Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Gacha Elixir
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The bead's true nature was the Red Marble, commonly known as the Gacha Elixir.
It was a type of item that granted beneficial or harmful effects depending on the disposition of whoever consumed it.
‘How was it supposed to form, again?’
Was it that various plants were affected by the dungeon's influence and produced it?
Of course, that was just a hypothesis—they'd never pinpointed the exact cause.
‘Anyway, jackpot!’
Kim Minjun hurriedly pocketed the Red Marble.
According to protocol, he should report it to the platoon leader and hand it over untouched.
‘They might give performance points, but all I'd get back is a reward payout.’
Swapping it for a measly few hundred thousand won? No way.
This one's mine to eat.
To trade for something like this, you'd need to bring back at least a level 15 DF weapon, duh.
‘I’ll eat it later when the time’s right.’
Ssssh—
The Night Walker had sidled up beside him at some point, wriggling as if begging for praise.
“Yeah, good job. Keep finding lots more like this. That way I can power up faster…”
Kim Minjun started to praise it satisfactorily, but then he checked the lingering demonic energy on the bead and scowled.
“You crazy bastard! It’s an elixir, sure, but the best you could do is low- to mid-grade! I told you to use your demonic energy efficiently!”
Sss…
The Night Walker wilted and tried to burrow into the ground.
“Your ghost act isn’t over yet. Get back here.”
He still needed to mess with his squadmates.
Whoosh!
“Eek!”
“Aaack!”
After Kim Minjun scared the other hunters a few more times.
“Son Eunseo, what university did you go to?”
“Just a four-year school in Seoul.”
“Huh? No way. What major? You don’t seem like a liberal arts type.”
“STEM.”
Kim Kwang-sik and Son Eunseo were climbing the hill.
‘Typical guy, can’t help himself.’
Kim Kwang-sik tried pulling out various topics to get a word out of the quiet Son Eunseo.
“Hey. More importantly, help me out here.”
“Oh! Sure thing! Anything you say.”
At her request for help, Kim Kwang-sik’s eyes lit up.
He’d been about to give up since his chit-chat wasn’t landing, but now this opportunity.
“When Kim Minjun comes to scare us, we rush him together and beat him for real. I already heard how he’s disguised.”
“…Why Sergeant Kim Minjun all of a sudden?”
At Kim Kwang-sik’s puzzled question, Son Eunseo shot back with clear irritation.
“That damn jerk! During our squad’s CBRN drill, how many minutes do you think he kept us in the gas chamber? Fifteen minutes! Fifteen! I’ve never met a devil like that before!”
“…Fifteen minutes? We were out in under ten…”
“Aargh! Still pisses me off thinking about it! How the hell was I supposed to know character names from some Dungeon whatever game!”
She was still fuming from the CBRN incident, spewing curses left and right.
‘Whoa… Sergeant Kim Minjun was an angel to us.’
Kim Kwang-sik just stayed quietly silent.
‘Look at these kids. Kinda cute?’
Meanwhile.
Watching the scene, Kim Minjun decided to scare them for all he was worth.
Whoosh!
Kim Minjun thrust his face right up to theirs.
“Uwaaaah! Shit!”
“Kyaaah!”
Kim Kwang-sik recoiled in terror for a moment, but Son Eunseo swung a fist even in the chaos.
She clearly had some pent-up feelings toward him.
‘999 years too early!’
He easily deflected her attack.
Then he whispered something in her ear before vanishing.
“Ugh, he’s insane. How’d he do that makeup to make it so creepy?”
As Kim Kwang-sik clutched his pounding chest.
Son Eunseo shuddered with rage on her shoulders and yelled.
“I don’t give a damn about Carian or whatever!”
What Kim Minjun had whispered was the answer to the CBRN quiz question.
**
The next day.
On the fifth day of field training, the hunters only had the withdrawal march left.
The withdrawal ceremony was a quick formality.
“Our division has been designated as deficient in training. From here on out! Maintain constant tension in your training and missions! Understood?”
“Yes!”
The battalion commander handed two sheets of paper to the company commander, then promptly left the training grounds.
“Lee Seungho, Kim Minjun.”
“Sergeant Lee Seungho.”
“Sergeant Kim Minjun.”
“Yeah. These are yours. Keep them safe, don’t crumple them.”
“Understood.”
The papers were commendations for Outstanding Instructor and Field Training King.
“2nd Company, 2nd Platoon’s been racking up results lately. Keep it up.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
The company commander pinned a Field Training King medal onto Lee Seungho’s chest.
‘What’s this? No swag for Outstanding Instructor?’
Kim Minjun stared blatantly at Lee Seungho’s chest.
“What.”
“Sergeant Lee Seungho. You only won Field King thanks to me—gimme that medal at least.”
“You barely did anything but the trench brawl.”
“Without me, no win. Who do you think got us that squad outing?”
“Shut it. I barely held back from killing you during CBRN.”
“I went easy since they were my squadmates. Other squads got the full ten-plus minutes.”
The two sergeants bickered childishly for a while.
“Whoa! Kim Minjun! Snagged Outstanding Instructor over the corporals?”
“Sergeant Lee Seungho. That medal’s worthless anyway—just give it to Minjun.”
