Chapter 165

Those who suddenly turned around split to the sides without anyone taking the lead. Hugo, the 8th Platoon Leader, and the commander of another battalion appeared between them.

Hugo, who had hurriedly approached, glanced at his shattered ice pillar and the Dermocas that had flown far away, and immediately knelt down in front of the member. Then, he took off his right hand's protective glove and unhesitatingly brought his hand to the member's exposed ankle.

As his cool hand touched, the expression of the member who had been frowning noticeably froze.

Hugo's eyes briefly turned to the member's face but quickly returned to the injured area. A faint white light spread from his fingertips as he concentrated.

After a moment, the redness that had stained his ankle and shin gradually regained its original color as if dead blood had been sucked out and drained.

The bruise hadn't completely disappeared, but the tiny blood vessels that had burst under the skin seemed to have been repaired, as the color visibly faded and no longer looked as serious as before. It was a matter of mere seconds.

Leonardo, who had been quietly watching from behind, couldn't hide his surprise.

Until now, the medical team had always been following them, so there had been no occasion for the Commander to directly treat someone, and this was the first time Leonardo had seen Hugo use recovery.

However, such a fast healing technique was clearly a level that even professional medical personnel couldn't imitate unless it was their main attribute.

Among the combat personnel, there were some who could use mana-based medical techniques, but unless it was their main attribute, the scope of use was generally narrow. In the first place, even he, an All-Rounder, was no different from a beginner when it came to the field of treatment.

In that sense, the ability of Hugo Agrizendro that he was seeing right now could only be described as fraudulent.

In the meantime, the member's swollen ankle and shin seemed to have calmed down thanks to the cold chill, visibly subsiding. As his condition seemed to have improved, Hugo stroked the member's leg once and then removed his hand. Then, he gestured with his chin and said,

"Try moving it."

"Pardon?"

The member, who had reflexively asked back, immediately understood the meaning and tried rotating his ankle while sitting. Surprisingly, the throbbing pain had disappeared as if washed away.

"...Huh?"

The member, who blinked his eyes as if he couldn't believe it, kept rubbing his ankle with his hand. Before long, his gaze filled with admiration reached Hugo.

"I, I think it's fine now. It doesn't hurt at all!"

Without a trace of the pained expression from a moment ago, the member bowed his head with a face flushed with joy.

"Wow... Thank you. Thank you, Commander!"

However, as soon as Hugo heard the words of gratitude, he asked the member in a chilly voice,

"Why didn't you avoid it and just stood there?"

His gaze was as cold as his voice, so the member who was facing him right in front flinched and instinctively inhaled.

The member's eyes, which had slightly lowered, swept the floor back and forth. After hesitating for a moment, he carefully opened his mouth.

"Ah, that's... It happened so suddenly that I think my body froze without me knowing."

"..."

"But at the last moment, my survival instinct must have kicked in, and my legs moved on their own... Yes..."

The member, who had trailed off, laughed awkwardly. Now that the pain was gone, he seemed embarrassed by the attention that had suddenly poured in, glancing around and scratching the back of his head. He seemed to want to escape from this situation quickly.

Leonardo's eyes, who had been watching him, gradually narrowed. His way of speaking and actions were strangely unnatural, but somehow his face looked familiar.

Hugo, who had heard the member's answer, stared at him with an expressionless face.

As the Commander silently kept looking at him, the member, who had been laughing awkwardly, seemed to have sensed something and his expression gradually and subtly stiffened.

Only after a comrade behind him gave a small reprimand did he bow his head repeatedly, muttering that he was sorry and grateful once again.

Hugo, who had been coldly looking down at him, abruptly placed his hand on the member's shoulder. Then, he gripped his shoulder firmly and solemnly advised,

"It's fortunate that you're unharmed, but your actions just now could have led to a serious injury. Refrain from reckless actions of directly confronting the creature in the future. Always wear your personal rifle or sword."

Hugo's gaze went down to his waist, which, unlike other members, had nothing attached to it.

