Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Off to Sergeant - 2
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Out of the six hunkers, one had a head stained pitch black.
It was an irregular.
‘Taking down just that one is gonna take a ridiculous amount of manpower.’
Irregular hunkers were far more complicated to deal with than the standard ones.
Regular hunkers could be handled easily enough by neutralizing their hook attacks, then blasting them with mana rounds or weapons.
But if you just killed an irregular outright, its head would burst, spewing out a cloud of black powder.
‘Powder with a petrification effect, right?’
The black powder would drift through the air and get inhaled through people’s respiratory systems, turning their entire bodies rigid like stone.
Even a tiny amount could suffocate a regular civilian.
That was why irregular hunkers required special vehicles and gear—they had to be subdued and captured alive.
“Sergeant Kim Minjun here! Six hunkers have emerged from six gates! One of them is an irregular! Requesting special vehicle support!”
-Six hunkers? And one’s an irregular? It’ll take the nearby Hunter Corps nearly ten minutes to arrive! Don’t engage—evacuate!
The moment the word “irregular” hit the airwaves, the officer on the other end started barking orders at double speed.
“I’ll buy time until then. If we evac now, there’ll be civilian casualties.”
Evacuate? What a joke.
How strong could these things really be?
They were all just experience points to him.
“Kee-hee-hee-hee!”
The hunkers approached, letting out their spine-chilling cackles.
Kim Minjun quickly checked if any civilians were nearby.
‘Good. Clear for now.’
Shwick!
The second he looked away, the hooks came flying.
Massive hooks that evoked the image of scythes.
“Krk, krkik!”
“Kee-heek?”
Kim Minjun caught each hook they threw, one by one.
Six hooks in total, gripped in his right hand.
The hunkers pulled with all their might, trying to drag him in, but he didn’t budge an inch.
“Alright, time for the tug-of-war.”
These cute little bastards.
Monsters gonna monster—show the slightest opening, and they pounce.
“Kee-hee-heek!”
“Kiaaaak!”
The closer they got to Kim Minjun, the more desperately they yanked, thrashing wildly.
“Like that’s gonna work on me?”
With his other hand, Kim Minjun swung his whip at them.
[Pain Whip effect applied.]
“Oh?”
A message flashed, and the skill took hold.
“Kki, kkiaaaak!”
The hunkers screamed as if they were about to die on the spot.
They shook violently, clearly in agony.
“Not bad, Pain Whip. Only downside is how loud they get.”
Kim Minjun took out all the hunkers except the one with the blackened head.
[Strength stat increased by 1.]
Nice.
Stats up, performance points earned.
Smooth sailing.
“You, I’m sparing. Consider yourself lucky.”
“Kee-hee-heek!”
“If you don’t wanna die, stay still.”
Kim Minjun wrapped the hunker up with his whip like a bundle of ropes.
Now he just had to wait for the Hunter Corps to arrive.
“Kyaak! Th-that thing! A monster!”
A short while later.
A woman passing by the nearby children’s park spotted the hunker and collapsed to the ground.
Frozen in terror at the sight of the monster.
“Krgh-huh-huh…”
The hunker let out a sinister growl and gaped its maw toward the woman.
“You’re fine. I’ve got it restrained. Please don’t come any closer—take another route.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Kim Minjun calmed the civilian and instructed her to back away.
“Krgh…? Kee-hee-heek!”
Then.
The irregular hunker made an unexpected move.
A hook shot out from inside its open mouth.
Target: the civilian woman ahead.
“Aaah! Help me!”
The woman, who had been cautiously retreating, freaked out at the hook hurtling toward her.
“You little shit. I told you no funny business.”
“Kee-heeeek!”
Of course, that hook never reached her.
Kim Minjun reacted instantly, and it sliced through empty air.
“I didn’t know they could shoot hooks from their mouths. Guess that’s what makes it irregular.”
“Hnghk…”
“Don’t even breathe. You’re wasting good air.”
Kim Minjun tightened the bindings so the hunker couldn’t even blink.
**
Meanwhile.
The Hunter Corps units dispatched for the emergency disembarked from their military vehicles, faces tense.
“A gate breach this time—hunkers! Six of them! One’s an irregular that causes petrification! Everyone, gas masks on!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Gas masks on!”
“No firing until I give the order! Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
The Hunter Corps from the Chuncheon-area unit equipped their military shields and rushed to the scene.
Only the Ironwon units had mana shields issued so far.
That’s why two full platoons were deployed just to handle six hunkers.
“You lot, secure the perimeter—no civilians in! Establish safety!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Next! Third Platoon, with me!”
Following the officer’s orders, the hunters moved into position.
The gate had opened smack in the middle of a busy children’s park.
Speed was critical.
“Everyone, shields at the ready… What the hell?”
The officer arrived on site and narrowed his eyes at the sprawled hunker corpses.
“Hng… ugh… khk…”
The irregular—clearly identifiable—lay bound so tightly it could barely breathe, eyes blinking feebly.
Standing next to it, cool as ever: Kim Minjun.
“Sir! 104th Division, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Company, 2nd Platoon Sergeant Kim Minjun reporting!”
