Present day.

After the flashback ended, Lukito started to piece everything together. Hikaru was dead after being injured by an arrow, but before his soul could leave a foreign soul belong to him, suddenly possessed Hikaru’s body. This possession led to a unique outcome due to the method used to transfer his soul, as well as the distinct nature of his foreign soul. Consequently, not only were the wounds in Hikaru’s body completely healed, but the souls of both Lukito and Hikaru were also merged together, doubling the size of his soul space and endowing him with Hikaru's memories.

Lukito, now called Hikaru, looked around his surroundings and spotted a dwarf with a pair of iridescent silver eyes. The dwarf appeared shocked upon seeing him and approached Hikaru, asking questions.

Anonymous Dwarf: “Who are you?”

Hikaru responded: “Ah, my name is Hikaru. It seems the hospital mistook me for being dead and dumped me in here.” Hikaru pondered deeply on how he ended up in this world and whether his transmigration had anything to do with the dwarf in front of him.

Anonymous Dwarf raised an eyebrow, intrigued: “Interesting. Who is your superior?”

Hikaru replied: “Lieutenant Guerra, the leader of Squad 324, sir!”

Anonymous Dwarf hesitatingly said: “Sq...u...ad 3...2...4, you're a trainee? Alright, you are dismissed!” The dwarf's eyes returned to a normal pair of black-colored eyes as he briefly inspected Hikaru from head to toe. Hikaru was clad in a simple white gown without any accessories like the other corpses that were currently in the field.

Hikaru walked away to the barracks. There, he found Lieutenant Guerra contemplating while collecting his belongings. Hikaru pretended to still be injured while approaching Lieutenant Guerra to avoid being deployed again.

Lieutenant Guerra was taken aback as he saw Hikaru and stammered: “H-Hikaru, you're alive? I ch-checked – no breath, no heartbeat!”

Hikaru responded while feigning to be hurt and out of breath: “Lieutenant Guerra, it's a miracle. I don't understand it myself, but I'm alive. Something extraordinary must have happened!”

Lieutenant Guerra hurriedly put Hikaru's belongings back and then guided him to the infirmary instead of the barracks. In the infirmary, Hikaru used one of the available beds in the corner of the room to rest. The medics were surprised to see him back but didn't have the time to check him as the injured patients kept piling up.

As the sun painted the morning sky, Hikaru savored a hospital breakfast, each bite a reminder of his journey. Afterward, he found solace on a weathered bench, nestled close to the bustling infirmary. Before he could lose himself in the peaceful moment, a trio of figures emerged—Lieutenant Guerra, Colonel Kemal, and the anonymous dwarf he just met yesterday. Sensing their approach, Hikaru performed a military salute.

Colonel Kemal spoke, stopping Hikaru's salute with a friendly: “No need for that. We're just among friends here.”

Lieutenant Guerra then initiated an introduction: “Hikaru, let me introduce our army's formidable duo—Colonel Ensar Kemal and the illustrious General Kaito Fujimoto.”

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General Fujimoto, the identity of the anonymous dwarf, greeted him with a warm smile: “Hello, young one. How about we relocate to a more private spot?”

Colonel Kemal then led them to his military tent, where they sat across from each other, indulging in various snacks and fruits spread across the table.

Colonel Kemal kicked off the conversation with a sly grin and a statement: “Hikaru, it looks like General Fujimoto has his eye on you. Am I right, General?”

General Fujimoto responded with a calm demeanor: "I do, Colonel. I find Hikaru's condition quite intriguing. How about becoming a participant in some of my experiments, Hikaru? You will be paid one gold coin per month, more than three times your current salary."

Hikaru inquired: "Would the military permit such an arrangement?" He thought about avoiding deployment, all the while securing a higher salary—truly an ideal scenario for him.

Colonel Kemal assured: "Certainly, there won't be any issues!"

Hikaru responded with enthusiasm: “I would be honored. Please inform me of the time and location, General?"

