Chapter 116
Although only a short time had passed, the efforts they showed here were not in vain.
“They’re keeping up well. Honestly, they’re growing faster than I expected.”
Of course, this statement was premised on the fact that they had “little to start with.”
In any case, both Instructor Leonhark and the other unit members didn’t seem to view them as mere “connections” brought in through favoritism.
Even Paul, who joined later, began participating in the Caion Unit’s basic training.
“Huff... huff... huff...”
Paul gasped for breath.
He looked at his former comrades who had already collapsed on the ground.
His breath came in short, sharp gasps, and the intensity of the physical training was so extreme that he couldn’t even form words.
“How is it? Can you handle it?”
“Those guys... they’ve been doing... huff... huff... this kind of training every day?”
“Not every day. We do this level of physical training about three times a week. Don’t worry too much.”
Damian said it casually, but to Paul, it already felt like the world was spinning.
“Captain, maybe you should drink some water while you train.”
Paul glanced at Dianal, who had approached Damian.
The vice-captain of the Caion Unit.
Aside from his slightly labored breathing, he didn’t seem overly tired.
Swish
The other members were the same.
‘...Are they all monsters?’
Paul prided himself on his stamina. He had maintained his endurance and strength training even in the labor camp.
But...
His hands were trembling uncontrollably. Paul chuckled in disbelief as he stared at them.
Still, he couldn’t afford to indulge in such thoughts for long.
Beep!
At the sound of Instructor Leonhark’s whistle, the soldiers, who had collapsed like zombies, slowly rose to their feet.
Particularly, the group Norman had brought with him looked pale and sickly every time they went through physical training.
“Blaaagh!”
Some had even vomited in preparation for the next round of training.
“Phew... let’s endure another day.”
A whisper to himself.
Paul clenched his fists as he watched Norman and the others line up, mentally steeling himself.
‘This is what I wanted, after all.’
And he wanted it *a lot*.
Paul glanced back at Damian, then dashed toward the gathering soldiers.
“They’re impressive. Their starting point was so different from the others.”
“But they survived that hell. You might think they don’t have a strong foundation, but they’ve got an indomitable spirit.”
“Seems that way.”
Dianal nodded in agreement.
In fact, during the first physical training test—climbing a mountain with full gear—these guys took far longer than the average time of past recruits.
In truth, it seemed almost impossible for them to make it to the summit.
But Dianal, who had climbed the mountain with them to check on their progress, saw it.
The moment when one of them, his legs trembling and unable to move, used his hands to crawl upward, determined to reach the top.
Throughout the climb, they experienced dizziness and collapsed multiple times, but they never gave up and kept pushing forward.
—”The time limit is one hour. If you don’t make it, there won’t be another chance for you.”
—”The time’s already up. Give up and go back to where you came from. This isn’t a place you can handle.”
Dianal had coldly berated them, believing they wouldn’t be able to withstand Caion Unit’s training.
Yet, despite this, they completed the training without complaint and have continued to endure everything thrown at them.
‘...Indomitable spirit.’
That seemed to be the right description.
Plus, the muscular bald guy and the quiet, lean one both had their own distinct traits.
As Dianal watched them, Damian asked, “What do you think of Sandrun?”
“He’s quite exceptional. Out of the six of them, he’s definitely the best. His swordsmanship is unique... and pretty strong.”
“Is that so?”
Balk, now sitting up, shouted back, “Damn it! I was just talking! I didn’t mean it!”
“Don’t even say it. Don’t let yourself think like that. Just stop thinking and keep enduring, however you can.”
“...Lutvil’s right. We’re getting used to it, bit by bit.”
The first day, they had nearly passed out after a single physical training session. But now...
“At least now, we can talk this much, eh?” Norman laughed.
One thing was certain: they were growing stronger, and they could continue to improve.
Norman patted Balk on the shoulder. “If we can’t handle this, Captain Damian might actually kill us. You ready for that?”
“...”
Images from Makstri flashed through Balk’s mind.
Sure, Damian was treating them kindly now, but back in Makstri...
‘He was the devil incarnate.’
The cold, unrelenting gaze that had promised death to anyone who wished for it still haunted him.
Balk gulped and nodded. “I’ll give it my all.”
“By the way, I noticed Paul finally joined us. Where is he, anyway?”
“I heard he’s got a different kind of training.”
“...Different training?”
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
Thunk!
At that same moment, Paul loosed an arrow toward a distant target.
He calmly nocked another arrow and drew the string back slowly.
Creak.
It had been a long time since Paul had held a bow.
Moreover, the bow in his hands was no ordinary issue.
Groooan.
As the bow bent, it made a distinctive sound, and the tension in the string made his hand tremble slightly.
‘This bow’s got some serious weight.’
Because of that, the arrows flew faster and with greater consistency.
Paul exhaled slowly and released the string.
Fwoosh!
Thud!
Another arrow embedded itself in the center of the target.
Its speed and trajectory were flawless.
“Nice.”
Damian offered a brief assessment.
There was no need for long-winded praise.
‘He hasn’t touched a bow in months, but after only a few shots, he’s already recalibrated it perfectly.’
Paul’s talent with the bow was the real deal.
But Paul, looking slightly dissatisfied, flicked the string lightly before turning to Damian.
“This bow is excellent, but I’ll need time to adjust to it. What kind of bow is this?”
The design was noticeably different from the standard-issue bows. The bowstring had engravings, making it stand out.
Damian explained, “It’s your new bow. I had a friend craft it, a good one.”
Through Diel, Damian had received this bow from Torrel. While it wasn’t made with the same top-tier materials as Damian’s own spear, it was far superior to any ordinary bow sold in stores.
Paul raised the bow with a faint smile. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
“I’m planning to form an archer unit soon. Of course, leadership will be based on merit, so you may not necessarily end up as the captain.”
“That doesn’t matter to me.”
“No, that’s not why I’m telling you this.”
“...Pardon?”
Paul looked at Damian in confusion, and Damian continued, “I want you to earn the captain’s position with overwhelming skill. That’s your task.”
Paul’s expression hardened at Damian’s words.
He could feel the weight of Damian’s expectations pressing on him.
Paul nodded. “Understood.”
I will not... disappoint you.
“Good.”
With that short exchange, Paul stood determined, meeting Damian’s gaze with a look of resolution.
A few days later, the official tests to form the archer unit began.