บท 40: Tournament

Thomas was panting like a dog while crumpled in the grass.

The regimen that the soldiers were following couldn't even be called training anymore, pushing some to say that even torture would be more enjoyable.

But he still endured... He had to.

Thomas knew that at the end of it all was something he never had in his life : purpose.

He had just finished running 20 kilometers with 30 kilograms of rocks on his back. The addition had been decided by their general after seeing that some were slacking off.

In that short period of time, she had earned the nickname 'Goddess of Pain'.

Luckily for him, he had already puked the entirety of his stomach's content. Some hadn't had the same chance, now appearing to be on the verge of death.

"YOU TRASH! HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO PRESENT YOU TO HIS HIGHNESS?!"

On the boulder dominating the area stood Eloise, verbally whipping the poor souls down below. She had been surprised by their progress, but she knew that praising their efforts would only make them grow conceited and arrogant.

After proving herself and earning their respect, she had taken it upon herself to re-wire their brains into an unbreakable state on the battlefield. Mental strength was a quality that severely lacked in many armies on the continent.

Meanwhile, Atta had come to admire and acknowledge the woman, dismissing the begging eyes that his ex-soldiers gave him every day.

"You should have listened to me when I tried to train you..."

That was the only thing he could think of when seeing their pitiful state. They looked so wretched that even he had a hard time looking at them.

Once the 160 soldiers finished their hellish run, Eloise's clear and cold voice resounded.

"I've seen some progression, even though you're still far from being at an acceptable level. To reward you all, we will be holding a tournament"

When the half-dead soldiers heard that, their ears perked up.

A tournament was a competition that would crown a victor, which was then rewarded with a prize.

Their brains, already overwhelmed by pain stimuli, started working overtime trying to figure out what it could be.

For Thomas, this was it. A moment to shine and attract the attention of the higher-ups. He couldn't squander it, and his eyes lit up with passion. He had to win no matter what.

Seeing that she had caught everyone's attention, the general smirked.

The training she had conducted so far had only been to build up muscle mass and cardio, two essential attributes of any decent warrior. It had already been seven days since the program started, and she needed to see who were the most promising seeds.

Before leaving to Yamato, Derrick had sent her a message outlining what reform he wanted in the army. He had called it 'Divisions'.

Specifically, he wanted the system to work as follows : there would be 4 platoons, each led by one elite individual, that would be comprised of 4 squads each containing 10 soldiers. These squads would also have a leader among them.

To avoid the rise of envy and complacency, the soldiers would also be able to challenge their leaders once every month, making every position accessible. Derrick had gotten the idea after conquering various villages.

He believed such a system would create competition and allow the soldiers' inner potential to flourish.

"Listen up because I'll not repeat myself! You will duel one another until only one remains. You will be given wooden sticks as swords, so I don't care how hard you hit each other. Surrendering is allowed, and if I see anyone not adhering to this principle, they'll have to face me afterward"

Her aura burst forth and the soldiers' hearts sank. This woman was truly terrifying.

She then nodded to Atta.

The man jumped from the rock, and he began distributing the wooden sticks. They weren't very thick, but they seemed sturdy enough to badly hurt an opponent.

When he finished the task, he spoke.

"I'm sure you're all dying to know what the endgame of this whole thing is... For those placing between 5th and 21st, the rewards are promotions to Squad Leader, which is a unit made of 10 soldiers, including yourself. A bronze armor will also be attributed"

Uh?

The soldiers were shocked. They had expected gold, but this was even better! Being part of the chain of command and acquiring a bronze armor was something unfathomable to them.

Their previously tired and bloodied bodies suddenly surged with strength, and they were ready to go back at it again.

However, the ones who were considered the strongest were holding their breaths. What about the top rewards?

"As for the those placing 1st through 4th, the rewards are promotions to Platoon Leader, which commands 4 Squads under you. A steel armor will also be attributed"

A huge ruckus ensued. Steel armors?!

Equipment like this easily went for 50 gold coins a piece. How could they afford to give this so easily?! And to sweeten it all, they would be able to commandeer a large amount of power as they saw fit, under, of course, their general's orders.

"Now choose any opponent you want to face. The losers will go to the left side, while the winners go to the right. If you cheat, you know what awaits you"

While grinning, Atta pointed at Martin, Lucas and Trey, who looked so battered they were unrecognizable. Everybody seeing the trio violently shivered, and all thoughts of shenanigans went out the window.

"One more thing : everything is allowed. The only thing that's prohibited is killing your opponent. May the best win!"

The atmosphere turned heavy and everyone ran towards the weaker soldiers, who immediately cursed their fortunes.

"Troy you fucker! I never thought you were someone who would prey on the weak!"

"Hahahaha just blame your mother for giving you this shitty body!"

"Shameless bastard!"

Insults rained from everywhere on the training grounds, which had now started taking shape. The former dense vegetation filled with bugs was no more, instead replaced by a vast plain that would soon accommodate the new buildings.

Thomas, meanwhile, was chosen by a man named Michael.

His stature looked imposing, and he was beating Thomas's height by a full head. His toned muscles also reflected the harsh training they had been going through.

"Come at me small fry, I want to end this quickly"

With contempt rivaling those of the gods, Michael nonchalantly walked forward, ready to crush his opponent.

Thomas remained calm, trying to find a way to deal with the muscled freak.

After a few moments, he leaped forward with all his might.

Michael couldn't help but smile. This first round was just too easy.

"Just surrender... I don't want to hurt you badly"

However, what came next would haunt him forever.

When Thomas arrived in his striking range, Michael half-heartedly swung his stick, sure that it would be plenty enough to deal with him.

That was when Thomas slid underneath him, dodging his strike and counter-attacking.

*SLAP*

With a fast movement, he smashed the stick into the big man's family jewels, making him squeal so loud that everyone turned their gazes in their direction.

While getting up, Thomas looked at the now unconscious man lying on the floor.

"Everything is allowed, and I intend to win, even if it's by being the most shameless person here"