Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Promotion Stripes?
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According to the platoon leader, it was no big deal, but the stretch where we had to spread sand was a full 2 kilometers.
“What the hell! Don’t they have machines for spreading sand? Why can’t we just use those? Why make us do it by hand?”
In the middle of the work.
One corporal grimaced and spoke up.
“It’s cheaper to use us than the machines. Damn it.”
“Ten thousand won for night duty? Is that for real? I’d make more working the convenience store night shift.”
Just as he said, since this wasn’t training or combat, the pay was pathetically low.
“Spread more sand over there! Be thorough in that corner too!”
“Yes, sir!”
Kim Cheol-min supervised with eagle eyes, waving a small baton this way and that.
If even the platoon leader was like this, just how formidable was a brigadier general?
Rumor had it a brigadier general could move mountains with a single baton.
“Alright. I’m heading out now, so make sure you finish up properly. You’ve got enough corporals—you can handle it, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Listen to that volume. Don’t just boss around the privates. Help them out, and it’ll go faster.”
As soon as 9 p.m. hit, Kim Cheol-min vanished like a ghost.
The moment the platoon leader was gone, the corporals plopped down on the road.
“Hey, you guys take a break too. This is gonna take forever anyway.”
“Hey, Pigeon. You don’t get to rest, man. You’re the rookie—get to it. Huh? You think you’re still a corporal after losing to the newbie?”
“Goo goo goo!”
Called out by his peers, Kim Kwang-sik started mimicking a pigeon with his mouth while carrying sandbags.
“Urk…”
“Guh…”
The privates who saw it fought back bursts of laughter.
“Man, the newbie’s moving like lightning.”
“Yeah. At this rate, we might wrap up early.”
The work continued after that.
Kim Min-jun showed insane efficiency that caught every senior’s eye.
His movements were like a machine spraying sand.
“I’ll get the base of this section too!”
He even went above and beyond.
“That guy’s good at training and work.”
“If he keeps this up till corporal, he’ll be set.”
Kim Min-jun had already won over nearly half the corporals’ hearts.
“What next after Pigeon?”
The moment Kim Min-jun came down to the base entrance to spread sand.
“Huh? What’s that?”
A familiar smell wafted from somewhere.
“Faint, but savory and aromatic…”
This was demonic energy scent!
Kim Min-jun looked up and pinpointed the source.
“There it is.”
A single tree near the base entrance.
A small, withered thing that could topple any second.
“More like inside the tree…”
How to get it out.
If he stuck his hand in recklessly, the whole tree might collapse.
“It’ll be fine. No one’s watching.”
Confirming the coast was clear, he reached into the tree.
Something squishy and wriggling grabbed hold.
When he pulled it out, it was a palm-sized larva.
“Wow. Do bugs in Gangwon Province carry demonic energy too?”
Kim Min-jun quickly absorbed the demonic energy.
Ssssh—
“Better than nothing.”
Not as much as the dark hound from hunter boot camp, but a nice little boost.
[You have absorbed a certain level of demonic energy.]
[Demonic energy stat increases by 1.]
“Oh? Nice.”
The system window popped up in front of him.
His lips curled at the unexpected stat gain.
No doubt about it—the front lines were the perfect spot for gathering demonic energy.
“If I slowly absorb the lost energy, my physical abilities will come back.”
It was thanks to his unique skill, one even other warlocks didn’t have.
Of course, he didn’t have it now.
“But! I’m not settling for this!”
Why?
Because he needed to rank up fast.
And for that, overwhelming stats were essential.
“If I’m gonna get strong from the start, why not go beyond what I had in that other world?”
Kim Min-jun decided to use the training room every weekend.
“Feeling good, so I’ll let you live.”
He released the wriggling larva from his palm.
That larva was a giant stag beetle grub worth at least 8 million won.
“Good work, everyone. Especially Kim Min-jun—you hustled.”
The night work wrapped up at 10 p.m.
It should’ve taken over two hours, but Kim Min-jun cut it short.
“Private Kim Min-jun! Thank you, sir!”
“Hey, come here. I’ll buy you a frozen pack.”
“Thank you!”
On the way back after finishing.
A senior from the platoon beckoned him closer.
He clearly liked Kim Min-jun.
Privates and PFC could only hit the PX on weekends normally.
Unless a corporal or sergeant bought it for them, of course.
‘Ah, frozen food after training and work hits different. King Shnelli chicken is the bomb!’
He’d forgotten how good frozen stuff was.
Lower quality than the mess hall, but weirdly addictive.
“Min-jun, watching you, if you’d enlisted two years earlier, you’d be a corporal by now. Should’ve come sooner.”
“Private Kim Min-jun! Two years ago, I was still in high school!”
“Oh, right. Perfect timing then. I’ve got duty, so I’m out. Keep it up—you’re winning over the seniors.”
“Yes, sir!”
The senior told him to clean up and left first.
