Chapter Twenty: Rapid Promotion Through the Ranks

"Cut the nonsense. What brings you here, sir? I’m wounded, you know—I can’t spar with you right now." Kyle joked openly with Joseph, with whom he’d always had an easy camaraderie.

"You little rascal, you really are… incredible! You’ve brought honor to our training base!" As always, Officer Joseph’s words began with a scolding, but halfway through, his tone shifted to praise.

"I’ve heard all about what you did—heading to the front lines, making sergeant in just three days, gathering crucial intelligence on the enemy camp, leading a hundred men deep into enemy territory, and annihilating a major enemy base against overwhelming odds."

With a sigh, Joseph extended a thumbs-up. "Remarkable, truly. Do you realize how important this latest counteroffensive was for our military? Destroying a major enemy base, three medium-sized camps, and even an outpost—the entire frontline situation was reversed by your achievements! Every unit, across the nation, is abuzz with news of this flawless victory!"

"As the hero of this operation, you’re now a national icon and the idol of every soldier! There’s even been a surge of young men enlisting because of you."

Compared to being promoted to sergeant in three days, this was truly the moment Kyle made his name in a single battle.

"Don’t flatter me too much, or I might get conceited," Kyle replied with a light laugh, his youthful and handsome face radiating confidence.

In the past, possessing the super-soldier serum was enough for Captain America to shine during the Second World War. Kyle, however, had an even more versatile and powerful card-drawing system—becoming an American hero was hardly a challenge. Still, he hadn’t expected this one campaign to boost his standing in the army so dramatically.

Kyle blinked and looked to Joseph with a hint of anticipation. "By the way, with such a major accomplishment, did the commander or the general mention a promotion?"

"You’re already a sergeant and you’re still thinking about rank?" Joseph grumbled, twirling his large mustache and putting on a stern face. "Military honors are earned step by step. The important thing is defeating the Nazis and defending the country. Still, you did well in this counteroffensive, so your rank has indeed gone up—a little."

Kyle caught the key words and pressed, "How much is 'a little'?"

"See for yourself." Joseph clearly didn’t want to elaborate. He pulled a soldier’s ID from his uniform pocket and tossed it over.

Kyle caught it eagerly, opened it, and saw it was his newly issued military ID, complete with the black-and-white photo taken when he enlisted.

Kyle Dorf:

Male, 22 years old, United States Navy Second Lieutenant.

"A Second Lieutenant? This is…" Kyle was shocked. This was more than "a little"—it was a giant leap!

Sergeant to Second Lieutenant was a jump of two entire ranks—he’d advanced three grades in one go. His previous promotion to sergeant had also been a triple jump, but that was to the lowest officer rank. Now he was a bona fide commissioned officer!

"Joseph, aren’t you a Second Lieutenant yourself?" Kyle looked at Joseph’s stern face with a bemused expression, suddenly understanding the man's displeasure.

"Happy now? You won’t have to call me 'sir' anymore," Joseph muttered through gritted teeth. Just two weeks ago, this kid was a recruit under his command, and now they held the same rank?

Can you imagine?

Joseph grumbled like a disgruntled wife, "It took me ten years to claw my way up to Second Lieutenant, and you’ve done it in less than ten days! You really make me look good."

"But this doesn’t make sense," Kyle said, puzzled. "No matter how great my achievements, a single battle shouldn’t have earned me the rank of Second Lieutenant."

"That’s where you’re wrong," Joseph sighed and explained. "We’re in the middle of a world war. The nation urgently needs heroes to inspire the youth to enlist and boost morale. You stepped up at just the right time, so awarding you Second Lieutenant was only natural."

After a pause, Joseph smiled. "You’re no ‘Captain America’—a title made famous by propaganda films and song-and-dance routines. You’re a real hero, your glory earned by genuine skill and achievement!"

"Captain America," Kyle’s heart skipped a beat. He asked urgently, "You mean Steve?"

"Who else?" Joseph fished a clipping from the New York Times out of his pocket, still indignant. "After the super-soldier experiment succeeded, the kid did get a remarkable boost in physique. But instead of going to the front, he spends his days making propaganda films with politicians, singing, dancing, and selling war bonds, building up this image as Captain America."

Kyle took the newspaper eagerly. Lucy helped him unfold it, and together they scanned the page.

Dominating the front page was a large black-and-white photograph of a tall, handsome, and powerfully built young man in a blue-and-white striped suit, his face exuding righteousness.

"Buy one more E-Series war bond, and you’ll put another bullet in a soldier’s gun!"

"Who is strong, brave, and will save America from peril? Answer Captain America’s call—join the fight!"

These slogans, printed in bold English, ran across the headline and subheadings.

"It really is Steve." Kyle smiled as he gazed at the image of the towering young man, catching a faint glimpse of the frail boy he once was.

Captain America—the first man-made hero in Marvel—had finally made his debut.

Even if, for now, it was in the form of these laughable political stunts.

"Joseph, I don’t have any assignments at the moment, do I? It’s been two weeks since I last saw Steve. I want to meet him—will you help me?" Kyle looked at Joseph earnestly, suppressing his excitement.

He needed the super-soldier’s ability card as soon as possible! He was done with being limited to the peak of ordinary human physique.

Joseph frowned. He personally didn’t care for Steve, but since the request came from Kyle, he had no reason to refuse.

He nodded. "Alright then. Steve isn’t in New York now—he’s touring the country doing publicity. But in two days, he’ll be giving a speech at the training base. I’ll come get you early so you can meet him."

"Perfect. I can wait two days," Kyle agreed, his fists clenching involuntarily.

Obtaining the super-soldier ability card would be the first great step in his rise in this Marvel world!