"This is Squad 5, please confirm if we can proceed. (Visit our website) (Hand-typed by Crazy Novel Readers)" Shawbert and his four classmates were crouched behind a wall built of red bricks. They were participating in a field exercise organized by the school; capturing the enemy's flag at their headquarters meant victory, otherwise, defeat. Shawbert and his peers were only middle schoolers, and some of the boys were extremely eager for this rare live-fire competition, with the ultimate goal being victory for everyone.

Suddenly, six figures appeared on the other side of the small wooden bridge. Because they were in the forest, the light was insufficient, making it impossible to see the enemy’s true faces. Regardless of who they were, as long as they were taken down, it was fine! The six figures were advancing slowly, stepping so lightly that there was virtually no sound of footsteps. They seemed to be special forces attempting a stealth attack on the headquarters. Although they were called special forces, they were still students, none of whom had any combat experience, having only played shooting games at most. They drew closer to the small wooden bridge, and the sound of their footsteps grew louder. Shawbert whispered tactical instructions behind the brick wall.

Another member of the squad, Bacon, was lying on the grass, gazing up at the brilliant blue sky. Honestly, thanks to the technology invented by humans, air pollution was no longer an issue; wastewater could be completely purified. However, natural elements were dwindling, all due to humanity’s unconscious deforestation and hunting of endangered species. Now, many people were debating the topic of "artificial nature." Regardless, this was Earth in the 23rd century.

Coincidentally, they had been assigned to Squad 5 by the instructor, and since there were only five of them, this squad could operate with greater agility. The only drawback was insufficient firepower; they would be defenseless against large enemy forces.

Shawbert received another order from the instructor, requiring them to advance 100 meters. The members of Unit U.M. felt a surge of excitement, but Shawbert remained as calm as ever.

The battle was about to begin; everyone in Squad 5 took their positions.

Jack seemed confused and dismissive about the objective. "Aren't we supposed to be charging into battle? Why are we stuck in this remote spot?" Jack’s eyes fixed on the unassuming small wooden bridge, and his voice startled the birds perched on the tree trunks, causing them to fly away.

No matter what difficulties lay ahead, they would certainly succeed if they worked hard to overcome them. What dangers awaited them on their path forward? Find out next time.

Jack sighed deeply and sat on the ground, pulling out his handheld computer to start writing his diary. The entry roughly read: December 21, 2211. Our field training has begun. Unfortunately, our squad’s task isn't the glorious charge, but guarding a gloomy little path. I hope the instructor changes our objective soon.

Several soldiers were distributing simulated firearms to the students. Naturally, the students were thrilled to hold guns that could actually fire bullets for the first time. However, military training was extremely strict, and the distribution site was eerily silent; not a single student dared to speak in a whisper. It looked as solemn as the atmosphere before a major harvest.

The students walked in an orderly fashion toward the battlefield—a forest, truly "wild." The battlefield was divided into two sides, separated by a river, with only a few bridges connecting them. Five students entered the area, attracting particular attention; they were members of the school's five-a-side football team, all close friends, needless to say. The captain was a student named Shawbert, renowned by everyone for his extraordinary leadership—a born captain. Football and warfare are different matters; how will Shawbert and his team face the enemy?

Shawbert: "Team members, what we need right now is calm. Nobody knows what difficulties lie ahead of us. We must face everything calmly!"

Just as Bacon was preparing to fire, a red light flashed above the head of the sixth person. It seemed he had been hit, and his gun suddenly malfunctioned, unable to discharge a bullet—perhaps a setting in the training protocol. (For novels, visit Ye Zi • You~You) But who fired? John’s silhouette appeared behind the sixth person—John had shot him! The sixth person heavily dropped his assigned weapon onto the ground and left in frustration.

The radios of every member of Squad 5 suddenly crackled to life. It was John, another member of Squad 5, who was tasked with the vital role of scout in this competition, responsible for relaying effective intelligence to the others. "This is John, this is John. I see six enemies advancing near the small wooden bridge with my binoculars. They haven't spotted you yet. Over."

In this defensive engagement, every member of Squad 5 was completely unscathed; to be precise, it was an absolute victory.

Suddenly, one of the six enemies let out a sharp cry, followed by a sound like something falling—a distinct "smack." Less than a second later, Captain Shawbert ordered the attack. The five enemies still on the ground were focused on their comrade who had just fallen into the trap and failed to react immediately to Squad 5’s assault, resulting in them being caught completely off guard by the squad's fire.

