Chapter 320: Impending War

One month passed by since Angus started to train the explosion squad. During these two weeks, the explosion squad is literally living in hell, especially for Ferry, Gibby, and Tilda. 

The three of them already forget how many times they fell unconscious under Angus's training that seems like torture. Boiled, burned, slept under hot temperatures, and many other ridiculous training.

Despite the ridiculous training, the three of them managed to progress faster. Their body is more resistant to fire and can manipulate fire mana better than before. They could also use [Explosion Fist] more efficiently than before. 

Currently, the three soldiers are running inside the hot special training room. Because of the hot temperature, they sweat a lot and are exhausted. 

Moreover, they are instructed not to get any water unless they give a satisfactory result. Angus didn't say how far they needed to run, but they had already been running almost half-day and were still not instructed to stop.

The worst part is they need to run barefoot on the hot floor. Therefore, they can't stop moving since the hot floor is unbearable for them. On the other hand, Angus meditates in the middle of the room without minding the scorched ground and temperature.

Despite the hot temperature in the room, Angus didn't even sweat a little bit. Furthermore, the temperature beside Angus is rising and low at a fast pace following his breathing rhythm. Currently, Angus is training his fire manipulation to change the surrounding temperature.

This kind of feat needs very precise control over fire mana. According to Angus's research, a fire element is one of the essential elements that exist in nature. Theoretically, using his nature fire manipulation, Angus should be able to create any kind of fire out of nowhere far from his body.

As long as he could detect the fire mana and element in the surrounding, he could make them brighter or even extinguish them. However, this kind of feat is a difficult thing to do. Currently, he could only manipulate the temperature to a certain degree and far from creating a fire.

While Angus and the three soldiers are training, the other seventeen soldiers are also spared from Angus's hell training. Under Angus' ridiculous rune circle test, the seventeen soldiers changed every three days since they couldn't get a good score during the test.

Fortunately, there are few soldiers that managed to produce a good result. These few soldiers still do not get a good score in the theoretical test, but they are better than others. Therefore, Angus decided to make them stay among the following seventeen soldiers.

From the seventeen soldiers, only four soldiers managed to retain their spot up till now. Because they read and learned the book longer than others, they managed to get better results each time they took the test.

These four soldiers also start to teach the other soldiers under the pressure of everyone. In the end, the other soldiers also managed to get a better result than their previous one. 

Still, the test is not easy, and some of the questions are more towards their own opinion about fire-related subjects.

Angus finds that most of the base soldiers do not have proper basic knowledge about fire mastery. Most of them get their fire mastery through experience and practice. Therefore, their understanding of fire mastery is half-baked and filled with many holes.

With the complete knowledge in Angus's book, everyone understands more about fire mastery. Some brilliant soldiers also managed to wield his fire skill better than before.

Another month passed by in the blink of an eye. During this one month, few soldiers managed to get a high score in the theoretical test. 

They are immediately forced to join Ferry and the other's hell training. After knowing the content of Ferry's training, most of them even want to give up on the first day of training.

'This not a training but pure of torture!!' thought the new soldier while burning alive inside the Vulcan Oil.

While the new addition soldiers undergo ridiculous training, Ferry and the others also do not stay idle either. Currently, they managed to manipulate their own fire mana better than before. Unlike last month, Angus began to tutor and teach them about explosion skill.

Actually, all the soldiers already have access to the information about the explosion skill. This knowledge is literally inside the Angus book. Therefore, any soldier who understood their books fully also theoretically understood the explosion skill in theory.

Still, it is not easy to understand Angus' book. It contains a lot of deep knowledge about fire mastery and manipulation. Some of them also explain explosions scientifically. There are many terms and knowledge that are hard to understand for ordinary common soldiers.

Currently, Angus is having a meal with Vergil in the canteen. Since Angus started training the soldier, he has become quite busy. But, the two brothers still occasionally meet each other and have a meal together.

Since the previous incident, nobody dares to get close and disturb Angus's meal whenever he takes a meal. In the end, Angus is forced to have a meal by himself if Vergil is unavailable.

"Hmm… I hear the tension on the border is getting worse, especially the border with the Nergal Kingdom. I heard from my father, each day, the extermination squad managed to capture spies in the border perimeter." said Vergil.

"Yeah, I also heard them. It seems the first war will happen with the Nergal Kingdom." replied Angus while eating his food.

"The Nergal Kingdom has always become the archenemy of the Heart Kingdom. Like us, Nergal Kingdom is also led by a seventh-grade King. Their military strength is also not too much different than ours." said Vergil.

"If it was a few years ago, that may be true. But, with our current resources and the new additional strength from the Sur village, we may be stronger than them. Moreover, we also have uncle Jade on our side." said Angus.

"Then, it will be foolish for them to invade or attack us." said Vergil.

"I am not too sure about that. War is never simple. I believe when the Nergal kingdom launches an attack, the other nearby kingdom also will not sit idle either." said Angus.

"Don't tell me the other nearby kingdom allied together to eliminate us?" said Vergil.

"Allied together? No, they probably just want to have some profit during the chaos. The nearby kingdoms must know or get the big picture about our military power. So, they couldn't move carelessly and get our kingdom full of retaliation."

"I bet they will wait until one of them launches an attack before moving on their own. Until one of them makes a move, all these kingdoms will not do anything. According to what I know, there are only three kingdoms nearby that still contend with us in military strength."

"The first one is the Nergal Kingdom, our archenemy. The second one is the Tascar Kingdom, and the last one is…" said Angus.

"Hascua, right?" cutting Vergil.

"Yeah, brother. Although Hascua does not have any seventh combatant like Tascar and Nergal, their military strength is similar to the previous Holy Alliance kingdom. They have a lot of six-grade combatants."

"Fortunately, I hear Hascua is a neutral and kind of pacifist kingdom. Still, I am not sure when the war starts, this silent kingdom will stay still or not." said Angus.

"True, we don't know if they will have malicious intent during the chaos or not. Haa.. War, just thinking of it makes my head hurt." said Vergil.

"Don't worry, brother. This is the major reason why Father sent me here to teach the explosion skill. I have been preparing them for the incoming war. Since ancient times, the war has always involved a lot of lower grade combatants." said Angus.

"Whenever one of the party exhausted all their lower grade combatant, the war will be reached to a conclusion. So, the explosion squad will become one of our trump cards in facing the impending war." said Angus.

"Hmm… I see. I never thought of that. Say, Angus, I think you are suitable to become the family head." said Vergil.

"And sitting all day working on the endless paperwork. I am sorry, but no thanks, Jason could have all that stuff. Besides, what I want is only a nice peaceful life while sometimes researching stuff." said Angus.

"Now you said that. I truly pity Jason for handling all that stuff, not to mention those of our affiliated noble." said Vergil.

After they finish their meal and conversation, Angus and Vergil go towards their respective place. Vergil needs to be back on his training and supervise the explosion base. At the same time, Angus continues to train the explosion squad.

Thinking of the impending war, Angus decides to become more brutal in his training. He wants to create an elite squad that is good at fire mastery and in combat. Angus thought with the help of Explosion Squad, the heart kingdom burden would be lessened.

Then, his father and Jade's work will also be less. There will also be a high chance they will not be sent out to the frontline. In war, the most chaotic and uncertain place will be the frontline, especially in the magical world like Firuman.