“…As for the specific arrangements for military training,” Xu Shi opened the courseware, “for the next month, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be for particle gun and mecha practical training, while Tuesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to special mental power and pheromone training.”
“Among them, mecha practical training, mental power training, and pheromone training will take place within the holographic system. This has already been written in the admission notice, but I want to emphasize once again that everyone must ensure their connection equipment is ready before the afternoon.”
Xu Shi paused, thinking of the freshman who looked prettier than a typical beta and happened to be a poor scholarship student. He added, “Students who find it inconvenient can go to the computer room to rent connection pods themselves.”
His optical brain communication chimed. Xu Shi raised his wrist to glance at it and closed the courseware, “Alright, that is all for now. Everyone, head to the training room and gather.”
Bo Tang followed the main crowd as they stood up. Beside him, Larry looked listless, clearly still struggling to recover from the shock that Bo Tang was a beta.
“Larry,” Bo Tang said, looking concerned. “What’s wrong?”
Larry: “I…”
There was no way he could admit that he had mistaken someone else’s gender.
Thinking back carefully, Bo Tang hadn’t actually claimed to be an omega, it was his own arrogant assumption that anyone who looked that pretty must be an omega.
He waved his hand weakly, “It’s nothing, it’s just my own problem.”
“Is it because I’m a beta?” Bo Tang asked softly. “You wanted to make friends with an omega, right?”
Under the gaze of those deep eyes, the trace of annoyance that had just risen in Larry instantly vanished, replaced by a deep sense of guilt.
“No.” Larry racked his brain for an explanation. “Actually, betas are great too… Well, at least, uh…”
Betas made up eighty percent of the world’s population, but they had no glands and their mental power levels were generally average. Larry’s impression of them was limited to mediocrity and more mediocrity, and for a moment he really couldn’t think of any prominent advantages.
He scratched his head and blurted out, “At least you don’t have to worry about being targeted by that lunatic!”
…What a terrible piece of comfort, Larry thought with a bitter face.
The corners of Bo Tang’s lips curled up, “Then we’re still friends, right?”
Larry nodded vigorously, “Yes!”
He had initially approached Bo Tang because of his gender, but now that he realized Bo Tang wasn’t an omega, having such a good looking friend wasn’t a bad deal either.
“What a despicable lower class person. Do you want to worm your way into the upper class that badly?” An unfriendly voice came from behind.
Bo Tang raised an eyebrow and turned back to look.
Larry glared at the black haired alpha who had spoken, “What did you say?”
The person tossed his optical brain up and down in his hand, casting a disdainful glance at Bo Tang. “Did I say something wrong? Isn’t he just here wagging his tail and begging for scraps because he’s afraid of being dumped by you? He’s just eyeing your aristocratic status. I’ve seen plenty of betas like this, thinking that if they sharpen their heads to get into Berry University and pick a useless major, they can just coast through life and hook a wealthy spouse,”
“Wick Freeman, shut your mouth.” Larry’s expression turned cold. “I don’t want to argue with a classmate on the very first day of school.”
“Middle, we’re in the same social class. Are you sure you want to speak up for him?” Wick’s mouth twitched into a malicious smile. “No wonder my father said you’re a strange omega, turns out you like hanging out with trash.”
Bo Tang smiled and scanned him up and down, “If I’m trash, then what level is Your Excellency, who shares the exact same major as trash?”
Larry let out an unreserved laugh.
Wick narrowed his eyes, “Your tongue is quite sharp, but I wonder if you’ll still be this tough in the training room later when you don’t have your omega ‘friend’ around to prop you up.”
“Let’s go.”
The black haired alpha led five or six people away aggressively.
Although the military training content was the same for everyone, because omegas had a natural physical disadvantage, their firearm and mecha practical trainings were conducted in a separate room next door, with the difficulty adjusted accordingly.
Wick believed that since the two wouldn’t be in the same training room later, Larry wouldn’t be able to help Bo Tang, and Bo Tang would inevitably make a fool of himself.
Larry clicked his tongue, rolled his eyes ungracefully at the retreating figures, and turned to say, “Bo Tang, don’t take it to heart. This guy is actually targeting me. The Freeman family and my family are politically opposed, and this guy often comes to annoy me. I’m already used to it.”
