Joint Survival Training
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Sergeant: Baek Jaesung 4
As the third week rolled around, everyone had gotten used to boot camp life. Surprisingly, it wasn't all that grueling. Sergeant Kim Sangin had come in hot at first to establish dominance, but once we played along just enough, he loosened up considerably.
I adapted even better than I'd expected. No surprise there—thanks to my experience at the Kakil boot camp. This place was way more relaxed by comparison, so there wasn't much to get pissed about. If anything, I got more frustrated watching my fellow recruits fumble around like idiots compared to our instructor.
Of course, I never showed it. These guys were all top talent, the kind who'd land solid spots in society even after discharge. No point burning bridges.
"Week three training is joint drills. You'll be doing survival training with the other recruits. They've had ten weeks of basic training, so you'll learn a lot from them. Don't look down on them just because they're civilians."
After weekend marksmanship training, Sergeant Kim Sangin briefed us on the next schedule.
In civilian life as a dungeon hunter, you rarely team up with non-hunters. The military's different. Outside of outliers like the 1st Landing Battalion, most units are packed with more regulars than hunters.
Even in the 1st Landing Battalion, unless it's a dungeon delve, they often run ops with civilians. That's probably why joint training's part of the curriculum. In a real war, you'd be coordinating with even more non-hunters.
"The drill's a full week of field training—obviously, sleeping outdoors too. Rest up today."
With that, Sergeant Kim dropped the info and bounced.
Back in the barracks, we sprawled on our bunks, mulling over tomorrow's drill. A week outdoors? For dungeon hunters like us, who'd roughed it in worse spots, it was just a casual hike.
"Just two more weeks till graduation. Kinda fun, huh?"
Hwang Cheolmin's a military lifer through and through. This pretty boy seemed like a total airhead, but he was sneakily competent.
Honestly, it was fucking stifling for me. No phone freedom in boot camp. Sure, I'd snuck mine in my inventory and checked it nightly, but still.
Guess I don't vibe with this controlled atmosphere.
Living conditions weren't bad. Post-training, the 1st Landing Battalion left recruits alone. No entertainment, but after hours, you could read or shower whenever. No guard duty either.
Plus, I skipped the shitty mess hall slop for dungeon rations, and when I got horny, I'd hop to another worldline for a wild fuckfest. But the military's rigid vibe just didn't suit me.
"By the way, Jaesung, your shooting was insane. Long-range weapons aren't my thing—felt awkward."
Hwang Cheolmin kept yapping with that childish grin. Jang Gun-gi chimed in.
"Same here. For us, abilities beat guns any day. Weird how our barracks has both a Light Control and Darkness Control user."
Jang Gun-gi glanced between me and Han Seungjin. Hwang Cheolmin lit up.
"Darkness Control's got a bad rep, but it's improved since word got out you're a user, Seungjin. Back in the day, TV painted it as criminal scum territory."
Han Seungjin scratched his head sheepishly at Hwang Cheolmin's oblivious chatter.
"Haha. Still plenty of folks with that misconception."
"Doesn't make sense now that you think about it. You don't choose your ability."
Like Hwang Cheolmin said, Darkness Control screams "criminal ability." Old-school types still think that way. Hell, rumors say users end up on a national blacklist.
"All because of those bastards."
Hwang Cheolmin nodded at Jang Gun-gi's words. "Those bastards" meant the Rose Cross Society ringleaders.
The world's most infamous Demonic Clan.
Anarchists rejecting the current ability management system run by associations and governments. Despite being a crime syndicate, their hunters are exceptionally skilled, backed by immense power and funds—always fingered as culprits in major incidents.
They're the real deal: backing Middle East conflicts, stirring Southeast Asian warlords into civil wars, tangled in global heavy hitters.
What makes them nuts is they're the only Demonic Clan to declare war on a Hunter Association.
A few years before I was born, the Rose Cross hit the Chinese Hunter Association HQ with a terror attack.
The chairman and over 100 execs died, plus 2,000+ hunters. Even for manpower-rich China, that's no small loss.
China labeled them enemy state and went to war. They just laughed it off, still thriving.
The attack tarnished China's rep and showed the world Rose Cross's might.
No matter how subpar China's association, it's top-tier globally. A chairman-killing hit, even as a surprise attack, wasn't just an "accident."
