Alien world

Chapter 1651, Section 284: Practical Application
The final test would not be held at the military academy. After comforting the remaining students, Lieutenant Lockren, along with Fermi and Soren, left Free City University.

The remaining students were dejected; even without being told, they knew what a missed opportunity they had missed.

The instructor who had seen Fermi off returned to the students and stood there looking at them.

They expected a storm to break out, but the instructor sighed and comforted them, saying, "It's not your fault. I was also shocked when Fermi told me about the political commissar. Only the most elite and loyal legions have the qualifications and the courage to do such a thing. In other places, it wouldn't be surprising if a legion fell apart because of multiple political commissars."

"But don't fucking think that's all over!"

The instructor's sudden shout startled many students, but the graduates were already used to it and even felt a little nostalgic.

"You are the worst group of students I've ever taught! Look at Adam and the others, how did they manage to be chosen by the Legion Commander? Feeling wronged? You still have the nerve to complain to me? Now go back and write a 1000-word essay about what happened today! Reflect on where you went wrong!"

Meanwhile, the lustful demon emerged from the dimly lit theater, bought a ticket, and went back inside.

However, I am carrying out Lady Biros's mission, and it is definitely not about this little magical image that seems... a bit... perhaps... maybe... possibly... interesting.

……

At the Hellfire Legion camp, five squads of 100 men each stood in formation in front of the camp's parade ground.

Fermi and his lieutenant Lockren stood in front of them, face to face with the five men they had brought back: "This is the final test."

"Each of you will personally lead a hundred-man squad without a centurion to the territory of the Kingdom of Dimon. Your mission is to lead the troops to the northern pass of the kingdom within three days and deliver this letter to Grand Marshal Galkin."

Whether it was because he had returned to the camp or because he considered them as half of his own, Lieutenant Lockren's tone carried the directness of someone from within the legion.

"As always, if you have any questions, ask them now!"

No one spoke up, and Lieutenant Lockren was about to skip the question and answer when Adam suddenly spoke up: "Lord Lockren, if we encounter enemies or friendly forces on the road, or if there are any unexpected events, should we pay attention to them?"

Lieutenant Lockren simply stated sternly, "A soldier's duty is to successfully complete his mission!"

"Understood, my lord."

The tense expression on Lieutenant Lockren's face suddenly relaxed slightly, and he said, "No need to call me sir, we will soon be fighting side by side."

"Yes... Lieutenant Lockren!"

Adam trembled with excitement, as if he could see himself in the future, clad in the Hellfire uniform.

Father, can you see this? I am not a coward...!
Lieutenant Lockren looked around to make sure everything was alright, then shouted, "Return to your units now!"

"set off!"

……

Five teams set off one after another, but after stepping through the portal, they could not find the other four teams.

Should we split up?
Soren thought about it and had his own guesses. Since it was a test, they wouldn't put all five teams together.

Looking around, they found themselves in a lush, green wilderness. In April, the North had just emerged from the frozen ground and was now covered in mud. The temperature depended entirely on the weather that day; bright sunshine could dehydrate people, while overcast skies could chill them to the bone.

However, being from the North, they are generally more resistant to the cold.

Soren raised his head and squinted his eyes.

The sky was cloudless, and there was nowhere to block out the sun as far as the eye could see—this was not good… They couldn't travel far under the blazing sun before their plate armor became unbearably hot. Turning to the map, Soren quickly located their position—the Windswept Plains, about a hundred miles from the northern pass.

Arrive within three days... If Sauron were merely a top student at the Warrior Academy, he would surely be confident that the elite Hellfire Legion could arrive in less than a day.

But Soren was still a student at a military academy and knew that traveling and marching with a large army were completely different concepts.

Any professional warrior, when pressed on, could cover a hundred miles in a single night, but to send a group of soldiers on a forced march of a hundred miles... is it intended to make them face the enemy exhausted?

Soren's gaze quickly settled on a forest marked twenty miles away on the map. The distance was just right; he could reach it before noon, then make hats and replenish supplies in the forest, avoiding the midday heat and resting until the afternoon before setting off again, although it would be a longer route.

Soren believes that speed is a scoring factor in actual combat assessments, but it is not the only one. Performance and decision-making on the road also determine the final score.

He quickly made a decision, pointing to the map and saying, "Let's go to the forest first."

At this moment, among the five teams scattered in an arc across the Windswept Plains, another trainee political commissar made the same choice as Soren.

However, two trainee political commissars still chose to head straight to their destination.

One of them had the soldiers surround him, picked up a twig and drew a map on the ground: "This is where we are now, and this is where we are going. It's 100 li away. We need to get there in three days. That's not difficult for us. The difficult part is how to overtake the other four teams."

"So, I have a bold idea, and I need your help!"

The trainee political commissar used a tree branch to forcefully draw a ditch between the location and the destination.

"I learned something in math class: the shortest distance between two points is a straight line!"

The other didn't even say a word, hurrying on his way.

It seems that each of them was blindly confident in the soldiers behind them—they were leading the Hellfire Legion, the most elite soldiers in Liberty City. If they weren't confident, wouldn't they be looking down on them?
Adam, whom the lieutenant Lockren favored, led his team to retreat diagonally to the rear after carefully examining the map.

"He held the map upside down?"

In Free City, at the Hellfire Legion camp, a group of officers gathered in front of a five-panel magical image, watching the performance of the trainee political commissars.

Adam's movement in the opposite direction puzzled the officers.

The Lordaeron lieutenant pondered for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a map, glanced at it, and pointed to a small town in the southeast, saying, "No, he's going here."

"Why?" someone asked, puzzled.

The Lordaeron lieutenant speculated, "Firepot Town is a crucial hub on the way to the northern pass. Could he be planning to travel with the soldiers of the Kingdom of Dimon?"

“Why not be bolder?” Fermi suddenly spoke up. “He wants to go to town to find the horse.”

The officers suddenly realized what was happening.

It will take a whole day to get to Huohu Town, but as long as you find a horse, you can reach the Northern Pass in half a day at most!
Unless those two teams going full speed ahead don't encounter any accidents, but... how could they not encounter any "accidents"?

"By the way, are there any arrangements made by us in Firebowl Town?" someone asked, then their gaze fell on the Lordaeron lieutenant.

He pursed his lips, staring intently at Adam's set of images.

Obviously, no.

(End of this chapter)