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Chapter 4

Amid the crowd of people running, Kang Hyuk kept an eye on three individuals.

A man with a rat-like appearance. A woman with a kind-looking face. And a burly, muscular man.

All three were criminals he wanted nothing to do with.

There is a common saying about whether someone can be punished for a crime they have not yet committed.

But Kang Hyuk did not care about such things at all.

In fact, when he thought about what those people would do in the future, he felt that even the breaths they were taking right now were a waste.

I’ll watch for the right opportunity. I can’t act rashly and ruin my plans.

Suppressing his boiling emotions, Kang Hyuk turned his attention to the others.

There were quite a few people in this training camp who would later become famous for positive reasons rather than negative ones.

He didn’t need to become friends with them, but there was no harm in at least making an impression on them.

He might be able to make good use of those connections later.

First, Kang Hyuk looked at the man running near the front.

That man first.

He remembered the man’s name clearly.

Holy Knight Lee Tae-beom.

He was a head taller than most people and quite heavily built. His face had the typical appearance of a cheerful, straightforward man.

His thick eyebrows and large, ox-like eyes were particularly striking.

Before coming here, he had been a firefighter. Thanks to his outstanding physical abilities, excellent adaptability, and the useful ability he awakened immediately after completing the training camp, he would later make quite a name for himself.

He eventually died in his third year after being beaten to death by orcs who held a grudge against him…

Kang Hyuk shifted his gaze elsewhere.

And… Hmm. It’s hard to believe, but that woman too.

The second person he noticed looked as though she might collapse at any moment. She was moving slower than a walking pace, and her body was frail.

Is that really the berserker I know?

Berserker Mirian.

Black hair and light brown eyes. And a smaller build than even the other women around her.

Yet there was a fierce glint in her eyes, and although she was falling behind, she did not look like she would give up.

She had been given the name Berserker because she always stood at the forefront of the battlefield and slaughtered enemies like a madwoman.

In other words, she had possessed that level of skill.

She had survived while standing on the front lines despite being nothing more than a soldier.

Although she died before even completing a full year, people often said that if she had survived, she could easily have risen to the level of Midland.

Kang Hyuk spent the time watching several other people who would remain in his memory.

“Move faster! Don’t stop! Anyone who stops will be expelled immediately!”

After some time had passed, the orcs began driving the people harder for the final stretch.

However, those who had collapsed on the ground from exhaustion could no longer even move their hands.

In the end, twenty people fell behind and were eliminated.

“Get up!”

Less than five minutes after the last person finished running, the instructors shouted again.

They intended to move straight on to the next training session.

Even though they had not had enough time to rest, nobody complained.

No.

To be precise, they couldn’t.

They were still too busy catching their breath.

The instructor swung his club through the air as he drove the people toward the exit on the northern side.

“Next is rope-climbing training!”

Kang Hyuk cursed inwardly as he followed the instructor.

The structure of the training ground matched what he remembered.

After leaving through the northern exit and walking for about five minutes, they arrived at an area filled with training equipment such as ropes and climbing walls.

This is the northern end of the training camp.

He looked at the tall wall standing to the north.

Everywhere else was surrounded by wooden fences, but only that section was made of solid bricks. It was also at least twice as tall.

That was the outer wall of the training ground.

“Move! Hurry up!”

Kang Hyuk pulled his gaze away at the instructor’s urging.

Until lunchtime, they continued with rope climbing, rock climbing, and other forms of training.

After eating and resting for about twenty minutes, the afternoon training sessions began immediately.

It truly felt as though his body were being torn apart.

If he had undergone training like this on Earth, his body wouldn’t have improved.

He would have developed chronic injuries and ruined his health before that ever happened.

But things were different here.

[Stamina has increased by 1!]

[Strength has increased by 1!]

[You have gained experience from receiving ‘Basic Weapon Training’!]

[Level has increased by 1!]

[All stats have been restored!]

