Promotion

"Greetings, Sergeant Gareth."

William's heart tightened, and he instinctively stopped and raised his head to salute.

He recognized the veteran; he was one of the many new recruit instructors in the military camp.

He was very strict with his soldiers, but he was highly respected and one of the few veterans who would not arbitrarily whip new recruits.

Gareth walked up to him, looked him up and down, and instead of the stern look he had given, he smiled approvingly.

"William, well done!" He reached out and patted William on the shoulder hard.

William paused, looked up, his eyes full of confusion: "Sergeant Gareth, I...I don't understand what you mean."

"Young man, your fight with the stranger down the mountain yesterday has already spread throughout the entire monastery!" Gareth interrupted him with a laugh, his tone full of admiration. "Lord Durand already knows about it."

William was completely stunned. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know how to begin—he couldn't very well say that he was fighting with strangers because he didn't want them to know he was different...

Gareth noticed his hesitation, placed his hands firmly on his shoulders, and gently patted his face. "We, the Scarlet Crusade, need exactly brave warriors like you. Courage is of utmost importance. To reclaim our homeland, we cannot be afraid. The fact that your name is sung by strangers blessed by the gods is proof enough of your strength."

"This power will make you fearless when facing the Scourge!"

At this point, Gareth's tone became serious, his eyes filled with solemnity: "William, Lord Durand has issued a military order promoting you to corporal. From recruit to sergeant! From this day forward, you are no longer a recruit. You must hold yourself to even higher standards and not let down the Highlord's high regard for you."

"Corporal?" William's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

He'd only been in the army for a year, and his rank was Private First Class. Above him was Private First Class, and then Corporal. There were strict service requirements for promotion to each rank!

Moreover, the Scarlet Crusade has a strict hierarchy, and the path to promotion is extremely difficult. Many recruits become veterans but can only remain at the rank of private first class, yet he was able to be promoted to corporal overnight.

Seeing William's shocked expression, Gareth smiled: "What? Can't believe it? You got this all by yourself. But there's something I must remind you of."

William immediately snapped out of it and straightened his back.

"You failed to return to the camp on time yesterday for your duty report, nor did you report in advance. This constitutes dereliction of duty." Gareth's tone returned to seriousness. "Although it has enhanced the reputation of our Scarlet Crusade among strangers, military regulations are military regulations."

"The lieutenant has ordered you to see your captain, Sergeant Elena, immediately. He needs to give you a detailed account of why you deserted your post yesterday, explaining exactly where you went and why you failed to return to your unit on time."

William's heart skipped a beat, and the joy on his face vanished.

He knew things wouldn't be that simple. Departing from one's post and deviating from one's assigned mission route was a major taboo in the army. He had spent the entire night grinding monsters with strangers, so there was no way he could truthfully report that.

It seems I'm the exception, while everyone else isn't. If I say it out loud, will the captain and the others think I've been manipulated by the Scourge?

The judges in prison are known for targeting their own people.

"I understand what you mean, Sergeant Gareth." William lowered his head, his heart filled with trepidation. But he tried to appear calm. "I will give you a truthful account of what happened. The captain will understand."

Sergeant Elena is one of the few female senior non-commissioned officers in the military.

He was strict and meticulous, with extremely high standards for military regulations. He was also very harsh on his soldiers, and any mistake, no matter how small, would be severely punished.

Trying to get away with it won't be that easy.

"Don't worry, as long as you report the truth and sincerely admit your mistakes, Captain Elena won't be too harsh on you. You're someone Lord Durand has high hopes for, so perform well and don't let him down," Gareth said, noticing his anxiety.

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Sergeant." William nodded, feeling a little more at ease.

As usual, new recruits and veterans came and went in the barracks.

Some were training, some were wiping their weapons, and some were talking about something. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and oil from the weapons.

However, William could clearly sense that the way others looked at him was different from before.

Curiosity, envy, and jealousy.

Clearly, news of his promotion had already spread throughout the military camp.

Although William himself didn't believe it, when he left the camp yesterday, the expressions on everyone's faces weren't so vivid.

Is this what strangers mean when they say that the world of Azeroth has changed drastically?

