Midnight Intruder and the Taman's Ultimatum
The late dawn hour had everyone lost in deep slumber.
Inside the tent, silence was so absolute that it seemed almost fragile, as if even a breath could shatter it.
The lantern light was dim and hazy, while the cold air seeping between the canvas and wooden frame subtly chilled the backs of those still awake.
Absolute quiet.
Yet, breaking that silence, someone moved stealthily through the gap between tents—fast, unhurried, like a shadow slipping past the enemy lines.
Eventually, the figure reached the outer perimeter of the camp. He cautiously scanned for any nearby sentries, then quietly tapped on a rock.
Dak. Dak-dak! Dak-dak, daka-dak!
The steady rhythm of knocking stones sounded exactly like a pre-arranged signal in the darkness.
From the opposite side, a matching pattern soon replied.
Dak, dak! Dak… dak, dak-dak!
Once more, the encrypted code spread softly into the night.
With that, a man in a dark robe stepped out from the opposite shadows, pressing the hood deep over his face.
At the same moment, the soldier who had left earlier approached him with cautious, heavy footsteps that the wind carried away.
The robed man furrowed his brows and asked in a low, sharp voice.
“What exactly happened? All the information about this operation is wrong!”
His tone was small but cutting.
The soldier on the other side answered hurriedly, as if afraid of punishment.
“I-I truly have nothing to say about that. But… it changed so suddenly that…”
“Did someone inside the unit sense the unusual atmosphere? Or even a hint of it?”
“None at all. We never did anything suspicious.”
At the firm reply, the man in the robe pulled a small note from his belt.
“Even if we can overlook this incident for now… next time, there must be no failure. One more slip, and your heads will all roll. Better to stay alert.”
On the note was a summary of the next operation and the password.
“Study it well, then destroy it immediately.”
“Understood.”
The man extended his hand to take the note.
But in that instant.
Whoosh!
The robed man turned his head sharply toward the source of the sound.
Before his gaze could fully complete the turn.
Slash!
“Kuaaa… hup!”
A black blade clamped over the robed man’s mouth and sliced through his wrist.
The hand clutching the note dropped to the ground with a dull thud.
The robed man, unable to make a sound with his mouth sealed, turned his head sideways in shock.
In his bloodshot eyes appeared a single figure.
“……”
“Don’t make a sound. I’m holding back the urge to slit your throat right now.”
Cold metal touched his neck.
Even colder was the man’s voice. The robed man unconsciously swallowed hard.
His heart pounded violently. Something terrible had happened.
Scrutch.
The robed man glanced at the soldier beside him.
The soldier hurriedly snatched the dropped note and turned to flee.
He hadn’t been able to see the man’s face clearly in the darkness.
If he ran now, he might survive.
But the moment he turned with the note in hand.
Clang!
Grein’s blade hovered silently just beneath his neck.
Disappointment and rage twisted Grein’s face into a hard, unyielding expression.
“You… you’re a spy in collusion with the Kar tribe. How dare you touch our unit like this, you trash…?”
The man trembled, struggling to speak.
“P-Pl-Platooon Leader, th-that’s not—”
His words stalled.
Grein’s hand shook faintly, but the blade’s tip never wavered, sinking a single inch lower.
Arteon quietly pressed his hand on the man’s shoulder, forcing him to the ground.
Through a gap in the moonlight, his back and face were suddenly revealed.
Scars, dried blood, and traces of old battles covered his neck.
Yet Arteon paid them no attention.
Just the past life.
The memories of the time that had dragged him and his comrades toward death surged with overwhelming fury.
Crack!
“Kuaaaaah!”
Power surged into the hand gripping the man’s shoulder.
His shoulder dislocated with a sickening pop, bones twisting. The robed man screamed, but the sound was muffled against the ground.
“Platoon Leader.”
“……I understand.”
Grein tried to stop him, but Arteon exhaled and answered.
Soon, the squad leaders of the Silent Spear unit gathered around.
Arteon said.
“Take him away. If he resists, you can break one of his limbs for all I care.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
The two men’s eyes widened in shock at Arteon’s command.
They knew better than anyone how deadly serious it was.
And when the squad leaders seized them and dragged them up, their desperate gazes locked onto Arteon, pleading.
* * *
A massive chair covered in thick leather, trophies hanging along the wall, dusty battle flags fluttering dimly in the torchlight.
The room felt like the very embodiment of power.
The cold wind slipping through the window made the interior even colder.
“Kortzan.”
Krelmuk sat on a carpet woven from the hide of a great beast and spoke in a low voice.
Kortzan, standing opposite him, lowered his head.
“Yes, Commander Krelmuk.”
The short reply carried an unhidden nervousness in his eyes.
Krelmuk spoke with his usual emotionless calm.
“I heard you were ambushed. What happened?”
“……It seems the information was mistaken. Or perhaps someone inside the Imperial army noticed our connection.”
Krelmuk’s expression tightened slightly at the report.
Kortzan continued quickly.
“The warehouse burned during the raid, but not the entire building, so we could salvage some supplies.”
Repeated defeats had dropped morale, but the actual number of dead and missing soldiers was not heavy.
“However, how do we handle the responsibility for consecutive defeats?”
