Early the next morning.
When Ren Kurogane arrived at the classroom, he ran into the street thug, Liu Chuang. The man was still putting on the airs of a gang leader, seemingly intent on being the boss of the place.
"Hey, kid! You're one of those super soldier things too? Whatever. From now on, I'm the boss here. You listen to me, got it?" Liu Chuang pointed at Ren, his face full of arrogance.
Ren didn't humor him. His hammer manifested in his hand, and with a single swing, he sent Liu Chuang flying out of the classroom.
BOOM!!
With a thunderous crash, a large hole was torn through the third-floor wall. Liu Chuang, dressed in his loud floral shirt, soared through the air and slammed heavily into the ground below.
"Ow... my! I think my chest is caved in! Dammit! Kid, you played dirty! You just wait!" Despite groaning in pain, Liu Chuang didn't forget to hurl threats as he looked up at Ren's silhouette on the third floor.
The others behind Ren were stunned; they hadn't expected him to actually strike so decisively. Even Ge Xiaolun and his trio shared the same expression. After all, today was a formal occasion meant for introducing a "Goddess." Usually, one would endure a bit of unpleasantness until the higher-ups arrived, right?
Ren stepped over the broken wall and jumped straight down from the third floor! At the moment of impact, a golden exoskeleton materialized on his legs to absorb the shock, allowing him to land steadily.
His gaze dropped to the terrified Liu Chuang. The latter immediately panicked, shouting to the surroundings, "Help! Is anyone there? Someone's trying to commit murder!"
Thud!
Ren stepped on Liu Chuang's chest, a predatory grin on his face. "Kid, weren't you acting tough? Let me see some more of that arrogance."
By now, no matter how arrogant Liu Chuang was, he knew he had provoked someone he couldn't handle. He stammered, "No, no, no! Big brother, stop hitting me! It was my fault for being blind! I offended you! Please let me off this once! I'll never do it again!"
Seeing him surrender, Ren didn't push too far. As Liu Chuang scrambled up, Ren reminded him, "Once you enter this academy, you are no longer an ordinary person. What you carry on your shoulders is the future of the entire Earth. Stop acting like a petty thug; don't make me look down on you."
Liu Chuang stood dazed for a moment before quickly asking, "Big brother! Do you know something? What exactly are we supposed to be doing here?"
A high-pitched female voice came from behind them, answering for him: "You're here to be Super Soldiers, obviously. Ever heard of Superman?"
Ren turned to see a beauty in leather boots walking toward them. His eyes lit up—not out of lust, but because of the energy radiating from her. As the largest "power bank" in the known universe, if Leinafilled his energy reserves, he could boost his own power and that of the entire Blackfury Squad in no time!
Leina noticed his gaze, but she assumed he was simply mesmerized by her beauty. She tossed her hair happily and shouted to the people above, "Everyone come down! We'll do introductions directly on the training field."
Once everyone was lined up, Leina looked at the loose formation and feigned a serious tone: "Enough! Stand at attention!"
The sudden shout startled everyone, especially the troublemakers like Liu Chuang. Having just been humbled by Ren, Liu Chuang was feeling irritable. Being provoked by this mysterious woman was the last straw. "Hey! Who do you think you are?"
Leina frowned slightly and threw a punch toward him. A fireball tore through the air and slammed into Liu Chuang.
BOOM!!
After a cloud of black smoke cleared, a scorched Liu Chuang appeared before the group.
"Sss!" Seeing his pathetic state, everyone took a sharp breath.
"She seems even more ruthless than Brother Ren?" Ge Xiaolun whispered to his buddies. "More than ruthless, that was just brutal!" Zhao Xin whispered back.
With Leina's display, no one dared to speak loudly again. Simple introductions followed. Afterward, Leina looked at Ren and said with a smile, "Kid, you're not bad. You didn't waste my Super Gene."
Ren was stunned. His Super Gene came from Leina?
