"Whew... whew... Who... exactly designed this program? It's absolutely insane!" Maximilian Michael grumbled, kneeling on the ground. Sweat dripped down his cheeks, pooling into a mirror on the floor.
"The designer of this program is the Colonel." Giorgio Miguel knew Maximilian Michael wasn't trying to insult Yang Hui, so he wasn't angry. Moreover... he felt the same way.
The Federal Army's basic training program was the same one Yang Hui had brought over from the Gundam SEED world. At first, it was dull and boring. But as the levels increased, it became cruel and twisted.
"Er... ahaha, sorry, I didn't mean it that way." Maximilian Michael apologized awkwardly. He truly hadn't known Yang Hui was the one who designed it.
"It's fine." Giorgio Miguel waved his hand, telling him not to be nervous. "To be honest, we feel the same way you do."
"Can you tell me how many levels you can complete?" Pierce P. Rell asked, also drenched in sweat.
"My limit is LV.8. Most of the other captains are at this level as well. Those who are more skilled—like Jung, Athrun, and Gai—can barely manage to complete LV.9."
"...What about Colonel Yang Hui?" Pierce P. Rell pressed. If the squad leaders under Yang Hui could complete LV.9, then the man himself, known as the strongest MS pilot, must be...
"The Colonel is the only one who can complete LV.10."
Hiss—!
Everyone took a sharp breath. They had all experienced the taste of LV.10. Its difficulty... 'twisted' wasn't enough to describe it! It was simply deranged! It felt like it was never intended to be passed; it was only there to break one's spirit!
But now they knew. It wasn't that they were too weak; it was that someone was truly deranged.
"I have a question," Gao Liang asked. "Is basic training of this difficulty really meaningful?"
Not just Gao Liang, but everyone in the observation group—and even all the personnel who had undergone this training system—shared this thought. Basic training should just allow trainees to master basic movement operations. The difficulty levels beyond that seemed pointless, existing only to mess with the pilots' mental state.
"...At first, we shared your opinion," Giorgio Miguel told the group. Since it was break time anyway, it would probably take this group another ten minutes or so to recover. "But after fighting alongside the Colonel for so long, I finally understood the meaning of the phrase, 'The basics are the foundation of a skyscraper.'"
"What does that mean?" Pierce P. Rell asked.
"Let me show you some records. Words aren't as intuitive." Saying this, Giorgio Miguel projected one of Yang Hui's combat records onto the large screen, playing it for everyone to see at 1/10th speed.
"This!"
At first, the group didn't understand why the speed was slowed down so much. But as the battle in the footage grew more intense, they saw the crux of the matter.
In many instances, if it had been them, it would have been a certain death trap. However, Yang Hui, piloting the Astray Gundam, evaded all attacks using extreme postures. He then counter-killed the enemies one by one. At such extreme distances, a single millimeter too much or too little meant death. There was absolutely zero margin for error.
"This is the result of basic training." Giorgio Miguel then opened several more video records—the logs for each level of the basic training. "This combat record of the Colonel is the material we have been studying, and it is also the goal we strive for. To treat every inch of the machine's armor as your own skin, the machine's hands as your own hands, and the machine's legs as your own legs—to master it completely. That... is the significance of high-difficulty basic training."
"..."
Before seeing this combat record, everyone would have scoffed at such a claim. But now, the cold, hard facts were laid out right before their eyes. Knowing someone could reach such a height—that it wasn't just an unachievable pipe dream—left them with complex emotions.
"...What do we do next?" Pierce P. Rell asked.
"In ten minutes, you will be divided into several small groups to conduct simulation battles against us. Gai and I will not take the field."
"...Is this a slight?" Pierce P. Rell asked.
"Whether it is or not is determined by fighting, not by talking."
Was Giorgio Miguel and Gai Murakumo not taking the field a sign of looking down on them? In a way, yes, but also no. It was because they had the confidence, and they had the right to be confident.
If the two of them entered the field and led their squads against the observation group, it would truly be bullying.
At the same time, this was a test for the squad members. Usually, they spent their free time studying various tactical commands and combat knowledge. But in actual combat, with Yang Hui present, with Captains Natarle Badgiruel and Brad present, and with their own squad leaders there, they only needed to follow orders.
Now, Yang Hui was absent, the two ship captains were absent, and the squad leaders were sitting out. Everything depended on them. Whether they could convert the knowledge they learned daily into practical application would depend on this performance.
"Fine."
Although the members of the observation group were unhappy about being underestimated, they didn't try to act tough. There was no point. They knew the gap between them and the other side, and they weren't in peak condition; acting tough would only lead to further embarrassment.
