The Rise of a Special Forces Soldier Abandoned by a Wealthy Family

The shadows of confinement and bloodletting had not yet dissipated, but the attitudes of Baroque, Xue Yan, and Jianmo toward Zero and his team had undergone subtle yet significant changes.

They no longer regard these "young beasts" merely as expendable experimental subjects or future low-level cannon fodder.

Zero's leadership potential, especially the unknown property in his blood that reacts to the mysterious solution, showed the three perverted mentors a kind of unprecedented "possibility".

An almost obsessive desire to cultivate them grew in their hearts—they wanted to personally create a perfect "humanoid weapon" that incorporated all their unique skills.

Act One: The Baroque Classroom of Steel Torrents.

The training ground was transformed into a miniature composite battlefield.

Baroque has shed some of his violence and gained more of the strictness of a true instructor (although his methods are still brutal).

"Listen up, you bastards! The battlefield isn't a gladiatorial arena, it's a meat grinder! Just biting isn't enough; you need to learn how to operate the machine!"

He pointed to an old but well-maintained main battle tank in the center of the field (heaven knows where he got it) and several heavy machine guns and rocket launchers.

His teaching style is simple and direct:

Environmental Utilization and Tactical Deployment:

Take that high ground! Not to be a sitting duck! It's to use the heavy machine guns there to block the entire valley entrance!

Iron Block, you're strong, so you're in charge of ammunition transport and secondary firing! Zero, you calculate the firing arc and fire coordination for me!

Heavy Equipment Operation and Coordination:

That's a tank! Not a fucking bumper car!

Cold Thorn, you have sharp eyes, be the tank commander and gunner!

Little Sparrow, you're in charge of communications and basic troubleshooting!

Zero, you're the commander. Tell me where to charge from and where to fire!

Coordination! Do you understand coordination? Infantry-tank coordination! I don't want to see tanks crush my infantry!

Baroque incorporated complex tactical ideas into his simulated battles.

He had Squad Zero operate the heavy weapons, while he led a team of mercenaries to act as light infantry, demonstrating how to use the terrain and smoke to approach and destroy them.

The losing squads are severely punished (usually by starvation or even more brutal physical training), while Baroque, unusually, grins and mutters, "At least they weren't that stupid."

Zero was like a giant sponge, frantically absorbing this knowledge.

He not only learned how to operate it, but also Baroque's intuition for the greed and precise use of firepower.

He could quickly calculate the optimal firing parameters, plan the most efficient ammunition resupply routes, and even begin to question some of Baroque's tactical arrangements, proposing more optimized solutions that often left Baroque stunned for a moment before he would grumble and then adopt them.

Act Two: Xue Yan's Life-or-Death Acupuncture.

The atmosphere in Xue Yan's laboratory became even more eerie.

He brought out thick, ancient-looking Chinese medicine classics and meridian charts.

"Killing is art, redemption is technique, but controlling life and death... is supreme power." Xue Yan's voice was cold yet alluring.

His teaching went beyond poisons and first aid, delving into a deeper realm:

Acupuncture and Moxibustion: The Chapter on Life.

"This needle, inserted into this acupoint to a depth of three-tenths of an inch and rotated fifteen degrees, can stimulate potential, temporarily suppress severe pain, and allow you to endure for ten more minutes in a serious injury."

He demonstrated on his own arm, and instantly his eyes became unusually clear, but the muscles in his arm twitched slightly.

"Acupuncture and Moxibustion: The Chapter on Death"

This needle, coated with a trace amount of neurotoxin, when inserted into this acupoint, can instantly and silently paralyze a person's muscles.

Inserting a needle into this acupoint can induce cardiac arrest, resembling natural death.

Inserting a needle into this acupoint... can plunge a person into extreme pain without causing them to lose consciousness, making it an excellent tool for interrogation.

He held the needle, gesturing wildly at the cold model.

"Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Torture Chapter"

Pain needs to be precisely measured. Stimulating this acupoint amplifies the pain, stimulating that acupoint keeps you alert.

With the right medication, you can make someone reveal their deepest secrets, or... make them wish they were dead.

He required Zero to accurately memorize the location, function, needle depth, and angle of hundreds of acupoints and to practice on animals (sometimes even captured prisoners).

Zero demonstrated astonishing focus and steadiness; his fingers seemed born to manipulate minute objects, inserting needles quickly and accurately, even prompting Xue Yan to nod in admiration.

At the same time, Xue Yan's poison class was upgraded, requiring Zero to prepare a poison or antidote with a specified effect using limited materials in a very short time, with speed and accuracy requirements that were almost abnormal.

Act III: The Path of the Silent Ghost.

The silent training was highly personalized and extreme. He seemed to be trying to mold Zero into another version of himself.

The Art of Disguise:

Disguise is not just about changing clothes; it's about changing your posture, scent, eyes, and breathing rhythm.

