Chapter 565: Army of Glutinous Rice Balls
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He might really die from this! Even though he chose the simplest form of holographic scanning system, building five thousand of them was really exhausting. However, since Xi Yan was there to help, he was able to finish making them ahead of schedule.
Just then, the five thousand training vehicles that Ye Chong ordered had arrived. Ye Chong had to expand the landing field area to accommodate all the training vehicles. Fortunately, his manor was large enough.
All five thousand training vehicles were neatly arranged on the landing field. As seen from above, they looked like a neat display of five thousand glutinous rice balls.
The training ground of the five thousand students was very close to the landing field. However, the students were all focused in their training, and did not think to look around them. By now, 60 percent of the students had passed the hand speed training, leaving only 40 percent of them to go. However, these students were very close to passing already. It would probably take only another week for them to join their other cohorts.
The students who passed were now learning about their very own keyboard models. The complicated key sequences were a headache. They did not know what they mean, but had to memorize them anyway. However, they were given no other choice but to forge ahead.
This was a test on memory power. The more intelligent students quickly stood out.
Ye Chong found that one of the students used only three days to memorize all the key sequences, and another three days to type 150 key sequences of difficulty Level 43.
Even Ye Chong was impressed by the student. Some talented people would find themselves unnoticed by society until they were given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Then, they would shine more brightly than anyone else.
This student was obviously talented. Ye Chong would definitely pay special attention to him. The student was not Duan Qian or the prominent Shu sisters, but a young man who had only had average results in previous trainings. His name was Appilok, and he was singled out by Ye Chong from the other students.
He would receive even stricter training. Ye Chong would personally train him to become a qualified mech pilot.
Appilok's first hurdle was physical stamina. He had gone through the physical training all this while, but that was far from enough, the way Ye Chong saw it.
All the students were curious about the five thousand spherical machines laid out not far from their training ground. Even their instructor, Liao San, had his interest piqued. Ye Chong was officially known as a Master Weaponsmith, and those were obviously his latest creations. Liao San had been hoping to get one of Ye Chong's Spiders for a long time, but he knew he did not rank high enough in the government to request for one.
The five thousand training vehicles were a huge motivation for the students, especially when they found out they could have one for themselves if they passed the training of typing key sequences.
Moreover, once they knew that the training vehicles could fly, the students cheered out loudly with joy. All of them, except for Duan Qian and the Shu sisters, were only average people. They were trained in parapsychic control and hence, never flew an aircraft before. They had been envious of shooters for a long while, but now found themselves given the chance to fly as well.
Ye Chong could not sympathize with their emotions, but he could see that their morale was high. This surprised him, since the typing test was a very dry training. However, this was good news for him. Of course he preferred that they stayed that way.
Ye Chong was dead tired after finishing all five thousand holographic scanning systems. Xi Yan was also exhausted. However, Ye Chong did not take a break. There were too many things that demanded his attention.
Getting used to the upgraded Celest was one of his main priorities. A child holding a heavy axe was more likely to injure himself than others. To Ye Chong, Celest was now like that heavy axe. It was a powerful tool, but he would need time to master it.
Appilok watched Ye Chong in quiet surprise. He was not even surprised this much when he was brought to the training ground in the manor's underground base. Ye Chong demonstrated the most basic combat moves, and would do so hours at a time, repeating the moves over and over again. It was hard to imagine a master in combat expert to spend so much time in basic training every day.
Appilok understood how fortunate he was and appreciated this opportunity given to him. He forced himself to go through the dull training every day. He reminded himself always to learn from Ye Chong.
Appilok was very talented, at least in the mind. Ye Chong felt that he was born to become a mech pilot. The young man had a calm mind and excellent memory. He was also committed and dedicated. The only thing he lacked was physical fitness. His body was not naturally suitable for combat. Ye Chong had trained him for a long while, and he had indeed become stronger, but still far from ideal. However, he displayed exceptional skills in other areas, especially in strategizing.
Appilok was more suited to become a long range mech pilot. However, Ye Chong did not have a long range mech. That would have to wait until he build a base in Darkniss.
With Ye Chong's personal teaching, Appilok improved much faster than the other students. Even Duan Qian was envious of the special attention he was getting. Duan Qian was the second fastest improving student in the cohort. He had the best physical build compared to the other five thousand students. No one who worked hard enough to reach where he was would have a mediocre mind.
Duan Qian was the first to enter a training vehicle. When the spherical training vehicle alighted from the ground, everyone below watched him enviously. Suddenly, the training vehicle spiralled uncontrollably like a balloon losing its air, and landed heavily on the ground. When Duan Qian emerged dizzily from the machine, the training ground was silent, and then exploded in laughter.
More students began their practice in flying their training vehicles. When they entered their training vehicles and saw the control console looking exactly like their training keyboard, they finally realized what the key sequences were all about.
Being new to flying, they were not afraid to try out their training vehicles. Everywhere in the sky were wooden balls, flying around in different trajectories. Often, a training vehicle would go out of control and crash land into the ground. After a while, the training vehicle would begin its shaky ascent into the air once again.
Ye Chong was grateful to have installed the safety systems. If they were not in place, the students would have been crushed into meat patties when they crash landed from high above. Now, they would only feel dizzy in the aftermath.
The students who were up in the air were having fun, but the ones who were still down below and the royal guards stationed around the manor were in for trouble. With so many training vehicles crashing down unpredictably, anyone who found themselves in the way would die for sure. Hence, from the day Duan Qian began his flying training, the royal guards moved their camp 150 kilometres away. Together with them were the students that were not selected by Ye Chong. The students who were still have not passed continued their training in Ye Chong's manor.
