"……."
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
The reason was surely not merely that Captain Kim’s hand had been healed.
If it was something similar, Kim Jihoo had already shown such a feat before. Though it had been nothing more than self-healing.
But the impact was different.
Unlike Kim Jihoo, who had healed with nothing more than the sound of boiling blood, my ability was accompanied by an immense radiance.
A spectacle truly befitting the word sacred.
And so, belatedly, reactions burst forth.
"Ugh… To think I would witness the miracle of Shinyu like this…."
…Aside from that reaction.
I couldn’t tell if that bastard was trying to make fun of me now or if he was being serious.
For the moment, he did seem to be shedding real tears.
…No, perhaps it was a reaction that a believer could sufficiently show.
Anyway, looking at another reaction.
"…I’ve seen it once on video before, but it’s amazing."
Captain Kim muttered so.
He examined the back of his hand this way and that. The skin had healed smoothly, not a single scar remaining.
"Until now, supernatural abilities among mutants have had several characteristics. One that the military has identified is that positive abilities apply only to the caster."
To think mutants had such a characteristic.
But I had never once used my healing ability on myself.
Rather, I had only ever used it on others.
"Mr. Han Yujin’s ability holds considerable tactical value. I would like to examine its principles in detail, but… unfortunately, we do not have much time. Even if we were to research it, there is no guarantee we could figure it out."
Captain Kim spoke with regret.
But his mention of "principles" caught me by the ankle.
I suddenly grew curious.
Why did my ability follow a different trajectory from other mutants’?
I surreptitiously glanced at Kim Jihoo.
The moment he met my eyes, he reacted with sparkling enthusiasm.
…I immediately turned my gaze to the other mutants.
From the owlbear beastman to the naga, the dog beastman, and the orc. And even the werewolf I had seen before.
They had clearly all undergone mutations that were difficult to view as positive changes.
The thing that could be called the cause was…
‘The being I met in my dream. According to the testimonies of other mutants… it was a distinctly different being from the one I met.’
What the hell was so special about me that only I had met such a being?
…It was something I couldn’t know.
However, if it meant grabbing my damn sister by the hair and dragging her back, I’d cling to anything.
And… one more question remained.
The power that served as the prototype for the ability I had just displayed.
‘Divine Power…….’
What I felt from it was boundless potential.
A flow of power like an endless universe.
The ability I had just displayed was nothing more than pulling on a thin thread.
Meaning it was difficult to see as a proper technique.
If so, what if I could pull out not one strand but a whole clump of this thread?
Or if I could pour it out like a massive wave rather than a thread?
If not that, if I could knit something together with the thread….
My head tingled just from imagining it.
A baseless conviction that I could cause something greater and more fundamental than simply healing wounds.
‘…Of course, it doesn’t seem possible right away.’
Right now, pulling out even that thin thread was barely within my ability.
Aiming for a higher realm already would be premature.
But it was a satisfactory achievement.
Realizing the existence of a power called Divine Power was enough for now.
Anyway, like that, the measurements came to an end.
*
After the measurements were complete, we returned to the briefing room.
Perhaps because we had confirmed each other’s capabilities, the atmosphere was considerably more relaxed.
But my nerves were entirely fixated on the thin thread of Divine Power.
The feeling that if I pushed just a little further, something would happen.
But from that tantalizing sensation, I couldn’t advance a single step.
Healing was possible as much as I wanted, but… the method I was using now wasn’t very efficient.
A few times would be fine, but about ten consecutive times felt like the limit.
‘…Damn it, is it really not possible?’
While I was concentrating intently, Captain Kim spoke in his usual flat voice.
"The combat potential analysis of all personnel is complete. To get straight to the conclusion, you possess very high combat potential compared to existing forces. However."
Captain Kim continued, sweeping his gaze over us.
"The military currently lacks the capacity to supply customized equipment for you immediately. From uniforms to body armor to firearm slings, everything is fitted to standard body types."
At those words, I glanced at the wings behind my back.
Standard? That word had left me long ago. A height not even 150 cm, wings spreading wider than the average adult man’s.