“Uh, uh… Report was six hunkers… You handled them solo?”
“Yes, sir.”
And he’d even captured one alive.
An irregular that normally took ten-plus hunters to subdue, rendered helpless by a single Hunter Corps sergeant.
‘I’d heard the rumors, but damn, no exaggeration.’
The other five hunkers’ heads were cleanly burst open.
And no firearms used, either.
Even armed, without shields, hunkers were a nightmare.
“…Situation’s already over, isn’t it?”
“No way… Six hunkers solo? And he captured one?”
“Bound it up real nice, too.”
Not just the officer—the troops stood there dumbfounded, mouths agape.
“Get the special vehicle in here, stat! Secure the irregular first!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Thanks to Kim Minjun’s efforts, zero civilian casualties.
Hell, they even nabbed an irregular for study.
“Kim Minjun, right?”
“Sergeant Kim Minjun, yes, sir.”
“Six hunkers… how? No shield?”
“Caught the hooks they threw at me, yanked them back in, and took them out.”
“Huh… seriously? That works? Not one—not six? Those things pull like freight trains.”
He almost accused him of screwing around, but Kim Minjun’s body was spotless—not a scratch.
Hard to believe, but undeniable.
“Hngkik! Hnkee-keekik!”
“Don’t wanna lose your head? Stay put, punk!”
“Hngk…”
Only after loading the hunker into the special vehicle did the incident wrap up.
The thing thrashed until the last second—Kim Minjun had to step in and help secure it.
“We’ll get the details back at base.”
“Yes, sir! Understood! Thanks for your service. Sir.”
“No casualties thanks to you. Good work.”
The officer clapped Kim Minjun on the shoulder, then ordered the hunters to withdraw.
“That irregular had some serious pull.”
Kim Minjun rolled his shoulders.
Compared to the others, its tugging strength was several times greater, for sure.
[Strength has been strengthened.]
Still, not enough to level up the skill.
“Whatever. Good’s good.”
This gate clear alone boosted his strength stat by a whopping 6.
Strength: 77 Agility: 67 Stamina: 60 Mana: 30
Strength nearing 80 already.
“Sweet.”
Kim Minjun grinned at his stat screen.
Gathering mana was trickier here than in Isgard, sure—but overall stats were climbing faster.
“Gonna have to farm some mana stats soon, too.”
“Hey! Kim Minjun!”
“What?”
While he lounged on a park swing, a familiar face approached.
Corporal Son Eunseo.
“Why’d you rush over? And why bring the service knife?”
“…You handled the incident here?”
“All me. About thirty minutes ago.”
“…Solo?”
“Obviously.”
Son Eunseo scowled at Kim Minjun’s nonchalant nod.
“I timed my leave just in case, and you hog all the performance points! Lucky bastard!”
“What? Didn’t you say you had errands? What’s this ‘just in case’ crap?”
“What else? Gates pop every time you’re on leave. Figured it’d happen again, so I tagged along.”
Of course it did.
He’d picked spots right before outbreaks.
Still.
She’s got good instincts, huh?
“You’re late. Your bad. Admit it?”
Not that he’d have shared even if she showed.
Kim Minjun shrugged pointedly at her.
“Ugh, you’re infuriating.”
“More importantly, you should start using honorifics with me from now on.”
“What the hell. Spouting nonsense again?”
“Come on. You know. After this performance, they’re not skimping on my sergeant promotion, right?”
“…Sergeant.”
At the word, Son Eunseo’s shoulders slumped.
They’d started at the same rank—private first class—but now he was on track for NCO.
‘Gonna make sergeant for sure this time.’
Heard he even captured an irregular. Denying it would be ridiculous.
‘Gotta use honorifics with him?’
Regular troops could get casual with other companies’ enlisted.
But officers—even from other units—got respect.
“Why the long face? I’ll buy you coffee. Let’s go.”
“…Anyone’d think getting promoted in the Hunter Corps is a cakewalk.”
“For me, it is. Watch and learn. I’m star-bound.”
Kim Minjun patted her shoulder and sauntered out of the park.
She stared at the service knife in her hand for a moment, then sheathed it.
**
Back from leave.
The barracks buzzed.
Kim Minjun had solo-cleared the Chuncheon gate, protecting civilians without a single injury.
While on leave, no less.
“How do gates keep popping wherever that guy goes on leave?”
“No kidding. And Sergeant Kim blocking them solo? Insane.”
“Six hunkers at the Chuncheon playground—one captured alive, they say.”
“…Hunkers? Solo? One hook snag and it’s game over.”
His squadmates chatted about his imminent sergeant promotion, this incident included.
“Has to be sergeant. Or we storm Hunter HQ.”
“Oh, Minjun’s back.”
“Yes, sir! Back from leave.”
“Look at this guy—not a scratch. Maniac.”
“Squad leader’s calling you up soon about the promotion. Watch.”
“Tell us about the incident first.”
“Got it.”
As Kim Minjun bantered with his squad,
-Attention. Sergeant Kim Minjun. Sergeant Kim Minjun, report to the squad leader’s office immediately.
Lieutenant Kim Cheolmin’s voice echoed through the barracks.