Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: A Peculiar Tradition
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The Chilgok Unit was composed of seven squads.
Each squad had one officer and ten regular soldiers.
Squads 1 through 5 were responsible for combat, while Squad 6 handled administration and logistics here, and Squad 7 managed the same from the main barracks in Cheorwon.
Do-jae was assigned to Squad 3.
He entered the barracks, which were built from panels for easy assembly and disassembly.
"Oh? You're here already, sir?"
Son Jeong-gyu, who had been diligently cleaning the empty barracks, stood up and asked.
His demeanor was a complete 180 from before.
It was Do-jae who was taken aback.
"What's this? Why the sudden politeness?"
"I apologize for my earlier behavior."
Son Jeong-gyu said, clasping his hands respectfully.
His biceps bulged beneath his shabby clothes.
It was rare to see someone for whom an apology seemed so ill-suited.
"Why did you do that?"
"As I said, it's a unit tradition. We pick a fight with everyone who transfers into the Chilgok Unit, officer or not."
"What a strange tradition."
"It's a place with a lot of men… In any case, I must once again apologize for using a real sword."
Son Jeong-gyu calmly explained what had happened.
The unit members had already known Do-jae was transferring in. By design, the other soldiers had ignored him, leaving Son Jeong-gyu to be the one to get his attention.
It had been Son Jeong-gyu's turn, so he had been forced to start the fight as per custom, but he’d gotten carried away in the heat of the moment and used a live blade.
"I see. In that case, I'm sorry too. I almost hurt you."
"Not at all! I would have been in pain for a moment, but you made a great impression on the other squad members. And please, speak casually with us. You're our new Squad Leader. If you use formal language to show us respect, some of the guys might overstep their bounds. It's better for everyone if you speak informally."
As it turned out, Son Jeong-gyu was a rather considerate man, contrary to his appearance.
The more they talked, the more Do-jae realized he was thoughtful and had a firm grasp of hierarchy.
It was clear his earlier behavior had been nothing more than an act.
Do-jae thought he should take back his comment about the man's muscles having taken over his brain.
"Alright. Now that you mention it, that sounds better."
"Yes, Squad Leader."
"By the way, where are the other squad members?"
"They're all out. Some went for personal training, others are on leave. It's our squad's day off today."
"So all those spectators were from other squads."
"Yes, that's right."
The Suppression Corps wasn't a prison.
Its members were public servants, so they, in principle, had regular work hours.
The road to Gaeseong was even well-maintained, so one could get to Seoul in two or three hours.
However, no one ever thought of clocking out.
When the Unit Commander ate and slept on-site, what kind of audacious soldier would think of commuting?
So, while they couldn't commute, they were free to do as they pleased on their days off.
Some would train, while others would gather and drive into the city.
"As you can see, we live here. Is that all the luggage you have?"
"Yeah, this is it."
"If you need anything, please let me know. I'll be free during my confinement, so I can get you any supplies you need."
"Thanks. But don't worry about it. I've brought enough."
Son Jeong-gyu's eyes widened as he nodded.
He assumed it was because Do-jae had an inventory.
The expression and gesture were a mix of surprise that an individual possessed an inventory and quiet acceptance.
"This is your bunk, Squad Leader. I'll be heading out now. It might be a good idea to look around the base before the other squad members return. Thanks to the Unit Commander, we're all pretty close here."
"Got it."
*Click.*
Son Jeong-gyu left, carrying a trash bag.
Now that they had talked, Do-jae felt a little sorry.
*He looks older than me. I should buy him a drink sometime.*
Do-jae walked over to the bed Son Jeong-gyu had pointed out.
It was in the best spot, by the window in the far corner.
The bed was clean and soft.
The interior was also quite comfortable for a prefabricated barracks.
He had expected it to be unpleasant since it was only men, but it was not only clean, but also had a faint, pleasant scent.
*Having curtains is nice, too.*
Curtains were drawn between each bed, creating individual spaces.
While nothing could be done about the noise, he was quite satisfied just to have this division.
*Vwiiiing—.*
A subspace opened.
From within, he took out bedding and a picture frame.
Things like clothes and shower supplies would just take up space, so he could just pull them out of his subspace as needed.
*Shall I take a look around the base now?*
After setting up the frame, which held a picture of him and his sister, Do-jae slowly walked out of the barracks.
***
*It's bigger than I thought.*
The base was larger than Do-jae had expected.
This was because the suppression zone in Gaeseong was so vast.
The suppression operation had been ongoing for about two months, with a total projected duration of one year.
And that was just for the suppression; if they included the normalization period, it was a large-scale operation that would take more than twice as long.
"Good afternoon, sir."
As Do-jae walked around the base, members of other squads greeted him.
They all seemed quite diligent and had bright expressions.
It was a clear sign that this was a very well-managed unit.
*But I guess the tension is unavoidable…*
Still, there was a distinct, heavy atmosphere.
This was a battlefield.
A place where Awakened beings gathered, never knowing when or where monsters might go on a rampage.
It was the kind of place where faces were bright, but never light.
*Rumble— Rumble—.*
A truck entered from the opposite side of the base, the direction of the suppression zone.
