Chapter 43: A New Skill

No matter how anxious you might be, what is meant to come will come. Every agent participating in the training had to establish a new file. Nearly all the data previously recorded in the Great Wilderness Mountain’s underground base needed to be redone here. One might ask, why not simply transfer the data from the old base? They would have loved to, but after numerous drug experiments, their bodies had changed to varying degrees, rendering the previous information inaccurate.

Fortunately, the doctors here were gentle and, since these were minor matters, their prior experience made the process quick and easy. However, the medical staff did not let them off so easily. They soon discovered something remarkable: the three of them possessed physical attributes above the normal range. Their strength, explosive power, and speed had all reached levels unattainable by ordinary people.

Upon further inquiry, the staff learned of their experiences in the Great Wilderness Mountain underground base and realized their bodies had been altered by the Black Love Organization. For safety and health reasons, the doctors conducted additional examinations, only feeling at ease once everything was confirmed to be normal.

The following days were blissful for the Falcon Squad. The Imperial Capital was exceedingly safe, as it always had been. After more than a year of living with constant uncertainty, it took the squad some time to adjust to the almost extravagant tranquility.

Soon, as the Falcon Squad grew accustomed to life in the capital, the rest of the trainees began arriving, and the training program at Facility 221 commenced.

They observed the other trainees carefully. Elite was indeed the word—many of them were professional soldiers, their discipline and integrity apparent even at a glance.

Though the Falcon Squad could match their achievements, as latecomers to the profession, they couldn’t quite match the innate bearing of those with formal training. In essence, the Falcon Squad acted more like ordinary people, which, for agents, wasn’t necessarily a disadvantage. After all, one course was about assuming false identities. In that respect, they actually had a natural advantage.

However, in the first class at Facility 211, they held no such edge, as the Special Operations Department had arranged for tactical drills. For Lin Xiaofeng, a military academy graduate, this was a walk in the park. For Brother Long, who had spent years idling about, it was manageable. But for Zhang Xingmin, it was a disaster—he was utterly inept.

In solo matches, excluding the female trainees’ scores, he was always at the bottom. In team exercises, he constantly dragged everyone down. He excelled in theory, yet when it came to practice, his body simply couldn’t keep up with his mind.

Desperate for him to complete the course successfully, Lin Xiaofeng and Brother Long decided to give him extra training. Last-minute cramming might not be ideal, but it was better than nothing. After relentless and merciless drills, Zhang Xingmin’s skills finally became passable.

The first stage of the program concluded smoothly. Next came the core of their training in the capital: potential awakening. This was the most crucial content of their stay—each person had only one opportunity, provided they passed the first stage.

This awakening was not some fantastical or mystical power, the kind that could slay eighty men with a single sword swing. Rather, it was a process that, through genetic testing, calculated each person’s theoretical strengths and maximum potential, then matched them with the most suitable weapon.

If viewed as an equation, it was about finding the optimal solution. There were even cases where no solution existed—meaning the system found no exceptional advantages, rendering the candidate unfit for combat. In such cases, the Special Operations Department would recommend a transfer to another department or to a theoretical, non-combat role.

In these troubled times, everyone hoped to boost their fighting power. Thus, anticipation ran high for the awakening.

The awakening device, developed with assistance from the National Academy of Sciences, was located at the very bottom of the building. Most of the time, the doors remained shut, opening only on special days—like today. By eight in the morning, all fifty-eight trainees had gathered, eager with expectation.

The gates opened, and the trainees entered in groups, sorted by their first-stage results. In the Falcon Squad, only Lin Xiaofeng was near the front, placed in the second group. Brother Long was in the third, while Zhang Xingmin and Zhao Nana were in the final group.

About an hour later, the first group had mostly finished. Lin Xiaofeng checked his number; seeing those ahead had already exited, he proceeded inside.

As Lin Xiaofeng disappeared behind the doors, the remaining three began to speculate.

“What do you think Xiaofeng will awaken?” Zhao Nana asked, full of curiosity.

“No idea! But I’m sure he won’t fail!” Brother Long replied confidently.

“I think, given Xiaofeng’s reaction speed, he might get a close-combat weapon. But then again, maybe a gun—after all, his marksmanship is excellent…” Zhang Xingmin was still analyzing when Lin Xiaofeng reappeared, only about fifteen minutes later.

“So fast?” The three were all surprised; the quickest in the previous round had taken twenty-five minutes.

“I don’t know either—it felt like I just took a nap and then it was over!” Lin Xiaofeng was unsure how long he’d been inside, but judging by their reactions, it hadn’t been long.

“What did you awaken?” Brother Long asked eagerly, having listened to Zhang Xingmin’s predictions long enough and wanting to see if he was right.

Lin Xiaofeng spun in place, and suddenly, two compact pistols appeared in his hands.

“No way, Yuri Pistols! Da Min was spot on! But, really, you have to spin around to summon them? That’s a bit much,” Brother Long laughed.

“Actually, spinning isn’t necessary!” Lin Xiaofeng said as he made the pistols vanish and reappear.

“Show off!” Realizing Lin Xiaofeng was trying to look cool, all three made faces of mock disdain.

“Enough. Your turn!” Lin Xiaofeng nudged Brother Long.

Though “getting on in years,” Brother Long skipped off like a child, excitement lighting his face. Soon, violent shaking came from his device, and the progress bar froze at fifty percent. Da Min, Xiaofeng, and Nana watched with bated breath.

After nearly half an hour, the bar finally moved and crept to completion.

Brother Long’s awakening was complete. The moment the doors opened, he strutted over to the group, brandishing his newly acquired Thunder Shield.

“All that fuss for a lousy shield? That doesn’t suit you!” the three said in unison.

“It’s spiked—it can attack!” Brother Long protested, helplessly. He’d had his eye on a particular axe during his research, thinking it suited him. But as soon as he entered the awakening chamber, only this proud shield appeared. Well, at least it had spikes; it wasn’t merely defensive.

In theory, the further along in the sequence, the longer the awakening would take. Reality bore this out: the first group averaged about forty-five minutes; Lin Xiaofeng’s group took an hour and twenty minutes; Brother Long’s group, three hours. By the fourth group, night had fallen, and two still hadn’t emerged. In the fifth and final group, where Da Min and Nana were, only eight people remained—otherwise, the wait would have been even longer.

Watching the progress of Zhang Xingmin and Zhao Nana, who were still inside, Lin Xiaofeng and Brother Long grew increasingly anxious. Fortunately, time had no meaning inside the device, so neither Zhang Xingmin nor Zhao Nana would become impatient or hinder their potential’s release due to the wait.

The progress bar crawled painfully slowly; Xiaofeng and Brother Long eventually grew sleepy and dozed off in a corner. Around midnight, Zhao Nana finally emerged, so physically drained she squatted on the floor, gasping for breath. Brother Long, a light sleeper, heard the commotion, rubbed his bleary eyes, and hurried to wake Lin Xiaofeng so they could help her.

Thankfully, she wasn’t injured. After eating something, Zhao Nana quickly recovered.

“Is Da Min still inside?” she asked once she’d caught her breath, noticing someone was missing.

Brother Long and Xiaofeng glanced back at the awakening chamber behind her and shook their heads.