Enlistment Day: The Inevitable Fate
html, body { margin:0; padding:0; } Sergeant: Baek Jaesung 1
Everyone has those postponed tasks they must eventually face.
Overdue homework, neglected duties, inescapable fate.
Anyone who's ever gotten their resident registration card knows the world isn't that forgiving, so it's wise not to foolishly run from inevitable destiny.
For instance, even though I'm a specially designated project selectee chosen by the government, I've long since given up any thoughts of dodging the military.
The fated day had finally arrived. Enlistment day.
"In dramas, people always get their heads shaved right before heading to the army."
Yeonji said that while stroking her long chestnut hair. Her lush locks, cascading down to her hips, were one of her treasures. From behind, her ponytail swaying back and forth looked just like a horse's tail swishing around—pretty amusing.
"It's bad enough getting drafted, but cutting our hair too? There'd probably be a riot."
At Rina's words, Jisu—who'd been sitting beside me munching snacks with a bright smile—shook her head defiantly. The youngest in our party, Jisu was our group's mood maker and bundle of energy. Her fidgety cuteness made me reach out and ruffle her hair.
Having spent so long in another world, the kids felt strangely distant to me now.
Yeonji, our party's tank and statuesque beauty.
Sujin, the dealer who took my first time.
Rina, the cool beauty with snow-white hair and baby-soft skin.
The effervescent cutie Jisu, bubbling with charm.
And finally, Jueun, radiating sultry allure.
Gathered like this, it really was a flower garden of beauties.
"They should be here to pick us up any minute now."
In a stroke of luxury, the military was sending someone to fetch us at our place. Not all hunters got this treatment—we were prime picks volunteering for the 1st Landing Battalion.
No sooner had I spoken than the doorbell rang at our party house. Proper folks had come for us. Jisu dashed over with a doot-doot-doot and checked the intercom.
"Yes~!"
"Hello. I'm Captain Jeon Si-hyeok from Recruitment. Here to escort you."
A pair of men in berets appeared on the screen. One officer and one NCO. The officer was a captain; the NCO, a sergeant.
"So long, civilian life..."
Yeonji's mutter felt like it echoed my own thoughts. No matter how I sliced it, wasting a year in the army was fucking annoying.
Fuck it. Should I have accepted that American Hunter Association offer back then?
Regret bubbled up, but it was too late now.
We opened the door and met the two soldiers who'd come for us. They'd even brought a compact limo to greet us. A military unit running a limo was weird enough; using it for new recruits heading to basic was downright bizarre.
"Please, hop in. We'll take you straight there."
The recruitment captain even used the word "escort" for us. Nice touch—it put me in a good mood.
The army... might not be so bad after all.
The 1st Landing Battalion we'd volunteered for was under the Special Operations Command. As the name suggested, it was created for amphibious assaults—basically like the Marines.
But over time, things evolved, and now it was a fearsome unit where every combatant was a dungeon hunter.
These days, their main gig was overseas deployments. They'd assist countries struggling with dungeons or clear ones popping up in no-man's-lands like the middle of the Pacific. Most of their service was spent on deployments or in dungeons.
As the unit with the most dungeon ops, it naturally drew elite hunters. It had massive prestige among dungeon hunters too—you could hone your skills without losing your edge during service.
Plus, for pride-obsessed types who lived and died by their rep, the 1st Landing Battalion badge was a huge draw.
If you eyed a gig at the Hunter Association someday, making connections here was smart. Like my master Kim Minyoung—plenty of top brass there were alumni.
The limo dropped us in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province—a remote spot about 20 minutes' drive from the city. Through the window, I spotted an MP post with two NCOs on guard.
"You'll have to walk from here."
We piled out together. A massive sign over the post welcomed us, scrawled in bold brush strokes with a pretty brutal motto.
Captain Jeon Si-hyeok started explaining the sign without prompting.
"This is the Special Warfare School. All Special Ops recruits train here—including the 1st Landing Battalion. Let's head in."
He led the way, and one of the MPs—a rifleman—snapped a salute with a booming shout.
"Unity!"
The crisp salute felt like an intimidation tactic.
But good luck psyching anyone out with that lame-ass cheer.
We followed Captain Jeon into the school grounds.
