Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Bai E returned to the camp with a heart full of joy.

"This trip out, it was worth it!"

More than just worth it, it was a huge gain!

The experience from those little mice wasn't much, only 3 points each, but you can't beat the sheer number of them.

The only regret is that this world seems to have some kind of experience punishment mechanism -- killing too many of these weak creatures in succession reduces the experience significantly, from 3 points at first to 2 and then 1 point. Nevertheless, overall, he still gained more than a hundred points in combat experience. Wasn't that much faster than training in the military camp?

Actual combat had always been the quickest way to improve.

However, that was just a small part of it. The experience gained from teaching players twice was the real meat of the matter.

His under 100 points of combat/general experience had, after this one excursion, soared to an impressive 879 points.

He was just 121 points away from unlocking the skill tree that opened up after reaching level 4 specialization; hope was right before his eyes!

Upon returning to the campsite, all was silent.

Bai E felt like a student who was late to class, each step he took into the military camp filled with trepidation.

Everyone was training.

It wasn't just the new recruits; even the veterans needed to undergo various degrees of training in different areas. For them, breaking through limits might be harder, but without training, there was no chance for improvement at all.

The only difference was, perhaps, that those veterans with certain military achievements had a bit more freedom in scheduling their time.

Like the four members of the special squad...

"You're finally back!"

Upon seeing Bai E return, Dashan popped out from behind a tent, his tone energetic, "Didn't you say yesterday you wanted to learn how to dress wounds? We've already arranged it for you. Nurse Chief An Lun is teaching her subordinate medics right now, and you can still make it if you hurry."

"Huff... Huff..."

Bai E was still breathing heavily, unable to speak, just letting others make arrangements.

He had casually mentioned it just last night; he didn't expect his teammates to take it so seriously.

"Let's go! I'll take you there!"

Gripping Bai E's hand, Dashan took off running.

"Slow... slow down."

...

"You are special."

In front of a pristine white tent, an elegantly poised lady with traces of time upon her face gently spoke to the line of "nurses," "The soldiers' hands are for killing enemies; yours are for saving lives. Not many have the ability to soothe pain, and I am glad you can feel that kind of suffering. Remember one thing—if the weak and the sick are not cared for, humanity has no future.

Soldiers spill their blood, but there should be no needless sacrifices."

Genetics are uncontrollable.

In a batch of 2,000 new recruits, there will always be some unexpected births, those naturally capable of sensing injury, bleeding, abscess, and other factors, are naturally destined to be medics.

Besides, there are also some civillians who volunteered to enlist.

Joining the army could bring some subsidies to the family, but the front line was far too dangerous. Being a military medic was somewhat safer.

Moreover, with free training to master a skill, they could make a living even if they left the army later—it was a good choice.

Apart from some standard basic training, what these military medics needed to train for was not combat ability, but battlefield medical rescue capability.

That was when Dashan and Bai E arrived at the back of the crowd.

"Go on, hurry up!"

Dashan clearly revered the elegant lady, and when he maintained a certain distance, he gave Bai E a push.

Dashan was stronger than Bai E, and with that shove, Bai E had no power to resist, stumbling to the very right of the line.

The new "nurses" could not help but glance sideways, and Nurse Chief An Lun also cast a pair of calm yet solemn eyes toward him.

"You has already spoken to me... but you are late," she said.

The lady, elegant yet austere, showed no interest in hearing Bai E's excuses—being late was being late, no excuses.

Fearing Bai E might not catch up with the progress, she had already waited six minutes.

The golden window for saving many injured soldiers did not even last six minutes.

So...

She reached out to the dummy beside her, "Yesterday, we had already gone through the basic bandaging practice, which you missed. I cannot waste time teaching it again. If you have no basic knowledge at all... you can leave now."

Bai E pursed his lips and, without saying a word, stepped forward.

If you're late for a beating, you stand firm. He was late; there was no getting around that.

Even if he was being targeted, it was deserved.

An Lun handed Bai E a roll of somewhat blackened gauze, saying nothing, her calm yet stern gaze was pressure in itself.

The rookie nurses were familiar with this kind of pressure; a few naturally gentle girls looked worriedly at Bai E's retreating figure.

"Nurse Chief An Lun seems angry..."

"None of these newcomers, the artificial humans, should know anything..."

"It took us a long time yesterday to even grasp a little trick..."

Yesterday's training was called basic, and it was indeed very basic.

Nothing in the world is simple: how to bandage securely, whether too tight might restrict blood flow, whether too loose might render it ineffective, when to bind blood vessels, when only to clean the wound to prevent infection, how to bandage so as not to affect the ability to move... and so on.

It took everyone two hours just to get a basic handle on it; without any basics, there were no patients willing to let them practice freely.

"Is he going to be sent away?"

Being driven away... always seemed like such a shameful thing.

Mashati's brown amber-like eyes gazed at Bai E's back, full of worry.

Bai E tore open the gauze.

"16 points in bandaging experience should help me cope, right?"

He indeed had not genuinely practiced, but the experience fed back from the missions subconsciously told him what to do.

Experience was just that, experience, not the ability to convert bonus attributes into absolute operations bestowed by the system, but still something familiar.

Just like the dozen or so points of shooting proficiency he had earned through his own efforts at the beginning of the rookie shooting test. Though he was a novice, it did not mean he was completely clueless.

Just not sure if it would catch the eye of this nurse chief.

It was good to learn; after all, arriving in a strange new world, the more skills, the better.

If not allowed to learn... it seemed like there wasn't much of a loss.

With the right attitude, Bai E simply got to work.

[You are attempting a simulated bandaging...]

Whish, whish, whish!

Bai E's hands fluttered like butterflies threading flowers, his main show was confidence.

Inexperienced yet confident...

"Wow! He's so skilled!"

"He's doing better than I did yesterday..."

The girls whispered among themselves.

[You have completed a simulated bandage; validation successful, bandaging experience +1.]

Great success! Now to tie a butterfly knot...

["Lucky Strike" charge +3.]

A glint of astonishment flashed in An Lun's eyes as she stared intently at Bai E's profile, "Have you practiced on your own?"