It hurts. No— pain isn’t even the right word for it.

It felt like every cell in my body was being torn apart, atom by atom. And even through the agony, system messages kept flashing before my eyes. Ding!

[Activity beyond physical limits detected][Status abnormality: Exhaustion][Status abnormality: Extreme pain][Status abnormality: Thirst][Status abnormality: Hunger][Trait “High Basal Metabolism” activated] Ding!

[(Warning) Stress level: 60][(Warning) Stress level: 65][(Warning) Stress level: 70] My stress level spiked sharply.

A dizzying wave of pain followed. This is bad.

So bad it might not stop at just adding a negative trait. But at that moment— Ding!

[Trait “Mechanical Heart-Lungs” activated][Status: Exhaustion → Very fatigued] Ding!

[Trait “Humanity’s Strongest Weapon” activated][Status: Extreme pain → Pain][Limit Break achieved] [Strength][Reflexes][Endurance][Flexibility][Agility][Senses][Stat cap reached][Cap increased due to “Humanity’s Strongest Weapon” trait][Trait proficiency increased by overflow][Humanity’s Strongest Weapon LV.2][New Trait: Crisis Detection][Note: Applies after all status effects are healed] Ding![Trait “Legendary Swordsmanship Talent” activated][Slash (Lv.1) → Slash (Lv.3)] “Kh—ugh…?” The long-dormant [Humanity’s Strongest Weapon] trait had finally awakened.

The pain that had been pushing me to the brink of unconsciousness began to fade.

And when the next message appeared, I was left speechless. This is insane.My base stats had risen, and even my trait proficiency had improved.

Right then, I felt someone’s frantic hands on me. “C-Captain! Are you all right?!”“Yevgeniya…”“I-I’ll give you a painkiller right now!” She pulled something out and jabbed it into my neck. Ding![Status: Pain → Slight pain] Thanks to that, I was freed—if only slightly—from the lingering agony. “Water…”“W-Water! Right away!” [Status: Thirst] “Haa… haa…” Yevgeniya’s quick first aid was effective.

Even so, my eyes couldn’t leave the messages floating before me. Stronger… already? It had happened because I’d pushed my body past its limits.The synergy between the [Legendary Swordsmanship Talent] and [Humanity’s Strongest Weapon] traits was far greater than expected. And the “Mechanical Heart-Lungs” combo fits perfectly… A renewed surge of exhilaration filled me.

I’d found a new path forward for growth—through the synergy of my traits. My head cleared, my breathing steadied.

And the battlefield came into view again. The extermination operation was still ongoing, but it was clear the end was near.

The battle had turned completely one-sided. Perhaps sensing that, Benjamin came running toward me. “Mr. Han! Are you all right?”“Yes, I’m fine.”“...Thank goodness.” Relief washed over his face.

I turned toward Yevgeniya. “Bring me my pack.”“Ah! Right here!” She handed me a military rucksack.

Without a word, I dug inside and pulled out some food. It’s not over yet. We’d cleaned up most of the creatures, but the operation couldn’t end here.

The gunfire and explosions would’ve carried far—drawing more of them in soon enough.

To finish things properly, we had to move. So despite the uneasy stares, I shoved food into my mouth. “Mr. Han…”“C-Captain, you must’ve been starving.”“Mhm.” I chewed the bread so fast I could barely tell if it went down the right pipe.

Thankfully, my body responded quickly. Ding!

[Trait “High Basal Metabolism” deactivated][(Warning) Stress level: 50] With this, once my stamina recovers, I should be able to move again. “Haa…” Anyway. Extreme state… huh. I’d uncovered another hidden trait function.

It wasn’t unusual—many traits had hidden subfunctions besides the visible ones. If I had to guess…

When in a recognized crisis, it temporarily boosts skill usage—essentially a brief awakening. Used right, it’s like a wild card. Of course, there’d be side effects—but those could be managed.

[Humanity’s Strongest Weapon] seemed to mitigate them somewhat.

Used properly, it could even serve as a means for growth, just like now. And it’s about time I focus on gear farming, too. The side effects weren’t caused just by the “Extreme” trigger. Apocalypse City In Apocalypse City, movement that exceeds your physical specs is restricted.

Same goes for combat techniques. But a sonic boom—only occurs when breaking the sound barrier.That kind of phenomenon requires at least a nanosuit-grade exoskeleton. So when I reproduced that motion with my bare body, the backlash was inevitable.

That meant I’d have to start paying attention to my equipment—before lack of gear started limiting me. Even if I kept forcing myself into “extreme states” to grow, I’d still need to minimize side effects. “Ah.” Maybe I’d been lost in thought too long.

The gunfire had gone silent. In front of me, faces lit with excitement.

The Defense Force’s first mission—had been a success. Well, the rest is on me.

