Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: First Dungeon - 2
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“Uh, wh-what?”
“What the—why’d he jump that high? Who is that guy?”
“It’s Corporal Kim Min-jun!”
The height he leaped to was a whopping 7 meters.
It was an impossible feat for most hunters.
“Keeek!”
“Full of energy, huh.”
That’s all because of the demonic energy inside you.
Not like some tiger spirit surging up or anything, right?
“It’s mine now.”
Kim Min-jun grabbed the shield secured from the front line ahead of time, then shoved it with all his might.
“Krreeek!”
Boom!
The monster rat slammed into the ground with tremendous force.
The impact even shook the entire dungeon area for a moment.
“Ugh!”
“What the hell just—”
The hunters staggered, losing their balance from the shockwave.
Kim Min-jun held the suppression baton in one hand while gripping the monster rat’s head with the other.
‘Oh. You’ve got a decent amount of demonic energy in you, huh?’
Ssssh—
He swiftly absorbed the demonic energy inside its body, then bashed its head hard with the suppression baton.
Crack! Splack!
“Kii… k…”
“Ugh, look at this thing. Why’s the meat so tough?”
“Keeek!”
In just three blows, the monster rat spat blood and died.
Since he’d put his full strength into those three hits, other hunters would’ve struggled quite a bit.
Once he absorbed all the demonic energy, its blackened eyes returned to their original color.
[You have absorbed a certain level of demonic energy.]
[Demonic Energy stat increases by 1.]
Talk about a windfall.
Must be because this is the front lines.
“Everyone, stay alert around us and protect Corporal Kim Min-jun!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Hey! Kim Min-jun! You okay?”
As he grinned in satisfaction, the hunters who’d been hanging back rushed over in a group.
“Corporal! Kim Min-jun! I’m fine!”
“Whoa… looking at it again, that thing’s size is insane.”
“If it had charged us, we’d all be dead…”
“Hey. How the hell did you do that just now?”
The hunters gulped as they stared at the ridiculously massive monster rat.
Irregulars like that sometimes popped up during dungeon clears, but this one was way too big.
“Kim Min-jun!”
“Corporal! Kim Min-jun!”
“You okay? What if you rush out like that without orders!”
“Sorry, sir!”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min only rushed over after confirming no other monster rats were around.
“You hurt anywhere?”
“I’m fine!”
“Phew… alright. It was an emergency, so no helping it this time. You did good.”
His voice had started angry, but it softened the moment he laid eyes on the monster rat’s size.
“Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min! Irregular spotted in the monster rat habitat! Requesting monster capture team support to secure it!”
He reported the situation to the command center, then withdrew according to protocol.
No guarantee there was only one irregular like that.
“Hey, we really survived thanks to you. When I saw that thing earlier, I couldn’t even think to raise my shield.”
“Damn front lines. No normal bugs or monsters around here—not a single one.”
Once they exited the dungeon, the seniors thanked Kim Min-jun.
“No need! Sorry for rushing out on my own!”
“What’re you sorry for? Anyone could see it was a sudden situation. If you hadn’t handled it, we’d have been in real trouble.”
“Whoa, look at him. Not a scratch on him. That even possible?”
Even the platoon leader was the same.
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min let out a sigh of relief only after thoroughly checking Kim Min-jun’s body.
“Attention, all!”
“Attention!”
“Dungeon clear halted due to emergency! Check personnel, then return to base!”
“Yes, sir!”
After the headcount, the platoon returned to base.
“Attention, all!”
The moment they arrived, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min issued orders.
“Turn in your hazmat suits and gas masks first. And make sure everyone showers!”
“Yes, sir!”
Having entered the monster rat habitat, the hunters’ bodies were caked in the creatures’ bodily fluids.
The hunters quickly stripped off their gas masks and hazmat suits.
“Phew.”
“Haa.”
They exhaled in relief.
Finally alive, their expressions said.
They’d been wearing gas masks from entry to exit, so it was understandable.
“Corporal Kim Min-jun, report to the platoon leader’s office after completing all orders.”
“Corporal! Kim Min-jun! Yes, sir!”
At Kim Cheol-min’s words, the other hunters’ eyes turned to him.
**
Inside the barracks.
The hunters taking a short break chatted excitedly.
“Hey, did you see Kim Min-jun take down that monster rat solo?”
Kim Min-jun had been summoned to the platoon leader right after arriving.
