Chapter 23

“I have a favor to ask.” “Yes?”

“If possible, we would also like to join your unit, formally.”

To be formally admitted to the unit.

“Haven’t you already joined? We’re providing protection, aren’t we?”

“It’s not just about that, you know?”

“Well, I guess.”

Around twenty survivors.

They sought refuge under our protection, but…

‘Strictly speaking, they’re not part of the unit.’

They’re merely under our protection.

We give them some minor tasks in exchange, but that’s it.

They’re not our comrades.

“Being protected by soldiers might not be a bad thing. But if that’s all we do, we won’t be able to survive.”

“Well, we intend to protect you as best as we can.”

“No, it’s because of the world we’re in. Unless you fight to survive on your own, when crisis strikes, you’ll just perish.”

“I understand your point, but it’s a bit sudden.”

“We’ve been thinking about it since the day Gwon-chang and his group betrayed us.”

The criminals.

While our unit, comprised of awakened individuals, managed to deal with them successfully, they were originally part of Lee sang-ah’s survivor group.

Without us, Lee sang-ah alone wouldn’t have been able to stop them.

‘They were lucky, if you think about it.’

It could have easily led to their demise.

Amidst this, we witnessed our stable growth of awakened individuals.

After seeing survivors resort to eating monsters for survival, we realized that they too must strive to survive.

They have to fend for themselves.

“Accepting you is possible, but if we do…”

In military terms, it’s like conscription of civilians into the army.

They would have to leave their protected status behind.

Joining us means they’ll have to fight alongside us against the monsters.

“Have you heard the opinions of the other survivors?”

“We’ve had enough discussions. We realize we need the strength to survive on our own. So…”

“You want to join our unit as awakened individuals.”

“Yes.”

“Joining us also means obeying orders as unit members.”

“Lieutenant Kim seemed like a good commander. There shouldn’t be any major issues.”

At that, there was a chuckle from the soldiers who had been observing our conversation from afar.

Come to think of it, these people still regarded Kim as our commander.

Well, I’ll inform them later.

After discussing various matters, it seemed like everyone was sufficiently prepared.

The other soldiers around didn’t seem to have any objections.

In that case…

“There’s no reason to refuse.”

I extended my hand to Sang-ah.

“Welcome to our unit.”

“…! Thank you. I’ll do my best not to be a burden.”

***

Surprisingly, their promise to do their best wasn’t empty words.

“These meats, you said they’re monster meats?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then, have you also processed the scales and leather?”

“Huh?”

The Enlightenment of Lizard Butchery’ skill I had learned allowed me to cleanly process the target, whether intentional or not.

Thanks to that, the purpose was to cook and obtain meat.

The lizard scales and leather were quite neatly processed.

“The leather is tough and thick… but these scales, they’re incredibly hard.”

“Lizards are monsters. The scales and leather you mentioned are at a level that bullets can’t easily penetrate. Without guns, there’s no way to deal with these monsters other than exploiting their weaknesses.”

At the moment, only one or two stray lizards were coming in, which was manageable.

But if we were to face them head-on in equal numbers on an open field, without knowing their weaknesses, we probably wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“That’s great!”

“Huh?”

“Are there any spare uniforms in the unit? I’d like to borrow them.”

After saying that, Sang-ah gathered up the byproducts of the lizards and the clothing used by deceased soldiers and disappeared somewhere.

She even took the chieftain’s belongings.

And the next day…

“Could you take a look at this?”

“…This is!”

[Steel Leather Command Combat Uniform]

[Steel Leather Combat Uniform]

What she brought was military attire.

Berets, uniforms, military boots, and even field jackets, a complete set of combat uniforms.

The difference from the military uniforms we know is that they are not in camouflage colors but instead have patterns of black and gray. And, the system message displayed their names.

“It’s a set of combat uniforms made of leather.”

“…Goodness.”

“The skin of those lizards, as you said, has incredible defense power, right? It’s so hard that anyone other than an awakened person like me can’t handle it. The lizard’s scales have high defense but are a bit thick, so we strengthened the defense by filling them only in areas where movement is not restricted or in vital areas.”

