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

The silence, that unspoken acceptance, was like a cold, etched mark, deeply imprinted into Zero's consciousness.

Slaughter can be so silent, so efficient, so...unquestionable.

He began to observe more intently, observing the angle at which the shadows moved, the patterns in which the sounds disappeared, and the subtle shifts in alertness between living beings.

But his "course schedule" is never monotonous.

The three "mentors" of Hellfire seem to have reached a twisted tacit understanding, or rather a competition, to hone this rare "material" into an extreme extension of their respective fields.

A few days later at dusk, Blood Butcher Baroque, having downed a bottle of cheap vodka and reeking of alcohol, kicked over the iron bowl that Zero was stirring mud with dirty water.

"You son of a bitch, are you playing house?!" he roared, his single eye flashing with a mocking yet cruel light. "Get up! New project!"

His so-called project was to bring Zero to the foot of the highest watchtower in the fortress.

There were several extremely heavy, old reinforced concrete blocks piled up there, used to reinforce the fortifications, with rough edges and sharp corners.

"Move all of this to the top of the tower!" Baroque pointed to the almost vertical, rusted iron staircase.

"If I don't finish moving it, I'll hang it on top of the tower tonight and feed the mosquitoes! Once I'm done..." He waved a filthy water bottle in his hand, "I'll give you a taste of my precious treasure!"

The kettle definitely didn't contain water; you could smell the strong odor of alcohol from a great distance.

Zero looked at the concrete block that was taller than him, then at the towering watchtower, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion.

He walked over in silence and pushed and pulled with all his might.

The muscles beneath the small body were taut like steel wires, and the frail bones groaned under the strain.

The rough cement surface quickly chafed the skin on his shoulders and arms until it was bloody and raw.

Baroque stood by with his arms crossed, occasionally issuing cold instructions on how Zero should coordinate his body and control his strength, or deliberately kicking a small pebble to distract him, while also keeping an eye out for danger.

Just as Zero was exhausted and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily after a failed attempt, Xue Yan appeared like a ghost.

He was holding a sprayer.

"Excessive lactic acid buildup in muscles and multiple capillary ruptures. Inefficiency."

He coldly judged, and without saying a word, sprayed a layer of icy, bone-chilling green medicine onto Zero's aching arms and legs.

Instantly, a terrible burning sensation seeped into the skin, followed by excruciating pain like being pierced by a thousand needles, and then a strange illusion of power surging back!

"Energy stimulants can enhance physical performance and accelerate the development of potential."

Xue Yan recorded the data. "Now, continue. I need to observe the physiological responses under extreme overexertion."

Zero was so stimulated by the drug that he almost jumped up, the painful burning sensation and the enhanced power fighting wildly within his body.

He let out a low growl that sounded inhuman, his eyes bloodshot, and lunged at the heavy concrete block again, actually managing to push it a little further.

Baroque clicked his tongue in amazement: "You little devil, this thing is even more effective than a whip!"

Silence always appears at the most unexpected moments.

When Zero, aided by the drug, finally managed to push and jack the first piece of concrete to the bottom of the iron ladder, attempting to lift it up, the silent figure leaned silently against the shadows.

He didn't help, or even look at Zero; his gaze simply swept over the structure of the iron ladder and the movement patterns of several patrol posts in the distance of the fortress.

Then, he moved. Like a weightless leaf, he silently floated up the iron ladder, and in a blind spot where a patrolman could turn around, he lightly touched a seemingly solid but actually somewhat loose step with his toe.

It made a barely perceptible "click" sound.

Then he fell and disappeared.

Zero was desperately trying to get the concrete block onto the first step of the ladder when he heard that faint "click" sound and his movements suddenly stopped.

He looked up, his dark eyes sweeping sharply across the steps before quickly glancing at the patrolling sentry who had just turned away, completely unaware of what was happening.

A chilling warning crept up my spine.

He abandoned that step of the ladder and instead set his sights on another step that looked more sturdy.

The movements became more cautious, with each exertion of force utilizing angles and lever principles more precisely, reducing unnecessary noise and swaying.

Relying on Xue Yan's energy-stimulating potion and his silent warnings, he painstakingly completed Baroque's impossible task. Sweat, blood, and the green liquid mingled together, turning him into a bizarre and pitiful little monster.

When he used his head to lift the last piece of concrete onto the tower's top platform, he collapsed there like a fish out of water, his chest heaving violently, his vision blurring.

Baroque swaggered up, looked at the pile of concrete blocks, and grinned with satisfaction.

"You're something else, kid!" He kept his word and handed the dirty water jug ​​to Zero's mouth, taking a rough gulp.

