C4 Mini Formation(1)
Shih Wen was itching to grab that dark figure and demand an explanation for why he'd been 'blasted' into this world. Why had his body deteriorated to the point where walking was an immense struggle? Despite his intense glares at the transparent light ball, it remained unresponsive. Eventually, he had to act as if it were invisible. Having a 'bomb' in his head would make anyone unhappy, and Shih Wen was especially sour about it. He felt as if he'd died once already from the explosion, only to land in this godforsaken world and nearly die a second time. It seemed his luck was worse than anyone else's.
Turning misfortune into motivation, Shih Wen redoubled his efforts in his cultivation practice. It appeared that with each completion of a large circulation, his body grew stronger, making standing up a bit less of an ordeal.
As the night wore on, after performing at least thirty large circulations, Shih Wen felt a sudden quiver in his meridians. The cultivation technique's guide indicated he had reached his limit; further practice risked damaging his meridians, a setback that could be insurmountable.
A cultivator's talent is measured by the number of large circulations they can perform and how much spirit energy and Universe Power they can absorb and refine. Shih Wen's talent was, frankly, abysmal. Slow circulation speed, few repetitions, and minimal absorption of energy—it was clear he had the worst kind of talent for cultivation. He might never advance beyond an apprentice, but Shih Wen wasn't concerned with that. His priority was to find his way back to Iron Wall Pass and reunite with the main force.
Ceasing his cultivation, Shih Wen cast another resentful glance at the figure in the light ball, which now resembled a troublemaker. Huh? It had turned white. But even with the color change, it did nothing to soothe Shih Wen's irritation. Back on Earth, he had a comfortable life, complete with a tall, crush-worthy school beauty, a teacher's daughter who treated him with disdain, a youthful-looking junior sister, and many other pure and lovely girls—all now out of reach. Here he was, stuck in a primitive society without computers, cell phones, TVs, or his beloved chip design work. How on earth was he supposed to cope with this new life?
After a good spell of self-pity, Shih Wen finally mustered the strength to rise, managing to pull himself to his feet with considerable effort. He drew back the tent flap and peered out at the dimly lit sky. The morning air was refreshingly cool, a vast improvement over Earth's atmosphere—each breath was intoxicating, lifting his spirits. In such an environment, he mused, one could easily tack on an extra two or three decades to their life—a silver lining in his unfortunate circumstances.
Observing the soldiers diligently training despite their dire straits, Shih Wen was impressed by their remarkable mental resilience. He began to take stock of their numbers; aside from those on patrol or sentry duty, everyone was accounted for. There were three hundred in total—not a full complement, but a battalion's worth nonetheless. It was quite the oddity that these troops, hailing from various units' logistics squads, had all managed to get lost together.
The cavalry's ambush had claimed the lives of every officer ranked captain and above. Their downfall was twofold: exceptional combat prowess and armor that was far too conspicuous. In the army's rigid hierarchy, rank dictated the brightness of one's armor. Ordinary soldiers donned black, lance corporals added a striking red breastplate, and platoon leaders sported dark red. Higher ranks meant increasingly vivid armor, making officers prime targets.
The common soldiers, both the most numerous and least powerful, suffered fewer attacks, resulting in a higher rate of survival.
Shih Wen, who had been promoted to lieutenant colonel through connections rather than merit, found himself the highest-ranking officer and thus the default leader of this makeshift battalion. Without their usual superiors, the soldiers naturally fell under his command. Moreover, as an inner disciple of the Weaponry Pavilion, Shih Wen's status was far above that of the ordinary soldier.
Lacking any real experience in military leadership, Shih Wen was at a loss on how to manage this assembled group. Since they were still training, he decided not to interfere. Even if he had wanted to, he doubted he could have made much of an impact. He chose instead to rely on the three lance corporals, especially one who seemed to command great respect and was not much older than Shih Wen himself. Entrusting the management of the troops to this capable lance corporal, Shih Wen retreated to his tent, enviously comparing the soldiers' formidable physiques to his own unimpressive stature. They towered over him, each well over two and a half meters tall, while he stood at just one meter sixty—a stark difference that brought to mind the philosophical truth: ignorance is bliss. Despite feeling disheartened and the discomfort of moving as though burdened by the weight of two others, Shih Wen took solace in the fact that after a night's cultivation, his body felt stronger, and he could now walk several steps in a row without gasping for air.
Back in his tent, Shih Wen found sitting to be exceedingly uncomfortable, so he decided to lie down once more. He began to rummage through the three bookcases and pulled out the most striking book, adorned with the finest decorations and roughly a foot thick. Without glancing at the cover, he opened it and was taken aback. An integrated circuit diagram stared back at him. He blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. But after steadying his gaze, the diagram was unmistakably real. With a snap, he shut the book and examined the cover: "Encyclopedia of Elementary Mini Formations." What sort of book was this, and why on earth did it contain an integrated circuit diagram? After scrutinizing the book from cover to cover twice more, Shih Wen was certain he wasn't mistaken. With cautious reverence, he turned to the first page and began to delve into its contents.
