Sinhyeok looked at the result, then looked down at his own hands.
“How did I do that?”
“What do you mean, how? You did it with your own hands.”
“My hands are garbage, though?”
“Pfft.”
The dwarf calmly lifted the greatsword lying on the floor and set it on the workbench.
“Urgh, damn thing’s heavy!”
Thud.
He pointed at the remaining armor and said,
“This one’s done. You do the rest.”
Sinhyeok latched onto his words.
“No, seriously, how did I do it? I only kneaded it around!”
“Haa. How much am I supposed to explain?”
The dwarf stared quietly at Sinhyeok.
“Why do you think I accepted your request? I accepted it because it was possible in the first place.”
“What?”
“How do you make potions?”
“I just kind of mix them and shake them?”
“Kh-hmm. If the Order and the other potion peddlers heard that, they’d have a fit.”
Aurumstone plopped down into a chair.
“I looked at your recipe. You just mix mana herb and water, right?”
“Yes.”
He chuckled and mentioned other people’s recipes.
“Normally, you see, in the case of a regeneration potion, the basic base consists of red mana herb, troll blood—or blood from something with a similar regenerative power—and holy water, the purest water, or spirit water.”
“What? You need that much stuff to make a red potion?”
“That’s the basics. What kind of fool makes potions with an ancient recipe?”
Sinhyeok was dumbfounded to hear that the recipe he knew was an ancient one.
“But this is the basic recipe?”
“No, it isn’t. The bastard who gave it to you must have played a trick on you. If you make it that way, you’ll never succeed even if you spend your whole life on it. That’s why the potions in this land are in such a sorry state.”
“Ah.”
He realized why potion-making, despite being called alchemy, was hellishly difficult.
“But why does it work for me?”
“That’s what’s different. At one point in alchemy, a major turning point occurred.”
“Hmm?”
Aurumstone’s expression turned bitter.
“Alchemist. I told you earlier, didn’t I? To touch mana with your fingertips.”
“You certainly did.”
“Yes. The people who could do that disappeared. Those like me, who know the truth and possess the knowledge, call it this.”
He hesitated for a moment.
“The end of alchemy. Its complete downfall.”
Sinhyeok thought back to the scene he had witnessed earlier.
“But what you did earlier was?”
“Only half of it. As for the basics, even a half-wit like me can manage them. But perfect synthesis—that, even I can’t do.”
“Ah. Then my hands are like that?”
Aurumstone chuckled and said,
“I’m saying they show signs of it. I don’t know whether you’re truly like that or not. It’s just surprising that among humans, there’s someone who can do what my kin can.”
“Ah.”
He stood up and gazed at Sinhyeok.
“In any case, that’s what I wanted to say. Your hands already know how to do it. All you need to do is become aware of that.”
Sinhyeok chewed over his words.
“But isn’t that the hardest part?”
“Kh-hup, of course it is. You do the rest. I’m resting~”
The dwarf hopped onto the bed and lay down.
“Hmmm.”
Sinhyeok was glad to have learned something important, but seeing the dwarf wriggling around on the bed made him want to smack him a little.
“Annoying little…”
Sinhyeok watched him for a moment, then moved.
“Okay, let’s hurry up and try.”
He checked the remaining full-body armor set.
“First, the materials.”
He checked the materials and immediately gathered them.
At his swift movements, Aurumstone, sprawled out on the bed, quietly opened his eyes.
“He’s fast. If my kin saw that, they’d call him a talent freak and take him apart.”
However, as expected, Sinhyeok got stuck during the synthesis process.
Knead, knead.
“Hmmm.”
Sinhyeok’s voice was full of discomfort.
Knead. Knead.
“Hup, hup, hup!”
K-knead.
“Hkkk-hup!”
In the end, when it stubbornly refused to work, the furious Sinhyeok slammed his fist down on it.
“Damn it! Why won’t it work?! Potions come out just fine!”
The softened materials and the half-destroyed armor scattered through the air.
Sssrk.
The door to the workshop opened, and the logistics officer entered, discovering the scene.