The strong, pungent, and low-quality alcohol burned like a flame through Zero's throat and stomach, triggering a violent cough.

"Hahaha! Good! He's my son! If he can drink, he can carry a gun!" Baroque laughed triumphantly.

Zero coughed until tears streamed down his face, but after the burning sensation subsided, a feeling of exhaustion and dizziness, along with a strange warmth, spread through him.

He lay atop the cold tower, gazing at the sparse stars beginning to appear in the sky above the Gobi Desert, his consciousness becoming somewhat hazy.

Just then, Xue Yan came up again, drew a vial of his blood, and remained expressionless:

"The data on alcohol metabolism rate and its impact on the central nervous system are acceptable."

Silence, too, had somehow found its way to the edge of the tower's summit, like a stone statue blending into the night.

His gaze swept past Zero and landed below the fortress—in the direction of the Baroque warehouse where those "fine wines" were stored.

Then, he made an unusually complex series of gestures.

First he pointed to Zero, then to the warehouse below, making a "take" gesture. Next, he pointed to Baroque (who was urinating with his back to them), and finally, he made a horizontal cut across his throat with his palm.

The meaning is crystal clear: Go steal his wine now. If you get caught, you'll get a beating.

Zero's drunkenness was instantly halved by the shock. Stealing Baroque wine? That's more deadly than moving concrete blocks!

But there was no hint of a joke in those silent, lifeless eyes.

Xue Yan also stopped taking notes, his gaze behind his glasses carrying a cold, spectator-like interest.

This is... a comprehensive test question. From three dreadful tutors.

Zero struggled to his feet, every muscle in his body screaming in protest.

He took a deep breath and began to draw upon everything he had learned from silence.

Blend into the shadows. Control your breathing. Observe the path.

Use any sound as cover (such as the loud urination of a Baroque man and the lewd tunes he hums).

Like a true ghost, he silently slid down the iron ladder, avoiding patrols, moving close to the wall, and using debris to conceal his figure.

The movements were somewhat distorted due to fatigue and pain, but the core instinct for stealth had been initially developed.

He successfully slipped into the poorly guarded warehouse (because no one dared to steal Baroque's things).

It was filled with various brands of spirits, and the air was filled with an intoxicating aroma.

He had a clear goal: he found the cheapest, yet most beloved, vodka that Baroque had just been drinking.

He picked up a small bottle, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly paused.

A faint, malicious glint flashed in his dark eyes, incongruous with his age.

He unscrewed the bottle cap, but instead of drinking it, he turned around and carefully urinated into the bottle.

He didn't tighten the cap until the urine was almost level with the remaining wine, and then shook it vigorously.

Then, clutching the bottle of "added" special brew, he stealthily made his way back the same way, his heart pounding with fear.

When he reappeared at the top of the tower and placed the bottle at Baroque's feet, the one-eyed man, who had just finished urinating and turned around, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into earth-shattering ecstasy!

"Hahaha! My good son! He knows how to be filial to his father now!"

He grabbed the bottle, didn't even look at it, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a huge mouthful!

Baroque froze instantly! His one eye widened in shock! His face went from ecstatic joy to an incredulous contortion!

"puff--!!!"

He suddenly spat out a large mouthful of cheap liquor mixed with the smell of urine, like a foul-smelling rain!

"Ugh—! What the hell?! What the hell is that?!"

He coughed and gagged violently, his one eye bloodshot, and glared furiously at Zero, "You brat! What did you put in it?!"

Zero had already retreated quickly to the side and behind the silence, his small body tense.

He remained silent without making any movement, but an invisible, cold sense of protection seemed to spread out, and then his lips twitched slightly.

Xue Yan adjusted his glasses and calmly analyzed the situation:

"Judging from the color, smell, and Baroque's reaction, it is highly likely that excrement was mixed in. The subject exhibited preliminary signs of revenge and... a poor sense of humor. The behavioral patterns showed atypical deviations, which are worth noting."

Baroque looked at Silence and Xue Yan, then at the bottle of urine wine, and trembled with rage. In the end, he let out an extremely furious roar and smashed the bottle off the tower!

"Damn it! You win! Three lunatics with a little lunatic! You'll drive me crazy one of these days!"

He stormed down the tower, cursing and swearing, probably to get some water to rinse his mouth.

At the top of the tower, only Zero and two non-human mentors remained.

Under the starlight, Zero was slightly out of breath. He looked up at the silent, lifeless profile, and then at the sharp light reflected on Xue Yan's glasses.

For the first time in such an extremely harsh environment, he felt a faint, distorted, yet real warmth and a sense of accomplishment.

The trade-off is that his training for a long time to come will likely become much more "diverse and varied".