He understood the Battalion Commander’s intentions immediately.
“I don’t know how to make potions yet—no, wait. I can make mana potions.”
He recalled the outrageous deed he had committed during his Awakening. The combination of the blue mana herb and water.
The result created from those two still resided in Sinhyeok’s canteen.
*But is that really how it’s supposed to be made?*
Since the Battalion Commander had always procured potions from somewhere and handed them over without a word, he hadn’t known the process well. Therefore, it was questionable whether Sinhyeok’s method was the proper one.
“Hyung, you’re different from what you seem.”
Hong Ichan wore a slightly surprised expression. He looked like a slightly different person because of this unexpected ability.
Sinhyeok, reading his inner thoughts, smirked and approached Ichan.
“What’s different from what I seem?”
*Squish.*
He slowly twisted Hong Ichan’s temples with both fists.
“Aaaaack!”
“Who gave you permission to run your mouth like that?”
“Aack!”
Hong Ichan, barely twisting free, grabbed the side of his head and stomped his feet.
“It really hurts!”
“Yeah, I bet it does.”
Bu Sinhyeok witnessed a rather peculiar scene.
Due to Sinhyeok’s touch, the mana covering Hong Ichan’s face changed slightly. In certain spots it grew viscous and slowly dripped down.
“Hey. Did you put some kind of magic on your face?”
“Huh?”
Surprised by those words, Hong Ichan checked his own face.
“Huh, what?!”
He made a shocked expression at the dark mana oozing out black.
Sinhyeok laughed awkwardly and spread the dripping mana back onto his face.
“My constitution is a bit peculiar, so if I interfere with something or touch it, the mana changes a little.”
It was no use putting the fallen mana back. Rather, it flowed down even more.
“Hyu—Hyung! The quarters, where’s the room?!”
Surprised, Hong Ichan shouted, covering his face with his clothes.
Sinhyeok urgently took Hong Ichan and headed toward his assigned quarters.
As soon as they entered, black mana flowed down from his entire face like slime.
And what was revealed was dark black hair, purple pupils, and slightly pointed ears. Along with skin that carried a faintly dusky, earthy tint.
Seeing this appearance, a certain race came to mind.
“Dark Elf?”
“Haaa.”
Hong Ichan sighed deeply and wiped away the flowing dark mana with his hand.
“Hyung, what the hell kind of constitution do you have? How does the form of mana change?”
With a disappointed face, he gathered up all the mana and placed it on a tissue.
“This is why I couldn’t use magic at all. Just maintaining this is overwhelming.”
Even without any means to replenish dark mana, a small amount of natural recovery was possible. Yet that was precisely why using his abilities had been so difficult.
“No wonder.”
Hong Ichan sighed and pleaded with Sinhyeok.
“Please keep this a real secret. If it gets out that I’m a Dark Elf, I think they’ll really try to kill me.”
With a regretful face, he fiddled with the necklace hanging around his neck. As a small amount of mana flowed out, he transformed back to his familiar appearance.
“You’ve had it rough.”
“It’s fine. I’m doing this because I want to.”
Hong Ichan, now back to normal, smiled brightly and asked.
“But what did you Awaken as, Hyung? What did you Awaken as that the Battalion Commander would tell you to ask me?”
Bu Sinhyeok nonchalantly flopped down on the bed and said with an indifferent expression.
“I’m an Alchemist.”
“What?”
At those words, Hong Ichan asked again with a bewildered face.
“Alchemy?”
“Yeah.”
“Hyung, that’s an extremely rare talent. But it seems like your Awakening also affected your constitution.”
Sinhyeok turned his head to look at him at the explanation Ichan added.
“Explain, please. Why the constitution?”
“Alchemists were rare in my world too. That’s because it’s the study of synthesizing different substances, but technically, there’s no way to synthesize disparate substances and mana together no matter what you use.”
At the bizarre explanation, Bu Sinhyeok’s expression twisted.
“Then, what about potions and such? What does it mean to make them through alchemy?”
“Of course, most are fake or herb-infused water made to imitate the real thing. Real potions are different.”
At the words that real potions were different, he thought of the highest-grade mana potion in his subspace.
*Is it really highest grade?*
The System said it was, but feeling slightly doubtful, he asked Hong Ichan.
“Hey, then look at this. I made this with two mana herbs, so compare it to the efficacy of a normal potion.”
He immediately handed over the Korean War–era canteen he had taken out from his subspace.
Hong Ichan hesitated at the considerably old design, but he was surprised by the reaction from the canteen before he even drank.
“Hyung?”
“Why is mana flowing into me even though I haven’t drunk this?”
Sinhyeok mentioned the description the System showed.
“Dunno. The System says it’s highest grade, is that right?”
“Hyung, this *is* highest grade. If you sell it, you’d get three or four thousand.”
