Chapter 111
Chapter 111
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Unlocked
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“How long has it been since my skills got unsealed, and now a brand-new one pops up?”
Kim Min-jun’s face, which had been pleasantly reading the messages, shifted subtly.
“Hang on. This is on the level of a sealing-tier skill.”
[You have reached a certain level of Magi stat, unlocking Curse of the Plague (D).]
[Corruption has been enhanced.]
[Rain of Corruption has been enhanced.]
[Dark Arrow has been enhanced.]
[Magi Whip has been enhanced.]
Having skills unsealed was a good thing.
Any skill was better than none.
The other skills leveling up was good too.
However...
Curse of the Plague was, at the very least, a skill he absolutely could not use in South Korea.
[Curse of the Plague (D): Plant a seed imbued with the curse of plague at a designated location. The seed will begin to grow rapidly regardless of the environment. The moment it matures into an adult form, it spreads plague around it.]
Just as the description said, it indiscriminately unleashed plague everywhere.
“At D-rank... the range is probably around 5 km.”
If D-rank already covered this much area.
Curse of the Plague at its peak was nothing short of a catastrophe.
A range spanning dozens of kilometers—child’s play—and devastating skill effects.
“Even priests’ heals can’t touch it. This thing’s pretty vicious.”
Once the seed matured, it transformed into a grotesque tree-like form and sprayed plague into the air.
That was the scary part.
Anyone hit by this skill died vomiting blood without even knowing what happened to them.
“Won’t have much use for it in dungeons either.”
As a skill with overwhelming power, Curse of the Plague demanded a massive amount of Magi.
He’d have to pour in nearly all the Magi he’d accumulated just to use it once.
“Even effects that are too strong can be a problem.”
Fine in another world, but on this cramped little chunk of land called South Korea, one wrong use spelled doom.
If he ever had to use it, he decided it would only be inside a dungeon.
‘Status window.’
[Kim Min-jun]
Founder of the ‘Seria Noona Is My Favorite Character’ cult.
Strength: 86 | Agility: 72 | Vitality: 78 | Magi: 50 | Permanent Organs: 18
Skills: Corruption (B), Night Walker (B), Dark Arrow (C), Singularity of Magi, Grasp of Magi (C), Magi Whip (C), Basic Blunt Technique (E), Basic Swordsmanship (D), Strength (B), Agility Enhancement (E), Whip of Pain (C), Rain of Corruption (C), Hell Ghost Explosion (D), Vicious Charge (C), Magi of Desire (D), Vitality Enhancement (E), World of Despair (D), Dark Saber (D), Curse of the Plague (D)
‘Good. Steady progress. Actually recovering strength faster than expected.’
Skills bursting out of the system window with momentum.
Stats growing steadily.
And now a new stat: Permanent Organs.
Everything was going smoothly.
‘Magi in my body is nearly at 50%.’
Hadn’t needed to use it lately, so his reserves were plentiful.
It filled up just by sitting around.
He realized anew: Permanent Organs was a total cheat stat, at least for him.
‘This must be what it felt like for those noble mage classes.’
As he basked in satisfaction.
“Mr. Kim Min-jun! So you can use Curse of the Plague now? That’s such a relief…”
Kim Seo-hyun, who’d been watching him from afar, patted her chest in relief.
Among black mages, only Kim Min-jun could use Curse of the Plague, a powerhouse skill.
Its unsealing was clearly a good sign, she figured.
“I was worried since you hadn’t fully regained your strength, but now I can relax a bit.”
She’d been concerned he might get hurt by a monster due to his unstable power.
And that worry had started from the very day he returned to Earth.
Jeez.
Who was worrying about whom here?
“Hey. Come here.”
“Yes? Okay.”
He flicked her forehead as she approached.
“Ow!”
“You take my stuff way too seriously. If you mixed in half of Lee Bong-gu’s chill vibe, you’d be perfect.”
“Lee Bong-gu…”
Her shoulders slumped at the name.
She looked pretty shocked.
Was that such a harsh thing to say?
“How’s the precog lately? Anything worth reporting?”
“Nothing special.”
“Yeah? Alright then.”
Special precog, huh.
There was one nagging one, less “special” and more “bothersome.”
‘A precog of Mr. Kim Min-jun getting his second lieutenant bars and meeting a fellow trainee at officer training.’
Normally, he’d brush it off.
He meant to, but the fellow trainee was a woman.
‘Acting like a vixen around Mr. Kim Min-jun, even as a second lieutenant!’
Nothing had happened yet, and that fickle clairvoyant eye showed two-thirds lies.
Mr. Kim Min-jun wasn’t even the type super into women.
‘He’s a master sergeant right now. Double promotions don’t happen often.’
She judged it a fake precog herself.
Still, it left a nagging feeling.
“Oh. Kim Min-jun. There you are. Back from the double dungeon raid and straight to the training room again? You’re hardcore, man.”
“Sir! Just got an itch to move, sir!”
“Yeah, right.”
“Sir!”
“Oh. Third Platoon’s deputy platoon leader, huh? Training together?”
A moment later.
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min came looking for Kim Min-jun, face lit up with excitement.
