Chapter 24: Uncontrollable Salted Fish_1

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, four months had passed, and Harrison Clark finally got his wish to leave the military camp.

Yes, it took him exactly four months to finally break free.

Perhaps it was because of the initial accident or maybe because his physical strength did indeed improve, his life in the army became increasingly easier.

Even though he deliberately kept his distance from everybody, he still couldn't resist the onslaught of friendship.

In these four months, he often kept reminding himself that it was time to leave.

But he couldn't help thinking that saying goodbye today would be too sudden, so he might as well wait for the right opportunity.

Actually, staying in the army was not bad at all, with good food and drink and everything he needed.

The daily training seemed dull, but it indeed helped improve his physique. Especially after getting through the adaptation period in the first two months, when all the new recruits began to have access to weapons, he became even more content.

What man doesn't love firearms?

Who doesn't want to experience the thrill of an explosion?

It's just that he was born in a peaceful era, unable to become a soldier, and of course, didn't have the courage to do so. As an ordinary citizen, he could only dream of it, without a real chance to experience it.

As someone with no ambition and a good-for-nothing young man in the new era, Harrison Clark didn't want to admit his laziness, but the obvious fact was that he was addicted to the temptation of new-age weapons.

There was the ray gun that didn't look impressive but could shatter massive rocks with a single shot.

There was the single-soldier combat aircraft that could fly up and down in the sky like a fly.

Then the small fusion spacecraft, the size of a yacht, that could be launched into space from the ground.

And, the most fascinating of all, the ultimate single-soldier equipment, the humanoid battle armor, which could reach as high as ten meters and was full of mechanical beauty.

All of these high-end products which were previously inaccessible to him as a welfare recipient dazzled him.

Although the technological innovations of humanity in the past millennium hadn't been as strong as evolving from primitive farming to nanochips, they had still changed a lot.

It's just that, as a welfare recipient in the past, he had only been exposed to civilian products and had not been able to witness the cutting-edge technology of the time.

However, this time, he stayed in the military for two more months, even having the opportunity to access this new equipment, making him aware of how much the World Government had done in the last five hundred years.

At least the technology in military and civilian products was worlds apart!

The difference could only be described as the contrast between pre- and post-Industrial Revolution.

So, he lingered in the military for a full four months.

It wasn't until he couldn't delay any longer that he finally decided to leave.

Harrison Clark's decision to leave on his own led to many comrades, including Daniel Thompson, sighing and feeling heartbroken.

After all, his performance in these four months had been quite good.

Especially in the first two months of basic training, both in cultural classes and basic military training, his performance was perfect.

He fell short in the high-intensity combat exercises in the last two months but still maintained an above-average standard.

How could Harrison tell them that the reason why he was so good in the first two months was that this was his third time as a new recruit!

He could remember all the training content as if it were his own treasure.

Even the extra training that Daniel Thompson sprang on them was well within his grasp.

The attitudes of people toward him differed from the past, but the details of the training were exactly the same.

Harrison knew that the physical strength gained through this training could be inherited after waking up from the dream. So, he trained hard, taking advantage of his "repeater" status, how could he not surge ahead?

"Alas, I was just about to report to my superior and propose promoting you to squad leader, but now...sigh."

When sending him off, Daniel Thompson still regretted his departure.

Harrison was polite, "Lion, don't be like this, everyone has their own aspirations."

"What do you mean 'everyone has their own aspirations'? Do you know what it means to give up military service voluntarily? It means you'll become a welfare recipient! Your chances of marriage will be in trouble, and you won't have the opportunity to get to know those opposite sex with formal jobs. And you'll never be able to turn your life around! You and your descendants, at least for three generations, will bear the stigma of being a welfare recipient!"

Others around him also tried to persuade, "Yeah, Harrison, you have the ability. Why are you doing this out of the blue…"

"Although our military service seems relaxed and everyone is allowed to choose freely, it's not that free. Either you were chosen from the beginning but refused, or once you've joined, if you leave without any just cause, the consequences are still quite severe."

Harrison hadn't known this before, as he had always been a tail-ender who was persuaded to leave. He didn't expect that there would be such sequelae if a top student voluntarily left.

However, already knowing the future and breaking away from the mundane world, Harrison Clark had no interest in marriage or children.

Everyone will be gone a year later, why think about these things?

"Guys, don't try to persuade me anymore, my mind is made up, goodbye."

With that, Harrison bowed and left.

Finally leaving the military camp, and looking back at the mountains fading away behind the time machine window, Harrison Clark didn't feel relieved at all; instead, his heart was heavy.

The people were still the same, but friendships were constantly changing. This made Harrison feel out of place in this world, yet he couldn't help but feel reluctant to leave.

Like a passing wind, it seemed not to take a single cloud away, but it quietly changed the position of the leaves on the trees.

Returning to his hometown and settling down in the welfare zone, Harrison Clark's situation was no different from before.

He was happy with that. In another world, he was constantly busy, unable to settle down to ponder life, study and recharge, or even find time for entertainment and relaxation.

That kind of busy and mundane life made him feel tired and helpless.

On the contrary, life here was quite nice with no worries about living expenses and plenty of free time.

How could he not be free?

Compared to others, he had a whole year's worth of extra time every month.