Chapter 88
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 088
Chapter Title: The Soldiers (2)
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A middle-aged soldier appeared before us not long after.
His rank was colonel. He extended a hand for a shake and grinned at me. A sleazy smile.
"You're Hunter Kim Geuk, right?"
"Yes, that's me. Incheon forever."
"Nice to meet you. I'm the regimental commander here!"
"So, Commander, you wanted to meet us?"
"Yes, well... I heard you're going to clear out the monsters on Ganghwa Island now. You're starting with the ones on Mani Mountain, right?"
I nodded at the colonel's question.
"Yeah. That's the monster den, isn't it? We have to sweep them out first, then handle the rest step by step..."
"That's the right call! So, when you head up Mani Mountain, could you take some of our troops along?"
What was this now?
"Our troops?"
"Not regular soldiers—Awakener soldiers! Superhuman soldiers? Something like that!"
Awakener soldiers? It was a term I'd never heard before, and I blinked in surprise.
The colonel continued.
"They'll definitely be helpful! They've all had proper training with portable heavy weapons (I guess he meant Hunter Rifles) and everything..."
"Okay, so what exactly do you want us to do with these Awakener soldiers?"
"Oh, anything you want! Have them guide you, provide fire support during monster takedowns..."
So, it wasn't about assigning them specific tasks—just bring them along on the hunt, and that was it.
I could guess why they were asking. Civilian Hunters were handling the cleanup operation that was originally the military's job in this area. As the local commander, it'd be embarrassing to report that they'd just stood around watching.
They probably wanted to claim they'd actively supported the Hunters' activities.
Whatever the reason, it didn't matter to me.
We'd already achieved massive results that even I found impressive. No way letting the military tag along would steal our credit, so I nodded without hesitation.
"Got it. We'll take the soldiers—just get them ready..."
Not expecting such ready agreement, the colonel's face lit up immediately.
"Oh man, thank you so much!"
"Anyway, we're working through the afternoon. How are you handling meals for the troops? Sending food all the way up the mountain won't be easy."
"That's simple—they can pack combat rations. Thanks again!"
The colonel kept grinning, stressing over and over that we could order the troops to do anything—even send them back injured from tough jobs.
He said even serious injuries could be healed at the army hospital by healers, but I couldn't tell if he was joking or serious, making it hard to respond.
And so, before climbing Mani Mountain, eleven soldiers joined our group of Hunters.
Awakener soldiers—whose existence in Korea I hadn't even known about.
"Nice to meet you all!"
I greeted them energetically, but their response was limp.
"Yes... us too..."
When I asked about their abilities, they were all either Physical Enhancement or Force Field Exoskeleton types. Astonishing.
Physical Enhancement or Force Field Exoskeletons might be the most common among A-rank Hunters, but that didn't make them any less valuable. In front of me—with my three abilities—they seemed modest, but even one alone would let someone strut around the Hunter world with shoulders squared.
Yet these Awakener soldiers joining us showed none of the confidence typical of powerful Awakeners.
The Physical Enhancers were at least distinguishable by their builds, but Force Field Exoskeleton soldiers looked no different from recruits dragged in from boot camp.
And no wonder—their faces were all grim. They looked like the type who'd mumble "No..." in deflated tones if asked if they'd been forced here.
Finally, I asked one corporal.
"Anything bothering you guys?"
"No..."
"Come on, speak up! If there's a problem, tell me. I won't rat you out to your commander. Okay?"
Even then, no one spoke up, so I waved at the cameraman following Naito around.
"Hey, put the camera away for a sec!"
Only then did the soldiers start glancing at each other cautiously.
Finally, one mustered the courage to speak.
"How actively do we have to join in the monster hunting?"
"Huh? No need to go all out... Worried I'll make you charge in with guns blazing?"
I said it jokingly, but one soldier nodded seriously.
"Honestly, yeah... We don't have much monster-hunting experience, so we're worried about how far your orders will go..."
