Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: A Quest?
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‘What the hell is this?'
What the Night Walker had brought was a single black-stained note.
It said that while I was participating in the KCTC training, it had roamed around the nearby area.
It had discovered an item buried underground, just like in the guerrilla training grounds.
'Unexpectedly, there are items hidden near the military base.'
The Night Walker's specialty was extracting information from humans, so it was hard to expect it to find items buried in the ground like this.
It was purely good luck.
'Alright. I don't know what it is, but good job.'
The item we'd obtained this time was also one that hadn't been officially revealed.
In other words, it was a hidden piece.
Kim Minjun waited quietly, wondering if the system would reveal the item's identity.
Ding-
'As expected.'
Not even five minutes passed before a message appeared before his eyes.
'This must be another effect of my return.'
The system only provided basic notifications, including the status window.
It had no function to reveal item information.
'...But what is this?'
Was there an item like this?
Kim Minjun narrowed his eyes as he checked the identity of the black note.
[Blackened Trial]
Grants a quest suitable for the user's abilities.
Completing the quest will reward corresponding compensation.
"...A quest?"
Now it was going beyond item info to quests.
This was something he hadn't even experienced in Isgard.
"Isn't this... something that only appears in games like Dungeon & Fighter?"
Curious, he decided to use it right away.
Tsss-
As he used the item, a message popped up before his eyes.
[You have used the Blackened Trial.]
[Granting a quest suitable for the user.]
[...No quest suitable for the user exists.]
Messages popped up one after another.
"Whoa...."
Kim Minjun let out an exclamation as he checked the quest details.
"You're just handing this over like that?"
[Quest]
(Can be undertaken in 72 hours.)
Reward: Magi stat 5, additional magi.
He didn't know what the quest entailed, but it gave magi stat and magi.
A whopping 5 points, no less.
Considering his current magi stat was 30, it was practically a free giveaway.
"Quests are insane."
What would he have to do for rewards like that?
"What quest? Are you talking about Dungeon & Fighter again?"
As Kim Minjun grinned in satisfaction, the hunters sorting training gear asked if it was another game reference.
"Do your systems tell you item info, or give you quests?"
"...Did we hear that wrong?"
"Isn't that just fantasy novel stuff?"
"The system is just a notification function."
As expected.
From the hunters' reactions, the system was discriminating against him alone.
'I don't know what it is, but this kind of discrimination is welcome.'
It'd be great if it kept showering him with magi like this.
He'd perfectly completed the KCTC training and even scored an unexpected item.
A tune started humming from his lips unbidden.
**
The KCTC training had ended successfully, granting the soldiers four days of combat leave.
Even for major training, combat leave usually lasted only two days.
The battalion commander must have been that pleased, doubling the leave period.
"Whew, gotta sprawl out and sleep for a couple days."
"Me too."
"Man, the barracks make me sleepy like a ghost."
The squad members showered quickly upon returning to the barracks and dove into their bunks.
"Sergeant Kim Minjun. You ran around so much during training—aren't you tired?"
"I could run KCTC three more times right now if ordered."
"...Honestly, Sergeant Kim Minjun could handle it."
"Sleep, you punks. Good work during training. Don't skip meals."
"Got it."
The squad members were out cold within three minutes of closing their eyes.
Even though it ended earlier than the last training, it was still a massive exercise.
'Alright. Time to mess with Son Eunseo.'
Kim Minjun: Hey. Our battalion got 4 days combat leave. Rookies are dead asleep. How many days you get?
Son Eunseo: ...You know and still ask? None! Heading to trench construction tomorrow?
Kim Minjun: Wow. Trench work the day after KCTC? 4th Battalion CO is too harsh.
Son Eunseo: This is all your fault! If you'd gone easy, would it hurt? Who solos the commander kill?!
Kim Minjun: Right here.
Kim Minjun: Don't be too bummed. What could he do against me?
Son Eunseo: (Rabbit cursing emoticon)
Kim Minjun: Oh, and our battalion's having a get-together soon. Wanna come to BOQ?
Son Eunseo: (Rabbit double-cursing emoticon)
Kim Minjun felt satisfied from the KakaoTalk chat with her and headed to the PC bang.
"Been a while—time to grind some Dungeon & Fighter."
**
Time passed, and Saturday arrived.
At the BOQ, 2nd Battalion officers and soldiers had gathered.
Having crushed the KCTC training with overwhelming results, Lt. Col. Lee Junbum had kept his promise and hosted the get-together himself.
"Good work everyone on KCTC! Drink and have fun today, but keep the drinking in check. Got it!"
"Yes sir!"
"If you keep up the good performance, I'll set up events like this occasionally!"
"Understood!"
Soon, the officers' vehicles pulled into the BOQ.
