Chapter 52

I collapsed from the excruciating pain coursing through my body. It felt like my bones and flesh were melting away.

Then later, when I opened my eyes.

“An unfamiliar ceiling.”

“Oh? You’re awake, Sergeant Shin.”

I had always wanted to say that line.

“…Ah. You were here.”

But now that I think…

Telling that line is quite embarrassing.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in what seemed like a hospital room.

Just then, our Medic Sa Uijun, who had been working nearby, noticed me and approached.

“Are you in any pain?”

“Strangely enough, I’m not in pain at all.”

This was something I found quite surprising upon waking up.

It felt quite different from the last time when I had collapsed after a fierce battle.

Back then, I was plagued by severe muscle pain as soon as I stood up.

‘My injuries should be worse this time, though.’

Even though I had fainted from tremendous pain, now I only felt a slight discomfort without any real pain.

Thinking about it…

The most severely injured part must have been my back.

Yet, I was able to lie on my back on the bed, which was quite remarkable.

The reason for this soon became clear.

“Haha, my level has increased quite a bit as well.”

“Ah, I see.”

Indeed.

It wasn’t just me who had grown during this time.

The other members of the unit must have also been rapidly improving in their respective fields.

“Still, since your injuries haven’t fully healed yet, it’s best to stay in bed for a while.”

“It feels like I’m on sick leave, which is nice. By the way…”

I glanced around subtly.

It seemed like we were in the infirmary within the Ammunition Battalion’s barrack, as there was no such facility in our usual base.

“Is this the infirmary within the ammunition battalion?”

“That’s correct.”

“Is everything alright with the unit?”

“Yes. Actually, Sergeant Lee Min-jae asked us to notify him when you woke up. He has a lot to report.”

“Alright, please go get him.”

“Yes, I’ll be right back.”

After Uijun left the infirmary, I decided to open my Status Window.

The messages that I couldn’t check while I was unconscious flooded my vision.

Most of them were notifications about gained experience or points, but one message stood out the most among them:

[You have defeated Katlanya, the last Queen of Arachron]

[You have slain the leader of a race]

[You have partially fulfilled the achievement of a ‘King Slayer’ (1/3)]

[A reward for partial completion of the achievement has been granted]

[Reward: Trait Enhancement Ticket x1]

This reward… a Trait Enhancement Ticket?

[Trait Enhancement Ticket]

[Enhances one of your existing Traits]

[The effects of the enhancement cannot be known beforehand.]

[You only get one chance, so choose wisely!]

Just as the name suggests, it allows me to enhance one of my existing traits.

“Hmmm.”

I opened my status window to review my traits.

The notable ones were:

[Traits: Junior Grade Dagger Mastery, Junior Grade Cooking Skills, Junior Grade Ingredient Identification, Junior Grade Fire Affinity]

Enhancing a trait…

As the term implies, any choice would likely be beneficial, but I still needed to decide carefully.

‘The most useful in combat would be Dagger Mastery or Cooking Skills.’

Fire Affinity did save my life recently, but it doesn’t have many practical uses in everyday life.

The Trait that shines most in battle and directly tied to my skills with knives, is the Dagger Mastery.

And then there’s Cooking Skills, which can provide valuable support buffs.

But should I really choose between these two?

After some deliberation, I made my decision.

“I’ll enhance my Ingredient Identification trait.”

[Enhance ‘Junior Grade Ingredient Identification’ trait]

[Would you like proceed?]

[Y/N]

I was contemplating about enhancing my dagger skills.

But on a second thought, my personal combat prowess isn’t that useful in battles.

And regarding my cooking skills, I can improve it on my own.

So, it didn’t appeal to me the most.

The reason I picked Ingredient Identification is simple.

After the recent events, the limits of cooking ingredients have disappeared for me. Ingredient Detection has essentially become an unlimited sensory trait.

Ever since the limitation on my ability to identify ingredients disappeared, this trait has essentially become an unlimited sensory ability.

‘An ability to discern everything.’