"Ah, don't you hunt monsters much on Ganghwa Island normally? Isn't that why you got sent up here?"
"We don't really know why we were sent either..."
"Anyway, if you lack hunting experience, just watch. Think of it as a hike—just follow along. I won't make you do anything. Got it?"
They finally seemed relieved at my words. Color returned to their faces.
With that, we set off up the mountain, dragging along these soldiers who could be recruits or superhumans for all we knew.
The Hunters chatted as we walked.
"By the way, didn't Kang Jun-chi once threaten the government that conscripting Awakeners would cause an uproar? I thought that's why they introduced the Hunter system instead of drafting Awakeners, but the military has its own Awakener soldiers. What's up with that?"
"Maybe it's okay since they conscripted people who happened to Awaken, rather than specifically drafting Awakeners?"
Meanwhile, the Awakener Hunters—including me—got to work.
I spread out my mental web in all directions to pinpoint nearby monsters, while Baek Dam-bi opened a Gate.
Hunters positioned themselves seamlessly around the open Gate, readying their fire net.
I entered the Gate with Baek Dam-bi. Inside and out, I mapped monster positions and glimpsed the Behemoth far off—its presence unmistakable.
Has that Behemoth bastard smeared honey all over Korea? Why's it sticking around instead of leaving?
I muttered, and Baek Dam-bi replied.
From the monsters' perspective, moving inside the Gate isn't something they can do casually. It consumes spiritual energy or something during transit. Like calories burning on a long walk.
Ah, so it burned spiritual calories getting here, and heading back empty-handed feels like a waste?
Probably. Might be waiting for an opportunity.
True. Kang Jun-chi is scary, but he'll eventually leave or die of old age. Wait it out inside the Gate, and sooner or later...
Even as we chatted, I approached a monster pack.
They resembled sloths—ones I'd never seen before.
Baek Dam-bi exited first and signaled. Then I Teleported the monster pack out with me.
The moment our view shifted, bullets rained down on me and the sloth monsters I'd grabbed.
Literally from all sides. The three sloth monsters I Teleported couldn't resist at all—riddled with holes, they died instantly.
These days, my team didn't even tense up for it. We'd repeated Gate interior sweeps hundreds of times this month alone.
But to the newbie soldiers watching from behind, it was shocking—their wide-eyed stares were palpable.
I grinned and called out.
"What, pretty cool, huh?"
"Cool? It's insane...!"
They seemed genuinely awed, which satisfied me.
"Nah, why? It wasn't even a big fight."
"Opening Gates, the ice bear firing cannons, Teleportation—it's all straight-up magic..."
Ah, right. My abilities or my team's were flashier than plain Physical Enhancement or Force Field Exoskeletons—more like wizardry.
Naito's cameraman eagerly filmed their reactions, and buoyed by the mood, I repeated the process with extra vigor.
Pull monsters from the Gate interior; waiting Hunters unleash firepower and kill them...
My team or the others—we'd worked together long enough that everyone synced perfectly now.
Even Naito had the leisure to broadcast right after a kill.
"Today too! Here on Mani Mountain, Incheon's savior Hunter Kim Geuk is sweeping monsters clean! Every broadcast sparks foreign comments like 'This is fake,' 'If real, 50 billion for Kim Geuk makes no sense'—tons of them. Heck, some official from another country recently inquired about a reward if I convinced Kim Geuk to transfer to them...!"
Like before, routine for us, but mind-blowing for the soldiers.
As monster corpses piled up, satisfied murmurs rose from them.
"Fucking awesome..."
True to my word, the soldiers just watched from behind, but their reactions alone made bringing them worthwhile.
Hey, they'd made me happy—buying them a meal was a fair trade.
Lunchtime approached. I asked the soldiers.
"I'm no army vet—just an ex-con—so I might be off, but I hear the military does chicken and pizza for every get-together? Still true? Samgyeopsal parties, chicken feasts—still common?"
