Chapter 89 Daniel's Problem

Kenneth touched down on the grassy spot James picked out around 10 AM the next day, following the coordinates Daniel gave him.

James and Nis acted like it was no big deal, and Natalie wasn’t shocked either, knowing where Daniel’s base was.

But Donovan? He was blown away. His current boss in Afrilon was on a whole different level, way better than those mercenaries who just relied on trucks and their own two feet.

“Arms dealers are definitely a cut above the rest!” he thought.

While packing up, Donovan strolled over to Nis and quietly asked, “So, who’s our boss really?”

Nis got what he was hinting at.

But she knew Daniel was just a businessman. When she joined, Daniel only had James working for him. If she hadn’t handed over her brother’s secret to Daniel, this guy who seemed so mysterious to Donovan wouldn’t have been able to handle even a deal for 500 guns.

Nis wasn’t about to spill the beans to Donovan. He was good at his job, but he had that typical Italica guy’s cockiness, which Nis, being all conservative, found annoying.

Seeing Donovan’s curious look, Nis nodded all mysteriously and said, “Some things are better left unsaid. Just act like you don’t know. In Afrilon, the less you talk, the longer you live.”

After Nis finished, James shot a glance at Donovan and said in his gravelly voice, “Time to move.”

Donovan zipped it and followed them onto the plane without a peep.

Daniel had been running on fumes these past couple of days. Even though he was the fittest in the crew, it felt like he couldn’t keep up with the rest.

Forget about comparing himself to James; Daniel felt he couldn’t even keep up with Nis and Natalie.

Daniel was sure he had more raw strength than Nis and Natalie, but the reality was, both women were in better shape than him.

He couldn’t wrap his head around why he felt so wiped out after being super hyped, even after catching 4 hours of sleep. The others didn’t seem to have this issue at all.

Asking James wouldn’t get him anywhere. When Daniel got on the plane, he let James take the co-pilot seat and squeezed into the back, then pulled Donovan, who was supposed to be the pro, and asked, “Aren’t you guys tired?”

Donovan, looking puzzled, shrugged and said, “What are you talking about? You tired or something?”

Daniel shook his head, confused, and said, “We had like 16 hours of intense action yesterday and only rested for 4 hours. I still feel like I haven’t rested enough. Why don’t you guys seem to have this problem?”

Donovan blinked at Daniel, thought for a bit, and then curiously asked, “You seriously never did any military training? Not even the basics?”

Daniel saw Kenneth signaling they were about to take off. He motioned for Donovan to put on his headset and then frowned, saying, “I haven’t done formal military training, but I hired a fitness coach and a nutritionist in Aegyptia for four months of hardcore training. They told me my fitness was at a high-level athlete’s standard.

Why am I more tired than you guys with the same amount of exercise? This isn’t normal.”

After hearing this, Donovan had a lightbulb moment and said, “Daniel, you can’t compare an athlete’s fitness to a soldier’s. It’s not the same thing.

Have you ever seen an athlete run a 10-mile cross-country with a load in the morning?”

Back in school, I was on the football team. Later, I joined the army and went for the Shadow Ops Unit selection.

I can tell you straight up, most athletes have better raw fitness than soldiers, but when it comes to overall physical ability, special forces blow athletes out of the water."

Daniel, still confused, asked, "What do you mean? How can they outmatch them if their fitness isn't as good? What are you talking about?"

Donovan tapped his temple and said proudly, "Because special forces train not just their bodies but also their willpower and physical regulation.

For the same 10-mile run, most special forces guys can't beat pro athletes.

But if it's a loaded run, it's a whole different ball game. And as the load gets heavier and the terrain gets tougher, the gap between special forces and athletes gets bigger.

It's all about the training goals. Special forces show that the human body's potential is insane.

If your training goals are off, your results will be too.

But, pro athlete training is way safer and reduces injuries compared to special forces training.

With your shooting skills, you don't need to sweat this small stuff."

Daniel shook his head and said, "You still haven't explained my situation. My fitness is way better than Owl's, but do you see any issues with her?"

Seeing Daniel's serious look, Donovan hesitated and then said, "Daniel, you're too wound up."

Daniel, getting impatient, said, "I'm asking you a question. What does my tension have to do with it?"

Seeing Daniel's annoyed face, Donovan grinned and said, "Daniel, I mean you're too tense during combat.

Your muscles are too tight, and the adrenaline rush makes you super hyped. I couldn't keep up with you at all.

I don't know how you shoot so well under such tense conditions, but I think your fatigue is because you're too wound up.

I've seen people get super tense and excited during combat, and then they're totally wiped out after.

It's normal. Any military unit wants soldiers to get hyped for combat. It's like a football coach pumping up the team before a game.

You get excited, your muscles tense up, and you push your limits, which leads to your current state.

You just need to chill out a bit, but that takes time and training. There's no quick fix."

Daniel thought back to his own situation and realized Donovan might be onto something. He did get super tense when facing danger.

That tension wasn't fear; it was more like a self-defense mechanism.

Whenever he felt threatened, he'd get super hyped, his aggressiveness would skyrocket, and his instincts would take over, not stopping until all threats were down.

It sounded like a mental issue, and Daniel didn't feel comfy asking Donovan for more details. So he said, "Specifically, what kind of training can help me chill out?"

Donovan thought for a moment, then seemed to remember something unpleasant. He shook his head seriously and said, "Daniel, willpower and self-regulation can be improved with a lot of physical training, but I don't think you'd want to try the kind of self-control training I'm talking about."