## Chapter 1102 – 1102. Dark Moon
About fifty people died during this first mission. It was quite a few, but the military didn’t react at all. They didn’t even hold a simple funeral. They just calmly did what they had to do.
The kids also took it in stride. Some were sad that their close friends had died, but most accepted the situation without a word.
The dorm room was changed. We had originally been in Dorm 11, but as the number of people decreased, we were reorganized.
Number 205, who had been the dorm leader of Dorm 11, died on the first mission. He was a skinny guy with a good personality. I had talked to him a few times, so he occasionally popped into my head. Well, it was also because my social circle was small.
When I arrived at Dorm 1, I found some familiar faces.
Number 212, who was next to me, Number 202, who was a sturdy guy I wasn’t very close with, and the famous Number 31.
‘Including me, there are 12 people in total. It wasn’t a random assignment… Judging by the fact that there are girls who often hang out with Number 31, they must have considered grades and relationships.’
Four boys. Eight girls. The ratio of girls was high. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was to accommodate Number 31.
My spot was already decided. Number 212 was on my right, and Number 202 was on my left. Number 31’s spot was on the opposite bed.
“I heard you became a cripple. Looking at you, you seem to be fine.”
Number 202 sneered.
Hearing his sneer after a long time felt strangely welcoming. I chuckled and waved at him. Number 202 scowled and turned his head away.
“I’m glad you’re okay. I heard you got promoted to Level 2?”
Number 212 greeted me with a smile. I couldn’t tell if her true feelings matched her expression. Of course, it’s not necessarily bad if someone’s outside and inside are different. In my opinion, it’s stranger if they match.
“I got lucky. But who’s the dorm leader? Have you decided yet?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Number 31. It felt like I had asked an obvious question. Dorm leader. It was similar to a class president on Earth. It was a meaningless position, but it came with a little power and perks.
“Number 211.”
Number 31 called me. Everyone, including me, focused their attention on Number 31. Strangely, she had the power to draw people’s attention with just her voice.
“I’d like you to be the dorm leader.”
Honestly, I wanted to refuse. There was almost no benefit to me being the dorm leader. The minor perks were just that, minor. If I calculated everything, it would only be a waste of time. However, it was difficult to refuse Number 31’s request.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
I decided it was better to just accept a small loss than to risk any potential disadvantages from refusing.
Number 31 nodded and started reading a book. Looking at the cover, it was a Level 3 magic book.
After that, Instructor Venus called me.
“Number 211. Congratulations on becoming the dorm leader.”
“…Thank you.”
I held back a bitter smile. I knew that the military was monitoring even the dorms, but being reminded of it made me realize my slave status again.
“You’re the leader of Squad 1.”
“Squad leader?”
“This time, the dorms were organized into squads. As the dorm leader, you’re the squad leader.”
I should have refused Number 31’s request. I regretted it too late.
Instructor Venus gave me a badge that signified my position as squad leader.
“One thing I want to tell you. Serve Number 31 with all your heart. She’s fundamentally different from you. Understand?”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“You’re smart, so I believe you’ll do well. Oh, and have a drink before you go. It’s on me to celebrate you becoming a squad leader.”
Venus placed a can of cola on the table.
I knew from game knowledge that there were drinks like cola and cider in this world. But knowing it and actually seeing it were different. I felt a longing for Earth as I held the can of cola in my hand. It was lukewarm. Just as I was about to be disappointed, Venus said.
“Cola is best served cold. And a mage can make that happen. You’re Level 2, so you should be able to control it.”
“…I’ll try.”
The thought that it might be a trap crossed my mind. But the temptation of cola was great. I decided to compromise to some extent.
“Ice.”
A cold gust of air swirled from my hand. Half of the cola froze. I pretended to have failed to control the cold on purpose.
“Not bad for a first try.”
“……”
Was this also a kind of test?
I picked up the cola and put it in my mouth. It was electrifying. It felt like every cell in my body was waking up. Maybe the cola in this world was much more delicious than the one on Earth.
After enjoying the moment of pleasure, I put down the can of cola. It was a shame about the frozen half, but there was nothing I could do.
‘A small reward. I might actually like it.’
Instructor Venus nodded at me.
“Go on. Don’t forget what I said.”
“Yes. I’ll be going now.”
As squad leader, I finished the evening roll call and lay down on the thin mattress.
Damn it, I felt comfortable.
‘…I can’t sleep, probably because of the caffeine in the cola I drank earlier.’
And then I thought of Earth.
I felt unpleasant. It was because my memories of Earth were vague. I couldn’t clearly remember the faces of my friends or family.
I had a restless sleep.
“……!!”
I woke up with my eyes wide open. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling were on. The digital clock on the wall showed that the current time was 4:07 AM.
I had a dream.
It was a dream with beautiful maids. In the dream, I was intimate with the maids. As soon as I opened my eyes, the memory of the dream disappeared, but I knew it was a lewd dream that would horrify any priest. I also seemed to have a special affection for one of the maids.
‘…Shit.’
My crotch was wet.
I didn’t need to check to know what state it was in.
‘I can’t believe I had a wet dream.’
I glanced around and headed to the bathroom.
