Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Waste Grade
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“You punk! Is that how you talk to a superior...?”
“6th Division Commander, I'm speaking right now. Stay quiet.”
The Minister of National Defense, who had turned around to restrain the officer trying to stop me from behind, sat on the bunk and asked.
“So, you're reporting me? For what reason?”
I told him everything I'd been through.
“It's negligence of duty and incompetence, plain and simple.”
The story of Corporal Lee Hyung-seok's uncle, a Defense Security Command Colonel.
The bullying I witnessed the moment I arrived at my unit, and the company clerk's attitude of indirectly seeing it but just walking past.
The transport corporal's daily drinking and designated driving, leading to a major battalion incident.
And finally, the ongoing abuses between soldiers, and the company commander, battalion commander, and division commander's actions in covering it all up for promotions.
“In the current situation, it's clear that those at the division commander level and below have neither the will nor the ability to resolve these incidents. Given the rumor that the Defense Security Command colonel's influence rivals that of a corps commander, there's no sign of improvement through any means.”
“So you're reporting me?”
“Yes. Even though you came for an inspection, you were completely unaware of the situation until I mentioned it. That raises doubts about your competence as a commander and negligence in oversight. As a citizen before being a soldier, I intend to report you.”
“Hmm, I see.”
The Minister of National Defense took my hand.
“Good, I've heard you out.”
In the barracks, where even breathing seemed to have stopped, only the Minister smiled.
“Thanks for the good advice.”
＊＊＊
‘I can't tell from here either.’
After that, I continued waiting in the barracks. The surveillance personnel were gone, so I ate alone without a buddy system and rested, not even attending roll call.
“This is the Military Police. We're conducting an investigation starting now.”
A few days later, the MPs showed up to investigate barracks abuses. Since no investigation came my way, I didn't know the details, but through soldiers' chatter, I heard that Corporal Lee Hyung-seok, back from his end-of-service leave, and his contemporaries had vanished somewhere.
‘The other officers are gone too.’
The company clerk and company commander were nowhere to be seen either. I spent a few days isolated in the unit like an outsider with no one looking after me, then rode a vehicle that visited the base to head to division HQ.
“We'll run a few tests.”
While filling out a questionnaire checking for mental issues, I glanced around the barracks.
[Commander: 6th Division Commander – Major General Park Min-hoo]
The 6th Division Commander had changed. I'd always checked the news on the barracks TV, but I'd never heard of a sudden change in division-level command.
‘Not just the division commander—probably the battalion commander, company commander, all swapped out.’
Maybe the brigade commander sandwiched in between, or even the corps commander above the division, or other battalion commanders too.
‘Quietly remove anything problematic and bury it. The Minister of National Defense is no different.’
If even the military's top authority acted this way, it meant systemic collapse. I pondered how else to change the army, but I had no more chances.
“You need an early discharge as a medical exemption. You've got severe mental issues.”
The immediate psych evaluation deemed me unfit, forcing a medical discharge.
‘It's over.’
That was the end of my military service. If I'd had a bit more time, or avoided the medical discharge, I might have changed the army—but regrettably, as a civilian now, I had to give up.
“Oh! The new division commander wants to see you? Let's go.”
But then something happened that wasn't in my memory.
“Loyalty!”
“...Loyalty.”
The face of the new division commander I met was familiar.
“Impressive. While most waste grades forget what they did and romanticize their service, you remembered everything.”
It was the very man who had asked me to fill out the survey.
“Now, then, back to your original world...”
“Wait, I have one thing to say.”
“What is it?”
This might be a good opportunity, so I made a request.
“Could I do it one more time?”
“...”
“I want to try choices I couldn't before. Like reporting to the MPs this time, or talking directly to the Defense Security Command colonel to reform Corporal Lee Hyung-seok, or seeing if reporting to the battalion or division commander actually changes the army.”
After a long silence, the man spoke.
“So, you want to serve again?”
“No, not once—multiple times.”
“You did a month, but changing the process like that could extend it further, and you still want more experience?”
“Division Commander.”
An entity was still an entity after all. It couldn't understand the human heart.
“Every human has an innate intellectual curiosity: ‘What if I'd done that back then?’ People call it regret, but your space is perfect for satisfying it.”
I didn't know how much real-world time would pass, but such chances were rare, so I tried—yet the entity's tone shifted.
“So, you want to repeat military service multiple times?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
Space warped.
“You crazy bastard.”
When I came to, I was back at the original survey site.
“...What a shame.”
I had so much more I wanted to do.
＊＊＊
I'd spent about a month in the "Reserve Forces Survey", but only a day had passed outside.