The member bowed his head again with a very tense face, perhaps because of Hugo's heavy pressure on his shoulder, or because he had been pointed out by a high-ranking commander for not wearing personal gear.

"Yes, I understand... I'm sorry."

Hugo, who had been persistently watching him until the end, stood up after hearing the answer. Eventually, he turned his eyes to the Dermocas lying far away. Although it had been quiet since hitting the wall, they couldn't be completely relieved as the effect of the tranquilizer had worn off once it had woken up.

"The creature can wake up at any time. Replace the damaged sealing device and restrain it more securely, and assign at least two people to closely monitor its behavior. There may be others following it, so clear the scene as quickly as possible, and in about 10 minutes, reorganize the personnel and resume the search by area."

"Yes, understood!"

As the Commander's order was given, the members who had been watching for cues answered in a loud voice and moved in unison. The commander next to him also urged the members to hurry and take care of the situation.

If the Dermocas had really called its companions, it could have endangered not only those here but the entire Council. So, even though the Commander didn't speak strongly, everyone seemed to know that he was clearly warning them to be vigilant.

The chaotic scene seemed to be cleared up quickly, but Leonardo was still standing there with furrowed brows, unable to take his eyes off.

His gaze was fixed on the member who was walking away with support among the dispersing people.

The gaze that looked strangely sharp behind the awkward smile gave Leonardo a sense of incongruity and unease at the same time.

'Could it be...'

The bonfire from that day, which he had looked at while having breakfast, exhausted, suddenly flashed through his mind.

Meanwhile, Hugo picked up two or three pieces of ice that were caught at his feet near his shattered ice pillar. As he closely examined the pieces, he gestured to the 8th Platoon Leader standing next to him to come closer.

"Platoon Leader Russell."

"Yes."

"Try crushing it with your hand."

He said, handing a piece of ice to the platoon leader. The 8th Platoon Leader was a little puzzled by the sudden order from her superior, but soon guessed his intention after seeing the shattered ice fragments and immediately grasped the ice and put strength into her hand.

The ice, which had endured her grip for a few seconds, cracked in half with a snap when her fist began to tremble. Seeing that, Hugo asked her,

"Is it softer than usual?"

"I'm not... sure. It seems similar."

At the ambiguous answer, Hugo also crushed the piece in his hand with force. The ice that had turned into powder fell from his hand and scattered on the floor. The reason he had asked the platoon leader to crush the piece was to check if the ice had softened due to his poor condition and the influence of the internal temperature.

However, as a result of directly checking, the hardness and density of the ice were clearly not much different from usual.

It meant that it wasn't ordinary ice that could be easily shattered by a selected member with bare hands.

"..."

Hugo, who had furrowed his eyebrows, suddenly turned his head to Leonardo. He thought that since he was right in front at the time of the incident and had good eyes, he might have seen something.

But his gaze was directed somewhere else. Following the end, that member from earlier came into view again.

Hugo, who had been quietly observing the two, suddenly looked down at his own hand that had touched the member's leg a little while ago.

Even considering that the affected area was swollen and feverish, the member's body temperature was higher than others. But he didn't know why the moment when Leonardo had suddenly grabbed his face a few days ago came to mind.

Hugo, who had been looking back on the situation at that time, soon clenched and unclenched his fist several times. Then, he approached Leonardo, who was standing blankly, and tapped his shoulder a couple of times, saying,

"Let's go too."

"Huh? Oh..."

Thanks to that, Leonardo, who had woken up from his dazed state, turned his head and answered in a daze.

He immediately averted his gaze and followed Hugo's steps without saying much. It was because he thought anyone would find it strange if he stared at one place for too long.

He naturally looked ahead as if nothing had happened, but before long, his golden eyes returned to the spot where his gaze had been lingering.

When he turned his head halfway and looked at the member again, Leonardo's eyebrows moved slightly. It was because the member's eyes, mixed among his comrades, were directed this way.

For a moment, Leonardo's steps abruptly stopped.

The corners of the member's mouth seemed to have curled up slightly.