The members of the First Military Academy's First Squad naturally heard the point-scoring announcements for Valk and Qilin. Wu Pingzhuo said in surprise,
Not bad! Valk is in their second year like us, but aren't Huang Yan and the rest of Qilin just freshmen? I can't believe they thought of going down into the mine shafts so quickly too.
Leola took this opportunity to busy herself clearing sand from the mecha that had just been in combat.
Qilin is very familiar with desert terrain, so it's not surprising they'd think of the mine shafts...
He Siyu finished her patrol and walked over.
We should be fine for the rest of the night. Leola isn't done yet, so the two of us will take the night watch. Fu Xingyuan and Wu Pingzhuo, you two go get some rest. Good work out there.
She wasn't just being polite; the star beasts they had encountered in the underground mine earlier were mostly taken care of by those two.
They were also lucky. Out of so many tunnels, they only had to turn down two before finding the academy's point button. If they had had worse luck, who knows how long they would have been delayed down there?
The Second Squad hasn't scored any points yet.
Fu Xingyuan thought for a moment.
If both squads from our military academy score points, we can get an extra six hundred points.
He Siyu didn't even look up.
When we are in no position to offer any help, don't worry about other teams.
Ye Yingxuan is the top student of the freshman command department, and the others are also the elite of the First Military Academy.
They have their own way of growing, and we just need to trust them.
Unless we run into them, doing our own job well is our top priority.
Wu Pingzhuo stood up from the sand.
The captain is right. Xingyuan, you worry over nothing all day. Let's go, time to rest!
...Got it.
The Yuying Military Academy squad, located to the north of the First Military Academy, wasn't in such a good state of mind.
Three teams have already found the point buttons, which means the map is correct... So where exactly is this damn point button hiding!?
The commander, Wen Tuo, continuously kicked the sand on the ground.
He was on the verge of a mental breakdown! How could other military academies find it, but they couldn't?
Is the gap in intelligence between people really that big!?
Seeing their captain like this, the other three team members didn't dare step forward to comfort him, so they just stood to the side exchanging glances.
After a long while, Wen Tuo finally sat down on the sand.
...I'm sorry, it's all my incompetence.
The mecha master, Tabitha, stepped forward.
Don't say that. This isn't just on you, and we don't have a single clue either.
The demi-human Tong Xin scratched her ears.
Don't we still have two days? We still have time, Wen Tuo, don't lose heart.
...You guys go to sleep first. Let me be alone for a while.
I'll stay with you.
The heavy gunner, David, plopped down beside him.
We've always taken the night watch together anyway.
Seeing this, the other two didn't press the matter. They offered a few words of advice and returned to their tents.
Let those two, who grew up together, have a good chat. The captain seemed to be under too much pressure.
Wen Tuo and David both stared at the campfire.
Hey, you're getting anxious.
Hearing his childhood friend's slightly teasing voice, Wen Tuo slowly lowered his head.
Out of the remaining six squads, we are the only juniors...
David looked over in disbelief.
You aren't feeling insecure because of that, are you!?
Wen Tuo glanced at the little bee drone that was still live-streaming nearby.
I don't want to be...
That's not like you. Did you take those command courses for nothing?
I know staring at others is pointless, but I subconsciously compare us...
We are here representing Yuying in the competition, but look at the two female commanders from the First Military Academy. They've already made a name for themselves in the military district at such a young age.
Hiranuma Yusho and Elizabeth are both from military families, and their spiritual power is something I can hardly hope to match. Now a dark horse like Qilin has popped up. I just feel like it's a bit unfair...
David didn't speak for a long moment.
You know we're on a live stream, right? You'll get chewed out for saying things like that.
Wen Tuo gave a bitter smile.
Yeah, and I know our teachers will definitely lecture us when we get out...
After saying that, he lifted his face to look at the sky.
But I just don't want to hold it in anymore...
David clasped his hands behind his head and lay back.
I know what you mean, but do you think it's fair for the military academies that have already been eliminated?
Beichen, Qingsong, Asahi, Greenfield... Which of these isn't a famous military academy? Does being eliminated mean they're not worth mentioning? You just take these things too seriously.
...Heh.
You only compare yourself to those at the front. With so many generations of accumulation behind them, why should they lose to us? And Qilin, didn't you understand what happened in the last match?
I don't know if all the students from Qilin are like that, but those four really don't care about their lives!
Tell me, how many mecha masters and commanders can beat Huang Yan and Wang Tianwei in close combat?
There are no shortcuts in physical combat arts; it relies entirely on practice and taking a beating! Who knows how many beatings those two had to take to become who they are today!
To be honest, if my family were that rich... I might not have worked that hard.
Listening to David's counseling, Wen Tuo's mood gradually calmed down.
Then there's the Paige family. I heard they don't even sleep...
Wen Tuo, the fact that we've made it this far means we're already very strong. Don't always look at how many people are ahead of us; look at how many people we've defeated.
Isn't that the result of our hard work and our achievements?
Out of hundreds of large military academies in the Federation, only ten can be selected for the Military Academy League. Do you really need to compare the weight of that!?
Wen Tuo finally smiled.
You're right... I actually forgot about all that.
David shook his head.
No wonder the teachers always say that commanders need to take a break when necessary. I think you're just too hungry...
Take that little scorpion, for example. You should have just eaten it, but you insisted on sharing it with me. Now your brain can't keep up, right?
...Now that you mention food, I'm even hungrier.
The leading teacher of Yuying Military Academy, Peng Shuang, listened to their entire conversation from the dormitories.
She wasn't angry like Wen Tuo thought she would be; instead, she felt mostly gratified.
In the Military Academy League, the children's strengths were easily seen, and similarly, so were their weaknesses.
Whether one is a soldier or not, to keep growing, one needs to constantly reflect on themselves.
The problem Wen Tuo encountered today is something almost everyone will face.
When everyone is at their own military academy, their world is only so big. As long as they have top grades, they feel like they are the elite, the chosen ones...
It isn't until they actually see the world that they realize the one thing this world doesn't lack is chosen ones. The ensuing frustration and loss of confidence then become a huge problem. Especially under these conditions of not eating or sleeping well, people are even more prone to letting their imaginations run wild.
At times like this, being able to pull oneself out of frustration, re-evaluate oneself, and adjust one's position and understanding is the most important thing.
Wen Tuo was the squad's commander, but because he was too sensitive and thoughtful, he easily got stuck in a rut.
The fact that David could point everything out in the most straightforward way at this moment was a good thing for the entire team. This was the true meaning of squad combat.
