Chapter 50: Elixir of Growth

"Whoa!"

"We won!"

As the broadcast announcing the end of the training echoed across the field, the soldiers of the Third Battalion let out a roar of triumph.

Some soldiers jumped for joy right where they stood. One platoon of female soldiers even went as far as to dance in a circle with their arms around one another’s shoulders.

It was a well-deserved celebration. After all, the Third Battalion had been the one to taste defeat in the previous Hunter tactical training session.

This time, they hadn't just won; they had completely dominated, so their excitement was perfectly understandable.

"Guys! Grab the Third Platoon’s carry!"

"Yeah!"

"Huh?"

While Kim Hyun-jun was looking around with a smirk, his fellow platoon members suddenly rushed toward him.

"Corporal Kim Hyun-jun! Thank you so much!"

They swarmed him, expressing their gratitude and shouting that the training had ended quickly because of him. In the midst of the chaos, he felt a bit flustered as some of the female soldiers tried to sneak in a few hugs.

"I did work hard, but it’s because everyone else did their part too," he replied.

A battalion-level exercise required the collective effort of the group, regardless of individual performance. Everyone must have been exhausted with their stamina drained, yet they had stayed mobile until the very end. This wasn't a victory Kim Hyun-jun had achieved alone.

"Hyun-jun. You personally took out more than thirty enemies in that last fight. You call that just 'working hard'?"

"You were like a god out there. Do you know Zhao Zilong from *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*? Watching you sweep through the center of the enemy lines with nothing but a spear was incredible."

Regardless of his modesty, his platoon mates continued to shower him with praise.

In the end, Kim Hyun-jun stopped talking and decided to just enjoy the atmosphere. A good result followed hard work, and that was enough.

***

After the training concluded.

The person in the best mood wasn't a soldier, but the battalion commander.

Specifically, Colonel Woo Hyun-seok, commander of the Third Battalion.

He was currently attending the After Action Review (AAR) to evaluate the training, and he maintained a beaming smile throughout the session.

"The Fourth Battalion Commander’s strategy to strike at an unexpected opening during the offense was decent. However, in the end, it only resulted in making the soldiers suffer," one evaluator noted.

"During the defense, your positions were breached far too easily. What is your take on this?"

The evaluators pressured the Fourth Battalion Commander while reviewing the footage recorded by the training cameras.

"I believe the Third Battalion simply reacted very quickly..."

The Fourth Battalion Commander was at a loss for words. It wasn't just the final result; looking back at the process, they had been overwhelmingly defeated.

'Colonel Woo. How could you do this to me?'

Colonel Park Young-soo, who was breaking out in a cold sweat under the evaluators' scrutiny, snapped at Woo Hyun-seok in a voice only he could hear.

In inter-battalion tactical training, commanders usually avoided crossing certain lines. They tended to favor a "let's all look good" approach. It was an unspoken rule among battalion commanders.

They had observed those boundaries in the previous training, but since Colonel Woo had suddenly blown past them this time, Park couldn't help but be angry.

'Colonel Park. Didn't you cross the line first? Trying to dig tunnels to infiltrate was a bit much.'

'That wasn't my order! A company commander did that on his own authority!'

'And would you fight like that in an actual war?'

'Woo! Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?'

'Haha. My friend, why are you getting so worked up over training?'

Whether Colonel Park Young-soo growled or not, Colonel Woo Hyun-seok simply shrugged his shoulders. It was a scene that could only occur because the two weren't on the best of terms.

'Anyway, Hyun-jun pulled through again.'

Colonel Woo grinned as he watched the recorded combat footage. The cameras installed throughout the training grounds captured the movements of every soldier.

Among the many soldiers, one stood out exceptionally: Corporal Kim Hyun-jun.

Early in the training, he contributed significantly by detecting an ambush party while heading toward the defensive perimeter. During the defense, he played a massive role in capturing an enemy soldier who was attempting a surprise attack via a tunnel.

Finally, during the offense, he went beyond simple distraction and actually seized the enemy base.

There wasn't a single stage where Kim Hyun-jun’s hand hadn't touched the outcome.

