Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: New Beginning (6)
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“You know what Jo Seung-hyun, the president, said earlier, right?”
“What about it?”
Jo Seung-hyun had said something right before introducing the Black Bear. Something about how most of them were probably new to this kind of work. Suhyun had wanted to ask what that meant, but the conversation had moved on, so he hadn’t gotten the chance. Still, it nagged at him.
He’d thought the people gathered here were mostly seasoned soldiers with experience. There was no way this was their first time.
When he brought it up, Kim Chang-sik shrugged and answered.
“I was wondering what you were getting at. It’s because most of us—like me and the others—served on Earth, not Cameron Planet.”
“?!”
Suhyun was genuinely shocked. They hadn’t served on Cameron Planet?
“So a lot of people here are new to operations in this region. The only one with experience around here is… probably Team Leader Lee So-hee?”
“You’re saying none of you have even run ops here before?!”
“What’s the problem? Don’t underestimate us. You have any idea how much time I’ve spent in the boonies? We can handle this no sweat. Same goes for everyone else.”
Suhyun was dumbfounded. Sure, they weren’t total rookies without any experience—soldiers who’d served elsewhere adapted quickly. But it still took time and trial-and-error.
On top of that, the military units securing and operating in already-established areas had different specialties from mercenaries patrolling uncharted zones. Even soldiers who’d worked on Cameron Planet needed time to adjust if they switched to mercenary work—not to mention ones from Earth.
Their basic skills were solid enough, but when it came to Cameron Planet common sense, they’d be total idiots.
‘And that’s exactly when major accidents happen.’
Individuals with great skills but poor team synergy, somewhat unreliable gear, and a lack of adaptation to boot. They could handle moderate threats just fine, but Cameron Planet was the kind of place where anything could happen at any moment.
Suhyun hadn’t felt tense at all until now, but this news had him on edge. Misreading his expression, Kim Chang-sik chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I said it’s dangerous, but nothing’s gonna go wrong. The monsters that come out around here are well within our ability to handle.”
‘That baseless confidence is what’s making me uneasy!’
He’d planned to just quietly tag along, but Suhyun changed his mind. This team might as well be full of green recruits when it came to fighting on Cameron Planet. He was a newbie himself who’d just arrived and didn’t have much say, so he’d intended to stay quiet. But if he let them go on like this, a major incident was bound to happen eventually.
He needed to train them.
* * *
“Hey, Gorgan. Come to think of it, this planet’s your home turf, right? You ever been to this area?”
“Nope. And my hometown’s a wasteland.”
“Damn. Not a single guy here who’s actually useful.”
Right now, they were pushing through the jungle in single file. Lee So-hee, riding the Power Armor Black Bear, cleared the path up front, with the rest of the squad following in a line behind her. In normal circumstances, it was a flawless tactic.
“Halt. Taking a short break, then we move out.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The squad members stopped, spaced themselves out appropriately, and sat to rest. Trekking through the humid jungle while staying vigilant was more taxing on stamina than it seemed.
“You’re keeping up pretty well, newbie?”
“It’s not that tough.”
“Don’t act like it’s a walk in the park. Pretending won’t make the job any easier.”
“No, I mean it really isn’t…”
There was no point arguing further. Suhyun took a swig from the canteen hanging off his combat suit to wet his throat. From the combat suit he was wearing to the rifle—everything had been provided by Jo Seung-hyun. Naturally, Suhyun would have to pay it back.
The quality of the gear was a good indicator of the company. Decent outfits didn’t saddle newbies with subpar equipment. They figured you might die anytime, so why waste good stuff on you?
In that regard, Jo Seung-hyun seemed like a decent guy. Suhyun’s gear was on par with everyone else’s. For someone with zero track record, it was an overly generous investment.
“?!”
When Suhyun suddenly grabbed his rifle, the others stared at him in confusion.
Pfft!
The suppressor kept the gunshot from ringing out too loudly. But the effect was undeniable. The bullet pierced the body of a bird flying overhead, dead center.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Ignoring the voice beside him, Suhyun focused on his shooting. One bird in the flock took a sniper round, and the rest scattered in a panic. They were small, fast targets, but Suhyun’s aim was true.
One shot, one kill. Even the people trying to stop him froze in admiration at the precision.