At the words “three or four thousand,” Sinhyeok immediately snatched the canteen from Ichan’s hand.
“This?”
“You made this? You’re lying, right?”
At Hong Ichan’s reaction, Sinhyeok realized it was real.
*Crazy. No wonder my mana shattered in one go even though I hadn’t used it in ages.*
Due to the extreme peculiarity of Bu Sinhyeok’s constitution, unless stimulated, the mana inside his body hardened very firmly. Yet if that broke with just one shot of that potion, it possessed tremendous efficacy.
*So there was a path for me.*
It felt new. When he had wanted a path so badly, everything had been pitch black, but now that he didn’t want it, the path of alchemy that would brilliantly illuminate his life had appeared.
“Damn… What a load of crap. If only I’d Awakened a little earlier.”
Bu Sinhyeok took the canteen Hong Ichan handed back and shook it.
*Slosh.*
A considerable amount still remained. Hearing the sloshing sound, Ichan asked.
“But did that really only have two blue mana herbs in it?”
“Yeah. The rest is all water.”
“Then, isn’t the mana depletion rate almost zero? I heard that normally, even to make a low-grade one, you need nearly a handful of blue mana herbs. How did you make the highest grade with two?”
“Is that so?”
Bu Sinhyeok looked at the Korean War–era canteen with an indifferent face.
*Is it thanks to the World Tree’s blessing? Or is my talent just that great?*
He put the canteen back in and looked at Hong Ichan, who was sitting there blankly.
“What?”
“Hyung, I need to go get my stuff.”
“Ah, you want me to go with you?”
*Nod.*
“Just go.”
“I don’t want to get hit.”
“Then, dispel that illusion and let me hit you a few times.”
“That’d be a waste.”
Sinhyeok clicked his tongue at the strangely shameless yet charming Half Dark Elf.
“Shameless.”
“Hyung, please!”
Disgusted by the childish tantrum, he jumped up.
“Ugh. Hey, cut it out. How old are you to be throwing a tantrum!”
“By my race’s age, I’m still a minor.”
Bu Sinhyeok, opening the door, was surprised at those words.
“But you were allowed to enlist?”
“Well, being a half-breed makes my age ambiguous. So when I said I was nineteen, they just believed me.”
Bu Sinhyeok scoffed and cursed the civil servant who had roughly processed the matter.
“Sheesh, those Ministry of National Defense bastards… still doing things sloppily.”
“Hehe, but thanks to that official, I was able to get in here, so I’m fine with it.”
“Alright.”
They went out into the hallway and immediately headed to the room Hong Ichan had been using.
As they approached, filthy curses along with Hong Ichan’s name were being mentioned repeatedly.
“That damn bastard, shit!”
“Hey, that geezer bastard too… Damn him!”
“Just you wait. I’ll turn you into minced meat!”
Bu Sinhyeok swung the door open and asked.
“You said you’d turn someone into minced meat?”
The two with severely broken noses looked at Bu Sinhyeok with stiff expressions.
“Huh?”
“Ah, no sir.”
They immediately stood at attention and spoke obediently.
“Right? I’ll let it slide as me mishearing. Pack Ichan’s things and hand them over. I’ll give you two minutes.”
At the words “two minutes,” the two jumped up in a fluster.
“Begin.”
*Clatter-bang.*
They hurriedly cleared out the room and finished exactly in two minutes. Sinhyeok smiled and took the military duffel bag.
“Good work.”
“Yes sir, Hyungnim! Please go safely!”
“Alright, sleep tight.”
Bu Sinhyeok came out of the room and flung the duffel bag at Hong Ichan.
“Oof!”
“Let’s go.”
Hong Ichan looked at the two visible beyond the door and smiled impishly.
At that, the two furrowed their brows grimly.
“Hurry up. Hyungnim is tired.”
“Yes sir!”
Fired up, Ichan scurried after him.
Bu Sinhyeok headed toward his room and asked about the officers, who seemed oddly absent.
* * *
The next day, the Battalion Commander gathered approximately a hundred trainees in the auditorium.
“Now, starting today is the 5th week.”
Everyone tensed slightly at the words “5th week.”
“From week 5 to week 7, you will conduct tactical training and specialty drills by squad. How, you ask? You’ll do them together, like this.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s Systems rang out in unison.
[Yggdrasil temporarily opens the Quest function for the trainees of the 1st Battalion, 99th Regiment.]
“Quest?”
“Oh.”
It was a function that opened only for a select few. Like quests in a game, you received a request and earned rewards upon completion.
Everyone was excited. The Battalion Commander checked their reactions.
“Depending on the situation during training and the proficiency level of each of your Classes, different quests will be assigned.”
Everyone responded enthusiastically and looked forward to what quests they would receive.
“This should be good for everyone. However, there is one cautionary note.”
Everyone tensed at those words.
