Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: What the Hell is Early Discharge...
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Early discharge, what the hell...
The morning after the villain was caught.
In the cafeteria where the trainees had gathered, I chewed on the bloated udon noodles and glared at the TV news.
The reporter on screen was excitedly chattering away.
It was all praise for Yoo Na-yeon's heroic exploits.
The trainees ate their meals, each one marveling in admiration.
"Wow, as expected of Yoo Na-yeon. I was asleep and had no idea—we almost had a real disaster on our hands."
"How did they even breach security? If it weren't for an S-Rank, no one would've known!"
Everyone was buzzing with excitement, but I wasn't enjoying it one bit.
Sitting across from me were Kim Min-jun, Han Se-mo, and Lee Hyung-seok—the so-called White Tiger Trio. They were picking at their food, glancing nervously at me.
"Um... mister? You okay? Choking or something? Why the long face?"
Se-mo asked cautiously.
I tapped my chopsticks against the udon bowl.
"What was on the dinner menu yesterday?"
"Huh? Sweet and sour pork and kung pao chicken."
Kung~pao~chick~en!?
Two meat dishes??
The cafeteria had been shut down because of the bomb, so I hadn't even gotten a glimpse of the fried batter.
Of all places, hiding that bomb in the cafeteria—that damn villain bastard.
Sweet and sour pork. My beloved kung pao chicken.
I regretted not grilling that villain well-done.
I might not know fire magic, but I had the power to turn a perfectly good egg into a fried one.
"Lost my appetite."
I set down my chopsticks and stood up first.
That's when Yoo Na-yeon, tray in hand, casually fell into step beside me.
The trainees around us didn't make a fuss over her for once.
Is this what they mean by...
That stealth artifact the villain used yesterday?
Yoo Na-yeon leaned toward me and whispered softly.
"Hey. I called in a pro awakener to interrogate that guy yesterday."
"What'd he turn out to be?"
"Just some cotton candy vendor. Regular guy with barely any mana."
Yoo Na-yeon spoke in a low voice so no one else could hear.
"Looks like he was under hypnosis or something. Thought he was some terrorist group exec. And that bomb he planted in the cafeteria? Not a mana bomb—just kids' fireworks."
"Fireworks?"
So that's how he infiltrated so easily.
Come to think of it, there was no way you could just bring mana-infused items into the training grounds.
"He was just bait. Probably testing our security levels. Better watch your back just in case, Sang-hyuk."
At Yoo Na-yeon's warning, I narrowed my eyes.
Bait, huh.
If bait stole my precious kung pao time, how exhausting would the real deal be?
'Try messing with my early discharge one more time. I won't let it slide.'
I snatched a pickled radish from my tray and crunched it down.
Crunch.
After breakfast, day two of training kicked off in earnest.
I hated this place—you had to hike up the mountain just for training.
"Attention! Today, we'll be running the training most similar to real combat!"
Instructor Cho stood tall and proclaimed dramatically.
Behind him loomed several massive container boxes.
"My unique ability is 'Subspace Creation.' The insides of those containers are set up like real gate environments."
Nice. Guy probably doesn't even pay rent.
"Inside, my custom training phantasm monsters are rampaging around. Of course, I've got safety measures so you won't get hurt, but the pain you'll feel is real. If you don't want to end up crying like babies, communicate with your teammates and sync up!!"
The trainees were divided into groups of four and entered the containers one by one.
A quiet time passed.
Most came out after about ten minutes, looking ragged.
Evaluations were mostly B or C.
"Sniff. It hurts so much. I'm filing a complaint later."
"That was awful... I quit being a hunter."
As expected of greenhouse flowers—they lacked real combat sense.
I'd only been in a department store gate once... but I just smashed the core and bailed in a second, so I barely remembered what it felt like inside.
"Next! Group 7! Front and center!"
Our turn at last. The White Tiger Trio stepped forward, loosening up.
"Mister didn't even eat. Just hang back and rest."
Se-mo patted my shoulder with a grin.
"Don't get in the way. We'll show you what White Tiger's made of."
Kim Min-jun cracked his neck solemnly.
It happened as we stood at the container entrance.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The ground shook suddenly, and a crimson-black dimensional rift tore open at the container mouth.
A subspace rift with a sinister, blood-like hue.
Similar to the one at the department store, but bigger and more intense.
I slowly walked over to the instructor and asked.
"Instructor. Ours is the only one with a weird color, right?"
"What? I didn't touch anything? Let me see."
While I went to fetch the instructor, our eager White Tiger Trio charged toward the gate.
"As expected, they recognize White Tiger Guild! Treating elites special with a difficulty bump."
Se-mo pushed up his glasses as Kim Min-jun grinned smugly and took the lead.
"Hey! You idiots! Don't go in!"
I yelled from behind, but the early-discharge-obsessed White Tiger Trio had already hurled themselves inside.
"These crazy bastards."
I stared at the red gate in disbelief.
Instructor Cho panicked, fiddling with his ability, but that wouldn't fix the gate.
"Instructor. Can't you at least send in those phantasms or whatever?"