In the future, I’ll likely encounter many unknown enemies.

At that time, this trait, which allows me to grasp the opponent’s information, will be as helpful as cooking.

If Ingredient Identification is enhanced, perhaps the effects will be even greater?

[Trait has been enhanced]

[Junior Grade Ingredient Identification] -> [Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

That’s how the trait was enhanced. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

However…

‘What has changed?’

At first glance, there wasn’t much difference.

The description of the trait remained the same.

… Surely.

“Is this a dud?”

At that moment

“Young-joon, I’m coming in.”  

I heard a knock at the door from outside.

It was Min-jae hyung’s voice.

As Min-jae hyung entered the room, I was about to greet him.

But then…

[Trait – Ingredient Identification (Enhanced) activated]

Perhaps due to my inexperienced use of the trait, it sometimes activates on its own like this.

But…

“Huh?”

The information revealed by the ‘Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)’ trait seemed a bit different from before.

Could this be the effect of the enhanced trait?

After reading it all,

I was sure that…

‘This is a jackpot, isn’t it?’

***

Min-jae hyung entered the room.

“Young-joon, are you alright?”  

“I thought I was a goner. If I die, the next guild leader-”

“You seem fine. That’s a relief.”

I cleared the text of Ingredient Identification (Enhanced) that appeared before my eyes.

And started talking with Min-jae hyung.

“It was an enormous explosion.”

“It sure was. It was quite a large ammunition depot, after all.”

“To be honest, I thought you and the warriors had all perished.”

The soldiers who had already taken refuge in the armored vehicle.

They witnessed the explosion with their own eyes.

A massive explosion visible even from a considerable distance away.

“When I checked later, the huge ammunition depot itself had exploded completely. The shrapnel even destroyed several buildings of the ammunition battalion. It was more than just chaos.”

“…”

“The other spiders that had gathered to hunt us down… literally melted away in that explosion.”

Come to think of it.

The heat from the explosion, though somewhat distant, was bearable thanks to my Junior Grade Fire Affinity.

However, if even one of those fragments had touched me, I would have died instantly.

“Although I was lucky to survive this time, it was a close call.”

Anyway, my injuries were severe enough that I remained unconscious for a long time, and the unit members seemed quite busy during that period.

“Extinguishing the fire caused by the explosion and dealing with the monsters attracted by the noise.”

While I was lying down, there had been a series of intense events that could easily fill a movie.

“Everything has just started to settle down. Thankfully, there were no causalities this time, but we should avoid such dangerous operations in the future.”

“Of course. It’s not like I have a death wish.”

“If you die, our unit’s combat strength will plummet. Don’t forget that.”

This time, there was no other choice but to take a gamble.

I don’t plan on doing something this crazy again.

“And by the way.”

“Yes?”

“While you were out, there was talk about using this ammunition battalion as our new base.”

“Here?”

With that the briefing began.

“After all, the barracks are just a temporary base. They’re too exposed, and with our current numbers it’s almost at half of its capacity, already.”

“Since we’ve captured it, we might as well use the ammunition battalion as our new base.”

“That’s the idea. Although many buildings were damaged in the explosion… So, we just need to avoid those.”

The barracks were only ever a temporary base, so leaving them isn’t an issue.

“Isn’t this area too large?”

The ammunition battalion was excessively spacious. I’m not sure if our unit alone can defend such a vast area.

“For now, we can use only a manageable portion as our base and have the engineers construct barriers around it.”

“Hmm.”

“If we find that we can defend a larger area, we can always expand the barriers later.”

Minjae hyung glanced out the window.

“There’s a stream flowing inside the ammunition battalion. I noticed it on our way here, and there are fields near the entrance. We can secure drinking water and potentially farm as well. I think it’s a good idea.”

“Farming, huh.”

“One of the deserters who recently woke up seems particularly interested in farming. It might be worth a try.”

Now that I think about it, the engineers mentioned that they could build barriers once they got reinforced materials.

“If that’s possible, it might actually work out well.”

