A turtle submerged in water is arguably harder to kill than a crocodile. After all, its shell is so resilient that ordinary things can’t breach it. As for its head, if it retracts into the shell, you might poke all day and still not coax it out. Even if you glimpse the head, you still have to account for the distance difference caused by light refraction.
None of those present, male or female, had any practical experience in such matters, yet Zi Ye managed to rescue the person in a flash, as if it were a simple household chore.
They were even more curious about the slender object she clutched tightly in her hand.
What exactly was this thin thing that possessed such incredible power?
Whispering amongst themselves, they wondered why they hadn't brought a weapon along. Otherwise, it would have been them stealing the show today!
Just as the chatter peaked, the instructors came skimming over the sea on speedboats, stopping sharply at the shore. Seeing the carnage, they urgently signaled for the medical team.
The leading instructor, a Major, approached the injured young man. “Name, class.”
The young man cried out in pain, “Instructor, I…”
The Major’s facial muscles were rigid, his voice utterly flat. “Class, name. Do not make me ask again.”
The young man quickly sputtered, “Mecha Design, Class One. Luka.”
Instantly, an instructor behind him opened a light-console and began inputting data. Seeing this, Luka’s already pale face turned ashen. The Major completely ignored his distress. “You will not continue the subsequent training.”
Luka exclaimed, “Then what about my military training score?”
The instructor replied expressionlessly, “Welcome back next year.”
Lings was comparatively lenient; the university offered four opportunities for military training over four years. Failing the first time simply meant returning the following year; only failing all four would result in a zero score.
Even so, the unsuspecting freshmen were thrown into a panic.
The Major offered no explanation, stating coldly, “I, Fain, am your chief instructor for this month. From this moment on, forget you are students!”
His voice was booming and stern, causing the freshmen to momentarily freeze—though some merely sneered, seemingly unconcerned. Fain placed his hands behind his back, his expression as severe as ever. “I don’t care what status you hold, what background you claim, whether you are male or female. Now, you have five minutes to clear your packs, put on your instruments, and swim to Ellissf.”
The instrument was something resembling a wristwatch, displaying the destination, time, and coordinates. The island was 27.5 nautical miles away. Zi Ye fitted the device on and hastily began streamlining her gear. Since it was a long-distance swim, she couldn't afford unnecessary weight, especially over such a distance.
She hadn't packed much; she had initially brought three sets of clothes, so she discarded two, keeping only one. She gave Little Sprout a quick kiss and tucked it securely into the bag, telling it to wait there. Many of the boys had brought little and were done quickly, but it was a different story for the group of girls.
When they were air-dropped, most of their luggage remained on the cruiser. Some had only managed to grab their handbags, while others were burdened with enormous backpacks nearly as tall as themselves. Now, they dumped everything onto the ground, picking through their belongings one by one.
The instructor watched with a cold expression, saying nothing.
Under his intimidating presence, the girls dared not cry or cause a scene; sniffing occasionally, they slowly gathered their things. After a while, a thought struck one of them, and she looked up to ask, “Instructor, what happens if we go over five minutes?”
The Major’s face was impassive. “When the five minutes are up, you either depart immediately or stay here to finish organizing. As long as you reach Ellissf within 25 hours, no one will care.”
The girl looked fearful. “But what if there are sharks in the sea?”
The Major did not answer. The instructor behind him chuckled slightly. “Rest assured, there are no man-eating large fish in this stretch of ocean, nor will there be any more giant turtles.”
The girl bit her lip and stood up. “But… I can’t swim.”
The Major glared at her. “Are you planning to leave with Luka?”
Under his intense gaze, the girl stammered, unable to articulate a single full sentence. She genuinely couldn't bring herself to say, “I quit,” in front of everyone.
Lings allowed failure, but never tolerated deserters.
Just as she seemed about to find an excuse, the Major ignored her, glanced at his watch, brought the whistle to his lips, and blew a sharp “Beeeep—Time’s up! Go!”
Zi Ye fixed her bearing and plunged straight into the embrace of the ocean.
Swimming is a fundamental survival skill; Zi Ye knew how to swim, but she had never attempted such a long distance. She dared not overexert herself early on, fearing she wouldn't have the stamina later. At first, she could see quite a few people swimming near her, but gradually, the crowd thinned out.
After swimming for a long time, she looked up—and found herself completely alone in all directions!
The sea was terribly deceptive: the surface current flowed with her, but the undercurrent pulled against her. She could only move diagonally, which significantly slowed her pace. 27.5 nautical miles within 25 hours—this was no longer just a matter of physical strength.
Little Sprout thrashed around in the backpack, adding to her burden. She quickly soothed it. “Stop messing around, stop messing around. I’ll let you out when we arrive. You’ll get washed away by the seawater if you come out now.”
Little Sprout whined, “It’s so boring.”
Zi Ye tugged at her soaked clothing, water sloshing out. She didn't dare stop paddling and said internally, “Can you help me check on the others?”
Little Sprout released a wave of energy and confirmed a moment later, “Most of them are about a nautical mile behind you, moving much slower.”
Zi Ye finally let out a breath, lifted her head, stretched her arms, and chewed on two pieces of chocolate. She had nutrient fluid in her pack, but consuming it now would cause intense churning in her stomach, risking immediate vomiting.
Dusk approached, and the seawater temperature plummeted sharply. The slightest hesitation in her movements made her feel cold. Her arm and leg strokes became purely mechanical movements. Being submerged for so long was agonizingly uncomfortable, exhausting, and hungry; she simply wanted to close her eyes and sleep.
She knew she couldn't sleep; one lapse in function, and there was only one outcome: sinking to the seabed.
To stay alert, she kept talking to Little Sprout while swimming.
The night was pitch black, with only the sound of the wind scraping past.
She had no idea if anyone was nearby, and even if they were, she couldn't see them. She also didn't know if there were predatory fish around. This was deep water; if a carnivore suddenly appeared, there would be nowhere to flee.
Zi Ye had no certainty, so she pushed forward with all her might.
When natural light finally hung overhead again, Zi Ye spotted the shadow of land. The light was intense now, almost painfully bright to her eyes.
“Little Sprout, is our bearing correct?”
Little Sprout chirped happily, “Yes!”
Zi Ye finally relaxed, feeling her entire body give way, wanting only to collapse. But the closer she got, the worse the cramping became. Her trembling legs constantly signaled that she was deficient not only in sugar but also in salt.
She desperately needed to lie down and sleep.
Thirty meters…
Ten meters…
When only two meters remained, her legs completely failed. Zi Ye face-planted into the water, her vision darkening, but she managed to brace herself. She resorted to crawling forward using her hands and knees. Finally dragging herself onto the sand, she ignored everything else and simply sprawled out on the beach like a beached carcass.
At a glance, she looked exactly like a dead fish. (To be continued)