Chapter Sixteen: Genetic Ascension

Zhou Shu waited expectantly for the scene he’d long heard about, and the sergeant didn’t disappoint. Without warning, he bent down and flung off the blanket. Finding the deck of playing cards hidden beneath, his expression changed instantly and he cursed, “What the hell is this nonsense!”

Sergeant Farrell loathed gambling among his soldiers. He believed that once they got carried away, they’d start to think luck could win wars, rather than courage and strength. Furious, he handed each member of Squad J a card and ordered them to tear it up and eat it as a lesson. Only after they swore not to do it again did he hand Zhou Shu and Cage over to Squad J’s custody.

He instructed the squad to keep a close eye on Cage, telling them he was a deserter and, should he try to run, to beat him so thoroughly he wouldn’t be able to stand to relieve himself. Originally, Farrell had hoped Squad J would set an example for the newcomer and the deserter, but now, thanks to this debacle, he was utterly disgraced.

With that, he stormed off, pausing only to unleash a torrent of abuse on Cage.

Tom: “???”

After Sergeant Farrell left, quiet settled over the Squad J barracks. The onlookers gave Cage a dismissive glance and dispersed. Originally, Squad J had six members; now, with the two newcomers, there were eight. Since neither side knew each other, conversation was scarce. The veterans’ sole concern was to make sure Cage didn’t escape.

Yet Zhou Shu noticed a clear difference in how the squad treated him compared to Cage—understandable, since one was branded a “warrior,” the other a “deserter.”

A call for physical training sounded outside, and everyone began preparing. Zhou Shu quickly donned the freshly issued fatigues, while Cage, under the watchful eyes of the squad, reluctantly changed clothes.

Physical training here was straightforward: running, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, parallel and horizontal bars—the military didn’t bother with the flashy routines of a gym. There were once more complex drills and equipment, but since this unit used powered exoskeleton suits, training was tailored to complement them, with some exercises cut entirely.

At first, Zhou Shu thought he, a mere high schooler, would lag far behind these soldiers—especially these Western troops famed for their strength and endurance. To his surprise, he wasn’t the worst. Among the runners were quite a few overweight soldiers—nearly ten percent of the group.

In fact, the heaviest member of Squad J, Kimmel, ran right beside him. After only a short distance, Kimmel was drenched in sweat, his hair plastered to his forehead.

Fortunately, the regimen wasn’t designed to break them. As the propaganda boasted, their true strength lay in their heavily armed exoskeletons. After a while, they stopped running and moved on to other exercises.

These workouts weren’t especially strenuous or explosive, but their duration wore people down—it was an endurance test.

By the end, the frequent pauses made the training drag on. Zhou Shu was exhausted, but thanks to the resilience of youth, he managed to persevere. That was the great advantage of being young: perhaps not the best stamina, but recovery was swift—lucky, since he’d need his strength for tonight’s ten rounds.

Still, the real danger was that, unused to such exertion, he might be bedridden tomorrow, aching in every limb.

Looking over at Kimmel, the big man was sprawled on the ground, gasping and drenched as if at death’s door, yet at least Zhou Shu was still on his feet. He hadn’t brought shame to high schoolers from the Great Qin Nation.

He was about to help Kimmel up when he noticed no one else reacted, realizing this was hardly Kimmel’s first time. Best not to meddle as the newcomer.

After a short break, the next activity delighted Zhou Shu.

The base had received a fresh batch of recruits, but there were also many veterans, like Squad J. Earlier, Ford—the squad’s Black member—had mentioned tomorrow would be his twentieth battle.

The veterans were masters of their weapons, but the new recruits needed to familiarize themselves with their “partners.” So, after physical training, they headed to the equipment center, where the veterans explained the gear to the rookies.

Firearms, grenades, claymore mines, rockets, and, most important of all, the powered exoskeleton suits.

These recruits were nothing like Zhou Shu, who was a complete novice. They’d trained at various recruitment centers and had some experience with the suits. Zhou Shu, on the other hand, had only operated an exoskeleton twice, both by accident.

The first time, he’d stumbled into a virtual battlefield, bewildered and killed before he could react. The second, he’d accidentally used the suit to dismantle a bathroom sink, to his utter confusion.

Still, even the trained rookies benefited more from hands-on instruction by a few veterans than a classroom lecture. Squad J went a step further—six veterans guiding just two “newcomers.”

Yet Cage spent the session glancing around, plotting his escape, paying not the slightest attention.

In contrast, Zhou Shu was utterly absorbed, listening intently and running his hands over the exoskeleton, his eyes shining brighter with each detail.

It was all real! The mechanical framework, servos, software, power supply—layer upon layer, seamlessly integrated.

Though he’d once used a powered exoskeleton to demolish a bathroom in real life, seeing so many of them together still felt surreal.

To think that the debut of such a powerful suit in his world had been, of all things, demolishing a bathroom—truly incredible.

His first time, he’d been dropped into a virtual battlefield, awkward in the “clumsy” armor but light as a feather, convinced it was only a dream. Only after destroying the bathroom and drawing a crowd did he realize the suit was genuine.

“Xiao Shou, are you sure this isn’t the real world of ‘Edge of Tomorrow’?”

“Of course not,” the system replied. “This is a virtual battlefield constructed from your memories, simulated through system analysis. But the equipment here can fully meet the standards shown in the ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ film—the technical logic is sound.”

If the technology was feasible and the equipment could match the film, then in theory, with the full schematics, it could be built in reality.

In the real world, powered exoskeletons had developed well; some were already practical, but key breakthroughs remained elusive.

If he could bring the ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ exoskeleton into the real world, even if not for military use, adapting it for civilian life would be revolutionary. Countless people with limited mobility needed such technology. He’d be worthy of the title “scientist”—and not far from his old dream of becoming a “super scientist.”

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Xiao Shou interjected, “I advise you not to focus too much attention on this equipment.”

“Why not? Can’t a super soldier use gear?” Zhou Shu asked, unconvinced.

“Super soldiers are the ultimate equipment. The exoskeleton suits in the virtual battlefield of ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ only provide a temporary boost. Soon, energy shortages and supply issues will turn them into burdens. You should focus on improving your physical abilities and combat skills—those are the true path to lasting strength and becoming a super soldier.”

Well, then. Zhou Shu hadn’t expected his system to be a fan of “genetic ascension”!

P.S. Ah, the contract is signed! Please vote for me this month!