Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: First Dungeon - 1
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[Strength has been created.]
“What’s this? I trained a bit seriously today, and now a skill shows up?”
Even so, it had only been a little over two hours.
[Strength (E): Increases the Strength stat by 5.]
Reading the skill description, it seemed like a basic stat-boosting effect.
“Even a basic skill is something to have.”
The environment already made it tough to gather demonic energy, but stacking up skills like this would add up to something undeniable.
“Corporal Kim Min-jun, sir. The individual interviews are about to start. And they said you’re up first, sir.”
“Yeah? Got it.”
Just as he was about to leave the training room, a junior soldier informed him it would be in the platoon leader’s office.
“Loyalty!”
He headed straight for the platoon leader’s office, where Kim Cheol-min welcomed him with a beaming smile.
“Oh! Kim Min-jun, you’ve already got three stripes! You haven’t even been here long, and at this rate, you’ll hit sergeant before you know it, you punk.”
“Thank you!”
“Yeah. Hang on a sec. I’ll grab you something cold.”
Kim Cheol-min personally fetched a chilled drink and handed it over to Kim Min-jun.
And not just that—he even brought an iced cup.
The other soldiers got nothing more than a cup of water, but Kim Min-jun was getting the VIP treatment.
“Thank you.”
“I’ve reaped a ton of benefits thanks to you. You see this?”
Kim Cheol-min pointed to the combat helmet sitting nearby.
The second lieutenant insignia had been upgraded to first lieutenant sometime.
“I could’ve transferred to another unit, but I like you, so I stuck around.”
In other words, he planned to keep riding Kim Min-jun’s coattails going forward.
“Thank you!”
“I’m the one who should be grateful.”
Kim Cheol-min flipped through the pages of Kim Min-jun’s personnel file a few times, then continued with a look of pity.
“Your parents… they ran off when you were little, huh.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I should’ve looked out for you more. I’ve just been swamped lately.”
“It’s fine.”
Kim Cheol-min felt a swell of pride for Kim Min-jun, who was handling his military duties diligently and racking up solid results despite the circumstances.
‘And his home address is in a controlled zone… Gonna need to keep a close eye on him.’
Compared to the other hunters he’d interviewed so far, this was by far the roughest background.
‘Truth is, I don’t feel a thing about it.’
Meanwhile.
Kim Min-jun genuinely felt nothing at all.
His parents had bolted when he was a kid—he couldn’t even picture their faces anymore.
“Any special reason you enlisted in the Hunter Army?”
“I wanted to earn those stars.”
“Anyone else, and I’d call bullshit, but you’ve got the makings. Keep pushing.”
“Thank you.”
Kim Cheol-min let out an amused chuckle and pressed on with the questions.
“Favorite foods? Hobbies?”
“I like delivery stuff—chicken, pizza. Hobby’s gaming.”
“Yeah? Gaming’s a must for guys. What do you play? I’m into Dolls Stone.”
Kim Cheol-min kept his gaze fixed on his notepad as he jotted down the responses.
“Dungeon & Fighter.”
“Dungeon & Fighter? Oh… that one, right? Dungeon Power Fighter.”
“Yes, that’s the one.”
“Hmm… yeah? I heard it’s got some cheating or whatever that makes it sketchy. That true?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Yeah, you strike me as the type where it’d be fine.”
Kim Cheol-min snapped his notepad shut and fixed Kim Min-jun with a serious look.
“Anything in Hunter Army life that’s felt mentally or physically overwhelming?”
“None.”
“For real? If something hits you later, come straight to me.”
“Understood.”
“No bullshit going on around here?”
“None.”
“Good. This ain’t the old army—speak up if there’s trouble.”
“Understood.”
Truth was, there was.
Privates First Class could only hit the PX on weekends. Same for the training room.
Even the game room—they had to sneak it in on weekends, eyes on the seniors.
Hunters up to PFC rank had all sorts of restrictions here.
‘Doesn’t apply to me anymore, sure. But I’m not about to let it slide.’
The second he made sergeant, he’d rip it all out by the roots.
“Good work. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes! Loyalty!”
Kim Min-jun wrapped up his interview with the platoon leader and stepped out of the office.
**
Lunch wrapped up, and the hunters assembled for the dungeon raid.
The platoon leader, sunglasses on, spoke up.
“All attention!”
“Attention!”
Kim Cheol-min’s sharp voice snapped the hunters to focus.
“Double-check your gear one more time! Execute!”
“Execute!”
2nd Platoon’s members gathered in front of the parade ground, geared up.
Everyone packing gas masks, suited up in custom protective gear.
Today’s target dungeon was crawling with monster rats.
“Follow the raid guidelines to the letter, and we’re golden. Got it!”
“Yes!”
“That all the lung power you got? Got it!”
“Yes!!”
“Front rank, move out!”
2nd Platoon passed the guard post and marched toward the dungeon.
They trudged on in silence for a bit.
“Lee Dong-jin!”
“P-PFC Lee Dong-jin!”
The platoon leader called out Lee Dong-jin.
“Where’s the monster rat’s vital spot?”
“The head!”
‘Ah. Platoon leader’s off again.’
The platoon members shot each other weary looks.
They all knew low-level monster rat intel cold by now.
But Kim Cheol-min kept firing questions, all to head off even tiny mishaps.
“Next—Lee Seung-ho!”
“Sergeant Lee Seung-ho.”
“Why the protective suits and gas masks?”
“Monster rat nests are pack territories—stench ramps up to lethal levels. Bare skin exposure does real damage.”
