Chapter 27 : Raid

The exhausting day finally came to an end.

“Ugh…… This is killing me.”

“Tell me about it.”

“By the way, you were amazing today? I see you in a new light. I guess I can't call you a weak mage anymore.”

Conlan laughed heartily.

Despite losing to me for the first time today, Conlan didn't seem to mind much.

It was a completely different sight from Albino, who had sulked all day and then recklessly used magic because of it.

Anyway, since the day was over, I headed to the bonfire as always, instead of going straight back to the barracks.

“Where are you going?”

“I have something to do.”

“Well, okay then.”

It was then.

“…….”

Alicia, who had been quiet until now, followed me without a word.

“Do you have business with me?”

“…….”

“Well, suit yourself.”

It wasn't like that taciturn woman would answer even if I asked, and I couldn't physically stop her from following me, so I let her be.

‘It's not like anything special will happen.’

Leaving the barracks, I headed to the bonfire I often used, found a suitable spot, and sat down.

Facing the bonfire, warm heat seeped in, and my frozen body slowly began to thaw.

“…….”

At that, Alicia, who had been cautiously observing, also sat down across from me, a little distance away.

I didn't know what she was thinking, following me all the way here, but I did what I had to do first.

Swoooosh…….

[A little warmth is transmitted to the ‘Orb of Water’.]

[The cold of the ‘Orb of Water’ is temporarily alleviated.]

[The power of the ‘Orb of Water’ seeps into the user.]

[The ‘Orb of Water’ heals the user.]

I could feel it.

My slightly torn muscles regenerating, my body recovering.

‘And one more thing to this.’

The Orb of Water heals the user.

And I had a way to rapidly increase my body's metabolism to maximize this healing effect.

[‘Haima's Curse’ is in effect.]

[Due to ‘Haima's Curse’, the wearer's blood goes berserk.]

[The effect of ‘Haima's Curse’ greatly enhances metabolism.]

Twitch, twitch…….

As my blood flow increased to the point of making the veins all over my body swell, my metabolism quickened rapidly.

At this moment, when all the energy in my body was being used to regenerate the body and build torn muscles, what was needed was, of course, nutritional replenishment.

And a high-quality protein supplement at that.

Rustle, rustle.

I took out the beef jerky I had bought in advance from within my clothes and ate it piece by piece.

The combination of sweet and salty that spread the moment I put the beef jerky in my mouth.

Ah, this taste of the mortal world…….

Actually, this beef jerky, while looking like the ordinary kind you could find anywhere in Winter Castle, was not ordinary jerky.

It was because I had bought it from other players at the auction house.

I don't know if there's a factory that professionally manufactures this somewhere, but a large-capacity beef jerky was listed at a fairly cheap price, so I've been enjoying it lately as a protein supplement.

No matter how not-bad the meals in Winter Castle were, protein supplementation was not easy.

‘Above all, it’s delicious.’

The beef jerky available in Winter Castle was just salted and poorly dried, but this was the real deal made with a soy sauce base.

Of course, it not only achieved the goal of protein supplementation but was also delicious, so it became my new source of vitality in my weary life at Winter Castle.

As I was eating the beef jerky, I felt a strange gaze and looked forward.

There, Alicia was staring at me blankly with her mouth slightly open.

To be precise, the beef jerky in my hand.

‘Ah.’

Somehow, I thought I knew.

The reason why Alicia had followed me.

As I mentioned before, it's not easy to supplement with high-quality protein within Winter Castle.

On top of that, the amount of food supplied is not small, but for a skilled person like Alicia, the calories she consumed would naturally be high as well.

It meant that she would get hungry easily and would always be suffering from hunger.

I don't know where she caught the scent from, but it seemed almost certain that Alicia's purpose was this beef jerky.

“Want some?”

“……Ah.”

Alicia, finally snapping out of it, hastily shook her head with a flushed red face.

“Really? Then I’ll eat it all.”

As I said that and tossed the remaining beef jerky into my mouth one by one, Alicia's face turned pale.

“Th-that’s…….”

