Chapter 9
Venture
The Earth Element starts their day with a jog, but not on a flat road. They run across the beach while carrying military packs weighing more than sixty pounds. For five years, Vo Phong has been taking great pride in his legs.
However, that pride turns into humiliation after only five short minutes. Running on the beach is many times harder than running on flat ground.
The red-haired guy's miserable state is difficult to describe. Seawater submerges his waist and soaks his military uniform. His back is bent and twisted as if about to break in two, while his legs grow so heavy that it feels as though lead blocks are tied to them, and he soon collapses. Grizzly drags him back to the shore and keeps cursing him:
- Only five minutes? Weak! Coward! Get up, idiot! You must adapt to any terrain and any situation! If you are even one second late, your corpse will be blown apart by artillery shells! Get up now, you weak idiot!
- Let me rest a little… - The red-haired guy gasps for breath - … I still haven't eaten anything…
Grizzly laughs, his thick lips spreading apart to reveal a mouthful of white teeth.
- Want to eat? Keep running, or you get no breakfast!
Hearing that, Vo Phong immediately stands up. The more he runs, the clearer the thoughts of giving up become in his mind. Fortunately, he ignores reason and chooses to listen to the call of his stomach instead. The prospect of starvation makes Vo Phong feel even more afraid.
One hour later, he returns to the military camp and collapses onto the ground like a dead fish giving off a rotten smell. Although he is exhausted to the point of death, that does not mean Vo Phong has the right to eat comfortably.
Grizzly distributes rations according to the red-haired guy's condition, saying that Vo Phong must follow a proper diet in order to achieve the ideal physique.
After finishing breakfast, the red-haired guy goes to the sword training room. The lesson begins with that pile of obscure theories from Instructor Grizzly. The captain talks endlessly for several hours about sword techniques and combat stances.
He lectures loudly, occasionally making hissing sounds like an off-key singer. After the long theory session, Vo Phong enters the practical stage. The training is not much different from the previous inspections, except Grizzly has swapped his real blade for a wooden sword. Vo Phong practices defense while Grizzly is responsible for attacking.
The captain's strikes are unbelievably fast, and Vo Phong barely blocks two attacks. He falls on the third strike, his wooden sword flying from his hand while his back receives another horizontal slash. The pain leaves him speechless, and he feels as though his spine is about to snap in two. But this nightmare is merely the prelude to the red-haired guy's suffering.
Time slowly passes, and Vo Phong is hit again and again until his entire body is covered in injuries. Whenever he falls, Grizzly shouts:
- Get up now! You must observe the whole picture, not just stare at the opponent's sword path and legs! If you obsess over details, how can you see all of your opponent's moves? Have you already forgotten what you just learned?
After saying that, the guy aggressively walks closer. Vo Phong waves his hands, pleading with Grizzly to stop:
- Slow down, Captain! Let me rest a little! Stop hitting me! Ah! I said stop hitting me! Ah!
For an entire morning, Grizzly swings his sword and slashes countless times. Vo Phong cannot block at all, feeling as though he is using a wooden stick to fight against a giant hammer. Wooden swords continuously break, and the training ground becomes covered in fragments. The number of broken swords is exactly equal to the number of wounds on Vo Phong's body.
At noon, the red-haired guy is completely exhausted, his limbs limp and powerless. After staggering forward a few steps, he falls to the ground and can no longer walk back to the cafeteria. However, Grizzly is already prepared.
The red-haired guy's lunch includes dry bread, a large amount of green leafy vegetables, several egg whites, and a small amount of fried and stir-fried food.
Vo Phong is not picky with food and eats everything, down to the bread crumbs. However, the most special items are two small black cakes that have the effect of refreshing the mind and enhancing physical strength. After taking a bite, a rich sweetness spreads through his throat, and all exhaustion instantly disappears without a trace.
Vo Phong rubs his stomach and feels that he is still not full. He glances at Grizzly and discovers that the guy's lunch is as luxurious as a banquet. Seeing how gluttonous he looks, Grizzly explains:
- In the Earth Element, everyone has their own dietary system. I eat my food, and you eat yours. Diet determines physique, and physique determines the strength and type of Swordsman a person becomes. Swordsmanship has many schools, such as strength-based, technique-based, strategy-based, magic-based, or speed-based…
- Then which one suits me?
- Secret, secret! Hehehe! - Grizzly laughs in a deep muffled voice while roughly chewing delicious fish dishes, deliberately teasing the red-haired guy.