The squadmates approached, talking about scheduling the squad outing.
“We’ve still got the withdrawal march. Over 60km—you can plan after that.”
Kim Minjun flashed them a big grin and pointed blatantly at the military vehicle.
Of course, as an instructor, he was exempt.
“I’ll head back early and chill.”
“Ah… Moments like this make instructor life enviable.”
“Asshole. Hope your tire blows on the way.”
Kim Minjun waved to his squadmates as he boarded the vehicle.
They watched his retreating figure with dejected looks.
“Whoa. Kim Minjun!”
Back at base first, Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min greeted him warmly.
“Loyalty! Sergeant Kim Minjun! Finished instructor duty and returned ahead of schedule!”
“Yeah. Heard you got Outstanding Instructor too? Lee Seungho got Field King.”
“That’s right.”
Showing the commendation brightened Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min’s face.
“Nice. Thought corporals would snag it. Just rest up from now on. Training’s till today anyway, and the kids won’t hit base till evening.”
With no one around base anyway, he told him to relax without worry.
‘He’s in a great mood, huh.’
Kim Minjun headed straight to the gym.
Others might need to recover from fatigue, but who was he?
A black mage who’d reached the pinnacle in another world and returned.
“Gotta grind stats hard to rank up fast.”
After checking around, he pulled out the Red Marble from field training.
Gulp.
“Whoa, tastes like hot chicken ramen mixed with jjajangmyeon.”
As it slid down his throat, a spicy burn hit, followed by messages.
[Item consumed.]
[Effect applied based on consumer’s disposition.]
[Harmful effect applied.]
“Tch.”
A dud.
Whatever harm could it do?
His demonic energy would purify it anyway.
Ssssh.
[Harmful effect purified.]
[Purified energy applied.]
“Hm? What’s this?”
Waiting quietly, his body’s demonic energy produced an unexpected result.
[Due to purified energy effect, Strength skill rank rises one level.]
[Strength has risen to D-rank!]
“It worked out like this?”
A dud turned into this.
“Lucky break.”
With this, his Strength stat hit 70.
This steady stat grinding was thanks to his unique skill.
Hunter Academy’s stat cutoff was around 50—Kim Minjun’s were monster-level.
“But Hunter Academy isn’t just about high stats.”
Right.
To get into Hunter Academy, stats mattered, but academic performance was key.
They’d be commanding soldiers, after all.
“Wonder if ranking up from a fancy four-year uni is faster, or climbing from grunt like me.”
While the hunters did their withdrawal march, Kim Minjun repeated workouts in the gym.
**
“Ah… life.”
“It’s over! Finally! This damn field training’s done!”
Past evening, the hunters returned to base looking like survivors.
Temporary extra training was rumored, but that was for later.
“You all worked hard through five days and four nights! Tomorrow’s combat rest, so rest up today and tomorrow to shake off the fatigue.”
“Yes…”
“Understood…”
“And Lee Seungho. Good job on Field King.”
“Sergeant Lee Seungho. Thank you.”
After Lieutenant Kim Cheol-min’s brief announcements.
The squadmates staggered through showers and collapsed into bed.
“Close my eyes, and it’ll be morning.”
“Ugh… this field training was insane.”
Exhausted beyond measure, they were asleep in under a minute.
“You guys sleep too. No need to mind me.”
“Thank you.”
“Sergeant Kim Minjun. Then… good night.”
At his words, the privates who’d been watching him drifted off one by one.
‘Guess I’ll scroll my phone then crash.’
Pulling out his smartphone, a ghostly messenger ping came.
‘What? How’d she get my number?’
The KakaoTalk was from Son Eunseo.
Son Eunseo: Hey.
Kim Minjun: Blocking you.
Son Eunseo: Wait! Just a sec…
As he went to block without mercy, Son Eunseo quickly replied that she had something to say.
Son Eunseo: Kim Minjun. You got squad outing, right? I’ve got one too—wanna sync schedules?
What.
Why’s she suddenly like this?
Is this the legendary pickup line?
‘Not really feeling it.’
As Kim Minjun typed a rejection.
“Sergeant Kim Minjun! No! Please!”
Kim Kwang-sik, who’d been peeking, piped up.
“What the hell.”
“Opportunities like this don’t come twice! Think of me, the other seniors, and rookies! You’re officer-bound, right? Squad morale management’s basic!”
Kim Kwang-sik begged, saying she was the division commander’s daughter—no harm in getting friendly.
“Fine. I’ll go. Only ‘cause you were good to me as a private—once.”
His point had merit, so whatever.
“Yesss! As expected, Sergeant Kim Minjun! Thank you!”
He even woke sleeping squadmates to announce the outing plans.
Kim Minjun: But how’d you get my number?
Son Eunseo: Asked Kim Kwang-sik to give it.
Kim Minjun: Ah.
“Kim Kwang-sik!”
“Corporal Kim Kwang-sik!”
“Who told you to share my number? One hundred push-ups.”
“Executing!”
He started push-ups gleefully.
Son Eunseo: Cool, next weekend then.
Kim Minjun: Sure.
As Kim Minjun synced with Son Eunseo.
-Kim Minjun! Found you at last!
Contact from Lee Bong-gu, operating outside base.