Training (1)

Chapter 77: Training (1)

Two weeks had passed since the special announcement. While Jia Garden underwent a major overhaul during the past week, Vera and her new team were immersed in another round of excruciating training.

The soldier found themself undergoing intense training to develop their mental and physical core strength. Every day, they would run to the mountain peak and complete the tasks assigned by Vera, only coming down after accomplishing their assignment. There were several instances when a group of soldiers failed to return because they couldn't complete the task.

One soldier, who had five years of experience working for the army, never felt unfit in this line of work until now.

Today, the soldier woke up at 4 a.m. and prepared all his equipment, the food he needed, and enough water to climb the mountain again. He thought that after weeks of training, he should be able to accomplish the task that was given to them.

However, judging by the direction they were heading, it seemed their team was going to fail the mission again. Technically, the task should have been simple based on the instructions. But knowing their new captain, they were certain a hidden trap was waiting for them. The instructions were straightforward: find the trap and detonate the bomb.

Vera had hidden a bomb somewhere in the middle of the mountain, and their task was to locate and destroy it.

 Their group had been walking around, searching for any hint of the explosive. However, they couldn't find any trace of it at all. Along the way, they had to overcome challenges designed to target various aspects of physical core development. With each success, the tasks became increasingly harder.

Their group had been walking around, searching for any hint of the explosive. However, they couldn't find any trace of it at all. Along the way, they had to overcome challenges designed to target various aspects of physical core development. With each success, the tasks became increasingly harder.

As the sky grew darker, the group's worry began to rise. If they continued like this, they feared they would have to spend another night on the mountain. At the moment, they were caught in yet another difficult obstacle course, one that reminded them of their bootcamp training: the barbed wire crawl.

This should have been a piece of cake for them. The only problem was, this barbed wire crawl was the longest they had ever seen in their lives!

They couldn't even see where the end of the obstacle course was. They wondered, how did Vera set up something like this in a clearing on this mountain?

They had been training here for a long time, but they had never come across this obstacle course before. So how did it suddenly appear in the middle of the mountain?

To make things worse, just as they were about to begin, the group spotted another team approaching from the side. This ignited their competitiveness, making them even more determined to win this challenge.

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Meanwhile, in a small private room at the main office of the training camp, Vera was watching quietly. She sat in front of the monitor while observing every movement of her soldiers.

From her position, she could see everything her team was doing. She had designed a drone-like machine to record all their action, allowing her to monitor the ongoing training in real time.

So far, she was disappointed by what she was seeing. Over the past few weeks, she had been working closely with Draco to redesign the mountain to better suit the soldiers' needs. Yet despite their efforts, the soldiers had failed to complete their mission repeatedly. Vera was starting to question whether continuing this training was even worth it.

While Vera focused on the monitor, Draco stood beside her, watching with a scowl on his face.

He had been observing Vera and the soldiers, and as time went on, he began to realize the flaw in the training. What puzzled him was how this woman couldn't even see the issue herself.

Draco couldn't help but look at the woman strangely. Noticing a strange feeling coming next to her, Vera looked at Draco.

"What? What's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Can't you see what's going on in front of you? Don't you see what the problem is with your soldier?"

"I actually have the same question," Vera replied with a sigh. "But you tell me, what do you see that I don't?"

"You've set up all these elaborate trainings and challenges for them, but have you ever assessed their current skill level and compared it to your expectations?" He looked at her seriously. "I've been working with you for a while now, but I've never seen anyone else train soldiers the way you do. These are the kinds of exercises designed for elite troops who've been in the field for years."

"But the soldiers you have now... I believe they still need more foundational training, core strength, strategy, and discipline before they can handle the kind of challenges you're throwing at them." Draco explained.

Hearing the man's explanation, Vera's expression lit up as she looked at Draco with an odd gaze.

"What? What's that look for?" he asked, puzzled.

Draco couldn't help but feel a strange emotion stir inside him from the way she was looking at him.

"I can't believe you're actually smarter than I thought," Vera said. "Who would've guessed you had this kind of insight?"

Draco scowled even more at her words.

"You're right," Vera continued.

"That's exactly what I missed. I think… Being locked away for seven years, I've forgotten that my training isn't the same as what these soldiers have experienced. I expected too much. I need to start by teaching them the basics before handing them these difficult tasks. That way, they'll have the chance to grow and prove themselves."

Vera stood up from her chair and walked toward the door. As she passed Draco, she gently tapped his shoulder and said, "Good job. Now go sit down. You've been standing for too long."

Draco couldn't help but mutter, "Whose fault is that? You forcefully grabbed my chair and then almost crippled me again, woman."

Still, he couldn't stop thinking, seven years? Locked up? What does that mean?

He was about to ask Vera, but when he turned around, she was already gone.

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At night, Vera stood in the middle of the clearing, waiting for the soldiers to gather. Just a few minutes ago, she had lit the signal, summoning everyone to the same spot. Any soldier who saw the signal had no choice but to stop their task and make their way to her in the center of the clearing.

After her conversation with Draco, Vera decided to revise the training plan for the soldiers. Although she had experience in several combat situations, she had never trained anyone before. All her knowledge came from the intense training she received from her father while growing up.

For someone like her, who started training as early as eight years old, this kind of regimen was nothing. However, for the soldiers in her team, it might be far too overwhelming.

Draco had a point; she needed to start from the basics. With this in mind, Vera took her role even more seriously. Maybe if she toned down the training a bit, it would help them familiarize themselves with it and adapt more easily.

Soon, the soldiers arrived looking haggard, disheveled, and covered in dirt. Their uniforms were caked in mud.

The soldiers who gathered lined up and looked at the woman who had become the catalyst of their hardships these past days. She stood atop her car, watching them silently, and on her face, they could clearly read disappointment.

Who wouldn't feel that way? They had all failed again tonight. Some had already resigned themselves to another sleepless night in the middle of the mountain.

But then they saw the signal to gather. For those who didn't want to spend another night outdoors, it felt like a light of hope. Although they didn't know the reason for her call this time, they were certain it wasn't going to be good for them.