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In the pure white room, Zhushi Jiu stood face to face with the Black Soldier.
Xu Feng’s words didn’t shake Zhushi Jiu at all. He could feel his body craving something intensely, every cell roaring and bursting with unparalleled vitality.
However, his inner self remained exceptionally calm, even calmer than the “still waters” state of mind. After hearing Xu Feng’s threats, his psychological response was minimal, as if Xu Feng’s words weren’t threatening at all.
“… Is this the state after eliminating all emotions?”
Xu Feng had warned him before. Before injecting the Black Soldier serum, Xu Feng said that it would eliminate emotions, making people become emotionless and heartless monsters.
After injecting the serum, Zhushi Jiu thought about his previous state, the eagerness to save the world, the pain of seeing his family suffer under the blue light, and Li Hua’s cries for revenge… All of these emotions had vanished.
Did he need to save the world?
Zhushi Jiu realized that after losing his emotions, his previous determination had evaporated, and his grand goal of saving the world no longer seemed so crucial.
**Discussion Group 5-6-3-7-4-3-7-5**
“Are we starting now?”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted Zhushi Jiu’s thoughts.
The speaker was the Black Soldier, standing just a step away from him.
The Black Soldier wore a full set of old attire, minus the gun. Including the helmet and mask, Zhushi Jiu couldn’t even determine the soldier’s gender, age, or appearance.
He could only see the Black Soldier’s calm, almost expressionless eyes staring back at him.
Through the mask, the distorted voice said, “After injecting the serum, your emotions will be suppressed, and everything you once valued will become obstacles. Are you really clear about what you want?”
“You talk a lot.”
Zhushi Jiu replied, “Let’s start the combat training now. Where do we begin?”
“You’re more determined than I thought.”
The Black Soldier said, “Stretch out your hand, palm up.”
Zhushi Jiu stretched out his hand, palm up. “My determination to save the world is even stronger than you think.”
The Black Soldier didn’t understand; Zhushi Jiu’s conviction didn’t rely on great ideals. Before injecting the serum, his reason for saving the world was to let himself and his loved ones live on. After injecting the serum, his reason became purer – to survive.
In a state devoid of emotions, he wouldn’t feel a shred of sentiment even if he died, but when weighing the concepts of “death” and “survival,” it was clear that “survival” held more value. This was the value he had nurtured over twenty years, impossible to change easily.
So, when he became a completely rational person, he would only measure the value of survival and death to decide whether to continue living, rather than relying on biological instincts.
“Is that so?”
However, the Black Soldier seemed to think that even without emotions, Zhushi Jiu still had a noble ideal of saving the world.
A hint of confusion appeared in the soldier’s calm eyes.
Zhushi Jiu noticed this and realized that the Black Soldier was different. They had all abandoned their lives and survival concepts before becoming Black Soldiers, sacrificing their lives for the world. But after injecting the serum, the emotions supporting their ideals would vanish, making them easier to confuse.
“Listen, if you don’t have a firm conviction, you’re not qualified to be a Black Soldier. But since you’re already one, continue to uphold your ideals. We’re all fighting to save the world.”
These grand words were meant for Xu Feng.
He knew Xu Feng was listening and would use this opportunity to judge his conviction and stance. So, to avoid further torment after his lies were exposed, Zhushi Jiu decided to fake an image that perfectly aligned with the Black Soldier organization’s ideals.
The Black Soldier’s gaze changed, and the confusion disappeared, replaced by a calm expression.
The first task, “Testing Zhushi Jiu,” was complete, and he had confirmed Zhushi Jiu’s stance.
The second task was to “teach Zhushi Jiu combat.”
The Black Soldier stretched out a hand, covering Zhushi Jiu’s hand.
“Among the world’s martial arts, speed is the most crucial. Any combat technique relies on speed. After injecting the serum, your brain will enter a brief active period, which lasts only ten minutes. This ten-minute period is called the ‘Golden Reaction Time.'”
“In this time, if you focus on training your reaction speed, your original reaction speed will greatly improve. After the Golden Time ends, I’ll formally teach you combat.”
Zhushi Jiu looked at his hand touching the Black Soldier’s. He didn’t speak.
