Chapter One: The Rookie Enters the Battlefield

"Appearing like a phantom, vanishing without a trace, swift as lightning, gentle as the breeze—alone, breaking into enemy lines, capturing prisoners and probing for intelligence..."

In the bathhouse of the Fierce Tiger Special Forces Training Base in the Jiliao theater, thick clouds of steam billowed. Lei Dong, stripped naked, stood under a torrent of scalding water, washing away the thick crust of mud on his skin while howling at the top of his lungs.

He’d joined the so-called “Whirlwind Unit”—the 140th Army’s Iron Fist Regiment—less than six months ago, and was quickly thrust into selection for the Fierce Tiger Battalion. The hellish ordeal lasted a full hundred days. Only today had Lei Dong finally emerged from that torment, ending the days of suffering under the four-eyed schemer who seemed to live for tormenting recruits. After his first hearty meal in a hundred days—one uninterrupted and free from the stench of stagnant water—he finally enjoyed his first proper bath.

“That’s ear-splitting—quit singing already…”

“Oh, this feels amazing, don’t stop—!”

Shouts and laughter echoed all around.

After a hundred days, the caked-on grime had become so thick and hard on everyone’s bodies it could serve as tank armor. Boiling water hammered down on their tangled hair, pelted their swollen muscles, and battered the half-inch-thick layer of grime that even steel needles could barely penetrate. The sensation was so exhilarating that everyone howled in delight.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle pierced the night. The voice of Zhang He, the selection team’s commander and chief instructor, thundered: “Emergency assembly—!”

“Damn, here we go again!”

“That mad dog!”

“That schemer—he can’t live unless he’s tormenting us!”

The soldiers, still riding the high of their bath, cursed as they scrambled to throw on their unwashed camouflage, burst out of the bathhouse, hastily donned their gear, grabbed their rifles, and lined up—only to find Zhang He and the other instructors already fully suited up, exuding an air of lethal intent.

“Comrades, we’ve just received word from above: while carrying out an operation, the border police narcotics team encountered and engaged in a firefight with an armed drug trafficking group from across the border. At a critical moment, the nearby border defense regiment responded in time and surrounded the traffickers. However, these traffickers are composed of former special forces, excellently armed and highly capable. They’re holding several policemen as hostages. A standoff is underway!” As Zhang He spoke, a Zhi-15 transport helicopter roared over the mountains toward them.

“The local authorities have requested military support. The main force is training in the southern jungle and can’t return soon. Headquarters has ordered the entire selection team to deploy in support. If you meet resistance, use lethal force! Board the helicopter!”

As Zhang He’s bellowing intensified, the helicopter hovered barely a meter above the ground, doors flung open. Under the instructors’ direction, thirteen soldiers leapt aboard, and before they could even get settled, the nose of the helicopter dipped before surging up and away, thundering into the distance.

Inside the roaring cabin, the soldiers had barely found their seats before excited chatter erupted.

“What’s going on? Wasn’t the capture training finished? Why’s this happening again?”

“Hell, you must be new—when has that guy ever told the truth?”

“Exactly! It’s bound to be some super-realistic simulation, like a ‘Gate of the Soul’ or whatever, one final test to wring the last drop out of us—haven’t you seen how they do it on TV?”

“Shut up!” Zhang He’s face, already grim, darkened further. “Let me repeat myself: this is not a drill! This is a real operation. If you still think it’s an exercise and can’t get into combat mode, jump out now before you get killed by the enemy! Get your ammo in serial order!”

The soldiers fell silent, though their faces still wore unconvinced smiles—this wily schemer’s every word was suspect.

But when the instructors dragged out several massive ammo crates from the rear and flung open the lids to reveal rows of live rounds, their laughter froze: live ammunition!

Only Lei Dong had never doubted Zhang He’s words for a moment.

He still couldn’t figure out what exactly had caught Zhang He’s eye. Aside from the standard curriculum, Zhang He had even arranged extra sniper training for him.