The Beijing raid exposed their clan master as at least 1-rank with Darkness Control, cementing it as Demonic turf.
Even now, using Darkness Control in Beijing gets you stoned. The ability that crumbled their HQ? Instant trauma for Chinese folks.
"Training with civilians—won't the skill gap be huge? Hope they don't drag us down."
Hwang Cheolmin pivoted from the heavy topic. Barracks talk shifted to the upcoming drill.
I spectated from the back, as usual.
Hunter recruits and regular recruits looked different from the jump. The buzzcut potato-head regulars lined up tense-eyed before us.
Their K-1 gazes locked on Sujin, Yeonji, and my girls.
Military uniforms on them? Lethally sexy. Made me wanna try uniform sex later.
Army life's here—combat fuck once wouldn't hurt, right?
Some drooling idiots gawked at the girls.
Fucking morons.
You'll never taste pussy like that. Keep jerking to your hand.
Up front, a sergeant instructor eyed his recruits like a hawk.
Veteran stench wafting hard. Military discipline cranked to eleven.
Our side? Wild hair, rainbow dyes. Jueun flicked her purple locks, eyeing the buzzcuts curiously.
"Joint survival training starts today. Use everything from your ten weeks to survive."
The drill kicked off with a march. Hunter loadout: about 50kg.
No whiners, obviously. Dungeon runs mean hauling multiples of that routinely.
Especially hauling byproducts back—300kg+ common. Hence the monster-leather custom packs.
We marched mountain trails, deeper than our usual runs. 50 minutes move, 10 rest.
"Huff...! Huff...! Huff...!"
Regulars started grimacing but three hours in, fatigue showed.
Hunters? Breezy. Not running, just walking—wouldn't tire us. Anyone who did would've died in a dungeon ages ago.
Jueun's keeping up fine.
Even admin-track folks marched without lagging.
Jueun's stats had climbed from our nonstop fucking. She outpaced other hunters on mountain runs. Decent ability, and she'd dungeon-ready tomorrow.
"Moving with non-hunters is so frustrating."
Hwang Cheolmin eyed the panting regulars. Spot on this time. March dragged eight hours, covering ~40km.
"Set up camp here!"
Even camp setup: hunters crushed regulars. Dungeons demand it.
One-man tents all around. By the time we'd cleared ground, pitched, dug trenches, and prepped chow, regulars hadn't finished tents. We even pulled security for them.
"You fuckers! What'd you learn these past weeks!? They're done eating over there!"
The regular instructor screamed, tomato-red.
"Told you—don't drag the hunters! What the hell is this!?"
Stinging their pride to motivate.
We chowed combat rations, watching them get reamed. They finished tents an hour later—post our meal.
Mountain nights chilled. Tougher than dungeons? Nah, not for hunters.
Next morning, we broke camp quick. Regulars started earlier but finished 30 minutes later. Roasted by their instructor, naturally.
"Last night, Sergeant Kim Sangin and I planted organics around. Today's mission: team up to find them. One hunter per four regulars. Note: traps everywhere—stay sharp. Forming teams now."
I drew four buzzcuts. They intros'd first—tuned out mentally.
Fleeting bonds, and wasting brain space on non-hunter dudes? Waste.
Big-head led. Pulled map and compass from his pack.
"Our sector's here. Map puts us near this ravine."
Briefing like my adjutant. Score-hunting?
What good's points with me?
"Got it. Let's take it slow."
We pushed into sector. They spread line-abreast, aiming rifles, creeping like enemies lurked.
I strolled casual; Big-head cautioned.
"Uh... traps possible, sir. Like that..."
"Booby trap on your tree."
He checked his feet—hair-thin wire between trees.
Darkness Radar spotted all traps easy.
"W-whoa! Real deal!"
Big-head eyed me admiringly.
"Organic under that rock. Toothpaste?"
Team found it in under five. Han Seungjin probably same. Trivial with detection skills.
Day one: rations. Day two: forage. High activity burned us hungry fast.
"Find your own food here. But don't touch mushrooms!"
Regulars scattered scavenging at the word.
Half-day fast, and they looked possessed. Mountain vets, maybe.
"Hmm. What now?"
Free forage time—Yeonji sidled up.
Not just her; others drifted close. Too many eyes.
"Deeper in. Better eats there."
"Hehe... No mushrooms? Can't resist when they're this tasty right in front."
Yeonji grinned at my crotch.