Chapter 1103

〈 Episode 1103 〉 1103. Dark Moon

The unit I belong to doesn’t officially have a name.

The Battle Mage Project is carried out in Secret. In this world, human rights are practically nonexistent, but even so, with civilization advancing, there’s at least a minimal level of human rights beyond the medieval era. Even if someone is a slave, using them for human experimentation is illegal.

‘But around here, there aren’t many who actually follow the law anyway.’

The biggest reason for keeping this project hidden is to avoid political interference. Ambitious politicians would gladly sacrifice the military just to climb their way up and gain achievements.

This unit doesn’t have an official name, but it does have an unofficial one: Unit 667. I don’t know what the significance of 667 is, but it exists solely for the Battle Mage Project.

I, as a private of Unit 667, am both a slave and a test subject, staring intently at a map.

The map given by Instructor Venus to each squad.

It depicted part of the terrain near our base. The facility seemed intentionally vague, marked with just a circle and some scribbled letters to roughly represent its layout.

I pieced together my memories to mentally sketch a virtual blueprint of the base.

There’s a shooting range to the south, and a medical bay to the west. The area storing project-related data is also to the west, which is why that boundary is most heavily guarded. At the center of the base lies our barracks, mana training ground, and cafeteria.

To the east are training grounds for martial arts, swordsmanship, and spear techniques. Morning roll call and jogging take place there too.

The north remains a mystery, though it’s likely where base personnel reside.

I memorized the nearby terrain. Someday, this information will surely prove useful.

‘This map only contains mission-related details. Meaning, other squads probably received similar maps but with different info… I’d love to see those, but drawing too much attention from the instructor won’t end well.’

CCTV cameras are installed all over the base, and soldiers on guard duty patrol periodically. We mustn’t forget the ever-present eyes watching us. Every move needs caution to avoid suspicion.

“211, when will the operation briefing be?”

212 approached me and asked, slightly leaning her head to peek at the map in my hand.

This time, the instructors won’t interfere. Everything from planning the strategy to preparing equipment must be done within our squad.

“After lunch, we’ll hold a meeting. If you have any input on the operation, feel free to share then.”

The mission begins after dinner, as the sun sets. There’s no training today, so we have ample time.

“Got it. By the way, what’s for lunch?”

“Hmm… I think it’s about that time seafood starts showing up.”

212 scrunched her face immediately.

“Please, anything but fried fish. That stuff is just awful.”

I couldn’t agree more. And sure enough, fried fish appeared for lunch.

•••

After eating, we gathered in the barracks to start the meeting.

I pinned the map to the wall and announced,

“Our objective is to seize and hold this area until dawn tomorrow.”


“This is serious business. Tomorrow at dawn, the instructors will be personally patrolling to evaluate our mission status and assign scores. As for the criteria… even I don’t know the specifics. However, should we receive a failing grade… I’m sure you all understand without me having to spell it out?”

Several of the kids trembled in fear. Their faces were etched with anxiety.

Mana serum administration.

An event that none of us here particularly enjoy.

I kept an eye on Unit 31. She was definitely going to receive the serum too, yet her expression remained completely unchanged.

And here’s the kicker—Unit 31’s opinion matters most. No matter how brilliant the strategy might be, if Unit 31 says no, the entire plan goes down the drain.

Fortunately, Unit 31 quietly observed the meeting without any intention of trolling.

“Unit 211. I heard your sniper skills were exceptional during the last mission. You’ll be handling the sniping again this time, right?”

“No. Looking at the terrain, the area we need to capture is near the mountaintop. There aren’t any suitable sniper points nearby. We’ll move together as a group without splitting up.”

Mountains and snipers just don’t mix. The dense trees interfere with shooting. Even if there was higher ground, it wouldn’t help much. This mission required ascending the mountain.

‘Besides, today’s the night of the Dark Moon. Moving alone would be even more dangerous.’

The strategy discussion lasted about an hour. Thanks to our shared tactical training, everyone’s opinions were fairly aligned.

“What about equipment?”

Unit 212 asked. Everyone voiced their thoughts. Opinions diverged here: one side advocated carrying as much gear as possible, including bombs, while the other favored minimal essential equipment.

I sided with the latter.

“The key to this mission is the climb. Lighter gear is better. Besides, bombs are powerful but way too noisy. We don’t need to attract unnecessary attention from other monsters tonight. Let’s not forget it’s Dark Moon night.”

Naturally, dissent arose.

“It’s not about filling our bags with bombs. It’s about preparing what we need. In the worst-case scenario, we may have to use bombs to wipe out the monsters to survive.”

That was Unit 88.

One of the four males in Squad 1F, he was a bomb enthusiast. Despite his usually quiet demeanor, his eyes burned with determination as he refused to back down.

Apparently, during the last mission, he used bombs to clear enemies and survived.

‘My head already hurts.’

