Dark Moon
Time kept flowing, and the planned D-Day drew near.
I pushed hard to expand my mana roads as much as possible before it arrived. But increasing their number in a mere two weeks or so proved impossible.
Mana roads are the pathways of mana linked to the Astral. The more of them you have, the more complex they become, and as your realm rises, those roads grow denser and more refined. Quality improves, and so does output.
Expanding mana roads is hard enough on its own. Doing it after forcing myself to 5-Class with drugs made it even worse.
I just had to accept it. This was a problem I had already anticipated before swallowing the Playroad, so it barely surprised me.
An ordinary mage might have despaired and collapsed into hopelessness. For a 5-Class mage to grow more than thirty mana roads, you were looking at ten years at the absolute minimum. If a human lifespan ran a hundred years, that was a full ten percent of a life spent solely on expanding mana roads. Of course it would feel hopeless.
I trust this body's talent and the information from Dark Moon. Three years at the latest to recover, then prepare for 6-Class.
And then D-Day dawned.
I opened my eyes to the same revolting reveille that always made my skin crawl. Knowing this would be the last time I ever heard the damned thing made the disgust ease just a little.
Out of habit I made my bunk and prepared for morning roll call. I swept a look around the barracks. Ten of us shared the room, myself included, yet everyone kept their mouths shut and simply did what needed doing. The barracks were always quietest in the morning.
Once the room was squared away, morning roll call began. Today was Freesel Day, a public holiday, so the formation was brief. Freesel Day marked the birth of the kingdom's first king.
Breakfast was special rations.
Boiled lobster.
Lobster as a special meal? Impressive? Maybe in the world I came from. In this one, lobster was cheap food. Cheaper than chicken. I would rather have had the chicken.
No. The chicken in this world tastes like absolute shit. Meat stew would be better.
I forced down the murderous urge rising toward the cooks and kept eating.
"They say the lower the division number, the better. Being right next to the capital means more drills, but the atmosphere is looser than the front-line units. Best part is you can hit the capital on every day off."
"The 17th Division's rough. Some private just killed his superior and then himself not long ago. Sounds like the hazing's brutal."
"I don't care where I get posted, as long as it doesn't snow. Please."
Lately the conversation among the cadets always circled the same topic: the Freesel Kingdom's military.
"No. 211. Where would you want to be stationed? Sure, you'll end up in the Capital Defense Force, but if we leave that out, which unit do you want?"
No. 212 asked.
Every eye turned my way. Especially the women's—hot enough that I wondered if I was imagining it. I took a sip of water and answered.
"Somewhere near the capital, I guess. Units around the capital are convenient in a lot of ways."
"Right? Capital area's the best!"
They chattered on about units near the capital. I mostly just listened. Capital-area postings, soft billets, whatever. The topic held no interest. It had nothing to do with me. I was leaving the military today.
I glanced over my squadmates. It would be a lie to say I felt no regret. But I had zero intention of stopping here.
I finished breakfast and stood. I tapped No. 212 on the arm and dropped my voice.
"No. 212. After lunch, can you get every single girl into the bathhouse by one o'clock?"
"Huh? You're asking first? What's the occasion? Think you can handle all of us?"
"I scored a Viagra pill."
"…Really? Nice. So we can look forward to today?"
No. 212's eyes sparkled. She scurried over to the other women and whispered something. They shot me startled looks, then broke into sly, lewd smiles.
After that I killed time until I headed for the library. I ran into the soldier on library duty. He pointed toward a corner of the shelves—a blind spot the security cameras couldn't reach. I stepped into it and found a bag waiting.
I unzipped it. Inside were the pistol I usually used, an elemental sword, rounds, bombs, Overload ampoules, and more. I checked the contents and took only a few items. I couldn't carry every weapon.
"It starts at one. Don't forget."
The soldier said it just as I was leaving. I gave him a rough nod and walked out.
Back in the barracks I watched TV to pass the time. A few of the women kept giving me sidelong glances. Even No. 31 pretended to read while watching me. It was oppressive. And I felt sorry for them.
Lunch was fried fish.
It was terrible. Still, knowing it was the last meal I would ever eat in the military made it almost edible.
After lunch I headed for the women's bathhouse. I stripped, climbed into the hot tub, and waited for them.
No. 212 arrived first.
"Heh. I scarfed my food and ran straight here. No. 202 was giving me weird looks."