'If I don't give him something after he performed this well, I’d be a real jerk.'

Colonel Woo Hyun-seok decided to call for Kim Hyun-jun later. Since the boy had performed beyond expectations, shouldn't he be given a proper reward? Even if it was a personal one.

***

Upon returning to base after the training, the members of the Third Battalion were granted three days of combat rest.

The training had ended in the afternoon, but by the time they returned, it was already the middle of the night. This was because they had marched nearly 60 kilometers to get back.

"Taking off this clunky suit feels so refreshing."

"I thought I was going to die wanting a shower during the whole exercise."

Having finished their showers, the soldiers of the Third Platoon lay down on their beds with refreshed expressions.

"I bet some people liked dying early. They got to rest the whole time after that."

"Kang Cheol-su’s death was practically an art form."

Even though everyone was exhausted from the major training event, they didn't forget to tease one particular soldier.

That soldier was Corporal Kang Cheol-su. He seemed to be doing fine during the defense, but as expected, he made a mess of things during the offense. When the Third Platoon was carrying out their distraction maneuver, he ignored the formation and went charging out on his own, only to die a meaningless death.

The cause of death was being pelted by stray arrows and training rounds. He had died so quickly that he managed to get eliminated faster than privates who were new to the training.

"...I was just trying to work hard in my own way."

"Cheol-su. Who wasn't working hard? We all were. You’re a corporal; are you ever going to get your head in the game?"

Corporal Kang Cheol-su had no answer to Corporal Han Ji-han’s sharp rebuke.

'Cheol-su. Still, you did better than I expected.'

At least that was how Kim Hyun-jun saw it. At the very least, he hadn't held the other platoon members back. This was a perspective born from the fact that Hyun-jun’s expectations were already rock bottom.

"Everyone worked hard during the training."

"Good job, everyone!"

A short while later, everyone—regardless of seniority—fell fast asleep.

'Maybe I should head to the training room.'

Kim Hyun-jun had moved the most during the exercise, but he didn't feel particularly tired. It was the result of using 'Spearman’s Willpower' to recover whenever his stamina dipped. It was starting to feel like the most broken skill among his repertoire.

Even soldiers with the 'Combat Sleep' recovery trait needed to meet a minimum amount of sleep time.

The hallway leading out of the barracks toward the individual training rooms was silent. Everyone was busy sleeping after the grueling exercise. Then again, he was probably the only soldier who would seek out a training room for extra practice immediately after returning.

"I haven't been able to practice spear techniques for nearly five days, so I’m starting to feel anxious."

He wondered if this was becoming an obsession, but what else could he do? He still had a long way to go. To jump from corporal to sergeant and then to second lieutenant, he had to grow diligently.

Some time passed while he was warming up and performing basic drills as usual.

"Hyun-jun. The Battalion Commander is looking for you."

The Duty Officer urgently knocked on the door of the private training room. Apparently, the Battalion Commander had visited the unit.

"Corporal Kim Hyun-jun. I’ll head there immediately."

Following the Duty Officer’s instructions to go to the Company Commander's office, Hyun-jun returned his training spear to its rack.

'The training just ended today; what could it be?'

He wondered why he was being singled out personally. He had done well, certainly not anything wrong....

'I’m sure it’s nothing.'

When he knocked and opened the door to the Company Commander's office, he saw the Battalion Commander with a wide smile on his face.

"Salute! Corporal Kim Hyun-jun!"

"At ease. I feel a bit bad for calling you when you must be exhausted since the training just ended."

"I am fine, sir!"

"You need to know how to rest when it's time to rest. I’ve never seen a soldier head straight to the training room on the day an exercise finishes."

"Thank you for your concern, sir."

Colonel Woo Hyun-seok seemed to be in a great mood, likely due to the successful training results. It felt as though a flower of joy had bloomed on his face throughout the conversation.

After exchanging some casual small talk, Colonel Woo pulled something out of his pocket.

"This is a personal gift from your Battalion Commander."

It was a small, dainty box that could fit in the palm of a hand.

"Open it and see. You won't be disappointed. The measurements are already finished, so you can use it immediately."

