Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Pigeon
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While Kim Min-jun was thinking it was a shame.
Kim Kwang-sik quickly grabbed the monster clinging to the oil drum and hurled it away barrel and all.
“Kim Kwang-sik! It took you 1 minute 20 seconds! You should’ve dealt with it right away!”
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik! Sorry, sir!”
“The moment the mana gun doesn’t work, you hurl your body at it! You gonna do the same in real combat?”
“No, sir! Sorry, sir!”
“You’re eating tax money from the people, and you can’t protect the people?!”
“No, sir!”
The moment training time was up, the instructor tore into Kim Kwang-sik like a madman.
For a private or private first class, it would’ve just been a stern warning, but corporals and up got no mercy.
‘A corporal taking 1 minute 20 seconds... Not great for someone who acts so confident.’
Kim Min-jun laughed inwardly to his heart’s content and pondered what to make the guy do.
‘I’ll show you what quick and accurate really means.’
It was his turn next.
The civilian role was Kim Kwang-sik.
Seeing the fire in his eyes, Kim Min-jun could tell he was dying to screw him over somehow.
“Civilian to position!”
“To position!”
“Monster deploy!”
The ceiling opened, and a monster rat dropped in.
‘Monster rat, Armageddon, hound. Rotating through three types, huh.’
Hunters who drew the lowest difficulty, the hound, cleared it leisurely in the 40-second range.
A monster rat was right in the middle difficulty.
‘All three are easy mode for me.’
Kim Min-jun aimed his mana gun at the monster rat.
‘Watch how it’s done.’
“Help! Save me!”
Kim Kwang-sik, playing the civilian, didn’t just scream.
Thud! Boom!
He knocked over or threw nearby objects with punches or kicks, drawing even more of the monster rat’s attention.
‘Oh? Using your head?’
Kim Min-jun smirked inwardly at Kim Kwang-sik’s rampage.
‘I’ll show you something magical from now on.’
Sss—
A faint trace of demonic energy leaked from Kim Min-jun’s body.
Too subtle for a normal person to notice, but monsters reacted differently.
“Squeak? Squeak squeak?”
The monster rat whipped its head around the instant it caught the scent.
There was a human making a racket right in front of it, but that wasn’t the issue.
“Squeak squeak squeak!”
There was a monster in here way too terrifying to even face.
It had to escape!
The monster rat, having made its judgment, leaped toward the ceiling it had come from.
‘Whoa. Going that far for me?’
Kim Min-jun didn’t miss the opening and pulled the mana gun’s trigger.
They were judging mana gun proficiency too, so he had to use it.
Bang! Bang!
A mana gun’s power wasn’t that high.
It was meant for grabbing attention or chasing off monsters.
But even a mana gun could change the story if it hit a vital spot.
“Squeeeeak!”
Both mana shots from Kim Min-jun hit the monster rat’s eyes.
‘Mana guns are definitely a bit tricky. Almost missed.’
The monster rat plummeted from midair and passed out.
Blood flowed from both its eyes.
‘45 seconds left.’
Kim Min-jun approached to hoist Kim Kwang-sik over his shoulder.
“No way, you hit the monster rat’s eyes with a mana gun? From that height? How...”
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik. Shouldn’t you be acting?”
“Oh.”
Kim Kwang-sik felt the instructor’s gaze and snapped into character.
“C-can’t move! I’m scared!”
“You’re safe now! We can head out!”
“I wanna stay here! What if more of those things come if we go out!”
“Calm down! That won’t happen!”
Kim Kwang-sik flailed his arms wildly.
Kim Min-jun hoisted the terrified-acting Kim Kwang-sik over his shoulder and exited the training ground.
Kim Min-jun’s time: 35 seconds.
For a private, an excellent score.
‘Should’ve moved faster. Got too surprised.’
He’d aimed for 30, but it took 35.
“Kim Min-jun. 35 seconds. Excellent.”
The instructor nodded once as soon as they exited.
“Private! Kim Min-jun! Thank you, sir!”
“Seemed like you knew the monster rat would jump. That’s how quick your response was. And you nailed its weak spot with the mana gun.”
The instructor drew the eyes of the other hunters.
“Attention all! Move like Private Kim Min-jun just did, and you can save lives in the field! Not with your head—move with your body! Got it?!”
“Yes, sir!”
The instructor, quite satisfied, continued as if they should all emulate him.
“Hey, your barracks must be nice now?”
“Got an S-rank rookie. Even regular shooting was 19 hits.”
“Hunter-wise, that’s baseline.”
“Seung-ho, you’re barely 5 seconds off the newbie, and you’re talking?”
The sergeants’ nonstop praise followed.
Lee Seung-ho replied it was only natural but looked satisfied enough.
‘If I’d cut 30 seconds, they’d have lost it.’
He could’ve if he tried, but training was just a game to him.