Ten minutes passed quickly. The members of the observation group adjusted their state and completed their own squad divisions. The first group entered the simulation pods to begin the mock battle against Giorgio Miguel's 5th Squad.
It was at this moment that Yang Hui walked over.
"Colonel!"
When those watching saw Yang Hui, they immediately saluted.
"At ease." Yang Hui returned the salute and told everyone to relax. The members of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division were used to Yang Hui's private demeanor, but the observation group was not. They were all very nervous and stiff.
"Watch closely." Yang Hui didn't say much else. He pointed to the big screen, telling them to watch the simulation battle carefully. There were two types of spectators: one who only watched with their eyes, getting excited and then moving on, and another who watched with their brain, constantly analyzing and thinking, using the failures of others to grow.
Having received his instruction, the spectators focused their attention on the large screen, seriously watching the simulation battle between the two teams.
The terrain was randomly selected as a forest. Both sides used mass-production MS equipped with land-use gear. This could be considered an added layer of difficulty for the members of the 5th Squad.
Because the overall performance of the machines had dropped significantly, the members of the 5th Squad weren't used to it at first. They didn't move immediately, instead staying in place to adapt to the mass-production MS.
Right at the start, the observation group was shocked. Switching to a different machine naturally required an adaptation process, but the nine members of the 5th Squad only took a minute or two to adapt to the lower performance of the mass-production MS before moving out rapidly.
However, Yang Hui was dissatisfied with this adaptation speed that so shocked the others.
"Too slow. Two minutes and fourteen seconds is enough for the enemy to set up an ambush. George."
"Sir."
"After this is over, increase the adaptation training for different machines."
"Understood."
This requirement wasn't just for the 5th Squad, but for all MS pilots in the Twelfth Independent Technical Division. After all, on the battlefield, it was highly likely that a machine would be damaged and unusable. To regain combat effectiveness when no spare machine was around, what if there were other types of machines available? Would they spend time on-site to adapt?
Of course not. Therefore, they had to familiarize themselves with and adapt to the operating systems and performance of various machines in advance. They had to be trained before the battle so they could use whatever they grabbed on the battlefield.
The members of the observation group felt a chill on the side, lamenting that the standards of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division were terrifyingly high.
Many had been looking forward to joining this legendary unit, but now... most were having second thoughts, deciding it might be better to just remain ordinary soldiers.
Before long, the two sides encountered each other. A member of the 5th Squad fired the first shot, accurately hitting an enemy machine hiding in the dense forest.
"Because of the machines' load capacity, their movements have slowed down, but their formation and coordination are still decent," Yang Hui evaluated.
"The opposition chose the wrong combat method. They shouldn't have chosen a frontal engagement. Forest terrain gives us too much of an advantage."
"Amuro, if it were you, how would you choose?" Yang Hui asked.
"With double the numbers, I would split half the force for a feint, while the other half sneaks around the flanks to surround the 5th Squad," Amuro replied.
"A good choice. They suffered because of their carelessness."
The observation group was indeed careless. They believed that because their numbers were greater than the 5th Squad's, they could simply deploy their formation and meet them head-on. This choice wouldn't be wrong against a conventional enemy, but against the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, it was the worst possible mistake.
First, while the 5th Squad had fewer people, every single one was an ace. The numerical difference hadn't reached a point of qualitative change; a frontal confrontation wouldn't do much.
Second, every member of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division was an expert in jungle and guerrilla warfare. They were most adept at carrying out hunting operations in environments filled with cover.
"If it were me, I'd have two-thirds of the force hold their advance in the front while setting up an artillery position in the rear to provide long-range fire support," Giorgio Miguel said. This was his most specialized tactic.
"Gai, what about you?"
"Small squad as bait to lead them into an ambush circle."
The three men had different strategies, but all were ones they excelled at, and all were effective and feasible—certainly better than the current frontal clash.
Yang Hui looked at the other squad members waiting for their turn to go up and smiled meaningfully. He then looked at the observation group on the other side and nodded.
No one present was a fool; they understood Yang Hui's meaning.
On the side of the Twelfth Independent Technical Division, Yang Hui was reminding them to be serious and careful not to mess up.
To the observation group, he was telling them that they could use any of the tactics the three men had just proposed.
Before long, the first team from the observation group fell at the hands of the 5th Squad. The result had been determined the moment they chose a frontal duel.
"George, your people are your responsibility."
"Understood."
"Next group, 10th Squad, get ready."