The flustered Alicia not knowing what to do was a little cute, but if I teased her any more than this, the Inquisitor from the Punishment Order might just "take a liking" to me.

“Here.”

When I handed her a piece of beef jerky, Alicia's eyes went wide.

“Really……?”

“Yeah.”

Alicia, who carefully took the beef jerky from me, hurriedly put it in her mouth.

And the moment she savored the taste of the beef jerky.

“……!”

Alicia's eyes widened.

Well, after eating nothing but unidentifiable soup in a place like Winter Castle, one would naturally react like that after tasting the precisely blended sweet and salty flavor of a soy sauce base.

“Want more?”

Alicia's head nodded vigorously.

The taste of the beef jerky was not so trivial as to allow one to maintain their composure in the face of the taste of the mortal world.

“Here.”

I gave her a few more pieces of jerky, but Alicia devoured them in what felt like the blink of an eye.

It might have been because she was hungry, but more than anything, the taste of the jerky must have been beyond her imagination.

Alicia's gaze, having eaten all the jerky in an instant, turned to me.

Eyes like a rain-soaked puppy.

“There's no more.”

“Ah…….”

Alicia, finally coming to her senses, licked her lips as if in regret.

Of course, I still had some spare jerky, but I had no intention of giving it all to her.

“I'll give you more next time I get some.”

Only then did the expression of the rain-soaked puppy, Alicia, brighten up.

How should I put it…… I thought she was a difficult type to understand until now, but now I see she's an incredibly easy type to understand.

“……Thank you.”

“Don't mention it, we're in the same special task force.”

Alicia opened her lips with a serious expression, quite different from just a moment ago.

“I will definitely repay this favor someday.”

Well, there was no need for me to refuse if she said she would repay the favor.

Who knows? Maybe this good deed will save my life someday.

At that moment.

[Vitality infuses your tired body, and the torn muscles grow.]

[Stamina increases. (+1)]

[2 → 3]

[The torn muscles recover quickly, and the muscles grow at an astonishing rate.]

[Strength increases. (+1)]

[2 → 3]

‘Hoo…….’

My Stamina and Strength stats both became 3.

Considering the meaning of each and every stat point in the World of Justice, it was nothing short of an enormous growth rate.

‘The combination of Haima's Pendant and the Orb of Water really is a cheat.’

If the Orb of Water and Haima's Pendant had exerted their full power, they would have had an even more tremendous effect, but conversely, my current self would not have been able to withstand it.

For me now, this level was just right.

‘Then…….’

My business at the bonfire was slowly coming to an end, so I got up from my seat.

“Let's go.”

“……Ah.”

At that, Alicia nodded slightly and followed behind me with quick, short steps.

How should I put it…… I had thought of her as a dangerous woman until now, but seeing her like this, she felt like a baby bird wanting food.

It was time to go back to the barracks.

***

──────────────

Name : Vell Blackwood

Level : 1

Stamina : 3

Strength : 3

Mentality : 2

Traits : [Postponer of Ruin(EX)], [Weapon Summon(??)], [Endurance(D)], [Fire Resistance(D)]

Arts : [Survival Swordsmanship(D)]

Magic: ─

──────────────

After returning to the barracks, I washed up simply and immediately prepared for bed.

Just as I lay down in my spot and was about to check the Anonymous Bulletin Board.

-Bwoooooooooooooong……!

The sound of a horn, loud beyond compare, filled the barracks.

“Wh-what?”

“…….”

The meaning of this horn sound was obvious.

This was Winter Castle Kreutz.

An area adjacent to the Demonic Realm, a stronghold of demonic beasts and a forbidden zone for humans.

What would happen in a place like this was as good as predetermined from the start.

-It's a raid!

-Everyone, get up!

Come to think of it, I had thought it was too peaceful lately for the notoriously infamous Winter Castle.

No matter how periodically the Winter Castle side subjugated demonic beasts, it would only have been a temporary measure.

The Demonic Realm possesses a vast territory, the size of which cannot be fathomed.

Naturally, even if they subjugated a few demonic beast colonies near the Demonic Realm, the demonic beasts would eventually reappear from somewhere else.

