Ten laps, under Henry Brooks's new running method, seemed to be completed with remarkable ease. The two military doctors, just like yesterday, handed him a bottle of nutrient solution, but did not help him up this time. They only teased him about why he had been punished to run laps two days in a row.

After a brief rest, Henry Brooks once again requested to rejoin the ranks. This time, Instructor Hack did not let them rest further and continued the training.

With Henry Brooks's two consecutive experiences, and everyone already aware of the terror of running laps from the morning, the whole day's training was approached with extreme caution and nervousness, and no one else was punished. The training results were also excellent; even Henry Brooks was careful not to get distracted and make mistakes again, achieving outstanding results.

At night, the exhausted Henry Brooks could no longer let his mind wander as he had the previous day. He collapsed onto the bed that the housekeeping robot had automatically made, not even fully undressed, and started snoring. The others, regardless of gender, were much the same; the only difference was the volume of their snores.

In the days that followed, everyone began to get to know each other, and conversations increased during breaks on the training ground. Being young people of the same age, they quickly became lively and friendly.

Most people assumed that Henry Brooks was a long-distance runner because he could easily finish ten laps. When Henry Brooks explained that he wasn't, it drew exclamations and jokes about him being a freak. Now that they were familiar with each other, such teasing was simply brushed off.

Henry Brooks himself found it strange—could having more stuff in his brain actually make his body better? He didn't understand, but it didn't matter. Who wouldn't want to be healthier? Who would complain about having a good body?

Basic military training was extremely monotonous—aside from formation drills, it was just standing at attention. Yet, these simple things turned the newly enlisted young men and women into quasi-soldiers who at least looked a bit like real soldiers. The reason they weren't called real soldiers yet, as Instructor Hack put it, was: "You damn rookies are still a long way off."

And among all this basic training, Henry Brooks was the most conspicuous. Almost every day, he would space out in the ranks, unable to answer Instructor Hack's questions, and naturally became the person who appeared most frequently on the running track as punishment.

By the end of basic training, nearly everyone at the recruit base knew that among this batch of recruits, there was one who was said to be "unrunnable to death." From the initial 1.1 times gravity to the final 1.5 times gravity on the track, that guy named Henry Brooks never even slowed down.

Normally, a recruit with such extraordinary stamina would be the favorite of every military branch. However, this Henry Brooks was extremely unbalanced, and seemed to have some issues with his mind. Even after a month of intensive basic military training, he still looked like he couldn't handle the simplest tasks, which drove his Instructor Hack half mad.

So, despite his outstanding physical strength, Henry Brooks was basically considered useless by the selection officers of the various branches, and no one showed much interest in him. Of course, Henry Brooks himself was completely unaware of this, muddling through his days in a half-dream, half-awake state. The only ones who liked him were the two military doctors, since rescuing him in an emergency only required handing him a bottle of nutrient solution—an easy job.

The things in his mind seemed to be gradually connecting, and he could start to find a thread. However, there were still some key things he just couldn't remember, so he could only recall the sequence of certain events, but not the reasons behind them. Still, it felt as if a voice was constantly reminding Henry Brooks to persist, that he would know in a few days.

With cheers from the soldiers, the basic military training—regarded by the recruits as a test of character—came to an end. From now on, they would no longer have to see the unpleasant face of that hateful Instructor Hack. For a moment, except for Henry Brooks, all the comrades were filled with anticipation for the upcoming live-fire weapons and tactics training.

Little did they know, the leading Instructor Hack was also watching these eager, celebrating rookie recruits with a strange smile.

Chapter 3: Memories Like Smoke (Part 1)

A large group of prospective soldiers cheerfully boarded the maglev vehicle, their faces beaming with smiles even brighter than if they were about to start a year-long vacation. The destination of the maglev would be the place these recruits had dreamed of—the place where they would receive the first real firearm of their lives.

As for all the living facilities at the recruit camp, the housekeeping robots would handle everything automatically, so there was no need to bring anything.

The upcoming training would last for half a year. As long as they passed, they could enter the selection for other branches. At that time, these young people who had joined the army with all kinds of dreams could show their skills and explore their own sky in new positions.

Henry Brooks sat quietly in the corner of the maglev. Because he often caused the group to be collectively punished, Henry Brooks didn't always get along well with everyone.