Outside the village barrier.
The direction of the endless undead horde had changed.
A mixed horde of beasts, humans, and other races began heading toward the barrier shimmering with light.
The barrier showered light upon the undead, but it was useless.
Soon, more undead joined and surrounded the barrier.
Kuaaaaack!
The undead’s howls densely filled the area around the barrier. A zombie with only one arm remaining pounded on the barrier.
The barrier burned it, but the corpse’s greed for life was endless.
Thud. Thud.
This vibration slowly encroached upon the village.
* * *
Thud.
The priest watching Sinhyeok’s bizarre alchemy live flinched.
“Oh dear.”
Sinhyeok, who had been making a flashy potion cocktail in his canteen, looked at the priest and asked.
“What is it?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. It seems the undead are pounding on the barrier. They’ll disperse soon.”
He waved his hand, telling him not to worry. Sinhyeok continued mixing the potion he was making for now.
[You have created Holy Water.]
[Under the influence of your traits, the potion transcends.]
[Highest-Grade Holy Water] [Rare]
=====================================
A potion containing the holy power of a priest impersonating Ariel; it holds a warm, sunlight-like light that illuminates all directions, making it effective against curses and undead.
※ The following effects can be applied with the permission of Ariel’s proxy.
※ Holy Power stat unlocked
※ Mental Resistance stat unlocked
※ Priest class change possible
=====================================
‘Jackpot.’
A potion with insane performance had come out.
Sinhyeok opened the canteen to check it. He handed the canteen to Priest Eizar, who was waiting in anticipation.
“Ooh, brother, is this the miraculous object containing holy power?”
Eizar marveled at the perfectly contained holy power and was rendered speechless upon realizing the potion’s true value.
“Is it pretty good?”
“Brother, I truly thank you. How could such a miracle…”
Sinhyeok said with a smile.
“I think we just need to experiment. Priest, it’s time for you to do what you do best.”
Sinhyeok placed the object, which hadn’t even undergone clinical trials, into his hand.
Eizar, having received the highest-grade holy water, left the temple with a stiff expression.
“I shall do it.”
Thud.
As Eizar exited the temple, he felt a chill at the endless crashing sounds.
“It can’t be.”
He paused slightly and checked the barrier surrounding the village.
‘Not yet, it can’t be yet.’
But contrary to his heart, the barrier shattered into pieces.
Crash.
Sinhyeok was startled by the suddenly stripped barrier and stood up.
“Priest!”
Eizar put on a hollow expression at the undead horde breaking through the barrier and rushing in right away.
“Oh no.”
The villagers shouted in surprise at the swarming undead.
“Monsters!”
“Ariel!”
“Save us!”
Eizar muttered blankly.
“No.”
He blankly watched the villagers fleeing to the temple, then looked at the highest-grade holy water clutched in his hand.
“Stop them!”
“Everyone grab something!”
At that moment, a young man and woman stood against the undead, grabbing even axes.
They stared at the slowly approaching undead, struggling to suppress their fear.
Eizar stepped forward slowly, holding the highest-grade holy water.
“Priest! Hurry over here!”
“Where are you going! You have to protect us!”
Eizar ignored the voices of those who had fled and approached those who had mustered courage.
“Priest.”
The two saw Eizar approaching from behind and knelt.
They looked up at Eizar and spoke.
“O Ariel. Please grant us the courage to vanquish the enemy.”
“O Ariel. Please grant us the courage to vanquish the enemy.”
At the same plea uttered simultaneously, the priest held out the potion in his hand to them.
“This is the grace bestowed by Ariel’s herald. Drink.”
Eizar reverently handed over the potion Sinhyeok had made to the two.
The two swallowed it with faces full of emotion, looking at the three standing at the temple entrance.
At their burdensome gazes, Sinhyeok felt a pang of guilt for no reason.
‘Why do I feel like I’m committing a sin?’
Soon after swallowing the potion, the two let out urgent groans.
“Hup!”
“Ugh!?”
Arin and Chan, who had watched the potion-making process, looked on with worried faces.
“Hyung, that’ll work out, right?”
Sinhyeok revealed his impatience, biting his fingernail at Ichan’s question.
“I don’t know. I told you it was my first time making it. Just in case, everyone get ready to run out.”
The three prepared to dash out if things went wrong.
A warm heat like sunlight began to seep out from the two who had swallowed the highest-grade holy water.
‘It worked!’
The three inwardly rejoiced at the holy power that had burst forth perfectly.
The same was true for Eizar.