The two rest for half an hour before continuing the practical training. This time, Vo Phong attacks while Grizzly defends. The red-haired guy attacks in a messy and chaotic manner again, just like yesterday.
Today, replaying the old trick completely "turns off the sunlight." With only a few simple counters, Grizzly sends the red-haired guy flying away. Vo Phong spins around, trying to use his speed to turn the situation around, but it is useless because the dark-skinned guy's defense is too tight. He feels like a weak falcon crashing its head against a solid steel wall. Grizzly says:
- Do you realize the advantage of body size now?
He nods while gasping for breath. The captain continues:
- This is called "visual pressure." Remember how children fight? Small children are often afraid of bigger children, even if the bigger child is not necessarily stronger. Visual pressure makes you lose your psychological advantage and lose the clarity needed to search for ways to attack. I will say it again: fighting with swords like that is a waste of energy. You are low-level, extremely low-level! A professional swordsman can kill you easily. You must overcome this kind of visual pressure. Once a sword is in your hand, body size and physique no longer have meaning, understand?
- But I can't hit as hard as you! - Vo Phong breathes heavily.
- That is why a swordsman exists! Remember the seven principles of the classical swordsman: strength, intelligence, technique, speed, spirit, tactics, and strategy. It teaches how to fight in a standard manner and how to fully utilize the body's strength! More importantly, it teaches how to control the momentum of your sword swings so you do not stab yourself. I have seen too many deaths caused by this kind of carelessness. Do not be lazy, be serious! Do you want to be banned from dinner?
The red-haired guy straightens his attitude. He practices these basic attacks again and again while broken swords continue piling up. A monotonous and boring afternoon is filled with painful screams and groans. When dusk finally begins to descend, Vo Phong's nightmare comes to an end.
He hugs his scar-covered body with a bitter expression, and even dinner no longer tastes very good. He asks for some cakes that increase strength, but Grizzly does not give him any because they are stimulating foods that cannot be used for a long time.
- Do not abuse them! - Grizzly says. - Use them only in emergencies, remember that!
Although sword training is difficult, it is still not as torturous as survival techniques. For example, holding one's breath underwater. Vo Phong is forced to hold his breath for ten minutes, but he cannot endure even ten seconds, and every time he comes up, Grizzly pushes him back underwater.
Or surviving in the deep forest. Every weekend, Grizzly brings Vo Phong into the forests in the northern part of the country and leaves him with a jug of water and a dagger.
Within three days, Vo Phong has no choice but to escape from the forest. Because he is already used to living in the Garbage Market, combined with his strong survival instincts, he completes the task ahead of time.
It sounds easy, but in reality he returns in tattered clothes, his stomach is stuffed with raw meat, and he carries dark circles from sleepless nights while constantly fearing the arrival of wild beasts. Because of the survival exercises, every time he sees meat, he wants to vomit.
The first few weeks are filled with hardship. The red-haired guy is always completely exhausted. He is forced to become a professional soldier within three months.
When Vice Captain Vermin adds several shooting classes into Vo Phong's schedule, the pressure becomes even worse. It is called "shooting," but in reality it is training in the use of military weapons. Vo Phong must know how to drive anything that can move and use every type of firearm, no matter the size.
Vermin has no fixed schedule. He teaches in the morning or at night and even interferes with the time Grizzly teaches Vo Phong sword training. Unlike the captain, this Vice Captain is easygoing, relaxed, and never shouts.
This guy only wants results. He checks immediately after class, and if Vo Phong does not reach the target score, he loses dinner. During the first month, the red-haired guy goes hungry six times.
By the middle of the second month, the situation clearly improves. Vo Phong gradually adapts to the high-intensity training lifestyle. The fatigue in his body lessens, and the red-haired guy's shady nature returns once again.
Because he is dissatisfied with the nutrition system, he begins stealing food. One day, when he is extremely hungry, he even steals Grizzly's lunch.
The first day goes smoothly, but on the second day, he is caught alive and punished with one thousand push-ups and ten jogging laps around the camp. When one plan fails, another one is born.
Vo Phong fumbles his way into sneaking into the kitchen. He steals and eats so much that near the end of the month, the Supreme Commander Nhat Long has no choice but to launch a 'Weekend Rat Hunt' campaign.
At the same time, Vo Phong tries to learn about the Earth Element. He discovers that the platoon's history exists neither on paper nor in computer records.
All records of the entire platoon are managed by the Conclave Council. Neither the Vice Captains nor the captain himself knows the old generation of the Earth Element. The search reaches a dead end.