When you blend into the crowd, you become the most ordinary passerby; when you blend into the shadows, you become the shadow itself.

He demonstrated in silence how he could make himself "disappear" into his environment within seconds using readily available objects (dirt, trash, rags)—

It can even mimic the behavior and characteristics of different characters such as lame people and old people, and it is incredibly lifelike.

Blind Obstruction and Intuitive Shooting:

"If you rely on your eyes, you'll always be one step behind."

Silence blindfolded Zero, placed him in a complex environment, and threw objects at him so that he could locate and shoot by the sound of the wind.

Or launch a sudden attack while he is moving, thus training him to use air currents and killing intent to block and counterattack.

The Art of Assassination Explained:

"Timing, angle, tools, escape route. A perfect assassination is like a meticulously planned ritual."

Instead of engaging in empty theoretical discussions, Silent took Zero to conduct real-world simulations, teaching him how to use ambient sounds to mask footsteps, how to calculate the guards' blind spots, and how to deliver a fatal blow and disappear quickly.

Ultimate Solo Combat:

"When you are alone, you are an army."

Silence taught him how to make the most of all resources: rainwater, plants, discarded parts...

How to set traps, how to create chaos, how to stay calm in dire straits and find a glimmer of hope.

Under the silent and meticulous training, Zero's aura became more restrained, his movements more quiet, and his eyes more profound, as if always shrouded in an unfathomable mist.

His fighting skills, a blend of silent ruthlessness and his own agility, have become increasingly efficient and deadly.

Act Four: Inheritance and Pressure.

The three mentors reached an almost insane consensus:

They demanded that Zero learn all their skills and master them.

Then he had to teach what he had learned to the little sparrow, the iron block, and the cold spike.

"I don't have that much time to teach these useless people one by one! Once you've learned it, go teach them! If they can't learn it, I'll settle the score with you!" Baroque roared.

"Understanding is the first step, and teaching is the only standard to test understanding," Xue Yan said coldly.

Silence conveys the same meaning through eye contact.

Immense pressure was pressing down on Zero's shoulder.

During the day, he underwent grueling training from three mentors, and at night he would squeeze out time to break down and transform complex knowledge in his own way and pass it on to his three partners.

He taught Tiedun how to calculate the trajectory of heavy weapons, using the analogy of "smashing stones" to help him understand parabolas.

He taught the little sparrow how to quickly memorize acupoints, comparing them to nodes on a circuit board.

He taught Coldthorn how to perceive his environment, describing it as "listening to the breath of the forest."

This process was extremely difficult, but it also allowed Zero to reach a new level of understanding of the knowledge he had learned.

Little Sparrow, Iron Pile, and Cold Thorn also made rapid progress in this "secondary learning," and their dependence on and respect for Zero grew day by day.

Time flew by amidst the brutal training. Squad Zero was growing at an astonishing pace.

They were no longer individuals fighting their own battles, but gradually formed a well-coordinated and collaborative whole with clear division of labor.

Tiedun is no longer the burly man who only knew how to fight recklessly. Now, he is the heavy firepower pillar and physical barrier of the team.

He is not only skilled in operating a variety of heavy weapons, but can also carry out precise fire coverage or suppression according to Zero's instructions.

Little Sparrow is not only an electronic warfare expert, but also has a background in first aid and toxicology from Xue Yan, with a focus on identification and defense.

She is able to quickly treat wounds, identify common poisons, and use electronic devices to assist Zero in tactical planning.

Coldthorn is the team's sharpest blade and eyes; his sniping skills are becoming increasingly refined, and his stealth and reconnaissance abilities even occasionally earn Silent's approval.

He has become Zero's extension in the shadows.

Zero himself is the brain and heart of the entire team.

He had a comprehensive grasp of the overall situation and made decisive decisions.

He can think about firepower deployment like Baroque, calmly analyze the enemy and ourselves situation and use medical knowledge like Xue Yan, and hide himself like Silence and deliver a fatal blow.

He integrated the skills of his three mentors, creating his own unique fighting style.

The three mentors saw their progress and began the next stage of the challenge: challenging the mentors.

The first is a simulated confrontation with Baroque.

Baroque commands a team of experienced mercenaries, while Zero commands his squad.

The terrain consists of complex town ruins.

Baroque attempted to overwhelm the enemy with superior forces.

But Zero did not resist directly; he used the electronic interference created by the little sparrow to temporarily paralyze the opponent's communications:

The order was given to Cold Thorn to precisely snipe the enemy's rocket launcher operator.

Then have Tiedun use heavy machine guns to block the key intersections!

He then used the chemical knowledge taught by Xue Yan to create smoke and small explosions with the little sparrow.

By feinting to the east while attacking in the west, they ultimately succeeded in "destroying" the simulated target at the Baroque command post.

