“It seems everything has gotten so much better.”

The bastard opened up his chest as if it was to his credit.  It was agitating.  Yet, I couldn’t help, but admit that.  Even without effective directions being given, everyone was excellent in dodging the attacks.  Rather than dodging them, it was like they would not be hit to begin with.

There was no reason for them to take hits as they were going in and out of the line which was drawn up in order to indicate the distance.  Although it would be necessary to take into consideration that the beast would be moving about, what was being demonstrated certainly didn’t look bad.  With the passing of the time, it was Jung Hayeon who has depleted the magic power.

In the end, everyone shouted with vigor.

“Yeaaaaaahh!”

“Yeaaaah!”

It was a precious victory that was earned exactly 11 days after the training had commenced.  Even if it was a mock battle, there wasn’t any reason which prevented them from enjoying it.  As if the drooping root, having depleted of magic, was the real beast, they began to surround it and eventually began to step on top of it.  While thinking that it would be great if that root had been the beast, I was watching them.

It felt like everyone was laughing.  Although it wasn’t a successful, real raid, I now felt that I understood as to why some humans are dead set on raids.

The feeling of achievement was amazing.  Having become a single unit and succeeded in throwing down the enemy truly boosts one’s spirit.  Perhaps, I wasn’t the only one who was thinking this, as Goff and Black Spear took the lead in encouraging the tribe members.  I quietly said to Lee Wan Yong.

“Good work.  We will test a different method tomorrow.”

The bastard let out a great big laughter.

“Yes sir.  We will.”

After having sent him back via Ragia, I was about to approach the tribe members with Hakajin.   Hakajin kept tapping his own head with his finger while looking over at the root.

Buried deep in thoughts about something, he creased his forehead as he continued to move his fingers.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just me who has accepted this concept.  Hakajin was also watching with great interest as to what the humans’ method of hunting was like, and it appeared that some level of understanding seemed to have come to him.  Although I thought that it could have been stressful for him, he didn’t look that way.  Instead of fighting against what he could not understand with questions and doubts, he seemed to be trying to accept what he was seeing, and that was very much like him.

I have decided to give Hakajin some time, and when he came around to himself again, we were able to finally move again.

“I… I’m sorry.”

“Not at all.  We shall go now.”

I began to have great anticipation as to how Hakajin would accept the application of figures, angles, etc. which were unfamiliar, remote concepts from the way the monsters thought.  I walked slowly and I said.

“Is it interesting?”

What came back for a moment was a silence.  Finally, Hakajin spoke while looking at me with a smile.

“Yes.  Learning new things is always interesting.”

It was a feeling of knowing that a real military trooper could be gained.  There was intense burning of fire in Hakajin’s eyes.  Orbo, Gark and Hark, Mev, the three goblin sisters, and finally, Jung Hayeon and Baek Ahyeon all rushed toward me in order to celebrate this small victory, and I smiled, looking at them.

And so the time had passed in this manner.  The intensity of training has become stronger.  The root’s range has become greater, and Mev’s spirit or sorcerers who were capable of launching magic offensives began to fight against the root in order to participate in the training of dodging breath.

A single incidence of taking a direct hit would mean death.

“Warriors, do not abandon the formation!  Warriors, maintain the formation!”

“It is an insult for the warriors to allow the remote attackers to be harmed!  Krrrr”

Yet, everyone was adapting well.  Rather than ending the training due to ridiculous mistakes, there were more and more training sessions that ended successfully with certain level of achievements.  The little green skins were looking at the adults who were training, from far, and they were playing similar games with Kim Yoora, Nicole, and Orbo’s son troll at the center.

“Yeahhhhhh!”

“Victory!  Victory!”

Although it wasn’t really a blood drenching victory, they were also beginning to understand the joy of training.  It was a new way of fighting.  As it was thought that it would be obviously enjoyable for the green skins, the momentum grew as everyone was moving with purpose and respect for the training.

When winning against Jung Hayeon’s roots have become a routine, the expedition date was fixed after a meeting, and after potions and many other consumable items have been stocked up, the real day of the battle arrived.

Although it was a dangerous thing, everyone probably did not get any sleep at all, I thought.  Of course, the inability to sleep wasn’t just because everyone was worried about getting hurt or killed.  With anxiousness and anticipation, it was the day of testing the accomplishments of the training up to now. Although it was for a short period, everyone would feel like this was the day of the test.

As a result, the village was quite raucous.  Along with the sounds of getting things being packed, there were multitudes of noises which came from outside.  Upon stepping outside to see what all the noises were about, I saw everyone getting ready for the expedition in their own way.

What I saw were Baek Ahyeon and her followers praying, Hakajin and Ragia reexamining the supplies, Mev minding the mother goblins and the children, and Orcs shouting and beginning to gather supplies.

Among them, what caught my eyes the most were the ones that were standing in a line… Surprisingly, as it was when Najin was alive, I began to see the ones who had tattoos on their faces and bodies as they were strutting around the village.

A familiar face came in to my view among those who were somewhat standing tall as they were filled with anxiousness while they waited for their turn.

As if they were making graffiti, they were laughing happily while holding some unidentifiable object in their hands.  Every time a hand moved, a dagger shaped tattoo, dripping in blood, appeared on the green skins’ bodies.  Perhaps, they saw me watching them as they began to shout towards me.  The little ones’ voices were filled with happiness.

“For Blood Dagger!”

Surprisingly, it was Najin’s daughter Nicole who was engraving the tattoos.