“As soon as the guild leader approves, we’ll start moving supplies from the barracks gradually.”

I pondered about Min-jae hyung’s suggestion for a moment.

‘If only I could summon the mobile fortress, I wouldn’t have to worry about a base.’

In the early days of my awakening, I received a special reward, [Mobile Fortress Bimana].

If I could summon that, finding a base wouldn’t be an issue.

‘It’s pointless to dwell on what can’t be done.’

Unfortunately, I still haven’t figured out how to summon [Mobile Fortress Bimana].

Putting aside the fortress, this place could indeed serve as a good base.

“Let’s do it.”

“Good choice. I’ll inform the others.”

The briefing continued with other updates.

“We’re organizing the ammunition battalion. We’re sorting out the bombs and ammunition we need. Even though the largest ammo depot exploded, we still have a massive stockpile.”

“We won’t have to worry about ammunition for a while. The marksmen will be thrilled.”

“We also found a few military vehicles and mortars. The engineers took them, so we should have some useful equipment soon. It’s a shame we didn’t get any armored vehicles, though.”

“Wow.”

That sounds promising.

Even combat vehicles alone could make a significant impact.

Then came the next piece of crucial information.

“When we opened the other ammunition depots, we found quite a few unhatched eggs. We’re planning to deal with them just in case.”

“Unhatched eggs?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t seem like any monsters will emerge from them immediately, but just to be safe.”

Eggs, huh? That’s something I can’t overlook.

“Tell them not to destroy the eggs and to store them carefully.”

“…Okay, but I have to ask this one. Is it for the same reason I’m thinking?”

“Probably.”

“…”

Min-jae hyung sighed.

The fact that the eggs haven’t hatched yet means they’re less developed than the monsters we’ve encountered.

“So, they’re basically like regular eggs, right?”

A new ingredient.

I have to try cooking them at least once.

“Ah. We’ll enjoy eating them, but every time I learn about the ingredients, it makes my head spin. And now you want to add spider eggs to the mix?”

“As long as they taste good, what’s the problem?”

Min-jae hyung looked horrified, and I gave him a lighthearted smile.

* * *

There were a few more reports.

How they managed food while I was unconscious and other such details.

“For now, we’re getting by with things like ramen from the mart, but the soldiers are complaining a lot.”

There were many requests for the cook to return soon.

Honestly, I felt a bit proud hearing that.

And lastly,

“You noticed that the spider monsters we fought were injured, right?”

“Yeah.”

The spider monsters were strong but manageable.

The reason was simple.

‘There were only a few adult monsters, and even they were severely injured.’

Even the Queen was in an injured state.

“We found out the reason.”

“What? How? I mean, what’s the reason?”

“It’s best if you see for yourself.”

With that, Min-jae hyung pulled something out from his belongings.

“A notebook?”

“When you read it, you’ll get a rough idea of what happened. It’s not that crucial from my perspective, but I thought you might find it important.”

He shrugged and finished speaking.

“That’s all for the report for now. Do you need anything? I’ve moved all your personal items.”

“Nothing comes to mind at the moment.”

“If you need anything later, let me know. For now, get some rest.”

Min-jae hyung stood up after finishing his report.

“Oh, I almost forgot.”

Just before closing the door, he suddenly stopped.

“You’ve worked hard, Captain. The others are grateful to you.”

“This is what military life is about — everyone working hard together.”

“Is that so? If that’s how you feel, then so be it. Just know that everyone appreciates you.”

“Got it.”

Min-jae hyung smiled and left the infirmary.

With him gone, the room fell into a deep silence.

‘…This is boring.’

I worried a bit about the future of the unit, but it was pointless to stress over it when I needed rest and recovery.

Just as I was about to lie down and close my eyes, I noticed the notebook Min-jae hyung had left behind.

The cause of the monsters’ injuries, he said, could be found in this book.

With nothing else to do, I decided to take a look.

I opened the notebook.

Flipping to a random page, I started reading.

– X Month 2nd (Thursday)

– Five new recruits arrived.