He reverently held both hands over their heads and blessed them.
“I ordain you as priests of Ariel. Bestow the Lord’s light upon the earth.”
Eizar looked at the two radiating holy power with an overwhelmed face. The two villagers who had awakened holy power replied with serious faces.
“We shall do so.”
“Go. Go and judge those steeped in evil.”
The two picked up the axes they had set down and charged toward the swarming undead.
“Ariel!”
“For the glory of Arieeeeel!”
Ichan stomped his feet at the two’s charge and asked his brother.
“Hyung? Shouldn’t we go too!?”
“Wait. If we butt in now, we’ll kill the mood.”
The villagers’ eyes went wide at the two’s awakening.
“The real Ariel?”
“How can this be.”
They involuntarily knelt and began to pray.
“Ariel.”
Eizar felt his holy power boiling at the intense offering he felt for the first time.
“Aah.”
He raised his hand high to the sky.
“O Holy Sun.”
Eizar’s pupils turned pure white.
A blazing holy sun rose in the center of the village.
“It’s Ariel’s Sun!”
“He has come!”
“It’s the sun!”
The villagers were overcome with emotion at the sight of the sun emitting white flames high in the sky.
All the swarming undead burned away due to the sun rising high.
“Jackpot.”
Baek Arin wordlessly high-fived Sinhyeok, who had made the potion, at this sight.
“The potion is insane.”
Sinhyeok, who had contributed to creating this scene, also watched in admiration.
Eizar turned around, looked at Sinhyeok, and smiled faintly.
‘Thank you.’
Sinhyeok smiled at the words he mouthed.
“I should collect some of that.”
Sinhyeok collected the light of the holy sun that had risen high in the sky to achieve his original goal.
Faint sunlight pooled in his palm.
‘Is this enough?’
He placed Ariel’s light, which he had collected to a certain degree, into his canteen.
When he shook it slightly, the amount was paltry.
‘That’s not much.’
At that moment, the sun split into two. The villagers didn’t see the sight because they were kneeling and praying.
Sinhyeok reached his hand toward the sun Eizar had sent. As he touched it, Eizar’s voice was heard.
‘It’s a gift. Please take it. If it’s you, you should be able to take it.’
When he placed his hand on Ariel’s Sun, it was scorching.
[Holy Sunstone] [Heroic]
=====================================
A fragment of the sun created by the holy power of a priest who has become Ariel itself.
=====================================
‘It’s a bit hot, ugh.’
Enduring and withstanding the heat, a blazing white sunstone formed in his hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Huh?”
“Ah.”
Sinhyeok guessed that now was exactly the right timing to slip away.
Eizar waved his hand lightly.
“Everything worked out well.”
As they arrived in front of the portal, Eizar came running in a hurry.
“Huff, huff.”
He ran up in a hurry and spoke upon seeing Sinhyeok.
“Please go safely. And thank you.”
“What is there to thank for at this level? Then, Priest, take care. I’ll come by often.”
Eizar waved his hand, smiling.
“Of course. I will give you Ariel’s Sun anytime.”
As they were about to leave just like that, he hurriedly ran up and whispered secretly into Sinhyeok’s ear.
“That potion, could you somehow…”
“Ah.”
So that was the reason he had come in a hurry.
“I’ll send you that often.”
Only then did Eizar smile.
“Thank you. Then, warriors of the Republic of Korea, please go safely.”
When they exited the portal, Sergeant First Class I Junho was waiting.
He asked, letting out a wide yawn.
“Haaaaahm. You came out quickly? Did you complete the mission?”
“Yes, sir!”
He checked their condition subtly.
He looked especially carefully at Hong Ichan.
“You okay?”
At the unusually intense gaze, Hong Ichan answered even more vigorously on purpose.
“Yes, sir!”
Sergeant First Class I Junho smirked at the booming voice.
“Well, look at that voice. Alright, let’s go.”
As soon as they returned to the unit, Sinhyeok immediately headed to Instructor Lucien’s office.
When he knocked on the door, it opened immediately.
“You’re here?”
“Yes.”
Sinhyeok went inside and showed him the sunstone he had brought.
“Oooh! To think holy power of this magnitude!”
He carefully lifted the sunstone with mana.
“It’s quite large.”
Sinhyeok explained what had happened in the gate. And that he had made a highest-grade holy water on the spot.
“Hoo, this is exactly what I was talking about. Synthesis without a catalyst. Low cost, high quality.”
Pavel held the crystallized white potion and lightly licked it with his tongue.
“Ugh.”