“It's solved. Go to the last place the missing people were sighted, and you'll find them.”
“Really?”
A few days after briefing the requesting officer, I received a plaque of appreciation along with news of the missing persons.
-Thanks to you! The missing aren't in great shape, but all returned safely!
They said everyone showed severe delirium symptoms.
[Urgh! Heh heh heh! Did I hear wrong?]
[Discharge me. Discharge... please, discharge...]
[Sob sob sob, even on discharge day I can't go home. Mom, Dad...]
‘From my experience, a month there is a day outside.’
I hung the plaque on the office wall.
‘The first missing person was three months ago, so at least 90 months—seven and a half years without discharge.’
Lucky guy. I didn't want to envy him, but a twinge of jealousy was inevitable.
‘This entity felt less like dealing with another entity and more like time-traveling to my past.’
Not felt— it really was. It wasn't some grand being beyond human cognition; just reliving my military service once more.
“Feels like I went on vacation.”
But the "Reserve Forces Survey" entity hadn't vanished.
‘Someone else might get kidnapped.’
For days after, I steadily searched the news.
[8,000 won for no-meat side dishes? Reserve forces lunch scandal?]
[Reserve forces dog food controversy—worse than forced labor.]
[Active and reserve generals' military clique, supply corruption hits 1 trillion won.]
Nothing specific popped up, but the police came back.
“Fixer! Another missing person!”
I grabbed my uniform right away.
“On my way.”
＊＊＊
“Senior, so you came because you want to do reserve duty?”
“Yes.”
“Uh, medical discharges sometimes mean no reserve duty, you know?”
The active-duty soldier investigating eyed my epaulets.
“And you're a repeat offender.”
“Didn't plan to reenlist first.”
“Yeah, our side thought you were a late arrival and let you in, so it's mostly our fault... But seriously, senior, you just walked in wanting reserve duty?”
“Yes.”
“...Don't do this again. Got it?”
Sighing regretfully as I left the reserve gate.
‘Just a bit more and it'd have been the shooting drill.’
On the way out, I bumped into someone.
“Excuse me. Mind doing a quick survey...?”
A man I'd never seen, but I knew exactly who he was.
“...”
“Hello?”
He scowled deeply.
“Ugh...”
Then he vanished without the survey.
‘What the hell?’
Moments later, a call from the police.
-Fixer! The missing person's back!
“...Good.”
No more reports of reserve missing persons after that.
＊＊＊
I'd likely resolved the "Reserve Forces Survey" permanently and returned to daily life. It probably went to another dimension or country, so nothing more I could do.
“See you next week.”
“Yeah! I'll study hard! Survival skills too! And science!”
We changed policy for isekai transferees: send them in monthly batches. Having sent so many already, manpower was short, so no big issue.
[Finals for the semester are done! Just six more semesters to graduation!]
[Congratulations. Decided on post-grad plans?]
[Nope, gonna keep trading with Mr. Lee Seung-hoon—pure honey.]
[They have slang for ‘pure honey’ there too?]
[What? No pure honey there? Pure honey's from this grass that gives amazingly sweet nectar when you suck it—sad to hear it's missing.]
I chatted with Shin Gu-hyang too.
[Anyway, graduating soon. Six semesters fly by. Semester breaks are quick too, so trade then!]
[Understood. Curious what you're learning there.]
[Send equations?]
Shin Gu-hyang sent formulas in reply. Numbers, symbols, and math matched Earth's, but nonsense equations.
[1+17∈/27*3333℉(÷55)Ω5=Ya-hoo!]
[99/99*99⦡Thought∋Concept∑Freedom=Constraint]
[【Gravity】+【Expansion】/Killing Intent∞1km=Regression]
I asked for explanations, but still incomprehensible.
[First is Partion's greatest achievement, the "Terraforming Equation"! Costs dropped to 1/1 trillionth after.]
[Second is Ramada's famous "Proof of God" equation. Unified religion and science.]
[Last is Unified Asia Alliance scientist Seomjeon Gu-nan’s proud "Gravity Manipulation Formula"! Enabled countless colonies.]
Intriguing, but irreproducible here, so I framed them as souvenirs.
“The office is getting richer.”
After framing Shin Gu-hyang's world's formulas on the desk, I took Rubber Rubber Duck home.
[Hello.]
The living room dial TV lit up.
[Your Dial TV News anchor, Anchor here.]
The prophetic Dial TV news activated after ages.
‘Good thing I prepped snacks.’
Sat on the sofa, cracked open a bag with Zero Cola. The Dial TV waited like a living thing until I was fully set.
[First up, the news.]
Now, let's watch what future awaits.