“Haaah. This damn dwarf, seriously.”
The dwarf was lying on the bed, giggling as he watched.
Bu Sinhyeok was angrily kneading the armor.
“Lord Aurumstone. Please do some work. You said you’d hand that over by today!”
“You startled me!”
The startled dwarf rolled right off the bed. He sprang up and shouted at the logistics officer.
“My ears hurt!”
“I’m doing it so they’ll hurt! I said today! You have to make it and give it to me today so I can issue it tomorrow!”
“Fine! I get it! Honestly!”
Grumbling, Aurumstone stretched out his hand. Golden energy rippled, and materials poured out of the storage room.
He tossed them straight into the furnace.
A moment later, he pulled them out into the air, took a portion, and layered it over the armor.
Everything rippled and turned soft, then quickly took shape.
“Oh.”
Sinhyeok stared at the sight, entranced.
“Amazing.”
A full-body armor set was made in midair in no time at all.
It dropped to the floor with a thud, and with the remaining materials, he made the beginner set the officer had requested.
“There, done. Take it.”
The logistics officer sighed and gathered up the finished items.
“No, if you can make them this quickly, why do you keep putting it off?”
“Kh-hm. I just don’t want to make such shoddy things.”
At those words, the logistics officer glared at the dwarf.
“You’re here to make those shoddy things. Honestly.”
“Yeah, yeah, here. Take them.”
The dwarf waved his hand listlessly.
“Anyway! Please do your job properly!”
At Captain Ryu Jihyeon’s half-threatening words, uttered through clenched teeth, Aurumstone answered halfheartedly.
“Yeah.”
“Haa, Sinhyeok, the workday’s over. You should go home.”
At those words, Sinhyeok took out his phone and checked the time.
“What? Already?”
It was already past 5:30.
His stomach rumbled.
Grrr.
“You haven’t even eaten?”
“I was too busy.”
The logistics officer took Sinhyeok out with a look of pity.
“That old man, seriously. At least feed the kid before making him work!”
“I haven’t eaten either!”
“You’re half-spirit! You’d be fine even if you didn’t eat for ten years!”
“Hah! Half of me is still a living creature!”
Sinhyeok laughed at their back-and-forth.
“Beer when you come back! Something cold!”
“No way!”
“If you don’t buy it, I’m not doing the next one!”
“Auuugh!”
At that gut-wrenching shout, Captain Ryu Jihyeon stewed in his anger.
“I’m definitely going to hit that old man before I discharge.”
Seeing him like that, Sinhyeok could not bring himself to laugh.
“May I join you?”
“Of course.”
The officer checked the time and mentioned the night duty.
“Don’t forget to go to the C2 room by 6:30 later. Your gear’s been placed in the cabinet in the logistics office.”
“Yes, understood.”
Sinhyeok immediately headed to the logistics office and checked the gear.
When he opened the cabinet, his gear had been added in the corner beside the officer’s equipment.
‘A rifle, a pistol, and a combat uniform.’
“It’ll probably be patrol duty around the area. That’s normally handled by the lowest-ranking guys in the unit.”
“If it’s patrol, does that mean checking the gates near the unit? I think I did something like that before.”
“That’s right.”
The logistics officer spoke while watching Sinhyeok look around the cabinet.
“You’ll be doing patrol duty for now, and later you’ll be assigned to gate observation duty too. Keep that in mind.”
“I’ll be going in for that too? I thought that was only for platoon leader level and above.”
Sinhyeok closed the office door and followed the officer as he asked.
“You’re plenty enough for it. The whole ‘platoon leader level and above’ thing just means only people who know how to conduct reconnaissance should go in.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Once your on-base standby gets lifted, you’ll be going in little by little.”
After finishing the gear inspection, the two headed to the cafeteria side by side.
After dinner, the logistics officer stretched.
“Urgh. More overtime for me! Tch.”
Sinhyeok asked the logistics officer, who was despairing over overtime,
“Are you heading out somewhere?”