[Steel Leather Command Combat Uniform]

[A set of leather armor meticulously crafted by a novice seamstress]

[Made from the products of powerful steel lizards, particularly those of chieftain-grade specimens. It has extremely high resistance in various aspects and retains traces of the chieftain’s mana, bestowing various effects]

[Significantly increases physical resistance when worn]

[Increases resistance to magic and elemental attacks when worn]

[Grants the attribute [Minor Charisma] when worn]

[Increases strength and agility stats when worn]

The command combat gear is crafted from the chieftain’s leather.

The standard combat gear seemed to be made from regular lizard leather.

Specialized combat gear needs no mention.

Although the standard combat gear may have slightly reduced effects or lack attribute bonuses compared to the command uniform, it was still a remarkable piece.

Lee Sang-ah.

Former occupation: Tailor and costume designer.

Current occupation: Seamstress.

“Production category…!”

Why didn’t I immediately think of this direction upon hearing her occupation?

Just like how I cooked using products from lizards.

Lee Sang-ah created armor.

“Items that increase stats were only obtained through the clan token acquired via group skills.”

The token took the form of a dog tag.

The increased abilities it provided greatly enhanced the combat prowess of our unit members.

And the equipment she crafted was no different.

Not only did it increase stats, but it also boosted resistance.

We, who used to operate in combat uniforms with little resistance against monsters, are now properly armed.

Moreover, perhaps due to her original profession as a costume designer…

The design felt quite elegant.

However…

“The combat gear looks similar, doesn’t it?”

“Well, you’re all soldiers, aren’t you? I designed it to reflect that identity.”

“…”

Well, there may not be a better design to express identity.

“But, when you look closely, there are some differences.”

Although it’s a digital-patterned military uniform, the biggest difference lies in the base colors of black and gray.

The color scheme is more reminiscent of riot police operating in the city than the army.

For field jackets, they’re longer than usual, reaching halfway down the thighs, almost resembling trench coats.

“Wider coverage is more useful for armor.”

While digital-patterned military uniforms excel in camouflage, they’re not particularly helpful in direct combat with monsters.

But this combat uniform seemed excellent even assuming a fight against monsters.

“We tweaked the performance slightly differently for officer and enlisted uniforms. The command combat uniform made of chieftain leather is for officers like Lieutenant Kim or other sergeants.”

“Oh, by the way, I’m the commander of our unit right now.”

“Hmm?”

And so, albeit a bit late,

Ms. Lee Sang-ah fully joined the clan.

We also share the fact with her that I’m the commander now.

And under her leadership,

The armament of the unit began.

“Just what sort of clothes are these to increase our stats…”

“Try it on. It’s leather.”

“Can you move this freely in a leather military uniform…?”

[Steel Leather Combat Uniforms] were issued to awakened soldiers.

It wasn’t just clothes being given.

“Warriors probably need more defense. So, we’ve made it possible to wear armor underneath.”

“Here for the marksmen. This version has magazine pouches attached for holding extra rounds.”

“Mr. Young-joon said he uses a knife, right? We’ve added a sheath to the belt for that.”

The design itself didn’t change much, but there were slight variations depending on the types of awakened individuals.

She immediately incorporated any requests the awakened individuals had about the clothing that they had received,

Thanks to that, even though everyone in the unit wore the same combat uniform, it was customized according to each individual’s personality and occupations.

And…

“Can I take this?”

“Gwang-il, you’re the head of the warriors. Who else would wear it but you?”

Including me and Lieutenant Kim,

[Command Combat Uniforms] were issued to sergeant-level awakened individuals.

Command uniforms are equipment made from chieftain’s byproducts.

Unlike the lizards that still occasionally attack the unit in small numbers, it was a rare item due to the lack of immediate supply of materials.

And that last set.

“Sang-ah, you should take this one and customize it for yourself.”

“Huh?”

Based on discussions with unit members,

It was decided to assign this to Ms. Lee Sang-ah.

“Why me, though…?”

“You’re the representative of the survivors. It’s almost like being a sergeant in terms of what to call you.”

“…Isn’t it a meaningless title when joining the unit?”

“Nope.”

The representative of the survivors.

Certainly, at the point where they decided to join our unit, they might deserve to be treated like any other soldier.

However…

“We’ll be leaving the unit soon.”

“What…?”

