Chapter 1101

〈 Episode 1101 〉 1101. Dark Moon

When I opened my eyes, I was on a hospital bed.

It wasn’t surprising or disconcerting since it was expected. The Freesell Kingdom army must have picked me up while I was knocked out cold.

I sit up and check my condition. Aside from feeling a bit stuffy, I’m not in bad shape. There’s an IV needle in my right hand, and the bracelet given by Instructor Lexi is gone—someone must’ve taken it.

The Astral at Rank 2 is in perfect condition without any issues, and out of the 12 mana cores, half of which were previously unusable, they’ve somewhat recovered.

‘This isn’t regular saline; it’s a recovery potion.’

If they’re using recovery potions instead of saline, it’s probably around Rank 1 quality.

Having roughly assessed the situation, I recall my memories. I revisit the battle with Neross. Experiences like this don’t come often, but they’ll surely be helpful in the future.

‘I awakened a new ability called “Moment” and learned that I can use magic higher than my level by utilizing the environment.’

The biggest gain was definitely “Moment.”

“Moment” is an ability that drastically increases thought speed. It doesn’t exist in the original game, Dark Moon.

‘A system window appeared when I used Moment. Is this some kind of bonus granted to me upon coming to this world?’

Regardless of where Moment came from, it’s a power that helps me.

‘Using Moment disables the mana cores, but calculating things ahead with accelerated thought speed is simple. Fortunately, unlike the cores, opening the Astral keeps the Moment time intact.’

The biggest issue for mages is casting speed. Casting magic during combat requires immense focus. That’s why there aren’t many frontline battle mages; most mages support from the back.

‘In the game, you just press a shortcut key to activate magic, but reality is different.’

In that sense, Moment, which accelerates thought, is almost like a cheat code for mages—it reduces casting time by over 90%.

‘I also have the Evolution ability. While I can’t use a Rank 5 lightning magic like Thunder Bolt as I did against Neross, I can still easily cast a few Rank 3 lightning spells now.’

This world isn’t a game; ranks aren’t absolute standards.

‘The problem is mana. Can I use Rank 3 lightning magic more than three times in my current state?’

I slightly shake my head. Doubtful. Unless absolutely necessary, it’s more efficient to use Rank 2 spells.

‘For that, I need knowledge of Rank 2 spells.’

Footsteps are heard beyond the door. I clear my thoughts and look toward the door as it opens. A familiar face walks in—it’s Instructor Venus, the magic specialist. Despite being only a sergeant in rank, the military isn’t solely determined by rank. Instructor Venus is one of the most experienced among the instructors.

“I heard you woke up, so I came to check. Are you feeling okay?”

While trying not to glance at the CCTV installed in the corner of the room, I salute him and respond:

“Just a bit of discomfort aside, I’m fine.”

“The doctor said it’ll take about three days. Rest well here for three days.”


Instructor Venus slumped into the chair next to the bed and gave me a sharp glare.

“Tell me about the mission. You and the APC driver are the only survivors, so your testimony is needed.”

I maintained my poker face as best I could while my mind raced. The APC driver had been about 2 km away from the mission site, so it made sense he survived. What mattered was what report he gave back to base.

‘Did he witness me using Thunder Bolt? With its flashy power, it’s pretty distinctive… I’d rather keep my abilities hidden.’

Standing out too much can attract unwanted attention.

Especially since I’ve awakened two special abilities – magical talent and natural awakening ability. Those alone are enough reason to become someone’s lab rat.

“…I remember Instructor Belha recording the mission site with a camera.”

“The camera was destroyed. Radio communication cut off halfway through. That thief Nero awakened as a Thunder Dragon, frying all nearby electronics. We found you 3 hours after communications went down.”

As expected. The mana-laden lightning Nero spread around would have created an EMP effect.

The APC driver is still troubling though.

“What happened to the APC driver? Is he safe?”

Instructor Venus didn’t answer right away. After staring at me intently, he finally spoke.

“The driver’s under arrest.”

“Uh?”

“He tried to desert and was caught.”

Venus clicked his tongue in obvious disapproval.

All the pieces were falling into place now. Putting together the timeline:

‘They found me 3 hours after communications dropped… The APC driver probably fled right when the radio cut out, before the Thunder Bolt even landed. Even if he saw it, there’s a high chance he didn’t confirm it.’

The APC driver didn’t retrieve me. He doesn’t know the full details.

‘Even if our testimonies don’t match… they’ll believe mine. After all, the driver attempted desertion.’

The driver’s future was clear.

Execution.

Or becoming a slave for life. Maybe even ending up as someone’s experiment subject like me.

“I’ll tell you everything that happened during the mission.”

I recalled the scenes I witnessed just before falling asleep. As vivid as looking at photographs. Since becoming No. 211, I can easily recall everything I’ve seen without forgetting.

