Chapter 10

Today was the third day of training. Yesterday was easier than the first, Instructors came early in the morning to teach them. . .like kids, everything. Literally!

They learned all over again how to make their beds, tie their shoelaces, fold clothes, and clean themselves, yes they learned how to shower faster, brush their teeth for three minutes, pack their bags, brush their hair, and even sit and stand.

It wasn't as harsh as the first day of training but it was very taxing, insults rained down on them like a downpour, and simple orders sounded like scoldings with how firmly and loudly the instructors talked. But what kept everyone going was the notifications they got after they learned and practiced something right.

[Congratulations, you have learned the skill: Efficient Bag packing]

[Congratulations, you have learned the skill: Proper bed-making]

They learned a lot of survival skills that morning and found that they could do things without knowing a skill but learning a skill made them now efficient at it. There was no automatic function for carrying out skills, instead, it was like information poured into their brains making their actions more fluid and instinctive than one who hadn't learned the skill.

This morning started like any other, they all woke up promptly by 5 AM, made their beds, and got themselves in their training uniforms before 5:30 AM. At exactly 5:30, the doors opened and everyone immediately rose from their positions before standing beside their beds.

The Drill Sergeant whom they had only seen on the first day walked in, along with him some instructors who immediately moved to inspect their beds and uniforms.

Like a hawk, the eyes of the Drill Sergeant roamed around scanning everyone's uniforms.

"At ease," he said, his voice a tone lower than they expected.

"Some of you Players have been through military training before in the real world and are familiar with how it goes. But this is not the real world, this is not your country, this is Serlant and now, here you are all citizens of Serlant. Your purpose of being here is different, some for excitement and others because this is the only world they know but your job, your focus, and the only thing you should think about in your rotten minds, is to dedicate your very life and core to protect this country.

By the time you are done here, some of you will go on to become Serlant soldiers, you will meet with Originals, train with them, take orders from them, serve with them, fight sleep, eat, and f*ck with them. You will think you are better, smarter, superior because you are humans and they are simple programs."

He paused and scoffed shaking his head.

"This is Life Online. This is Life, these programs are alive and they will teach you some humility. But before that, I will make you teachable, submissive, and loyal, I will make all of you sh*t f*ckers into men."

He stopped walking back and forth between them and stared straight at Vincent.

"Like all nations in Life Online, Serlant country has a long history. It was developed from the stage of a small community and slowly involved into the great nation it is now through intelligent wars. We broke men and made them elites and now Serlant has the best Special Forces in all the world. You! Pretty Riche, what is my name?"

Vincent blanked for a moment and muttered a low, "I don't know" with his head down.

"Wrong!" Baldy shouted, his screaming back in the blink of an eye.

"From now on you will address me as Sir and you will speak with anyone, be it God or the devil himself with your head held high! Get down and give me twenty!" He ordered shaking his head dramatically with his chin in the sky as a demonstration.

Vincent immediately went down to do as he was asked when a shout interrupted him.

"Stop!"

"From now on you will address your instructor with an affirmation for every order you receive and I only want a yes from your lips, do you understand me?"

"Sir, Yes Sir!" Vincent replied, his voice raised awkwardly.

"What Sir? I asked for a Yes from your lips boy, no unnecessary words, now get down and give me forty!"

"Yes Sir!" Vincent immediately did as was told.

"What are you all doing? When the arms go down, the body follows and you are all one body, now get down with him you decaying scum!"

"Yes Sir!"

And so training started after a short speech from Baldly.

The rest of the week continued like this as they adapted. The only real thing they did was pushups and marches. Everything else was learning, about Serlant, about how to respond to their superiors, how to talk efficiently to save time and words, how to take care of themselves and always be ready, and how to respond quickly to whatever order they are giving without processing it long enough to wonder if it was reasonable or ridiculous.

By the end of the first week, everyone had seen a significant increase in stats. They no longer acted or talked like a rowdy bunch, but discipline and order were evident in their every action.

Vincent for one was no longer as timid or slow but the greatest change in him was his bulging muscles. The number of pushups they had done in this week alone was insane not to mention the length of each march.

At the same time, they are and slept very well.

Even so, the minds of many faltered and broke. At night, you could hear the subdued crying of some which one night made almost everyone burst into tears, they felt worthless. Even then, the sound of their crying attracted trouble as Baldly made them stay in a plank position for the next hour. Of course, this was impossible for the most disciplined man so they fell from time to time which made them do three pushups before continuing. Three pushups was not a lot but it added up and eventually, before the 30th minute, everyone was on the ground.

And or that the first punishment came, an entire day of marching or digging. Yes, digging! Those who fell back from the marching formation had to dig or cover a six-foot-deep hole that someone else dug.

Of course, many thought they could nag and he would let them go but no, the punishments only changed and Baldy got more and more creative. From cleaning to moving a huge a*s truck tire to holding up a crate of quail eggs, punishments flowed for everyone who wouldn't March or dig no one was allowed to quit or sit, and some even got whipped when they adamantly requested to go home.

Fortunately, the week was finally over. The stats gained from this week was enormous but not uniform. They got different stats and skills from different tasks.

Vincent's stats gain was.

[STATUS UPDATE]

[Strength +36]

[Endurance +30]

[Willpower +20]

Although the least? His increase in willpower was enormous! Yes, Vincent was among those who broke down in the nighty crying ritual, but then the thought about his mother Candace and her powerful will to survive and raise her kids not as survivors but as elites of the world even though they had no wealth or power.

Candace would never settle for less, Petra would never settle for less and he would rather die here than go home and tell them that he settled for less. His pride wouldn't let him shame his mother.

Finally, after the first week, they were allowed to log out of the game. Yes! They couldn't log out this entire time! It was the cause of many grumbles.

The changes in Vincent was evident, being without his family for a week, he longed for nothing more than her steady eyes which gazed on him with unending love. There was a calmness to him too but it was contrasted by excitement as he fantasized about getting back into the game and conquering it. Obviously, his confidence had grown along with his strength.

However he had a big decision to make, would he return to finish his training? Would leaving now be quitting? He got into this game with a burning desire to find a place that belonged to him. Without the burden of understanding game mechanics, he thought he could finally be among those who ranked at the top of the game world. But since he logged in, he had been stuck with one thing or another until he ended up here, restricted within the boot camp.

These thoughts were for later though. Right now, he just wanted to go home. And so he made another attempt just like he had those nights when he soaked his pillow in tears.

"Log Out"

This time, the unfamiliar darkness responded, engulfing him in it.