General Fujimoto responded with a calm demeanor: “Pack your belongings and meet me at the South Gate tomorrow morning.”

After instructing Hikaru to rendezvous at the South Gate, General Fujimoto engaged in discussion about some other random military topics with Lieutenant Guerra and Colonel Kemal before they each returned to their respective accommodations. As Hikaru made his way to the barracks, Lieutenant Guerra offered congratulations for successfully navigating away from military service.

As instructed, Hikaru brought his belongings and went to the South Gate to meet with General Fujimoto in the morning. The General, with a nod of acknowledgment, beckoned Hikaru to follow him southeast, beyond the familiar walls of the Red Dagger Aran Outpost. Together, they arrived at a clandestine spot where a fleet of black caravans, under the General's command, awaited in silent readiness. Hikaru trailed behind the General as they boarded one of the carriages. The wheels began to turn, carrying them to the General's secret hideout, discreetly nestled just half an hour away from the Red Dagger Aran Outpost.

In the Orb Universe, traveling through the badlands using carriages requires special preparation. These carriages typically employ snacs, which are often horses. As snacs are susceptible to spiritual distortion, caretakers need to feed them a diet mixed with leaves from the genesis tree. This ensures that snacs remain immune to spiritual distortion until the leaves are excreted. The black caravans also employ this method to traverse the badlands using carriages.

Upon reaching the secret hideout, General Fujimoto swiftly commanded his team to unload the mysterious cargo into the basement's third level. Intrigued, Hikaru stole a glance through the carriage window, catching sight of the bustling activity below. To his surprise, the cargo consisted of captured enemy soldiers, recognizable through the Cathunter patch on their clothing. Seeing the shocked Hikaru, General Fujimoto motioned for him to follow without offering any explanation.

The General brought Hikaru to one of the private rooms in his hideout on the first level of the basement. He then warned Hikaru not to go below the first level without permission. During his body examination, Hikaru received three meals a day while undergoing a series of checks and physical fitness assessments personally overseen by the general. As the third week of Hikaru's stay concluded, the general wrapped up the meticulous examination of Hikaru's body, discovering no abnormalities. Eager to discover the reasons behind Hikaru's revival, the general decided to conduct a more thorough examination and invited Hikaru to join him for lunch the next day. Over the lunch the next day, the General delved into a profound conversation with Hikaru, seeking to unravel the mysteries surrounding his unique condition.

General Fujimoto kicked off the conversation, leaning in with a curious gaze: “Hikaru, do you have any inkling as to why I've taken a keen interest in you?”

In a serious tone, with a hint of trepidation in the face of the formidable General, Hikaru replied: “Well, General, I thought it might be my knack for pulling off miraculous recoveries.”

General Fujimoto replied with a charismatic smile: “Indeed, that's part of the intrigue. But what truly intrigued me the first time we met was the size of your soul, which was equivalent to that of a human lord. You see, I possess an innate ability to peer into the spiritual dimension and observe souls. In my mind, I keep pondering why a human lord would choose to join as a military trainee. Yet, after intensively examining your body, I found myself with even more questions, as the conclusion I arrived at was that you possess a regular human body, which doesn’t correspond to the size of your soul. Have you been keeping any secrets from me?” General Fujimoto keenly observed Hikaru's reaction to his question.

Hikaru's throat tightened as General Fujimoto posed his question, and he swallowed nervously before responding: “No, General. I wouldn't dare.”

General Fujimoto then poured a glass of wine for Hikaru with grace, and then lifted his own already-filled glass, offering a refined toast: “Cheers to resilience and survival.”

Hikaru felt that something was off, as General Fujimoto usually had his lunch without a butler. However, today, General Fujimoto brought one of his subordinates, who stood in the corner of the room, observing Hikaru with contempt. Hikaru wasn’t your typical fourteen-year-old as he possessed the mind of a seasoned adult, so he found it peculiar that the General's glass was full, yet his own remained empty, necessitating the General to fill it personally.