– There was a conflict between Corporal Lee Gil-woo and a soldier from the dispatch security company, but it was resolved amicably.

‘?’

I glanced at the cover of the notebook.

It didn’t seem to be a barracks journal.

It was a notebook documenting events within the unit.

Who would write such a thing? I wondered, but I quickly realized who.

-The five new recruits had an interview with the Battalion Commander. Although they all claimed there were no issues, two of them seemed uneasy when asked if there were any bullying seniors.

Ah..

I got it now

‘It was the battalion commander.’

It seemed like he recorded the events to ensure he didn’t forget what happened in the unit.

Turning the page, I found more notes about the unit’s affairs.

‘Wait, in that case…’

I quickly flipped through the pages.

There was only one date I was looking for.

‘The day the monsters appeared. It was definitely a weekend, right?’

Finding the record for that date, I read:

– X Month 4th (Saturday)

– While walking the dog around the unit, was attacked by a strange creature.

– A huge, white spider-like creature with blade-like front legs, about the size of a midsize car.

– Communication with the outside was cut off. Confirming that all communication systems have become non-functional.

– The majority of the soldiers were killed.

As expected.

They experienced the same thing as we did.

“So, the battalion commander was at the unit.”

Although it was the weekend, he must have come to the unit to walk the dog.

And that’s when the incident occurred.

– List of the deceased

.

.

– List of missing personnels

.

.

.

Numerous names were recorded below that list.

A list of casualties and those missing in action.

“…”

From that moment on,

I immersed myself and began flipping through the pages.

After being attacked by monsters,

The ammunition battalion also began to resist.

They joined forces with the dispatched security company soldiers.

They opened the ammunition depot…

Establishing defenses using several buildings as strongholds.

It was a defense similar to ours.

“On this day, casualties: 2 deceased, 3 critically injured, numerous wounded.”

Unlike us who quickly grasped the awakening techniques and improved the quality of our forces,

These were ordinary soldiers.

Deaths occurred almost daily.

Still, the number of fatalities wasn’t excessively high,

But it didn’t last long either.

On X Month 12 (Sunday),

Troops defending the eastern outpost deserted without permission.

During the desertion process, it seems the majority of deserters also perished.

It’s unknown if there were survivors who escaped alive.

Holes in the defense perimeter resulted in losing control of the eastern building.

Although no casualties occurred due to swift action,

The loss of provisions was painfully felt.

“They were the deserters.”

Those deserters we encountered.

Their desertion marked a significant turning point.

The defense line we barely held on to…

It began to collapse rapidly.

– Further defense is difficult.

The battalion commander seemed to think so too.

Most of the notebook entries were written in a detached tone,

but deep despair could be felt within.

“…”

My chest tightened.

Could it be that so many people have died like this?

“Did those bastards make it too easy for them to die?”

Just as I was about to sink into such thoughts,

“There are still… pages left.”

Separate from the despair that was engulfing me, the battalion commander continued with his records.

And then, suddenly, a page written in urgent handwriting appeared.

The content, written in a strangely excited tone, read:

On X Month 15 (Wednesday),

– Corporal Lee Gil-woo’s report.

– Speculation that the exoskeletons of those spider-like creatures are weak against heat.

– Discovered by chance, but credibility seems high given the circumstances.

“…!”

A vulnerability.

It’s the weakness of the “White Spiders of Arachron.”

Have they succeeded in identifying it?

– Decided that maintaining the defense line is no longer meaningful.

– Therefore,

– We will go on the offensive.

Surrounded by monsters.

Defense lines breached due to desertion.

Soldiers dying daily.

Dwindling food supplies.

Even in such despairing circumstances, the soldiers of the ammunition battalion did not give up easily.

– Mobilized all remaining soldiers for a large-scale operation.

– If successful, there is a high chance of breaking through the encircling alien creatures and escaping the unit.

– Even in failure, it is anticipated that the operation will inflict significant damage on the alien creatures.

– Execution is set for tomorrow.

Now, only one page remains.

The contents written there were brief.