‘Okay. Image-building on point.’
He’d rank up to corporal or sergeant soon anyway, but first impressions mattered.
‘Too bad. If the promotion exam system hadn’t changed, I could’ve started as a corporal.’
What the senior just mentioned.
It was a rule allowing top exam scorers to jump two ranks.
Two years ago.
Some sergeant got promoted to corporal and caused a dungeon incident, so they changed it.
‘Max one rank at a time now.’
And promotion exams were only twice a year.
Meaning he had to rack up achievements for special promotions.
‘Hold up. What were the criteria again?’
Kim Min-jun wolfed down the King Shnelli chicken and headed to the barracks.
“PFC Lee Dong-jin, sir. Got a question—mind if I ask?”
“Sure. Shoot.”
“Besides the promotion exams, I know there’s a rule for advancing based on outstanding achievements. Can you tell me the criteria?”
Lee Dong-jin blinked at the unexpected question.
“Yeah, there is. Like rescuing civilians in emergencies or racking up kills in big dungeons… but it’s all subjective.”
Basically, up to the commander’s discretion.
“Treat it as nonexistent. Almost no hunters promote that way.”
“Thanks.”
It might’ve sounded ridiculous, but Lee Dong-jin explained in detail.
A genuinely nice senior.
‘I’ll look out for you once I make corporal. Don’t worry.’
No sooner had he thought that than a voice came from across the room.
“Oh. Newbie’s already scheming…”
“Where’s the pigeon, sir?”
“Goo goo!”
It was Corporal Kim Kwang-sik.
“Kim Kwang-sik. Enjoying that special shooting training ass-kicking?”
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik! Sorry, sir.”
The second he opened his mouth, Sergeant Lee Seung-ho glared at him.
“Do it again, and you’re mine.”
“Got it!”
“Good. Back to it.”
“Goo! Goo goo!”
Lee Seung-ho glared a moment longer, then turned to the TV.
‘Time to put him to real work.’
Cleaning time was coming up soon.
Kim Min-jun turned to Corporal Kim Kwang-sik.
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik. Enough pigeon. Start cleaning the barracks. More tasks after.”
“You’re really working me to the bone. Fine. No grudges—use me all you want. But next time I catch you, I’ll grind you 24/7.”
Kim Kwang-sik grabbed a mop, saying they’d settle it in the next training.
“Yes, sir.”
Of course, that’d never happen, but he said yes anyway.
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik. Scrub till not a speck of dust. Hunters gotta watch for fine particles too, right?”
“…Newbie’s too nice. Consideration off the charts.”
“Thanks.”
Kim Kwang-sik shot him a playful glare and headed out.
“Kim Min-jun.”
“Private Kim Min-jun!”
“I’ll back you, so work him nonstop. Slack, and you’re in trouble.”
By then, Lee Seung-ho had chimed in: fail to grind him, and he’d get reamed.
“Work him” sounded like “strip him bare.”
He wasn’t thrilled with Kim Kwang-sik’s special shooting training.
‘A corporal getting owned by a private.’
When’s this chance coming again?
“Yes, sir!”
Kim Min-jun replied energetically, feeling refreshed inside.
‘But go easy on him.’
If Kim Kwang-sik were a total jerk, he’d have ground him 24/7 without mercy.
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik. Did you wring the mop right?”
The second he brought the wrung mop, Kim Min-jun asked seriously.
“Of course! Wringed it good. What’s my seniority for?”
He thrust it out proudly, smirking.
“Then I’ll check.”
Kim Min-jun took it and squeezed hard—but not enough to rip.
Drip.
One drop hit the floor.
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik? One drop, but first time, so I’ll let it slide. Start cleaning.”
“Man. When newbie makes corporal, the juniors are screwed.”
“Only special treatment for you, Corporal Kim Kwang-sik.”
At that, Kim Kwang-sik feigned a pout.
“…Newbie? Did I ever mess with you?”
“No, sir.”
“Then why me?”
“Pigeon impression rubbed me wrong.”
“Fair.”
Kim Kwang-sik started mopping with pigeon noises.
“Goo! Goo goo!”
The other PFCs stifled laughs, staring straight ahead.
‘24/7’s a bit much—I feel bad. Little more, then done. Fun guy anyway.’
Kim Min-jun decided to go easy.
‘Privates can’t even hit the PC bang. Miserable without this fun.’
The abuse had always been there—a unit issue.
Kim Kwang-sik just drew the short straw.
‘Ah. Gonna sleep like a baby. More fun than expected.’
**
1 a.m.
All hunters except Kim Min-jun and Kim Kwang-sik were deep asleep.
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik. That’s enough. Barracks are spotless—go sleep.”
At that, Kim Kwang-sik tossed the mop.
Kim Min-jun caught the flying mop easily.
“Newbie. You wring it. Been dying to sleep since earlier.”
Kim Kwang-sik yawned nonstop and flopped onto his bunk.