Ignoring the tingling taste, he felt the holy power spreading inside his body.
“Hmm. The holy power certainly takes root inside the body. However, that person named Eizar, was it? Without his measures, it will likely remain close to just a buff.”
Sinhyeok was slightly disappointed at the lower-than-expected prospects.
“Then, it’s just an undead-exclusive buff potion.”
“Hehehe. Just a buff? Its nature is different from such trivial buffs.”
He explained what was different.
“Its efficiency is different from existing buff potions. If other denominations’ holy water is a one-time temporary effect, this one is different.”
When he flicked the crystal, a portion of the holy power mixed with the air in the void and swelled.
“It combines with existing mana to amplify the holy power. This makes the efficiency different. If desired, you could use it until your mana runs out.”
Sinhyeok couldn’t close his mouth at Pavel’s lengthy explanation.
“Jackpot.”
“This potion you have created is a masterpiece that will provide groundbreaking help for the chronic shortage of priests.”
At his perfect explanation, Sinhyeok thought softly.
‘I got lucky.’
Pavel lifted the white potion and admired it, exclaiming repeatedly.
“Instructor, that purification potion.”
He, who had been admiring it, immediately got to work at Sinhyeok’s urging.
“Ah, I’ll make it for you quickly.”
After tinkering for a moment, he produced the purification potion they had seen before.
“There was enough holy power, so I made several bottles. However, this is merely a stopgap measure at best. It is not a fundamental solution, so be careful.”
Several bottles of purification potion were placed in Sinhyeok’s hands.
He immediately handed them to Hong Ichan.
“Here.”
Hong Ichan looked up at Sinhyeok with the purification potions clutched full in his hands.
“Hyuuung.”
He was deeply moved.
“Ugh, gross. Go away.”
Hong Ichan grinned broadly, clutching the purification potions tightly.
“This is great. Hyung, thank you.”
“Yeah. If you know that, be good to me for life.”
“Hehehe.”
A senior instructor appeared before the two conversing.
“Because the gate training ended too quickly, you will be deployed to another gate again.”
Ichan revealed his determination with wide eyes.
“Yes, sir!”
Sinhyeok also looked forward to it, but the senior instructor stopped him.
“And this time, Trainee Bu Sinhyeok is excluded.”
“Huh?”
“Brigadier General I Gangyeol called again. He said it seems you shouldn’t go to gates for the time being, at least until this week.”
“Damn it.”
In the end, only Bu Sinhyeok remained in the unit, while Hong Ichan and Baek Arin left after being assigned to different squads.
“This is boring.”
He was left alone in the unit. He headed to the barracks blankly.
“Nnng.”
He flopped onto the bed and stretched.
“Hah, I’m bored.”
Blue climbed onto the bed and flopped down on his stomach.
“Yeah, are you bored too?”
He scratched Blue and fell into thought.
‘Was I too much?’
Perhaps because he had called Brigadier General I Gangyeol for no reason, his mind wavered back and forth.
“No, still… tch.”
Sinhyeok buried his face in the pillow.
“I don’t even know.”
He lay still with a confused heart and spent time. Soon, the sun set.
“Looks like everyone is sleeping out there.”
Seeing the trainees who hadn’t returned, he thought of Arin and Chan, who had been dragged away again for no reason.
“I just thought of them for no reason. Nnng.”
Stretching, he wondered if anyone would play with him.
“I’m bored!”
“Is that so? Good.”
Someone came in abruptly. Sinhyeok hurriedly stood up and assumed a rigid posture.
“Loyalty!”
Sergeant First Class I Junho, the senior instructor, had come.
“Yeah. You have a visitor. Go to the guard post right away.”
“What?”
“You’ll know when you get there.”
At the words “you’ll know when you get there,” Sinhyeok hurriedly got ready. As he headed to the place mentioned, the battalion commander was standing there.
He was greeting someone with an awkward expression.
“So familiar.”
The person standing there was quite familiar. Going closer, he realized why.
“Ah, loyalty.”
A lackluster salute came out. When Sinhyeok came out, the battalion commander smiled awkwardly and fled.
“Then, Brigadier General, I will take my leave. Loyalty!”
“Uh, uh.”
Sinhyeok greeted awkwardly.
“You came faster than I thought.”
I Gangyeol said, hesitating.
“I had some time left, so I just came. Should I just go if it’s inconvenient?”
“No, there’s no need to go to such trouble.”
An awkward flow passed between them as they looked at each other. I Gangyeol spoke with a dry cough.
“Let’s get a meal together.”