On X Month 16 (Thursday),

– Fight to the death, live or die.

– Even if we die, we won’t go down without a fight, you damn spiderlings.

“…”

Injured Queens and the fully matured creatures.

The subtle count of the matured creatures.

Now I understood, the reason.

“They resisted fiercely until the very end.”

I’m not sure what kind of operation they carried out, but that resistance yielded very effective results.

They significantly reduced the number of creatures and even inflicted critical wounds on the enemy queen.

Having read that far, I quietly closed the notebook.

There were two reasons why I sought out the ammunition battalion.

One was to secure ammunition.

The other was,

“As a soldier, to investigate how other units were wiped out and to reclaim them.”

The objective was achieved.

How they were wiped out, I’ve now confirmed every detail of that process.

Soldiers who resisted without giving up until the end.

In the end, it seems they were completely wiped out, but their deaths were certainly not in vain.

“If there had been even slightly more creatures… No, if those creatures had been undamaged, our reclaim operation would have failed.”

The reason we were able to survive.

It’s because of their resistance until the very end.

“Once things settle down, let’s arrange for their funerals.”

They were individuals who possessed immense courage.

Thereafter, I stared blankly at the ceiling lost in thought.

It was a day of deep contemplation.

* * *

Even after that,

I had to stay confined to the hospital bed for several days.

Lying around with nothing to do.

As I glanced around, wondering if there was anything nearby,

I noticed some items piled beside the bed.

“Oh, my personal belongings.”

Come to think of it,

It seemed Min-jae hyung had brought them over.

Clothes.

Books.

And even the pistol I kept, though I rarely used it.

Except for my military uniform taken for repairs due to damage,

It seemed like all my belongings were here.

But there was one thing that worried me in particular.

“No way.”

I pulled out an item from my military bag.

A crudely made sheath.

And inside it was the sashimi knife that I had been borrowing from my junior.

Despite being borrowed, it somehow fit snugly in my hand and served me well.

Though during the recent battle, I pushed it quite hard, and used it rather recklessly.

And that bothered me.

Anxiety preceded me, but still, I drew out the knife from its sheath.

“…Well, I guess it’d end up like this.”

The blade was so badly bent that it was hard to imagine its original sharp form.

The handle seemed completely burnt.

“This thing, someone would think it was used for some kind of religious practices in a cult.”

These days, knives are said to be made to withstand considerable heat.

However, I had to raise the knife’s temperature to a different level to strike down the Queen who was vulnerable to heat.

Until slashing and thrusting, I managed to maintain the shape and tip somehow. But after that, it seems I couldn’t even hold out until the shape was completely distorted.

The knife managed to maintain its shape and edge while I was cutting and stabbing.

But it seems it couldn’t hold up after striking the Queen.

“I used this borrowed item for quite long time.”

Maybe, I should change it now.

I thought I should get a kitchen knife or something at the mart and move on.

A few days later.

After my wounds had fully healed and I could move about again.

“Give me that knife.”

“Yes?”

Someone said that to me.

He was one of the survivors who came to our unit in the mountains.

A person who has officially joined our ranks after awakening a few days ago.

“I want to use that knife as a reference. Hand it over.”

It was the grandfather.

Grandpa Park.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translator: One Force

TL Note:

Good day, readers.

Your translator OneForce here.

I have a series of exciting news for our avid and supporting readers.

The first news is about the comments section.

As wished by some of the readers, we have added a comments section on the site.

Simply scroll down to the bottom of the chapter, and you’ll be able to see it.

The second news is about a giveaway.

Just yesterday, we achieved 500 bookmarks on NU.

So, to celebrate this occassion we will be doing a giveaway.

Next month, 3 lucky readers will be given access to 5 Advance [PAID] Chapters for free.

The winning criteria are quite simple. All you have to do is be active on the discord server and drop us a review/rating on NU.

One regular chapter will be uploaded today, after few hours.

This is the second additional chapter NU votes milestone completion that I had promised to release on Monday, but couldn’t due to some IRL work.

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