“Alright, five laps complete.”
“Nngh!”
“Nnngh!”
“Huuup!”
A parade ground beneath the clear sky.
On a beautiful day, Sinhyeok, Arin, and Ichan—who had just returned yesterday—were trudging side by side across the drill field, fully loaded with combat gear.
[You are currently under the effect of gravity augmentation.]
[Current measured gravity is 4G.]
The three wore the bracelets given by the Sergeant Major and stepped forward with heavy, laborious strides.
“Sure is nice weather. You can see the sky and everything.”
Sinhyeok felt like he was seeing the underworld rather than the sky.
“At least no one got injured!”
she shrieked.
The Sergeant Major smiled peacefully.
“But you brought back a headache instead. Who told you to quietly run Gates and just raise your level? Did I tell you to cause trouble?”
She couldn’t forget last night, when she had received the headache-inducing news.
“My heart was pounding like crazy for the first time in ages. Even when a dragon had breathed right in my face, even when six knives were stuck in my body, it didn’t beat like that, you know? But yesterday, my heart really lurched.”
At her vivid testimony, Sinhyeok held his tongue.
“You crazy fools! Why? Why!? You pulled him out of there! Why now of all times! You! You! Ten extra laps!”
“Nnngh!”
Having invited extra punishment by opening his mouth, Sinhyeok squeezed every last muscle to complete the laps.
When lunchtime came, the three collapsed right there on the parade ground.
“Return to work. Get started on your duties.”
They lacked even the strength to salute and replied with feeble twitches.
Sinhyeok staggered to his feet and asked the departing Sergeant Major,
“By the way, is the Priest doing well?”
The Sergeant Major turned back to look at Sinhyeok, who was trembling all over.
“He’s doing fine. And you’ll see him soon enough.”
“What?”
Vroom.
An unfamiliar black car pulled in toward the guard post.
The Sergeant Major looked toward the guard post.
“He’s already here.”
At the mention of someone arriving, Sinhyeok turned to look.
He saw someone getting out at the guard post in clothing that was familiar yet utterly alien.
When he saw Sinhyeok, the man waved his hand cheerfully.
“P-Priest!?”
“Priest!”
“Yes!”
Priest Aizar entered Hongik Battalion with a polite, bright expression.
“Is this the unit of my brothers? The facilities are truly excellent.”
The three ran over and hugged him.
“Haha, I am glad to see you as well. Seeing you like this makes me so happy.”
He patted the three warmly like a father.
“But where must I go?”
Aizar asked with an awkward smile.
“For now, over there.”
Sinhyeok guided him.
Since the battalion commander position was currently vacant, he took him to the Sergeant Major.
She stood up and greeted Aizar upon seeing him.
“It’s been a while.”
“Ah, are you the commander here?”
“No, this unit’s commander is currently out on official business. He should return soon.”
“Ahh, I understand. I had heard that I would be serving here as something like a chaplain? Is that correct?”
“That’s right. The important thing is adaptation. Adapt to Earth first, and then adapt to your work and duties.”
Aizar nodded.
“For the time being, stay with us in our quarters. When the commander returns, we’ll prepare a separate space for you.”
Sinhyeok nodded.
“Sinhyeok, show him to his room. It’s right across from yours. I’ll send someone later.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He immediately took Aizar to the lodgings used as the officers’ quarters.
Aizar looked at everything with curiosity the entire way.
“It is all very fascinating. It is quite peculiar to see iron rolling along and buildings made entirely of stone everywhere.”
“You’ll get used to it eventually.”
Sinhyeok led him to the designated room.
“For now, please use this room. If you need anything, just let me know.”
“Yes, I will. By any chance, is there that thing called a TV? I was told to learn about this world through it.”
“Ah, this way.”
Sinhyeok took him out to the living room.
He turned on the TV and, as a bonus, opened the AI assistant on his phone.
“Priest, this is the remote control.”
“Ah, I roughly know of it.”
“Good. Next is this. It answers anything.”
“Ooh.”
“Touch this button—well, just tap it lightly—and ask. It’ll answer everything.”
