new beginning

Zhang Tie had no idea how he managed to make it through the school day without passing out. At noon, he was beaten up by members of the Airplane Brotherhood, which caused him to lose his lunch. With no food for the entire afternoon, he could only endure his hunger, occasionally gulping down water from the school's pipes during breaks. This was a survival skill he had picked up at school. One of the instructors had mentioned that in extreme situations, if there's nothing to eat but clean water is available, you should drink as much as possible, whether you're thirsty or not. This could alleviate hunger and slow down the loss of physical energy. A person without food or water can last two days at most, but someone with water can survive over three days—this was the difference.

The only fortunate thing that day was that the afternoon class was collective military drills, one of the least physically demanding courses. The whole afternoon was spent with the entire graduating class changing into standard light armor and carrying a 3-meter-long training spear on the training grounds, practicing formations, and stabbing techniques under the instructors' commands. Becoming a Level 1 Spearman and earning the badge that comes with it was a rite of passage for boys in this era, marking their transition to manhood. Most students chose this path during their military service. The Spearman was a unit that heavily relied on formations and collective cooperation, being both the strongest and the weakest type of soldier. A fully organized unit of Level 1 Spearmen could easily withstand the attacks of enemies three times their number without formations, but a unit of Level 5 heavy-armored Spearmen could be an important force on any battlefield. Blackflame City, along with the surrounding population of millions, had managed to form only three units of Level 5 Spearmen, serving as the ultimate military force for the Coal and Steel Union, which ruled the city.

Due to his relatively weak physical strength, Zhang Tie didn't particularly like the Spearman profession. Wielding and thrusting the 3-meter-long, 10-kilogram spear was always a struggle for him. Each time he swung the spear during training, it felt like his strength was quickly diminishing. Watching himself thrust the spear with barely any force left, Zhang Tie often wondered if he could ever hit or kill an enemy with his current speed and strength. Even Barry, the fat guy, seemed to handle the spear more skillfully than him. After 50 or so thrusts, Zhang Tie's energy had significantly waned, while Barry could keep going for over 70 thrusts before showing signs of fatigue. Among the members of the Airplane Brotherhood, Zhang Tie was undoubtedly the weakest with the spear.

Though he disliked the Spearman profession, Zhang Tie had to admit that standing in the formation gave him a strong sense of security. Whenever he stood in the middle of the formation, surrounded by his classmates, he felt a strange sense of safety. It was a paradoxical feeling, one that reflected the plight of many ordinary people in this era—you had to rely on things you didn't like just to survive.

During the afternoon training, Zhang Tie felt like his stomach was a water pouch. Every time he moved, the water sloshed inside him, making him feel uneasy. A few times, when his movements were too forceful, the water in his stomach surged up to his throat, mixed with a strange taste. It nearly made him vomit, but he managed to hold it down. His hands felt weak and lacked strength. Several times, Zhang Tie felt the sharp gaze of the spear formation instructor focusing on him. After a few glances, the instructor's gaze moved away, filled with disdain mixed with some understanding. This frustrated Zhang Tie, but there was nothing he could do.

What really caught the instructor's attention, however, was Glees. Of all the six spear formations on the training grounds, Glees's unit was the most eye-catching. Already a Level 2 soldier, Glees stood out with his near 1.9-meter height, wielding a 30-kilogram steel spear, the Blackflame City military standard. His spear even bore the red triangular flag of a Spearman captain, making him look particularly imposing. Under the instructor's admiring gaze, Glees performed as if on a high, roaring with every thrust of his spear. His voice echoed across the training grounds.

Though Zhang Tie looked down on him, he couldn't deny that in a head-to-head fight, Glees could probably defeat him in just one or two strikes, maybe even just one. Glees had earned the right to be arrogant. He was the only one among all the graduating students to have advanced to a Level 2 soldier. Most students wouldn't even reach Level 1 until the first two years of military service, at around 18 years of age. Over 95% of regular people would retire from service as Level 3 or Level 4 soldiers after eight years of duty, with only a few advancing to Level 5. Only career soldiers or those who lived by the sword would make it to Level 6 and earn the rank of warrior, a title respected everywhere.

As soon as the military training ended, Zhang Tie hurriedly took off his gear in the smelly equipment room and dashed out of the school without even saying goodbye to his friends. The members of the Airplane Brotherhood were left confused.

"What's up with him?" asked Shavin, scratching his head.

"He probably drank too much water and couldn't hold it any longer," Bagdad replied. Being the strongest in the group, Bagdad had the easiest time with the afternoon training.

"Poor guy!" Wright chuckled.

"I'm the unlucky one!" Dag, still upset, grumbled. He couldn't shake off the humiliation of being covered in vomit earlier that day.

"Don't worry, Barry will get your silver coins back," Sistah said with a grin, making a crude gesture towards Barry. "Before we graduate, every one of us will become a real man!"

"Don't worry, you'll get your share!" Barry patted the disgruntled Dag on the shoulder, trying to console him.

After relieving himself in the bathroom, Zhang Tie finally felt better, though his stomach growled loudly. With a few silver and copper coins in his pocket, he rushed out of the school gates, eager to find something to eat.