Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Shooting - 2
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“Ah. I hate cleaning guns.”
“We’ve gotta clean them even after special shooting training. Ugh.”
Gun maintenance was mandatory before and after shooting drills.
The training officers checked meticulously, and it was also to prevent any potential firearm accidents.
The hunters disassembled their guns with practiced hands.
Since they were based on the M16, the disassembly process was similar.
But no oiling allowed.
It could cause an internal explosion if done wrong.
Just wipe them down thoroughly with a white cloth and check for any debris.
“Oh! Min-jun, you’re pretty good at this.”
“Thank you.”
While wiping down his gun with the cloth, Private First Class Lee Dong-jin struck up a conversation from nearby.
He’d been watching to correct any mistakes, but Kim Min-jun handled it smoothly on his own.
“You hit 19 shots too. You could just reenlist for a long term.”
“You got 13 hits yourself, PFC Lee.”
“Me? That’s just from having more time in service.”
As they chatted quietly, they finished maintenance, and it was time for special shooting training.
“You guys were chatting earlier. If you screw up the training, you’ll get chewed out.”
“Yes, sir!”
“The newbie’s exempt since he aced basic shooting. The rest of you, shape up. Got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
The seniors joked around half-playfully as they headed out of the barracks.
‘Man, we can’t even talk a little?’
Kim Min-jun glanced at the gloomy privates and PFCs standing up.
‘Hang in there, guys.’
I’ll make sergeant quick and whip these jerks into shape.
**
1 p.m.
The hunters assembled in front of the parade ground for special shooting training.
“Alright! Prepare to move out to the practical training ground!”
The practical training ground was a brand-new facility completed recently, mainly used for monster-utilizing drills.
“Newbie, even if you’re hot stuff at basic training, this one’s tough.”
“It’s harder than it looks. You need some time in service to handle it.”
As they entered the training ground, the squad seniors offered to demonstrate.
“Assigned personnel, divide roles! Civilians and Hunter Corps—get ready!”
At the training officer’s command, the hunters assigned as civilians began changing into reinforced suits.
“Oh, newbie. Watch me and learn good.”
“Private Kim Min-jun! Yes, sir!”
This time, he was paired with a corporal.
His name was Kim Kwang-sik.
He looked like a total prankster.
“Screw up even on your first try, and you’re in trouble.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Min-jun, playing the civilian, changed into the reinforced suit while recalling the training officer’s explanation.
‘The key here isn’t shooting skill.’
Of course, they checked mana gun proficiency too.
But the real focus was how safely you could rescue the civilian.
It was more comprehensive training than pure special shooting.
“Civilians! To positions!”
“To position!”
Kim Min-jun was up second.
The first hunter assigned entered the training area.
It was a space modeled after a small building.
“Get to a more tucked-away spot!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good. Be ready to go in right away!”
“Yes, sir!”
The hunter took position in a corner of the building per the training officer’s orders.
The moment the soldier playing Hunter Corps entered, the drill began.
The other hunters watched the situation live on the large screen.
“P-please, save me! Help!”
The civilian-role hunter acted convincingly, pleading for help.
“I’m coming right now!”
No sooner had the hunter moved toward the voice than a monster was deployed.
“Kiriirik!”
The monster dropped from the ceiling: a monster rat.
“What? Monster rat right off the bat?”
“Harsh start for the first one.”
The hunters watching the screen grimaced at the sight.
It wasn’t the most threatening monster, but it was tricky to deal with.
“When you kill it, green fluid bursts out. The stench is brutal.”
“Gas mask won’t even block it.”
Its body odor was foul by default, and it got worse upon death.
“Kirik!”
Spotting a live human, the monster rat bared its sharp teeth and charged.
Ting! Ting!
The reinforced suit protected fully, so only scraping sounds rang out.
‘How’s he gonna handle that?’
Kim Min-jun watched the seniors’ response on the screen.
The monster rat had the civilian-role hunter in a full embrace.
Rashly agitating it now would mean civilian “death.”
[0:57]
Only one minute to resolve the situation.
The hunter calmly closed the distance to the monster rat.
Its focus was locked on the human in front.
“Save me! Hurry, save me!”
The civilian-role hunter flailed and acted desperately.
As the hunter approached, the civilian amp-ed up the volume on purpose.
The hunter drew his mana gun from his hip, pressing a finger to his lips.
A calm-down gesture to soothe the civilian as much as possible.
Bang!
The moment he got close.
The hunter grabbed one of the monster rat’s arms and shot the other.
“Kiriik!”
Bang! Bang!
A mana gun alone couldn’t kill a monster rat easily.
The hunter’s goal was solely civilian rescue.
“Uwaaaah!”
Confirming the bind broken, he hoisted and hurled the monster rat aside.
