During training at the base, most people would slack off whenever possible, just doing the bare minimum to get by. But Jay was different.
Not only did he complete all the required training meticulously, but he also voluntarily trained extra afterward.
Such an "antisocial" approach naturally made him the target of mockery behind his back.
However, due to the rumors surrounding him, no one dared to cause him trouble.
Instead, they simply ostracized him.
Jay, however, couldn't care less.
Why should he waste time on these nobodies? Even sparing them a second of his attention was a waste.
In such a dangerous world, especially in the high-risk profession of the Marine, he deeply understood the principle: The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.
Every second counted, he had to grow stronger.
With discipline and "talent," his once-skinny frame was visibly changing day by day.
Not only were his muscles developing, but he had even grown taller, surpassing the 180 cm (5'11") mark, the so-called "passing line" for height.
After all, he was only 16, still in his prime growth phase.
It was clear that 180 cm was far from his limit.
That Night After Dinner
Jay decided to tackle two things at once, training while also attempting to activate more abilities from his [Yujiro Hanma] Red Card.
Activation Requirements:
~Use nunchaku to achieve a 100-kill streak in a battle.
~Survive a lightning strike.
These two were obviously impossible for now.
But one condition seemed feasible:
~Active Ability: Oni Back - When activated, the muscles on the back form a demonic face, allowing the user to exert maximum physical strength.
~Activation Requirement: Endure 10,000 effective attacks.
What counted as an effective attack?
Through self-inflicted tests, Jay confirmed it referred to hits that caused a certain level of damage.
He could do it himself… but self-harm wasn't exactly a hobby of his.
So, after some thought, he walked up to a certain someone.
At the dining hall, Buck, mid-meal, looked up to see Jay standing beside him. His face immediately stiffened.
"Find me after you finish eating."
The surrounding recruits immediately burst into laughter.
Why?
Because Buck was the idiot who had bragged about washing Jay's underwear for a month.
Originally, he had planned to weasel out of it, thinking Jay wouldn't dare do anything to him.
Then, out of nowhere, Jay gained Colonel Hammond's favor and got an early promotion.
And then came the news of Johnson's death.
That was when Buck completely chickened out.
"A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. It's just washing underwear… no big deal, right?"
So, he had begrudgingly followed through with his promise.
Now, seeing Jay approach, he instinctively assumed there was more laundry duty ahead.
"I… I got it."
Buck's face turned red.
The laughter around him was humiliating, but he didn't have the guts to refuse.
Resigning himself to fate, he abandoned his meal and hurried after Jay.
"Wait, where are we going? That's the wrong way."
"Huh? Aren't we going back to the dorm?"
"Dorm? For what?"
"To… wash your underwear? By the way, can we negotiate something? Next time, can you call me when there are fewer people around? I may be a man of my word, but I still have some dignity…"
Jay suddenly stopped, turning to face Buck.
"I need your help with something. If you agree, the underwear business is over. No one will mock you anymore."
Hearing that he'd be free from the underwear chore, Buck's eyes widened.
"What is it? Just saying, I'm broke. If it's money, forget it!"
"I don't need money. It's a simple task, and you'll definitely enjoy it."
Jay flashed a grin.
Ten Minutes Later A Quiet Corner of the Training Ground
Jay stood shirtless, his developing muscles faintly outlined under the dim light.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Do it."
Buck, gripping a wooden stick, hesitated.
"You asked for this, okay? No revenge afterward!"
"Hurry up!"
Smack!
Buck, still unsure about this whole situation, instinctively held back, not swinging with full force.
After all, this was the first time someone had asked him for something this bizarre…
Jay glanced at the progress bar, sure enough, the hit didn't count as an effective attack. Instantly, he was displeased.
He glared at Buck and mocked him loudly, "Useless! You can't even hit properly. You might as well go back to washing my underwear! Who knows, maybe you can even turn it into a business!"
"Shut up!"
Even a clay figurine has a temper. Enraged and humiliated, Buck swung the stick hard against Jay's back.
[Effective Attack +1]
There it was!
Jay let out a muffled grunt from the impact, but his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Keep going."
Hearing this, Buck immediately struck him again.
Then, without needing further prompting, he continued swinging, one hit after another, landing heavy blows on Jay's body, perhaps even venting some frustration in the process.
Jay, however, didn't care.
"Don't just hit the same spot, dammit! Trying to break my bones?"
"Yeah, spread out the hits… except for the vital spots! You trying to get yourself killed?"
"That last one was too soft! Hit harder, didn't you eat?"
For Jay, the pain was mixed with exhilaration.
After all, the blows hurt, his body was quickly covered in red welts. But he gritted his teeth and endured it.
Fortunately, the constant +1 feedback reassured him that the pain wasn't in vain.
That alone was a huge motivator.
At the same time, his [Passive Ability: Hanma Blood] started kicking in.
With its powerful regenerative effects, he could endure for much longer, without worrying about Buck's inconsistent strength. Even if he did sustain injuries, they would heal quickly.
On top of that, this whole process was also a way to train his endurance and resistance to physical blows, truly killing two birds with one stone.
However, after only a few dozen successful hits, the first one to give out wasn't Jay, it was Buck, the one doing the hitting!
People often underestimate how exhausting it is to throw punches or swing a weapon. For an untrained person, going full force just four or five times can drain their energy.
Buck wasn't that weak, but at the end of the day, he was just another grunt. How strong could he really be?
If he were that impressive, he wouldn't have ended up being forced into washing Jay's underwear in the first place.
Clatter!
"I can't… I can't do it anymore. I'm out of strength."
Buck tossed the stick to the ground and flopped down, playing dead.
Jay didn't force him. He simply put his shirt back on and said, "That's it for today. Starting tomorrow, be here an hour early in the morning. Same after dinner."
He intended to make full use of [Passive Ability: Hanma Blood], testing if he could recover fast enough for twice-daily beatings.
If all went well, he would add a third session during his midday break.