Seeing his confusion, Leina laughed. "A year ago, you tricked those rich idiots into building a super shelter. I thought it was interesting. Combined with your constant studying and training, it was as if you knew disaster was coming. So, I specifically applied for a Super Gene for you, hoping you'd make something of yourself!"
Ren cupped his hands toward Leina, genuinely grateful. "Thank you, Goddess, for this opportunity!"
The respectful address pleased Leina immensely, and she burst into arrogant laughter. By now, everyone realized the "Goddess" was basically a high-tier goofball.
Once the fun was over, Leina remembered her duties. With a wave of her hand, sets of Black Armormaterialized onto everyone. Ren curiously inspected the armor, tapping it with his fist, producing a metallic clank.
"Alright, get used to the gear later," Leina clapped her hands. "From today on, you must prepare for the coming war!"
"War?" "That's right. See that wormhole? It connects to the Styx Galaxy. They opened it specifically to invade you. They have a High God. If they launched a full-scale attack, you wouldn't last two days. However, the Angels maintain justice in this universe. Even Great Gods like myself and the God of Styx must follow their rules and not strike weak civilizations directly. So, all you have to deal with is a budding interstellar civilization called the Taotie."
As Leina spoke, the group gained a preliminary understanding of Earth's situation. Ge Xiaolun then asked, "Sister Na, can you tell us more about our Super Genes? I still don't know how to use my Dark Plane System!"
Leina turned serious and sent the relevant data directly into their Dark Plane Systems. After reviewing it, most began to grasp the basics. Only Qi Lin, the sniper without a Dark Plane, felt slightly awkward. She glanced at Ren's side and felt a bit relieved to see Su Xiaoli didn't have one either.
After the technical explanations, Leina began laying out the training plan. Hearing the list of physical exercises, Ren frowned. "Just physical training? We're Super Soldiers; we should have more rigorous training!"
Leina asked with a smile, "Then how do you suggest we train?" Since she chose Ren, she was willing to listen to his ideas.
"Super Soldiers have high recovery rates. Pure physical training is a waste of time. I suggest we start combat training immediately!" Ren said. He knew the Academy's medical capabilities were miraculous; if Qi Lin could survive a headshot in the original story, the others would be fine.
He could see that Ge Xiaolun, Liu Chuang, and the rest were total rookies. They didn't even know how to brawl, let alone fight skillfully. He couldn't stand it!
Leina nodded. "Fine. I'll leave the training arrangements to you!"
A grin spread across Ren's face. For some reason, seeing that smile made Ge Xiaolun and the others feel a chill down their spines.
Ren stepped out and addressed the sky: "I know you have high-tech medical means. Don't be stingy with your resources; give us everything you've got!"
In a hidden base, Dukao stood before a monitor. "Lian Feng, connect me to Ren."
Soon, Dukao's voice echoed in Ren's ear: "I cannot fulfill your request!" It was a flat refusal. The Blackfury Squad wasn't the only team; there was a second batch coming. If they used everything now, what would be left for the others?
Ren gritted his teeth. "Resources and medical care must keep up. I know what you're worried about, but if we fail, there won't be a second team. Earth will be destroyed!"
Dukao didn't get angry. He knew the threat Earth faced. After a moment of silence, he compromised: "Medical resources are yours to use. But as for other resources... I can't give you everything."
"Deal!" Ren agreed instantly. He only really cared about the medical support. As the saying goes: If you say a room is too dark and you need to open a window, people won't let you. But if you propose tearing off the roof, they will negotiate and allow the window.
With medical support secured, Ren turned to the group. They subconsciously shrank back. "Boss... you won't be too rough, right?"
Ren waved his hand with a smile. "How could I? Am I that kind of person?" Before they could sigh in relief, he added, "I'm going for the kill!"
"WHAT??"
"Stop acting surprised. Until the healers arrive, I won't actually kill you." A hammer appeared in Ren's hand. "Today, we use the hammer."
