He flattered her well; he shouldn’t do it again next time.

She glanced at her little brother’s silly smiling face, feeling speechless. After several hesitations, she finally sighed, “Forget it. Remember, you must never mention anything about my hair color to outsiders.”

Ke Junda: “Got it!”

By the time they reached the third lap, the line of students had stretched almost half the length of the school.

The long-distance run and carrying weights were not difficult; the challenge lay in suppressing the use of manifestations.

A seemingly ordinary ten kilograms became increasingly heavy during the long run, hanging heavily on their hands, making them feel as if they were carrying lead, incredibly uncomfortable.

Many students who had found it easy in the first lap suddenly experienced heavy breathing, unsteady steps, and sweat dripping from their foreheads.

Among them, the supports suffered the most.

They were already physically weaker, and now, with restricted manifestations and the added weight, it was almost life-threatening.

“Haha, don’t worry, guys.”

Lagging behind, sweating profusely, Wu Haoxuan comforted his classmates, “We supports are delicate; it’s normal for our physical strength to be inferior to other departments. The instructor won’t be so unreasonable.”

“You’re right.” Another military academy student, also a support, gasped and agreed.

Even in the physical fitness test during the college entrance examination, the standards for support departments were appropriately relaxed.

Close Combat departments needed a minimum of 80 points to pass, while support departments only required 50 points. It wouldn’t make sense for them to have the same standards as Close Combat departments during military training.

Thinking of this, the supports at the end of the line felt a surge of confidence in their hearts. They no longer accelerated but instead slowed down even more, moving at a measured pace.

As for Yuan Hanshuang and Ke Junda, the two still maintained a steady speed.

The benefits of years of consistent early morning physical training were vividly demonstrated at this moment.

Even though they had just run eight kilometers in the morning, they were completely unaffected.

If someone observed carefully from the side, they would notice that their strides and running force, even their breathing, were slightly different from other students. They adjusted everything to the most suitable slow breathing technique for long-distance running.

“Fortunately, I’ve been practicing the training methods the boss taught me all these years, and I haven’t neglected physical training. Otherwise, today would be tough,” Ke Junda couldn’t help but sigh.

By the fifth lap, these advantages became even more apparent.

Clearly, their speed was not particularly fast, but as the majority of the group ahead gradually showed signs of fatigue and fell behind, they surprisingly steadily rose through the ranks, running against the current and reaching the forefront of the team.

While other students at least showed signs of fatigue on the surface, these two remained steady and unwavering. Especially Yuan Hanshuang, with an easy and firm stride; not a hair out of place, and not a drop of sweat to be seen.

Even Xuan Yuansheng, who had been consistently at the forefront of the team, couldn’t help but turn around and size them up.

“The finish line is approaching.”

The two smoothly squeezed into the first ten to arrive.

Although they reached the finish line ahead of schedule, the instructor did not indicate any intention to dismiss them for free activity. As a result, Yuan Hanshuang could only find a chair near a flower bed, sit down, browse the forum, and wait for the students who hadn’t finished running yet.

This wait lasted for three hours. In the meantime, they went to the cafeteria for a meal. Following the usual routine, they finished a day’s quota of nutrient solution in one meal, and Yuan Hanshuang even drank some of Ke Junda’s share.

“All gather!”

When the last support student reached the finish line, Instructor Niu blew the whistle.

“I’ll count to thirty seconds. If there’s no successful gathering, you’ll face punishment. Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…”

Hearing the whistle, students who were so tired that they were contemplating lying on the ground for a nap hastily got up.

The thirty-second countdown ended, and everyone returned to their original positions.

“The last three hundred, line up! Don’t try to be clever; all your names have been recorded.”

Reluctantly, the students looked at each other and stood out, three hundred in total.

Yuan Han Shuang keenly noticed that not only Wu Haoxuan but also her senior sister and dormmate Xia Mengrou were among these three hundred, belonging to the rare group of Control Department students at the tail end.

