Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: 10. Private First Class Kim Chun-sik (4)
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The battalion commander's arrival.
The company commander and soldiers snapped to attention with salutes, and Major Choi Sung-jae raised his hand casually, as if it were routine.
"Uh, yeah. Good work."
"Not at all, sir."
"So, what's going on?"
"Well, sir. The thing is..."
The company commander explained the situation.
Park Corporal's family had been in danger, and he'd gone AWOL with his junior to help. Fortunately, reinforcements arrived just in time—any later, and they might have lost two soldiers. He painted the atmosphere gravely to emphasize the point.
"...That's why we're considering severe punishment—one strike and you're out."
"Why?"
"Sir?"
"Why punish them so harshly? From where I'm standing, it looks like our boys did something truly praiseworthy."
The company commander blinked in surprise.
His strict reaction to the soldiers was partly due to military law, but he also didn't want to bear full responsibility if the battalion commander started probing. Major Choi Sung-jae had a reputation for being subtly nitpicky. He'd expected the man to lean toward discipline, but Choi's smiling face showed no discomfort.
"I was the same back in my hot-blooded days. Military law is like the heavens—absolute, never to be broken. But on a chaotic battlefield, there are always exceptions. I wouldn't have acted differently. If your family's in danger, you run to them first. Isn't one reason we serve to hope our families can live in a safe world? Impressive. If they saved them in the end, sometimes results matter more than the process."
The company commander was quick on the uptake.
He grasped the battalion commander's intent immediately.
"You're right, sir. If our soldiers hadn't stepped in, plenty of people would have died or been injured."
"Then let's wrap this incident up quietly..."
He turned his gaze.
To Kim Chun-sik.
He'd heard this Private First Class Kim Chun-sik was the one who saved everyone.
"Private First Class Kim Chun-sik?"
"Private First Class Kim Chun-sik reporting, sir."
"Having a soldier like Private First Class Kim Chun-sik under my command makes this battalion commander truly proud. Glad you're safe."
He pulled him into a tight embrace.
Kim Chun-sik looked utterly bewildered.
Beyond Major Choi Sung-jae.
Kim Min-young smirking at the corner of her mouth—Kim Chun-sik could only guess she'd pulled some strings.
Kim Min-young's intentions became clear soon enough.
They'd done a short exclusive interview, and Kim Chun-sik wrapped it up by describing his situation with a bit of embellishment. They'd pre-agreed to edit out issues like going AWOL during the interview process.
"Congratulations. A special promotion one rank? So, Corporal Kim Chun-sik now?"
"...Yes, that's how it turned out. But why did you help me? I'm not planning to spill any clues just because of this."
Her motives.
It wasn't just for the article.
Suspecting she was cozying up to dig into Kang San, Kim Chun-sik reacted a bit sharply.
Kim Min-young laughed.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I had zero interest in getting clues. But no need to be so guarded. I won't force it out of you, Corporal Kim Chun-sik—not until you want to share yourself."
"Pure goodwill, then?"
"Yes."
She glanced away.
The bustling workers were swiftly clearing away the Link's aftermath.
"The world's like that. Ever since these absurd calamities started popping up out of nowhere, death and betrayal have become everyday norms for people just trying to survive. Families are dying right now, and folks claim abandoning humanity for survival is natural. That's why I can't ignore people like you. You're human. You've still got emotions. People need to know folks like you exist—that following base instincts like animals is wrong."
She pulled something out.
A cigarette.
"Mind if I smoke?"
"Go ahead."
She lit up expertly and took a deep drag.
People packaged her as a saintly figure, but she was far from some paragon of virtue.
"Just accept it. Even if it's awkward, someone out there will see you and find hope. Oh, you think that Kang San guy's your benefactor, right? Like you said in the interview—how that incident changed your outlook. To someone, you could be their 'Kang San'."
Why was that?
Seeing her like this.
Kim Chun-sik felt like telling her about Kang San.
She seemed like the type who could convey just how amazing Kang San was, without exaggeration.
But he held back.
Anything involving Kang San.
Wasn't his call to make.
Kim Min-young smiled and turned to leave.
"See you around."
Kim Chun-sik's incident.
Became a real-time hot topic.
People checking the news took notice of Kim Chun-sik.
It wasn't a massive issue.
Kim Chun-sik's name came up alongside shelter inequality debates, and within the military, a positive vibe formed around Major Choi Sung-jae. Thanks to that, Kim Chun-sik got his special one-rank promotion plus a bonus. All in all, great for him, but alone now, Kim Chun-sik couldn't hide his complicated expression.
