“Hmm.”
As we left the building where we’d detained the bandits, one of the soldiers glanced back, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “Is it really okay to just let them go like that?”
“They’re not our priority,” I reassured him. “Trust me.”
“Oh, right. If Sergeant Shin says so, it’s got to be true.”
Strangely, the troops no longer required detailed explanations from me. They’d come to accept my orders without question—a level of trust that was reassuring but a bit odd.
“The real issue here,” I murmured, rubbing my chin, “is that we’ve only been in this territory for a few hours, and we’ve already run into a group of bandits.”
The soldiers looked puzzled, as if to say, *What’s the big deal?*
“Well... bandits aren’t exactly rare these {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} days,” one said. “You might not patrol often, Sergeant, but we sometimes encounter bandits even around our base.”
“Sure, but there were hardly any in Chuncheon, right?”
“True,” another soldier nodded. “That area’s much more controlled.”
Unlike our initial base in Inje, where we were busy fortifying, Chuncheon was territory we’d expanded into with an established power. The lack of bandits there reflected our strong presence.
“Seems the power here doesn’t have the same control,” I continued. “If they’re letting bandits run free, they’re either indifferent to them—or they might be the bandits themselves.”
The soldiers exchanged glances. “Either way, it’s not a good sign for us.”
I scratched my head, feeling a growing unease. “I was hoping this group would be capable of maintaining order, at least.”
Getting an alliance was proving to be more challenging than expected. Vampires last time, now a new group that didn’t inspire confidence even before meeting them. I wondered if our high standards were the problem.
“Would be great if they’re at least worth allying with,” I muttered, watching the distant mountain we were approaching.
Sanghyup, our merchant escort, approached me, his voice filled with admiration. “You all were incredible back there!”
“Nothing much, really.”
“I’ve heard soldiers are stronger than the average Awakened, but I didn’t expect... such a difference!”
As someone with little combat experience, Sanghyup had been shocked at the disparity between our squad and the bandits.
“So now you understand what I meant by ‘it’s not about numbers’?”
“Absolutely! I feel so much safer.”
I noticed Gwangil flashing a rare smile, clearly pleased by the compliment. He had a habit of pushing himself to be useful to me. This battle had ended quickly, with no need for me to step in, so he seemed satisfied.
But my thoughts drifted to the combat just now, replaying it in my mind.
“It was... fine, but not enough,” I mused. Despite the bandits having the high ground and twenty Awakened among them, they’d only taken three minutes to subdue.
*Still lacking,* I thought. Our ultimate enemy, the northern Greenmane Tribe, wouldn’t be so easily outmatched. Numbers alone wouldn’t bridge the gap—we needed to make each soldier as strong as possible. This alliance was supposed to help with that, but if the group wasn’t up to par...
* * *
“There it is!” Sanghyup pointed at a distant mountain, excitement clear in his voice.
“By the way, now that we’re close... Care to explain who this group is?”
“Actually... I don’t know much myself,” he admitted. “Just that they’re supposed to be a big force in this area. This is a bit of a gamble for me too.”
Hearing that did little to ease my nerves as we began the climb up the mountain. Halfway up, Sanghyup pointed out something unusual.
“Look, there!”
The forested slope was dotted with the remains of slain monsters—piles of them. It seemed whoever was here had regularly disposed of monsters in the area, which hinted at a capable Awakened group.
As we climbed further, we were abruptly halted by a loud voice.
“Stop right there!”
A man descended toward us, clad head-to-toe in full plate armor, wielding a long spear. His size was comparable to our soldiers, and he had a commanding presence.
“No further! I won’t allow it!” he declared.
“Sergeant Shin,” whispered one of the soldiers, “that armor... it’s store-bought.”
Fancy-looking as it was, the armor was essentially a mass-produced item without any special attributes—a far cry from our custom-forged military gear, which not only protected but enhanced our abilities.
The man, waving his spear, continued, “Deserters, are you? What’s your business here?”
I sighed inwardly at the “deserter” accusation. “There seems to be a misunderstanding. We’re not deserters—”
“Silence!” he yelled, charging at us. “You deserters have dared to defy us!”
“Wait, let me explain—”
“I won’t let you walk away unpunished!” he shouted, rushing forward with his spear.
*Great.* It seemed explaining things wasn’t going to work here. I readied myself, planning to intercept his attack.
“Sergeant Shin, let me handle this,” Gwangil said, pulling me back. “Your style’s a bit... intense. Just rest.”
I allowed him to step in, observing as Gwangil squared off against the armored man. Gwangil had a solid fighting style, favoring martial arts and using his reinforced gauntlets. He was skilled at subduing opponents without going overboard, so I trusted him to handle this.
But surprisingly, the battle didn’t end quickly. The armored man was able to match Gwangil, blocking his attacks and pushing back.
* * *
*Bam!*
The clash between Gwangil’s gauntlet and the armored man’s spear sent a shockwave through the air. Though the man grunted in pain, he didn’t waver.
“Tch. You deserters sure have some strength.”
Gwangil’s fist had landed with enough power to knock out most opponents, yet this man had blocked it.
The skirmish continued with back-and-forth blows, the soldiers around us watching in shock.
“To think someone could stand up to Corporal Jeon...”
Even I was taken aback. Gwangil’s stats were clearly superior, thanks to the high-quality gear crafted by our team’s blacksmiths. This wasn’t an evenly matched fight, yet the armored man’s skill made up for the gap in strength and speed.
“Is this... what they mean by wielding power?”
The man’s spear strikes, though not fast, were impeccably controlled, with a level of skill and technique that allowed him to deflect Gwangil’s attacks with minimal effort. It was more than just martial arts—this was a mastery over the very power of an Awakened.
“Hah! You’ve got brute strength, but no finesse!” the man jeered, though he coughed and stumbled back from a solid hit.
Our unit had extensive training, but our understanding of wielding Awakening powers was clearly lacking. Watching this man, I felt a spark of excitement.
*If he’s right and we’re still not wielding our power to its full potential...* I thought, *then imagine how strong we could become once we learn.*
* * *
While I watched with intrigue, Gwangil was growing increasingly frustrated. No matter how many hits he landed, his opponent absorbed the blows, deflecting the brunt of each one.
*This is maddening,* Gwangil thought. *I trained to be the best, but now, I can’t even defeat this guy.*
A feeling of anger simmered within him. He wasn’t using his full strength, still holding back his aggressive nature, but in this moment, he wondered if restraint was holding him back.
*Maybe I should stop holding back...*
As his pent-up anger began to build, a cold resolve washed over him. If he let his inner fury loose, he could end this fight in five seconds flat.