Near the MP post at the entrance stood several large HQ buildings, with a big road snaking up the mountain behind them.
The Special Warfare School was built into the hills. The path to the dense forest was steep—no major grading done, just buildings and training grounds plopped in.
Probably for the training grind. Or just to save cash.
"Once you're in HQ, the real enlistment process starts. That's where my escort ends. Serve your country well for the next year."
The captain headed back to the post—probably to fetch more recruits.
Serve the country diligently for a year, my ass.
Even pouring oil on a fire shows more tact than spouting shit like that.
In another world, I'd have caved his face in.
At the admin building entrance, soldiers were waiting for more recruits like us. They'd set up tents displaying weapons and combat rations, guiding folks inside.
Plenty of other enlistees around—not just us. Surprisingly, many came with family.
"Those guys all hunters?"
"Nah, look like civilians."
Looks like today's intake wasn't just for the Landing Battalion. We headed to admin together.
"Where you enlisting?"
A beret-wearing sergeant bellowed at me like his life depended on it.
"No way?"
The guy suddenly checked the faces next to me and clapped alone.
"1st Landing Battalion, right? This way."
"Thanks, uncle~"
"Uh, not quite uncle..."
The soldier winced like Jisu's cute greeting had shot him in the chest, forcing an awkward smile.
"Whoa, you guys are legit famous now."
"Took you long enough? Tons of people recognize me out and about."
Yeonji puffed out her chest proudly.
Worlds apart from me.
We navigated the chaotic admin entrance and entered a small building—the one the sergeant had pointed out.
Fewer people here—just a handful you could count on fingers. Most were familiar faces from the exam site.
"Hey! Jaesung!"
A familiar voice—Hwang Cheolmin waved from Hunter Training School days. Our connection had proven surprisingly sticky. Honestly, hadn't expected him to pass the Battalion exam.
"Fancy meeting here. Enlistment day at last. Sigh~ I'm heartbroken over my girlfriend."
Hwang spewed pointless crap nonstop. I tuned him out as usual, scanning the room.
High chance I'd spend the next year with these folks. Basic recon was mandatory, not optional.
The quality of group life hinges on your comrades' quality.
Were my fellow rookies solid?
Luckily, not many to check—just 20 exactly.
'A few'll get shuffled to admin anyway.'
That narrowed the real concerns even more.
"Jaesung. Hey."
A handsome guy who could make anyone jealous approached with a greeting. Even chatty Hwang shut up for a sec.
"Ah, Seungjin. Long time."
Han Seungjin
Korea's hottest dungeon hunter right now.
Elite skills plus killer looks had made him famous domestically and abroad.
"Haha, yeah. Most faces here look familiar. Lucky, huh."
"Pretty much."
Seungjin traded light greetings, voiced brief worries about what lay ahead, then stepped back. Hwang, silenced like a honey-dumbed mute, shot me a quizzical look.
"When'd you get chummy with Seungjin?"
"Various stuff. Hunter community’s small."
"True. Anyway, this intake’s stacked with talent. Heh, including me, right?"
Hwang scratched his head as a buzzcut soldier marched up crisply.
"Landing Battalion volunteers! Over here! Fill out enlistment forms here!"
The soldier bellowed like his throat might burst.
Did everyone here have a train-whistle throat or what?
Voice that damn loud?
We followed to a spacious hall. Chairs held pens and a few sheets. We grabbed seats solo.
"Fill all blanks, then hand to a roaming instructor!"
Admin dragged on after that. We got duffel bags, uniforms, boots, berets—standard issue.
Post-issue, physical exams. Time sink.
"This'll be your barracks for basic training."
Sunset already. Ten-minute hike up the hill led to a small barrack. Cozy size, but facilities seemed decent. Spotless exterior—recently built.
"What's that rundown shack next door?"
Next to our shiny new barrack loomed a crumbling wreck.
"That's for other trainees."
"Whoa~ They use that?"
"Everyone except Landing Battalion hunters."
Ghost-haunted vibes, and they still run it.
Thank fuck we're hunters. Non-hunters wouldn't enlist anyway.
Obviously, barracks split by gender: women first floor, men second.
Three stories, each spacious. With just 20 of us, even small felt roomy.