Chapter 8 : Winter Castle Kreutz (3)

Edric looked at me with amusement.

“Forfeiting without even fighting……. Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. The winner is Albino.”

It seemed the white-haired man's name was Albino.

And so, with Edric's declaration, Albino, who had become the winner so easily it was anticlimactic, had his expression twist viciously.

“This bastard…… what kind of bullshit are you pulling now?”

“It's not really bullshit.”

It's not that I forfeited because I enjoyed starving.

I just thought that it wouldn't be very wise to face Albino, who seemed to be a rather dangerous mage, if I wasn't going to actually kill him.

A gun is a dangerous weapon.

Especially when the target is someone like Albino, who doesn't seem to have particularly strong physical abilities.

I could try to subdue him by aiming for his arms or legs, but it was questionable whether that would be enough to completely incapacitate him, and a single mistake could allow him a counterattack.

I didn't know what kind of magic Albino possessed, but if it was dangerous magic, I could have been the one to die.

Therefore, if I were to face Albino, I would have to be prepared to kill him and take him down in one go.

Considering all those circumstances, forfeiting was the best option right now.

Getting hurt by fighting unnecessarily would only be a loss for me.

Albino gritted his teeth and said as he walked past.

“I know you possess powerful magic. But strong magic comes with an equally strong price. You, you won't die a peaceful death.”

He wasn't exactly wrong.

In the World of Justice, powerful magic usually demanded an equally powerful price.

That's why the end for mages who possessed powerful magic was usually predictable.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Well, it's not like what I used was magic anyway.

There was no need to be on bad terms with people who would become my squad mates, but since the first button was already firmly misplaced, this relationship would be very difficult to reverse.

A deep, unbridgeable gulf had now formed between Albino and me.

‘I suppose it can't be helped.’

I made the best choice I could, and the rift with Albino is an unavoidable risk that arose in the process.

A time will come when I too will have to face this head-on.

Meanwhile, the fight between the scarred man and the woman in the robe had begun in earnest.

To be honest, I thought the woman in the robe might forfeit like me, but for some reason, she faced the scarred man.

It wasn't because the woman in the robe looked weaker than the scarred man, but because she somehow seemed uninterested in victory or defeat.

“Hey, how about you just surrender? I don't have a hobby of fighting women either.”

“…….”

“Ignoring me, are you? Well, fine. If this is how it's going to be, I have no choice either.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the scarred man unleashed a ferocious aura and charged at the woman in the robe.

Even though it was obvious that she was no match for him in a physical fight, the woman in the robe didn't move an inch.

The moment the scarred man's rough hand was about to grab the woman in the robe.

Flash!

A flash of light shot up from somewhere, and the area was dyed in a halo of light.

I too had no choice but to cover my eyes from the sudden flash.

‘This is…….’

The scene that appeared after the halo of light had passed was shocking.

The woman in the robe had her foot on the scarred man's neck, completely subduing him.

“It's decided. The winner is Alicia.”

With Edric's declaration, the winner of the second fight was decided.

I had thought she was someone with a hidden card up her sleeve due to her constantly dangerous aura, but to subdue that huge man in an instant…… It was more than I had expected.

“Ughh…….”

The scarred man rubbed his neck and quickly regained his senses and stood up.

As he was taken down in one move, there were no major injuries.

“Looks like we're about done. There are no major injuries, so there's no need for separate treatment.”

Edric looked at us.

“As I said, the two losers will fast for two days. Hold your hungry stomachs and reflect on today's defeat.”

Two days of starvation…….

Even though it was a choice I made myself, there was no way this choice could be a good thing.

“Normally, you would have to go through the regular training course, but given the current situation on the front lines, you will receive only basic training and then be deployed immediately. Any questions?”

Albino raised his hand.

“You said it's the 4th Special Task Force…… are we the only ones in the 4th Special Task Force?”

“That's right. It's a newly established unit. And show respect to your superior officer, Albino. Starting today, you are a proud soldier of Kreutz.”

With that, a dangerous aura began to flow from Edric.

Albino also seemed to be a mage with a hidden card, but he was no match for Edric, who was presumed to be a powerhouse of at least level 6 or higher.

“……I see. I'll keep that in mind.”

“If there are no other questions, we're short on time, so we'll begin training immediately.”

Edric nodded his head slightly.

