Chapter 47

Chapter 47 – Genius spearman

Whoosh!

Was this what it felt like to have your insides on fire?

The moment Damian swallowed the elixir made from the Madman’s Blood Herb, it reacted immediately.

Damian frowned and quickly summoned his mana, distributing it evenly throughout his body.

Ssshhh!

Like extinguishing a fire, a cold sensation spread, suppressing the toxicity.

‘So this is how it feels.’

It felt as if his limbs were stiffening, and even his tongue seemed to freeze.

But with his mind clear, Damian calmly moved his mana to dilute the poison.

It was easier said than done. The moment his body started to feel rigid, an indescribable fear gripped him.

Ah, so this is what dying feels like.

That was the thought that crossed his mind.

However, having experienced this once before, Damian wasn’t afraid.

The Madman’s Blood Herb.

Damian had encountered this poisonous herb during his time on the battlefield, where he had been struck by a poisoned arrow and consumed it with the help of a subordinate.

‘It was incredibly helpful.’

It was thanks to that subordinate that Damian had gained extensive knowledge about herbs.

Back then, not only had Damian miraculously survived, but he had also experienced an extraordinary stroke of luck.

The poison from the Madman’s Blood Herb had made his body exceptionally resilient.

His bones, strength, and agility had all improved.

This was the hidden power of the herb’s toxicity.

At the time, even the person who had given him the herb had no idea of its true potential.

They had merely used poison to counter poison, never expecting such incredible benefits.

Of course, knowing the potential wouldn’t have made anyone willing to try it.

The benefits were minimal, and who would risk their life for something like that?

But

‘...I can do this.’

Damian wasn’t hesitating now.

If it meant becoming stronger,

if it meant rising to greater heights, he was willing to use any means necessary.

This poison?

He just had to suppress and absorb it with his mana.

And this elixir was much more concentrated than the one he had consumed in the past.

High risk, high return.

Damian closed his eyes and meticulously tracked the poison flowing through his body.

Not missing a single drop of it was the key to this process.

How much time had passed?

Damian’s clothes were drenched in cold sweat.

If he wrung them out, enough sweat would pour out to fill a bucket.

His lips had begun to crack, and his complexion had turned pale.

“Hoo...”

Finally, Damian opened his eyes, exhaled deeply, and straightened his back.

“Hm... do I still have some lingering effects?”

Damian stood up and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.

His movements felt slightly stiff.

But it didn’t matter.

It would return to normal over time.

Slide.

‘Fourteen left...’

What kind of changes would occur after finishing them all?

Damian smiled faintly as he walked back into the unit.

* * *

Three months passed quickly.

And none of that time was wasted.

Neither for Damian, nor for Dianal and Kyle.

“Damian, Dianal, Kyle. The captain’s calling!”

“Yes!”

At the administrative officer’s words, Damian headed to Tarion’s office.

A place he had grown familiar with from visiting so often.

“Glory to the kingdom!”

As Damian entered and saluted, Tarion nodded.

“The deployment orders have been issued.”

“...I see.”

Now that the time to part had come, Dianal’s expression was tinged with regret.

Though she hadn’t come here by choice, she had learned a lot at the Neokalitz unit.

Tarion had been especially supportive when she struggled to adjust.

Seeing Dianal’s expression, Tarion chuckled softly and stood up.

“I believe the three of you will do well wherever you go.”

He meant it.

Even in this wretched place, they had influenced the unit positively and brought about change.

“Huh, so this is Valfaite?”

“It feels less bleak than Erkal.”

Valfaite had a somewhat cold atmosphere.

But compared to the first impression of Erkal, this was quite decent.

“Erkal’s full of life now, though.”

“That’s all thanks to purging the dark energy and the arrival of the Hamel Trading Company.”

Dianal laughed at Kyle’s comment.

“But with the new unit, it’s going to be a fresh start. How long are you going to keep using formal speech?”

“Haha, once a senior, always a senior, right?”

Kyle grinned slyly. Dianal then looked at Damian.

“I don’t mind either way.”

“Fine, then at least you speak casually. Once we’re out of here, everyone’s just another guy.”

Damian chuckled at Dianal’s comment. Then suddenly—

“Isn’t it the senior’s duty to buy the meal? I see a decent-looking restaurant over there, so let’s go.”

“You rascal! You had an agenda!”

Dianal shouted, and Kyle burst into laughter.

Damian smiled and said, “I’ll pay for the meal, so eat as much as you want.”

“What?! Does that make Damian the senior now?”

“Stop with the nonsense. We’ll just follow the new unit’s rules anyway, so do as Dianal suggested.”

“Well, I’ll try.”

The three finished their meal quickly and began heading to their designated unit.

They had taken their time arriving, but now—

“...What is this?”

“All these people are here for this unit?”

The training ground was packed with an enormous number of recruits.

There were easily over five or six hundred people, leaving Kyle, and even Damian, taken aback.

He had heard that they were forming a unit, but this...

‘Are they building it at battalion scale?’

Just as they were marveling—

“If you haven’t received these yet, come up and check your name and sign!”

A soldier who looked like an administrative officer approached and handed the three some papers.

Damian took the documents and read through them.

“...Wow.”

“Whoa, what is this?”

“What?!”

The three couldn’t hide their shock.

The documents outlined the salary and benefits offered to those who joined the unit.

The salary was...

“Neokalitz offered a pretty decent amount... but this is nearly double that.”

Dianal’s eyes widened in surprise.

But what caught Damian’s attention even more was—

‘An independent unit?’

An independent unit operated separately from other companies or divisions, often taking on special missions.

It was akin to a special forces unit.

‘What do they plan to do by creating an independent unit?’

And the conditions were beyond generous.

The pay and treatment were exceptionally good.

Damian glanced around at the others.

Most of them were drooling over the conditions laid out in the document.

But then—

“Attention, everyone!”

A commanding officer, seemingly the one in charge, shouted.

Hundreds of soldiers in the training ground turned to look at him.

The man shouted.

“My name is Vincent, and I am the commander here!”

Vincent, as he introduced himself, continued.

“Our independent unit is named the Caion Unit! And the Caion Unit will have exactly one hundred members. Sorry, but those who don’t make the cut will have to pack up and return to their original units!”

“What?”

“What did he say?”

“Wait, that wasn’t mentioned before!”

The training ground erupted in noise.

But...

“Silence!”

Vincent’s command instantly quelled the complaints.

He then turned his gaze behind him and nodded.

A man stepped out from behind.

Vincent introduced the man standing next to him.

“This is Instructor Leonhark Belkain. He will also be the judge determining whether you pass.”

“...What?”

Damian’s eyes widened in shock.

Why... is my master here?