Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Corporal
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“Whoa… Look at the platoon leader chiming in right after we mentioned it.”
“Sergeant Kim Min-jun. Congratulations on the promotion to corporal in advance.”
“If you get corporal again, you’ll have to treat us big time.”
The squad members congratulated Kim Min-jun, saying his promotion to corporal was all but guaranteed.
“I’m not sure yet. Even after capturing that big goblin alive last time, it didn’t happen.”
“Sergeant Kim Min-jun, this time a gate opened right in Chuncheon City where civilians pass through, and you blocked it single-handedly. That’s on a whole different scale from last time.”
“Yeah, and didn’t he save some civilians who were nearby?”
The squad members said that if he didn’t get promoted this time, they’d harass Lieutenant Kim Chul-min relentlessly.
“Why bother the platoon leader who’s just sitting there, you punks? Anyway, thanks.”
Kim Min-jun chuckled and headed to the platoon leader’s office.
“Sir!”
“Hey, Kim Min-jun! I want to ask how your leave was… but you’ve got a bunch of reports to write. Start on these first.”
Lieutenant Kim Chul-min shoved a stack of situation reports at him the moment he saw him.
The pile of papers on his desk suggested a massive backlog.
“Understood.”
“Just fill them out formally; it doesn’t have to be perfect. Your promotion to corporal is pretty much locked in anyway.”
“Really?”
“Of course, you idiot. First you captured that massive thing alive, and now you’ve caught an irregular hanker, which is a pain to deal with. You think the division commander would let that slide without a promotion?”
Lieutenant Kim Chul-min joked, saying, “You’re burying me in work like crazy.”
“By the way, issuing you that weapon was a stroke of genius. Those six hankers you faced this time—if you didn’t have it, even you would’ve struggled, right?”
“Oh, the whip? I just handled them barehanded.”
Of course, he had used the irregular specimen as a way to tie up the whip.
“…What? You took on hankers without a weapon? How the hell did you manage that?”
Lieutenant Kim Chul-min’s eyes widened at the mention of bare hands.
“I grabbed the hooks they threw and yanked them toward me, taking them all out at once.”
“Ha, seriously. You ignore the weapon on purpose? Well, it worked out, so no big deal.”
Kim Min-jun’s reason for not using the whip was simple.
Dealing with them barehanded all at once was just faster.
No matter how tricky hankers seemed, with his strength stat over 70, they were child’s play.
“Here, all done.”
When Kim Min-jun handed over the reports, Lieutenant Kim Chul-min congratulated him on graduating from the barracks.
“You know what comes with corporal, right? Commuting from the officers’ quarters. Wonder if there’s an empty room available.”
“Ah. I’ll stick around the barracks for a while.”
“…What? With corporal stripes? Wouldn’t it be more comfy having your own room?”
Of course it would be comfy.
But the moment he moved to the officers’ quarters, he’d become the baby there.
In the barracks, though, he was king.
‘Plus, once you’re an NCO, you can leave base after duty hours anyway, so no big difference.’
On top of that, if he commuted from the officers’ quarters, the inequalities he’d just erased might creep back.
He’d wiped them out so quickly that he needed to take time to solidify the changes.
“I’ll move to the officers’ quarters when I make sergeant.”
“You’re a weird one. No issue with staying in the barracks as a corporal, of course. Oh, and one more thing to pass on. Your corporal stripes will feel a bit different from other NCOs’.”
“What do you mean?”
“Simply put, you’ll be the top dog among corporals.”
A hunter who went from private to corporal, versus one who trained up to corporal.
Naturally, the former had overwhelmingly more influence.
Especially Kim Min-jun, with his impressive track record.
“So if you’re raiding a dungeon with another corporal, your call takes priority. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. Understood.”
That’s great.
The moment he got corporal, he’d be the lowest-ranking NCO, but with real clout?
‘I wish they’d pin it on me tomorrow.’
**
The next day.
The hunters finished their morning run and chow, then assembled in the parade ground.
“You there! Clear those fallen leaves piled up over there again!”
“Private! Jin Chul-ho! Yes, sir!”
“Did you finish washing the vehicles at dawn?”
“Yes, sir!”
“This spot here! And here—repaint them! Use shoe polish for this!”
“Understood!”
Before the morning duties even started, the hunters were hustling.
Enlisted and NCOs alike, sweeping, scrubbing, painting—total chaos.
Not the brigade commander, but the division commander was visiting soon.
And the reason? Kim Min-jun’s corporal promotion ceremony.
Apparently, factoring in the Chuncheon gate incident and his outstanding service record, a special promotion to corporal had been approved.
Normally the brigade commander would handle promotions, but this time the division commander insisted on doing it personally.
“Argh! Telling us an hour before the visit? Couldn’t even eat properly.”
“Whoa… Our unit’s a legend. Seeing the division commander twice already—something you rarely get in a whole tour.”
“If we’d known three hours earlier, we could’ve skipped the morning run. Admit it?”
“Feels like we’re on his radar now… What’s next, screw it.”
The hunters grumbled but kept their hands moving.