“Everything went smoothly until Nero appeared… I shot at him when he showed up, but he deflected the bullet. My sniper rifle broke, so I moved in immediately.”

“Communication records exist until Instructor Belha joined the fight. What about after?”

I told the truth. Instructor Venus has likely already pieced together most of the situation. This is the military, filled with combat experts who can deduce 70% or more of what happened just from battle traces.

My job isn’t to lie, but to omit parts of the truth.

Downplay my contributions while highlighting Instructor Belha’s achievements. The traces of Thunder Bolt can be conveniently blamed on Nero’s Thunder Dragon awakening.

“…I survived purely by luck.”

“So this is what you’re talking about.”

Instructor Venus pulled a bracelet from his coat – the artifact given to me by Instructor Lexi. He handed it back to me.

“It’s something Instructor Lexi gave you, right? Quite the item. Take good care of it.”

“…Thank you for returning it.”

“When did you reach Rank 2?”

“I felt my astral expanding just before passing out.”

“Happens occasionally. Soldiers who grow during battles… You not only survive mana backlash but come out stronger… And now you’ve survived again and reached Rank 2.”

“…”

“People like you are usually said to have bad luck. Though, it’s rare for that bad luck to last till the end. Anyway, congratulations on surviving and reaching Rank 2.”

“…Thank you.”

“But…”


“Never forget that your position hasn’t changed. Understand, Private 211?”

“Private… Does that mean I’ve been given a rank?”

“All those who succeeded in their missions have been granted ranks.”

“…What happened to those who failed?”

“They died.”

With familiar indifference, he departed from the infirmary.

•••

It was exactly as Instructor Venus had said. Even though I became a private, my position hadn’t changed. I was still a slave and a test subject.

Before being discharged from the infirmary, a horrifying time arrived.

It was the time when mana serum would be injected into my body. No matter how faultless I remained, as long as I was an experimental subject of the ‘Battle Mage Project,’ I had to receive periodic injections of mana serum.

I lay on the operating table with my limbs restrained. Naked as the day I was born, electrodes were stuck all over me—on my chest, shoulders, neck, and various other parts, crackling faintly.

Thud. Thud.

A man in a surgical cap and mask approached me with emotionless eyes. In his hand was a syringe filled with blue liquid. Before injecting the mana serum, he forced a gag into my mouth, reminding me of the painful thrashing of Subject 211. My teeth clenched hard enough to shatter the gag.

The needle touched my neck. The unfamiliar, icy sensation of the metallic needle sent chills down my spine. The man pushed the plunger. Cold, heavy mana serum flowed through my veins.

As the mana serum spread through my veins, it activated every part of my body. My astral core and mana circuits reacted.

“……!!”

Pain surged.

It felt like my entire body was being shredded from the inside out. This agony continued until the mana serum was fully absorbed by my flesh.

Twelve mana circuits were activated by the serum. Through the pain, I maximized their activation, intensifying the suffering but trying to gain any advantage possible.

‘GAAAAAAH!!!’

I screamed silently in my mind. If my limbs weren’t restrained, I’d be writhing on the floor like a crushed bug.

The time of torment dragged on. Even without using any abilities to manipulate time, it felt unbearably slow. Time’s relativity had never seemed so cursed.

“Your astral core seems more stable compared to last time. Did efficiency improve after reaching level 2? We’ll add 20% more.”

The man brought out a new syringe and inserted it into my neck.

‘SHIIIIITTTTTT!!!!’

Pouring fuel on the dying embers of pain. I strained my eyes to stay conscious. Passing out now could lead to the worst-case scenario—death. I had to hold on.

‘AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!’

I noticed the badge pinned to the collar of the man—a red teardrop-shaped emblem. Knowledge from ‘Dark Moon’ surfaced: that badge represented Alpha Tear Pharmaceuticals.

‘I’m gonna kill them! Every single person involved in this will die!’

On top of the burning pain, I layered anger and hatred. Smoke rose from the three elements, intertwining into vengeance etched into my mind.

•••

Receiving the mana serum wasn’t the end.

For experimental results, they drew my blood and examined my body with machines unheard of on Earth. The bastards from Alpha Tear nodded approvingly at the results, pleased among themselves. I had to desperately suppress the surging murderous intent towards them.

I averted my gaze from them. Watching them only fueled my rage further.

Through my astral connection, I observed my body.

The effects of the mana serum were evident. My mana capacity increased, and the quality of my mana circuits slightly improved. It was good news that my mana had grown; I’d been worried about its scarcity.

‘Thinking about it, it pisses me off even more that I traded my lifespan for this.’

There were no major side effects yet, but there was no guarantee how long that would last. This body has almost no physical talent compared to its magical potential.

‘At least let me stay intact until I escape from here….’