“Field support. There’s a platoon currently in a long-term raid, and apparently they ran out of supplies. They want emergency resupply. That’s why I told them to take plenty!”
He grumbled, cursing the absent platoon.
“And I have to check the byproducts from the gate next to it that finished being raided, take whatever needs to be recovered, and hand over the rest.”
“You have a lot of work.”
The logistics officer patted Sinhyeok on the shoulder and laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha. I’m fine. Soon enough, you’ll be doing all of it.”
Captain Ryu Jihyeon smiled brightly and left.
“Sinhyeok, you came to the right place joining the logistics section! I’ll raise you well!”
As he watched the man leave with a smile, Sinhyeok felt oddly chilled.
“I think I got dragged into the wrong place.”
Sinhyeok watched him go for a while, then checked the time.
“I should get going.”
He left the cafeteria and headed back to the logistics office.
He put on the gear prepared in advance and moved toward the command and control room.
“Who’s going with me?”
When he arrived in front of the command and control room, he saw three others wearing gear.
“Loyalty.”
The three turned around.
When they did, there were familiar faces and one unfamiliar person.
“Hello. You’re Bu Sinhyeok?”
The two familiar ones were Baek Arin and Hong Ichan, while the remaining person was someone he did not know well.
“Loyalty. Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok.”
“Right, I’ll be in your care today. I’m Sergeant Yun Taehyeok. I’m with 1st Company, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad.”
Baek Arin and Hong Ichan looked pleased to see him.
“If you’re all ready, let’s go in. We’ll report to today’s duty officer and head straight out on patrol.”
Sergeant Yun Taehyeok immediately led the three and knocked on the command and control room door.
“Loyalty. We’re here to report the start of night patrol duty.”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
When they entered, the sergeant major was watching TV with a bored expression.
She had a piece of candy in her mouth and looked languid.
“You’re going out with the chicks?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Sergeant Yun Taehyeok moved skillfully to get the radios.
Then he immediately found the duty log and began writing in it.
“Come over and watch carefully. You write the names of those being assigned to duty and how many rounds of ammunition you’re carrying. When you return, report any unusual matters to the duty officer, then write them down here as well. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes.”
The sergeant major swept her gaze over the three standing in a row, then stopped on Sinhyeok.
At her steady gaze, Sinhyeok felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort.
“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”
“Why haven’t you been coming? Are you not going to train your senses either?”
Sinhyeok smiled awkwardly and made an excuse.
“I’ve been receiving the handover for workshop duties…”
“Tsk. Come without fail after the workday ends.”
“I came… after the workday ended just now.”
“Tsk!”
At the talk of having his personal maintenance time taken away, Sergeant Yun Taehyeok chuckled.
“You want to come too?”
Yun Taehyeok, who had been laughing, immediately snapped to attention.
“No, ma’am! I already have more than enough as it is!”
“Tsk, look at this one slacking off. If there were time, I’d have him rolling around with us right away.”
“Hahaha. Sergeant Major, our platoon is really only resting for a short while. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know. That’s why I’m leaving you alone. Hurry up and go. If anything happens, radio in immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Sergeant Yun Taehyeok saluted immediately and left the command and control room.
“Whew. That was close. But Bu Sinhyeok, you’re training with the sergeant major?”
His eyes widened at hearing it for the first time.
“I am. I recently entered the Sensory Way.”
“Wow, you somehow survived?”
At the question that seemed to ask about his life and death, Baek Arin and Hong Ichan looked puzzled.
“Fortunately, I survived.”
“Wow, that’s a talent too. Aren’t there almost no people who’ve passed that?”
He looked at Sinhyeok with an admiring expression.
“That’s impressive. Maybe I should try again after all this time.”
“You’d be better off not doing it. These days, she raises the gravity and makes us run. I tasted the afterlife just from walking.”
“Ah. I’m not doing it.”
He immediately looked disgusted. The four left the main building and began circling the area near the unit.
Sergeant Yun Taehyeok took the lead at the front.
“The duty is simple. First, we patrol the area around the unit.”
