[BL] Heroic Death System (PART 1)

Chapter 60: A+A (VIII)

Shang Ke was going to use his vacation to go visit his mother. However, when his mother heard of his plans, he firmly advised against his decision and had him stay put where he was. There were still many reporters out there waiting to catch him, if only to confirm whether or not his present physical condition was qualified to join the 45th Legion.

At first, the situation wasn't supposed to be such a big deal. After all, the Empire respected and treated their heroes with courtesy. Even if Shang Ke was unable to enlist into the army again, he could still be given a position with practically no obligations and enjoy generous treatment. This was actually what the higher ups preferred as well, mounting Shang Ke up as a tragic hero and taking him out from time to time as encouragement. It was far better than letting him run off to the battlefield to throw his life away.

No one believed that Filmore still had the ability to participate in battle after seeing his medical report. If he sacrificed his life on the battlefield without any contribution, it would leave behind a stain on his title of "hero". Sacrificing oneself for the country was admittedly glorious, but it also depends on one's individual strength. Forcing oneself, despite knowing of their own condition, and inevitably falling would give the person a reputation of "overestimating one's capabilities".

For the Seiver family, Filmore's retirement was not a bad choice. Although he couldn't pile up any more achievements, at least he retained his honor and could raise the prestige of their family. But Shang Ke chose to enlist again, so no matter if it was the higher ups of the Empire or his family, they were all unhappy with it.

As a result, both sides took a laissez-faire attitude toward the reporters, the news, and the populace's evaluation. Kanwen on the other hand, took a more hands-on approach by telling the public he had tried his best to change his mind but failed, his son was determined to work for the country and he, as a father, can only support him. He played the emotion card and did not care about what kind of pressure and disturbance it would cause his son.

The sensation over their hero which, by rights, really should have stopped a while ago, continued to sweep across the empire, driven by external hype. The populace's attention turned from praising the hero, to judging whether or not he was qualified to become a member of the 45th Legion, to whether he could actually fight, what kind of performance would he give on the battlefield and so on.

If Shang Ke's future performance did not meet their expectations, then the honor he slowly accumulated would instantly decrease by a large margin. This meant that he could only be better than others, otherwise, even if he gave up his life for a good cause, he would only garter sighs that he was nothing much. After all, in the era of war many heroes have stood out, it was not only Shang Ke who was worth remembering.

So to say, Shang Ke's decision to join the army and placing himself in a spot where he could only advance without a way out is something no one supported. However, he had no choice. His mission was for him to promote to Senior Colonel in ten years. If he doesn't join the army and accumulate merits, his mission was a guaranteed failure. He has to go up if he has the qualifications. If he didn't have the qualifications, he has to gain them and then go up.

Shang Ke finished speaking with his mother and did not linger outside for too long before he returned to the training camp. He resumed his dull and difficult training regime and all but severed his connection to the outside world.

What was worth rejoicing lately though, was that after that one challenge, the number of people provoking him decreased. In addition to his perseverance in daily training, he gradually obtained everyone's approval. Under his influence, the atmosphere of the training camp surged up abnormally and everyone acted so passionately, it was as if they had been shot with chicken blood.