After drifting at sea for so long, setting foot on land again felt reassuring.
Two military vehicles had been waiting at the port for quite some time. As soon as we disembarked, a muscular Black man nearly two meters tall walked over. His bronze skin didn’t look especially dark.
The guy was incredibly burly, weighing close to three hundred pounds. His arms were as thick as the Goddess’s waist, and muscles bunched all over his body. His arms and chest were especially massive, the bulging muscles like little hills, straining his camouflage uniform to the point of bursting.
No one could doubt the explosive power contained in that frame. One punch from him could kill a bull.
Beside him was a female soldier with her hair tied in a ponytail. Her wheat-colored skin looked healthy. She wore a tight black T-shirt that showed off her slender waist, camouflage pants, and a pair of beige jungle combat boots. She looked crisp, capable, and dashing.
What interested me most was the tattoo on her chest: a black six-winged Angel, mysterious and eerie. The placement was especially good; its wings rose high on either side, giving it a three-dimensional look.
“Hey, it’s great to see you made it back alive!” The big man rubbed his bald head as he greeted us, his voice rough and booming.
“Fuck, you’ll die before I do!” Demon laughed as he ran over, scooped up the female soldier, and kissed her passionately in front of everyone.
“You love women more than your buddies. You’re in for it tonight!”
The big man chuckled and stepped forward to embrace the Captain. The Captain was already plenty strong, but still looked a size smaller beside him.
“The weather in Southeast Asia is still as awful as ever!” Samurai went up and bumped fists with the big man.
“This is nothing. The mosquitoes at night will make you think it’s much worse!”
“Hey, Big Guy, long time no see. Got any Beautiful Women to keep you company at night?” Captain Barty came over.
“Of course, as long as they can put up with your body odor!” The big man reached out to slap his hand.
“Ha-ha, I bet they like the smell of money even more.”
Barty had two great loves: conquering giant waves at sea and conquering women in bed.
“So these are the new recruits you brought back?” The female soldier pushed Demon away, embraced Navier, then looked at me.
“Let me introduce you. This is Tang Feng, from the mysterious East. She’s Lucika, codename Angel. Don’t even think about making a move on her, or Demon will fight you to the death.” The Goddess smiled.
“Hey, are you staking your claim, Goddess? Newcomers should share. Don’t listen to her. If you want, I can dump Demon anytime.” Angel winked at me.
“Really? Does that mean I can go out partying with Captain Barty tonight?” Demon wasn’t angry at all; he looked excited instead.
“You can try. If I smell another woman on you, I’ll crush your balls.” Angel shook her fist, making Demon draw his legs together in fear.
The Goddess pointed at Big Guy. “He’s an Orc, a Warrior who can duel a lion.”
“It’s great to meet you, dear Tang!”
The Orc came over and grabbed me in a crushing embrace. His terrifying strength nearly choked the life out of me. My bones cracked, and it felt like my organs were about to be squeezed to pieces.
“Hey, let go! You’ll kill him!” The Goddess rushed over and kicked the Orc away.
I braced my hands on my knees and gasped for breath. It took me quite a while to recover.
“That’s a pretty unusual way to say hello. Don’t do it again!” I rolled my eyes.
The Orc shrugged, looking innocent, seemingly a little disappointed by my reaction.
“Tang’s a new recruit. He hasn’t had any training yet, so go easy on him. Don’t kill him for fun.” The Captain stepped forward to speak up for me.
There was just something so awkward about the way that sounded!
After chatting for a bit, we each got into a military vehicle.
Captain Barty had already completed his mission, so we parted ways at the pier. He was going to the red-light district to have some fun. He did that everywhere he went; it had become a habit.
The Goddess, Angel, Demon, and I rode in one vehicle. The Captain, the Orc, and Samurai rode in the other.
We didn’t enter the city. Instead, we went to Satako Base, on the outskirts.
It was the largest base in the government forces’ rear area, responsible for supporting the front lines, supplying combat units, and training recruits.
Apparently, a General named Anuk had launched a military coup in the eastern region. His followers had seized several important cities, and the government forces had suffered heavy losses during their clearing operations. That was why they’d paid such a hefty sum to hire the Undertaker.
Along the way, I saw many soldiers in uniform, but no signs of fighting.
“Aren’t we going to the battlefield?” I’d thought coming here meant risking my life for them, charging right at the front.
“There’s no rush. It’s not our turn to act yet. The government forces didn’t pay us all that money just to deal with cannon fodder.” Demon whistled at a few soldiers chatting outside the window. They seemed to recognize us, but didn’t dare respond.
“Then what are we supposed to do?” Surely we couldn’t just sit here sunbathing every day.
“Be instructors. Train recruits for the government forces. It’s a pretty fun assignment. Of course, you’re a recruit too!” Demon winked at me.
“What do you mean? I have to go through training too?” I had a bad feeling about this.
“That’s right. It’s your first mission: pass every training course, and you’ll get a reward of fifty thousand US dollars when you finish!” The Goddess held up five fingers.
“How much?” The number startled me.
“Fifty thousand!” The Goddess repeated.
“Damn, that much? Is mercenary work really that lucrative?” I was immediately interested.
“Don’t get too excited, brother. Passing the test won’t be easy.” Demon offered a timely warning.
“I know. I’m ready. I’m sure you won’t kill me.” I couldn’t compare to this pack of beasts, but I’d been doing sports since middle school, so I had some confidence in my physical fitness.
“Let’s hope you can still say that tomorrow!” Demon gave me a look of pity.
The vehicle entered Satako Base without a hitch, passing the barracks and supply depot ahead before reaching the training ground at the very back.
There was a separate area there, a camp specially provided for the Undertaker.
It wasn’t very large. A dozen or so military tents had been put up temporarily, and those were our barracks.
The training ground was right outside. At that moment, a group of recruits was practicing marksmanship.
These hastily recruited soldiers didn’t need to learn many military skills. All they had to learn was to follow orders and shoot. That was it.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to teach them more; they simply had no time. The front lines needed a constant stream of reinforcements. The recruits might learn to shoot tonight and be sent to the battlefield the next morning. Real combat was the best instructor; those who survived would naturally become elite soldiers.
After we got out, the Captain first assigned me a barracks. Samurai and I would share it.
It wasn’t until I stepped into the tent that I realized the barracks were even more shabby than I’d imagined.
Two planks laid across a long bench made a bed. There were no sheets or blankets at all—just a brick to use as a pillow.