There was no way body armor existed to fit this. Not with this height, and punching wing holes alone would destroy the integrity of the ballistic plates.
It was the same for the orc and the owlbear elder.
The orc’s shoulders were so broad that buttons would fly off most tops, and the owlbear elder was twice the size of an ordinary person.
"Therefore, the personnel who can operate standard equipment currently available for issue are limited. Mr. Kim Jihoo, Ms. Yuinha, and Ms. Minaji."
Yuinha was the naga’s name, and Minaji was the dog beastman’s name.
I looked at the three who had been named.
The fanatic vampire Kim Jihoo, though pale, had a physique no different from a human’s.
The naga covered in scales also had an upper body close to standard specifications, excluding her tail.
"The three of you will be issued personal firearms, as well as clothing and protective gear."
"I-I don’t have any confidence in handling firearms…!"
The naga beastman, Yuinha, said so.
Well, she was a woman. She hadn’t served in the military either, so she probably had no experience handling firearms.
…Though the same went for me.
"Then we will assign a separate role to you, Ms. Yuinha."
"What about us?"
When I asked, Captain Kim looked at the three of us with a troubled expression.
Me, the orc, and the owlbear elder.
Beings completely outside the standard specifications, truly beyond regulation.
"For the three of you… unfortunately, we cannot issue custom equipment. Instead, we will replace that by providing the maximum convenience possible with available supplies."
Following Captain Kim’s orders, aides brought large boxes and tool chests.
"Mr. Seo Doyoon."
It was the orc’s name.
Captain Kim handed him the K3 machine gun, a squad support weapon, instead of the K2 rifles used by ordinary soldiers.
"It is normally fired mounted on a bipod, but given Mr. Seo Doyoon’s strength, we have determined that you can operate it like a personal weapon."
"…It’s heavy. But I don’t think I’ll have trouble using it."
"Then Ms. Yuinha will serve as your assistant gunner."
The orc lightly lifted the K3 with one hand and smiled in satisfaction.
The machine gun that others would strain to carry looked as light as a pistol to him.
Since the body armor didn’t fit his size, he wrapped ballistic plates against his chest and back with thick nylon straps, securing them at a minimum.
It looked a bit ridiculous, but his thick hide itself seemed sturdier than ordinary protective gear, so it didn’t appear to be a major problem.
The orc was still close enough to a human that this was the end of it, but….
"Mr. Han Jeongseok… this is difficult."
To the point that Captain Kim said so, the owlbear elder’s physique was simply too large.
Whether firearms or anything else, none of the military’s supplies were compatible with him.
In the end, the owlbear elder was issued a riot shield and a sledgehammer taken from engineer equipment.
‘…Ugh, why does that look scarier to me?’
The sound of wind splitting every time he swung it was enough to send chills down one’s spine.
Honestly, it was to the point where Captain Kim’s words about it being difficult didn’t even feel like they applied.
I was saying this because I didn’t know much about guns, but honestly, that was scarier than a gun.
And I received a single pistol.
A Glock or something. I couldn’t quite remember the name, but they said it was a gun that could be used lightly.
There was also a pistol called the K5, but apparently it was quite difficult to use.
"The conditions are insufficient for you to wield a K2 rifle. For now, this is a temporary issue; we will replace it when other supplies come in."
And so, the equipment distribution roughly ended.
Most of the supply was makeshift, but in my eyes, it looked pretty decent.
Maybe because I was a civilian who hadn’t served in the military.
"Training is scheduled to conclude within a week. It will focus on basic tactics and firearms proficiency. That is the most time we can give you, so please understand."
There were no objections.
Of course, it seemed like an impossible amount of time, but at least we could cover the basics.
From the start, Captain Kim had constantly been showing that the military didn’t have much time.
"…Huh, why is the army doing its job so well?"
Kim Jihoo seemed impressed in a different sense, but.
…Isn’t the army usually not like this?
"Then, I will explain the first operation you will be undertaking."
With those words, a map appeared on the screen.