Chapter 496: What Makes Us Human Is Trust
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
Hamir and the other Mastery casters didn’t give up either. After each failure, they would swallow down the pain and start anew. Guan Dongyang looked at Hamir with distraught and guilt. He and Hamir went all the way back to the time in Mastery Sect. Hamir was one of his sect brothers who had escaped with him from the Zergs’ death clutch. Ever since Guan Dongyang formed the Battle Wolf, Hamir had always been his right-hand man, and was in charge of logistics and supplying provisions for the band.
Guan Dongyang sneaked a peek at Wang Tong, but the latter’s stoic and stone cold face deterred him from pleading for his sect brother. He heaved a sigh of resignation, as the sight of poor Hamir suffering made his heart ache.
“Remember, pain is good for you. Try to understand the pain and feel the energy in it. That is what makes the connection between your soul energy and the natural force.” Wang Tong commanded.
Ye Zi had wanted to speak up against the cruelty, but considering that they didn’t have many other options other than doing what Wang Tong said, she decided to keep her silence for now.
Wang Tog didn’t pay any attention to the disgruntled look on the soldiers’ faces. He scanned the room callously like a cold-hearted slave-driver.
If it were five years ago, no one would have even thought of trying such a risky method. However, under Guan Dongyang’s encouragement, the soldiers mustered their strength and decided to press forward.
Although no one had gone deranged so far, the pain was unbearable.
Hamir bit down on his lips as sweat ran down his cheeks. Wang Tong walked to him and then patted on his shoulder. Hamir suddenly let out a saddening wail and fell to the ground.
The rest of the mastery warriors paused their practice and walked to Hamir to make sure he was alright.
Guan Dongyang shouted in a commanding voice, “Step back!”
Wang Tong nodded at Guan Dongyang, and the latter heaved a sigh of relief. Hamir had finally made it.
As Wang Tong helped Hamir to his feet, despite his pale face, he looked at Wang Tong with gratitude.
After an entire afternoon of pain and suffering, only Hamir was able to pass the test.
When Wang Tong thought that it was enough for the day, he waved to dismiss the soldiers and then left the training room without a word.
He knew that he had been an a*shole today. The soldiers might be able to endure one day of hardship and inhumane training, but would they be willing to withstand the same thing until they passed the test?
As soon as Wang Tong stepped out of the training room, he heard someone catching up with him.
“Wang Tong, you can’t treat the soldiers like that. You are not the one doing those exercises, so you won’t understand how painful it was! As a medic, I question your methods!” Ye Zi announced in a scathing tone. “I will also advise captain to cancel this ridiculous training.”
Wang Tong held Ye Zi’s angry gaze for a moment and then asked, “How do you know that I don’t understand how it feels?” Wang Tong then turned his heels and walked off without even sparing her a glance.
Ye Zi had much more to vent to Wang Tong, but she felt the words evaporate in her mouth at Wang Tong’s question.
Wang Tong didn’t take a rest. Instead, he went back to the mechanic shop and started repairing the METAL suits.
Regardless of how hard Wang Tong pushed the soldiers to their limit, in the end, it was up to the individuals to decide how much they wanted to commit to the training.
METAL repairing could usually soothe Wang Tong’s mind. However, he found it hard to suppress the complicated emotions inside him. He dropped the METAL suit and leaned against the wall as he was absorbed in reflection.
He never wished to be so cruel, but what other choices did he have?
Pain?
They had not experienced real pain yet.
He rubbed his furry chin and realized that he had turned twenty two this year.
At this point, the shop’s gate cracked open, and Duo Lun and Tan Bu walked in. Wang Tong wrenched his attention out of his thoughts and plastered a smile on his face. “Is it time for dinner?”
When Wang Tong turned to face the two visitors, he realized that the entire focus group had trailed behind them. Hamir stepped forward and then said, “Captain, starting today, you can train us with whichever method you like. We are not going to complain.”