All members of Squad 5, except John, entered combat readiness, equipping their training simulation guns and donning military-grade non-slip gloves, each one fully prepared for the enemy's arrival.

Weber stepped forward, clearly agreeing with Shawbert’s assessment: "Everyone, although I'm one of the more aggressive students in the class, even a brute knows it’s too early to be excited in a situation like this. We’ve only completed one defensive task; we still need to push toward ultimate success." The team members turned their gaze toward the path near the small wooden bridge and began to advance.

Author: Long (Pen Name)

While scouting, Bacon discovered deep footprints near where the four men had been taken out—at the bridgehead. These did not appear to belong to the four men. Could they belong to the sixth person? Bacon followed the direction indicated by the tracks. He reached a large boulder and found the boot left by the sixth person. It even had the man’s name written on it: Merkel. "Clever. This way I can’t track him further," Bacon muttered, throwing the boot forcefully into the forest before following the tracks back to the team.

Weber appeared very confident, saying, "Everything is in order, Captain. I will set some unexpected traps for them. They might be primitive, but the simpler, the better." Shawbert nodded in agreement.

Jack, from Squad 5, heard the sound of a bugle in the distance, signaling the start of the field exercise.

Following the instructor’s guidance, they moved to one side of the battlefield, the bank of the small river—the most desolate section of the entire area. Conversely, this was the route for a stealth attack. The path was concealed by large trees, making it very difficult to spot any lurking enemies. Those fighting here needed excellent mental fortitude. It was precisely because they were seasoned players that the instructor trusted them with the crucial responsibility of defending this stealth route.

The six enemies were nearing Squad 5’s position, and the whole squad was starting to grow anxious. Large beads of sweat formed on Bacon’s forehead. Everyone was so tense they could almost hear their own heartbeats.

On his way back to the team, Bacon spotted the sixth man standing right behind Shawbert. His simulation gun was already cocked, slowly aiming at Shawbert’s head. His hand was trembling—he must have been startled and fled in haste earlier. Bacon’s first instinct was to raise his own weapon and take the enemy down, but remembering Shawbert was being targeted, he hesitated for a moment about firing. There was no more time to hesitate; Bacon was about to pull the trigger.

Shawbert sighed deeply and slowly walked over to Jack, placing a hand on his shoulder. Looking into Jack's sun-kissed face, he said, "I don't want this either, but it’s the instructor’s order, and orders must be obeyed. Besides, the more unremarkable this small wooden bridge seems, the more it is the necessary route for the enemy to sneak toward our headquarters."

Jack asked, "Captain, what is our primary objective?"

The engagement lasted less than a minute. Red lights flashed above the heads of four enemies, meaning they were out of the game. They then dealt with the unfortunate enemy stuck in the trap, making five. What was confusing was the whereabouts of the sixth man. Since it was a forest, hiding was very easy—just ducking behind a large tree. Shawbert and the other members started searching for the sixth person; John had also returned to the team. If that person suddenly appeared, eliminating him would be simple, but they had to be careful not to lose any more teammates, as operating with fewer than five people was extremely difficult.

That afternoon, the sun was bright—a perfect day for an outdoor activity. A group of middle schoolers stood in neat formation before their instructor. They were there for military training, and at this moment, they were participating in a field exercise designed to make the students feel the importance of life amidst the hot-blooded battlefield: Life is singular.

The enemy was crossing the bridge, but Shawbert hadn't given the order to attack. Surely they wouldn't suddenly rush out for a melee? I doubt anyone would resort to that. In this situation, they could only wait for the captain’s command. Patience is paramount on the battlefield; the consequence of impatience is being shot, which means being eliminated from the competition. This brought to mind a saying from 200 years ago: Cherish life!

Shawbert was still checking his simulation gun for any issues. He turned around and announced the primary objective of the field exercise to the entire team—though it was called the whole team, there were only five of them. These five were all good friends who trusted each other completely. "Alright... listen up, everyone. Our primary objective is to defend the wooden bridge behind us." Shawbert pointed to a small wooden bridge on the other side of the brick wall, connecting the forest divided by a river. The small wooden bridge Squad 5 was guarding was quite remote within the field exercise area!~!

l;/g;l;/g;RH