“Oooh!”
Sinhyeok left the two items behind and stood up.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
When he stepped out of the room, a woman in a black business suit—not a military uniform—approached.
“Hello. Is this the room?”
“Huh? Yes.”
She naturally punched in the passcode and went inside.
‘The NIS?’
The door closed. Sinhyeok glanced at the room briefly, then headed to the mess hall.
It was good to see them again.
When he got to the mess hall, the two were already eating.
Sinhyeok sat down with them.
“Hyung, my whole body aches.”
“I’m aching too.”
Despite her muscle pain, Arin was eating with a faint smile.
Ichan spoke upon seeing that.
“Is Level 10 that good?”
“Of course! Now I can class-change too!”
Her excitement was only natural.
She had reached the point where she had to decide her own future path.
“Isn’t it obvious you’ll become a Holy Knight?”
Sinhyeok predicted the obvious path for the girl he liked.
*‘Your aura itself holds light within it, so it’s better to go with holy power.’*
“That’s right. But I’m worried about which order to look into. Everywhere I go, it’s annoying.”
“Well, any order will squeeze you dry.”
Priests and Holy Knights were rare.
The reason was that the orders did not bestow their grace easily.
Around the Alliance—that is, Yggdrasil—several worlds exchanged aid and interacted with Earth. Among them, influential orders with formidable power had extended their reach to parts of Earth. That was how Earthlings had awakened as Holy Knights and Priests.
“I heard they suck up offerings like crazy.”
That was what worried her.
“Well, you do have a lot of assets to be squeezed out of, don’t you?”
“Ahhh! Exactly! What kind of order is all about money! At least Mister Aizar had a conscience!”
Recalling Priest Aizar, who had just arrived, she vented her anger.
“You might as well ask the Priest to do it for you. I think it would probably work.”
“Oh? Hold on, that actually sounds good?”
She finished her calculations and sprang to her feet.
“I need to get permission from the Platoon Leader right away!”
She immediately ran off.
Sinhyeok watched her and thought,
*‘If she receives holy power from Priest Aizar, what kind of Holy Knight does she become? One who worships the Priest?’*
That thought led to an ominous, inexplicable imagination.
*‘Here too, again?’*
He pictured a fanatical scene where the Priest gathered people in military uniforms and preached to them, driving them mad with zeal.
“Ugh, creeping me out.”
The two finished their meal and returned to their respective workstations.
“Still, everyone returned quickly, huh.”
Sinhyeok thought about the returning unit members as he headed to the Quartermaster’s office.
“I thought they wouldn’t be back for a few weeks.”
Their return had unexpectedly been moved up.
When he arrived at the Quartermaster’s administrative office, the Chief was sitting there handling work.
“Loyalty.”
“Yeah, yeah. Sinhyeok, you’ve had it rough. I heard you caused quite the accident over the weekend.”
Sinhyeok smiled awkwardly and sat down.
“Ah, it wasn’t that serious.”
“Heh, it’s been a while since I’ve seen the Sergeant Major panic like that.”
“Ahem….”
The Quartermaster laughed for a moment, then handed over a task.
“We’re scheduled to receive tomorrow’s special rations, so I have to go collect the provisions. Let’s go together in ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the word “special rations,” Sinhyeok felt anticipation.
*I wonder what it will be.*
The Hongik Battalion’s “special rations” referred not to actual food, but to elixirs or medicines that provided permanent effects, such as constitution improvement, physical reinforcement, and talent enhancement.
This was another reason Hongik was exceptionally strong.
They fed elixirs to every single battalion member. And frequently.
“Ngh, let’s go.”
The Quartermaster stood up and headed to the workshop.
“There’s a door immediately to the right of the dwarf’s room, right?”
Sinhyeok confirmed right away.
“That’s the space where a Lady named Elysia, an Elf, makes things like potions. Make sure you knock before entering.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before knocking, Captain Ryu Jihyeon took a deep breath.
“Hoooh. Why do I tremble every time I come here?”
