“You’re here early. The promised day is definitely tomorrow, isn’t it?”
“Well… I couldn’t stand not seeing Jin. And since it’s past midnight, isn’t it today?”
What a nasty woman.
Violet, who smiled at me, placed her foot on the head of Ged, who was lying flat on the ground.
Ged, who had turned pale, asked tremblingly.
“What’s your relationship with Jin… if I may ask, milady?”
“She’s a very dear friend of mine. My irreplaceable friend.”
Seeing the corners of her mouth twitching beneath her heavy makeup, she must be suppressing the urge to call her a toy.
“F-friend, you say?”
“I’ve been watching for a while, and you’re incredibly arrogant. Not only do you bully my friend, but you even dare to try and hit ‘me’?”
Buzzz—
A small fly landed on the bridge of his nose again. Ged’s gaze fixated on it.
“It seems those eyes of yours are useless, so I’ll take them and make good use of them.”
The fly that had been rubbing its front legs together stopped moving. A dark, murky aura began to spread around him.
Sensing death, Ged’s eyes started to tremble.
It looks like I need to intervene. “Ahem.”
As I cleared my throat softly, Violet, who was reaching for Ged’s face, looked at me intently.
“Please heal him. If left like this, he’ll die.”
Suppressing the urge to vomit at the bloody scene, I pointed at Ged, who was groaning on the ground.
Violet’s head tilted at a right angle.
“Why should I?”
“He’s my direct superior. He’s trashy in character but quite competent and useful to me, so please let this slide just this once.”
Of course, it wouldn’t matter much if Ged died.
But I judged that it would be more advantageous to have him owe me a debt as the manager of the 3rd Division.
“Hmm… well, if you insist.”
Violet scratched her chin and reached into her pocket.
She soon pulled out a glass vial containing a clear liquid and crouched down to meet Ged’s gaze.
“I’ll save you for Jin’s sake. But you must keep today’s events a secret from the Boar. Got it?”
“The Boar, you say?”
“Who else? Your commander.”
“Of course! I’ll take today’s events to my grave! Ged Malcolm, the tightest-lipped man in the entire Death Knights, swears it!”
As Ged nodded frantically, Violet poured the clear liquid on his severed hand and reattached it.
Sss— White smoke rose, and Ged’s pale complexion began to return.
‘It’s definitely effective. No wonder the priests dislike it.’
Even in the game, the potions Violet made had exceptional performance.
Though the mechanism was different, the ability to heal physical wounds was on par with potions blessed directly by the saintess.
Despite her unpredictable personality, she’s definitely a useful woman if managed well.
“Thank you, thank you! I’ll never forget this favor!”
Now able to hold a spoon and a sword again, Ged kept bowing his head.
Violet, looking annoyed, pushed him away and approached me.
“I might have shown you an unpleasant sight. Embarrassing, really.”
You’ve done worse without batting an eye. Embarrassing, my foot.
Swallowing the words that rose to my throat, I maintained a composed expression and asked Violet.
“How’s the item I requested?”
“Before getting to the main point, since there are many eyes watching…”
Whoosh—
As black smoke spread around Violet, the rat and Ged collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
Violet kicked them lightly with her foot and nodded reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, they’re not dead.”
“I know that much. You just knocked them out, right?”
“As expected, you know me well! Should I erase their memories too? They might become idiots as a side effect, but that’s minor.”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
It’s easier to deal with Ged if he retains his memories, so I declined Violet’s offer and extended my hand to her.
“Give it to me. I feel more comfortable getting it done and over with.”
“You’re straightforward as always! Here you go.”
Smiling broadly, Violet handed me a vial filled with green liquid.
“To elaborate a bit, this was developed in cooperation with the Tower Master to permanently enhance soldiers’ physical abilities on the battlefield. But they withered up like mummies and died before we could properly test it. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Yes. I’ll take responsibility, so just hand over the item.”
Nodding, I snatched the vial from Violet’s hand.
[No. 221]
▶Burns nutrients stored in the body explosively to slightly enhance physical abilities.
▶[Warning] Users below 3-star basic fitness should not consume.
Unlike the previous [Berserker’s Blood], this item was only labeled with a number. This means one thing.
‘It was too hazardous and was discarded before it could be widely used.’
Of course, having scoured the entirety of the Meteor Sword family’s warehouse, I know this item very well.
I was the one who used every item that had been lying dormant in Violet’s laboratory warehouse.
Originally, this item was meant to be used by experts, that is, those above 3-star level, but as an avatar who has now reached 1-star, there shouldn’t be any major issues in using it.
‘I might end up bedridden for a few days due to side effects, but I won’t die.’
There are about three or four days until the large-scale growth event that will occur as a result of Lemut’s defeat.
In that time, the avatar’s superhuman recovery ability should be more than enough to heal.
“You seem to be hesitating. Have you decided you don’t need it after all?”
“Of course not.”
Besides, there’s no reason to refuse. The side effects of this failed product are exactly what I need right now.
The original strength-enhancing ability is of little importance. From my experience, the benefits are minimal compared to the side effects.
“I’ve listed the other items I need here, so please have them ready within two days.”
Handing a pre-written note to Violet, who was eagerly holding a notebook and pen, I unhesitatingly drank the green liquid.
Soon after.
Crackling—
A blinding pain enveloped me, and my entire body began to swell like a balloon.
“Do you think he’s going to die like that?”
Jin, covered head to toe in a thick quilt he had somehow acquired, slept as if dead.
