Supplies

+++

After their heated night, Doyun, having finished his morning routine, encountered Jillaine in the hallway as he stepped out.

“Were you waiting?”

“I couldn’t just stay still, eager to see our juniors. Heheh.”

“…”

“I’ll keep guiding Sophie well from now on.”

“…Don’t implant strange ideas into that innocent girl.”

“Huhung~”

As they conversed and walked towards the dining hall, they soon came across Sophie as well.

‘Ah…!’

Upon seeing Doyun, Sophie suppressed her urge to flee, her nape and cheeks flushing as she approached him timidly.

‘I have to keep absorbing his life force, so I can’t run away…!’

To become a virtuous wife, she had to display only meekness and obedience…

Unaware that her hips squirmed ever so slightly.

“Di, did you sleep well…?”

“…Yes.”

“Huhung~”

Watching their chaste exchange, Jillaine clung to Sophie, her ample bosom swaying.

“Doyun’s life force must have been something, huh?”

“Ye, yes!?”

Sophie’s face turned beet red.

Sensing her genuine distress, Doyun quickly changed the subject for her sake.

“…Did you feel any changes in your body?”

“Ah, yes, yes… the life force was so dense that I still feel something hot settling in my abdomen…”

“Oh my, oh my.”

“…No, I mean physical changes.”

“Ah, ahh…!”

Sophie’s face remained endlessly flushed.

Her voice now carried a hint of moisture, as if she just wanted to flee from breakfast altogether and hide.

She was too embarrassed by the lewd thoughts she had openly advertised.

“Ye, yes… even after sleeping, I feel so refreshed… and energetic… and, and…”

Sophie trailed off hesitantly, struggling to find more to say, as if the conversation ending would suffocate her.

“An, and there was a system message… that I absorbed an immense amount of life force…”

Doyun nodded in understanding.

‘That’s a relief.’

If a system message had appeared, the effects were undoubtedly real. He looked forward to her growth.

“Really? I didn’t get any such message. Is it because you’re a spirit-type? I’m jealous.”

Despite her words, Jillaine’s face was filled with a sly smile throughout.

She seemed utterly delighted that the cute juniors had become intimate. An unexpected side of her.

“Ah, Doyun. The Master is looking for you.”

“Got it.”

“Wow, so nonchalant. Is being summoned by the Master routine now? Normally, one would be surprised or anxious.”

“There are things I need to be scolded for.”

“Tch. How dull. Anyway, go on.”

Jillaine swayed her bosom as she playfully patted Doyun’s buttocks. Doyun shot her a stern glare.

“Yeah. And stop teasing Sophie. Sophie, enjoy your meal.”

“Ye, yes…!”

Doyun figured this was actually better. If he left first, Sophie could eat more comfortably.

‘Ah…’

But for Sophie, more than her embarrassment, she felt a greater pang of regret at being unable to stay closer to him. Strangely, ever since last night, being separated from Doyun and his life force felt so painful.

Pushing aside her wistful feelings, she saw Doyun off.

+++

[No way, how do you have all these materials? Where did you really get them?]

“It’s my own blood.”

Through the communication stone, Doyun received Winny’s experimental results.

[For handling ‘that,’ at least, this can definitely be used as the material. The anti-magic properties are immense. More than a dragon’s blood. I still can’t believe the results…]

“That’s a relief. But is there nothing else?”

Inwardly, Doyun asked with some hope.

It was the blood of a divine beast surpassing even dragons – his own blood. But he wondered if it could potentially be used as some kind of elixir or the like.

However, reality wasn’t so generous.

[I don’t know. It will take a lot of time.]

“Why?”

[The anti-magic properties are too strong, making experimentation itself impossible. Any analysis or reaction magic just gets devoured.]

“Ah.”

[Our master’s analysis magic is the highest grade on the continent…]

She muttered, sounding somewhat deflated.

Doyun was also surprised. Anti-magic potent enough to overpower even a Master Alchemist’s analysis magic.

‘This body of mine is quite something.’

Although now a familiar fact, he could still keenly feel it.

“Understood. Let me know if you need more blood. And please take good care of the Alliance’s commission.”

[A Disciple who just arrived a few months ago is talking like he really cares about the Alliance’s affairs. Commendable mindset, but you sound like an old geezer. Live freely like me.]

“…Ending the call.”

[Ah, why don’t you come visit our workshop sometime? Not for any real human experiments, just some simple tests…]

“Ending the call.”

Click.

Doyun let out a sigh as he terminated the communication stone. Dealing with geniuses was truly exhausting.

Soon after, he entered Eloah’s office.

“Did you finish your call?”

“Yes.”

While personal calls could be made from private rooms or communication booths, this matter required utmost security, so it had taken place in Eloah’s office.

Doyun rose from the desk, and Eloah took her seat.

“Has my first battlefield been decided?”

“Yes. It’s a mundane supply mission, but still.”

“Nothing about war is mundane. And supplies are crucial.”

“You won’t need Enoch Razvolnic himself to handle it, will you?”

Eloah giggled prettily.

Thus far, Doyun had been considerably lacking in strength.

While unmatched in terms of skills and experience, his output was low.