“Did he hit that…?”
‘No, that’s not the point.’
Kim Chang-sik snapped out of it and yelled at Suhyun.
“What the hell are you doing, newbie!”
“Don’t interfere!”
“What’re you talking about, you lunatic? Stop it!”
Kim Chang-sik grabbed Suhyun’s shoulder. At the same time, Suhyun lined up his shot on the last bird and fired. But the grab threw off his aim, and the bullet merely grazed the wing. The bird bolted into the sky.
“Damn it! It got away!”
“You ignoring me?!”
Kim Chang-sik’s face flushed red at Suhyun brushing him off to do his own thing.
“Stand down, Trainee Kim Suhyun. What was the point of that shooting?”
“Those birds need to be killed on sight.”
“…?”
Suhyun picked up one of the fallen birds from the ground. It was a plain-looking thing covered in red feathers. Nothing about it screamed danger.
“What are you talking about?”
“This is what’s commonly called a Calcutta Crocodile Bird. Harmless on its own. The problem is, it flies around scouting for easy prey and calls in other monsters.”
Calcutta Crocodile Bird. The idea that Earth’s crocodiles and crocodile birds had a symbiotic relationship was a misconception, but these ones on Calcutta were infamous for teaming up with other monsters.
Spot an intruder or vulnerable target? Call in the monsters for a fight. Once the prey’s devoured, the bird picks at the scraps. Basically a scout for other monsters.
They were more annoying than anything, so Suhyun always shot them down the moment he spotted one. Dead, they couldn’t call for backup. Tricky little bastards to hit, but for Suhyun, it was like breathing.
The squad stared at him in disbelief. They’d never heard of a monster like that.
Info on Cameron Planet wasn’t systematically compiled very often. The military had classified dossiers on famous monsters, but PMCs on the front lines often knew more—and they weren’t sharing.
This kind of knowledge was hard to come by without boots-on-the-ground experience. Cameron Planet was vast, and every area had its unique quirks.
“Trainee Kim Suhyun. I thought you had no field experience. Mind telling us how you know about this?”
“My father and mother were both soldiers here on this planet. Everything I heard growing up was about this place.”
Lee So-hee thought it over with a stern expression, then nodded.
“Understood. So the danger’s passed now?”
“No. One got away. Monsters are definitely coming this way.”
“I-It wasn’t on purpose…”
Kim Chang-sik blushed and apologized sheepishly. Suhyun waved it off like it was no big deal.
“My fault. Should’ve warned you first. Got ahead of myself.”
“But you sure about this? If you’re wrong, we’re just wasting time.”
“Worth the waste. For safety’s sake, absolutely.”
When one of the squad raised an objection, Lee So-hee shut it down firmly. Suhyun’s info felt vivid and convincing, like it came from hard-earned experience. It didn’t seem like baseless nonsense. Better safe than sorry.
‘Good thing the team leader’s got an open mind.’
Suhyun thought to himself. A petty type would’ve seen it as a challenge to their authority—firing without permission.
This proved she wasn’t the rigid sort. If he made a compelling case, she’d listen within reason.
“Let’s move out. Did your parents ever say what to do if you’re spotted?”
“Best bet is shooting every last bird. Top strategy.”
It wasn’t actually his parents’ advice—it was Suhyun’s rule—but whatever.
“What’s next?”
“Mid-tier is linking up with other units to bulk up your numbers. Calcutta monsters are cunning; they won’t attack if you don’t look like easy pickings.”
“That’s not feasible. It’s just us out here. Military could pull that off.”
“Worst case: head for favorable terrain. Open clearing’s ideal. Lets you concentrate firepower and spot approaches early. They didn’t recommend running or retreating.”
“Why not?”
“Once a bird spots you and calls in monsters, assume you’re being tracked from then on. Doesn’t matter if you move—monsters are faster and better at detection than humans in this jungle. Better to deal with pursuers than ignore them. Otherwise, they’ll hit you from behind at the worst moment.”
“Trainee Kim Suhyun.”
“Yes?”
“Impressive. The president didn’t pick you for nothing. I don’t know much about this Calcutta area. If you have any suggestions during the mission, don’t hesitate to speak up.”
“Thank you.”
It was the best possible response right now. Lee So-hee clearly saw him as a limited advisor.
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