The Black Soldier didn’t glance at him, saying, “The method to train reaction speed is simple – I’ll place my hand on yours, and then I’ll withdraw it. You need to try and touch my hand again.”
Zhushi Jiu was skeptical. “Just that simple?”
“Yes.”
“Are there any restrictive rules, like you can’t move or hide your hand behind your back?”
“None,” the Black Soldier replied without any emotional fluctuations. “As long as you can touch my hand, use any method you like.”
“… Alright.”
This Black Soldier was so confident that he almost said, “You can’t touch my hand.”
“When do we start?”
“Now.”
The Black Soldier didn’t wait for Zhushi Jiu to prepare, directly lifting his hand, and their hands parted.
Zhushi Jiu didn’t react in time, but as soon as the Black Soldier lifted his hand, his highly active brain immediately told him what was happening – the game had begun.
The Black Soldier’s hand first lifted up, and Zhushi Jiu’s hand followed, but just as they were about to touch, the Black Soldier’s hand withdrew a bit.
Zhushi Jiu didn’t bother to play by the rules, directly taking a step forward to compensate for his slow reaction speed.
However, just as he was about to grab the Black Soldier’s hand, the soldier also retreated a step.
How could reaction speed only rely on hand movements?
The Black Soldier had already seen through Zhushi Jiu’s every movement, predicting his next actions.
Ordinary people’s quick reaction speed referred to instinctive reflexes without thinking, whereas the Black Soldier’s reaction speed referred to reacting swiftly even after thinking. The difference between the two had become an insurmountable gap, impossible to bridge.
At least, untrained people couldn’t master the difficult technique of “thinking and reacting” in a short time.
Zhushi Jiu forced the Black Soldier to retreat a step.
In the highly active state of his brain, Zhushi Jiu saw clearly that the Black Soldier wasn’t using any tricks, maintaining a speed similar to his own. Seeing the Black Soldier’s effortless movements, he knew the soldier was holding back, like a deep, unfathomable abyss.
He didn’t give up, taking another step forward.
This time, he used his entire leg strength to lunge forward, while his right hand shot towards the Black Soldier’s hand!
However, the Black Soldier retreated again.
The Black Soldier continued to maintain a speed that made Zhushi Jiu think he had a chance to catch up, letting Zhushi Jiu believe he could touch his hand. With a fake move, he hooked Zhushi Jiu’s hand, and his foot “coincidentally” landed on Zhushi Jiu’s foot, making him lose balance.
Zhushi Jiu’s reaction was fast.
If his ordinary level was 60 points before injecting the serum, his current reaction speed had increased to 90 points. However, compared to the Black Soldier, it was still not enough, at least not enough to notice the Black Soldier’s sneak attack while trying to grab his hand.
So, the Black Soldier’s foot made him lose balance, and he stumbled forward.
The Black Soldier lightly sidestepped, releasing his foot from Zhushi Jiu’s.
If it were any other time, Zhushi Jiu would have fallen, but now he managed to stabilize his body, taking two steps forward before regaining balance.
He turned back to look at the calm Black Soldier. “I didn’t expect you to use a sneak attack.”
“There’s only one rule in this game – your hand must touch mine. All other methods you can think of are allowed, including attacking me. I just gave you a demonstration, and I won’t be stingy with my moves.” The Black Soldier said lightly.
Yeah, I remember. Next time, I’ll definitely make you suffer.
Zhushi Jiu charged towards the Black Soldier again.
He didn’t believe he had become so useless after injecting the serum.
Although the Black Soldier’s speed was similar to his own, he just couldn’t touch the soldier’s hand.
This was within his expectations, and now he was trying to master the Black Soldier’s movement style and trajectory. If he could familiarize himself with the soldier’s style, he would be able to predict the Black Soldier’s next move.
He charged towards the Black Soldier again, this time using both hands.
…
In another room, Xu Feng finally filled in Zhushi Jiu’s personal evaluation form.
Reaction speed: C+ – very poor.
Combat training hadn’t even started, and Xu Feng already felt deep disappointment.
Is this the best you can do?
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Happy birthday to “Light God”! May your future be bright and your path be smooth! Sorry for the late response… (bows) Thanks to “No Palace” and ” Nine Palace’s” generous support!
Thank you to all who have supported and commented!
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