Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 21: Training

Ogotai led Fu Qinghai to the familiar training cage. Inside, a strong Space Marine with a long face, and a ponytail was already waiting.

When the training equipment around the cage wasn't in operation, it became a sparring ground for Space Marines. Its reinforced structure could withstand the violent outbursts of the superhuman warriors.

Ogotai pointed to the warrior and said to Fu Qinghai, "Let me introduce you to Abulslan, the best fighter in the Falcon Brotherhood after me."

Abulslan laughed and said, "You can drop the 'after me' part, Khan."

Ogotai chuckled. "Go to hell. Little Locke is in your hands now. Teach him well. He'll become one of us."

It seemed Abulslan was already aware of Fu Qinghai's situation.

He picked up a metal longsword and said to Fu Qinghai, "Come, choose a weapon you like."

Fu Qinghai walked to the weapon rack and looked at the array of weapons neatly arranged before him.

These weapons were the same size as those used by Space Marines, fully sharpened but without power field generators. In terms of weight, these specially weighted training weapons were even heavier.

There were warhammers and battle-axes of various shapes and sizes, swords and knives of different lengths, as well as iron claws, guandao, and halberds.

After some deliberation, Fu Qinghai finally chose a longsword similar to the one in Abulslan's hand.

First, it was a weapon he genuinely liked. Second, choosing the same weapon as the best fighter couldn't be wrong.

Seeing Fu Qinghai's choice, Abulslan smiled and raised his longsword with both hands.

"Come, let me teach you to perceive the weapon in your hand, to feel its character and soul."

The White Scars had a poetic way of describing their cold, ruthless killing tools.

Fu Qinghai asked, "How do I perceive it?"

Abulslan's lips curled into a mischievous smile that felt oddly familiar to Fu Qinghai.

"Through combat." With that, he lunged at Fu Qinghai like a swift gust of wind.

***

After a day of close-quarters combat training, Fu Qinghai, once again bruised and battered, stood in front of the full-length mirror in his quarters, examining his naked body.

It was a towering, flawless physique.

Looking at the well-defined muscles in the mirror, Fu Qinghai couldn't help but reach out and touch his broad, solid pectorals, the deep groove between them, his bulging shoulders, and his powerful arms.

This was a body that no amount of protein powder or steroids could have achieved in his previous life.

Fu Qinghai turned slightly, and the terrifying, knotted muscles of his back bulged menacingly.

Looking down, compared to the inverted triangle shape pursued by bodybuilders, Fu Qinghai's waist wasn't as narrow, but his eight-pack abs and clearly visible V-line showed that this body possessed immense core strength.

Bodybuilders sought a slim waist to emphasize the inverted triangle shape, but from a combat perspective, a thicker waist indicated greater core strength and stability.

This was why some ancient generals had a "general's belly."

Fu Qinghai patted his solid abs, thinking, 'No wonder Space Marines are famous across the galaxy. These muscles are no joke.'

They weren't just for show.

The test data from the training cage matched the data provided by Magos Kurnos. Fu Qinghai's pushing strength was now around one ton, his running speed without armour was close to 60 kilometers per hour (faster with armour), and his vertical jump was about four meters.

This was mainly due to the muscle enhancement organ, of course, supported by reinforced bones and the second heart.

***

Fu Qinghai threw himself into a rigorous training schedule.

With the hardware of a killing machine, he needed the matching software.

As mentioned earlier, bioengineered organ technology had existed for a long time. What truly made the Astartes feared across the galaxy was their combat skills and military expertise.

In space, there was no day or night. Combined with the Catalepsean Node's regulation, Fu Qinghai only needed four hours of rest between training sessions.

Fu Qinghai's training intensity was maxed out from the start.

Unarmed combat, melee weapon combat—submission holds, or locks, lethal techniques, reflecting the White Scars' style of speed, precision, and one-hit kills.

Proficiency and accuracy with various firearms.

The use of power armour.

Skilled operation of Imperial vehicles designed for Space Marines, including Stormbirds and Rhino transports, especially the White Scars' beloved jetbikes.

Familiarity with Imperial warships and knowledge of space naval warfare.

Tactics for squads, companies, and regiments, as well as simulated command of large-scale battles.

Special operations, including torpedo boarding, teleportation boarding, and orbital insertion.

During this training, Fu Qinghai was also indoctrinated with the White Scars' unique combat style and philosophy—luring the enemy deep, flanking maneuvers, and rapid strikes.