William lowered his head and walked quickly through the crowd, trying to avoid everyone's gaze.

He had no time to care about those stares. He stopped at the entrance of Captain Elena's tent. He took a deep breath, straightened his tattered leather clothes, and tidied his gray ponytail, trying to appear calm.

The tent door was ajar, and from inside came Elena's stern voice, reprimanding a soldier who had made a mistake. William stood anxiously at the door, his fingers gripping the hem of his clothes tightly, his palms sweaty.

A moment later, the scolding from inside the tent stopped. A soldier walked out with his head down, looking disheveled. He paused for a moment when he saw William standing at the door, then hurriedly left.

William took a deep breath and shouted, "Report!"

"Come in." Elena's voice remained stern, without the slightest softening.

William pushed open the door and walked in, raising his right hand to his brow in salute, and said loudly, "Reporting, Captain! Private William, reporting for duty!"

Inside the tent, Elena sat behind a wooden table, clad in red leather armor over a Crusader's robe displaying her rank. Her expression was cool, her gaze sweeping over William, her tone tinged with amusement: "Ah, isn't this our hero William? I heard you distinguished yourself and were promoted to corporal by our commander?"

"This is truly a joyful thing."

William's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Captain, I was just doing my job. I was wrong, I apologize to you, I should have reported this to you yesterday."

"Calm down?" Elena sneered. "Ha... Just because you've done something good, you think you can abandon your post? You think you can disregard military rules and discipline? I'm asking you, what exactly were you doing yesterday when you didn't return to your unit on time or report in advance?"

William's heart pounded as his voice was icy and his gaze sharp.

He opened his mouth, his mind racing as he searched for an excuse.

"Captain, yesterday during my patrol, I spotted a pack of gnolls wandering in the woods. They seemed intent on attacking civilians, and in my haste, I gave chase."

"While tracking them, I discovered they were attacking two strangers, so I helped them and fought those gnolls until today. That's how it happened, which is why I couldn't return to the team on time or report in advance."

Elena stared at him coldly, as if trying to see right through him.

To avoid punishment, William took out all the loot from his system inventory and laid it out in his tent.

"These are the spoils and tissues I collected from those gnolls; they prove I wasn't lying. And this leather armor I'm wearing," William poked at his tattered armor, "Captain, that's all."

"Oh, as expected, you've been blessed by the gods." Elena's tone immediately lightened considerably, as if she hadn't expected it. "Since it was for investigating the spirits of the natural disaster and protecting civilians, this matter can be dealt with leniently. But military discipline is military discipline; dereliction of duty is unforgivable, and no exceptions can be made for meritorious service."

"I will issue a report to the lieutenant to corroborate your testimony. Your spoils will also be handed over to the regimental commander as evidence."

"In a little while, someone will take you to the secret realm of the training ground to learn combat experience and squad command. It will last for a month, so focus on learning and training there this month."

"As for the punishment... after your training is over, you will be transferred to the garrison in the new city to be responsible for patrolling the streets."

William felt relieved and quickly saluted, "Thank you for your leniency, Captain. I won't do it again."

"Okay." Elena nodded, her tone softening slightly. "William, I won't be your captain anymore. Remember what I said... cherish this opportunity to learn and train in the secret realm that you've gained from this promotion."

"Not every Crusader has the opportunity to enter the secret realm for advanced training. You must train diligently and strive to maximize your martial arts skills within the secret realm."

Stepping out of the tent, William let out a long sigh of relief; his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

Clearly, the divine blessing that Captain Elena mentioned and the attribute panel that appeared before his eyes are not the same thing at all.

He had a vague feeling that this matter might actually be related to the attribute panel that appeared in his eyes.

When the long-awaited sun pierced through the clouds and appeared above the woodland, its gentle rays bathed him. William looked up at the busy soldiers in the camp and at the noisy strangers at the monastery gate in the distance.

The monastery used to be a lifeless place, where everyone lived a life arranged for them, like puppets on strings.

Just like him.

But ever since I broke through that incomprehensible barrier yesterday and left Azeroth as a stranger, the world has suddenly become different.

It was as if the world had truly come to life.

Everyone has their own things to do.