“Right. Low-level or not, prep’s non-negotiable. Got it!”
“Yes!”
The platoon leader went down the line, pointing and quizzing.
Fresh off promotion, he was brimming with fire.
“He’s really going at it today. Lieutenant glow-up’s got him pumped.”
“Yeah, hundred percent. Kim Min-jun’s the reason he leveled up.”
“Can’t argue that.”
The platoon members muttered gripes as they chatted.
‘Not a bad drill. But man, I hope the dungeon’s got some demonic energy.’
Kim Min-jun scanned their surroundings intently during the march, hunting for even a trace.
“Attention!”
“Attention!”
“Gear check one last time before entry! Reminder: monster rat dungeon ahead! Got it!”
“Yes!”
Dungeon entrance vicinity.
Hunters followed orders, inspecting suits down to the purifier canisters with precision.
One pinhole, and the monster rats’ reek would seep right in.
“Spare purifiers—all accounted for?”
“Yes!”
“1st Squad, enter!”
Kim Cheol-min radioed status updates and issued squad directives.
“Entrance team—squad leaders especially, stick to protocol. Radio any incidents immediately. Got it!”
“Yes!”
Platoon split down the middle: half to entrance, half to exit.
Kim Min-jun’s squad drew exit duty.
Analysis pegged the exit side for heavier monster rat density, so the platoon leader tagged along with them.
[You have entered the dungeon.]
“Verify purifiers operational!”
“Yes!”
Dungeon interior hit them like a wall: green fluids and smoke everywhere.
Visibility tanked hard.
Hunters rechecked gas masks on platoon leader’s command.
“All clear!”
“Poor viz—no splitting teams! Front and tail rows, shields up!”
“Shields up!”
Platoon leader prepped front and rear ranks with big military shields for rat ambushes.
“Mana guns off-limits! Suppression weapons out—eyes sharp!”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min pivoted smooth on the curveball.
“Yes!”
“Roger!”
Squad hustled to comply.
“Halt!”
They hit the mark, and he amped up the vigilance.
Prime monster rat hotspot.
“No ambushes this far in—so per manual, bait out and draw ’em!”
Traps were standard, but smoke killed sightlines.
Risked friendly steps too, so bait scatter it was.
‘Yeah. Old-school works here.’
Kim Min-jun nodded approval at Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min’s call.
‘I see their hidey-holes clear as day, though.’
Monster rats were bunkered underground right now.
Poised to pounce on any slip.
Kim Min-jun opted to watch the squad handle it first.
“Bait set!”
“Deploy fast, reform ranks!”
“Yes!”
Squad laid out the monster rat lures.
Bait? Mushy, rotting bananas.
Stinky vermin loved spoiled fruit, go figure.
“Squeeeek!”
“Contacts front! Rear too!”
Bait dropped—rats swarmed from everywhere.
“Hold formation, engage!”
“Engage!”
Hunters stuck to posts, picking off rats.
Swish!
“Squeek!”
Hunter suppression batons packed heft and bite.
Nail vitals, low-level pests dropped easy.
‘Man, itching to solo the lot. Formation holds me back.’
Kim Min-jun gritted through the itch, sticking to orders and formation.
“Urgh!”
“Dong-jin! Tense up right! You’re rigid—loosen!”
“PFC Lee Dong-jin! Copy!”
“Two flanking you! I’ll cover—handle it!”
“Yes!”
Kim Min-jun pepped up the hesitant Lee Dong-jin.
“No fear—charge! Training’s got you covered!”
“Yes!”
Boosted, Lee Dong-jin pushed aggressive, countering the rats.
“You’re tiptoeing to spare squadmates—that sticks, it’ll screw you solo.”
Lee Dong-jin shot him a how’d-you-know glance.
“I’ll spot you ahead too—cut it. Stats stall otherwise.”
“Got it.”
Lee Dong-jin bobbed his head, eyes earnest.
Hunters mopped up rats smooth under platoon leader’s cues.
Kim Cheol-min kept cool heads with spot-on calls.
“36 monster rats! Sweep complete!”
“Solid. Stragglers possible—alert advance, slow!”
“Yes!”
Nailed it.
‘One’s tucked in there.’
Dungeon fixture shadows—one rat hunkered low.
‘Hold up.’
Kim Min-jun squinted its way.
‘That brute’s way bulkier than the rest.’
Aura inside felt familiar…
‘Demonic energy.’
Crappy gas mask or not, he’d have bagged it fast.
‘Sweet!’
Kim Min-jun whooped internally.
Demonic energy, confirmed.
‘Formation break’s a no-go.’
Emergencies flipped the script.
‘Squad’s outmatched anyway. Time to yank it.’
Shhh—
Demonic energy streamed from his palm toward the rat.
“Squeeeek!”
Boom—effect popped.
Low-crouched rat vaulted airborne sudden.
“Huh? Wh-what!”
“M-monster rat! Platoon leader! That specimen’s oversized!”
“Fall back—all!”
Hunters peeled rearward sharp on command.
‘Too beefy. No shooters, we’re pinched.’
Smoke choked firearms and primaries already.
Perfect storm for a jumbo rat drop-in.
‘Shit. Options?’
Kim Cheol-min mulled frantic, drawing blanks.
Time-drag bought zilch.
Shields wouldn’t tank it.
Thud!
Then.
“I’ve got the block!”
One hunter launched groundward, airborne.
‘Huh. Directing flicks—I’d kill it.’
That hunter? Kim Min-jun, naturally.