One soldier shook his head.
"No? Not since the Gates opened..."
"Must miss outside food, huh? Name three things you crave. I'll order them for lunch."
Was treating to pricey food no longer commonplace these days?
It wasn't much, but their eyes went wide.
"You'll order for us too?"
"You munching emergency rations while we eat chicken? Awkward. Of course I'll order. Go on."
"Nothing smelly like samgyeopsal, right?"
"If monsters sniff it out, even better—easy kills. Don't hold back. Anything."
After hesitating, they picked chicken, samgyeopsal, and bossam. I called and ordered.
When the food arrived at the base, I Teleported down to fetch it. Hunters clapped wildly; soldiers joined in. Amid the applause, I happily paid.
"Kim Geuk, I'm profiting off broadcasting this wholesome scene, so let me cover half the bill..."
Naito—the richest after me—offered, but I flatly refused. As if some non-Awakener scrub could.
After that, we kept clearing monsters inside and outside the Gate indiscriminately.
Maybe bellies full and moods lifted—or because I kept my word and assigned no tasks—their anxiety faded, and the soldiers mingled with the Hunters.
Hunters and soldiers started chatting casually.
During the ongoing hunt, one soldier who'd introduced himself as Physical Enhancement asked.
"Can I shoot along when you take down the next monster?"
"Wanna try hunting together?"
"Yes. Planning to become a Hunter after discharge..."
A promising guy. I grinned genuinely.
"Of course! Hang on—one wild monster that way. Let's use it..."
I made it happen as requested. The soldier who'd stepped up got to hunt with the others; tension easing, he trembled slightly but smiled. Probably riding a thrill high.
"Anyone else planning to Hunter post-discharge, step up now! Great chance. Mistakes okay—I'll cover. Yeah?"
A few raised hands, volunteering for hunts.
Thus, this hunt became a first real-hunting camp for these would-be A-rank Hunters. Not just shooting, but proper experience: cautious approaches and shots on wild monsters. Fulfilled my senior Hunter duty.
Soon, time to wrap up.
On the way down, one soldier said.
"Hunter Kim Geuk, saw your live interview—thought you were just crazy. But meeting you... surprisingly kind? Great guy overall."
"How could I treat Incheon citizens poorly? Incheon forever."
"Ah, I'm from Daegu..."
"You're in Incheon now—so Incheon man. Nonsense. Anyway, voting Park Mi-hyeong in the next mayoral election, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, definitely... Anyway, way more chill than expected. Full of surprises."
"Surprised?"
"Seriously. Was worried bringing us along. Thought if someone watching said they wanted to try hunting, you'd rip them a new one."
Then Jang Byeong-gon—veteran after Baek Dam-bi on my team, but less presence than Jeong Jin-yeong—grinned and spoke.
"Yeah, other Hunter teams might've chewed you out for that. Most are on edge—military stress vibes, overreacting to slips. Lives on the line, can't blame 'em..."
"This group's vibe is special, huh?"
"Totally! Super relaxed here. No deaths in ages, Kim Geuk's personality is super laid-back..."
We were deep in cheerful banter.
Sometimes, creatures blending motionless into the environment evade my mental web. It prioritizes moving objects.
A Deathclaw had apparently stayed perfectly still amid the brush. It ambushed when soldiers passed at the group's rear.
My mental web caught the Deathclaw's movement.
As it lunged from the bushes at a soldier, I acted without hesitation.
I thrust my Hunter Rifle forward and Teleported. The soldier finally reacted, letting out a scream-moan.
"Uh—"
I appeared beside him. Simultaneously, I jabbed the rifle barrel upward.
The Deathclaw—leaping man-height to strike—took the muzzle in its gut.
I pulled the trigger. It couldn't even swipe once—body exploded mid-air.
Blood and flesh from the Deathclaw sprayed.
"—huh?"