Chapter 1098

〈 Episode 1098 〉 1098. Dark Moon

It’s already been a week since I entered the game called ‘Dark Moon.’

They say humans are creatures of adaptation, huh? That’s right on the money. I’ve adapted to this life.

Thanks to Instructor Daxi. With rumors spreading about me being a genius in marksmanship, my treatment improved and life got easier. Even if I make small mistakes, people tend to overlook them.

‘Guess my value has gone up. Even if I don’t become a battle mage, I can still be useful as a sniper.’

Instructor Daxi always emphasized the importance of snipers whenever she saw me. “One veteran sniper makes life easier for a thousand allies.” Sounds exaggerated, but apparently, snipers really are valuable.

Yesterday, I heard that Number 31 reached Level 2. Everyone reacted the same way: “Of course it’s Number 31.”

After becoming Level 2, Number 31, who was already receiving special privileges, started getting even better treatment.

‘The gap between Levels 1 and 2 is pretty big, so it’s not strange.’

I’m talentless not just in hand-to-hand combat but also in any physical activity outside of shooting—swordplay, spear techniques, you name it.

The shocking part? I can’t wield a sword at all.

‘Back on Earth, I was at least an F-class hunter who used swords…’

Number 211 looks exactly like me but has absolutely zero athletic ability.

Ding-dong-ding-dong!

A cheap melody rang out from the ceiling, signaling the next schedule. The kids sitting in the dormitory lined up in the hallway.

“Let’s head to the mana training room.”

Our dorm leader, Number 205, led us. As we walked down the corridor, I felt eyes on me. Glancing over, I saw two soldiers in uniforms holding rifles watching us like hawks. It reminded me again that this body is both a slave and an experiment subject.

As soon as we entered the mana training room, I could feel the dense mana in the air. Though I don’t know the exact mechanics, the mana here feels far richer than elsewhere. This place is clearly designed for practicing mana breathing.

‘This is where Number 211 suffered mana backlash and passed out.’

And woke up as me.

I sat cross-legged in my assigned spot. Cross-legged posture is the basic stance for mana breathing.

Closing my eyes, I focused on contemplation.

‘The cause of Number 211’s mana backlash was improper breathing. I need to pay extra attention to that while opening the Astral.’

Once the Astral opened, the presence of mana became crystal clear.

Five mana conduits began operating. Instead of releasing mana like when casting spells, I drew external mana into myself. Over 99% of the absorbed mana escapes back outside, but a tiny fraction remains within me, accumulating.

That accumulated mana becomes my resource.

“Gahhh! Aaaargh!”

My concentration broke by a sudden scream. Opening my eyes slightly, I saw a guy clutching his chest and collapsing nearby. Mana backlash. Soldiers rushed over and carried him off to the infirmary.

‘Three cases of mana backlash in one week? Something’s off. Are they deliberately causing it?’

Since rumors about me spread, perceptions of mana backlash have shifted slightly. Some believe that going through mana backlash grants enlightenment and higher levels. Total nonsense.

‘There’s definitely some misunderstanding going on here…’


Body: “It’s just sheep. A mana backlash can only serve as a trigger at best… and even then, the success rate is incredibly low.”

Well, I couldn’t blame those who deliberately sought out mana backlashes in hopes of a miracle. It showed how desperate they were.

“Our status is that of slaves and test subjects. One bad grade, and we’re disposed of immediately.”

I closed my eyes again. Whether someone else intentionally triggered a mana backlash was none of my business. I wasn’t the type to stick my nose into others’ affairs, nor did I have the time for it.

•••

In the afternoon, instead of sword training, I headed to the shooting range where Instructor Lexi was. The instructors had adjusted my schedule to focus on marksmanship after recognizing my talent.

“Hey there, 211. How’re you feeling today?”

Lexi smiled gently as she spoke. On the desk beside her lay over ten firearms, starting with a pistol.

“It’s fine.”

“Aren’t you in bad condition?”

“No.”

“Today we’ll try out various firearms. Interestingly enough, everyone has their own preferred gun. Though, with your level of skill, it probably doesn’t matter which one you use.”

Silently, I followed her instructions and began shooting with the pistol. Each time I fired, I marveled at myself. Even without calculating the wind at close range, a rough instinctual pull of the trigger would hit the target.

‘So this is what talent feels like.’

I believed talent equaled efficiency.

Geniuses are those who achieve maximum results with minimal effort. So they say.

‘But now that I’ve become a genius, I get it. There’s no such thing as minimal effort. Geniuses are enigmatic.’

I wiped all unhelpful thoughts from my mind and simply stayed true to this present talent.

“You know? For mages, the better your marksmanship, the better.”

“…Do mages often use firearms?”

“Huh? No, it’s not that. Magic is ultimately about ranged attacks. If you don’t hit, it’s useless.”

That wasn’t wrong.

Though there are types of magic beyond just ranged attacks, the image of a mage is fundamentally someone who launches spells from behind the lines. In reality, it’s not much different.

‘Battle Mages might be an exception, but for mages, ranged combat is the norm.’

Mages in this world generally avoid combat. Once you reach Level 3 magic proficiency, you can live an elite life—why take unnecessary risks?

Tang. Tang. Tang.

