>10< The Most Handsome Guy

Chapter 10: The Most Handsome Guy

Sit-ups, squats, and frog jumps were the next assessments carried out in order. Aside from the rope climbing, which proved to be quite challenging, the other exercises were well within the recruits' capabilities.

At 11 a.m., all assessments were completed.

Morgan looked at the small notebook in his hands, and in the column for Reon, there was nothing but outstanding marks. His overall performance ranked among the top three of all the recruits.

He closed the notebook.

"Free time! Gather back in thirty minutes for training!"

"Yes, sir!"

The recruits responded loudly. Apart from a few who performed poorly and were aware they might get eliminated, the faces of the other recruits couldn't hide their excitement.

After months of hard training, this moment was what they had been working toward.

As the new recruits enjoyed their free time, the officers began to organize themselves, discussing the newcomers' performances as they noted down scores.

Morgan approached Colonel Rhodes alone, his expression serious.

"Colonel, Recruit Reon's performance was excellent. I recommend that we focus on his development. If he shows any signs of slacking on his chores, we must enforce military discipline, but please do not target him out of spite."

"Huh?"

Colonel Rhodes looked slightly confused.

When did he ever say he was going to target Reon?

For such an outstanding recruit, he was far more likely to cherish him.

Realizing that Morgan might have misunderstood, Rhodes couldn't help but chuckle: "Sergeant Morgan, I understand your point. Rest assured, I will handle it fairly."

"Thank you, Colonel!"

Morgan relaxed, saluted, and returned to his post.

Resources in Branch 153 were limited, and it was rare to have an excellent recruit. It would be unjust if he were targeted due to personal feelings.

Before long, thirty minutes had passed.

The recruits stood in neat rows, waiting for Colonel Rhodes's commands.

Rod stepped in front of the formation, saluted the recruits, and then took out a list to begin calling names.

"Fullbody!"

"Present!"

"Assessment score: Outstanding!"

Achieving an outstanding grade not only represented personal honor but also meant a direct promotion to Second-Class soldier.

Real, tangible benefits.

"Reon!"

"Present!"

"Assessment score: Outstanding!"

Reon perked up; although he had already anticipated his score, hearing it announced publicly still filled him with joy.

"Rocak!"

"Present!"

"Assessment score—"

With each score announced, there were those celebrating and others feeling down, especially those who just barely missed out on an outstanding evaluation.

The journey from Third-Class to Second-Class soldier usually took at least three to four months, with some cases possibly taking over six months.

After all the names had been read, among the twenty-some recruits who participated in the assessment, eighteen were deemed qualified, and four received outstanding evaluations.

Colonel Rhodes personally presented each recruit with their marine insignia; one stripe for Third-Class soldiers and two stripes for Second-Class soldiers.

"You all did excellently."

He offered some encouraging words, then took out two badges and stepped in front of Fullbody and Reon to adorn them.

"Also, there's one more thing. Over the past month, recruits Fullbody and Reon have performed exceptionally in their chores, and I hereby award both of them the Outstanding Chore Award!"

Outstanding Chore Award!

A small red flower now adorned their chests.

The other recruits turned to look at the two, their eyes wide with surprise, nearly writing "awesome" on their faces.

Though the title might not sound like much and didn't serve a significant practical purpose, earning such recognition was no easy feat.

After all, doing chores was dirty and exhausting, and very few recruits were willing to take them seriously, let alone to the point that Colonel Rhodes would personally commend them.

They couldn't have even cleaned the toilets that well, could they?

Damn, those two are serious contenders!

"Clap, clap, clap!"

The applause was thunderous.

"All right."

Colonel Rhodes smiled and raised his hand to signal silence.

"You must be hungry. This afternoon, Sergeant Morgan will take you to get familiar with your new environment. You are dismissed to your positions now!"

"Yes, Colonel Rhodes!"

The recruits straightened their chests and snapped their feet together with a loud *thud*.

"Salute!"

As the officers left, the formation immediately relaxed. Excited recruits bounced around, while those who hadn't participated in the assessment rushed over.

The peers of Reon swarmed him, shouting in excitement.

"Reon, you're amazing!"

"You actually received an outstanding evaluation—it's just unbelievable!"

"You really shone in this assessment!"

"You've brought us all pride!"

Although Reon's score wasn't the absolute best—there were several who performed just as well—his status as a newcomer gave him a significant boost, making him stand out among the others.

The new recruits felt proud.

Though they felt somewhat lacking themselves, having Reon excel made them feel victorious as well, and they could also count on him possibly watching out for them in the future.

After a bit of commotion, Reon's stomach growled in hunger.

"Let's go eat!"

"Haha, we'll get your lunch for you!"

"I heard today's meal is particularly plentiful!"

Perhaps to celebrate, the cafeteria food was significantly more lavish than usual, featuring large chunks of sea beast meat.

After filling their bellies, Reon returned to the dormitory under the cheers of his fellow recruits, and then locked himself in the bathroom.

"Ahh!"

He enjoyed a refreshing cold shower.

With his hands pressed against the sink, Reon stared at his reflection in the mirror.

After a month of hard training, his once frail body was noticeably stronger, with clear muscle definition visible all over.

The hazy look in his eyes had transformed into a sharp glint—one only earned through sweat and pain.

He was a changed person.

He had truly gotten stronger!

Reon grabbed a hair tie and gathered his long, dark hair, which was just touching his shoulders, into a short ponytail.

Without hair obscuring his face, his entire demeanor appeared sharper, as if he was about to unleash his true potential.

This was the look he had been aiming for.

He longed to shine under the spotlight!

Knock, knock!

The door echoed with a call.

"Reon, it's almost time to gather."

"Got it!"

In the afternoon, Reon and the recently promoted marines assembled on the training field.

There was no training to be done today, nor were there chores to tackle.

Their task for the afternoon was to familiarize themselves with the duties of a regular marine under Sergeant Morgan. This included not only typical training but also regular patrols and other daily responsibilities.

Morgan led the group to another training area in the branch, where many marines were engaged in swordsmanship practice.

"The morning is reserved for physical training, and when there are no tasks in the afternoon, you'll have specialized training here to learn combat techniques," Morgan explained to the recruits.

Swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat were mandatory courses for all marines. There were also elective courses based on the recruit's performance to determine their specialties.

For instance, if someone had a good feel for firearms, they might be assigned to a shooting unit, or possibly to close-combat assault teams, artillery units, and so on.

Those who slack off or show weakness might be assigned to logistical support teams, responsible for tasks like loading ammunition—positions that don't require direct confrontation with enemies. They are safe, but it's difficult to stand out.

"Hey, Reon."

Fullbody leaned closer to Reon, nudging him with his elbow, and whispered, "Which unit do you want to join?"

"Me?"

Reon gazed at the training ground, his eyes shining with excitement.

"I want to try them all!"