Days turned into weeks, each one passing by.
The East Blue officers, initially clumsy and struggling, slowly began to get the hang of things. They tried to shorten the brutal Physical Training time to just half a day.
After two weeks of hard effort, they realized it was nearly impossible. With heavy sighs, they gave up, utterly defeated.
No way, we just can't do it!
"Black Hair Bro," one of them said to Roya, "the honor of the East Blue rests on your shoulders now!"
And with that, they handed the responsibility entirely to Roya, freeing themselves from the burden.
They ate heartily when they were supposed to, drank with gusto when they could, and spent their spare time flirting with Marine ladies from other seas.
After all, they weren't making progress, so why not enjoy the little time they had left each day? Why make things harder on themselves?
Running away might be shameful, but it sure felt good!
---
Late at night, inside Roya's mental world, "The World."
A vast island was slowly taking shape, mirroring the Training Camp Island perfectly, except for the areas Roya hadn't yet explored in reality.
"Ding ding ding~ ding!" The sound echoed in his mind.
[300]
"Finally! Three hundred!"
Roya stared intently at his Dao Power, a measure of his inner strength.
He'd managed to increase it by 34 points in just two weeks.
It seemed fast, but it was actually only average. The weaker you were, the easier it was to improve.
At his current pace, catching up to the regular students at Headquarters and the G-system fortresses in the remaining two and a half months wouldn't be a problem.
But surpassing the top hundred elites, especially the top ten monsters, seemed like an impossible dream.
Those exceptional officers would form the core of the Marines in the future. If they managed to survive, rising to the rank of Commodore or Rear Admiral at Headquarters was almost guaranteed. Some might even become Vice Admirals!
Catching up to them wouldn't be easy.
Besides, a Dao Power exceeding 500 was considered superhuman, theoretically granting the ability to master all Six Styles.
This was his ultimate goal.
But judging by the changes in the rankings, it seemed that before the end of the Training Camp, the top ten students all had the potential to exceed 500 Dao Power.
Just burying himself in hard training wouldn't cut it!
Leaving "The World," he found the Dormitory in complete darkness.
Roya quietly slipped out and made his way to Doll's room. Without hesitation, he knocked.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
After a few minutes, a sleepy and disheveled Doll opened the door. Seeing Roya, her face filled with annoyance.
"Brat, do you even know what time it is?"
"Midnight?" Roya guessed.
"Knowing it's this late, you still come bothering me?" Doll was furious. She was about to grab Roya's ear when she suddenly stopped, suspicion clouding her face. "Coming to find me this late...don't tell me you've got ideas about me, kid?"
"..."
Roya's gaze drifted to Doll's shoulder. The strap of her pajamas had slipped off, revealing a bit of skin.
He hadn't noticed until she pointed it out. Not bad, actually.
Roya spoke tentatively.
"So, are you single?"
"I'll cut you off!" Doll said with a cold smile, pulling the strap back up. I see now, this kid will bloom if you give him a little sunshine.
Roya chuckled, not at all afraid. After spending more than two weeks with her, he realized that Instructor Doll was a softie with a sharp tongue.
Besides, he was a talented man. What woman wasn't good enough for him?
He oozed confidence!
"Come in, if you have something to say," Doll said, stepping aside. Chatting in the Dormitory corridor in the middle of the night...who knows what rumors will spread if someone sees us?
Roya quickly slipped into the room.
"Instructor, are you married?"
"No."
"Then what does it take to win you over?"
"At least be stronger than me, I guess."
"What about other things?"
"Be handsome..."
Doll replied absently, opening the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of vodka and two wine glasses. She looked at Roya.
"Want a drink?"
"Okay."
"Clink~"
He downed a glass of vodka, feeling a warm burn in his chest.
Doll swirled the wine in her glass, looking at Roya with a touch of melancholy. "Actually, you're quite appealing. It's just that you're too weak. Otherwise, we could actually make something work."
"..."
I was joking, ma'am. Don't take it seriously!
Wait a minute!
To defeat Doll, one's strength had to be at least Vice Admiral level.
And also be handsome.
Seems like I don't have a lot of competitors!
Roya touched his face and then thought about that group of demon-like Headquarters Vice Admirals. His confidence surged.
Strength can be gained, but handsomeness is innate.
That's right, I have the advantage!
"Cough cough!"
Roya suppressed his thoughts and said seriously, "Instructor Doll, I've noticed these past few days that no matter how much I speed up, I can't shorten the Physical Training time to less than half a day."
"Yeah, that's normal," Doll said, not surprised.
The amount of Physical Training was precisely calculated. With a normal human body, relying solely on brute force, it was impossible to shorten it to half a day, even with a lifetime of practice.
And the only technique that could break that time limit was the Six Styles!
Doll looked at Roya, realizing why he had come to see her, and said in surprise, "Your Dao Power is at 300 now?"
"Yes!" Roya nodded eagerly.
In the first few days, Vice Admiral Doll had told him that 300 Dao Power was the minimum standard for learning the Marine Six Styles.
Any lower, and even if one fully understood the skills, a weak body wouldn't be able to execute them.
So as soon as he reached 300 Dao Power, he couldn't wait to come over, completely ignoring that it was late at night.
"Instructor, I want to learn the Six Styles!"
"You're improving quite fast," Doll said, genuinely surprised this time.
For the past two weeks, she had been observing Roya. After all, he was the only one among a group of underachievers who had performed reasonably well.
Besides, she had a good impression of Roya from their first meeting. At least, his appearance was definitely a plus.
Good talent, a smart mind.
If he had received guidance from a young age, he would definitely have achieved something in the future. But it's a pity he only started training halfway through. His foundation is too weak, and his combat and training performance are very rough.
According to her judgment, Roya should have been able to reach 300 Dao Power within a month. But it had only taken him two weeks, twice as fast as she had expected.
Strange, could I have misjudged him? Doll wondered. I've seen so many exceptionally talented geniuses and guided Marine training more than once. I rarely misjudge.
"Okay, I understand. I'll guide you in the skills of the Six Styles tomorrow."
The Six Styles were close-combat skills that allowed humans to exceed their physical limitations. It could be said to be the pinnacle of close-combat skills. Mastering them was by no means a matter of a day or two.
Perhaps because he had drunk a little, Roya wasn't sleepy at all. He was incredibly energetic. "Instructor Doll, can we try it now?"
"Now?" Doll pursed her lips, speechless.
In the middle of the night, I specially opened the door for you. I gave you a chance, and you didn't take it. You're such an unromantic man.
Forget it.
I'll just play with this brat for a while.
"Wait, I'll go change," Doll said, putting down her wine glass and walking to the Bathroom, not forgetting to emphasize, "Let's make it clear, this time, I'm counting it as you owing me a favor!"
"Hehe, no problem!" Roya said, a hundred times more energetic.
In the middle of the night, who needs sleep!
Let's get hyped!