Bo Tang shook his head to show he didn’t mind and walked toward the training room alongside Larry.
Having adjusted his mindset, Larry was able to face Bo Tang brightly again. “You must have studied very hard to get into Berry University as a beta. Later, you have to ruthlessly slap that guy in the face and let this spoiled brat see what a top student looks like!”
Bo Tang: ?
Well, how should he tell the young master that he didn’t actually take any entrance exams at all?
“Actually,” Bo Tang said leisurely, “I entered Berry University through the welfare channel.”
Larry: ?
Students recruited through the welfare channel didn’t need test scores. This category of students was merely admitted to prove the empire’s generous welfare policies, and generally possessed no special abilities aside from a tragic background. Therefore, welfare students were also jokingly referred to as “tragedy kings” by everyone.
After a long silence, Larry said dryly, “You must be joking.”
Bo Tang: “Unfortunately, it’s true.”
Larry took several deep breaths, finally managing to suppress the urge to wail out loud.
With a complicated expression, he looked at Bo Tang and said, “You… Fine, just try not to lose too horribly later, sigh!”
He comforted himself by thinking that having a tragic background and being a beta wasn’t something Bo Tang chose, and besides, Bo Tang’s face made it obvious he must have suffered a lot of malice growing up, so he couldn’t pressure him any further…
But I’m still so unwilling! Larry screamed silently in his heart.
“Don’t worry too much, maybe the goddess of luck will favor me,” Bo Tang said casually, giving Larry’s shoulder a reassuring tap.
Larry wore a wooden expression, “…Maybe.”
The first session was particle gun practical training. The training instructor looked extremely strict, embodying the standard military image.
Looking at the youthful faces of the fresh recruits before him, the instructor’s gaze was cold and hard. “I won’t make things difficult for you in the first class, but by the time of the final review and the comprehensive practical training day, I hope you can hand me a satisfactory result.”
“Comprehensive practical training?” Bo Tang asked.
The instructor’s gaze paused on his face for a moment, and he frowned. “Why is an omega mixed into this training session?”
Someone let out a strange bark and shouted loudly, “Reporting instructor, he’s a beta!”
“A beta?” The instructor looked at Xu Shi, and seeing him nod, continued, “There will be a three days simulated comprehensive practical training session at the end of the military training. It will test your learning outcomes from the perspective of all the training content during the military training period, meaning it will combine the contents of this month’s training for testing.”
“Usually, it’s wild survival.”
An unfamiliar voice.
Bo Tang turned his head to look. An alpha smiled friendly at him and whispered, “It’s always like this in previous years. Freshmen are dropped into a wild terrain, simulating mental power suppression or pheromone interference states, with weapons and supplies airdropped. The mission is usually to protect hostages or defeat simulated zerg.”
“Thank you,” Bo Tang smiled.
“I’m Simon Salman,” the alpha extended his hand.
Bo Tang shook it.
Simon: “All of this can be checked on the school’s official website. Didn’t you look?”
“Sorry, I didn’t have time,” Bo Tang answered honestly.
He had only been in this world for five months total, and he had spent too much effort on other matters, leaving him with zero time to check what was on the school’s official website.
Simon smiled, “It doesn’t matter. We’re all freshmen, it won’t be too hard. Although you’re a beta, our school has never had a case in history where a beta was publicly humiliated during the comprehensive practical training stage.”
The instructor glanced at Simon, though he didn’t react to their whispering, and commanded, “Alright, everyone pay attention! Pick up the particle gun in front of you!”
Several mechanical arms descended from the ceiling, hovering in front of everyone. Bo Tang reached out, took a particle gun from the mechanical arm, and inspected it.
It had a cold metallic texture upon touch, shaped somewhat like a small nail gun with a cylindrical exit at the front.
The instructor pressed a button on the controller beside him, and instantly several transparent partitions rose from the ground, dividing the space into a dozen lanes. At the end of each lane was a circular target.
“Ten seconds, queue up by yourselves, one target per lane,” the instructor ordered.
