Chapter 29
Chapter 29
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Hunter Mobility Training-3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"It's a landmine-type trap! Everyone, halt!"
"Halt!"
A trap cunningly hidden among the thickly grown grass.
It was a landmine-type trap set by the unit.
The trap had been placed along a path that hunters might carelessly pass through.
'Good eyes. I was just about to mention it.'
Just as Kim Min-jun was about to speak up, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min spotted it first.
'Trap type is electric shock.'
Landmine-type traps were divided into explosive and electric shock varieties.
Explosive types were meant to kill monsters outright, while electric shock types were used for capture in research or training scenarios.
"Trap type is electric shock! Everyone, attach rubber pads to your combat boots!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Got it!"
At Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min's command, the platoon members pulled out circular rubber pads from their gear.
Disarming a landmine-type trap required specialized tools.
It was impossible in their current situation.
'Detouring around... would take too far out of the way.'
It was the last day of training, and they had to reach the base by midnight.
A detour would make them late for sure.
'And it's the item with the biggest point deduction too.'
After a brief moment of thought, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min decided to push through the trap zone.
"Everyone, stay sharp and move out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Attaching rubber pads didn't mean they could let their guard down.
The terrain was rough enough as it was.
One wrong step could lead to disaster.
'Stepping on it wrong would hurt like hell.'
Of course, the electric shock trap right in front of them was for training purposes, so it wouldn't be fatal.
But it would be extremely painful.
"Injured personnel, lift them higher!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Stretcher bearers, move out first! Take as long as it takes—go as slowly as possible!"
"Got it!"
"In the meantime, the rest of you keep watch for any monsters!"
"Yes, sir!"
"If monsters show up, don't charge in! Provide covering fire only until I give further orders."
"Understood!"
Once Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min's orders were given.
The platoon members carrying the injured on their heads stepped forward cautiously.
The others stood ready against potential monster attacks in the interim.
"You drop me because of your screw-up, and you're in deep shit, got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
The supervisor had equipped rubber pads on his hands and feet just in case.
"Whew."
"We've arrived!"
The first two platoon members made it across safely.
"Next! Move out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Next, Kim Min-jun and one private lifted the stretcher and set off.
Platoon members handling injured transport rotated every set interval.
Kim Min-jun deliberately skipped his rotation to ease the burden on the others, even a little.
'This guy's shaky.'
He looked exhausted just standing there.
"Stay focused. Halfway done, and training's almost over."
"Got it!"
Private Jin Cheol-ho gritted his teeth and kept moving.
'Gotta keep an eye on him.'
His movements were unsteady.
"Uh, ugh!"
Right at the halfway mark, the private slipped badly.
"Hey, you idiot!"
"Get it together, you lunatic!"
The hunters watching from behind shouted in shock.
'If it weren't for me, that would've been a massive deduction.'
Without him holding steady, the supervisor on the stretcher would've fallen for sure.
"Just keep your balance! I'll cover the rest!"
"Ugh! S-sorry!"
No sooner had he spoken than the junior lost balance completely.
'Tsk. Heard it's brutal for privates and PFCs.'
At this rate, both the junior and supervisor would hit the shock trap.
In an instant, Kim Min-jun unleashed his strength and caught the two falling men.
It was possible thanks to his agility stat of 60.
"Huh? Wh-what?"
"What the—? What just happened...?"
"Don't move!"
Kim Min-jun tucked them under his arms and powered his legs.
Thud.
He leaped across the remaining distance in one go.
"Whoa..."
"Did I see that wrong...?"
The hunters watching from behind were stunned.
"Insane reflexes."
One platoon member had lost balance, and disaster seemed imminent.
Yet Kim Min-jun not only caught them both in that split second but also jumped the entire remaining section in a single bound.
"Isn't that something only an officer could pull off...?"
"Even officers would struggle..."
"Hey. Focus on the training."
The rest of the platoon crossed the trap section soon after.
"Jin Cheol-ho!"
"Private First Class Jin Cheol-ho!"
"Are you insane? Do it right! I said take it slow!"
"Sorry, sir!"
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min laid into Private Jin Cheol-ho harshly.
"If not for Kim Min-jun, the injured would've gotten hurt too! What were you thinking?!"
"Sorry, sir!"
"If you can't do it right, quit! What have you been doing since training started? Dragging everyone down?"
"Sorry, sir! I'll do better from now on!"
"If this weren't training, I'd have you drilling all day. Got it?"
"Got it, sir!"
Even as a fresh enlistee, there were no free passes.
Since it was training, Kim Cheol-min let it go with a stern verbal warning.
"Whew. Jin Cheol-ho. Even if you're a rookie, there's a limit to leniency."
"Private First Class! Jin Cheol-ho! Sorry, sir!"