For the hunters, they'd bought bulk pork belly, charcoal, and booze from outside.
Sizzle—
Pork belly slices browning perfectly on the grill.
"Whoa... how long since I've had pork belly."
"Yeah. Units rarely serve it."
"Ugh, when's this done? Can't crank the heat?"
The hunters stared holes through the grill, swallowing hard.
"But has the battalion commander ever thrown a get-together like this?"
"Nope. Four years and two months in, never once."
"This KCTC must've been a big deal."
"Of course. We didn't just win—we demolished them. We could make up for hunter mobility training tenfold."
"Lucky Sergeant Kim Minjun's in our battalion."
Chatting hunters turned their eyes to where the officers sat—specifically, toward Kim Minjun.
He was currently sharing drinks with the battalion commander.
"...The CO's totally smitten with Sergeant Kim Minjun."
"Hey, wouldn't you be? Ultra-fast promotions from private to sergeant, blocks every emergency solo, nails every training. What can't he do?"
"...And great personality too? Heard he still looks out for the troops even after officer promotion."
"Yeah. Hope Sergeant Kim Minjun sticks around our unit."
The drinking session heated up, and in the afternoon, officers vs. soldiers combat soccer kicked off.
"No mercy just 'cause they're officers, got it? Hard tackles are fine!"
"Yes sir!"
With even Lt. Col. Lee Junbum joining, the soldiers rolled the ball cautiously, minding their manners.
'Alright. Time to play some office politics.'
Kim Minjun passed to the battalion commander every time he got the ball.
Thanks to his perfect support, Lt. Col. Lee Junbum got ideal shooting positions.
"Whoa. Already 9-0? This is no fun... Alright, Sergeant Kim Minjun! You seem decent at soccer—switch to the soldiers' side."
"Sergeant Kim Minjun! Yes sir!"
Oh.
Perfect timing—he was getting bored anyway.
'I excel at power control.'
Against the officers, Kim Minjun showed overwhelming skill and scored.
But when the battalion commander approached to steal the ball, he barely dodged or lost it by a hair—precise control.
'No downside to impressing superiors.'
These things add up.
In the Hunter Army, connections matter more the higher you go.
Of course, he was confident he'd reach the stars without them.
'LTE won't cut it. I want 5G.'
Promotion standards differ between enlisted and officers.
Officer promotions are far tougher, naturally.
'For max speed, minding details like this is S-grade.'
The combat soccer lasted about an hour.
The battalion commander left the field grinning.
"Hahaha! Kim Minjun crushes training and combat soccer! These officer soccer hotshots? He breezes past 'em."
"Sergeant Kim Minjun. The CO seems even better."
"Yeah. If I were 20 years younger, I'd have your physique!"
Hunters alternated glances between the laughing CO and Kim Minjun, faces drained.
'He threw that match on purpose.'
'What's with Sergeant Kim Minjun?'
'Why? He's an officer now. Gotta schmooze up.'
'Wow... no gaps.'
They knew his combat soccer skills were no joke.
**
The next day, Sunday.
"Alright. Finally, the quest's here."
Kim Minjun stepped outside the base right on time for the quest details.
Quest rewards: a massive magi stat 5 and extra magi.
"Wonder how hard it'll be."
In games and novels, better rewards meant higher difficulty.
"But nothing's too hard for me."
Ding-
As he scoffed, the quest appeared.
[Quest - Dungeon Clear]
Slay the irregular monster in the Seoraksan Dungeon.
Reward: Magi stat 5, additional magi.
"That's it?"
Just kill one monster in the Seoraksan Dungeon?
"The dungeon in Seoraksan... Night Walker."
Sss—
At his words, the Night Walker transmitted dungeon info mentally.
Having acquired much of the 104th Division's dungeon data, it could do this.
"This is nuts."
Kim Minjun laughed in disbelief.
"It's just a regular dungeon?"
Practically handing it to him.
"Gotta clear it before another unit does."
Kim Minjun headed straight to Seoraksan.
'What? Someone's already here. Not Hunter Army?'
At the dungeon entrance, a group in civilian clothes and gear had arrived first.
They were civilian hunters.
"Huh? Hunter Army over there?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
Spotting Kim Minjun, the civilian hunters approached.
"You're Hunter Army, right? We reserved the Seoraksan Dungeon. Problem?"
"Heard there was an anomaly here. Came to investigate."
Kim Minjun replied naturally.
The dungeon wasn't normal, factually.
"Sorry, but please back off. Don't go in."
In my eyes, you'll all die if you enter.
Kim Minjun eyed the civilian hunters to stay away.
"What's with the attitude out of nowhere?"
One civilian hunter, displeased with his demeanor, scowled and approached.