Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The sudden crawling training threw the entire 4th Platoon into chaos.

“Ugh... It feels even worse after waking up.”

“Damn it, can someone put some ointment on me? It hurts so much...”

“I got stabbed by a sharp rock, damn it. How did that rock end up right where I was crawling...?”

The members of the 4th Platoon, with their elbows and knees scraped raw from the crawling training, couldn’t hide their irritation as they voiced their complaints.

The atmosphere in the barracks was utterly miserable.

“Ugh... Everyone, just shut up. Why so much whining in the morning?”

“What’s your problem? We’re just saying it hurts because it does!”

“Just because you’re the platoon leader, you think you’re our superior? Acting like you’re in charge, huh?”

The tension in the room escalated quickly. But then...

“What’s all this commotion!”

The 4th Platoon leader entered the barracks, shouting angrily.

The soldiers, who had been glaring at each other, quickly sighed and turned their heads away.

The platoon leader looked around at his men.

‘...This is not a good start.’

It’s still too early for strong camaraderie to have formed.

Training that causes physical injuries, like crawling, significantly increases the stress levels of recruits.

‘That’s why crawling is usually scheduled in the fourth week when some camaraderie has developed...’

By then, everyone understands that they’re all struggling, and a more supportive atmosphere is fostered.

But right now, with no strong bonds, the recruits were quick to lash out at each other.

“I know you’re all hurting from the crawling, but try to handle it with more composure. We still have a lot of training left to go.”

“...Yes, sir.”

“Yes.”

They responded, but there was no sincerity in their voices.

The platoon leader thought about scolding them further but decided to leave it be for now.

After he left, the 4th Platoon barracks fell into an awkward silence.

In contrast, however...

“Hey, hey, I got scrapped here! Pass me some ointment!”

“Jeez... You should’ve worn your pads properly. You had them wrong.”

“Ah... I didn’t think I’d be crawling on my side, damn it.”

“Let me see that wound. I’ve got some great ointment for scrapes.”

“Huh? Me too!”

“Hehe, get in line!”

As the soldier with the special ointment for scrapes called out, the other soldiers with injuries flocked to him, forming a line.

Kyle chuckled at the sight.

“Hehe, you guys... It’s just a few scratches, and you’re making such a fuss over ointment.”

“You okay?”

“I’m perfect.”

The direction of my pads was spot-on.

“I used up all my issued socks, but I have no regrets. Hehehe.”

“If you need more, just let me know. I’ll give you one of mine.”

“They’re too small.”

“Socks stretch if you shove them in, so it’s fine.”

“Hehehe, but Damian, where did you learn this little trick?”

“From my late father. But he always insisted on one thing.”

“...?”

“Never get caught.”

Kyle couldn’t hold back his laughter at Damian’s serious tone.

“Hahaha! That’s a piece of wisdom! A father’s advice is always worth remembering. Hahaha!”

With a hand as big as a pot lid, Kyle slapped Damian on the back, each hit feeling like it was crushing his bones.

‘Is this payback for what happened before?’

Damian glanced at him, but Kyle seemed oblivious.

Still, pleased with the unexpectedly positive atmosphere, Damian looked at the upcoming training schedule.

‘This week is all about shield and spear techniques, huh?’

It makes sense; it’s the best training for recruits who haven’t yet built up their stamina.

‘And it’s the most crucial training too.’

The kingdom’s spear techniques are quite exceptional.

Some people compare them unfavorably to the spear techniques of certain noble families.

But from Damian’s experience, if you master them, they’re on par with the best noble techniques.

‘The problem is most people give up after learning the basics.’

For Damian, who was dragged to the battlefield with no connections, the kingdom’s spear techniques were his only lifeline.

After intense training, he managed to achieve better results than others, and it led him to meet “that person” and grow even more.

‘I wonder if he’s still the same...’

If Damian had to describe his mentor in one word, it would be “psychopath.”

He was a sadistic teacher who never taught easily and always found ways to make the learning process more painful.

Of course, thanks to him, Damian survived countless brutal battles.

‘I’ll see him again, I’m sure.’

Damian stood up.

At that moment, Brian, the 1st Platoon leader, entered the barracks and looked at the soldiers.

“Is everyone alright?”

“Yes, we’re fine!”

The atmosphere was brighter than expected.

Hearing their loud response, Brian looked at them, a bit surprised.

‘I heard the 4th Platoon is completely wrecked.’

But the 1st Platoon seemed mostly unaffected. In fact...

‘They seem even closer than before?’

It was a level of camaraderie you’d expect towards the end of training, not in the second week.

He smirked.

Could this atmosphere be related to that kid?

Brian looked at Damian.

Damian stood silently under Brian’s gaze.

Brian spoke.

“Today, we’ll continue training for group competitions. Prepare accordingly.”

“Understood.”

Satisfied with Damian’s response, Brian nodded and left.

Once they were ready, the 1st Platoon headed straight to the training ground for group competition drills.

But on their way there...

“Hey, look, it’s the 4th Platoon.”

“Whoa, damn. They look like hell.”

“Their vibe is intense...”

The 1st Platoon recruits clicked their tongues as they noticed the grim expressions of the 4th Platoon members, who looked like they might kill someone.

“Would we be in that kind of mood if we didn’t have those pads?”

“Ah... Honestly, I think it would’ve been tough without the pads. Even with them, we still got hurt, so I can’t imagine how they must feel.”