I pulled the trigger repeatedly, savoring the sound of gunfire. Having hit every target after firing over 300 rounds, I didn’t feel the slightest bit bored.

“Do you remember what I said last time?”

“…About giving me an award?”

“That’s right. Just wondering, what kind of reward would you like? Be honest. You know, I don’t usually give rewards to anyone.”

“…”

Even though she told me to be honest, I wasn’t foolish enough to reveal my true thoughts. Kindness from others shouldn’t make me misjudge my current position.

“I’ll accept whatever you give.”

“Boring answer. Don’t you ever want to go outside?”

“…Are you going to let me out?”

“Sorry, I don’t have that authority. Still, next week, you’ll get a chance to go out.”

“What’s happening next week?”

“It’s your first mission. Or rather, training exercise. Since you’re still trainees.”

“I’d like to know more about the exercise.”

“It’s classified, so I can’t tell you. Actually, mentioning the existence of the exercise itself was already a slip of the tongue… It’s supposed to be a secret from the others.”

She didn’t accidentally say that. She’s telling me to prepare mentally for the upcoming exercise. That’s probably what she meant. As I was about to refocus on shooting, her hand stopped me by grabbing my wrist.

She placed a bracelet on my hand. A crude metal bracelet.

“It’s a reward from me. It’s an artifact enchanted with a Level 4 Barrier spell. This little cutie has saved my life more than ten times.”

Artifact.

The term for magical objects.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the artifact without refusal. A Level 4 Barrier could very well become my lifeline.

“You’re allowed to fail in this upcoming exercise. Everyone’s already seen your marksmanship skills. Failing won’t result in your disposal.”

“…I see.”

“Oh, by the way, Instructor Venus seems to have her eye on you. About magic…


“Your manifestation is quite neat, they say. But your marksmanship surpasses even magic. Don’t forget that you were born to be a sniper.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

I approached Lexi without revealing my true feelings.

To be honest, I wanted to be a magician more than a sniper. This body possessed magical talent just as remarkable as its shooting talent.

•••

The practical exam was only a day away.

I plopped down on the toilet seat.

Here, no matter where you go, someone’s gaze follows you. The dormitory has other kids, and soldiers patrol the hallways. Even the showers aren’t safe; there’s always a supervisor present. The restroom was pretty much the only place I could escape from prying eyes.

‘This too has a limit of about 15 minutes. If I stay longer, someone will barge in.’

Suicide wasn’t an option even if I wanted it. The slave sigil branded on my right arm wouldn’t allow it. While thinking about suicide was fine, attempting it would make the sigil glow and inflict excruciating pain. Ignoring the pain would result in unconsciousness.

I didn’t come to the restroom to die but to check my magic.

‘Light.’

I manifested magic through the Void Spell Technique. A sphere of light appeared on my palm, illuminating the restroom brightly.

‘Fire.’

A flame erupted where the orb of light had been.

‘Ice.’

The flame disappeared, and cold energy gathered, forming ice. Clutching the fist-sized chunk of ice, I frowned at its chill before dropping it into the toilet bowl.

Plop.

The ice began melting rapidly.

‘Wind.’

A breeze blew, rustling my hair.

I skipped Earth attribute magic. Though I knew the formulas, it wasn’t suitable to use here.

‘Water.’

Water pooled on my palm before dripping down.

Water and Ice magic seemed similar but were different.

‘…Spark.’

Zzzt.

A bolt of azure electricity crackled on my palm.

I stared blankly at the current. Compared to Light or Fire magic, Spark felt easier—no, more familiar.

‘Am I specialized in lightning? Yet, other magics don’t feel overly difficult either.’

I closed my hand, extinguishing the current.

With my eyes shut, I organized my thoughts about magic and attributes. Here’s what I felt:

Light mana spreads everywhere, fire mana burns hot, ice mana feels cold. Water mana flows, wind mana is light. Earth mana is solid, and darkness mana feels heavy.

‘And lightning mana… is pure.’

At this realization, my Astral, known as a mage’s spirit, reacted. It was trying to expand sharply—I understood that I was about to reach Rank 2.

‘Not yet.’

I forcibly suppressed the Astral’s expansion with sheer willpower.

‘If I ascend now, I’ll draw too much attention. At the very least, I need to wait until next month.’

Suppressing rank advancement is usually impossible, but my magical talent made it possible. By now, even I, who am no novice to magic, couldn’t deny that my magical talent surpassed even my marksmanship.

‘Nothing blocks my path to Rank 2. I can ascend whenever I want.’

I focused on my palm.

My most comfortable attribute was undeniably lightning.

Zzzt.

‘Hm?’

Electricity crackled on my palm. I panicked slightly. Though I thought about electricity, I hadn’t activated any spell. This current was shining purely through mana and willpower alone.

‘Is this… an abnormal ability (異能)?’

Several ways to apply this ability to magic came to mind. As I continued pondering them, I left the restroom.

•••

“211, 72, 54. 105, 14.”

Instructor Venus called out five of us, including me.

“You’re assigned to Mission 11. Follow Instructor Belha and take care of the Neroth Bandits. Details of the operation are with Instructor Belha.”

We headed toward Instructor Belha, who briefed us in a businesslike manner.

The mission boiled down to one thing:

Eliminate the Neroth bandit group hiding in the ruins of the city.