Naked, she slipped into the hot water. The surface rippled. She sat beside me and reached out.
"Want to start early?"
"…No. It's almost one. Wait till everyone's here."
"Aww."
I kneaded her full breasts. Soft, springy flesh I would never touch again. The thought left a quiet ache.
A little later the door opened and the rest of the women began filing in. Every one of them had an outstanding body—shaped by regimented living, balanced if tasteless meals, and constant training.
"No. 211. Something feels different today."
"Mmm. Feels like there's more steam than usual."
"We can go till dinner, right? Two rounds each should be doable."
No. 31 entered last, face as haughty as ever. That made every woman present.
The steam thickened.
"Sorry."
I apologized to them.
"Why the sudden apology?"
"What did you do wrong to us? And seriously, there's way too much steam."
"Don't tell me the Viagra thing was a lie?"
"Hnn… w-what… my body suddenly…"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The women staggered and collapsed to the floor. Sleeping gas released from a corner of the bathhouse was taking effect. Only I, who had already shielded my airways with purification magic, remained upright and clear-headed.
"It'll all be over by the time you wake up. …And you can hate me for it."
They blacked out.
I pulled every woman—including No. 212 still in the tub—out onto the floor and laid them down. One last look, then I left the bathhouse.
"No. 211… don't…!"
No. 31 forced her eyelids open long enough to speak.
"It's already too late to stop."
KRAAAAAANG!
An explosion rocked the building. The one-o'clock signal. Outside the bathhouse I sealed the entrance with a barrier I had secretly prepared over the past few days.
No one should come, but if anyone did, the barrier would protect them. It had the flaw that people inside could leave easily, but by the time the women woke from the gas, everything would already be finished.
-Enemy attack! Hostiles have already infiltrated the interior. All personnel arm yourselves and respond!
Vinous's voice blared through the speakers. Even that normally ice-cold tone now shook with shock and fury.
KRAAANG! BOOM! KRAAANG!
Explosions kept rolling while I dressed. Fully clothed, I stepped out. The bathhouse sat in a corner; no one was in sight. I walked the corridor toward the library. Vinous's broadcast had cut off.
He probably headed for the lab. The most important things in this base are the Mana Essence and the research data on it.
Vinous would defend the lab no matter what.
Near the library I ran into two armed soldiers.
"No. 211!"
"There you are! Do you know where No. 31 and the others are? We can't reach them!"
Familiar faces. I had spoken with them a few times.
Quietly I dropped my gaze to their shoulders. Yellow cords were tied there. Enemies.
I reached out with both hands and seized their heads.
Lightning Grab
ZZZZZZZT!
Current erupted from my palms and raced through their bodies. The stench of burning flesh filled the air as they crumpled. I stepped over the corpses and entered the library.
Detection
I reflexively cast the detection spell, confirmed no one was hiding, and moved to the corner. I opened the bag waiting there and equipped myself piece by piece. After making sure the critical Overload ampoules were intact, I slipped the wireless earpiece into place.
"This is Two… no. This is Yujin."
I almost said No. 211 out of habit and corrected myself. I was no longer No. 211.
-This is Brown Lizard. Taking command. Mess hall secured. Firefights ongoing at the command post and armory.
"The lab?"
-Team Six that moved on the lab was wiped out. Vinous is holding it.
"As expected. I'll take the lab."
-Vinous requested support from headquarters. Nearest relief is two hours out. We need the operation finished inside two hours.
"Won't even take one. You focus on seizing the command post as planned."
-Understood.
I headed for the lab.
Soldiers burst into view. Before they could do anything I squeezed the trigger. Rounds punched clean through their faces.
Even if my physical motor skills were nothing special, I was a 5-Class mage. Forget raw body strength—my processing speed and reflexes put ordinary people in another league.
BANG! BANG BANG BANG!
I kept firing. Magic would have gotten me there more easily, but I needed to conserve every scrap of mana for the fight with Vinous.
"Guh…! No. 211… wh-why are you…?!"
A soldier shot through the shoulder stared at my face in horror. I knew him too—one of the cooks who worked the mess hall.
"Abandoned the kitchen to hold the path to the lab, huh. Obvious whose orders that was."
I leveled the muzzle at his face.
"P-please, No. 211! I'm already combat-ineffective!"
"The food you made tasted like absolute shit."
BANG!
The bullet drilled through the soldier's forehead.