“First…… run to that pillar over there and back. Oh, and by the way, it's first come, first served, one person.”

Son of a bitch.

***

“Heok, heok…….”

I was out of breath, and there was a metallic taste of blood on my tongue.

Sweat was pouring down my whole body like rain, and I felt nauseous.

Edric's physical training, carried out under the name of basic training, was nothing short of hell for me with my pathetic body.

Naturally, in the incomparably fierce first-come-first-served competition, I proudly took last place.

I had thought I might be able to beat Albino somehow, but Albino showed surprising physical ability for his skinny frame.

This is the World of Justice.

Outward appearance does not dictate strength and physical ability.

“Is it because you're a mage? Unlike how you look, you're quite weak.”

The scarred man, Conlan, easily overtook me and sneered lightly.

With this, I had learned the names of all those who had been on the prisoner transport carriage with me.

The white-haired man was Albino.

The scarred man was Conlan.

The woman in the robe was Alicia.

Naturally, among them, there was no one with weaker physical abilities, including stamina, than me.

“Was that all you had?”

Albino also glanced at me with a sneer before pulling ahead.

Normally, I would have gotten angry by this point, but whether it was because the Postponer of Ruin trait granted me cool-headedness, I wasn't particularly bothered.

No, I didn't even have the energy to get angry.

“That's all for today's training. The training officer over there will guide you to the location of the barracks.”

After our first training session ended, we were given barracks and a sort of free time.

No one was watching or oppressing us.

We just had to assemble at the designated place by the next morning.

Even though we had enlisted as official soldiers of Winter Castle, considering our status as prisoners until just a short while ago, this was quite exceptional treatment.

‘Well…… I suppose they have no choice.’

Even if one were to desert alone, there is nowhere to go from Winter Castle.

At best, they would wander around Winter Castle, hunting, and then get caught by a pack of beasts and die, or freeze to death.

The harsh environment of Winter Castle itself was like a natural prison for the soldiers who were former prisoners.

‘By the way, did my stats not increase even after all that training?’

Even though it was just one day, my stats hadn't increased at all despite going through such a hellish time.

As I already knew, growing stronger in the World of Justice was not an easy task.

To become strong in the World of Justice, you had to either train to an extreme degree or experience something special.

‘I need to get stronger as quickly as possible.’

Winter Castle is a harsh place.

No matter how much of a cheat-like trait I have, if I am deployed to the front lines in earnest, it wouldn't be strange at all if I died at any moment.

In Winter Castle, where people die every day, if I were to be complacent, I wouldn't know when I might meet my end from a stray stone.

‘Or I could get stabbed in the back by Albino.’

Of course, for now, he probably won't do it openly since we have the shield of being in the same unit, but you never know what might happen in life.

In such a situation, the only way I could protect myself was, of course, to become stronger.

There are roughly three ways to become stronger in the World of Justice.

First, to gain or increase stats through training.

Second, to obtain powerful equipment.

Third, to gain things like traits through special achievements or experiences.

Finally, the fourth is to obtain magic or miracles by making a fair contract with beings such as demons under the Golden Rule.

‘Of course, in my case, there's also the method of raising the level of the Weapon Summon trait…… but I still need to find out more about the trait for that.’

What I've found out so far is that the cooldown for Weapon Summon, currently at level 1, is about 30 minutes.

I still haven't figured out the level-up conditions or other requirements for the trait.

I wish there was at least a way to replenish the spent bullets, but as of now, the only way to get more bullets is to re-summon the weapon after the 30-minute cooldown.

‘Other than that, the best method is training, but…… it's not easy at all.’

The first method is the most effective as it is the most basic, but it requires that much time and effort.

On the other hand, the third method, making a contract with a demon or another being, is quite easy, but the risk is ridiculously high, so I've put it aside for now.

When the World of Justice was a game, whether you lost a finger or a toe, you'd get it back if you died and resurrected, but this world was no longer a game.

‘The best thing I can do in this situation is…… probably the second option.’

Getting good equipment.

This was the easiest and, at the same time, most efficient method I could currently undertake.

Equipment that I can use at my current state and is of a decent level.

The location, Winter Castle.

Information not widely known to the public.

Considering all those conditions, there was only one piece of equipment I could obtain right now.

‘I guess that's the only way.’

The Orb of Water.

The legendary treasure is said to protect its wearer.

I will obtain it.