Buta, who had been watching him from a distance, approached the rat who was sharpening a sword.
“What happened that day to make him end up like this?”
“…Nothing happened. Just mind your own business.”
The rat replied sharply. Buta, frustrated, grabbed the rat by the collar.
“You were the last one on duty with him. If you know something, tell me.”
“I told you, I don’t know!” “If you don’t know, who does? He’s one of our team members too. Are we just going to let him die?”
“He said he wouldn’t die, so leave him be. Do you think I want this either?”
The rat, putting down his sword, leaned against the wall. The fear from that day still lingered in his mind.
‘To think that angelic woman was the head of the family’s medical division.’
Having served in the Death Knights for over three years, the rat was well aware of the medical division head’s infamous reputation.
He had witnessed the chaos caused by her experiments with his own eyes during his rookie days.
‘All the veterans of the 5th platoon died because of that incident. Damn it, what kind of person is our leader to…’
Shaking his head, the rat decided it was best not to get involved in such matters if he wanted to live long.
‘Anyway, what’s that package she left?’
The rat glanced at the bundle placed by Jin’s head.
Though curious about its contents, he didn’t dare open it.
“Forget it. Just ignore it.”
Getting up roughly, the rat addressed the soldiers hovering around Jin.
“Anyway, it’s almost time for rations. Let’s eat. We need to fill our bellies to survive the day.”
“Can you really eat with our leader like this?”
“Cold-hearted bastard.”
“You act exactly as you look.”
Criticism flew at the rat. Seeing the precious lavender ore pieces they held, the rat frowned.
These were the Obelium pieces distributed to them as a reward last time.
To these men, who were once peasants or serfs, it was a treasure they could only dream of, filling their faces with concern for Jin.
“Damn bastards. All this fuss over some Obelium pieces… The leader better wake up soon.”
The rat felt the same.
As he fondled the slightly larger piece of Obelium he had sewn into his underwear, a satisfied smile spread across his face.
“5th platoon! Open the door! Rations!”
A familiar voice called from outside. It was Ged, the captain of the 3rd Division.
Exchanging glances, the soldiers gulped.
“Is the captain personally distributing rations again?”
“I’m starting to get anxious…”
“What’s gotten into him?”
“And we’ve been excused from that shitty training since two days ago.”
“Why is he being nice all of a sudden?”
“Beats me.”
One of the murmuring soldiers cautiously opened the door.
Ged, who had brought the handcart covered with a yellowish cloth, gestured to the rat.
His smile was surprisingly bright.
“Take it quickly before the others see. I’ve put in some special effort today. Enjoy.”
“What did you bring… Eek!”
The rat, lifting the cloth, fell back. Inside the cart was a plate filled with meat.
Though cheap, dry pork with a strong smell, it was a feast in the Death Knights.
Approaching the startled rat, Ged whispered cautiously.
“You know, right? Keep that day a secret. If word gets out that I offended the head of the medical division, I’m dead.”
“Of course… I’m tight-lipped. Besides, didn’t she herself tell us to keep quiet?”
“That she did.”
Even if Ged hadn’t requested, the rat wouldn’t have spread the story of that night.
The fear Violet exuded was enough to suppress his gossipy nature.
Satisfied with the rat’s cautious nod, Ged took a step back.
“Enjoy your meal. And if Jin… no, when he wakes up, report to me immediately.”
“Leave it to me.”
“And if any other squad or their leader causes trouble for you… especially Jin, tell me. I’ll break their limbs.”
“Though our leader wouldn’t be beaten by mere soldiers, sure, I’ll let you know.”
“Promise me. You have to tell me.”
Ged repeated his request several times before hurriedly leaving the room.
Once he was gone, the soldiers gathered around the plate, drooling.
Excused from training and with meat to eat—what a lucky day.
“Ugh…”
Waking up with a throbbing head, I found the dormitory empty.
Looking out the window, the moonlight seeped through the torn curtains.
“Everyone must be on duty.”
I muttered to myself and tried moving my body. It felt lighter than before.
Grrr—
As soon as I gathered my senses, my stomach growled fiercely.
A severe hunger I had never experienced churned in my stomach. This must be a side effect of the drug Violet gave me.
“Damn it, is there any food…”
Holding my empty stomach, I looked around and caught a whiff of a fragrant smell.
Following the scent, I saw a few pieces of meat on a small plate by my bedside.
[Eat this if you wake up, leader. We’re off to our duty.]
It was a note, written in scribbly handwriting that seemed to belong to the rat.
“Those guys. Didn’t eat it all themselves. How thoughtful.”
Smiling faintly, I pushed the slightly dusty meat into my mouth.
It was hard and greasy, but due to hunger, it tasted alright.
After quickly filling my stomach, I got up to stretch my stiff body, but my loose pants slid down.
“Hm… more impressive than I thought.”
Adjusting my pants, I grabbed my sword.
It was shining as if someone had polished it.
“Seems like the promised items have arrived on time.”
Swinging the sword a few times, the sound was crisp, thanks to my lighter body.
“This should be enough.”
Approaching the window, I closed my eyes and focused my hearing.
A distant, ominous roar echoed from beyond the castle walls.
“Perfect timing.”
It seems it has begun.
Recalling the contents of Disa’s setting book, I felt thrilled inside.
▶ An avatar with unlocked initial traits can grow their strength by killing monsters.
▶ Fourteen days after a high-level monster dies, scavengers from the ravenous demon realm will come for its corpse.
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