"The hammer again?!" Ge Xiaolun panicked, but before he could retreat, the golden hammer slammed into his chest. Ren used 120% of his power. Even the toughest, Ge Xiaolun, was blasted away, spitting up blood and unable to stand.
Ren didn't give the others time to react. Another strike sent Liu Chuang flying. His defense was lower than Xiaolun's; he was knocked unconscious instantly. Next, Qi Lin and the others were all sent flying by the hammer. Finally, after Rui Mengmeng was hit, Ren stood before Su Xiaoli.
"Hubby don't hit me" Su Xiaoli's flirtatious voice made Ren shiver involuntarily. He promptly tucked the hammer away and laughed. "Fine, I'll 'hit' you later!"
Su Xiaoli huffed, "Behave! There are people around~"
Behind them, Leina was instantly annoyed. "Damn! This Goddess is still single, and you're here feeding me dog food (public displays of affection)?" She promptly tossed a fireball, giving Ren and Xiaoli a "fashionable" new hairstyle.
When Lian Feng and Yu Qin arrived with the medical team, the ground was littered with casualties. Only Goddess Leina sat on a rock, resting. "This..." They were shocked by the scale of the "training." However, as professionals, they immediately began restoration, bringing everyone back to peak condition.
That night.
"Hubby, you were so cool when you were hitting people today~" Su Xiaoli lay in Ren's arms, drawing circles on his chest. "But why were you so rough on Mengmeng? She was spitting blood!"
Ren stroked Rui Mengmeng's hair. "The Academy's medical level is high. As long as you don't die instantly, you can be saved. Mengmeng is a front-line warrior; if she doesn't train hard now, she might lose her life when the aliens actually get here."
Rui Mengmeng smiled softly. "You don't have to explain, Brother Ren. I understand. But... can I really become that strong?" She was no longer the confused girl from before. Understanding the coming threat made her realize why Ren was so urgent. Her only doubt was her own potential.
"You can. You definitely will!" Ren's firm voice reached them. "We will defeat the aliens and protect Earth!"
His encouragement gave them a mental anchor. They moved one step closer to truly entering that world, no longer just filled with worry.
Meanwhile, in the boys' dorm.
"Holy crap! Brother Ren is ruthless! When he hit me today, I really thought I was a goner!" Ge Xiaolun lay on his bed. "Yeah, when that hammer hit, I saw my ancestor Zhao Yun!" Zhao Xin agreed.
In the other beds, Yaowen and Liu Chuang were silent, reflecting on Ren's words. Liu Chuang thought: I was a thug, a parasite on society. Now I'm a soldier with comrades, and I'm going to fight aliens. This is my chance. From now on, I'm going to be a proper soldier! Yaowen thought: To face the coming danger, he's carrying the whole burden himself. Earth has been my home for so many years; I won't run away this time.
Ge Xiaolun and Zhao Xin chatted a bit more before falling into a deep sleep. Their mindsets hadn't shifted as much yet; they just felt the burden getting heavier.
The next day, after a ten-kilometer warm-up run, they expected to be too tired to stand. Instead, they found their stamina recovered quickly. But their excitement was cut short by a "buzzing" sound.
Ren stood there with a golden longsword, the sound vibrating from the blade. "Rested? Then let's start round two!"
Seeing Ren's smile, their legs trembled. "Wait! Brother! Can we go back to the hammer?"
"What do you think?!"
Soon, the training ground was filled with screams and the sound of retching. Lian Feng and Yu Qin watched from a rooftop as the ground began to turn red with blood. They couldn't help but worry: "If he keeps this up, these kids might swing from one extreme to another."
One relevant follow-up question: Since the training has become so brutal, should Ren Kurogane ask Goddess Leina to personally demonstrate "Divine Power" to the squad to give them a goal to strive for, or should he focus on a group-bonding exercise to keep the team's morale from breaking?