“When we go outside, other survivors might join us.”

“…”

“Ms. Sang-ah, you’ll have to take care of those survivors.”

Dealing with the survivors we’ll meet outside.

While the troops could handle it if they had to, we’ve never experienced life as survivors ourselves.

As a leader of survivors, someone who has lived in a world on the brink of destruction, she’s the right person for the job.

“Plus, being someone who distributes equipment from the production system.”

“…It’s become a more important position than I thought.”

“I’ve been through it too, so I know it might be worrying, but you’ll adapt quickly.”

I’ve been in a situation where I was suddenly appointed clan leader overnight.

But hey, humans are adaptable creatures, they say, and they do get used to things quickly.

“It’s not much of a reward, but here’s something from our side.”

I handed her the item I had brought with me.

“What’s this…?”

Normally, when soldiers transfer to a unit, they’re issued assault rifles like the M16 or K2 as personal weapons.

The same goes for most officers unless they’re in special units.

But there are a few exceptions.

“A pistol…?”

“It’s a K5.”

In special cases like commissioned officers or senior sergeants.

Instead of assault rifles, they’re issued pistols.

“In our unit’s case, it’s the commanding officer, senior sergeant, and medical officer. Three people.”

Three pistols that lost their owners.

They had been quietly stored in the corner of the command center.

“I can’t just leave them behind.”

One of them, for now, went to our unit’s highest-ranking officer.

I gave it to Lieutenant Kim, who had awakened as a [Novice Commander].

Although it’s just a nominal position, being almost equivalent to a commanding officer, Lieutenant Kim, who focuses on command-related skills, had weak combat skills.

“And another one, I’ll be using it myself.”

The weapon I’m currently using is the long sword that belonged to my deceased junior.

It’s suitable with my ‘Dagger Proficiency’ skill, and it’s strangely familiar in my hand, so I’ve been using this sword as my weapon so far…

“But it has its limits.”

I first realized that during the fight with the Lizard Chieftain.

I was well aware of the weaknesses of the lizard race.

However, the massive stature of the lizard chieftain was such that even if I stretched out my sword with all my might, I couldn’t reach its vulnerability.

Warriors, mages, and the like.

Combat-oriented awakeners are said to possess skills or attributes to deal with such situations.

But I am a production-oriented awakened.

Recognizing my lack of combat-oriented traits, I concluded that being armed was necessary.

Lee Sang-ah, another production-oriented awakener like me, came to the same conclusion.

“…We’ll have to work hard.”

It seemed to hit her quite hard that she was being issued a pistol, something that would usually be impossible to obtain, as she nervously received the gun with a tense expression.

And so, the armament distribution among the unit members came to an end.

* * *

A few days later.

“Min-cheol, come with me.”

“Yes… y-yes!”

“Kid, don’t be scared. I’m right here, so don’t get too nervous.”

A senior soldier, who had already awakened accompanied the private and approached the dying monster.

“Hey, don’t be scared, don’t be scared!”

“It’s not that hard once you try it!”

The soldiers watching nearby also shouted encouraging words for the private.

And then.

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“I did it!”

“Congratulations. You have awakened now.”

Private Jang Min-cheol.

The youngest member of our unit succeeded in awakening.

[The conditions have been fulfilled]

[100 or more people (100/100)]

[A leader recognized by the majority of the members (1/1)]

[Successfully formed a guild (100 members)]

[Unlike a party, which is a temporary organization, or a clan, which is an early form of a group, a guild is a full-fledged social group with a proper structure]

[Establish ranks, create regulations, and establish order]

[Enforce the order you’ve created upon the world]

[Can appoint Vice Guild Masters] 

[Can designate Vice Guild Masters to delegate guild tasks] 

[Vice Guild Masters can have some involvement in guild affairs and can converse remotely through guild messages. Make your decision carefully!] 

[Guild name not yet determined. Please specify the guild’s name]

[Main Region- ROK’s first guild.]

[Sub Region – ROK. 17’s first guild.]

[Achievement unlocked – Formation of an organization]

[Rewards are given to those who excel]

[Reward – Dragon’s Tooth]

All preparations were complete.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translator: One Force

TL Note:

3 more chapters coming today (1 regular chapter + 2 additional chapters)

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