Awakening the Great Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Winter

In the snow-covered forest, heavy snowflakes fall. A deer wanders around the trees, making sobok sobok sounds as it steps on the snow. Its head is lowered searching for food, yet its ears keep twitching alertly.

Hwiiik-kwaaaaak!

The instinctive behavior to avoid predators becos aningless due to a single spear that flies in from a distance. The spear blade doesn't stop at piercing through the soft hide, but drives the deer's entire body into the tree trunk.

"Uwaaah-!"

"What, making such a fuss over sothing like this... Hehe."

Volga lets out an aged chuckle at the exclamations from the newcors. During the three-month rest period, Commander Royce had recruited new personnel.

The total number was thirty.

The Mountain Rabbits had divided them into groups of six each and ca out to conduct basic training. Of course, Zahira, who was in charge, was scoffing at his appearance.

"What are you scratching your head for? You ca here to receive training, too."

"Hehehehe, but it's different. They're newcors and... I'm a veteran."

"...Sigh."

Since the one who ca along happened to be the disciple of the dwarf Basim, she exercised her broad mind and let it pass with a single sigh. These idiots think they simply ca to gather food, but in reality, they ca to receive essential survival training as rcenaries.

Volga was no exception.

"Now you roughly understand how to use a short spear, right? The rotation angle of your shoulder and movent after throwing are important too, but if it really doesn't work, you can make up for it with brute strength. You might get lucky like just now."

"Yes!"

"Then, returning to the main topic..."

However, her voice trails off unconsciously while speaking. This was the third ti. It was because the newcors' eyes were excessively bright and eager.

'I want to beco a Mountain Rabbit...'

'Please do! I'll do it!'

'Please take

along too!'

Zahira had also caught wind of the rumors circulating in the villages.

'rcenaries who lead knights to death' or sothing like that? While veteran rcenaries worried about recruiting personnel, this turned out to be groundless concern.

Inside the village, they went down to purchase daily necessities.

The village chief subtly introduced those claiming to be skilled (naturally, they were children of influential people), and rchants also asked if they could take in their second or third sons.

Anyway, since the conversation with the slave trader dealing with conscripts concluded well, the problem of recruiting personnel was soon resolved. However, there was concern that the original purpose might have beco blurred. Rather than the rumors dying down, they were growing bigger.

"Lady Zahira?"

"Ah, yes. Anyone who felt sothing strange? Anyone is fine. I won't say anything, so speak comfortably."

"There are deer tracks here! They look fresh!"

By the way, she pulls herself together and heads toward the teaching materials prepared in advance. Things that are hard to understand without experiencing them directly. It was a trap that Hadiya had set up one step ahead.

"That's-"

"No, no. Tsk tsk, such amateurs."

"..."

And the following instruction is boldly taken over by Volga. Zahira crosses her arms and lowers only one eyebrow. She's trying to see what he's going to do.

"It's correct that a deer passed through. But the problem is... That deer wasn't alone."

"What? Don't deer originally travel in herds?"

"That's true. The one we caught a while ago would have had its herd scattered around the area, too. But, kid. Didn't you notice that the tracks suddenly stop here?"

"Ah... I see."

Surprisingly, the 'veteran rcenary' had pointed out the correct spot. Indeed, the clear tracks had beco blurred from a certain point and then disappeared.

Although it was quite annoying to be called 'kid' by a newcor who looked at least ten years older than himself, he had gotten it right anyway.

Then could he take it one step further?

"One more thing. This tree branch here. Doesn't the way it's broken look strange?"

Soon Volga raised his finger and pointed around the tracks, and the newcor who seed to have tasted all the hardships of the world approached closely to examine it.

"...This wasn't broken naturally. It feels like soone broke it on purpose."

"Right. It's a trace made to deliberately change direction. To make it look like the deer escaped that way."

"Then this isn't an animal's trace?"

"Right. This is definitely not a deer's trace, but a trace used for luring into an ambush."

"Waah-"

When he concluded his deduction with a heavy voice, exclamations burst out among the newcors. For Zahira, it was a sight she couldn't bear to watch.

Volga was now imitating soone.

"How about it, Lady Zahira? Is my deduction correct?"

"Yes. Up to that point, it's accurate. Well done, Calix."

"Hehehehe, you're too kind... What?"

