptional achievements, or you were stuck waiting your turn.

Waiting for those ahead of you to get promoted or die.

That’s why Lin Feng was curious.

The new recruits were calling Li Ran "Company Commander," which meant he hadn’t just gotten a promotion in rank; he’d been given a real command position.

But looking at the recruits’ fresh, young faces, Lin Feng had a bad feeling.

His suspicions were confirmed as Captain Li approached.

Li Ran said with a smile,

"Congratulations, Sergeant Lin."

Lin Feng’s brow furrowed. Qin Hu had mentioned this—a promotion to Sergeant Major. It was an upper-tier rank among enlisted personnel, giving him command over a squad of several dozen men.

It gave Lin Feng the authority, at least on paper, to command these new recruits at the service area.

But Lin Feng clearly wasn’t concerned with some nominal title. He was worried about these raw recruits before him. Some of them couldn’t even hold a Heavy Machine Gun steady. They obviously weren’t Enhanced People.

A close-range Identification confirmed it.

In a company of over ninety men, there were only a handful of seven or eight Low-level Enhanced People.

Seeming to notice the displeasure on Lin Feng’s face, Li Ran let out a low sigh and explained,

"Brother Qin did his best. He was the one who pushed for this service area outpost project in the first place. Under the circumstances, getting headquarters to assign us a single company of new recruits was the absolute most he could manage."

"My promotion was part of his final efforts, too."

"We were supposed to get Enhanced People, veterans with frontline combat experience. But someone interfered."

Lin Feng frowned, a possibility occurring to him.

"Major Cheng?"

Li Ran’s expression turned grim as he nodded.

"That’s right."

"After Cheng Zhan took over as head of the Awakened Camp, he vehemently opposed the service area outpost. He argued in a meeting that they couldn’t waste valuable forces on a useless southern outpost..."

"But Brother Qin fought tooth and nail for it. In the end, he traded his own rank to secure this batch of brand-new recruits."

At this, Li Ran’s eyes started to well up.

This group was Qin Hu’s final play.

He even gambled away his only fallback plan.

After losing his field-grade officer rank, even if Qin Hu were to leave the front lines for a rear-echelon position, his standing and benefits would plummet.

Li Ran stared intently at Lin Feng and said in a low, serious voice,

"Brother Lin, our chance to turn the tables hinges on this battle! Brother Qin told me to follow your lead in everything!"

"The fate of the 201st Company is in your hands!"

Lin Feng nodded silently. The Zerg Race’s advance was only ten kilometers away. With just two or three days left, it was tight, but it would have to be enough time.

It was just that his original plan—to get everyone to the Ninth-level Enhanced People, then trigger a mass Awakening after the main battle began...

That plan was likely out the window now.

But Lin Feng had never been one to bow to hardship.

If the schedule was too tight, he’d just have to push harder.

"No problem," he said. "They just enlisted too late. They’ll need to be whipped into shape, and I expect there will be significant casualties."

Li Ran knew how weak they were and that there was no room for complacency. He nodded in agreement.

"Whether they live or die will depend on their own abilities."

"Do it your way."

Lin Feng grunted in assent.

Once the new recruits had stowed their gear at the outpost and claimed their bunks, Lin Feng had Li Ran give the order: fall in.

The men formed a block of eight ranks with twelve men each, ninety-six in total.

Lin Feng strode out and came to a stop before the new recruits.

They were all young, most in their early twenties. A dozen or so were even younger, around the same age as Shen Jie’s group.

They probably had no prior service experience, but thanks to their trainers in the rear, they could at least understand and follow basic commands.

Although the youths lacked experience, they were easier to manage than cynical old-timers who had been knocked around by the world.

That was their only advantage, considering their overall weakness.

Lin Feng stared them down, his voice sharp as he questioned them.

"The main battle is just days away. Why are you only just now being conscripted?"

"Don’t you realize how much slower your enhancement progress is than everyone else’s!"

"Enlisting now is no different than suicide!"

His words carried the pressure of a Tier One Limit-Breaking Awakener. Even though Lin Feng didn’t look much older than them, the young recruits still felt an intense, overwhelming presence.