“More like our unit’s legend is Corporal Kim Min-jun. How many special promotions is this?”
“Three?”
“Three in that short time? Someone’d think hunter army promotions are a king-of-the-hill game.”
“I busted my ass for three years, barely scraped corporal with pull-ups, and now looking at Sergeant Kim Min-jun… speechless.”
A regular enlistee assigned just months ago, steadily climbing and already on the cusp of corporal.
The hunters chatted, wondering if at this rate Kim Min-jun might shoot up to sergeant, master sergeant, even lieutenant.
“Man, standing around’s boring.”
Meanwhile.
Kim Min-jun, bored just standing there, tried to help the hunters clean.
“Kim Min-jun, you idiot. Just sit over there. What’s the promotion star doing scrubbing?”
Right then, Lieutenant Kim Chul-min came over, gesturing for him to quit fooling around and wait aside.
“Corporal Kim Min-jun. Roger that, sir.”
“Yeah. One hour to corporal? Wonder how quick till sergeant.”
Lieutenant Kim Chul-min laughed heartily, then touched the green epaulet on his shoulder as something occurred to him.
“You’re corporal now, so no more squad leader. Makes you wonder why bother if you’re pinning it so fast.”
“Does squad leader performance count toward sergeant?”
“Like hell it does, you punk. Already gunning for sergeant?”
Lieutenant Kim Chul-min took back the green epaulet, telling him to double-check his uniform.
“Understood.”
While Kim Min-jun stepped aside, the corporals who’d heard about the promotion approached him.
“Min-jun, no, Corporal Kim Min-jun! Congrats on sergeant already!”
“I’m not corporal yet.”
“An hour away—what’s the diff? Gotta half-ass it while we can. Wow… This the dress uniform only for NCOs?”
“Body like that, it fits perfect.”
“Gotta say, hunter army dress blues are top-tier.”
The corporals eyed Kim Min-jun in his dress uniform enviously.
‘Said this cost 800,000 won.’
Not bad.
Gotta wear it out off-base sometime.
“Unit, attention!”
Time passed, and the division commander arrived.
The rowdy atmosphere went dead silent.
“Present arms for the division commander!”
“Sir! Salute!”
“At ease. Division commander dropping by often—hope it’s not a hassle.”
“No, sir!”
Before starting the ceremony, the division commander gave a brief announcement.
With emergency situations spiking lately, be ready to respond.
“The top priority when a gate pops in a civilian city is response time. We have to beat the monsters to the punch before they hit the citizens. Clear?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good. You know the Chuncheon gate? Kim Min-jun Corporal happened to be nearby on leave and beat our nearest unit to the scene. Zero casualties thanks to him.”
Half announcement, half praise for Kim Min-jun.
“Corporal Kim Min-jun. Keep up that attitude in your service.”
“Corporal Kim Min-jun! Thank you, sir!”
The ceremony wrapped quickly.
Not much to it, really.
One sharp salute to the division commander, a handshake, done.
Could’ve skipped it in busy times, but when the division commander insists?
The division commander left base right after.
Clap clap clap clap clap.
“Corporal Kim Min-jun! Congratulations!”
Descending the podium, thunderous applause from the hunters greeted him.
“Our squad won’t be fun without Corporal Kim Min-jun.”
“…I’m still grinding for corporal, and seeing you… no words.”
Private First Class Lee Dong-jin, Lance Corporal Kim Kwang-sik, Corporal Lee Seung-ho, and the rest.
The squad mates said barracks life had been a blast together and not to forget them even in the officers’ quarters.
“Someone’d think I’m getting shipped out. Oh, didn’t tell you guys? I’m not going to the quarters.”
“Say what?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m staying in the barracks. Till sergeant.”
The lance corporals and corporals made faces like ‘Wait, that’s not right…’
Because Kim Min-jun staying actually cramped their style.
They couldn’t boss the juniors around freely anymore—thanks to him.
“I’d be the runt in the quarters. But here? I’m king. King of kings. Got it?”
“…First NCO ever to stay in barracks as corporal, I bet. Didn’t pick a branch?”
“Nah, sticking with regular hunter. Promotions are faster there.”
“…Impressive, sir.”
Corporal Lee Seung-ho shook his head in disbelief.
“Sheesh. You guys were tearing up earlier— all fake? Anyway, after duty today, 2nd Squad to the PX. Tomorrow’s Saturday, right?”
“No way?”
“Corporal Kim Min-jun?”
“Yeah, you punks. Let’s hit Friday night. My treat.”
“Woooaaah!”
“Been forever since drinks, and now again!”
When he said he’d gotten booze approval from the platoon leader, the squad erupted in cheers.
“Boose that good? Fine, only top-shelf liquor then.”
“Sounds good!”
The rowdy vibe lingered a while before the hunters headed back to barracks for duty prep.
‘Corporal, huh. Didn’t expect it the very next day.’
Proof overwhelming feats get results.
As Kim Min-jun grinned at his new corporal insignia.
-Kim Min-juuun!
A familiar voice called out.