Liao San roared at them, "You little m*therf*ckers, hehe, if you don't buck up, get ready to be crushed! Hell, you ask me if there's a safer place? Haha, are you idiots? Can't you use that rusted brain of yours? It's the sky! That's right, the sky! If you don't wanna be hit, f*cking pass your training. The faster you get up there, the safer you are. Then you get to choose who you wanna crash into! Of course, whichever f*cker thinks of crashing into me, you know what happens to anyone who murders a General of the country!"
These students were scared to death, and moved their hands even more quickly. Ye Chong had thought they needed at least a week or two to pass their training, but in the end it only took them three days.
From this incident, Ye Chong also learned that a desperate situation was the most effective way to harness a person's full abilities.
Inspired by this realization, Ye Chong decided to incorporate this concept into the rest of the students' training program. If Shang were here, the mech would definitely be more ruthless than him.
Oh, Mu/Shang …
Ye Chong suddenly felt his heart all warming up. He looked into the distance and gripped his hands together into tight fists.
Liao San came to report to Ye Chong. "Sir, I just received orders to leave for my original post."
Ye Chong was surprised. Liao San was a good instructor, He never questioned Ye Chong's training program, and would perform his tasks diligently. Without Liao San, Ye Chong would have to deal with the students personally. With his current jam packed schedule, that was hardly feasible.
Ye Chong frowned. "What happened?"
"His Majesty gave the order." Liao San explained in a serious tone. "The conflict between Eastern Cloud and Western Frost has escalated recently. The border is now under a very real threat. War could happen at any moment now. As His Majesty's Royal Guards, we are bound by duty to protect the King."
Ye Chong understood the situation. He considered for a moment and nodded calmly. "Alright. All the best to you. Oh, by the way, bring Xuan Ning's Spider to him." It was no wonder that Xuan Ning did not have time to come for his Spider.
"Yes Sir!" Liao San bowed to Ye Chong and left.
After Liao San's departure, Ye Chong immediately made his way to the training ground. He felt a strong sense of urgency. War was imminent. With Eastern Cloud's military fitted with new weapons, they were now much stronger than ever. Sun Sieha had waited for this day for a long time. War would begin soon enough.
Once the battles started, the current peace would be broken. It would also be the best opportunity for Ye Chong to leave. Ye Chong knew that with Eastern Cloud's current strength, winning the war was a matter of time. When Eastern Cloud won the war against Western Frost and Ye Chong had not left by then, leaving would become much harder, especially when he was taking five thousand people with him.
The best time would be when Sun Sieha was focused on the war and not on him.
Ye Chong already knew where they would be headed for.
The students enjoyed their latest training program. It was much more interesting than typing meaningless key sequences in their keyboards. Besides, for many students, flying was the dream of their lives. After all, whether it was in Eastern Cloud, Western Frost of Northern Lands, only shooters were allowed to fly.
To these students, the training vehicles were like a miracle. The holographic system allowed even normal people to know what was outside their line of sight. There was also the photon processor thing, which was equally fascinating. The training vehicle was slower than an aircraft, but more flexible in the air. It could even fly as close as five meters away from the ground.
That was what Ye Chong had asked from his students. They must learn how to fly in low altitudes. Every day, Ye Chong would lead his students flying in the air. Appilok's personal training had to stop. Now, he trained with the rest of the students.
The entire Su City found out about those strange aircrafts. People were shocked at first, but soon grew used to them. Rumours had it that the manufacturer who built Ye Chong's training vehicles received a lot of enquiries about those strange aircrafts.
The students flew further and further distances. Long distance flight practices became common. It was hard to say if it was more fascinating or funny to see a swarm of five thousand balls flying high up in the sky, but the sight left a deep impression in anyone who saw it.
The students would sometimes even venture out for thousands of kilometers, like an actual fleet of aircraft. This had alerted local authorities at first. However, once news of Master Ye Chong's weird aircraft spread across the entire Eastern Cloud country, the local military relaxed.
No one would raise a fuss about Master Ye Chong for something so inconsequential. Some of the soldiers even took the initiative to greet the students.
After this long period of training, the students flew better and could execute formations, at least in form. However, Ye Chong knew that the students were only still not capable of facing an actual battle. The only thing he was thankful for was that his students could shoot very well.
The military's recent new fittings also brought Ye Chong a fortune. Ye Chong prepared to buy new supplies, but found that the government now had a tight hold on all resources due to the state of emergency in the country. Hence, Ye Chong went to Sun Sieha.
"What do you need so many things for?" Sun Sieha went through Ye Chong's very long list, dumbfounded.
Ye Chong replied calmly, "Refitting."
Sun Sieha realized then that Ye Chong wanted to make new gear for the five thousand students. No wonder he needed so much resources. He had heard of how people referred to Ye Chong's team as the Army of Glutinous Rice Balls, and laughed. "Alright, you can have them. However, you know that we are in a state of emergency right now. Everything will cost 20 percent more, agreed?" Ye Chong's fortune came mostly from Sun Sieha. Even the King was getting jealous of his wealth. How could the King possibly let go of this wonderful opportunity?
Ye Chong nodded without expression. "Agreed."
"Are you upgrading your Army of Glutinous Rice Balls to, well, an Army of Dumplings? Hehe!" Sun Sieha teased. Since the training vehicles were round, and flew slowly and even shakily in the sky, people nicknamed the group as the Army of Glutinous Rice Balls.
Ye Chong ignored him and left with the King's approval letter for his supplies.