It was more oppressive than any Awakener they had ever met before.

After a few seconds of silence following Lin Feng’s questions, a few recruits plucked up their courage and called out.

"Sir, report! I saw the military’s recruitment video! I felt the call of justice and duty and chose to come to the front lines to fight for the Federation and for humanity!"

"Sir, report! I saw my idol, Jiang Yun’er, in a recruitment ad. She was fighting for the Federation as a soldier, so I signed up too!"

"Sir, report! My reason is simpler! I just want to kill bugs in the army, keep getting stronger, become an Awakener, and get a Superpower!"

Lin Feng nodded.

After Jiang Yun’er had left, the publicity videos they had filmed on the front lines under his supervision had been cut into several recruitment ads.

Judging by the blanket coverage online and on television, it seemed to be working.

The fan effect was a powerful thing. After all, many impressionable young people, oblivious to the true dangers of war, would see their idol in battle and rush to sign up.

’Easy to get in, not so easy to get out.’

Still, most of the new recruits were probably like that last one. Their primary motivation was to get stronger, to join the army to increase their power and become an Awakener.

It was a lot safer than trying to make it on their own.

Unfortunately for them, their timing was terrible. They had joined just as a major battle was looming, leaving them with only a few days to prepare.

But on the other hand, they were also incredibly lucky to have run into him.

And with a "battle maniac" like Shen Jie, who was an expert at leveling up quickly, they had a fighting chance.

So Lin Feng spoke again.

"Good. I don’t care why you joined. As long as you want to kill bugs and get stronger, I can help you with that!"

"They say you reap what you sow. We don’t have time for you to break a sweat in drills. If you want to get strong fast, the only way is through live combat training on the front lines!"

"Time is short. It’s 10:30. Each of you, grab two rations and your weapon. Fall back in, in five minutes!"

At the command, the recruits scattered, returning to the outpost fortress to grab their packs and rifles before reassembling in the yard.

Lin Feng glanced at his watch. Only four and a half minutes had passed.

He nodded, satisfied, and continued.

"My surname is Lin. You can address me as Commander Lin, or simply by my rank, Sergeant Major."

"I am now in complete command of this unit."

"Of course, to ensure your safety, I’ve arranged for eight Awakeners to lead you during this training."

As he spoke, eight fully armed figures emerged from the nearby inn.

Shen Jie and the others were wearing the Red Armor Lin Feng had made. The Full Body Armor concealed their faces, making them look both imposing and mysterious.

They looked like a highly effective elite squad at first glance.

This sight brought a thrill of excitement and a strange sense of security to the previously anxious recruits.

With the arrangements made, Lin Feng boarded the Flying Wing Tank as it rolled out of the repair shop, driving out of the service area while the new recruits stared, dumbfounded.

Shen Jie, whom Lin Feng had already briefed, immediately began shouting orders, dividing the recruits into eight teams of twelve and having them get into abandoned vehicles he’d scavenged from the roadside.

Thanks to Hu Fei and Han Yuxin handling logistics, gasoline and diesel were no issue.

Once refueled, the SUVs and large trucks were ready to go.

As the convoy drove off, Li Ran and a squad of soldiers took up guard positions in the outpost’s pillbox, watching the recruits disappear into the distance.

’I wonder how many of them will make it back tonight in one piece...’

At the head of the column was the Lv19 Flying Wing Tank, followed closely by Shen Jie’s group in their patrol SUV. The truck full of frozen chicken and duck had also been included in the motorcade.

A little over ten minutes later, the massive convoy reached the encroaching front line of the Zerg Race.

The Red-Armored Beetles on this side of the highway hadn’t faced any serious resistance, so their digging had proceeded unhindered.

Their rate of expansion was several miles faster than on the main front.

Lin Feng lowered the tank’s window and called down to Shen Jie.

"These Red-Armored Beetles have had it too easy."

"Go on. Teach them a lesson."

Shen Jie raised his faceplate, smiling as he nodded.

He then ordered the recruits out of their vehicles and had them unload the mostly thawed chicken and duck meat from the cargo truck.

And the smell of blood...

...soon attracted numerous greedy Red-Armored Beetle Swarms.