He pointed with his finger at the armory, the guard post, and the unit wall.
“We go in that order. First, let’s go to the armory. Starting there is perfect.”
They stopped by the armory and roughly looked around.
“When you arrive at the armory, visually check whether the security and surveillance equipment are intact.”
The three carefully observed their senior’s actions.
“And once it looks fine to the naked eye, you test the security equipment. You all received radios, right?”
He pointed to the radio he had brought and spoke.
Chzzk.
“This is the night duty team. Confirming armory security.”
He set the radio down and flicked mana at the armory.
“Report first, then throw mana above a certain concentration.”
As the mana passed through the empty air of the armory, a red light flashed.
“This means it’s operating normally. If you just chuck it without reporting first, the duty commander will come running out, so do it properly.”
The three of them immediately nodded.
“Then let’s hurry through the rest and head outside the base.”
Recalling old memories that surfaced for the first time in a while, Sinhyeok carried out the night patrol duty.
Once they had finished checking as far as the guard post, Sergeant Yun Taehyeok entered the guard post office.
“Loyalty. I’ll be taking the vehicle keys.”
“Yeah, good work.”
When the master sergeant on guard duty saw Sinhyeok, he waved.
“Hey, Sinhyeok~ You’re looking good. Feels nice to be back on duty, doesn’t it~?”
“Yes. It’s wonderful.”
At the lifeless reply, he chuckled.
“Kheheh, go out and enjoy the sights.”
Sergeant Yun Taehyeok started the military vehicle and gestured to the three of them.
“Get in. Time for the real patrol work.”
The three of them quickly climbed aboard.
Sinhyeok got into the passenger seat, and the others sat in the back.
Baek Arin, who had been looking around, quietly asked their senior.
“But where are we going on patrol?”
“Where we’re going is, there are some small gates around here. We’re going to check on those.”
At the mention of small gates, Baek Arin looked puzzled.
“Does Hongik take responsibility for small things like that too?”
“Exactly. Our unit is originally only supposed to be responsible for gates B-rank or higher. But the funny thing is, it’d be better if we could just clear them out, but our unit has conditions on its independent operational authority.”
Sinhyeok chimed in, already familiar with the matter.
“Only B-rank and higher, and only the ones assigned in advance, right?”
“That’s right. Other than those, we’re not allowed to execute operations. So we can’t deal with the small gates around here, and we just have to check on them.”
“What? That’s ridiculous.”
Sergeant Yun Taehyeok fully agreed with Baek Arin’s dumbfounded reaction.
“Exactly. Those inflexible bastards at the Ministry of National Defense. I don’t know why they make such a fuss over something we could just clear out. Anyway, that’s the reason. If the higher-ups tell us to do it, we do it.”
He repeatedly emphasized it to the two in the back seat.
“Under no circumstances, not even by mistake, are you to clear one. If you clear one or close it, they’ll tear into us like crazy from every direction.”
At his repeated warnings, the three of them nodded furiously.
“If we do this round, it’ll take about two hours. Then we return, take off the equipment, and go back. Easy, right?”
The three of them understood well enough.
“If you understand, let’s hurry through it and go rest. There’s nothing much to the rest either.”
Thinking back to the past, Sinhyeok used Mapping to check whether they were the same gates from back then.
[Beginning Mapping.]
“Well, Sinhyeok, since you served here in the past, I guess you know it pretty well?”
“Come on. That was ages ago.”
“Well, I suppose it was.”
While making small talk, Sinhyeok swept his gaze over the surroundings.
‘It’s almost exactly the same. How have they still not cleared the ones around here? Even if this is an area with no civilian homes and right next to Hongik.’
“Mm?”
Sinhyeok looked out the window.
In one direction, the mana in the atmosphere was dense.
‘That’s the phenomenon you see when a Break is imminent.’
“Why?”
“Sergeant Yun Taehyeok. Are there any gates nearby that are close to a Break?”
“No, not as far as I know.”
Sinhyeok stared at a certain place.
“Then can we go over there first?”