"Sorry, look at . I was confused for a mont. Well done, Volga."

"..."

"What's next?"

He looked at the other person with resentful eyes. Even setting aside the loss of face in front of the newcors, his pride was hurt by the fact that he had been mocked by the desert woman (this point was particularly important).

The confidence radiating from his body, the strong martial power that was among the best among the Mountain Rabbits, and most importantly, his solid muscular physique and the uniquely characteristic beauty of a nomad.

That's right.

He didn't know when it started, but Volga had co to admire her. Therefore, his following statent unconsciously deviates from 'Calix's way'.

"A trace made by humans. If we had followed it, our necks would have been cut off without question. This is exactly the point Lady Zahira wanted to emphasize!"

"Hmm. So?"

"Please lend

a long spear!"

He huffs angrily and receives a long spear, then goes about tap tap poking at a spot about five steps away. He discovered a bent stem hidden in the bushes and realized it had been used to make a trap.

'He's not completely stupid. But...'

Ttak! Hwirirrik!

"...Huh?"

Then suddenly, the trap activated in succession. When the taut bushes snapped, a rope hidden deep in the snow instantly tightened around Volga's ankle.

It was a trap within a trap.

Jjaaaaaak-kung!

"Kueok!"

"Sigh..."

Although his body weight was quite heavy, with the principle of leverage added, he was quickly dragged up into the tree. Quite cruelly, Zahira resud newcor training using the man hanging upside down in the air as teaching material.

When she poked him with her fingertip for fun, Volga just swayed left and right like a pendulum.

Tuk, daelong daelong-

"...P-please let

down-"

"See that? What you're learning today has exactly two parts. First, learning how to survive on your own if you're separated from the Mountain Rabbits group. Second, humans are much scarier than beasts. Especially when there's a war, right? If you fall for sothing like this, there's no more miserable death. Understood?"

"Yees-!"

Tuk, daelong daelong.

His dignity was damaged.

Very much so.

***

The Mountain Rabbits' campsite.

The newcors belonging to Zahira's group look toward one corner with eyes mixed with admiration. They had divided into five groups in total to go hunting, and among them, the ones who ca in first place were precisely them. While other groups brought back one or two rabbits, they returned carrying a whole deer.

However, originally, 'comparison' only had aning when the levels were roughly similar.

"You've piled up quite a lot. Everyone must be busy skinning them."

"No, that's... A bear?"

"..."

The newcors gasped at seeing a deer at least twice as large as theirs, calculated the price after being surprised by the leopard's hide, and fell silent upon confirming the appearance of a wild black bear with its belly torn open.

"You were looking at Calix's handwork? He must have gone with Hadiya today. Originally, he went with ."

"...Ah, yes."

"..."

Volga is further hurt by the response he receives.

'Damn bastards. Do you know how hard it is when your friend is a genius? It's overwhelming just trying to keep up.'

Then suddenly, a great realization pierced through his skull.

Why were the veteran rcenaries so blunt? For what reason did they tornt the newcors and use every ans to break their spirit?

It was because looking at places you cannot yet reach doesn't help with survival. Rather, it might have adverse effects.

And Calix knew this well.

"Um... Senior, may I sit next to you?"

"..."

The young man sitting in the center of the group by the campfire blatantly ignored the other person. At this, the shield-bearing old man neatly summarized it in one sentence.

"Boy, the cook comrade is telling you to get lost."

"...Boy?"

"If you move according to instinct without qualification, what else would you be but a boy? Now, repeat after . This is a plate. Plate! Say it! Puh-late!"

"...Yes?"

"Look at this. He can't even speak like a boy."

"..."

Gregor's words were right. The newcors were conscripts. Even those who had not experienced actual combat didn't know how to protect their own lives, let alone trust each other with their backs.

At this, the veteran rcenaries silently let out laughter, and the newcors retreated with dejected expressions, reading the mood.

Calix quietly reflected on past tis, lost in thought.

***

On the day that marked one month since the Mountain Rabbits began their rest.

"Lady Ella."

"The chest wound has healed quickly. The bruises have all disappeared in just one month."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. It seems like so special power was at work. The armor played a role too, but this can't be explained by that alone. It was an attack by an evil being, after all. Usually, it takes more than a season, and in the worst cases, so people need to recuperate for over half a year."

