Instantly, the smug smiles and smirks on the other one thousand kids disappeared.

The sense of superiority and the satisfaction of achieving what most of their peers failed to do evaporated into thin air like a shallow layer of water under the withering heat of an afternoon desert sun.

"Stones. I'll be damned." Muttered one student.

"Always, always utilize the environment to aid you in your mission objective." Instructor Black Kong said softly as he picked up a stone and flicked it towards one of the class instructors expertly.

SMACK!

"OWW!! Black Kong! What the hell??" Savage John shouted as the stone hit him accurately on his arm.

Instructor Black Kong merely glared at him without saying a word. He already knew that the "dry humping" fiasco would probably cause a wave of angry parents to call up the academy, and was expressing his displeasure on Savage John.

But the main target of his anger wasn't Savage John. It was us!

"With long range capabilities, and multiple targets, the "casualties" of today's lesson should not exceed more than half of you. Bruce Pang said that you guys are the best he had ever seen. I call bullshit. YOU GUYS ARE IDIOTS! IDIOTS!!" Instructor Black Kong's ferocious roar thundered down the entire field.

Almost all five thousand kids flinched at his words.

"Because, lesson number three." At this point, his voice dropped low. "You were five thousand going up against one hundred." Instructor Black Kong said quietly.

"None of you stepped up to coordinate with the other classes. All of you fought for yourselves. And as a result, almost all of you "died". Did our Principal's words yesterday not mean anything to you? What would it take for the lessons on unity and teamwork to sink into your minds? The deaths of your team mates? Because let me assure you, without proper teamwork, your friends. Will. Die."

Once more, he paused to allow his words to sink in once more.

All five thousand of us remained silent and began to carve his lessons in our hearts.

Introduction to Combat was not a class on combat techniques or fighting skills.

It was a class on combat philosophy!

After a few minutes, he continued.

"The lessons you have to learn today are very simple. One. Listen to instructions carefully. Two. Utilize the environment. Three. Always work as a team.

For those of you who failed to land three hits on your class instructors, I expect to see fifty MORE laps done. The rest of you, you may be dismissed." With that, Instructor Black Kong and the rest of the Class Instructors turned around and left the field.

We were five thousand ten year olds, stunned at the severity and the imbalance of the punishments given.

A total of one hundred laps around the giant field for merely failing the objectives of the first lesson of the second day?

Insanity!!

A few of the one thousand kids who managed to land hits on their class instructors stood up and started to walk away from the field.

It was just after twelve noon and the sun was beating down on them like an angry old man with a stick.historical

They wanted nothing more than go back to their rooms, take a cold shower and then have a nice, sumptuous lunch with a couple of ice cold drinks!

However, Eliana Wang immediately stood up as well and called out to them.

"Do you guys really think that the class is over?" She said loudly.

"What are you talking about? Instructor Black Kong said it's over. He even left with the class instructors! What, you think he left you in charge? Are you going to teach us now, O princess of the mighty Wang Family?" One of the kids who was about to leave sneered at her.

"Hey there, four thousand of our buddies here still need to run fifty laps." I said. I didn't bother explaining the exact situation to him.

If he's still too dumb to learn the lesson, then maybe he's too dumb to be a part of the academy.

Instructor Black Kong didn't say the class was over. In fact, he just gave four thousand kids a near-impossible task!

And he did so right after saying that we needed to listen to instructions carefully and we needed to have teamwork.

He also didn't send the thousand of us who managed to land hits on the class instructors away. He merely said we MAY be dismissed!

Permission was given to dismiss IF we wanted to!

For those who took his lessons to heart, one thing was clear. The fifty laps around the giant field for the four thousand half dead students who JUST did fifty laps were definitely a final mission objective for us.

"Yeah? Let them run fifty laps then. It's none of my business. I'm going to have a nice shower and a nice lunch before the next class. Bye suckers!" He laughed loudly and walked off.

"That's your attitude towards your team mates? Then don't expect anybody to help YOU the next time you get into trouble!" Sherry Lin shouted at him angrily.

He merely scoffed at Sherry Lin and continued to walk away. However, most of the kids who were leaving with him had the good sense to return to the main group.

All in all, we only lost a hundred of them.

"Alright guys, let those losers go. For now, let us review his instructions. Lesson one. Listen to instructions carefully. The real parameters of this final mission must be hidden unsaid within his words!" Elise Wang, ever the diplomat, immediately stood up and tried to lead the class.

"He expects to SEE fifty more laps done. But he's not here. How will he see the fifty laps done?" Hailey Long spoke up from within the crowd.

"Geolocation tags." Victor Long said immediately.

"That's it! As long as all four thousand geolocation tags complete the fifty laps, we should be done!" Sherry Lin shouted excitedly. "Where are the geolocation tags? I don't remember receiving one when I get here."

"The geolocation tags are embedded on our EduLink devices, dumbass." Sheera Lin scolded her cousin with a sigh. "The compulsory wristwatch we have to wear that contains all the textbooks and video projections of everything we need in this first year."