Something good happen?
“Kim Min-jun. Don’t freak out. You’re confirmed for special double promotion to second lieutenant.”
“Is that so?”
“Is that so, my ass! You little punk! Double promotion locked in!”
The platoon leader grinned wide, slapping his shoulder nonstop.
Truth be told, after his performance in the double dungeon, he’d figured a double promotion was a given.
‘Took down the boss solo and handled over a hundred gargoyles on top. They better.’
Not just any dungeon—the elite officers-only double dungeon, cleared.
He saw it as obvious.
If his feats didn’t net a promotion, he’d planned to sic his summons on the brass.
‘High school grad or not, this merits a bump.’
How long were they gonna work him without reward?
“You’re the first guy like you I’ve ever seen! Hahaha! Even that famous 107th Division commander took over ten years from private to second lieutenant! You did it in under a year!”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min laughed heartily, saying at this rate he’d get passed up.
“Deputy platoon leader that short and already gunning for platoon leader? I’d rather you stuck as deputy longer.”
“I’m fine either way.”
“I’m not, punk. Brass already wants you off deputy duty. Push it and I’m the one who gets reamed.”
A quick rundown followed.
Normally, promotions meant passing three exams, but for him, they were waived.
Decided in a meeting, apparently.
One star piped up about fairness and making him take the exams anyway, but got chewed out with every curse in the book.
“But first, gotta check something…”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min paused, took a deep breath.
Looked a bit tense.
Something big?
“Min-jun. Once you get your second lieutenant bars, you thinking of transferring out?”
Turned out to be about going to another unit post-commissioning.
Fair question.
‘Second lieutenant isn’t just pinning on bars and done. Makes sense.’
To commission as a second lieutenant, he needed specialist hunter officer training.
Fresh second lieutenants typically became platoon leaders.
Meaning, he’d need skills to command a whole platoon.
‘After training, pick your post based on scores. Same for me.’
No wonder the platoon leader was fidgety.
Most new second lieutenants were green officers with zero experience.
If he transferred, some other second lieutenant would fill his spot.
‘For career advancement, transferring’s smart.’
At least on paper.
Without Kim Seo-hyun, he might’ve.
‘She studied her ass off watching me, got into hunter NCO school, followed to the front lines. No way I’d ditch her for elsewhere.’
Liked the unit too.
Told him no plans for that yet.
“Good? But minds change, so the battalion commander said give him whatever he wants if he’s got requests.”
Whatever he wants, huh.
Tempted to ask for a high-grade rune stone, but that’d cross a line.
‘Oh. After commissioning, I’m platoon leader.’
Naturally, he’d need a deputy.
Some platoons skipped them, but right now was perfect timing for one request.
“Platoon leader. Mind if Sergeant Kim Seo-hyun becomes my deputy? Oh, and I’d prefer Second Platoon if possible.”
They were same unit, same platoon, but crossed paths less than expected.
If platoon-leading here, her as deputy would be convenient all around.
“That’s chump change. You sure you don’t want more?”
“Then can I snag a rune stone too?”
“Brat. Now you’re crossing the line.”
“Kidding.”
“Kim Min-jun cracking jokes now that he’s getting second lieutenant bars. Don’t go ignoring me when you hit captain, yeah?”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min chuckled and headed out.
Hunter officer training in about ten days—go with a vacation mindset, he said.
“Mr. Kim Min-jun. Thank you.”
“What for? Don’t thank me for stuff like this.”
Kim Min-jun waved it off like nothing and headed back to the barracks.
‘No way… right?’
Kim Seo-hyun watched his back, praying the precog was fake.
**
“Second Lieutenant Kim Min-jun, sir!”
“Hey! All up, salute!”
“Congrats on the double special promotion, Second Lieutenant Kim Min-jun, sir!”
Back at the barracks, the squad cheered like crazy.
“Heard you shone in the double dungeon.”
“Insane. Makes no sense. Elite officers-only selection, and Master Sergeant Kim Min-jun...”
“Hey, see? Told ya. And the boss monster? Crazy strong, soloed by Master Sergeant Kim Min-jun.”
Chaos.
Squadmates firing questions every which way.
Brushed them off lightly, said he couldn’t spill on the dungeon yet.
“Ma Seok-doo or whatever. Duty officer joined the raid, triggered a trap.”
But.
He did spill on Second Lieutenant Ma Seok-doo, busted down two ranks for the screw-up.
‘How could I keep this gem to myself?’
Officer tripping a double dungeon trap? Squadmates spewed profanity.
How’d a lunatic like that even become an officer?
Without Sergeant Kim Min-jun, casualties for sure.
Mistake even a private wouldn’t make—furious backlash poured out.
“Alright. He’ll get his punishment anyway, so drop it. Once I get my bars and come back, I’m taking your platoon.”
“For real?”
“Woo! Master Sergeant Kim Min-jun as platoon leader? Hell yeah!”
Everyone lit up.
Looking at them, he felt he’d done army life right.
‘Where else you got a hunter who looks after his juniors like me?’
Told the squad he’d be gone in ten days for officer training.
Before they could whine.
“You guys got training scheduled four days from now?”