With their bodies already exhausted from training and now dealing with constant pain from their wounds, it must be mentally draining for the 4th Platoon.

While the 1st Platoon had some understanding of the situation, it seemed the 4th Platoon blamed them entirely for all of this.

“Keep an eye on them. It’s because of those bastards that we’re going through this hell.”

“Damn bastards... They’re probably laughing it up right now.”

“But why do those guys seem perfectly fine when we did the same crawling training?”

“They must have used some dirty trick.”

The platoon leader of the 4th Platoon, the one with the slanted eyes, directed all the platoon’s anger toward the 1st Platoon.

It was the only way he could unify the 4th Platoon.

“There are only a few days left. When the platoon competition comes, we’ll crush them and take first place...!”

“Yeah!”

“We’re taking first place!”

As the platoon members rallied together, the slanted-eyed platoon leader glared at Damian as he passed by.

* * *

Life at the training camp was going smoothly.

But late at night, while everyone was asleep, Damian stepped outside and walked to a secluded spot.

‘In two days... the platoon competition.’

In a way, it could be considered the first real test at the training camp.

Everyone works hard during training, but it’s also crucial to produce results from that effort.

The training camp grades everyone on various aspects, measuring their performance and ranking them accordingly.

But there was a more personal reason why the platoon competition was important to Damian.

It’s because the platoon competition is one of the key factors in determining the trainees’ scores.

‘It’s the same everywhere...’

At the 3rd Training Camp, trainees are graded on their attitude and enthusiasm during basic training.

Naturally, those who excel at learning also receive higher scores.

But the platoon competition is like a midterm exam.

The score you receive here can vary greatly depending on your performance.

“Only the top five, huh?”

The five trainees with the highest scores during the training period get to choose one weapon or item from the 3rd Training Camp’s armory.

Of course, the best you can get is a C-rank artifact.

Most people just pick a decent weapon or a single-use protective accessory.

But hidden among the items was something truly exceptional that most people would overlook.

“It’d be great if that was still there.”

Damian only knew about it because he had heard it from a subordinate who was also a 3rd Training Camp graduate.

He didn’t know exactly what it was, just that it was a plain, dark ring.

But he knew its ability very well.

‘When you infuse magic into it... it can make your body disappear for a moment.’

More precisely, it has the ability to make your body transparent for about 1-2 seconds, thanks to an invisibility spell.

But what made it extraordinary was that it wasn’t a one-time use but a lasting effect, which made it more than just a C-rank artifact—probably closer to A-rank.

‘Sometimes, treasures lie hidden in the most unexpected places.’

Knowing about it and letting it slip by would be foolish.

“Phew...”

To get it, Damian had to secure the top spot.

Initially, he thought just making it into the top five would be enough.

‘But Apel might catch on.’

Apel, who could use magic, might be able to detect the artifact’s presence.

If Apel got to pick an item from the armory before Damian, it could cause a serious problem.

Damian relaxed his body and focused on his magic training technique.

‘Just a little more...’

Even at the training camp, Damian had been practicing his magic training technique diligently every day.

He was now on the verge of reaching the second stage of the Delft Magic Training Method.

And then...

A small light began to glow around Damian’s body.

* * *

Finally, the last day of the second week arrived—the day of the platoon competition.

It had been a short time, but thanks to their hard work during training, the recruits from each platoon gathered at the drill ground with confidence in their eyes.

“Phew... This is going to be interesting.”

“We’re going to win anyway, right? Hehe.”

Kyle chuckled as he glanced over at Damian, who was wrapping sticky bandages around the handles of his shield and spear.

Kyle stared at him, not just because of the bandages.

“...Damian.”

“What?”

“...Something seems different about you. Am I imagining things?”

“...?”

Damian blinked, looking at Kyle.

There was a serious look in Kyle’s eyes as he scrutinized Damian from head to toe.

“Something’s changed, but I can’t figure out what...”

Then, Kyle placed his palm over Damian’s head and said,

“Maybe you’ve grown a bit? You’re still growing, after all.”

“Hahahahaha! Hey, Kyle, Damian’s already tall.”

“Yeah, it’s just that you’re way too big.”

“But he’s still growing. Hehe!”

The other platoon members burst into laughter at the mention of Damian’s growth.

Damian looked slightly bewildered at their reaction, but what really surprised him was Kyle’s sharp instincts.

‘Does this guy... sense it instinctively?’

Is everyone from the North this sensitive to magic?

Just last night, Damian successfully advanced to the second stage of the Delft Magic Training Method.

As a result, his magic capacity had increased, and he could now output more magic at once.

His physical abilities had improved, and he could now channel more power through his magic.

“Kyle.”

“Hm?”

Kyle tilted his head as Damian called his name.

Damian had spoken to him with a slightly more serious expression than usual.

Damian looked at Kyle and said,

“I want us to win this platoon competition overwhelmingly.”

“...Hehe.”

Kyle chuckled softly, then turned to the other platoon members and said,

“Our platoon leader here says we’re going to win this competition overwhelmingly. Did you all hear that?”

“Of course!”

“We’re definitely going to win!”

Seeing the enthusiastic reactions from the platoon members, Kyle grinned at Damian.

“Everyone agrees.”

“Then let’s go.”

And just then...

“1st Platoon, step forward!”

As the instructor called them, Damian’s eyes lit up with determination.