"Tell me, Schott," Jack began chatting with Schott while Webb went to get breakfast. "What are we supposed to do after breakfast? I have no idea what we're supposed to do. Can you describe it?"

"Hah... hah... I wish I could improve my stamina too, but my body just won't cooperate. I get winded after just a few sprints and collapse. I’ll have to train slowly once we get back to Earth. Hah... hah..."

"It's fine, it's fine. You eat. We still have things to do after you finish." Schott rested his left hand on the table, propping his chin up with his palm. He was waiting for Webb and Jack to finish eating. He himself had already had a hearty breakfast after his run, though Webb and Jack couldn't see it.

The day Schott had planned—today—was the day. They were preparing to plunge back into battle.

Perhaps this was just a way to relax before stepping onto the battlefield—chatting more with the friends nearby. Among the three of them, there were only four companions left, including Principal Parker. As for the others they knew, they were all aboard the starship Century, and every evening Schott would contact the crew via radio.

"I..." Before Webb could finish his sentence, Jack yanked his hand, and his body involuntarily started running. "No choice, just count yourself unlucky," Webb mumbled as he ran.

Schott slapped the table, but Webb wasn't startled: "Do you have so little faith in yourself? Your body is under your control. If you want better stamina, you have to train more!"

Webb took a few bites of bread, daring not to look up at Schott.

"Don't be scared, don't be scared. You still have a reserve of energy stored inside you. Besides, if you get tired, you can stand and rest; I won't force you," Jack said, holding Webb's hand. "Come on! Let's run together!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I won't dare to again. Remember to be polite when speaking; Lieutenant Colonel Norman taught us that. I almost forgot, haha." Webb’s smile seemed to grow wider, or perhaps that was thanks to the recent long run.

Webb pulled the blanket over his face, intending to block out the clamor, but it wasn't the best solution. Webb quickly felt suffocated and threw the blanket off. It seemed Webb's fate to get up now was unchangeable, even though he deeply wished to sleep a little longer.

"The equipment Principal Parker promised us arrived early this morning and is currently in his office. Coincidentally, Principal Parker has no classes today, so we can go to his office anytime to try it out. We plan to head to the massive ship before noon," Schott said, clasping his hands across his chest.

Though Webb wasn't Catholic, he still held a deep reverence for the gods.

"Uh, I haven't eaten breakfast yet, and now I have to practice long-distance running. Will I get hypoglycemic? You know my stamina isn't great; I'm just strong in brute force," Webb shook his head.

Jack greeted Schott and walked over to the serving area to buy breakfast. Webb, meanwhile, sat down next to Schott, panting heavily and covered in sweat. However, the compression suit he wore helped Webb significantly; very little sweat soaked through it, preserving his energy. It seemed wearing the compression suit today was a good choice for Webb.

Author: K-Dragon

"What's wrong, what's wrong? Why do you two look like you're about to fight? That's strange!" Jack arrived back at the seat carrying a bowl of porridge and a puff pastry. He thought Schott and Webb were arguing.

"Ha, I just overheard Schott! We're going to fight hard inside the massive ship today!" Webb had bought himself a plate of stir-fried noodles and an iced milk tea. A smile was plastered across his face; his stamina seemed completely restored.

"We're not discussing matters that can't see the light of day, so why the need for such tone?"

The day the mission to attack the mercenary legion's massive ship failed was one the three companions would hardly forget. They rarely engaged in such high-risk missions, where failure could cost them their lives. Fortunately, the three used their skills and abilities to protect themselves and safely return to the Air Force Academy.

Time waited for no one. There were seven months left until the comet cluster struck Earth. Even though it sounded like half a year, securing just the first two ore deposits had taken them four months, or even longer.

"Hey, what are you standing around for? Come run with us! We can grab breakfast at the mess hall after we finish!" Jack happened to be jogging past the dorm entrance just as he saw Webb standing by the doorway. Jack had a smile on his face, indicating he was full of confidence about today's mission; the Sky Blue Ore was something they were determined to obtain.

Webb changed into a fresh set of clothes because he predicted today would involve a bloody fight. He only put on a black compression suit, designed to wick sweat and keep Webb in optimal combat condition. Webb then slowly walked out of the dormitory, leaving nothing behind, including his handheld computer.

"Yes, I'm finished eating. It’s time to get moving, right? Time won't wait for us." Webb placed his finished utensils into a nearby recycling bin—these bins would centrally break down materials for reuse.

After Schott proposed the plan for the second attack on the massive ship, Principal Parker and the three companions all agreed with Schott’s view. They unanimously decided to start the operation in a few days.

It seemed Webb's guess was correct: today was the day for the second assault on the massive ship. The three companions would have to work hard again, though they were helping to save Earth and their mother planet out of a sense of duty.

Schott nodded and began making gestures with his hands in front of him.

Splashing his face with cold water instantly made Webb much more alert. He hadn't forgotten to check the mirror, straighten the collar and sleeves of his clothes, and comb down his messy, sleep-tousled hair, revealing Webb's pearly white teeth: "Ahem... A new day has begun. Today should be the day of action, right? May the gods bless my safety."

It was a regular return day at the Air Force Academy. Many students arrived early in the morning, and the resulting noise woke Webb from his deep sleep. The noise was quite loud; even inside the dorm room, Webb could hear it clearly. Perhaps in another ten minutes, once classes started, the commotion would cease.

Schott saw Webb breathing heavily and knew he was low on energy. Schott looked at the remaining piece of bread he had, which was meant for a midday snack. Schott handed the bread to Webb, patted his shoulder, and took out a tissue to wipe the sweat from Webb's brow.

"I, I'm going to the serving area to buy breakfast. You two wait here; I’ll be right back." After eating the bread, Webb's energy recovered, and he returned to his former energetic self. Webb hurried toward the serving area and quickly pulled out some US dollars from his pocket to pay for breakfast. Turns out Webb did have some dollars on him.

"Alright, let's get going," Schott clapped his hands, encouraging his teammates.

Why had Webb brought nothing? Because Principal Parker had promised a few days ago to provide equipment for the three companions. Principal Parker always supported the three and was an old friend of Lieutenant Colonel Norman.

"Who's making all that noise! Keeping a person from sleeping!" Webb yelled at the ceiling, but of course, no one answered his question.

Webb, whose sweet dreams had just been snatched by the noise, still looked sleepy. He sat up in bed, stretched languidly, with a trace of drool still on his lips—it seemed he had slept quite well last night. But Webb didn't notice that Schott and Jack, sleeping in the same room, had woken up much earlier to exercise.

Webb picked up disposable utensils and started eating, while Jack was nearly done with his breakfast. Schott also pulled out his handheld computer from his pocket, seemingly writing in a diary, though reading a novel would have been a fine alternative. In any case, the morning was spent happily, and most importantly, very relaxedly.

Sky City had long since turned on its fluorescent lights. The outdoor light level was already close to noon, and the weather was nice today, although rain was rare in Sky City. Webb limped his way to the washroom to clean up; being newly awakened, his legs lacked any strength.

"Look at you. In the future, you need to train more like us. Back in middle school, you were always at the bottom of the class for endurance runs. What will you do in a gunfight? Gasping after just a few steps," Schott chuckled.

Schott, having finished his run early that morning, waited in the mess hall for Jack and Webb to have breakfast together. In fact, Schott had already completed his intended distance—about five kilometers—fifteen minutes prior. Jack ran a bit slower; he needed to learn from his older brother. As for Webb, there was no comparison; he ran out of strength after just one kilometer.