But even information about the current platoon is scarce. Grizzly tells the truth: most platoon members are humorous and friendly. But whenever Vo Phong asks about personal matters, they avoid the topic. Another subject that annoys him just as much is the absent member named "Beast".
Whenever Beast is mentioned, everyone reacts differently: some laugh it off, some grow tired of the subject, some laugh loudly, while others remain silent. Therefore, Vo Phong cannot imagine what kind of person Beast is.
Three months pass in the blink of an eye. It is already July 4th, the day the princess begins her journey. That night, Vo Phong prepares his belongings. After everything is finished, he does not know what to do with the money pouch. After hesitating for a long time, he still has no choice but to carry it with him. He has no intention of deserting, but he also does not want to abandon the spoils.
Vo Phong gathers with the platoon and leaves the capital aboard a flying ship. The flight is not very long, around ten minutes. When the ship lands on the island, Vo Phong can still see the bright lights of Flying City on the horizon.
At present, the Earth Element is on an island thirty kilometers east of the capital. The island has no name, no construction projects, and no inhabitants, only military management. As soon as the platoon steps off the flying ship, a convoy of military vehicles is already waiting to take them back to the camp.
Other than the vehicle lights, there are no lights on the road. What appears in Vo Phong's eyes is a dark and gloomy scene. When he gets out of the vehicle and follows the guide into the camp, he cannot make out the camp's outline. He only knows that they must take an elevator down to the underground flying ship storage area.
Several minutes later, the elevator doors open. Before Vo Phong's eyes are convoys carrying equipment and machinery, hundreds of experts in white uniforms, the most advanced weapons waiting to be installed on every truss, and battle ships lined up in perfect order. The place is bustling, as if dozens of massive factories are operating at the same time.
The area is enormous, almost as large as the capital square. Vo Phong freezes for a moment, his mind dizzy from the space filled with mechanical roaring. In the distance, Supreme Commander Nhat Long walks forward, his brush-like mustache vibrating with every step. He says:
- You're late, you guys!
Nhat Long has a habit of picking at the mistakes of others. Captain Grizzly pleases the Supreme Commander by lowering his head and admitting fault. One of the twin brothers says:
- Supreme Commander, where is Thunder God?
- What thunder and lightning is there? - the other twin immediately adds. - Maybe Supreme Commander is only joking!
The two guys exchange glances and burst into laughter. Mister Nhat Long replies kindly:
- You still do not believe it? Then welcome our new friend!
The Supreme Commander orders the technicians to activate the system. Rumbling echoes resound as the underground storage area trembles slightly like an earthquake.
The seemingly seamless floor in the central area suddenly splits into several sections, opening in a spiral pattern, and a metallic mass named Thunder God rises. Vo Phong is stunned by Thunder God's appearance. At first sight, it gives him an enormous sense of oppression.
Thunder God is built from "giant" molds. It is ten times larger than ordinary transport flying ships, with a height comparable to a twenty-story building, and its entire body is coated in silver paint. The ship is divided into two parts: the main axis and the wings.
The main axis resembles a multilayered tower, while behind its rear half are four groups of massive exhaust pipes as deep as bottomless abysses.
Surrounding the central axis, two elliptical arched wings stand symmetrically. Thunder God has no rudder or supports. It uses the power of magnetic fields to lift its enormous body, hovering only a very short distance above the ground. Thunder God is supposed to begin operation next year, but because of the princess, it must launch ahead of schedule.
- Thunder God is powered by Luminous Matter. - Nhat Long says - It consumes five barrels of Luminous Matter every week. Get used to it. Until the princess completes her mission, all of you will remain with Thunder God.
Vo Phong stares blankly. In the Garbage Market, he vaguely heard about Luminous Matter, but he does not understand what it is. When he quietly asks Vermin, that guy immediately begins lecturing:
- Luminous Matter is a magical stone that collects solar energy. An indispensable item for the Sacred Envoys, and the most important resource in the world. Luminous Matter contains an enormous amount of energy, exists only in limited quantity, and is strictly banned from trade. One unit of Luminous Matter is called a "barrel." On the black market, one barrel of Luminous Matter is equal to three thousand barrels of diamonds, or forty-nine thousand barrels of gold.
The red-haired guy feels suffocated among gold and diamonds. While the team is aboard the Thunder God, he still spreads out his palm and counts on his fingers, wondering what a pile of gold and diamonds can buy. The twin brothers reach out and throw their arms around the red-haired guy's shoulders as they ask:
- Hey, have you seen the Princess? What does she look like? Cute and charming, or arrogant and overbearing?