Although every member of the team was "injured" (according to the simulation system) and paid a "heavy price," they succeeded!

Baroque stared blankly at the "destroyed" command post for a long time, then burst into a raucous laugh:

"Damn it! You little monster! You've got some of my old-school style!"

Next was the competition with Xue Yan.

Competition content:

At the same time, he treated a "seriously wounded soldier" (a mannequin with various complex injuries and poisoning symptoms) and poisoned a "prisoner" (another mannequin) who was imprisoned next door.

Technique Zero is lightning fast: wound cleaning, suturing, and injection of antidote—

Meanwhile, using the limited materials at hand, they quickly prepared a colorless and odorless nerve agent, which was then injected into the adjacent room through the ventilation system.

In the end, he and Xue Yan completed the "treatment" and "poisoning" almost simultaneously, but he was slightly inferior in the precision of his needle use and the speed at which the poison took effect.

Xue Yan watched Zero's actions, pushed up his glasses, and his eyes gleamed with extreme excitement as he wrote in his notebook: "...surpassing the master...near perfect..."

Finally, there is the battle against silence.

Competition content: comprehensive stealth, reconnaissance, and assassination.

Within a designated area, Silence plays the role of the target, while Zero is responsible for finding and "marking" him within a specified time (successfully touching his vitals with the training dagger).

This is a true ghost showdown.

Zero employed all of the techniques taught by the Master of Silence, striving to eliminate his own presence and perceive the most subtle disharmony in the environment.

Silence is as if one has truly disappeared.

Time ticked by, and just when Zero was about to fail, he caught a very slight change in the airflow, different from the natural wind—it was silent breathing!

He lunged at a pile of debris, his training dagger flashing out like lightning!

A silent figure emerged from behind the rubble like a ghost, parrying with a dagger!

Ding!

With a soft click, the two daggers clashed.

The tip of Zero's dagger was only an inch from Silent's throat.

The silent dagger was pressed against Zero's ribs.

Tie!

He stared silently at Zero, a faint flicker of emotion seemingly passing through his eternally cold eyes. He slowly sheathed his dagger and nodded silently.

This is the highest recognition from the ghost.

The fact that they managed to draw with all three mentors marked an unprecedented peak in the training of Team Zero.

They are no longer "young beasts" at the mercy of others, but have truly acquired the fangs to survive and fight in a cruel world.

A draw with Baroque means that Zero has developed a macro-level command and control capability comparable to that of a seasoned battlefield veteran in terms of tactical command and heavy firepower utilization.

A draw with Xue Yan means that his precision and speed in life-or-death situations have approached the level of this mad scientist.

A draw with the silent fighter means that he has almost reached the pinnacle of active-duty top special forces soldiers in terms of personal combat skills and stealth assassination.

More importantly, Zero did not simply copy the skills of the three mentors, but integrated them to form his own more comprehensive and flexible system.

He can use Xue Yan's medical knowledge to assess battlefield injuries, use the stealth techniques of silence to set up booby traps (taught by Baroque), and use Baroque's firepower thinking to plan an escape route after an assassination.

Although Baroque continued to grumble, his gaze towards Zero now held a hint of genuine appreciation, and even a subtle, almost imperceptible, apprehension.

He began to delegate more complex task planning to Zero.

Xue Yan's lab has almost completely abandoned its defenses against Zero. He has even started discussing some deeper biochemical issues with Zero, regarding Zero as a "colleague" with whom he can communicate, although the purpose is still research.

He remained silent and rarely spoke, but he appeared at the Zero Training Ground more often, sometimes even demonstrating some of his most secret techniques.

However, a draw did not mean the end. Almost simultaneously, the three mentors set new, near-impossible goals for Zero:

Baroque: "In the next simulated battle, you must defeat me even when you are at a significant disadvantage in troop strength!"

Xue Yan: "In the next competition, you must concoct a poison that I cannot cure within five minutes."

Silence: "Next time, you'll have to truly... meet me." (Meaning Zero needs to truly surpass him)

The secret research on Blood Zero continues.

Data monitored by Little Sparrow showed that, with the continuous tempering of Zero's body and the "catalysis" of Xue Yan's various drugs, the activity of his blood in the mysterious solution seemed to be slowly increasing.

Although Xue Yan's blood draw frequency returned to normal, the probing desire in his eyes grew even more intense each time blood was drawn.

The little sparrow secretly hid a backup of data showing unusual fluctuations; she instinctively felt it was important.

The world outside the fortress seemed unrelated to them, yet it was inextricably linked to them.

Occasionally, you can hear bits and pieces of news about the international situation, arms deals, or the movements of some important figure from the mercenaries' casual conversations.

Zero would always listen silently, and no one knew what he was thinking in those deep black eyes.

He and his squad were like several peerless, deadly blades, repeatedly forged and tempered in the devil's furnace, their sharpness already fully revealed.