"...What the hell is happening to me?"
Just moments ago.
He'd checked his stats.
The physical boosts from Awakening were obvious at a glance.
Objectively pitiful stats.
But compared to before, the growth was staggering.
Strength and Agility.
The base stats had nearly doubled.
If his original abilities were true F-Rank, then in Strength and Agility, he'd hit solid E-Rank levels. Shocked, he searched online for similar cases, but nothing like this explosive growth existed. Kim Chun-sik was at a loss.
He'd given up on life as a Hunter.
For someone like him, this absurdity.
And the apparent culprit behind it all: a new skill.
[Awakening]
1. Stats increase upon meeting certain conditions.
Unhelpful description.
His head hurt.
Couldn't just be thrilled, nor hate it.
Kim Chun-sik decided to stop thinking.
No answers anyway.
"Got a moment?"
Park Corporal came looking for him.
An odd dynamic.
Just hours ago, they were senior-junior, mentor-protégé. Now Park Corporal spoke respectfully.
"...Not many know this, but I don't have a dad. Not some tragic monster story—he just ran off when I was a kid, that bastard. I'm the only man in the house. That's why an acquired Awakening reject like me, who couldn't even hit F-Rank, enlisted to feed Mom and my little sister. I'm the real breadwinner, and in this dangerous world, I didn't want them out there unprotected."
He met his gaze.
Park Corporal fought back rising tears.
"Thank you. Truly."
"...This formal talk is awkward as hell."
"No. Didn't I say it? If you came back alive, I'd treat you like a big brother from then on. Not empty words. And now with your promotion, we're both corporals by rank."
"Guess so."
He grinned sheepishly.
Couldn't refuse after that.
"Alright, drop the formalities."
"Yes! That's better. And from now on, your word is law. If you say jump into fire, I jump. Even if it's a dumb call, I'll trust you."
"Whoa, no need to go that far..."
"Bro. After this, lots of guys respect you big time. They know—a rifle alone can't take dozens of Ogres. You did the impossible. And your words hit hard. You got your life from a stranger, so you want to make your benefactor proud. Same here. I'll live to make you proud of me."
A strange feeling.
Was this what Kang San felt?
Seeing gratitude like this—did it fill him too?
Not bad at all.
That's pure goodwill.
Getting it back pure brought more satisfaction than any tribute.
Kim Chun-sik smiled.
"Yeah. Let's do our best from now on."
"Yes, bro!"
At that moment, he didn't know.
Corporal Kim Chun-sik.
How that life, meant to end pathetically, would transform from one connection.
The Kim Chun-sik incident.
Known to news junkies, but one of countless events most skimmed past.
Kang San was the same.
The Wangsimni incident.
Kim Chun-sik's interview.
He knew none of it, focused on his own life.
Whoosh.
Bam—!
A massive club swung down at his head.
Kang San blocked the Orc's attack, and without any signal, Jo Han-byeol reacted.
Whish.
Thud—!
Kreeeek.
Concentrated fire.
Jo Han-byeol's arrow pierced the vital spot perfectly.
He'd been waiting for Kang San to create the opening and nailed it flawlessly.
The battle flowed the same after.
Kang San led the defense line, Jung Chan-woo covered gaps from Kang San's movements, and Jo Han-byeol with Yeon Woo-bin timed attacks in training. Honestly, past fights weren't this synced. Realizing their inefficiency, they'd carved out time for drills.
Thus.
Thud—
The last Orc fell.
Recent raid successes had honed their teamwork fast.
Kang San said,
"Clean and efficient now, no wasted moves. So, about that thing I mentioned last time—ready to try?"
"...You think we can?"
"I do."
Yeon Woo-bin looked worried.
Couldn't be helped.
What Kang San meant.
Clearing the C-Rank Dungeon: Ant Nest.
"As you know, with D-Rank Woo-bin here, we need a C-Rank clear for real recognition. Perfect timing—we suffered big in our first Ant Nest run. I think beating its trials proves our party's strength fully. Once Woo-bin meets C-Rank clear conditions, we can take the 'group promotion test'."
Promotion tests weren't solo only.
Groups too, and Kang San planned to test with the team.
Personally, he could pass D-Rank or higher alone, but his official rank meant little now. His skill tree couldn't solo everything. He needed teammates to protect—ones with firepower—so he preferred growing together.
Ant Nest.
Perfect step-up.
After deliberation, Yeon Woo-bin and the others nodded.
"Sounds good."
"Let's do it."
"We trust you, bro."
The situation had flipped.
The C-Rank Ant Nest, once an overwhelming disaster, was now their next goal.