“Trainees who have not acquired sub-skills or a main skill for their Class, or those who have but cannot surpass Skill Proficiency Level 10, will be dismissed. This will be checked weekly.”
“Ah.”
Most of the trainees let out sighs.
“I hope you will do your best. If you safely complete the course and go to your respective units, what roles do you think you will have?”
At those words, Trainee Baek Arin raised his hand high and answered.
“At the smallest, a fire team member; at the largest, a fire team leader.”
“Correct. But if you are no different from other soldiers, merely knowing how to use your Class without understanding it and lacking the capacity to teach others, this will cause serious morale degradation and operational failure.”
At the stern lesson, the trainees’ eyes grew serious.
“Therefore, must you not train diligently?”
“Yes sir!”
“Those of you here must understand. The power called Awakening and the System, bestowed by Yggdrasil, is merely a guide. It is not truly yours just because it was given. Please strive for perfect mastery.”
Captain Gim Chanyeol smiled and announced another matter to the tension-filled trainees.
“Now that the long-awaited 5th week has arrived, mustn’t we reorganize the teams?”
Everyone’s eyes changed.
“The method is random. The Gate situations you will face do not always go as desired. Most of the time, you will have to adjust to your opponent.”
Everyone muttered in unison.
“Please… Baek Arin.”
“Please… Baek Arin.”
“Anyone but that old man.”
Sinhyeok smirked at the muttering coming from all around.
“Funny.”
Captain Gim Chanyeol spoke, smiling at the muttering coming from all around.
“Then let’s quickly form the new teams.”
He made a motion as if pressing something in the air, then stopped his finger. He looked around the trainees, letting them stew in suspense.
“But wouldn’t it be strange to truly randomize it?”
“Ahh.”
Everyone felt like their minds were about to snap, having been buoyed up and then dropped.
“I will now issue a quest en masse. The content will be tailored to each of your Classes, and only the top five who complete it quickly and at a high level will be given the choice of team composition.”
[Quest Generated]
[Title: Craft Any Potion]
[Content: Refer to Herbology and bring a crafted potion.]
[Reward: Skill Proficiency (varies depending on the submitted potion)]
The quest appeared. Everyone’s eyes suddenly went wide, and they grew impatient.
“Now then, everyone depart. You have until today.”
As the Battalion Commander left, everyone ran off in their own directions.
*What am I supposed to do?*
He was told to refer to Herbology, but he hadn’t received anything. As he complained to himself, the System provided it automatically.
[Elf’s Herbology has been added to your inventory.]
[You have acquired Elf’s Herbology.]
[Craftable list has been added.]
Sinhyeok asked Ichan about the quest he received.
“What quest did you get?”
“They told me to delve into Necromancy and make something. Something came into my inventory that wasn’t there before.”
“Hmm.”
The two returned to their room and opened the books they had received.
“Look at this dust.”
They opened to the first page. It described two potions.
The text listed their formal names for the red potion and the blue potion, with nicknames annotated in the footnotes.
*Recovery Potion and Mana Potion.*
He read the contents.
『A cost-effective potion made with mana herbs. Mana herbs with a distinct red coloration have hemostatic and restorative effects, while those with a distinct blue coloration induce a mana-drawing phenomenon, stimulate internal mana, promote vigorous activity, and allow the absorption of more mana than usual.』
“Hmm, so that’s why only mana potions reacted with my body.”
Hearing that explanation, he understood why it had helped his constitution.
He skimmed through the rest, but the area beside him was quiet. Hong Ichan was looking at the first page with a rotten expression.
“Why?”
“From the very first page, it says if I don’t have a way to make dark mana, I should contract with demonkin. But below it, written in Korean, it says if I actually make a contract, it’ll crack my head open.”
“Keke.”
Hong Ichan shouted with an angry face.
“Aaaack! What am I supposed to do?!”
“Hey, wait. This hyung will help you.”
Bu Sinhyeok skimmed through the entire table of contents of the Herbology.
“Dark mana usually forms in environments opposite to normal mana, right?”
“That’s right! Despair, grief, or at scenes of death!”
Even in the table of contents, there was no such potion.
“Hmm, shall I look at the Holy Water?”
Somehow, he felt there might be a hint on that page. Opening it, he found a brief note with a hint.
『The effective use of holy water is to find a cursed medium. The medium takes many forms. Sometimes, even a soul serves as the medium. Then how is an object used as a medium created?
Usually, it is as follows. In most cases, it is born when mana settles into an object imbued with grudge or deep killing intent.』
Sinhyeok smiled as if he had found the answer.
“Found it. So, I should cast a curse?”
That meant grudge, despair, or grief could serve as the curse.
*Pour mana into an object likely to hold a curse?*
The rough outline emerged. Sinhyeok jumped up.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“To find an object imbued with a very deep grudge.”