•••
“You came back alive. Congratulations.”
Instructor Lexi said, patting my shoulder. She was still wearing her uniform top unbuttoned, revealing part of her ample chest. The events of this morning came to mind, and I became self-conscious of her.
“…Thank you. I survived thanks to the artifact Instructor Lexi gave me.”
I said sincerely. If it hadn’t been for the Level 4 barrier of the artifact she gave me, I would have most likely died at the hands of Neros.
“You survived because you did well. But more than that, I want to hear your impressions. How was it?”
“…What kind of impressions are you talking about?”
“Your impressions of experiencing your first mission as a sniper.”
“Can I be honest?”
“Be honest.”
“I felt the limitations of a sniper.”
Neros easily recognized my sniping and reflected the bullet. If my reaction had been a little slower, I would have been a goner.
Lexi nodded calmly at my words.
“I thought so. I was the same. Now, today I’ll show you the next level.”
Lexi handed me a rifle and took out some bullets. They weren’t ordinary bullets. They were colorful bullets in red, blue, yellow, green, and so on. There were inscriptions on the surface, and the material was not copper but another metal.
“…Magic bullets.”
“That’s right. Bullets imbued with magic. If ordinary bullets don’t work, you can use special bullets.”
“I know magic bullets are expensive.”
“They’re cheaper than your life. And this is the military. They provide some support. Well, I prefer the black market ones.”
She chuckled.
“Can I take a closer look?”
“Sure.”
I picked up a magic bullet with my thumb and forefinger and examined it closely. The depth of the inscriptions on the surface of the bullet was consistent. It seemed to have been engraved by a machine, not by a person.
‘The inscription itself is simple. It’s a mix of fire and explosion. It’s a mechanism that explodes upon impact.’
I narrowed my eyes. After simulating the inscription in my head, I concluded that the power was insufficient with just this inscription.
‘It’s natural that there’s a limit to the inscriptions that can be engraved on a small bullet… In this state, it’s almost impossible to use. Are there inscriptions inside the cartridge as well?’
After examining the magic bullet a few times, I realized that it wasn’t just magic inscriptions.
‘The core of the magic bullet is alchemy. The magic inscriptions are just a supplement.’
I immediately abandoned the idea of making magic bullets myself. I had neither the opportunity nor the time to learn alchemy.
‘In my case, it would be faster to enchant the bullets with magic.’
Of course, special material bullets were essential for that.
“Try using it once. You’ll like it once you shoot it.”
At Lexi’s words, I decided to try shooting it once. I loaded the magic bullet, aimed at a target 500 meters away, and fired. The magic bullet flew through the air, leaving a red trail, and hit the target.
A small explosion occurred. It was small in size, but the power was enough to blow a person’s head off. Soon, a crimson flame clung to the target.
“Explosive bullet. It’s quite expensive, but the performance is as you can see. It’s effective when breaking barriers.”
She then handed me other bullets. Frost bullets that freeze and slow down enemies, electric bullets that electrocute enemies or disable machines, poison bullets that poison the target, armor-piercing magic bullets that maximize penetration, and so on. There were more types of magic bullets than I had thought.
‘It has the advantage of being able to choose according to the situation and target. The fact that it’s easy to use is also an advantage.’
However, I saw three disadvantages. One was the high price. And that magic bullets were consumables, and that the power wasn’t as great as I thought.
‘From my point of view, it’s better to learn attack magic.’
I felt my interest in sniping fade. Considering my relationship with Instructor Lexi, I hid that fact and received shooting training. I had received things from Instructor Lexi, so I planned to do as much as I could.
Lexi probably intended to show me the advantages of a sniper by having me shoot magic bullets, but in reality, contrary to her plan, my desire for magic grew even stronger.
“You’re doing well. You’ll be the best sniper. Later, I’ll teach you how to enchant bullets with magic.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
•••
“It’s the second mission. Tonight, we’ll be eliminating a group of goblins who have foolishly set up camp near the base.”
During the morning roll call, Instructor Venus told us.
Our faces hardened.
Goblins were the weakest of all monsters. Even ordinary people could easily kill them with a gun. In my memories, Number 211 had also fought and defeated goblins under the guise of training. Goblins were clearly easy opponents.
That is, if it wasn’t tonight.
“Tonight is the night of the Dark Moon.”
‘Dark Moon’ was the main title of the game and one of the important settings of the game.
The Dark Moon was a black moon. A black moon that appeared in the sky every 100 days.
Every time the Dark Moon appeared, monsters became violent and stronger. Ghosts that were usually nowhere to be seen roamed the city, and those with monster-type factors had a low chance of mutation. The mana in the atmosphere also became wild. Also, monsters from the Abyss could appear through the black moon.
People in this world would lock themselves in their homes and refrain from going outside as much as possible when the Dark Moon appeared. It was natural since they didn’t want to die, and that was common sense in this world.
However, some people went outside even on the Dark Moon.
Because the higher the risk, the more there was to gain. In the game, the Dark Moon was a basic condition for performing special actions. For example, special dungeons would open, or there would be opportunities to obtain special items.
“It’s a good day for training.”
Instructor Venus said, as if he was enjoying it. No one here, including me, could relate to his words.
