The steel gates of the military base closed behind them with a heavy metallic echo.
Stamped above the entrance were the words:
"Huaxia Federation Army"
"7th Tactical Infantry Division"
"Azure Dragon Battalion"
Lin Hao stepped off the truck with the other recruits.
The air smelled of oil, dust, and metal.
In the distance, armored vehicles — ZBD-04 Infantry Fighting Vehicles — stood parked like silent beasts. Rows of soldiers marched in formation, their boots striking the concrete in perfect rhythm. The recruits were lined up in front of the main training ground.
A tall officer approached.
Square jaw. Dark skin. Scars across both arms.
His uniform carried the insignia of Major.
"Major Luo Zheng," he announced.
"Executive Officer of Azure Dragon Battalion."
His voice thundered across the field.
"You are no longer civilians. From today forward, you belong to the Huaxia Federation Army."
He walked down the line, inspecting each recruit.
When he stopped in front of Lin Hao, his eyes narrowed.
"Name."
"Lin Hao."
A brief pause.
Recognition flickered in Luo Zheng's gaze.
"Qinghe Village."
The tone changed slightly.
Disappointment.
"So you're Colonel Lin Guoqiang's son."
The surrounding recruits stiffened.
Whispers began.
"That's the scumbag?"
"No way…"
Lin Hao remained silent.
Major Luo Zheng stared at him for several seconds.
Then he spoke coldly.
"Your father was one of the best commanders in the Black Tiger Border Regiment."
He leaned closer.
"Do not disgrace that name here."
The words hit hard.
Not because they were cruel.
But because they were true.
The recruits were divided into squads.
Lin Hao was assigned to:
3rd Company – 2nd Platoon – Squad Nine
Squad Leader: Sergeant Chen Ming.
So the sharp-eyed recruit from earlier was already a promoted non-commissioned officer candidate.
Interesting.
Inside Squad Nine's barracks stood six soldiers.
Sergeant Chen Ming stepped forward.
"Listen up. I am Chen Ming, temporary squad leader."
He pointed around the room.
"This is Zhao Kai — machine gun specialist."
A muscular man lifted an M249 light machine gun from his bunk and grinned.
"Hope you can keep up, rookie."
"This is Wang Tao — sniper trainee."
A quiet young man cleaned a QBU-88 designated marksman rifle without looking up.
"And this," Chen Ming nodded toward a tall soldier adjusting a tactical vest, "is Li Jun — demolition and breaching."
Li Jun tapped the side of his backpack where explosive charges were carefully stored.
"My hobby is blowing doors open."
Light laughter filled the room.
Finally, Chen Ming turned back to Lin Hao.
"And you… Lin Hao."
Silence.
Everyone knew the rumors.
Chen Ming's eyes were calm but sharp.
"You'll carry standard infantry loadout."
He tossed a rifle toward him.
Lin Hao caught it smoothly.
QBZ-95-1 assault rifle.
Weight: approximately 3.25 kilograms.
5.8mm ammunition.
Cold steel.
Real.
No damage stats.
No health bar.
Only life and death.
Training began immediately.
Live-fire drill.
Targets placed at 100 meters.
Recruits lined up.
When Lin Hao raised the QBZ-95-1—
The world shifted slightly.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION
> Passive Skill Activated: Enhanced Reflex
> Passive Skill Activated: Tactical Awareness
The recoil felt predictable.
The sound of gunfire became structured patterns.
His breathing slowed naturally.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Tight grouping.
Closer than expected for a first-timer.
Zhao Kai lowered his M249 slowly.
"…You sure you've never trained before?"
Lin Hao didn't answer.
Because he didn't know how to explain it.
He had trained.
Thousands of hours.
But on a glowing screen.
After shooting drills came close combat training.
Hand-to-hand sparring.
Lin Hao was paired with Li Jun.
"Don't cry if you get hurt," Li Jun joked.
The whistle blew.
Li Jun lunged forward aggressively.
But—
Lin Hao's body reacted instinctively.
Side step.
Counter grip.
Momentum shift.
Li Jun hit the ground hard.
The entire squad froze.
Even Sergeant Chen Ming's expression changed.
Lin Hao stepped back immediately.
"…Sorry."
Li Jun stared at him from the ground.
Then suddenly laughed.
"Okay. I like you now."
The tension in the room eased.
For the first time since arriving—
No one looked at him like a parasite.
Only like a fellow soldier.
As night fell, artillery thunder rolled faintly from the direction of the Red Frontier National Combat Zone.
Captain Su Yueran watched Squad Nine's performance report on her tablet.
"Lin Hao," she murmured.
File rating: undisciplined, unstable, unreliable.
Training observation: abnormal reaction speed, high adaptability, calm under pressure.
She closed the screen slowly.
"Interesting."
Back in Barracks 3A, Squad Nine sat in a circle eating military rations.
Zhao Kai complained loudly.
"If we're deployed early, I'm blaming Chen Ming."
Chen Ming snorted.
"You'll be crying behind my M249."
Wang Tao quietly added, "As long as you don't block my sniper scope."
Laughter.
Small.
But genuine.
Lin Hao listened.
And something inside him shifted.
In his previous life, Zhang Wei played alone.
Even in squads, it was temporary.
Disposable.
But here—
These men would bleed with him.
Die with him.
Trust him.
This wasn't a leaderboard.
This was brotherhood.
Later that night, as lights went out, Lin Hao stared at the ceiling.
Outside, the sound of a distant helicopter — Z-10 attack helicopter — cut across the sky.
War was real.
Tomorrow would be harder.
The day after that might bring deployment.
But for the first time since waking in this world—
He didn't feel lost.
He felt challenged.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
The battlefield would not only test him.
It would redefine him.
And somewhere deep within—
The dormant power from another world waited patiently.
Not to make him a hero.
But to see if he was worthy of becoming one.