He enjoyed it casually, so his speed slipped a bit.
“This concludes shooting training.”
Training went smoothly and wrapped up past 6 p.m.
“Alright, you worked hard all day on shooting. Turn in your guns first, then chow time.”
“Yes, sir! Thank you!”
“The instructor’s pleased with your attitudes, so he’s letting you go early. Don’t screw it up.”
“Yes, sir! Thank you!”
As the hunters headed out.
“Oh. Forgot about this. Hold up!”
The instructor stopped them.
“Oh no.”
“No way, after training all day...”
“Please no!”
Quick hunters turned with anxious looks.
“Weather says snow tomorrow morning. Assemble in the parade ground by 8 p.m. after dinner. Snow’s heavy, so corporals too.”
“Oh...”
“Snow...”
The building filled with sighs at the order.
And now corporals had to join.
They answered but faces full of discontent.
“The instructor knows it’s tough. When I get time later, I’ll hand out cold drinks and choco pies. Hang in there.”
“Understood...”
Just drinks and choco pies.
Hunters vented wildly outside.
“Man, this shithole unit. Summer’s coming, and it’s snowing?”
“Ugh! Should’ve trained harder at basic!”
“Shooting morning and afternoon, labor at night! That’s the army!”
“Who eats choco pies these days? Even strawberry mont blanc’s old.”
Especially corporals, eyes brimming with complaint.
With this training level, why not hire civilians for simple labor?
Answer: no.
Hunter army security laws barred civilians from unit grounds.
Family visits banned too.
“Hey, privates first class. Work quick and snappy. Got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
Corporals vented at idle privates first class, taking it out on them.
“Youngest.”
“Private Kim Min-jun.”
On the way to barracks.
Kim Kwang-sik told Kim Min-jun to hold up, then said it’s starting now.
“Men don’t go back on their word. Ignore the others and order me around.”
“What? What’s this?”
Other hunters’ eyes turned to them.
“Bet time attack special shooting with the youngest. And I lost.”
“What bet?”
“Loser obeys winner’s words for 24 hours.”
“Damn, ruthless. With the newbie? No conscience.”
“Min-jun, if you’d lost, you’d be toast. Guy made his junior mimic a pigeon for 24 hours.”
“And he lost like that. Youngest, show him hell.”
Seniors told him not to go easy, use him freely.
The bet was actually Kim Min-jun’s idea, but seniors assumed Kim Kwang-sik proposed it.
“No, the bet was the youngest’s idea first...”
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik. Get ready.”
Kim Min-jun cut him off quick.
“Fine. Say it. I’ll do anything.”
“From now on, Corporal Kim Kwang-sik is a pigeon. Begin.”
“Pigeon... Tch. Nice one.”
Kim Kwang-sik gave a wry smile and started pigeon acting.
“Coo coo coo coo.”
He lowered his stance, waddled like a duck, and bobbed his neck back and forth.
Other corporals and sergeants clutched their stomachs laughing.
Privates first class and privates were tense, fearing he’d snap, but no sign.
‘Kim Kwang-sik, huh. Fun guy.’
Kim Min-jun chuckled at his enthusiastic senior.
“Tch. That lunatic Kim Kwang-sik’s at it again.”
Meanwhile.
The instructor clucked his tongue at Kim Kwang-sik pigeon-waddling away.
**
In the mess hall.
“Min-jun, you did great in training today. Night labor ahead and you’re tired—hang in a bit more.”
“Private Kim Min-jun. I’m fine.”
During chow, Lee Dong-jin, private first class next to him, spoke up.
“Snow tomorrow, so labor’ll be simple.”
Corporals were edgy from snow, so he was checking on him.
“You too, Private First Class Lee Dong-jin. Hard work. Special shooting was 57 seconds, right?”
All other privates first class exceeded the 1-minute limit except Lee Dong-jin.
He alone passed special shooting.
That skill level might scrape corporal.
“Me? Just experience. Anyway, gotta muster early today.”
“Yes, got it.”
“Yeah.”
After chow.
Kim Min-jun and other privates first class gathered at parade ground 30 minutes early for labor.
Senior moods were foul today—no giving excuses.
“Ah, LCK league starts tonight.”
“Mood’s shit, for real.”
“And 6 a.m. reveille after. Fuck.”
Sergeants arrived at parade ground with grumpy faces, soon followed by platoon leader Kim Cheol-min.
“Alright, tired from training? Labor’s no big deal.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s wrap quick and head in. Finish fast, I’ll let you go.”
Unlike Kim Cheol-min’s words, labor crew exceeded six squads.
Meaning heavy workload.
“Alright. Load up sandbags and move out.”
Large numbers shouldered sandbags down the mountain.
“Good luck.”
“Fight on.”
Gate sentries gave pitying looks.
Forecast: snow from 3 a.m. tomorrow.
So, hunters’ job: spread sand so officers could drive up safely.