“Oh, as expected of Min-ho. Strong guy.”
“Always pounding weights in the gym. Throws a monster rat like nothing.”
“Ugh, use the mana gun, man. What’s with just brute-forcing it?”
Corporal Lee Min-ho succeeded with 10 seconds left.
“50 seconds. Not bad, but cut down thinking time. Your body has to move the instant you see the monster.”
“Corporal Lee Min-ho! Yes, sir!”
“Good work. Next! Get ready!”
At the training officer’s words, Kim Min-jun and Kim Kwang-sik entered.
The remaining monster rat in the arena dropped through the floor.
“Let’s see if the top soldier can beat it in how many seconds!”
Entering the training ground, Kim Kwang-sik grinned mischievously.
“Clear it in under a minute, or I’ll mess with you.”
Half-joking, but failure meant getting reamed anyway.
‘The corporal did it in 50 seconds.’
Meaning your average private or PFC usually failed.
Special shooting training was that tough.
Expecting a private to nail it?
You’re the one who’s gonna get it.
“Yes, sir. Corporal Kim Kwang-sik, how about a bet?”
“Oh? Newbie wants to bet with me? Sounds fun. What kind?”
At the word “bet,” Kim Kwang-sik motioned for details.
“How about a time attack bet? Loser grants winner one wish.”
“Nice. You confident?”
“Yes, sir. If I lose, I’ll do anything for the day.”
“Bold private. Okay. Lose, and you spend the day imitating a pigeon.”
“Understood.”
Kim Min-jun’s “anything” response.
Kim Kwang-sik laughed it off as ridiculous.
“Fine. Let’s do it. The second your time’s worse, you go over there and start cooing like a pigeon. Okay? Make it realistic, or I’ll make you keep going.”
“Will do.”
Newbies gonna newbie.
Kim Kwang-sik smirked inwardly.
‘He doesn’t get the essence of special shooting training.’
Being good at shooting didn’t make this drill easy at all.
‘No matter how good he is, can a private really ace it?’
Even he, a corporal, had a best of 51 seconds.
No way some private pulls it off in time.
“So it’s a deal, Corporal Kim Kwang-sik?”
“Yeah. A man’s word is his bond. Go take position.”
“Yes, sir!”
Kim Min-jun beamed and headed to his spot.
Controlling a senior for the next 24 hours?
Just thinking about it thrilled him.
“Monster deploy!”
The drill began.
At the training officer’s signal, the monster dropped from the ceiling.
Armageddon, a hedgehog-like monster.
‘Monsters are random each time, huh.’
Armageddon curls into a ball and charges.
Once its spines dig in, detaching it is tough.
Forcing it risks embedding them deeper.
‘Gotta draw its attention right.’
Instantly attack on sight to switch aggro.
Pure reflexes mattered.
‘Let’s see how he does.’
Kim Min-jun crouched and screamed convincingly.
“Save me! Help meeeee!”
Louder than the previous civilian.
“Kiik?”
Armageddon spotted him and immediately tried to curl up.
Bang! Bang!
Kim Kwang-sik fired his mana gun at its back shell.
“Aaaah! Monster! Save me! Pleeeease! Quaaack!”
“What the—something’s off.”
Normally, rapid mana gun fire would switch its target.
But Kim Min-jun’s voice was overwhelmingly loud.
Armageddon ignored the shots and balled up.
“I’m dying! I’m gonna die! Soldier uncle! Hurry up and save me! What are you doing?!”
“Ugh! Coming now!”
Kim Kwang-sik panicked but rushed toward Kim Min-jun.
“Hurry! Get me outta here! It’s gonna kill me!”
“Calm down! It’s fine! Lower your voice!”
“Quaaack! I’m dying!”
“Shut your mouth first, please!”
“Is that how you talk to a civilian? Who’s your unit? Name and rank!”
“Calm down and quiet, please!”
Meanwhile.
The hunters watching on the screen burst into laughter at Kim Min-jun’s realistic acting.
“Damn, that guy’s got skills.”
“The last civilian role was good, but this is straight-up real. The complaining’s spot-on creepy.”
“Ugh, seeing Kim Min-jun brings back memories of dealing with civilians a year ago.”
Even the training officer nodded approvingly at Kim Min-jun’s dedication.
“Mister! What’re you doing?! Get me outta here! You call yourself a hunter?”
“You little—calm down! Yelling just agitates the monster!”
Kim Kwang-sik positioned in front of Kim Min-jun and scanned quickly.
Armageddon would charge any second.
He had to resolve this somehow.
“Stay behind me and be still!”
The moment Armageddon launched.
Kim Kwang-sik grabbed a drum barrel in the corner.
It was filled solid with cement, so the monster’s spines couldn’t pierce out.
‘Whoa, lucky bastard.’