Instructor Niu succinctly stated, “Your punishment is to run another lap.”

When Wu Haoxuan heard that the punishment was another lap, his vision went black, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

Obviously, the bad news didn’t end there.

Standing nearby, Feng Bai suddenly spoke up, “According to the division of the academy, military cadets take the first two steps.”

Following his instructions, the students did as they were told.

Clearly, among the last three hundred people, the number of Silver Star students was almost twice that of the military cadets.

Many military cadets, though not vocal, displayed a considerable amount of arrogance.

This outcome wasn’t surprising, as the admission scores for military academies were originally high, and those who made it into the Imperial Military Academy were truly outstanding individuals, excelling in all aspects compared to Silver Star.

“Very well.”

Feng Bai seemed equally unsurprised by this result. “The Silver Star group is behind by one hundred and twenty people compared to the Imperial group. All Silver Star students, line up!”

Yuan Hanshuang followed suit, she had a vague premonition of what was about to happen next.

Sure enough, the adjutant pushed his glasses and the next words followed, “Due to the lag of the Silver Star group, all Silver Star students will run an additional lap.”

“Sorry, but I object.”

The Silver Star students immediately protested.

Leading the protest was none other than the Imperial Crown Prince, who had been consistently ahead.

Facing several legion generals, Xuan Yuansheng showed no signs of fear. On the contrary, he raised his head slightly, with a touch of condescension, “I’ve been in first place throughout the three laps. Why should I be penalized because others are lagging behind?”

“Because you are a collective. From the beginning of military training, you’ve had your school’s label on you. Individual performance doesn’t represent just the individual; it represents the whole. One’s glory is everyone’s glory, and one’s loss is everyone’s loss.”

Feng Bai remained expressionless, “Your Highness, since you are also a member of Silver Star, you cannot exempt yourself from the norm.”

Xuan Yuansheng pressed his brows but remained silent.

Perhaps his initial objection had boosted morale, as other Silver Star students also began to voice their opposition.

Wu Haoxuan was the first to raise his hand, “Instructor, our support department is naturally weaker in physical strength than other gifted individuals. It’s normal for us to lag behind under the weight. Comparing us with students from other departments is unfair!”

“That’s right! Unfair!”

This argument struck a chord, and other support students echoed in agreement.

“Unfair? Then tell me, where is it unfair?”

Feng Bai sneered, “When you’re on the battlefield, facing the insects, do you think they’ll show mercy to support units? Do they spare you just because you’re a support? Do they give you special treatment?”

The clamor of protests instantly came to an abrupt halt.

“Do you think war is far away from you?”

The adjutant’s sharp gaze swept across the faces of those who were inexperienced in the ways of the world.

Although he was just a civil official, the edge and the martial spirit contained in his gaze instinctively made people divert their eyes.

Not a single student could hold his gaze, as it was proof of having been on the battlefield.

“Thirty years ago, the apocalypse of the insects caught the Imperial Federation off guard; eighteen years ago, a new queen was born among the insect race, leading their army to approach the Haomoon Pass directly.”

“The hard-won peace we have now is the precious respite earned by countless military personnel from the Empire and the Federation, paid for with bones, blood, and flesh. And this brief respite can be shattered at any time and place.”

“As per tradition, once the insect regroups for another onslaught, with the military concentrating its forces on the front lines and local defenses being inadequate, senior academy students will be the first to be called to the battlefield. You should be prepared in advance to shoulder the responsibility of protecting ordinary people.”

At this point, Feng Bai suddenly halted.

While others either averted their gazes or bowed their heads, a black-haired girl with twin tails, who met his gaze with calmness, stood out.

Fortunately, Yuan Hanshuang also realized that she shouldn’t be so defiant at this moment and quickly lowered her eyes.

“War is not far away. To survive, the instructor will treat everyone impartially.”

Feng Bai’s gaze lingered on the black-haired head for a long time before slowly retracting his eyes.