By the time Candace finished speaking, she had broken down into uncontrollable sobs.
“Uh?”
James stood there, utterly at a loss.
He hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Chris, yet his cousin claimed that Chris had shown up.
James cast a sympathetic glance at Candace. For a moment, he thought she might have gone over the edge, her longing for Chris driving her to hallucinations.
Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, “What is love, that it makes one sacrifice life and soul for it?”
—
Meanwhile, just outside the gates of the Nance family estate, Chris walked alone down the street.
His mood was heavy.
He had indeed gone in to see Candace moments ago, but her sensitivity had caught him off guard.
Chris had only appeared for a fleeting moment, yet Candace had sensed his presence.
Left with no choice, Chris had retreated.
He wanted desperately to step forward and speak to her, but he knew he couldn’t.
Too many people were after his life, and until he had eliminated those threats, he could only live in the shadows.
If he appeared now, he would only bring harm to the people he loved. He refused to let Candace suffer again.
Clenching his fists, his face set with determination, Chris vowed to himself: only by becoming stronger could he protect those he cared about and shield them from harm.
—
A few days later, a dark green Humvee rumbled away from Middleton.
Inside the vehicle, Chris was dressed in Amerosia combat fatigues.
Glancing back, he murmured to himself, “Middleton, I’ll return one day. I promise.”
His destination this time was one of the most secretive places in the Amerosia military: Monster Camp.
Monster Camp was a facility designed to train super soldiers.
It was infamous for its staggering death rate. Even the most elite soldiers, the “kings of soldiers,” often couldn’t endure its trials.
Of the roughly 1, 000 recruits who entered Monster Camp each year-handpicked from millions of Amerosia’s troops-fewer than ten would leave alive.
The remaining 990 would perish within its merciless confines.
Chris had first heard of Monster Camp during a fierce border skirmish, an accidental discovery. At the time, however, his sole focus had been returning to his wife and child, so he hadn’t pursued it.
But after everything that had happened recently, Chris made the decision to go. He needed to grow stronger.
Monster Camp’s program consisted of three brutal tests.
Each test was extraordinarily harsh, where death was an everyday occurrence.
Before entering, every participant had to sign a life-and-death waiver. Once signed, their survival-or lack thereof-was no longer the camp’s responsibility.
Despite its danger, Monster Camp attracted countless hopefuls every year.
The reason?
Survivors of Monster Camp underwent a complete transformation, emerging as true super soldiers with extraordinary abilities.
Chris knew that his mentor, Archer Wintersong, and the legendary Marshal Mr. Vance had both survived Monster Camp. Not only had they passed the tests, but they had also excelled.
Chris was determined to follow in their footsteps.
Once he entered Monster Camp, his identity as Amerosia’s Primus no longer mattered.
Now, he was just another recruit.
Like everyone else, Chris would undergo the same intense training.
—
Monster Camp was located at the base of the world’s highest mountain-Mount Everest.
Everest, the tallest peak on Earth, was known for its unforgiving environment.
The area was perpetually hollow and frigid, with temperatures so low that survival was nearly impossible for ordinary people.
The camp was nestled right at the mountain’s foot.
—
The roar of helicopter blades filled the air as Chris arrived at Monster Camp.
He was part of a group of 1, 000 recruits who had been selected for this year’s program.
Every one of them was a soldier among soldiers, chosen from Amerosia’s vast military ranks.
Despite his status as Primus, Chris received no special treatment here.
Like the others, he was simply another member of the camp.
The camp had designated areas for eating and sleeping, but escape was unthinkable.
At such a high altitude, where oxygen was scarce, any attempt to flee would be suicidal.
—
The next day.
All 1, 000 recruits stood in formation within the camp.
Their first trial was announced: bare-handed ascent of Mount Everest.
Everest was the tallest mountain in the world, claiming countless lives every year.
To make matters worse, the current season was far from ideal for climbing.
The mountain was blanketed in snow and battered by relentless winds.
The harsh weather made survival nearly impossible, and any misstep could lead to death.
Yet not a single recruit backed down.
Soon, the climb began.
Without any tools, they relied solely on their hands.
Initially, progress was smooth for most.
But as they ascended higher, challenges piled up:
– The biting cold.
– The lack of oxygen.
– The relentless drain on their stamina.
One by one, recruits began to falter.
Screams echoed through the air as some lost their grip and plummeted from the mountain.
Those who fell had almost no chance of survival.
Despite the mounting casualties, the rest pressed on.
Chris led the charge, climbing faster than anyone else.
Even so, the unforgiving conditions pushed him to his limits.
Finally, Chris and others reached the summit.
Out of the original 1, 000, only 600 recruits made it to the top.
That meant 400 lives had been lost in the very first trial.
A 40% death rate.
It was staggering.
But even for those who reached the peak, the ordeal wasn’t over.
As the saying goes, “Climbing up is easier than climbing down.”
Now, Chris and the others had to descend the thousands of meters they had just scaled-bare-handed.
Chris’s hands and feet felt frozen stiff.
He hadn’t eaten all day. Hungry and thirsty, he resorted to scooping up snow with his hands and shoving it into his mouth.
The extreme conditions and relentless trials left Chris utterly exhausted.
Yet he refused to give up.
Chris reminded himself of why he had come to Monster Camp.
He couldn’t afford to quit.
If he died here, how could he face his wife and daughter again?