"They can't leave my gate..."
Yoo Na-yeon and Han Yoo-jung were tied up with the bomber investigation.
'Should I go in?'
At this rate, those hot-blooded kids were done for.
Even that tiny department store gate spewed B-Rank monsters—this one reeked of far worse mana.
At least A-Rank gate?
What were trainees supposed to do against that with their blunted practice weapons?
A death in training grounds meant no early discharge—just detention until the investigation ended.
Honestly, that wasn't even the issue.
Being branded a murderer bystander would ruin my 500 million won salary as an honorary hunter.
Might not get renewed next year.
'Can't have that.'
I gripped my practice sword tightly.
It wasn't like I couldn't sleep at night thinking of leaving those kids I'd roomed with to die.
My friend gets called a hero, so I gotta live up to being his heroic buddy, right?
"Hey! What are you doing!?"
Instructor Cho spotted me too late and shouted.
But my foot had already crossed the gate threshold.
"Gotta take a dump. Be right back after I go inside."
With that ridiculous excuse, I plunged into the gate.
Stepping inside, a acrid stench assaulted my nose.
Not the safe training-ground scent Instructor Cho mentioned.
"Oh. Mister came too?"
"What. Thought you chickened out and ran."
I looked around—no exit door in sight.
To leave here, you'd have to smash the gate core and tear the dimensional rift.
"You guys be careful. This is a real gate."
"Of course, we're prepared for that."
Se-mo adjusted his glasses with bullshit confidence.
Dozens of red eyes lit up in the fog.
"Grrr... Grrr! Woof!"
"Those are Shadow Wolves."
Se-mo said.
Monsters whose fur blended into the surroundings like camouflage.
I remembered them from the textbook.
Fortunately, just mob trash from C-Rank gates.
"But the vibe here's off. The mana waves feel like a real gate."
Se-mo.
Why check that after coming inside?
I stared in disbelief, and Kim Min-jun snorted.
"Hey. Don't freak. It's just a fake space made by an ability. They're amping up the realism, that's all."
"You think?"
"Everyone, get ready! Let's sweep 'em!"
Kim Min-jun drew his sword and took point.
Green winds swirled around him.
"I'll clear the path! Follow up!"
Whoosh!
Kim Min-jun's wind blade sliced through the fog and severed a Shadow Wolf's neck.
"Kekeh..."
"Woof...!"
Definitely elite guild apprentice material.
Other trainees would've pissed themselves by now, but these guys faced real monsters without flinching.
Even if they thought they were illusions—snarling beasts drooling from razor fangs.
"Good. I'll bind their legs!"
Se-mo froze the wolves' paws from behind with ice magic, while Hyung-seok shot their eyes with arrows.
"Kyak! Yak!"
Dozens of wolves neutralized in seconds.
Kim Min-jun handled the finishes.
Slash!!
"Piece of cake. This the 'amped-up' difficulty?"
Kim Min-jun turned triumphantly amid the blood-soaked gate air.
"Saw that, mister? No need to show off this time—just chill. We didn't sync, so you'd just get in the way."
Kim Min-jun strutted forward, chest puffed.
"Let's just early-discharge together nice and quiet."
They were solid, all three—no wonder they strutted as White Tiger apprentices.
'Fine. If you handle it, great for me.'
No need for me to step up like this.
...Or so I thought, relaxing.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
A massive shadow blocked the charging White Tiger Trio.
Groooar!
The unknown shadow's snort birthed thick fog and chill.
Hyung-seok trembled from just a graze.
"Ugh... Feels like frostbite on my finger... Hurry and kill it so we can go..."
"Here we go! Formation B!"
Same start.
Kim Min-jun's wind blade cut the fog.
But the result? Worlds apart.
Ting!
The blade bounced harmlessly.
With a growl, it revealed itself.
"GRRROOOOAR!!"
Green glowing eyes. Razor-edged, shining fur.
It burst from the fog—house-sized behemoth.
"Kyak...!"
Even allied Shadow Wolves cowered at its roar.
"Agh...!"
"W-what is that...?"
Hyung-seok collapsed, shaking.
Se-mo, cocky seconds ago, paled and yelled.
"I-it's a Blood Fang... Only rarely seen in London... They really put effort into this illusion...?"
"Blood Fang?"
"Always starving for blood—even eats its own kind alive. Once it bites, it doesn't let go till your head rips off!"
So that's a Blood Fang.
Sure enough, its maw was caked in blood.
Se-mo quaking, but Kim Min-jun still clueless.
"Don't freak, idiots. If it was a real London monster, why's it here in Korea?"
"But... still..."
"It's all instructor illusions. Perfect for scaring trainees—like you guys."
Kim Min-jun kicked off the ground and charged.
Not wind this time—straight reinforced sword slash.
"Beat this, and early discharge is guaranteed!"
Kim Min-jun leaped high through the fog.
What the hell was early discharge to this kid?
"W-wait! That mana feels like a real monster...!"
Se-mo tried to stop him too late.
Claaang!!
Practice weapons...
"Huh...?"
...Snapped in half against real combat.