Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: 10. Private First Class Kim Chun-sik (1)
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Several months ago.
Kim Chun-sik still remembered that day vividly.
Having barely survived with Kang San's help, he sat on a hospital bench, staring blankly at the sky.
"......Haa."
Only a sigh escaped his lips.
He felt grateful for not dying, yet the future stretched out before him like an endless void. For one thing, he could no longer work as a Hunter. His grandmother, who had visited the hospital, had threatened to hang herself if he ever took on such dangerous work again, so he had begged and pleaded to calm her down.
She must have been heartbroken.
If she hadn't been ill, Kim Chun-sik never would have become a Hunter or gotten hurt like this.
The problem was that Kim Chun-sik, with no special talents or education to speak of, had no clear path forward. Taking care of himself was manageable with part-time jobs. But covering his grandmother's hospital bills? Ordinary work that barely paid anything wouldn't cut it.
It was hopeless.
Unable to smoke the cigarettes he'd quit to save money, he took a sip of the instant coffee from the hospital vending machine.
It was sweet.
If only life were this sweet.
'Maybe it's for the best. If I was on the brink of death against a mere ogre, no amount of Hunter work would have covered Grandma's bills. It's a reality I had to face eventually. I'm lucky to have realized it while still alive. Now I just need to find another job and solve the problem.'
Day labor, whatever it took.
He would grit his teeth and work.
He couldn't abandon the only family he had in the world.
He downed the rest of the coffee.
Standing up, he headed to the convenience store and bought an armful of premium coffee—stuff he never even glanced at usually. Then he went straight to the hospital's administrative office. Regardless of his treatment, keeping his grandmother's condition from worsening required hospital care. Such places made Kim Chun-sik uncomfortable, but to save her, he had no time for hesitation.
"Um......"
He gave an awkward smile.
Spotting a staff member, he held up the bag of coffees.
"You've all been working hard. Have some coffee."
"Oh, Mr. Kim Chun-sik."
The staffer brightened up.
Surprised by the warm reception, Kim Chun-sik distributed the coffees and casually broached the subject.
"Actually, about the unpaid hospital bills......"
"We were just about to contact you about that. An anonymous donor paid them all in full. Isn't that great? Honestly, your grandmother's situation had me feeling really guilty and upset......"
Anonymous donor.
The staffer's chatter faded from his ears.
Kim Chun-sik turned to stone right there, unable to even shout for joy. He would never forget that moment.
A few months later.
Kim Chun-sik visited the administrative office daily, asking about his benefactor's identity.
He desperately wanted to express his gratitude, but each time, the staffer looked troubled and said,
"......I understand your gratitude, but there's nothing we can do. The donor refused to reveal their identity, so we don't have the authority to tell you. Mr. Kim Chun-sik, we'll pass along how thankful you are, so you don't need to keep bringing coffee every time."
In the end.
He failed to uncover the identity.
He briefly considered hiring a private investigator, but forcing his way in when the benefactor clearly didn't want it would just be a nuisance. What an incredible person. If it were him, he wouldn't spend that kind of money on a stranger, and even if he did, he'd boast about it to high heaven. The fact that they stayed completely anonymous filled him with respect—and a resolve to be grateful for life.
'The world is still worth living in.'
Until then, Kim Chun-sik had been full of complaints.
His life was the only miserable one; the world was unfair; only the rich thrived in this godforsaken place.
Over drinks, he'd vent endlessly. But after experiencing that one act of kindness, his outlook changed. He started seeing the world positively. No need to push himself recklessly anymore. Thinking constructively about the future, he looked for work and chose the military. Like being a Hunter, it had risks, but the stability suited living with his grandmother.
Train.
Carry out operations.
Return home with the earnings and cook her a delicious dinner.
He was happy.
Lost in that happiness, gratitude welled up, and he'd think of his faceless benefactor.
Old?
Young?
What kind of person?
Must be loaded with cash.
When that imagined figure turned out to be Kang San, Kim Chun-sik covered his face with both hands. Emotions surged unexpectedly. He hadn't even considered it. Kang San was an arrow sponge like him, and knowing his own tough circumstances, Kim Chun-sik had never imagined him footing the bill.
"......What is this? I had my benefactor right in front of me and couldn't even thank him properly."
His lips trembled.
Grateful.
And sorry.
It must have been a huge sum for Kang San too. What had possessed him to pay the hospital bills?
Pity, even—that was fine.
No matter the intent, his life had changed because of it.
'I've received too much.'
Saved his life.
Paid his debts.
He wanted to rush over right now.
But he couldn't.
'Kang San might not want that.'
Thinking back, Kang San had helped without fanfare. In the Wangsimni incident, he'd saved people and vanished. And hadn't he told the hospital admin not to reveal his identity? Kim Chun-sik was torn. He wanted to express his thanks, but if it burdened Kang San, it would be the opposite of gratitude.
He stared at the payment receipt.
He wouldn't go barging in rashly.
Still.
"......Thank you so much."
Just knowing his benefactor let him lift a weight from his heart.
A few days later.