I tried thinking of ways to persuade Unit 88. Judging by his stubborn gaze, it’d likely take over 30 minutes of convincing. Being a squad leader without authority is tough. If only I had a higher rank, maybe things would be different. But everyone here was a private.

“I agree with Unit 211. Let’s go with their plan.”

Unit 31, who had been silently observing, finally spoke.

“U-Uh, got it.”

Unit 88 relaxed his intense stare. He glanced at Unit 31 before looking away. My feelings were complicated. While I appreciated her help, I knew I wasn’t much better than Unit 88. If Unit 31 decided to troll, I wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

After the meeting, we each went our separate ways for personal time.

I jotted down a list of necessary equipment on a piece of paper and met Instructor Venus. After glancing over the list, she nodded approvingly.

“Efficiently planned. However, explosive devices like grenades and flashbangs are off-limits.”

My emergency-use grenade request was denied. Instructor Venus explained that loud attacks weren’t advisable during the Dark Moon. Although I suspected there might be other reasons, I simply nodded along.

“…Understood. I’ll take my leave then.”

“Hold on. I have something to say to you.”

Instructor Venus pulled out a can of cola and handed it to me. It was lukewarm.

“…May I use Ice Magic on this?”

“It’s fine. I hope your skills have improved since last time.”

“Been practicing.”

I popped the can and cast Ice Magic.

Last time, I froze half of it, but this time I managed to freeze only 20%. I gulped down the soda. The sharp carbonation stung my throat.


With this feeling right now, I want to drink cola every day.

“Unable to drink as much cola as I want… This pisses me off.”

I put down the cola can. Instructor Venus had been silently watching me with a twisted expression on her face up until that moment.

“Our first squad is under my charge now.”

“…Is that so? The instructors are following us.”

Of course. How could they possibly trust slaves enough to let them roam free? It’s only natural for managers to be assigned to slaves. Managers who wouldn’t lift a finger even if a slave were to die.

“Let me be straightforward. If anything happens, you must protect No. 31 at the cost of your life. I don’t ask for much. Just hold out until I arrive. Thirty seconds, that’s all it takes. You’ve got the 4th-class barrier artifact from Sergeant Lexi, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

Such blatant favoritism toward No. 31. At this point, it barely registers anymore.

“I will protect No. 31 at any cost, even at the expense of my own life.”

“That’s an answer I like. No. 211, I believe you’re competent.”

Instructor Venus handed me two six-packs of cola cans. Twelve in total. It was meant to be shared with the squad members.

“A reward for efficient strategy and equipment support. Share it with your squad.”

“…Thank you.”

Whether this truly counts as a reward is debatable, but since it was given, I accepted it.

‘Am I supposed to give cola to No. 31?’

My guess was spot on.

As soon as No. 31 secured the cola, she used Ice Magic to chill it before drinking. She seemed to really enjoy cola.

•••

After dinner, I stepped outside the camp.

A total of 156 people.

That was the number of privates in Battalion 667. When I first joined the battalion, the number was nearly 300, but it had dwindled by almost half. Some couldn’t endure the mana serum injections and died, others perished during missions, and still others were executed for insubordination.

‘Probably more than 30 will die during this mission.’

I had no intention of being among those 30.

‘In this regard, being in Squad 1 is fortunate. We have No. 31, the strongest among us. Her presence alone boosts our survival rate compared to other squads.’

We looked up at the sky and waited. The bright blue sky gradually darkened, and a round, white moon rose.

It was supposed to be a half-moon tonight. But instead, it was a Dark Moon—a full moon appearing regardless of the lunar cycle.

The moon settled at the center of the night sky. The once pristine white surface turned black. Even though it was a dark night, the Dark Moon stood out clearly.

“The Dark Moon has risen,” Instructor Venus chuckled.

I swallowed.

Until just moments ago, the mana in the air had been calm, but now it raged violently.

The Astral Realm opened, and the mana veins were stimulated. I felt a strange longing rising within me.

‘So this is the Dark Moon…’

Looking around, it seemed I wasn’t the only one affected. No. 31’s reaction was particularly intense. A faint smile appeared on her usually emotionless face, and her cheeks flushed red.

Was it the influence of the Dark Moon? My curiosity about No. 31 grew. I quickly averted my gaze to the ground and suppressed the curiosity.

Getting too involved with her would not end well. That thought remains unchanged.

“Commence the mission. Good luck,” said Instructor Venus.

Everyone dispersed like an outgoing tide.

I led Squad 1 to halt at the base of the mountain to equip ourselves.

The most crucial gear for this operation were the night-vision goggles and silencers. Move stealthily, discover the goblin village first, and eliminate them quietly. That was the essence of the plan.

With the night-vision goggles equipped, we began our ascent, carefully stepping on the pile of fallen leaves.

I didn’t focus solely on sight. To make use of hearing and touch, I kept my nerves on edge. Sensing the surrounding mana would normally be optimal, but due to the Dark Moon, the atmospheric mana had grown hostile, forcing me to rely on physical senses.

I raised my hand while walking ahead. The squad halted their movement.