His stats increased as he trained, and he gained experience simply by participating in the training, causing his level to rise.

Once his level increased, his stamina and injuries were restored.

There was a reason the orcs pushed them so brutally.

Unless they pushed their bodies this far, it would be impossible to gain levels and increase their stats simply through training.

However, not everyone could endure the training, and people continued to fall behind.

“Today’s training is over!”

Once the day’s training had finally ended, they returned to the clearing where they had first assembled.

Black Hammer was already waiting on the platform.

He shouted in his booming voice.

“Thirty-two people fell behind today alone!”

Only thirty-eight people remained when all the training was over.

Considering there had been two hundred people just the day before, less than a quarter of the original group remained after only two days.

Black Hammer stood on the platform, shouting furiously with his face twisted into a deep frown before pointing toward one side.

“Do you know the fate of those who have been confirmed as failures? They wasted our precious resources, so they must work on farms or in mines until they repay their entire debt!”

An orc walked in through the entrance Black Hammer had pointed toward, holding a chain in his hand.

Behind him came a line of humans whose necks and feet were bound in chains.

They appeared to be the people who had been dragged away after yesterday’s selection test. Bruises and wounds were clearly visible wherever their skin was exposed.

“If you don’t want to end up like them, do your jobs properly!”

With that, Black Hammer turned around and left.

There were no rewards today.

Too many people had dropped out, and he was clearly furious about it.

Soon, the eliminated recruits were dragged away again, while those who had barely survived were escorted back to the accommodations by the instructors.

As he walked, Kang Hyuk recalled memories from his previous life.

Normally, those who fell behind like this and were dragged away by the orcs would spend several years laboring in mines or on farms.

Even if they somehow managed to get back outside, what could people who didn’t even properly know how to wield a sword possibly do?

If they were unlucky, they would become mercenaries and be used as cannon fodder.

If they were lucky, they might become beggars.

And eventually, they might even become slaves again.

Humans were at the very bottom here.

Kang Hyuk reminded himself of his current circumstances once more as he entered the accommodation.

“Ughhhh…”

The moment the orc who had escorted them left, people began groaning.

Those who had failed to level up after the final training were suffering from severe muscle pain.

There was a high chance they wouldn’t be able to endure tomorrow’s training and would be eliminated.

It was unfortunate, but there was nothing Kang Hyuk could do for them.

He quietly stared into empty space and did what he needed to do.

Inventory.

The Inventory function had unlocked after he leveled up.

Since the orcs didn’t tell them about it separately, there were probably many people who didn’t even know it existed.

Besides, very few people would have had anything useful in their possession anyway.

But Kang Hyuk was different.

I spent an entire week on this.

During the final week before coming to the battlefield, Kang Hyuk had devoted all his time to searching for objects that might become items.

-Objects believed to possess mystical effects. Objects with special stories behind them. Objects related to religion. And anything else that had even the slightest special quality.

The list summarized the conditions under which objects were likely to become items on the battlefield.

For an entire week, he had traveled all over the country searching for such things.

His eyes gleamed as he checked the objects stored in his Inventory one by one.

Great!

An astonishing eighty percent of the items he had collected had transformed into actual items.

There were quite a few useless ones, but there were also many extremely useful ones.

[Recovery Enhancement Talisman]

[A talisman imbued with special power. Increases the body’s recovery ability.]

Among the talismans he had received from shamans who were famous throughout the country for their supposed mystical powers, quite a few turned out to be useful.

Kang Hyuk was inwardly satisfied as he continued checking the others.

Then he suddenly stopped at another item.

Huh?

His eyes widened.

[Universal Recovery Potion]

[A universal recovery potion from Muan, a region of Earth.]

Something he had never expected had become an item.

Kang Hyuk examined the item called the Universal Recovery Potion from every angle.

But nothing changed.

This was definitely the “Universal Healing Holy Water” he had bought from a cult!

“Ha.”

A sigh escaped him involuntarily.

