Eli's Appreciation

"Captain, I'm utterly impressed by you now." Brenton said to Jake during their meal.

"Us too," Adrian and others chimed in.

Jake smiled and replied, "As long as you train diligently, you can achieve it too."

"I don't think it's possible," Adrian said, "Look at those company commanders, they're all experienced soldiers, right? After a day of training, their hands and feet are still weak. They might perform slightly better than us, but they're nowhere near your level, Captain. Even if we train seriously, we'll probably only reach the level of those experienced soldiers. Catching up to you is impossible."

"Yeah, Captain, you're too amazing. Those veteran soldiers can't match you," the others added.

Indeed, everyone had noticed Jake's exceptional performance today. It was hard not to, considering how outstanding he was. His performance had outshone even the company commanders.

In fact, with Jake's previous personality, he might have intentionally hidden his abilities during training to avoid standing out too much. He disliked drawing too much attention to himself, understanding the wisdom of not making oneself a target.

However, after learning about the nature of their military service, Jake had changed his mind. He didn't want to remain a soldier for ten years. Now, he couldn't afford to hold back; he needed to excel. By displaying remarkable performance during training and actively seeking opportunities to stand out on the battlefield, he hoped to change his fate.

"Captain Jake, Captain Eli is calling for you." Just as Jake was lost in his thoughts, a soldier approached him to inform him that Eli wanted to see him.

"Now?" Jake furrowed his brow slightly. He didn't have much time left before he left this world.

"Yes, Captain Eli is waiting for you in his tent," the soldier replied.

"Captain, what are you hesitating for? Go ahead," Adrian urged.

"It must be because of how well you performed today. He's probably going to commend you," Brenton speculated.

Jake didn't want to go, but he couldn't really refuse either. He followed the soldier to Eli's quarters. As the battalion commander, Eli's tent was undoubtedly the largest in the Third Battalion, and its position was right in the center of the entire Third Battalion's camp.

"Battalion Commander, you wanted to see me." Jake entered Eli's tent.

"Come, have a seat." Eli gestured for Jake to sit beside him.Inside the tent, there were only Jake and Eli.

"I called you over to ask you something," Eli began after Jake had taken a seat.

"Battalion Commander, go ahead."

"What were you doing before this? Do you have any family? Have you received any training before?" Eli inquired.

"I was just an ordinary farmer before this. Occasionally, I'd chop wood or do some blacksmithing. I don't have any family members. As for training, I haven't had any formal training, but I used to hunt wild beasts in the forest quite often," Jake replied.

In the hermit village, Jake had indeed lived as a simple farmer. He did engage in activities like blacksmithing and alchemy, but he didn't have parents in this timeline, so his statement wasn't a lie.

Eli nodded. "Your strength and endurance are truly exceptional, beyond what an ordinary person can achieve. To perform like this without formal training is quite impressive. However, not receiving systematic training means your potential is being wasted. You're unable to fully utilize your skills. How about this: if you're willing, after each day's training, you can come to me, and I'll teach you a few things. What do you think?"

Eli was showing a genuine interest in Jake's talent. It was understandable; Eli had served in the military for years and had never encountered someone with physical qualities comparable to Jake's. It seemed like a waste to have Jake serve as a logistics soldier. Eli intended to train Jake thoroughly and then recommend him for regular army service.

Jake was unaware of Eli's thoughts, but he was naturally thrilled that Eli was willing to teach him. He replied eagerly, "It's an honor to have Battalion Commander teach me. I'll certainly learn earnestly from you."

During his time in the hermit village, Jake had acquired various skills, albeit mostly related to daily life. However, combat skills were lacking entirely. Despite possessing immense strength and physical abilities, Jake couldn't effectively utilize them in combat situations.

Now that Eli was willing to teach him combat skills, Jake naturally wouldn't refuse. Learning combat skills and improving his fighting abilities would not only increase his chances of making achievements on the battlefield but also enhance his efficiency in defeating monsters.

Jake hadn't forgotten that he was a "player" in this world. Since he was a player, he needed to level up, and besides, killing monsters could yield materials and equipment.

However, if Jake knew that Eli wanted to have him transferred to the regular army, he might not have been so enthusiastic. After all, he was training hard with the goal of eventually leaving the military.

"Very well," Eli was pleased with Jake's response. "Let's start from today then."

"Today?" Jake felt a bit reluctant in his heart.

"What's the matter? Do you have something to do?" Eli inquired.

"No, it's just a bit sudden," Jake replied.

Of course, he couldn't reveal the matter of teleportation, and finding other excuses was tricky too. After all, they were confined to the camp for eating and drinking; they couldn't go out. What could possibly come up?

"We're about to set out. Once we're on the move, I'll have less time to teach you. So, I want to make the most of these days and teach you as much as I can," Eli explained.

Seeing Eli's dedication, Jake felt even more reluctant to refuse. He could only nod his head and pray internally that he could return in time before his teleportation.

"Alright then, today I'll teach you archery," Eli said.

"Archery?" Jake was slightly surprised. He had started practicing archery in the real world as well, but he hadn't expected to continue practicing it here.

"That's great! I've always wanted to become an excellent archer," Jake exclaimed with joy.

Since Eli was willing to teach him archery, Jake naturally wouldn't decline. Simultaneously training in archery in both timelines would help him make faster progress.

"Becoming an excellent archer is not easy," Eli also smiled. "There are only a few expert marksmen in an entire army, and each one of them has trained for years. If you want to become an excellent archer, you can't afford to slack off in your training."

"Don't worry, Battalion Commander, I'll practice diligently," Jake assured.

"Good," Eli nodded, standing up. "Come, let's go outside."

Practicing archery definitely couldn't be done inside the tent. The camp wasn't small, making it suitable for training. The two of them walked to the center of the camp, beginning their practice under the curious and puzzled gazes of the new recruits.