Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: The Kaion Unit
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*Whoosh!*
Was this what it felt like to be burning from the inside?
The moment he consumed the elixir made from the Frenzied Blood Herb, the reaction was immediate.
Demian furrowed his brow and immediately drew upon his mana, spreading it evenly throughout his body.
*Sssshhhk!*
Like dousing a fire, a cold energy spread, beginning to suppress the poison.
*So this is what it feels like.*
A sensation of his hands and feet stiffening, even his tongue felt like it was hardening.
But his mind remained clear, and Demian calmly moved his mana to start diluting the toxin.
It was easier said than done. The moment his body began to stiffen, an indescribable terror washed over him.
*Ah, I'm dying.*
It was exactly the kind of thought it was meant to provoke.
However, having experienced this once before, he felt no fear.
Frenzied Blood Herb.
He had already ingested this poisonous herb in the past, with the help of a subordinate, when he was struck by a poisoned arrow on the battlefield.
*He was a great help back then.*
It was all thanks to that man that he'd been able to gain so much knowledge about medicinal herbs.
And at that time, Demian had not only miraculously survived but also gained incredible fortune.
The poison from the Frenzied Blood Herb had made his body incredibly tough.
His bones, not to mention his strength and agility, had all improved.
That was the secret ability of the Frenzied Blood Herb's poison.
At the time, not even the man who had brewed the Frenzied Blood Herb for Demian knew of this ability.
He had simply approached it with the mindset of treating poison with poison, never imagining it would have such an unbelievable effect.
Of course, even if he had known, he wouldn't have tried it.
Not only was the effect itself minimal, but who would risk their life for something like that?
However.
*...I can do this.*
The Demian of today did not hesitate.
If he could become stronger.
If he could climb just a little higher, he was prepared to use every method at his disposal.
A mere poison like this?
He just had to push it back with mana while absorbing it.
Besides, wasn't this a far more concentrated elixir than the one he had taken before?
High risk, high return.
Demian closed his eyes and relentlessly tracked the poison flowing through his body.
The key was to absorb every last drop of the poison without missing any.
How much time had passed?
Demian's clothes were soaked through with the cold sweat pouring from his body.
Enough sweat to fill a basin if he were to take off his clothes and wring them out.
Before he knew it, his lips had cracked and his complexion had turned pale.
"Huuuuuuu..."
Finally, Demian opened his eyes, let out a long breath, and straightened his back.
"Hmm... Are there still some aftereffects?"
Demian stood up and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists.
They felt a little stiff.
But it didn't matter.
This much would return to normal with time anyway.
*Ssk.*
*Fourteen more to go...*
What kind of changes would there be after he finished them all...
Demian gave a faint smile and walked back into the unit's barracks.
***
Three months passed quickly.
And they had not wasted that time.
Not Demian, not Dianal, and not Kyle.
"Demian, Dianal, Kyle. The commander is calling for you!"
"Yes, sir!"
At the administrative clerk's words, Demian headed for Tarone's office.
A place he'd visited so often it now felt familiar.
"Glory to the kingdom!"
Demian saluted as he entered, and Tarone nodded.
"Your transfer orders have come down."
"...Is that so?"
Now that the time to part had come, Dianal looked a little disappointed.
He hadn't come here by choice, but he had learned a great deal in the Neokalitz Unit.
Tarone, in particular, had helped Dianal a lot when he was struggling to adapt at first.
Seeing Dianal's expression, Tarone let out a small chuckle and stood up.
"I believe the three of you will do well wherever you go."
He meant it.
Hadn't they brought positive change and transformed the unit, even in a place like this hellhole?
*Pat, pat.*
Tarone lightly patted Dianal's shoulder.
"Do well there, too. Being persistent and steadfast is your specialty."
"I understand. And... thank you."
At Dianal's words, a small curve formed on Tarone's lips.
"And Kyle, you seem reckless, but I think that simple-mindedness of yours can sometimes be a great strength."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Of course."
"Thank you!"
Kyle replied loudly to Tarone's praise.
*Ssk.*
Tarone looked at Demian.
An unpredictable man.
An unbelievable man who always achieved more than whatever you thought he was capable of.
"...Don't go too wild. You'll demoralize the others."
"Sir?"
Demian asked with a puzzled look.
But Tarone quickly turned his gaze back to all three of them.
"I trust you'll do well. Now, go and make a name for yourselves there!"
At that moment, Dianal clicked his heels together.
"Unit, attention!"
*Thud!*
Demian and Kyle snapped to attention behind him.
"To the commander, salute!"
"Glory to the kingdom!"
As they gave their sharp salute, Tarone, with a serious expression, also clenched his right fist and struck his left chest.
"Glory to the kingdom!"
With that final farewell, Demian parted ways with the Neokalitz Unit.
So much had happened in this place, in such a short time.
As he left the barracks, Diel, who was already waiting, approached Demian.
"Where are you headed?"
"Balpate. It's a city to the north."
"That's not too far."
Diel smiled faintly and pointed to the carriage she had prepared.
"I've prepared this so you won't be bored on your journey. Please stay healthy until we meet again."
"Then I'll leave this place in your hands."
"Yes, don't worry."