- Is the Princess really beautiful? What are her measurements like? - The other guy continues.
Faced with two funny guys, the red-haired guy's bragging shoots straight into the sky. He uses a mysterious voice to describe the Princess as shining like a goddess. The entire team knows he is exaggerating, yet they still listen attentively.
Everyone is distracted by his flexible beak. Grizzly immediately sends the red-haired guy down to clean the spaceship toilets for the crime of telling ridiculous stories.
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the underground cellar, Luc Chau and her three guards appear before the Emperor. Snowsun X does not enter the storage area in order to avoid drawing attention. Right now, the person he cares about most is Luc Chau.
He watches his daughter for a long time. But a long life in politics makes Snowsun X extremely careful with sentences and words. Saying even a single encouraging sentence to his daughter is extremely difficult. After hesitating for a long while, the Emperor says:
- This afternoon, I just met Tay Minh. He accepted my proposal. Tay Minh will accompany you until you complete the mission.
Luc Chau is surprised:
- Really, Father?
- Yes. - The Emperor nods. - Tay Minh will arrive shortly. Furthermore, from now on, Nhat Long is the Commander of the Thunder God. The military camp's work will be handed over to Luc Thien. In short, your brother will become Supreme Commander.
The Princess smiles:
- Please pass my congratulations to my brother, Father! He must be very happy!
- Only tonight. - The Emperor shakes his head. - Tomorrow, his hair will stand on end because of the media.
Snowsun X and his daughter burst into laughter, followed by a long silence. Chien Tu cleverly signals to Tieu Ho and Hoa Nghi, and the three quickly step back. Only the father and daughter of the Snowsun family remain, quietly walking along the empty road where hazy memories occasionally ripple to the surface.
Twenty-one years ago, when Luc Chau was born, Snowsun X arrived late because he was busy receiving diplomatic delegations. By the time Luc Chau turned fifteen and swore the oath to become a Sacred Envoy, Snowsun X was absent again because of state affairs. At twenty-one years old, Luc Chau now carries a heavy responsibility far away from the nation, fortunately with the Emperor personally seeing her off. But will this be the last time?
The Emperor embraces Luc Chau. He wants to speak, wants to express a father's affection. Troublingly, emotional words get stuck in his throat. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, his aged hand tightens around his daughter's hair. Just as Luc Chau is about to hold the Emperor's hand, he suddenly pulls it back violently. There is not the slightest emotional fluctuation on his face. The Emperor's face is filled only with authority:
- Do your best!
The Emperor does not smile, but Luc Chau laughs instead. She lowers her head:
- I request permission to depart.
The brief meeting ends. The Princess enters the underground storage cellar. From this moment onward, she is walking a road without her father or brother beside her. Luc Chau begins thinking about Chien Tu. She needs support, a peaceful place.
At midnight, the enormous dome of the underground storage cellar splits into two halves. The Thunder God activates. Its engines unleash a powerful thrust as it gradually flies into the sky, its humming roar sounding like thunder. Standing aboard the spaceship, Luc Chau gazes through the transparent window.
On the horizon, the round shape of Flying City grows smaller and smaller. She looks at the magnificent palace silhouettes of Crescent District and the brightly illuminated towers of White Eye District. She sees Flying City, but she does not see her father, even though she knows he is watching her.
An arm suddenly wraps around Luc Chau's neck. Turning around, she recognizes Tieu Ho. The blonde girl reveals a radiant smile:
- The Princess misses home! The Princess misses home!
- A little. - Luc Chau nods.
- Let's sleep together, okay?
The Princess hesitates, and Tieu Ho pretends to be angry:
- You don't want to sleep with me? The Princess is too mean!
Luc Chau becomes so angry she almost goes crazy, yet she also finds it hilarious. She laughs while scolding Tieu Ho, but her laughter suddenly turns into a violent coughing fit. The Princess coughs until her voice becomes hoarse and her cheeks turn red. Tieu Ho worries:
- Princess, are you okay? Should I call a doctor?
Luc Chau waves her hand. Tieu Ho continues:
- Someone is definitely talking bad about the Princess.
- Is… that what it means?
Tieu Ho blinks:
- Someone is definitely talking bad about the Princess, I swear!
Luc Chau shakes her head. She thinks Tieu Ho is teasing her. However, Tieu Ho is right. Someone is calling the Princess's name, and not just once. That guy is being punished with toilet-cleaning duty because he tells vulgar stories that disturb military morale.
- Princess Number One! Luc Chau is the best! I am a giant gorilla admiring you! Yet because of you, I die in this godforsaken corner…