One month was sufficient for his body to normalize. A recovery speed fast enough to make even Ella show a surprised expression. It must have been due to the newly awakened 'divine power'.

This could be confird through the neural accelerator's biotric readings.

Na: Calix

Age: 19

Biotric Indicators

Strength: 6/10 [Growth Acceleration]

Agility: 6/10 [Growing]

Endurance: 6/10 [Recovering]

Reality Acceleration: 2.2x [Rated Output]

Maximum Oxygen Intake (VO2 max): 8/10

Vision: 15/20 [Growth Acceleration]

Physical Recovery: 9/10 [Divine Manifestation]

[ntal State]

ntal Contamination: 41% [Very Stable]

Neural Network State: 99% [Comfortable]

[Physical Developnt]

Muscle Developnt: 68%

Bone Density: 84%

[Mana Integration Suspended, Independent Core Mana Body Operation]

[Bloodline Abilities]

Ranita's Heart/Source of Mana [51%] ??

Detailed Attributes Unlocked – Divine Power [7%]

Ashapel's Instinct/Avatar of the Battlefield [19%]

Overall stats had increased across the board without exception.

Strength and endurance each rose by one level, indicating physical growth, and particularly the acceleration ability jumped significantly from the previous '2.0' to '2.2'. Vision, recovery ability, ntal contamination levels, and so on were the sa.

With this, Calix took ti to adapt to his changed body by facing the beasts in the forest.

"...Ugh."

Of course, the process didn't go smoothly from the start. While hunting, he mistepped and let out a groan.

'Too fast.'

The output of '2.2' was a stage called swift speed. He had handled the sa speed before, but couldn't control it as delicately as he wanted.

Since his strength had increased rapidly, he was moving about half a beat ahead of the speed he expected.

Then, around the second month, his physical senses regained stability. Although far from perfect, he felt as if all his muscles barely fell within his control range.

Fortunately, the sword went where his body went, and his body went where the sword intended to go. Since his body responded to his will without error, he could also unfold the Wind's Scar as he pleased.

Shuuuk-pukwagagagagak!

Kuung!

The male bear falls backward while still in the position of standing on two legs to warn the intruder. From the abdon to the chest. An invisible blade had instantly inflicted a fatal wound.

He had cut so precisely that only a little blood seeped onto the surface of the hide, without the ssiness of internal organs spilling out.

'There's still room in breathing and stamina. Ten tis, no. I can definitely use it more than twenty tis. The output supports it.'

With this, he could say he had reached the level of an interdiate knight in technical aspects. But as always, the true change ca from proper teaching.

"Cook comrade, didn't you feel it? Your lower body is still shaking. You need to establish your center of gravity to do anything. Why do you only pay attention to swinging?"

"...Could you explain in more detail?"

Calix asked the wise old man. Gregor's broken arm still hadn't fully healed, but his veteran ability to point out inadequacies was the sa as usual.

"Watch carefully and learn, cook comrade."

He nudged a small stone in front of him with his foot. Instead of moving forward, the stone spun round and round in place.

"If you lose your center, you can't move forward. How about it, do you understand?"

Calix reflexively looks down at his own feet. The realization ca instantly.

'I was also shaking like that.'

He realized that the reason he felt 'fast' wasn't simply due to increased output. Because his basic stance was unstable, the explosive acceleration was actually destroying his balance.

Balance, the flow of force supporting body weight.

That was important.

It was right at that mont.

Tadak, tadak.

The campsite's bonfire sparks up. The wind sways and approaches, sweeping past the flas. Calix suddenly felt sothing strange.

The direction dust particles moved following the wind current was clearly visible. The motion of Volga, now promoted to official mber, kicking a piece of wood, Zahira's finger movents, and even the lip movents of Hadiya singing. All those minute flows were completely felt.

It was completely different from his previous senses.

Excessive stimulation flowed in from all directions without being filtered. It was excessively clear and excessively intense. The suddenly surging senses devoured his mind, and his heart began beating roughly as well.

At this, Calix closed his eyes and tried to find his composure, but beyond his closed eyes... The world was visible.

That's right.

Sothing had permanently changed.

And at that mont,

[Mana flow change detected, first awakening has begun.]

[Bloodline Ability: 'Sixth Sense' unlocked]

He learned the cause of this change.