Although his Vitality 8 significantly amplified each stat’s potency, it paled in comparison to his previous life’s Mana Level 9 output. There was no stat as important as mana.

Moreover, his Vitality 8 couldn’t match other Level 8 stats like Haineken’s Agility. Vitality tended to have a more supplementary nature, after all.

‘Once my other stats rise sufficiently, then I’ll be able to showcase my true value.’

Doyun wasn’t in a hurry.

However, things had changed slightly after acquiring the Dragon Heart.

Currently, his Mana Level was still 3 due to his absolute mana reserves. But thanks to the Dragon Heart’s efficiency, he could effectively output at a Level 5 potency.

Of course, his mana endurance likely wouldn’t surpass Level 3. A single Manifest Sword would probably force him to retire immediately.

Yet this too was merely a temporary issue given the Dragon Heart’s infinite mana storage capacity.

As the heart grew larger, his mana endurance would rapidly increase as well.

In any case, after obtaining the Dragon Heart, while unable to upend battlefields like in his previous life, Doyun could at least participate on them to some extent.

‘Compared to expeditions, warfare will enable much faster systemic growth.’

Above all, he needed to accumulate data on the Emperor’s Divine Palm.

“While the Master’s technique holds immense strategic value, it cannot be immediately deployed as a key asset in operations.”

“Of course. War is no joke.”

In the eyes of the world, he was still a newly arrived Disciple of just a few months.

His identity as the Boss Monster Killer had yet to spread.

The Razvolnic ruins and Dragon Lord expedition were considered mere strokes of luck.

Although he had gained considerable trust within the guild thanks to endorsements from Haineken, Brudhild, the Vagabond Hero, and others, not everyone on the continent was privy to the details of his personal life.

For now, the continent still viewed him as a promising newcomer at best. To entrust the pivotal role of war to such a person? Utterly ludicrous.

Trust from allies wasn’t something earned through parlor tricks. Currently, no one would follow him blindly.

At the very least, data proving his new technique’s viability in actual combat would need to be gathered first.

“The Master will be assigned to a forward supply base mission within the Holy Stones.”

Muspelheim’s borders stretched across the continent horizontally, but the frontlines didn’t perfectly align with them.

The Holy Stones’ range also wasn’t a straight line, exceeding the borders. The frontlines generally fluctuated minutely between the Holy Stones’ boundaries and Muspelheim’s borders.

Within this range, smaller and larger skirmishes continuously unfolded, either pushing the frontlines forward or preventing their retreat.

“Will Disciple Sophie be accompanying you as well?”

“Yes. She herself wishes to do so.”

For Sophie too, it was a crucial timing for full-fledged acceleration.

“The Master and Disciple Sophie will probably… face many challenges due to their lack of experience. So, I’ll assign Leona’s entire team to support you.”

“I see. It will be difficult, but I appreciate it.”

“Heheh.”

At the mention of a ‘request from the Master,’ Eloah chuckled lightly.

“Then I’ll focus on my training until that time.”

“Yes~”

Doyun left the office and headed to the training grounds as usual.

+++

Four days later, near the Muspelheim border.

A soldier entered a command tent and saluted.

“Loyalty!”

“Oh, you’re here.”

The one who had entered the tent immediately dropped the formal act, speaking casually to his superior.

“What’s the matter, sir?”

“Nothing in particular… there were just some changes to the list of supporting Disciples assigned to your unit. Here are the changes.”

“Ah, what a pain… Hm?”

However, upon receiving the detailed change log, the soldier furrowed his brow.

“What is this?”

“Just keep quiet and follow orders from above. What choice do we have?”

“But come on… Disciple rookies who haven’t even been here for 3 months? And two of them?”

Unusually, the soldier questioned his superior.

After all, it was exceedingly rare for Disciples to be deployed to the battlefield within their first year. But now, two 3-month rookies had suddenly been assigned.

He sensed he had been embroiled in a troublesome situation.

“Are you sure this is correct?”

“It’s the World Tree. That rapidly rising mega-guild nowadays. Just ignore it. Think of it as changing some brat’s diapers.”

“Haah…”

He pinched his brow at the ridiculous situation.

War was no joke. Although a simple supply mission, the supply routes still faced high risks of enemy interception – it was no trivial task.

‘But seriously… parachutes? Is supply just a joke to them?’

It seemed some Guild executive had shoved their dick right in the faces of those shitty higher-ups, completely taming them with dickface.

“But you’re still a noble’s son, aren’t you? This isn’t the first or second time facing such situations.”

“No, but… assigning 3-month rookies is essentially noble treatment, isn’t it? I’ve never heard of 3-month parachutes before.”

“Which is why you need to be careful. They’re clearly no ordinary personnel. Don’t provoke them recklessly and tire out the entire unit. Off you go.”

“Tch…”

Holding the personnel change document, he left the tent with a displeased expression for quite a while.

But as he walked while re-reading it, a sense of foreboding crept up on him.

‘…Huh?’

The three-character name listed in the personnel details…

‘Han… Doyun?’

It sounded vaguely familiar, like a name he had heard mentioned a few times before.

‘…Tch. Never mind.’

After glancing at the personnel document briefly, he simply shrugged and returned to the tent.

+++

Three days later.

The day of the supply unit’s departure had arrived.