"Do it right."
"Yes, sir!"
Immediately after, the other sergeants approached Jin Cheol-ho and laid into him.
One person's mistake affects the whole platoon.
It applied to the platoon leader too.
This was collective responsibility.
Especially in the military.
"Sorry!"
The private repeated apologies with a tearful face.
"Do better next time. What's done is done."
"Yes, sir!"
Kim Min-jun patted his shoulder once and told him not to get too down.
Mental fortitude was key in training.
If even he brushed off the private, the kid's morale would shatter completely.
**
Evening of the third day of training.
The hunters' shoulders slumped as if they might collapse any moment.
And for good reason—this training had thrown far more variables at them than the last one.
"Man... this training's insane..."
"It's only day three. One more day to go."
"This is crazy..."
Dawn gas attacks.
Midnight monster spawns in steep terrain.
Today's trap zones on top.
No wonder they were wiped out.
"Chin up, everyone! Just one day left. We'll camp soon after a bit more marching!"
Whenever that happened, Kim Min-jun boosted the veterans' spirits.
'Get it together.'
'We got this!'
The veterans clenched their teeth and maintained pace.
'Need to camp earlier today.'
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min assessed the platoon's condition and decided to stop there for the day.
Especially the privates and PFCs looked ready to drop.
"Attention!"
"Attention!"
"We're camping here tonight! Training ends tomorrow, so stay sharp, understood?!"
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min finished speaking and stepped away briefly to report the situation.
'Officers are officers, alright.'
Kim Min-jun nodded as he watched.
Truth be told, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min was fatigued too.
But he led the platoon without showing a hint of it.
'Soldiers' morale matters.'
If the platoon leader faltered, so would everyone else.
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min was fulfilling his role perfectly.
"Min-jun."
"Sergeant Kim Min-jun."
"Without you, we were really screwed."
While setting up tents, the veterans approached to thank him.
"It's just what had to be done. Especially for a fresh enlistee."
"Yeah, we feel bad for the kid too. See that over there?"
The veteran pointed to Sergeant Lee Seung-ho chewing someone out with a scary face.
It was the private who'd messed up in the trap zone earlier.
Word was, Lee Seung-ho had moved the moment the platoon leader was away.
"Without you, we'd be getting our asses reamed too?"
"Anyway, thanks, man."
The veterans clapped Kim Min-jun on the shoulder and moved on.
'Nice. This is military life.'
Building a good image with the vets.
'At this rate, making sergeant won't take long.'
As Kim Min-jun savored the satisfaction.
"Kim Min-jun."
"Sergeant Kim Min-jun."
"Come with that private."
"Got it."
Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min, back from reporting, beckoned him.
Wondering what it was about, he followed—and it was to check for injuries.
"You really okay?"
"Yes, sir. Fine."
"And you?"
"Private First Class! Jin Cheol-ho! I'm good too, sir!"
Only after a thorough check did Kim Cheol-min relax his stern expression.
"Whew. Thought you two were goners earlier—nearly shit myself. And you."
"P-Private First Class Jin Cheol-ho!"
"Yeah. Don't take it too hard. It's because this is such a massive operation."
"Yes, sir!"
Kim Cheol-min crossed his arms, recalling the incident.
"Think I misjudged back there. My fault for not checking platoon conditions properly."
"You mean Private Jin Cheol-ho, sir?"
"Yeah. If I'd paid closer attention, it wouldn't have happened."
Even with Kim Min-jun's perfect handling, the incident was a clear mistake and deduction.
And it was Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min's fault.
Checking every soldier's state amid constant curveballs was impossible, of course.
But a mistake was a mistake.
'Can't change the past. But with one day left, he can't be this drained.'
This being Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min's first time with this training, it had to be stressful too.
'Didn't expect to be cheering up officers too.'
Kim Min-jun encouraged him.
"I'll keep watch on the rear at all times. Forget what happened. Still one day of training left, right?"
At that, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min gave him an incredulous look.
"You punk. I'm still a lieutenant. Plenty of gas left."
"Got it, sir."
"Go check on things."
"Yes, sir! Loyalty!"
Kim Min-jun told the private not to stress too much either, then returned to his spot.
**
The third day ended, leading into the final fourth day.
"Just hold on today..."
"Twelve hours to endure..."
The hunters' stamina had hit its limit.
A few platoon members were walking in their sleep.
"Damn, our platoon's legendary."
"Yeah. Other platoons had tons of casualties."
"Ours is the only one with no dropouts, even among privates and PFCs."
Kim Min-jun's platoon was the only one without injuries.
"Huh? Isn't that him?"
"Yeah. Looks hurt?"
Mid-march.
The platoon members spotted someone and raised their voices.