Still, a little morale boost for the troops couldn’t hurt. “Benjamin.”“Yes?”“If we’ve succeeded, let’s say so. I didn’t even know, you know.” He blinked—then chuckled, realizing what I meant.Turning toward the others, he raised his voice. The soldiers, once stoic, finally broke into grins.

Gun in hand, Benjamin raised his arm high. “Operation complete—!!”And with that cry—““WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”” Cheers erupted like thunder.

I almost wanted to join in, but my body was too battered for that.There was no time to savor victory.

A new problem had appeared. “Uh, over there!” As the last creatures were cleared, civilians began emerging one by one. “Did they really get them all?”“The Defense Force… they’re the real deal…” The crowd swelled rapidly—hundreds in minutes. At this rate, there’ll be more of them than our entire unit. The troops stood awkwardly, pride and discomfort mingled on their faces.

My own feelings were mixed as well—and Benjamin’s eyes mirrored mine. “What should we do?” He had realized it too. “For now, tell everyone to avoid talking to civilians.”“Understood.” The once-bustling scene quieted fast, replaced by uneasy silence.

Civilians’ anxious gazes darted about. “Mr. Han.”“Yes.”“How are you holding up?”“As you can see, I can still stand.”“Your combat performance was… impressive.” Benjamin’s tone held both awe and unease—like he was talking to something inhuman. Then he asked quietly,

“What will you do?” The meaning was clear. Too many survivors.

They’d followed us here for one reason—protection. No one would willingly stay in this stinking, blood-soaked zone otherwise. So my answer had to be cautious.

After organizing my thoughts, I replied: “We can afford to take them in—logistically.”“...What?!” Benjamin’s eyes widened. “But tell me, Benjamin. What do we need right now—people to protect, or people who’ll fight beside us?”“People who’ll fight.”“I agree. That’s why we can’t just accept everyone blindly.”“I see… Do you have a plan, then?”“Yes. For now, just maintain this atmosphere. What’s urgent is disposing of the bodies. Leave them out, and it’ll get dangerous fast.”“Understood.”“Once that’s done, we’ll seize the logistics warehouse.”“The… logistics warehouse?”“Yes. We’ll need to secure daily supplies and food from the Northwest Joint Logistics Warehouse.”“You calculated this beforehand, didn’t you?”“Yes.”“Haa… meticulous as ever. I’ll pass the order along.” As I turned away, I spotted Yevgeniya chatting excitedly with Black Wing. “Did you see that?! Did you?! That masterpiece was mine! Hahaha!” [Status: Fatigued] Finally, I was out of the [Severely Fatigued] state. “Benjamin.”“Yes?”“I need to go finish the job.”“Sir?”“The gunfire and explosions were too loud.”“But, in your condition—” His concern was justified; my legs were trembling.

Even so— “This is something that must be done.”

No matter what. “Captain, are you sure you’re okay?”“Yes.” Riding atop Black Wing again, we took to the skies.Yevgeniya’s voice carried a mix of worry and annoyance. “Sir, I mean it—are you really okay to fly? What if you, I dunno, fall off or… crash or something?” When I turned to look at her, her face was bright and mischievous despite her words. I decided she needed a little tension. The Black Wing suddenly dove straight down. “Wha—whaaaaaaa!!! W-We’re fallingggg!!” Perfect timing. I leveled us out again just before impact.Yevgeniya glared at me, drenched in cold sweat. “You b— you damn—! Captain!!”“There won’t be any crashes. Don’t worry.”“Y-You—! What kind of twisted joke is that?!” She cursed with her eyes but spoke in formal speech.I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re laughing? Now?!”“Yes. A little.”“...” Leaving her fuming behind me, I looked down at the cityscape.Creatures were slowly gathering where the explosions had been. We needed to divert their attention. “What’s the loudest explosive we have left?”“Loudest? Based on sound alone?”“Yes.”“Then the high-explosive bomb, of course!” Her eyes gleamed at the mention of bombs.

Indeed, one high-explosive would be far louder than a few grenades—

but even that might not be enough. “No flashbangs?”“Well, that’s not a bomb… but yeah, we have some.”“Then let’s bring down a tall building with the high-explosive bomb, and throw the flashbang right after.”“Do I get to pick the building?”“No.”“...” She clicked her tongue and turned away, disappointed. It couldn’t be helped—random destruction wasn’t [N O V E L I G H T] an option.We needed to hit something large but expendable. Yet my gaze kept drifting toward the city center.

Toward the Central Control Center. I should check it out. At least once. At Black Wing’s top speed, it wouldn’t take long.And we had time to spare. Yeah. Let’s go. “Yevgeniya.”“Yes?”“We’re moving fast from here.”“Roger that.” She pressed herself low against the craft, taking a stable position.

I sealed my powered suit’s helmet. And the moment we were ready— BWOOOOOOOM—!! Black Wing roared through the sky.

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