Having grown up in a military compound, subjected to his father’s harsh regimen since the age of three, Lei Dong knew well that sniper training was reserved for those who’d passed selection and officially joined the special forces. He also understood what it meant to be a sniper within such a unit.

Yet, after months of Zhang He’s grueling guidance—combining behavioral psychology theory and practice—Lei Dong had developed a keen sense for reading people. He doubted nothing about Zhang He’s words. The stony expression, the twitch at the corner of his eye, the tense, hurried movements of the instructors, the white-knuckled grip on their weapons, the ominous creak of gunmetal, the aura of violence—they all told Lei Dong from the outset: this was no exercise.

His heart beat furiously, far faster than usual. But Lei Dong was keenly aware this wasn’t fear, nor nerves—it was... excitement.

Yes, having just finished his initial special operations training, with no combat experience and facing an utterly unknown enemy as a rookie, Lei Dong felt a surge of anticipation and thrill.

He could sense, under the immense pressure of his heart, that his blood seemed to boil, pumping strength through his entire body. From head to toe, it was as if he were soaking in scalding water—an intense, almost joyful sensation. Every joint and muscle seemed poised to erupt with boundless power at a moment’s notice!

“Is this what they call an adrenaline rush? Or just excess hormones with nowhere to go?” Lei Dong found it odd. “Why, facing my first battle, do I feel no fear at all—only eagerness? Am I born a fighter?”

He glanced around at the others in the cabin, his sense of disquiet deepening.

His old squad leader, Gong Zhigang, wore his usual stern calm, but the other eleven soldiers were different—utterly fearless, almost flippant, as if the sky could fall and they’d use it as a blanket. Their eyes blazed with excitement. After receiving their ammo and gear, they swiftly suited up and began boisterously discussing the upcoming action.

After all, it was their first time on the battlefield—nervous anticipation was inevitable. But it was clear they were fired up. After so much training, at last it was time to put their skills to the test!

“What a bunch of battle addicts,” Lei Dong muttered, trying to steady himself. As a sniper, he knew that even the slightest emotional fluctuation could expose deadly weaknesses on the battlefield—weaknesses that could cost him his life.

Though he was one of the world’s rare, hidden cultivators—his cultivation already at the late Core Formation stage, bordering on Nascent Soul—with his spiritual sense able to scan five kilometers around, detecting any movement, and with enough confidence to dodge bullets aimed at him, his unique physique and strength rendering him nearly impervious to fatal wounds, Lei Dong never allowed himself to think nothing could threaten him.

Besides, even if he came out unscathed, any harm to his comrades was something he could not accept.

“Silence!” As the noise in the cabin grew with every passing minute, Lei Dong grew anxious and barked, “Prepare for combat!”

Throughout training, Lei Dong had been the undisputed number one. His monstrous physical prowess, dazzling solo maneuvers, and unstoppable hand-to-hand skills earned the respect of the “kings of soldiers” from every unit. His animal-like intuition had saved the team from countless instructor-set traps, and his innate tactical judgment and decisive action had led them to many brilliant counterattacks and ambushes.

Yet, off the field, this eighteen-year-old was cheerful, genuine, and generous with his knowledge.

Unwittingly, the youngest, least experienced, and newest member had become the linchpin and leader of the whole selection team. When he put on a stern face and shouted, the rowdy cabin instantly fell silent.

Zhang He glanced at Lei Dong with satisfaction and breathed a deep sigh of relief. “With this kid around, things are so much easier.”

If he had a choice, Zhang He would never bring these rookies on this mission. He understood their nerves—he himself hadn’t been any better his first time. He knew they weren’t fearful or timid, just unprepared for sudden combat. But that mindset could be deadly on the battlefield.

With reliable intelligence, Zhang He was confident that, working with Han Changfeng and the other three instructors, he could lead these rookies to victory and annihilate the enemy. But as things stood, all he knew was that the opposition was a highly trained, battle-hardened small unit. He had no details on their identities, structure, firepower, or tactics.

Leading a team of greenhorns into a clash with a mysterious enemy—what kind of outcome could he expect? Zhang He had no idea.

How could he fight this battle with no intelligence?