“……We must take responsibility, of course. But we haven’t even swung the sword we prepared. The moment our forces move, the situation will reverse.”
Kortzan spoke as calmly as possible, though his breathing grew cautious and his heart raced faster.
Krelmuk’s gaze cooled completely.
A heavy silence pressed down on his shoulders.
After a moment, Krelmuk closed his eyes as if lost in thought.
But the silence didn’t last long.
Screech.
Krelmuk slowly opened his eyes and muttered.
“A war to defend…”
The first in history.
The Empire stepping onto a Kar tribe’s intact territory.
That was why the battle had flipped—now the Imperial forces were the ones attacking, forcing the Kar to defend their own land.
Contempt thickened Krelmuk’s eyes.
“We don’t fight that kind of war. We only take what the enemy has and kill.”
After speaking, Krelmuk rose from his seat.
His presence filled the entire room, and his shadow stretched long against the wall, scraping it.
“Kortzan.”
“Yes, Commander Krelmuk.”
“It disgusts me that they entered my land. Do you understand what that means?”
Kortzan’s spine chilled.
He answered urgently.
“Of course, Commander Krelmuk!”
“One week.”
The words carried the weight of a death sentence.
Krelmuk continued.
“Within that time, bring me proof that you are not incompetent. Otherwise… I will act myself.”
When his words ended, Kortzan’s face turned deathly pale.
Yet he managed a shaky reply.
“Understood. I will definitely prove my ability within one week.”
Krelmuk only looked down at him in silence.
* * *
Before dawn, the Imperial camp on the northern front was still wrapped in chill air.
Thick mist lay low across the ground, and torches planted everywhere swayed in the wind.
The shallow snow-covered earth carried the damp scent of dew that had fallen overnight, clinging to armor.
Unbothered by the conditions, the Silent Spear soldiers stood in perfect formation across the wide field in front of their tent.
“Everyone here?”
“Yes!”
Only a few days had passed since the last battle, yet fatigue still showed on their faces—hidden, of course.
But then.
“One missing from the Second Squad.”
“Two missing from the Third.”
The men who had been there until yesterday had simply vanished.
At Grein’s question, the squad leaders answered.
“They were transferred to another unit on special orders. The situation was too urgent, so we only reported to the Platoon Leader and moved immediately. The message was delayed.”
“I see…”
As the words ended, the soldiers who had been with the missing men nodded.
“……They were only with us for a few days, but something felt off. Too bad they were transferred, though it’s good they’re gone.”
“Same here. The ones in our squad felt strange too. Kept looking over their shoulders, and their movements were just… uneasy.”
Conversations about the transferred soldiers drifted among the men.
But it didn’t last long.
Grein immediately shifted the topic.
“We don’t need to talk about the missing soldiers. New recruits will arrive soon. More importantly… I have good news for you today.”
“Good news?”
“What is it?”
Most soldiers perked up their ears and turned to Grein.
He glanced at Arteon beside him, then smiled.
“The soldiers who haven’t yet learned the Mana Cultivation Method will all receive the new one taught by the Platoon Leader. It’s far superior to anything sold in the streets or taught in basic classes.”
“M-Mana Cultivation Method?”
“Heh, you’ll be truly surprised when you learn it.”
“An incredible Mana Cultivation Method.”
The soldiers already practicing Arteon’s method chuckled softly.
They had reached first-star realm within just a few months thanks to it.
The others, still learning, couldn’t hide their shock.
They had seen for themselves how vast the gap was between those who could wield mana and those who couldn’t.
“W-We’ll work hard!”
“Since we can learn the Mana Cultivation Method… I’ll give my life to master it!”
Passionate voices rose one after another.
The air in the training ground grew electric.
At that moment, Arteon spoke from the front.
“The training ahead will be tough. If you feel like you can’t continue or want to quit, speak up anytime. We won’t bring cowards with us.”
“We’ll follow through to the end!”
“We’ll chase you with our lives—don’t kick us out!”
Arteon offered a faint smile at the soldiers’ fervent words and shining eyes.
“Because of the victory in this battle, the Supreme Commander has granted us a bonus. Even though it’s a time of hardship in wartime, if you keep earning merits, there will be even more rewards waiting on the way back.”
“Ooooh!”
“Kuu… a bonus right after our first battle?”
Many among them had been saving for the rewards that would come from the merits Arteon had built.
Grein raised his voice.
“All of this is thanks to the Platoon Leader’s ability. We are deeply grateful!”
“Thank you, Platoon Leader!”
“We will follow you to our deaths!”
Resounding voices shook the camp.
Arteon and Grein exchanged glances and nodded to each other.
Both men felt the same—neither took offense.
This was the northern front, where death loomed every single day.
Without a burning desire to achieve something—anything—survival here was impossible.
Soon Arteon raised his voice again.
“Good. Now we begin training. Those who fall behind will be discharged immediately. Give it everything you’ve got!”
“Yes, we understand!”
The answering roar echoed across the entire camp.
Even in the midst of war, the brutal physical and tactical training continued.
Yet the soldiers gritted their teeth and endured, and Arteon trained right alongside them.
But at that moment.
“Lieutenant Arteon.”
An unfamiliar voice called.
When he turned, Claw stood before him.
“The Supreme Commander is looking for Lieutenant Arteon.”
Arteon nodded silently.