Bo Tang took a step to the left, ending up right behind Simon.
He looked to his right and locked eyes with Wick’s arrogant and dismissive glare.
“How long has it been, and you’re already hooking up with someone else?” The malice in his words dripped like venom.
Simon frowned, looking at Bo Tang, “Do you know him?”
Bo Tang looked at Wick unconcernedly, “I’m afraid if I said I knew him, he’d claim I was hooking up with him.”
Simon: ?
Wick: You!
“Quiet!” the instructor roared.
The crowd instantly fell silent.
Wick gave Bo Tang a “just you wait” look.
Bo Tang was looking down to take off his gloves and completely missed the signal. Wick curled his lips into a sneer.
The instructor, “Now, everyone in the first row, raise your guns. Keep your arms parallel to the ground, and align the gun’s sight with the focus of your right eye.”
The very first person in Bo Tang’s row was Simon. Seeing Simon raise his gun naturally and skillfully, Bo Tang guessed that the other’s family background was probably similar to Larry’s.
The instructor walked past everyone, occasionally reaching out to correct their posture. Seeing that the first row had adjusted themselves well enough, he spoke. “Focus your attention, keep your primary vision focused on the bull’s eye, and blur everything else outside the target as much as possible. When you see the sight and the bullseye overlap, that is the moment to fire.”
“Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2… 1!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several tiny gunfire sounds echoed, and instantly a dozen bullet holes with scorched edges appeared on the target at the end of each lane.
Simon’s score was decent, with seven shots above 9.5 rings.
“Not bad,” the instructor’s expression softened slightly. “Second row, step up. Raise your guns.”
Simon stepped back, and seeing Wick’s malicious expression next to him, whispered to Bo Tang, “Don’t be nervous. Even if his score is better than yours, it’s just because he’s leaning on prior experience. It’s an unfair win.”
He hadn’t heard the argument between Wick, Bo Tang, and Larry before entering the training room, but anyone with eyes could tell Wick was targeting Bo Tang right now.
To Simon’s assumption, Bo Tang merely smiled.
Ignoring Wick’s provocative expression, Bo Tang turned slightly sideways and raised his arm.
Unlike the ones he had played with back on Earth, the particle gun didn’t require raising the muzzle, and the recoil was practically non-existent. He adjusted his stance for a moment before finding a comfortable feel.
The bullseye, the sight, and his primary vision formed a single straight line.
Bo Tang narrowed his eyes slightly, his pale fingers resting lightly on the trigger, a calm and composed curve playing at the corners of his mouth.
Simon paused, feeling as though the person beside him had suddenly shifted in temperament.
It felt like a wolf disguised as a sheep, slowly peeling back its sheep skin.
Wick took everything in, feeling a slight shock in his heart.
This lower class beta… seems somewhat competent.
But a scholarship student, a poor ghost, how is that possible?
He must be bluffing, Wick concluded.
He raised his gun as well. With marksmanship he had practiced since the age of ten, he couldn’t possibly lose to a beta. He flashed a winning, confident smile.
“Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2… 1!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The instructor checked the others’ scores first, they were about the same as the previous wave.
Wick looked smugly at the ring counts tallied on the light screen, nine shots above 9.5 rings, five of which were perfect 10s.
How could he possibly lose to this?
When the display turned to Bo Tang’s side, the instructor stopped in his tracks. “You…”
Wick raised an eyebrow. Was this beta’s score so terrible that even the instructor couldn’t find words to evaluate it?
“All 10 rings!”
Wick’s smile froze on his face.
All 10 rings?
How is that possible?
A small wave of whispered chatter broke out in the crowd.
Filled with anger and disbelief, Wick shoved aside the alpha blocking his path and looked over at Bo Tang’s scoreboard.
Current Trainee: No. 2.
Current Score: 10.0, 10.0, 10.0…
Current Total Score: 100.0
Bo Tang lowered his gun, his whole demeanor sliding back into a lazy slouch. “A bit rusty. The static target score is okay, but the dynamic targets might be a bit worse.”
Everyone stared at him as if looking at a zerg: Is, this, what, you, call, rusty?!