Sinhyeok looked at him curiously.
“Why is that, sir?”
Captain Ryu Jihyeon looked at Sinhyeok, who still didn’t know anything, with a pitiful expression.
“I was planning to let you know about this place as late as possible. Sorry about that.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you know too much, you’ll get hurt.”
He knocked on the door immediately.
“Wait, what? Why!?”
Knock, knock, knock.
“Lady Elysia, this is Captain Ryu Jihyeon.”
“Yes. Please come in.”
The door opened on its own.
Inside the open door, two things coexisted: the apothecary of a pharmacy handling herbal medicine, and the research space of one using microscopes to study drugs and organisms.
These two existed together.
In that space stood an Elf with brilliant golden hair, wearing a white gown.
She welcomed the two while holding a mug.
“It’s been a while. But who is that? He looks quite familiar.”
Sinhyeok saluted lightly and greeted her.
“I am Staff Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok, newly assigned to the Quartermaster’s office.”
“Ah! Ahh, Captain, you finally found a successor?”
The Quartermaster smiled brightly.
“Haha, I’ve finally achieved my dream.”
Elysia laughed at those words.
“Congratulations. But bringing him to greet me means you intend to have me teach him, just like you, doesn’t it?”
“Ah, yes. We’re also handling the work handover while we’re at it.”
“Hmm, it seems you chose properly this time.”
She nodded and gazed at Sinhyeok for a moment.
“But he looks so familiar. I feel like I’ve seen him before, aah…! You’re that kid from back then.”
Sinhyeok made a puzzled expression at the words “that kid from back then.”
“Do you know me, by any chance?”
“You probably do know me. Of course, would this jog your memory?”
She set down her mug and covered her ears with both hands.
At that sight, a childhood memory came to Sinhyeok.
The memory of his godfather, I Gangyeol, taking him to a room that smelled of strange herbal medicine, where he had been surprised to see a pretty older girl.
“Ah…! The pretty noona!”
“Ohohoho.”
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was rude.”
“Not at all.”
The Quartermaster marveled at the mention of their connection.
“Then, Lady Elysia, when it’s ready, please have it delivered to Staff Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok.”
“I will.”
Sinhyeok asked the Quartermaster, who was about to leave,
“Do I just carry it out?”
“Yeah, and if you learn just one thing here, you’ll awaken your Eye of Insight.”
“Huh? Ahh!”
He remembered the one thing he had forgotten.
*The Quartermaster’s special ability.*
“The Battalion Commander told us to speed up the handover. So let’s push ourselves a bit.”
The Quartermaster left as if fleeing, leaving Sinhyeok behind.
Sinhyeok was left alone with her.
“Shall we go to the garden first?”
She put on a straw hat hanging in the corner.
“Right. Wear one.”
“Huh? No, I’m fine. I like getting a tan.”
She smiled, took another one hanging beside it, and forced it onto his head.
“No, the sunlight isn’t the problem.”
After putting it on him, she opened the doorknob right in front of them.
Beyond the door was an entirely new world.
Things resembling dinosaurs traversed the sky and land, and there were vast fields and orchards boasting considerable breadth.
And a colossal tree standing in the center.
But it was quite unusual.
Instead of fruit, long, womb-like artificial incubation membranes formed along its trunk, and living creatures were growing inside them.
“Wh-what the…!?”
The startled Sinhyeok stumbled backward.
Elysia calmly stepped inside and said,
“You have to wear that so they won’t eat you~”
Gulp.
He was so startled that he swallowed, stopped, and swallowed again.
“This is insane.”
Seeing Sinhyeok not entering, she turned around and asked,
“Aren’t you coming?”
“…….”
Sinhyeok wondered if he really had to go.
“I-I’m coming.”
Eye of Insight. He would obtain it. He would definitely obtain it!
If he got it, maybe those annoying “Unidentified Mineral” messages would finally go away.
He had to get something, no matter what.
That state of Transcendence he had felt yesterday—Sinhyeok was currently captivated by that very thing.
*And I want to know! Just what on earth is an Alchemist!*