That was the price for the Empire extending its hand into a territory it should not have crossed.

While a commotion could be heard from outside, the members of the 4th Special Task Force inside the barracks were already moving.

Conlan, Alicia, and me.

Although there were only three of us, our bodies reacted first, as if we already knew what to do from now on.

“You're all already prepared. Excellent.”

Seeing Edric who rushed in shortly after, we finished arming ourselves and got up from our spots.

Perhaps because some time had passed since we had become soldiers, everyone looked like a soldier in their own right.

“Is it a mutant?”

Edric shook his head.

“No, no mutant sightings have been confirmed this time. Therefore, the mission for the 4th Special Task Force this time is to defend the northeast gate with the other special task forces.”

“Other special task forces?”

“Yes, the 3rd Special Task Force has been assigned the same mission as us.”

Other special task forces…….

I had never encountered them directly before, but I knew they existed.

And for good reason, since we were the 4th Special Task Force in the first place, it was only natural that there would be a 3rd or a 2nd.

“We'll talk about the details on the way. The situation is urgent.”

“Understood.”

The moment we left the barracks in a hurry, what greeted us was the sight of a soldier falling from the sky.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

Thump!

The soldier, who had fallen from who knows how many meters, died on the spot as soon as he crashed to the ground.

It seemed like an incomprehensible sight, but the beings that made such a sight understandable soon appeared in the sky.

“That's……”

Conlan stared at the uninvited guests that appeared in the sky with his mouth agape.

[Kieeeeeeeeh!!]

Flying demonic beasts.

And not just one or two, but a flock was circling the skies of Winter Castle, literally hunting the soldiers.

“Hmm. The situation is not good. Vell, can you do it?”

“It won't be easy.”

Even if I had a gun, considering the effective range of the Colt garrison B-09, the constantly moving flying demonic beasts were a very bad matchup.

At least the B686 Double Barrel Shotgun, although its effective range was short, had a wide impact area, so it would be quite effective against flying demonic beasts whose weak point is their wings, but the problem was that I only had two shots for the B686 Double Barrel Shotgun.

‘Still, I have to do it.’

I can't just whine and give up because it's difficult.

Since even I, with a gun, found it tricky, the Winter Castle was actually being helplessly ravaged by the flying demonic beasts.

The archer unit was shooting arrows quite diligently, but the problem was that the flying demonic beasts were rampaging above Winter Castle.

In other words, if the arrows they shot missed, that rain of arrows would inevitably turn towards their allies.

“Gack!”

“Archer unit, cease fire!”

They say that in a real battlefield, the rate of friendly fire is not low.

As if to prove that case, a hellscape caused by the chaos brought by the flying demonic beasts was unfolding in Winter Castle right now.

Clack.

I aimed the muzzle at the sky.

I could see the flying demonic beasts killing humans as if they were toys.

[Kieeeeeee───!]

That monstrous cry sounded like a jeer, but I did not lose my composure.

“Ssssp…….”

I held my breath.

It felt as if time was flowing slowly.

It probably wasn't just a feeling.

The increase in blood flow speed brought by Haima's Pendant would have led to an increase in blood flow to the brain, which in turn would have led to an increase in thought speed.

‘Now.’

Taaaaaaaang!!!───

The trajectory of the bullet drawn with the pulled trigger narrowly missed the flying demonic beast's body.

But it wasn't a miss.

At least, that bullet had succeeded in making a decent hole in the flying demonic beast's wing.

[Kieeeeeeeh!]

The flying demonic beast with a bullet hole in its wing let out a monstrous cry, struggled, and fell to the ground.

Thud!!!

With that, perhaps sensing a crisis, the other flying demonic beasts that had been circling the skies of Winter Castle disappeared as if fleeing.

Of course, they would target the soldiers again whenever they had the chance, but for now, the most urgent fire had been put out.

“As expected, amazing.”

“Not at all.”

“I have many questions about your magic, but now is not the time for that, I suppose.”

Edric said.

“Let's go, we still have a lot to do.”