Suddenly, one of their comrades, who was standing guard, shouted, "Something is moving behind those bushes!"

In an instant, everyone was on their feet, weapons at the ready, their senses heightened, prepared for whatever lurked beyond the foliage.

"Prepare your spears! It sounds like alligators!" Jack's voice cut through the chaos. "Aim for their eyes, mouth, or nose if they attack! Let's move!"

They sprinted, adrenaline fueling their steps, even as they carried their injured comrades. The urgency of their situation pushed them to their limits; their legs burned, but the fear of being caught by the alligators kept them moving.

"Damn!" One of the trainees exclaimed, halting abruptly. In front of them lay the ominous lake where they had lost a comrade. "We're back here!"

"Don't get close to the lake! Let's throw the alligators there instead," Jack commanded.

Turning to face their pursuers, they saw the alligators, a living wave of danger, piling on top of one another.

"There's too many of them!"

"Remember our aim! Eyes, nose, and mouth! When hurt, they tend to retreat! Try to kick several together and toss them into the lake! Pair up!" Jack's expertise showed as he led with authority.

The standoff was tense, each side waiting for the other to make the first move.

Suddenly, an alligator from the back lunged, leaping an astonishing five feet into the air.

Jack and Four Eyes, who seemed to have read each other's mind, moving in unison, ran towards it with their spears. In perfect sync, they struck the alligator and hurled it into the lake from mid-air.

That mysterious lake just consumed the alligator in seconds, leaving the group in stunned silence.

"Focus!" Four Eyes's command cut through their distraction. Despite his few words, he always knew how to command attention and action. The group quickly refocused, prepared for the next move in this deadly game of survival.

With only thirty able fighters among them, they faced an overwhelming wave of a hundred alligators. Their odds seemed impossible, but fortune was on their side. The alligators attacked in waves rather than all at once, giving the trainees brief, critical moments to regroup and strike back.

Spears were thrust with precision and desperation. Jack and Four Eyes led the charge, their moves synchronized like a well-rehearsed dance. Each stab was aimed with the knowledge that a precise hit to the eyes, nose, or mouth would deter the fierce creatures.

The trainees moved with a fluid rhythm, pairs working together to fend off and drive the alligators toward the lake. Each successful throw into the water was a small victory, the lake consuming the beasts in a matter of seconds.

The air was filled with grunts and the splashes of bodies hitting the water. Tension tightened the muscles of every person there, their breaths labored but determined. They couldn't afford to falter, not with the odds stacked against them.

Finally, as the last of the alligators was hurled into the lake, the trainees stood panting but victorious. Their numbers were still intact, their spirits bolstered by the unity and the sheer will to survive.

"Let's keep this one!" Jack exclaimed as he held onto an alligator, his voice echoing with determination.

"What for?" Chatty yelled, his fear palpable. He was so scared to death earlier during the battle with the alligators. If there was one thing that terrified him, it was alligators.

"Food!" Jack replied, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"I remember this place. I'll find some woods." one of them offered, eager to keep moving.

"It will be dark soon. I will go with you to find more." another chimed in, everyone's eyes darting around warily.

"Be on guard!" Another soldier warned, his voice carrying the weight of their situation.

Jack took out his water bottle, drank most of it, and discarded the rest. Chatty looked at him in surprise.

"Why did you throw your water?" Chatty asked, he was perplexed.

Jackson need not answer him. He took his dagger, punctured the alligator, and collected its blood.

"Don't tell me you're gonna drink its blood!" Chatty said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Jack was grinning from ear to ear, his white teeth gleaming, looking at Chatty.

"Alligators' blood is extraordinary, especially for the wounds. It has a natural healing effect and is anti-bacterial. It's like an antibiotic." Jack explained.

Four Eyes, overhearing what Jack said handed him his water bottle after taking a drink.

"Here, apply this to our injured fellow." Jackson passed Chatty the bottle.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Chatty asked, still skeptical and not so eager to believe.

"Certainly!" Jackson answered with confidence, smiling again, showing his completely white teeth.

"Apply some to your wounds as well," Jack added.

"Come on, let's go and do it!" Fatty, more pragmatic, took the bottle and grabbed it from Jack, ready to put the advice to use.

Shun returned smiling with two men beside him after two hours of hunting.

"Guess what we got?" he said, emptying his backpack of mushrooms and fruits. Another carried firewood, while the third had two rabbits ready to cook.

Six of them were preparing the crocodile meat while the others were taking turns treating their wounds and standing guard.

"Go treat your wounds. Go to Quan Ye," Four Eyes instructed Shun.

Shun nodded, and his two companions followed him without question, leaving the rabbit to Four Eyes.

'Seems Shun has found two followers.' Four Eyes thought, feeling a surge of pride for his friend.

Four Eyes, observing Jack, sat beside him with the rabbits to cook.

Sitting beside Jack, Four Eyes started cooking the rabbits. "How did you join the camp?" he asked, curious about Jack's background.

When Jack heard the question, he smiled again, showing his perfect white teeth. However, his eyes held a deeper story. "It is all thanks to our Supreme Commander and Grand Master," he began, referring to Ling Li and Shi Min.

"Our whole village in Uganda was burned by a powerful businessman who wanted to control our land. But our village captain refused to give in to their demands.

Our Supreme Commander happened to be visiting the next village from us, saw the fire, and came to our village and rescued us. Both my parents died fighting, my younger brother was only months old and didn't survive the toxic smoke, and I was only eight then." Jack paused and seemed to go back to his past.

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