Kim Hyun-jun carefully opened the box and was stunned by the unexpected item inside.

**[Elixir of Growth]**
**An elixir that shortens the time required for an Awakened to level up.**
**The effect drops significantly with repeated use.**

**Grade: Unique**

It was a Unique-grade item. Not just Rare, but Unique. He found himself salivating instinctively.

"Battalion Commander. This is too much for me to accept."

When he politely declined once for appearances, the commander told him to take it, saying he knew how much work Hyun-jun had put in. He added that the Hunter tactical training was very important to a battalion commander.

"Thank you! I will work even harder!"

"Haha. If you work any harder than you already are, you’ll collapse. Take it easy."

Saying he felt bad for keeping a soldier for too long, Colonel Woo Hyun-seok stood up to leave. He left with a final word to keep this a secret from the other soldiers.

"The Commander is pretty cool."

This was information he hadn't known before his regression. To think he would readily hand over a Unique item to a single soldier.

Come to think of it, it made sense. How often did a mere soldier get the chance to speak one-on-one with a battalion commander? It was an experience he hadn't even had when he was a staff sergeant. And to receive a Unique-grade item as a gift on top of that.

The unexpected offensive of gifts left him feeling lightheaded.

"I should consume something this good for the body right away."

Kim Hyun-jun headed straight back to the private training room. Inside the small glass bottle was a purple liquid. Drinking that single mouthful of liquid would cause a Hunter’s experience points to skyrocket.

While drinking it multiple times would yield almost no effect, the first time provided 100% of the benefits. He expected that drinking this would take him straight to Level 5.

"One of these would probably cost as much as an apartment in Gangnam."

It was an item an ordinary Hunter wouldn't even dream of buying. The effect wasn't necessarily worth the astronomical cost, as experience would eventually go up as long as one hunted monsters.

However, the difference between having it and not having it was massive. It drastically shortened the growth period. Anyone would bow their head in gratitude if they were gifted an Elixir of Growth.

"Then, I’ll enjoy the meal."

He downed the liquid, which tasted like sour grapes. The effect was immediate. A cooling sensation spread through his mouth as a hologram appeared.

**[Level Up!]**
**[All stats have increased due to the level up!]**

"I thought I’d have to clear at least five more C-rank dungeons, but I can't believe I’m already Level 5."

He had been stuck at Level 4 for a while, so he hadn't expected to level up like this. His power level had already leaped far beyond that of a normal soldier. In terms of level and stats alone, he had even surpassed an average staff sergeant.

"!"

The changes didn't stop there. A notification appeared regarding an update to his hidden trait. He waited with anticipation, wondering if a new feature was being added.

A moment later, an alert confirmed that a new function had been unlocked.

**[Inheritance function has been added.]**
**[From now on, you can inherit the power of the Magic Spearman every time you reach a target level.]**

An exotic pattern he had never seen before appeared as an icon. Swallowing hard, he pressed it, and a hologram unfolded.

**[Inheritance 1: Level 5]**
**[Tier 1 conditions met.]**
**[There is one skill available for inheritance.]**

**[Annihilation Spear]**
**[Upon inheriting Annihilation Spear, the Vital Point Thrust skill will be replaced by Annihilation Spear.]**

'This is a feature that didn't even exist in the game.'

Inheritance. He was stunned by the hologram’s explanation, which was completely unexpected. He quickly gathered his thoughts and checked the inheritance system. It wasn't hard to understand. It felt like the hidden trait was giving him a gift in the form of a reward whenever he reached a target level.

'Do hidden traits usually have this many functions?'

The thought crossed his mind for a second, but there was nothing to be gained by overthinking it. Experiencing it for himself was the best way.

He reached out his hand toward the hologram.

"I accept the inheritance."

Suddenly, his surroundings were dyed in darkness. It was a void where not a single speck of light could enter.

*Flash!*

A moment later, like a cinema screen flicking on, a white hologram appeared before Kim Hyun-jun’s eyes. It showed a man holding a single spear, staring down a massive swarm of oncoming demonic beasts.