After bidding Diel farewell, Demian boarded the carriage with Dianal and Kyle.
Once inside, Kyle bounced on the plush cushion.
"Wow, this is a nice carriage."
"Stop moving, it's shaking, you idiot."
Kyle pouted at Demian's words. But soon...
*Crunch!*
He started eating the food prepared in the carriage and looked outside.
Demian also gazed outside, lost in thought.
*Balpate.*
This move wasn't part of his plan. But...
*Is this actually for the best?*
He didn't know exactly what kind of place he was heading to, but one thing was certain.
It was a unit connected to the coming age of war.
There was no avoiding the front lines, one way or another.
It would be a much better option to establish his position a little earlier.
Besides.
*If it's Balpate...*
When he first heard the name Balpate, the first people who came to Demian's mind were them.
*If I'm lucky, I might run into them.*
Or should I say, if I'm unlucky?
They were skilled, but they were also complete lunatics.
*Pfft.*
"This bastard, why do you keep smiling? Tell me what's so funny so I can laugh too."
"It's nothing."
Kyle reacted instantly to Demian's expression.
Demian waved his hand dismissively.
"If you've got nothing to do, just sleep. It's a long way to Balpate."
"Ah...? I can just sleep. Why didn't I think of that?"
He then curled up in a corner.
"I'm gonna sleep first, so wake me up when we get there!"
Soon, Kyle was snoring away.
Seeing him, Dianal also let out a small laugh and quietly closed his eyes.
Demian looked at the two of them.
Dianal was someone Demian had sought out from the beginning, but Kyle too...
*Perhaps...*
Feeling as though he had gained good comrades, Demian smiled faintly and turned his gaze back outside.
***
"Hoo, so this is Balpate?"
"It feels less desolate than Erkal."
The atmosphere in Balpate was somewhat chilly.
But compared to the first impression of Erkal, this was quite an improvement.
"Still, Erkal is full of life now."
"That's all thanks to purifying the demonic energy and the Hamel Merchant Guild moving in."
Dianal burst out laughing at Kyle's words.
"By the way, now that we're going to a new unit, it's a fresh start. How long are you going to keep using formal speech?"
"Hehe, once a senior, always a senior, right?"
Kyle said with a sly grin. At that, Dianal looked at Demian.
"I don't really mind."
"Right, well, at least you should speak comfortably. Once you're out in the field units, everyone's just an old man anyway."
Demian chuckled at Dianal's words. Just then.
"Isn't it the senior's job to buy the meal? I think I see a decent restaurant over there, let's go."
"This brat! So you had an ulterior motive!"
As Dianal shouted, Kyle burst into hearty laughter.
Demian said with a smile.
"The meal's on me, so everyone eat up."
"Whoa?! Does this mean Demian's the senior now?"
"Stop talking nonsense. Once we get to the new unit, we'll have to follow their rules anyway, so just do as Dianal said."
"Well, I'll try."
The three of them quickly finished their meal and began to make their way to their assigned unit.
They had some time to spare, so they had taken a leisurely pace, but.
"...What is this?"
"Are all these guys gathered for this unit?"
An incredible number of people were swarming the training grounds.
Well over five or six hundred people. Not just Kyle, but even Demian couldn't hide his surprise.
He was sure he'd heard they were forming a single unit.
*Are they forming a company-sized unit?*
While they were still in shock.
"Alright, anyone who hasn't received one of these, please check again, then write your name and sign!"
A soldier who looked like an administrative clerk approached and handed documents to the three of them.
Demian took the document and read it.
"...Wow."
"Whoa, what is this?"
"Woah!"
The three of them couldn't hide their shocked expressions.
Written on the document were the salary and benefits provided upon joining the unit.
But the salary...
"The Neokalitz was already in the high-paying bracket... but this is nearly double that."
Dianal said with a look of astonishment.
But what really caught Demian's eye was...
*An independent unit?*
An independent unit is one that doesn't belong to another company or division and receives individual missions.
It's essentially a type of special forces unit.
*What kind of work are they planning that requires an independent unit?*
And on top of that, these unbelievable terms.
The salary and treatment were just too good.
*Ssk.*
Demian looked at the men around him.
Most of them were already drooling over the contents of the document.
But at that moment.
"Everyone, attention!"
A commander, who appeared to be in charge, shouted loudly.
At his voice, the hundreds of soldiers on the training grounds turned to look at him.
He yelled.
"My name is Commander Vincent!"
The man who introduced himself as Vincent continued immediately.
"The name of our independent unit is the Kaion Unit! And the Kaion Unit has a fixed capacity of exactly one hundred men. I'm sorry, but the rest of you who don't make the cut will have to pack your bags and return to your original units!"
"What?"
"What did he say?"
"Hey, nobody said anything about that!"
The training grounds suddenly erupted in an uproar.
But...
"Quiet!"
Vincent silenced the complaints with a single shout.
He then glanced behind him and nodded.
And a man walked out from behind him.
Vincent then introduced the man standing beside him.
"This is Instructor Leonhard Belkain. He will also be the judge who decides whether you pass or fail."
"...Huh?"
For a moment, Demian's eyes widened in shock.
Why... is my master here?