While writing an article, Kim Min-young received a text and furrowed her brow.
[We truly appreciate the gift, but we can't disclose anything about that person.]
"......This type has no sense of reciprocity, huh?"
Her prepared gift.
The fruit of thorough investigation.
Probing the Wangsimni incident, she'd learned Kim Chun-sik was key, and that he was desperately seeking the anonymous donor who paid his grandmother's bills. In her judgment, Kim Chun-sik was a man of loyalty. Solve his problem, and she might get a fair return.
Anonymous donor?
Not hard to uncover.
Staff kept their mouths shut, of course, but a reporter's connections could pry open even higher-ups.
"Who could it be? Now I'm even more curious."
She hadn't linked it to Kang San.
Initially, she'd put him on the suspect list via Kim Chun-sik, but his profile—an F-Rank Hunter's long stagnation and poor stats—didn't match someone who could handle dozens of lizardmen. Even Kim Min-young, who trusted her instincts, had a baseline of common sense.
'Kim Chun-sik's a dead end anyway.'
Give.
Take.
This guy didn't play by normal rules.
With such stubbornness, no amount of prodding would yield usable info. Being military, she'd considered going up the chain, but she knew those with unshakable eyes like his would only grow more resentful.
She shelved the thought.
Wangsimni was her personal detour; her reporter duties piled up like mountains.
Then.
Beep, beep-
An alarm sounded.
An incident.
Usually she'd ignore it, but the keywords grabbed her attention.
[Wangsimni]
[E-Rank Link Occurrence]
Why?
For some reason, Kim Min-young pictured Kim Chun-sik's face.
Links didn't happen this frequently.
Just days after resolving one, another alarm blared, sending resting soldiers scrambling out.
Ding-ding-ding-!
Wheeeeee.
"Fuck."
"Why another alert?!"
This was their daily life.
They geared up in seconds, loaded into vehicles, and rolled out.
The scene was already chaos.
Upon arrival, the Second Company Commander announced,
"This link is E-Rank with ogres appearing. It's rated E due to numbers, not difficulty, but no slacking off as always. The moment you do, your comrades, your family—they could die. From now on, stay sharp and execute the op."
"Yes, sir."
The operation began.
Machine gun units laid down fire first, sweeping them, then urban combat teams moved in.
They operated in squads.
Just over ten men covered each other's blind spots as they entered the city. Among them, Kim Chun-sik, buddied with Corporal Park, scanned surroundings with sharp eyes. His heart pounded. Corpses underfoot, blood stench assaulting his nose, beastly musk—it all screamed trouble ahead.
And sure enough.
Kyaak!
"Contact!"
Bang-bang-bang.
Ogres charged suddenly.
The lead team yelled, and Kim Chun-sik and Corporal Park raised their heads, firing indiscriminately.
That was the start.
Ogres swarmed from all directions at the noise. Soldiers used concrete buildings for cover, blasting enemies. Chilling sight. Mere F-Rank monsters tanked dozens of rounds and charged madly. Blood sprayed before their eyes. Eyes bloodshot, they fired in frenzy, knowing a breach meant death.
Kieek.
Thud.
Boom!
Ogres fell.
After cleanup, the squad leader checked bodies and ordered,
"Form buddy teams and sweep the area. Radio if you spot an ogre group."
"Yes, sir."
Narrow alley.
Squad split up. Kim Chun-sik followed his gunner, Corporal Park.
Then he noticed Corporal Park's face.
Always serious in ops, now pale and anxious, hiding nothing.
"Something wrong, Corporal?"
"......"
"Corporal Park."
"Fuck."
His face twisted.
He turned to Kim Chun-sik.
"I think I have to break formation."
"What do you......"
"Right before rollout, I got a text from my little brother. Link hit, everyone's heading to shelters. But his location's still not there. Stuck in place—something's wrong."
Corporal Park had checked via location app on the way.
Couldn't think straight since.
Fear of ogre attack made his eyes shake wildly.
Kim Chun-sik shouted,
"Report to the Company Commander! Take a squad and......"
"That's not Second Company's sector. Third Company's, but given priorities, it'll be backburnered. I'm not leaving blindly. Hey, Kim Chun-sik. You said your grandma's more precious than life. If my buddy goes AWOL, you'll share blame, but let this slide just once. When I get back alive, I'll apologize and make it up to you."
Not a request.
A declaration.
Corporal Park turned away.
No need for a reply.
He was ditching Kim Chun-sik for family.
Punishment? Worry after securing them.
Corporal Park walked off.
Kim Chun-sik froze in confusion.
Should he stop him? What to do?
'......If it were Kang San in this situation, what would he do?'
That man.
Impossible to judge by his standards.
Couldn't imitate him even if he tried. But after learning the immense grace he'd received, Kim Chun-sik's world changed. He couldn't perfectly emulate him. Still, pay kindness forward. Anyone who'd received such grace, if human not beast, owed that much.
Kim Chun-sik gritted his teeth.
"Corporal Park!"
He kicked off.
As Corporal Park turned,
"The army's about buddies, right? I'll go with you."