47 Distress.
Shi Lang was lying under the crown of the tree with his eyes peeking through from time to time. He was trying to come up with what to do next. His brain was filled with a lot of ideas, since he could not decide what he should do, he decided on what not to do.
He could not go inside the tribe settlement, no way he was that strong at the moment. He could not make much noise, or it might attract a problem too big for him to handle. On the way, he was supported by the data and previous satellite surveillance footage. However, never could the people cross the ten-kilometer threshold.
The reason he could do it was his skills. When he was the weakest in the school, he used his brain and tenacity to excel and stand out among his peers, this time it seemed to be the same. In the past, he could not take on Jenkins because he did not have the strength to back his skills. This time he had the strength but that could only support him to a limit. If not for the data and the details he was taught about this place in the training it would have been a suicide mission.
John trained him to be an assassin, other than torture, he would go through the simulations in the pod. Where John will hunt him and he will have to defend himself. These simulations were really brief and not highlighted, but these simulations were all set in the forest of Ao. Thus, his subconscious was used to this place.
The people training him are not dumb to send him to a place with zero survival chance. The Shamantis used a random and irregular pattern of patrol and left a lot of small windows where one can sneak through.
Shi Lang was thinking about the things he could not do to narrow down the plausible choices of assault strategy he could use. The best option was to lure the chief out of the tribe. How to do so? Provocation.
How to provoke them? Shi Lang would have to take down a Shamanti and then do something. He decided to retreat a small distance and then deal with a patrol to lure out the chief. He quickly carried his gun on the back and moved down the tree. The boy was decisive, now that he had a strategy, why will he hesitate.
He thought it was like a fist retracting before the punch is thrown out. He moved through the dimly lit forest at a faster pace, using the dark for his advantage. He wanted to finish this task soon. However, he had just retreated a hundred meters when he suddenly, froze in his place.
He clicked his tongue and mumbled, “Overconfident fool.”
He took out his sword from the sheath tied around his waist and said loudly, “Come out.”
As if waiting for his words to drop at least thirty shadows appeared from behind the trees. Shi Lang could swear that he would not have found them out even if he was leaning against them a moment ago. His back was covered with a little cold sweat but he could not give up.
He could sense that the number of the assailants was around ten, their strength, he did not know. There was no data to classify how strong these inhabitants were in the data he was provided. He cursed the instructors in his heart.
…
Carlos chuckled and said, “Stone in the water, indeed, surrounded by water. Finally, the fun began.”
The rest of the people nodded. Charlotte said, “Now, I would like to see if he is still as good as he was in our simulations? I wonder if he would be able to look for blinking light in the forest.”
They all chuckled. They never said this task was going to be easy for him. They never said they will completely support him. A soldier can only become an ace when he suffers tribulations and distress on the battlefield. The maximum number of people who died in the camp Ragnarok did not survive the training, those who survived died in the task.
Only Stevenson was the one person, who managed to clear up this place. He was the only survivor of this hell hole.
Dalia said, “Camp Master, the condition imposed by Stevenson, it is still applicable. You know what will happen if he died?”
Charlotte said with an indifferent expression, “I was given the responsibility to train a cadet who could stand in line with the great first general and other big shots and take up the mantle of an ace. Do you think, a card that has not been tested can become an Ace? Stevenson said that he will kill me if this kid died. He can come and kill me for all I care.
I, Charlotte Knight, have always seen through my orders, and I always will. Regardless of his threats or hatred. I do not care about the future but in the present, my commands are supreme. Do you understand?”
Dalia nodded and replied solemnly, “I apologize, Camp Master.”
Charlotte did not say anything else. She just turned her gaze back at the screen where Shi Lang had begun struggling against the assailants.
…
The boy was wearing a black suit, the material was skin stuck and highlighted his muscles vaguely. Lean yet filled with explosive power. His face was covered with a black helmet and a visor that provided him with thermal vision. His whole body was covered, his black boots had a pad of green leaves tied around them.
Shi Lang had taken down his arms and supplies and held a sword in his right hand while he held a tactical knife in his left hand, with a reverse grip. He was fighting for his life. Either the enemy died or he will be slaughtered brutally. He was surrounded and the only way to survive was to fight it out.