The next morning.
The majestic and towering Wind God Winged Dragon, with its dragon might like a mountain, once again stood proudly on the Seventh Legion's training ground after a month.
Its wide, curtain-like dragon wings spread out, obscuring the rising sun in the east, casting the more than thirty thousand soldiers into a dragon-shaped shadow.
"Haha, it's only been a month, and just as I said, weaklings can't be molded.
They're easily filtered out, not even making it to the first assessment, and have come to me to freeload."
In a neat and dashing General's uniform, with a black and gold embroidered heroic cape, and with yatsufusa in its sheath propped in front of her with both hands, Rin looked down at the soldiers below with an indifferent gaze, as if looking down on all living beings.
"You should have already felt it, what you eat, where you live, what you use, what you train with, are all things that no other imperial army possesses, not even the Imperial Guard protecting the Imperial City can compare to you.
I have given you these things; all you have to do is become stronger.
You should have also felt it, in just one month, you are already different."
At this point, all the soldiers could feel their own changes.
After a month of hellish, rigorous training, all the soldiers' arms, waists, and legs were noticeably two sizes thicker, their weight had increased by at least ten kilograms, and there was not a trace of excess fat on their bodies; their entire bodies were covered in strong, well-defined muscles.
"A month's time is enough for you to possess the physique of qualified soldiers, but even so, you are still not the soldiers I want.
Those of you who remain are still a bunch of weaklings, just a pile of big weaklings stuck together, not yet filtered out.
Triple military pay is not for you to exercise your bodies, and food made by Danger Beasts is not for feeding freeloaders!"
yatsufusa in her hand gently tapped the top of the Wind God Winged Dragon's head, and in an instant!
The might of the Endbringer erupted, intimidating the entire field!
A overwhelming force descended from high above like a tsunami!
Looking up at the figure standing proudly against the wind hundreds of meters high, obscuring the sun, more than thirty thousand people couldn't help but bend their knees, almost kneeling before her.
"Today marks a full month since you first arrived here.
Today, I will conduct the first assessment and inspection.
I will personally select and discard the useless ones who do not meet my standards and cannot go to the battlefield.
I want soldiers who can fight and win, not strong thugs."
At this time, the officers under Rin's command, who had received orders in advance, directed a large number of auxiliary troops to bring a large amount of weapons and equipment to the training ground.
"Take off your stone weapons and armor.
Today, I allow you to finally pick up real weapons and put on real armor to fight, as you wished."
"Thud." "Thud." "Thud."... Numerous dull thuds of heavy objects hitting the ground, the stone armor and stone swords falling to the ground kicked up countless dust clouds.
With over thirty thousand people together, the training ground was instantly filled with swirling dust.
Rin frowned slightly, and the Wind God Winged Dragon beneath her gently vibrated its dragon wings, instantly stirring up a violent storm that swept across the entire training ground.
When each new recruit truly picked up real steel battle swords and armor, they felt completely different from what they had imagined.
The steel-forged longswords felt as light as wooden swords they played with as children, and the armor felt weightless when worn.
"This, is this sword really made of steel? Why is it so light?"
"This armor too, it feels like I'm not wearing anything at all."
"It really is..."
"Silence!!!"
Zhi Feng, unable to tolerate the new recruits who were starting to stir due to curiosity, sternly shouted, and the curious new recruits immediately quieted down, the scene instantly returning to solemn silence.
"Alright, now that everyone has their weapons and equipment, you should have already felt what kind of changes have occurred in your bodies.
These are all what I have given you, and now it is time for you to repay me."
Rin quickly grabbed yatsufusa in her hand, and yatsufusa, still in its sheath, spun rapidly twice in Rin's hand before she pointed it north.
"In that direction, thirty kilometers north of here, there is the Empire's largest death row prison, holding all the condemned prisoners transported from across the Empire. They are the Seventh Legion's most important training tools. Nearly fifty thousand imperial death row prisoners have been transported here, and it must be said that this country never lacks scum."
Then, a wicked, demonic smile appeared on Lin's lips.
"Your mission is to clear out this scum. The auxiliary troops usually guarding that death prison have already withdrawn. Soon, a specially arranged 'death row prisoner' will discover that all the cell doors are made with'shoddy workmanship' and can be forced open... Very soon, all fifty thousand death row prisoners will break out and escape."
With his right hand gripping the sword, yatsufusa unsheathed!
The gleaming blade danced in Lin's hand, and the sharp, whistling sword wind swept up a storm that brushed against every soldier's face, the piercing gale making their cheeks ache and feel as if they would split.
"Your mission today is to slaughter every single one of these fifty thousand death row prisoners! Escaping prison is an undeniable capital offense. They were already death row prisoners, there's nothing to pity. They were all originally the Empire's scum, a group of desperadoes. Among them are bandits, mountain brigands, assassins, as well as wandering knights, ronin, and swordsmen. Although they currently only have prison uniforms and are unarmed, a week ago, I specifically gave them a week of hearty meals for today's assessment."
Lin looked at the solemn expressions on some of the soldiers' faces below, and his smile deepened.
"And it's the same food you eat, fortified with strengthening medicine, meat cooked from Danger Beasts. For them, it should be enough as a final feast before death. The death row prisoners are now all in peak condition, full of vigor. If you don't grip your weapons tightly, they might be snatched away, and you could lose your lives!"
yatsufusa arced through the air and returned to its sheath, an overwhelming pressure, like a collapsing mountain, weighed on every soldier's heart. Many had already begun to experience difficulty breathing.
"Do you understand, you scum?! This is a battle of equals! You are soldiers, and your true calling is war! War means bloodshed, it means killing! Let the scum who can't stand the sight of blood be cleansed in this war!"
"While demanding more than ten times the preferential treatment from the Imperial Military Department, the Seventh Legion also has an annual casualty quota ten times higher. If you die in this assessment, no one will vindicate you. There's no difference between dying on the battlefield and dying here!"
"My troops have no room for useless individuals. Scum must be treated differently!"
The Wind God Winged Dragon flapped its wings, carrying Lin into the clouds amidst the surging wind.
"I will be watching your every move from above. Whether you live or die, whether you stay or leave, it's up to you."
After Lin's figure disappeared with the Wind God Winged Dragon, Zhi Feng stepped forward to the front of the troops, officially giving the order on Lin's behalf:
"All troops, form ranks! Assessment begins!!!"
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