DK – Ch 17

The Dark King – Chapter 17
Survival training

I would like to thank spiritsong for editing this chapter.

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Time quickly passed by, and in the blink of an eye three months passed.

During these three months, every day they held long-distance endurance training. In addition, they had to also go through “survival training program”. It was a general term. It referred to methods and tactics that were tried and tested over long periods of time. It was divided into two main categories, namely “foraging” and “collection of resources”!

These were the basic set of abilities that every Scavengers had to master.

“Foraging” is subdivided into “water”, “shelter”, “access to food” and “subsistence”.
In each course, there were wide range of contents. The first is the “Water Source” course, which focused on finding water sources in different environments. These environments are divided into four broad categories: the jungle, the desert, the mountain and the swamp!

Finding for water sources in the jungle were much easier if compared to the other environments. However, organisms lurked in the jungle. Hence, “Survival” course taught the Scavengers on how to avoid these dangers too.

In addition to looking for water, there were water filtering techniques and different water quality testing methods that were taught and so on.

Without a doubt, Scavengers not only have to survive outside the giant wall. They also need to collect different water samples and then bring them back behind the giant wall to be studied. The entire giant wall of Silva was a huge solid shelter.

In addition to “foraging”, the “collection of resources” syllabus also broke down into four major classes. Huge amount of knowledge were to be studied, namely “mining”, “collecting herbs”, “geological survey” and “exploration”.

Each of these classes would normally had been a separate course by its own right in a college as different specialization on any ‘normal’ situation!

In other words, if one studied in college, one needed only to study one specialized course for three years, and then they can graduate. However, in Scavenger training, all three syllabuses must be mastered in just three years!

Per Tobu’s words, only after mastering everything only then can Scavengers survive in the wilderness.

Dudian found that during the period of those three months, the endurance training and “mining” courses that involved physical training were the most difficult period for him to endure, not the entirety of the eight courses. The first week it took him 30 minutes to run full five laps. In half a month’s time he improved to 20 minutes for five laps. After another half a month his timing further improved to 15 minutes for all 5 laps.
After another two months period, he finally achieved the privilege to eat breakfast. Yet he remained as the last child to finish all five lap runs.

Sleeping in the frozen storage capsule for 300 years negatively impacted his physical condition.

However, his willpower was not negatively affected at all.

During the second month of training, he thoroughly recovered from the physical deterioration caused by sleeping in the frozen storage capsule. In normal circumstances, it should had taken another three to four months for the deterioration to be thoroughly recovered from. However, this second month’s super-strength exercises accelerated the recovery process. Dudian’s speed and endurance improved astonishingly as a by-product of daily training and he was even able to even secure a rank amongst the top ten!

By the end of the third month, he was already in the top three performers!

All the other children took notice of this amazing progress. Especially for Mason and two other boys who lived in the same with Dudian. They gave him a nickname, “mad cow”.
“The law, the second chapter, the normative role of law … …”

In a quiet library, Dudian stood in front of books in the law section. In his hands, he held an introductory law book. Since the beginning of the third month, he frequented the library for ten minutes every day, which was the longest time he could squeeze out.
“Dean, why are you standing in front of the law section? I asked the teacher and was informed that there is an examination today. Pay close attention to revise past knowledge or else you won’t pass and thus be eliminated.” Another child who was reading books next to geology section spoke to Dudian..

Dudian made a hand gesture: “Shh!” He continued to focus reading the basic law book.
After ten minutes passed he gently put the book back into its place in the shelf. He turned to the herbalism bookshelf and skilfully took out a book called “Plants”. He quickly flipped over the pages for a review.

After making few confirmations he put the book away and turned to leave.

“Dean!” Mason quickly caught up, and asked: “Do you know what today’s exam is about?”

“I do not know,” said Dudian.

“I hope they won’t test ‘geological survey’. I did not have enough time to study.” Mason’s eyes switched towards Dudian and he smiled: “I could help you out mostly in other things. If you have the chance, how are you going to help me out?”

Dudian snapped back at him: “No tricks. Do not even think of cheating.”

“Oh, come on. We can try to sneakily pass some few answers.” Mason bitterly said: “I do not want to be eliminated. Teacher said that in case we lost the qualifications to be a guard and be eliminated. We would have to pay for the course fee by ourselves. My family cannot afford such a high cost.”

Dudian shrugged his shoulders and said nothing could be done.

Indeed, on the third day of the special training back then, Tobu had said such words. However, for Dudian he has long realized that the training camp was in fact used to train the Scavengers. However, in name it is known as selection for guards. Even in case of elimination, most will still be guardsmen within Silva’s giant wall. As for Tobu’s remarks, Dudian was convinced that it was just a speculation.

Of course, for the other children that was without a shred of a doubt bad news!

It was also due to these words, most of the children who wanted to quit, gritted their teeth and pressed on with the harsh training.

Soon, the two of them arrived to the school field. All of the children were gathered, quietly speaking to each another trying to guess the forthcoming examination.

It was not long before Tobu punctually appeared. As he came over, everyone meticulously stood in neat rows. This was the result of experiencing first-hand the pain of being kicked by Tobu.
However, Tobu did not arrive alone. Beside him, there was a tall graceful girl in her early twenties. Her face was full of mature, sexy charm. It seemed as if she had lost her childish naivety long time ago.

In fact, most of the ten-year-old children knew some aspects of knowledge regarding sex. As in this world, it was the legal age of marriage. After all it was not easy for most people to live up to sixty years of age when radiation was so corrosive.

Tobu coldly smiled and spoke in a consistent low tone: “After three-months of training, you barely gained the basic garbage qualifications to be a guard. Starting today, every six months, we will conduct a final exam. All losers will be eliminated!

Everyone was tense after Tobu spoke.

Dudian also realized that the test is not a simple examination of knowledge and soon Tobu’s words confirmed his idea: “This assessment is very simple. Instructor Kris will send you away to a place where you only need to survive for ten days. If you can survive, you are qualified to continue with the training!”