The heavy rain poured for a full four hours! It didn't stop until the sky brightened at dawn.
Even after the rain stopped, the mist remained thick. The hot and humid environment made the animals living in the rainforest even more active!
Ordinary animals, which usually posed no threat to the military academy students, appeared in swarms, causing headaches for many...
Getting stung by a fist-sized spider was not a pleasant experience! Although not immediately fatal, without ointment or proper medical treatment, one wouldn't last long.
Some students didn't even feel anything at first, only to roll up their pant legs during a break and discover their legs covered in leeches! Each one plump and round from sucking blood!
The audience in the live stream watched with amazement and heartache, while also developing a deeper admiration for the Federation's soldiers. This was exactly how they ventured deep into various no-man's-lands to wipe out star beasts and the Zerg...
The soldiers from the major military districts, however, felt extremely gratified watching the broadcast. They noticed that after adapting to the environment, these kids were growing at an astonishing rate!
"Qilin's Fourth Squad is doing great! Even in the sweltering heat, everyone's pant legs are tied tightly! Their combat boots are securely laced up!"
"Scent-masking agents and insect repellents saved them a lot of trouble."
Soldiers from the Ninth Military District also spotted familiar faces in the live stream.
"That kid Feng Yi is doing well! He's looking more and more like a proper individual soldier!"
"It's just that the rainforest is too humid! It seems even more sweltering than our Mount Juji! Look at how bundled up the kids are..."
"At least Mount Juji has a breeze, right? But they're doing okay, not a single one is complaining!"
"Alright, stop watching, it's time for us to relieve the soldiers at the front! Get all your gear ready!"
"Got it! Prepare for battle!"
Raymond, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ninth Military District, had stayed up all night again. The virtual screen in front of him displayed the latest battle report. The star beasts from the ten black holes had been suppressed, and there was no movement from the wormhole for the time being.
They had held the line once again... This time, they could hold out for at least another ten days to half a month.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, leaning back in his chair to relax his stiff back.
"Ugh..."
Chief of Staff Fan Weize knocked and entered, seeing this exact scene.
"Commander, the front lines are fine now. You've been up all night, go back and get some rest."
Raymond shook his head.
"How are the injured soldiers?"
"They have all been sent to the military district hospital for treatment. There were no casualties this time."
"...That's good."
"Headquarters has issued the latest mecha defense structural blueprints, and the materials have been allocated. The mecha engineers in our district are currently studying them.
Once the modifications are complete, the protective capabilities of the soldiers' mechas will be taken to the next level, and the number of casualties will be even lower in the future."
"I know. Taihe's technology and materials, and Wang Tianwei's blueprints.
Right, that kid, they should be in the middle of their competition right now..."
Raymond opened his optical computer and found the Qilin live stream.
"Have you watched their stream?"
Fan Weize smiled.
"Haven't had the time yet, I'll watch it when I get back later. Isn't Feng Yi there too?"
"Yes, and Ruan Yi and the others..."
On the live broadcast screen, Wang Tianwei and her team were walking cautiously through the rainforest, occasionally finding something edible.
"Wood ear mushrooms! Sir Huang! They're edible!"
"...Just pick a few."
As soon as Huang Yan finished speaking, Jian Jingyu had already stored the entire piece of rotting wood into his spatial button!
"...Remember to throw it out before we leave."
Seeing this, Fan Weize remembered something.
"By the way, Commander, I think the cafeteria in our Ninth Military District needs a revamp too.
The most pressing matter is to open a few more food stalls... After the kids finish their competition, it's time to discuss with the Qilin principal about organizing a student tour of our military district."
Raymond raised an eyebrow and glanced at Fan Weize.
"Didn't you use to say that nutrient fluids were enough for soldiers?"
Fan Weize's expression remained unchanged.
"Since the army's expansion, there are more and more demi-human soldiers, and their demand for real food is still very high!
Moreover, I've found that good food can soothe the soldiers' emotions.
Given the current situation, there's only so much we can do for them... I can't always be stubbornly set in my ways regarding these matters."
Raymond nodded.
"You're right."
"Additionally, I think if the Ninth Military District's food becomes more famous than the other districts, it should attract quite a few good recruits."
Fan Weize's eyes burned brightly as he stared at the kids on the Commander's virtual screen.
"We need to strike first before anyone else realizes it, Commander."
"..."
**********
Wang Tianwei's squad didn't spot many mutated beasts along the way, but they did find plenty of edible things!
Their gathering frenzy left the audience in the live stream completely dumbfounded.
"Are they here for wilderness survival? They must have gathered enough food for two days by now, right?"
"...Did the person above not watch last night's stream? The four of them ate an entire crocodile for one meal. What they've gathered now is probably just enough for one day."
"Watching them last night made me eat an extra bowl of rice! Speaking of which, where can I buy crocodile meat? I want to try it too! Watching the demi-humans chew on the cartilage was so satisfying!"
"The Military Academy League has turned into a mukbang broadcast!?"
"Don't think it's easy just because they look relaxed! These four are very experienced!
Go check out the Shenghua Military Academy's live stream. I feel like even if they don't run into other teams, they won't last much longer..."
"All four members of Shenghua's Second Squad got bitten by spiders, and their wounds have started turning black... I'm guessing they'll be eliminated soon."
Wang Tianwei kept her eyes on the ground, but when she happened to look up, she noticed streaks of black on Zhang Lyra's shoulders.
"Wait, Little Bear, what's that on you?"
The group immediately stopped to check.
Huang Yan, Jian Jingyu, and Little Bear all had these black marks above their shoulders, looking as if someone had drawn them on with a pen.
There were a few streaks on their heads and faces too! Jian Jingyu tried to wipe them off but failed; the color seemed to be printed onto his skin!
"Looks like black... ink?"
"Sister Zebra? Why don't you have any on you?"
Wang Tianwei checked herself as well, and she really didn't have any!?
"I know what it is."
Huang Yan used his rifle to nudge a drooping branch from a nearby tree.
"It's this thing."
The three of them leaned in to look. The exterior of that branch was indeed covered in a layer of pitch-black substance. Perhaps because it had been soaked by yesterday's rain, the color flaked off easily.
The reason it hadn't stained Wang Tianwei's shoulders was that she wasn't tall enough to brush against those branches...
"This is a Wutuo tree. When exposed to moisture, its bark secretes this black sap, which is very hard to wash off. It's toxic, but as long as you don't eat it, you'll be fine..."
After Huang Yan finished speaking, he pulled a hat out of his spatial button and put it on. He didn't care about his clothes; they were going to get dirty anyway.
But it was best to cover his scalp and face... Otherwise, walking out with a pitch-black face that couldn't be washed clean would be incredibly frustrating.
Jian Jingyu and Zhang Lyra also quickly put on hats. Wang Tianwei thought about it and put hers on too. Who knew if something else might drop from the trees?
This was a rainforest, after all. It never hurt to be a little more cautious!
"Goldfish, help me snap off a few branches. We can use them to draw markings later!"
"Alright, let me find a few leaves to wrap them in first."