“That rat pup was huge. No joke—we almost all got crushed under it.”
“Pushing it back with a military shield… what’s that guy even made of?”
“Nah, no way, even so.”
“I saw it with my own two eyes.”
The impact was so huge that even the squad at the dungeon entrance had come rushing over.
“Yeah, if you’d seen that monster rat corpse, you wouldn’t say a word. They’re securing samples, so don’t freak when you see the pics later.”
“But pulling out mid-clear… kinda backs it up…”
As they hotly debated the irregular from the monster rat habitat and Kim Min-jun.
“Kim Min-jun. Sit here.”
“Corporal! Kim Min-jun! Yes, sir.”
Kim Min-jun sat on the sofa in the platoon leader’s office.
“Here’s some antiseptic and cotton. Use it.”
“This is nothing!”
“Do it anyway.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Min-jun dabbed the red antiseptic on his cheek.
It’d heal on its own anyway, but this was just for show.
“But seriously, you sure you don’t need a checkup? I can send you to medical.”
“Really, it’s fine!”
“From watching you earlier, you seem okay… but tell me right away if it hurts later.”
“Yes, sir! Got it!”
The reason Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min had called him here was to write the incident report.
Kim Min-jun was the only one who’d properly confirmed the situation when the irregular appeared in the monster rat dungeon.
“Truth is, when that irregular showed up, I had no idea how to handle it. Without you, it would’ve been a disaster.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“No, it was too big. Even if I’d rushed it, I’d have struggled.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Fair enough.
It was big.
Sure, it was just a low-grade monster rat no matter the size, but inside a dungeon, that changed things.
Unfamiliar terrain with poor visibility in the dungeon.
Clunky movements in hazmat suits and gas masks.
Plus, firearms and main weapons banned due to the dungeon environment.
“Report’s done.”
Kim Min-jun wrote up a suitable report.
‘Jumped full force, shoved the irregular with the shield, beat it to death with the suppression baton. That should do.’
“…Min-jun.”
“Corporal Kim Min-jun.”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min, reading the report, asked casually.
“What’s your stat total, anyway?”
“Strength 65, Agility 60!”
“Wh-what? 65? And Agility 60?”
At his answer, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min jumped in shock.
‘Even averaging mine as a lieutenant, it’s low 40s. And this regular soldier’s over 60?’
Sure, he was only in his second year as an officer, so his stats weren’t that high.
Even so, higher than vets with four years in.
“Ha… no wonder your promotions are fast. If you’d gone to a top Seoul uni, you could’ve hit officer school. Such a waste.”
Hunter Officer Academy cutoff was 50.
If Kim Min-jun had graduated a top Seoul university, it’d basically be a free pass.
“After you promote to NCO, no plans to go to college? Sergeants and up can commute, you know.”
“I hate studying. Promotions through merits are enough.”
Kim Min-jun answered firmly.
He figured he could make general in four years.
“Alright. It’s your call, no pressure.”
Kim Cheol-min chuckled and thanked him once more.
“You saved the whole platoon today. Really well done.”
“No big deal! Just did what I had to!”
“Yeah. You’re dismissed. Report if anything hurts.”
“Yes, sir! See you! Loyalty!”
Gained demonic energy, gained merit points.
Two birds with one stone.
**
The dungeon clear had been halted by the unexpected incident, but that didn’t mean the hunters got to rest.
“Ugh… what now.”
“Probably filling in somewhere short-handed.”
The platoon assembled in front of the parade ground in combat uniforms.
Everyone’s lips were pouting.
How long since their showers, and now assembly already.
“You all worked hard in the dungeon, so just a bit more effort.”
“Yes, sir…”
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min explained the remaining schedule in a gentle tone.
“Just fortification work with the special materials the transport team brought, and we’re done.”
“Oh… the dolsoe’s here…”
“Fortifications… dolsoe…”
At the words “fortification work,” the hunters’ shoulders slumped.
Fresh from the dungeon, and now fortifications of all things.
“My back’s gonna give out today…”
The special material they called dolsoe looked like ordinary bricks.
The problem was each one weighed over 100kg.
And that wasn’t all—its unique repulsive stench played a part too.
Mixed with special chemicals to repel monsters.
‘Nothing much today. Maybe hit the simulator after.’
As Kim Min-jun grabbed his tools.
‘Huh? What? Found something?’
Ssssh—
He got a response from the Night Walker he’d released around base.