Unlike many Legions that preferred head-on clashes and refused to retreat, the White Scars, originally a scouting Legion, had integrated their Primarch Jaghatai Khan's understanding of the art of war.

The White Scars' tactics were cunning. They often feigned defeat to lure the enemy into disarray before striking back. Their combat style emphasized speed, which was the core of both their tactics and fighting techniques.

However, the White Scars were not as proficient in areas where other Legions excelled, such as fortification and defense (Imperial Fists), artillery bombardment and siege warfare (Iron Warriors), infiltration and assassination (Raven Guard), biochemical warfare (Death Guard), and riot control and interrogation (Night Lords).

Fu Qinghai didn't mind. Head-on clashes didn't suit his personality, and the White Scars' style appealed to him. Speed meant he could run if he couldn't win.

Not running away, but making full use of space and preserving strength. In short, a strategic retreat.

This highlighted the difference between Fu Qinghai and other Space Marines.

Ordinary Space Marine candidates and recruits didn't spend all their time training during the years from selection to ascension. Much of it was devoted to indoctrination—or psychological conditioning—to cultivate unyielding combat will, absolute loyalty to the Imperium and humanity, and disdain for heretics and xenos.

The ascension of a Space Marine wasn't just physical; it was also a severance from their past selves. Many believed that Space Marines had their memories erased during indoctrination, but that wasn't the case. Over endless training and combat, their pre-ascension memories faded, turning them into pure killing machines.

Fu Qinghai was different. He had been an adult before entering the Reincarnation World, with well-formed values. Thanks to Magos Kurnos' techniques, he had completed his ascension in just a year and a half. His memories of his past life were still vivid, and his personality and values couldn't be reshaped.

Taral and Ogotai didn't know Fu Qinghai's soul came from beyond the universe, but they knew they weren't the Departmento Munitorum or a monastery. They couldn't, and didn't have time to, provide psychological training for Fu Qinghai.

This was the real issue Taral had emphasized when he told Ogotai that Fu Qinghai's ascension didn't follow the rules.

To put it bluntly, Fu Qinghai would fight for the Imperium of Man, but he wouldn't die for it.

Not to mention, he was just an outsider earning assimilation points.

The Imperium of Man wasn't exactly a good nation. It was an authoritarian, militaristic, and oppressive regime with severe class divisions and widespread discrimination. Cyberpunk-style mega-corporations controlled people's lives. Except for a few garden worlds, most of the Imperium's lower-class citizens lived in harsh conditions, barely surviving.

On the bright side, it was this war-driven Imperium that protected humanity and allowed it to thrive in the cruel, dark universe, eventually becoming the dominant force in the galaxy.

So, whether from the perspective of his faction alignment or his own survival and development, Fu Qinghai had every reason to train hard and learn everything he could.

Though he wore the White Scars' power armour, in his heart, Fu Qinghai was a "Blackshield"—an unofficial term for Space Marines without faith or allegiance, fighting for themselves.

Forget about glory and achievements; survival came first.

***

Another month passed.

Fu Qinghai woke up on time.

What was the daily life of a Space Marine without combat missions?

Space Marines were also called Astartes, and the term "Astartes" itself hinted at the answer.

On days without combat missions, their schedules were packed with training. Space Marines had very little personal time. For them, combat was entertainment, and training was entertainment.

Today, Ogotai taught Fu Qinghai to activate the Sus-an Membrane through meditation.

Fu Qinghai sat cross-legged on the floor, facing Ogotai. Ogotai also got off his wheelchair and sat on the floor, maintaining eye level with Fu Qinghai.

"Close your eyes, adjust your breathing, and focus your mind on that area in your brain," Ogotai's voice came slowly.

Fu Qinghai complied.

"Calligraphy and meditation are unique to our Legion. They help calm your mind, pull you out of endless killing, reflect on yourself, analyze the gains and losses in combat, and even ponder deeper philosophical truths."

"And not just activate the Sus-an Membrane," Ogotai's voice was unusually calm, like a muscular yoga instructor.

"Good, clear your mind of distractions."

As Ogotai finished speaking, Fu Qinghai instinctively formed a hand gesture, palms up, resting on his knees.

Ogotai paused, looking curiously at Fu Qinghai's gesture of pressing his thumb against his middle finger.

"What is this?"

Fu Qinghai opened his eyes and followed Ogotai's gaze, immediately feeling embarrassed.

"Uh... I thought this was necessary. It's, um, a special gesture from my hometown."

Ogotai probably didn't know what cultivation was.

"You don't need to do that. Just place your hands however you're comfortable."

"...Got it."

***

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