“Yes! We’d rather die in the training room than inside a Zerg’s mouth! ” Ross announced.
Ye Zi remained silent, her face darkening with many questions in her mind. Who was this man, and what was he hiding underneath that smile?
Ye Zi bit down her lip and then bowed. “I am sorry, Captain.” Ye Zi wanted to say many more, but no other words came out.
Wang Tong was surprised by this turn of events as warmth rose inside him. Loneliness was one of the deadliest killers of a man, especially when one was with the persons he cared about. Wang Tong had lived the happiest moments in the five years when he was with Battle Wolf, and the imminent resentment from the group would have been his nightmare.
But everyone had eventually realized that his intentions were was good, and that he really cared about them.
The ability to caring for each other was what separated humans from the Zergs.
“What is the meaning of this? You think I will go easy on you tomorrow? Don’t worry, my goal is to build the best team on Mars. So, you better work your a8s off until our goal is achieved.”
The soldiers laughed at Wang Tong’s sarcastic joke. After the training, Ye Zi had gathered the soldiers to condemn Wang Tong’s inhumane training methods. But, before she was able to finish listing the crimes that Wang Tong had committed, Duo Lun and Tan Bu rose to her comment and defended Wang Tong. The debate quickly turned into a heated argument.
Tan Bu made it clear that what Wang Tong was doing was no different than Ye Zi’s job as a medic: saving people’s lives. Ye Zi could cure a wounded soldier, while Wang Tong was able to teach the soldiers to avoid getting injured altogether. Duo Lun further explained that although Wang Tong might appear to be insensitive to others’ feelings, he was a very kind person, and had helped him many times.
In the end, both soldiers announced that they trusted Wang Tong with their lives not because he was strong, but because he had made them strong.
…
The next day morning, when Wang Tong was brushing his teeth, he saw his furry face in the mirror. After yesterday’s event, he knew that he had gained everyone’s trust, and therefore, he thought that it was about time to put things in the past behind him. He took out a razor and shaved off the beard.
When he walked into the training room, he found that Ross had already lined up all the soldiers and was waiting for him. Everyone stared at his new face with surprise and some confusion.
This handsome young man had sharp features that were chiseled out, and his eyes were two pools of darkness. Who was he?
“Hey bro, this is our training room.” Ross asked as he failed to recognize the young man in front of him.
“I know what it is.” Wang Tong said with a smile.
“Captain? Is it really you?”
A swell of gasps rose in the room. Everyone had thought that Wang Tong was close to his thirties. But without the beard, he looked barely twenty years old.
Castro threw his head back and exclaimed, “I am no longer the most handsome man in Battle Wolf anymore… Why?”
“Because you were never the most handsome one.” Tan Bu said with a broad smile.
“Well, I mean among the METAL fighters,” Castro said as he brushed his hair with his fingers.
Wang Tong couldn’t suppress a snicker, and then announced, “Jokes aside, we are going to focus on the Divine Burst technique today. I gave you guys some time yesterday to practice, so show me your improvement now. Let’s start with you Lie Xuan.”
Lie Xuan sauntered to Wang Tong and announced with a sassy smirk, “Piece of cake!”
Lie Xuan carefully channeled out his soul energy and pulled off the Divine Burst with ease. A smug look hung on her face after she was done, and she cast Wang Tong a glance that could almost pass for a taunt.
Wang Tong nodded. “Excellent! Next, Ross!”
Ross had completed the technique without any difficulties, but Wang Tong knew that he was still far from able to use the technique amidst the chaos of a real war.
“Tan Bu and Duo Lun, it is your turn. I want you to use only level eleven soul energy.”
“Yes, Captain!”
“Look carefully, everyone! I want you to remember that this trick is only useful when you were able to deploy it under pressure, such as in real combat.”
As Tan Bu and Lun Duo unsheathed their blades, the belligerence in the air wafted in all directions. Lie Xuan was shocked by such strong Battle Qi coming off from the two low-level warriors.
