Chapter 369: Intensive Training
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At that point, the reason why they were there became quite obvious. Luo Yuan was silent for a moment and said, "It’s too risky, why me?"
The journey would take more than a day. The island was located in Borneo, which was a few thousand kilometers from the reconstruction area. He had to cross a thousand kilometers of deep ocean regions to get there. He was not sure how many terrifying mutated beasts he would encounter along the way. The worse part of it all was that he might have to probe into the extraterrestrial civilization to obtain first-hand information.
Now that he was almost invincible, most of the mutated beasts could not do him any harm. The wilderness and forest were deadly to ordinary people but they were nothing to him. However, he was still a human. If he was discovered by the extraterrestrial civilization, the consequences would pose a threat to his survival.
The atmosphere became tense. The high commissioner looked down and said, "Major Luo, you’re the best that we have. You have years of experience surviving in the wilderness. You’re strong and you have some knowledge of the extraterrestrial civilization. Most importantly, you can fly. The most crucial part of this mission is to carry out surveillance without detection so we can’t use drones. With the exception of yourself, there is no one who can go on this mission. Of course, we know the mission is very dangerous. I’m here to ask for a favor, it’s not an order. So if you decline the mission, we understand."
Luo Yuan was not surprised that the high commissioner knew him and the reconstruction area so well. He was sure such information was very easily obtained by a person in his position. Luo Yuan frowned while tapping his fingers on the table. After a moment, he said, "I don’t understand why you, Sir, would decide upon such a dangerous mission. If I was discovered, the extraterrestrial civilization would find out that we know about them. The consequences could be disastrous."
"The war started a long time ago, we have no other alternative. The explosion of the fusion device was not an accident like it was reported, it was an attack!"
The high commissioner hesitated and continued,"Although we have no idea why the extraterrestrial civilization is hiding, there must be something that we are missing."
"Perhaps they are not strong enough, or they have some special purpose or perhaps they have some other unknown agenda. We are guessing even if they’re exposed, the possibility of the war is not certain."
High commissioner’s voice became deep and stern. "Moreover, they have shown signs of hostility. Compromising is not an option. With a 200 year gap in technology, they will not just sit there and wait for us! War will happen sooner or later. If we get more information about them, then there’s at least a higher chance for us to defeat them and win. Even if we die, we will not go down without putting up a good fight."
Luo Yuan sat up straight, an indescribable sadness rose within him. He was never a saint. He was just an ordinary person from the start. He would never sacrifice himself for someone else. Although he had saved and helped many people since the apocalypse, he would never risk his life to uncertain odds. Putting the faith of the human race in his hands was way too much. He could not imagine how terrible it would be if a war were to happen. The reconstruction area would be burnt to ash, no human would survive. The human civilization would be extinct. Even if he survived in the end, would he be able to live in peace, with the knowledge that he could have saved the humans?
…
During the days that followed, he did not go to the work. At night he went with the high commissioner’s assistant to New Capital City on the underground train for intensive training sessions to prepare himself.
In modern civilization, information retrieval was a very serious matter, and it could not be mastered by just anyone. He would be taught how to investigate, hide and handle all sorts of emergencies.
During that time, Luo Yuan showcased his astonishing learning and memory skills. He surprised all the trainers, to a point, he could basically memorize everything he heard immediately.
The training eventually became pointless to him. Apart from some special techniques that required professional guidance, they sent him reading material for basic knowledge of the mission.
‘Must Know for An Information Personnel’
‘How to Be An Outstanding Spy’
‘The Art of Camouflage’
‘100 Ways to Build Traps’
‘Defects and Blind Spots of Artificial Intelligence’
"How to Sneak Into A High-Tech Secret Room"
…
Those books were considered acceptable, but they came along with a few unusual ones too.
‘International Thieves - Tricks Used In Crimes - An Encyclopedia’
‘Fugitive Report’
‘Prison Break’
‘100 Ways To Fight Back In A Trial’
…
In three days, Luo Yuan had studied more than 10 books. He did not just analyze the information, he memorized them too. However, that was just the beginning of his training, what happened next was the crucial part.
The mission was important to both the reconstruction area and the survival of human beings. No matter how much he prepared, it was not enough as there was no guide to winning the war and preserving the existence of human civilization. In reality, before Luo Yuan started training, many were against it. Not only the mission but also the fact that he had been chosen to be their savior.
Luo Yuan, as a civilian, was considered unfit for the mission. Encountering the extraterrestrial civilization that had technology that surpassed what was used on earth, even a mini camera could pose to be a threat to expose who he was. Therefore, no electrical devices were allowed on this mission. There would be no images or videos for analysis. Critical solving skills and rational judgment were the only way. Without expert level knowledge of science, one would find it very difficult to handle such a mission.
An ideal information retrieval specialist would be an all-rounded scientist, who was also strong, with the ability to survive in the cruel wilderness. The same person would also require the ability to cross oceans and the islands along the way. However, it was apparent, such a person did not exist. Luo Yuan’s stunning learning ability was a surprise to everyone. It felt like he was back in high school.
Metallurgy, High Energy Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Genetics, Relativity, Thermodynamics, Number Theory, Geometry, Fluid Mechanics…
The subjects that would have driven a high-schooler crazy, but they were just the basics. Next, he would have to learn about some unidentified theories of mankind including conjectures and hypothesis!
Millions of books that represented the current civilization were forced into his head. Although Luo Yuan had Intelligence of +15, all the studying gave him a headache.
However, he was not going to abandon the mission. Instead, he worked harder and tried his best to understand all the advancements ever achieved by the human race. Perhaps one day if the civilization disappeared and he survived, he could use that knowledge to give life to a new one.
Time passed by, from the tiresome reading, his studies had now become interesting.
As his knowledge increased, he got used to all the reading, and his passion for the information allowed him to read faster and faster. Eventually, it only took him a few minutes to finish a book. There were not many books that confused him anymore. He could have just flipped through them, cross referenced and compared theories in his mind.
More than 10 bookshelves were emptied in a matter of days. When Luo Yuan was getting the last book from the shelf, he realized that the shelf was empty. Suddenly, he felt disappointed and laughed at the thought.
Soon after, he walked slowly out of the library. An assistant from the high commissioner was waiting for him as he exited. She looked up when she saw him and gasped.
Luo Yuan had a pair of captivating eyes that were filled with intelligence and he exuded a vibe of a higher-order intellect.