When an object brought from Earth became an item, whether it actually possessed any real effect or not was irrelevant.

What mattered was whether people had a particular belief in that object.

For example, people might believe that a peach branch struck by lightning possessed special powers, or that a cross had the power to repel vampires or evil spirits.

Belief was what mattered.

He had bought the Universal Recovery Potion for precisely that reason, but he had never expected it to actually become such a useful item.

[Universal Recovery Potion]

[Grade: Rare]

[Produces 700 mL of a potion once per day that treats muscle pain and minor abrasions.]

The effect was simple, but powerful.

There were potions here that could actually heal serious injuries, but those were usually ridiculously expensive.

Using a potion on a small wound was practically throwing money away.

This, on the other hand, produced as much as 700 mL of healing water every day.

That was why it was a Rare-grade item despite only treating muscle pain and minor abrasions.

“Uuuugh…”

Kang Hyuk looked at the people groaning in pain.

Earlier, he had given up on helping them because he had no way to do so.

But now things were different.

He briefly turned his body toward the wall so no one could see what he was doing, then took a water bottle out of his Inventory.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes? Yes?”

“Please drink this.”

The person alternated between looking at the liquid inside the cup-shaped cap and looking at Kang Hyuk.

Kang Hyuk smiled and said,

“It’s just water. I secretly saved some. Aren’t you going to drink it?”

He had actually taken a cup secretly during dinner.

The water was in that cup now.

The healing water, however, had come from Earth.

“Th-Thank you.”

The person accepted it and drank without much suspicion.

After that, Kang Hyuk went around giving water to the others as well.

Everyone had been sweating all day, so nobody refused the water.

Judging by their reactions, the effect wasn’t immediate.

But after some more time passed, the groans of pain gradually began to decrease.

If I make them favorably disposed toward me, it will be easier to carry out my plans later.

His first goal was to escape this training camp.

But as he carried out his plans afterward, there would be times when he would meet these people again.

His current act of kindness was groundwork for that future.

Kang Hyuk was not someone who performed any action without purpose.

I’ll have to hand it out whenever I get the chance.

After distributing all of it, Kang Hyuk returned to his place and leaned against the wall.

He opened his Inventory to one side and then traced the shape of a talisman on the floor with his finger.

Nothing happened immediately, but Kang Hyuk repeated the action until just before he went to sleep.

Tap.

Tap-tap.

He opened his eyes at the sensation of someone tapping his shoulder.

At first, everything in front of him was pitch-black, and he couldn’t see anything.

But after some time, his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Kang Hyuk soon saw someone standing at the head of his bed.

It was a thin man with dark skin.

When the man saw that Kang Hyuk had awakened, he gestured toward him.

It was a gesture that seemed to tell him to follow.

Kang Hyuk hesitated for a moment before getting up and following the man outside the accommodation.

Just in case, he kept one hand near the dagger tied around his waist.

After leaving the accommodation, they turned right along the wall.

A slightly darker area appeared compared to the surrounding spaces.

What’s this place?

Kang Hyuk frowned.

The moment he arrived there, memories from his previous life flashed through his mind.

They were not pleasant memories.

“I brought him.”

“Good work.”

Kang Hyuk raised his head at the man’s voice and spotted someone who had been difficult to see, concealed in the deep darkness.

“You. You’ve certainly stood out.”

A deep, hoarse voice.

Two yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness.

The other party was an orc.

And not an ordinary orc, either.

After carefully examining its appearance, Kang Hyuk almost let out a laugh.

To human eyes, the orcs all looked more or less alike.

But there was no way he could fail to recognize the creature’s molars, which were twice as thick and large as those of ordinary orcs.

Because he remembered this bastard.

Thick Molars.

This was the bastard Kang Hyuk had planned to crush by any means necessary.

If there had been no one watching, Kang Hyuk would have smiled with all the happiness in the world.

Instead, he met the orc’s gaze and spoke.

“So?”