The truck was filled with a jumble of loot from monsters, broken swords, and halved spears.
A short while later, a group of Suppression Corps soldiers followed it into the base.
*Looks like they just returned from a suppression mission.*
Their tired faces and slow pace told him their mission had been grueling.
As each one passed by Do-jae, they gave a slight bow, and a fishy, damp smell stung his nostrils.
Then came the last one.
A man stopped and greeted him in a friendly voice.
"Oh? Hello!"
The man wore the same patch on his left arm as Do-jae.
It was Shim Young-jin, an officer and squad leader, identified by the '十' symbol, who spoke to him cheerfully.
"Oh? You're a squad leader too? Your name is…"
"Lee Do-jae."
"That's right! Mr. Do-jae. It's great to see someone I know here!"
*Thwack.*
Shim Young-jin offered a handshake.
His hand was caked with dirt and some kind of unidentifiable sticky substance.
*Slap.*
"Fancy seeing you here. It's good to see you, too."
Do-jae took Shim Young-jin's hand.
The texture was unpleasant, but surprisingly, it felt good.
He'd felt bad about not being able to greet Shim Young-jin during the exam, and this seemed to alleviate some of that feeling.
"Somehow, I knew you couldn't be an F-Rank. Why did you trick us back then? No, wait, I even checked your license."
"I had my reasons at the time."
"I see. By the way, what did you talk about with my uncle then? He looked really happy."
"It wasn't anything important. He just asked if I had any interest in joining Manseong…"
"Whoa, seriously? Did my uncle really say that?"
"Yes… well…"
Shim Young-jin's face twisted.
He was hurt that his uncle, who had been so displeased with him and his friends, had tried to scout a complete stranger.
"Hmm… Mr. Do-jae, what are you doing later?"
"I don't think I have anything until tonight. My squad members are all out since it's their day off."
"Then let's grab a coffee. It's my first day too, and they sent me straight out on a suppression mission… Phew, I'll be right back after I report to the commander."
"Take your time. And maybe wash up a bit."
"Ah, yes! Hey guys, let's go together!"
Shim Young-jin ran off, chasing after his squad members who had walked ahead.
Watching him, Do-jae let out a small laugh.
***
"Ah, that's refreshing. The showers here are nice!"
"Yes, the facilities are better than expected."
In a small smoking area tucked away in a corner of the base.
Shim Young-jin had called Do-jae there.
"Want one?"
"I'm fine."
Shim Young-jin took a drag from his cigarette, then let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Phew… I wasn't even supposed to come here, you know."
Do-jae wondered what he was about to say.
He found himself getting curious.
"During the exam… Ha, that crazy bastard. Oh, I'm talking about the proctor. Anyway, that bastard followed me around for three days straight, tormenting me. And I don't know where he kept pulling monsters from, but every time I tried to rest, more would show up, and then more again."
"Is that so?"
Do-jae subtly frowned.
So that was why he hadn't been able to hunt any monsters.
But he quickly relaxed his expression.
It was all in the past.
Besides, given Shim Young-jin's personality, he knew it hadn't been intentional.
"Thanks to that, I racked up a good score. About 20,000 points? I was probably in first place."
"With that score, it's almost certain."
20,000 points was more than enough to secure first place.
It was even more certain considering the other examinees had their monsters stolen and barely scored any points.
"So I should have been able to go to the Main Suppression HQ, no problem. I put it as my first choice. But why! Why on earth! Did I end up in the 3rd Suppression Corps…"
"I wonder. I'm not sure either."
"No. I know why."
Shim Young-jin's gaze shifted somewhere.
Towards the unit commander's barracks, where the unit flag was flying.
Shim Young-jin was glaring at it as if he wanted to kill it.
"The Unit Commander must have brought me here. You saw him too, right, Mr. Do-jae? He was the proctor for the exam."
"Even so, aren't assignments based on performance?"
"They are. But the exam proctor gets one special pick. They can choose any examinee they want. That's why I was sent straight here without even stopping by the main base!"
"I didn't know that."
It was information not disclosed to the public, so Do-jae was unaware, but the proctor of each exam site was given the authority to specially select one examinee of their choice.
Shim Young-jin had known this.
His suspicion had grown beyond a guess into a certainty.
"Sigh, my life."
"Wouldn't it be better to quit then? Since you're in a place you don't want to be…"
"Mr. Do-jae. You saw my uncle. He was so happy when I told him I was going to the 3rd Suppression Corps. I can't. I have to endure it."
"I see."
"Still, having someone I know here makes me feel a lot better. Have you seen my squad members? Damn, what's with their bodies? It's like ten mountain gorillas gathered together."
After that, Shim Young-jin chattered on relentlessly.
Do-jae felt he was like a younger brother, talking on and on about himself without caring whether the other person was listening.
"Those guys grabbed my arms and legs and dragged me to the 3rd Suppression Zone…"
And so began the tale of Shim Young-jin's first suppression mission.
He recounted everything fluidly, from arriving at the suppression zone to the combat situation.
And just as he was reaching the climax.
"Squad Leader, all squad members have assembled in the barracks."
Son Jeong-gyu came to the smoking area to report.
"Huh? Already? I didn't tell them to gather."
"I called them. It's your first day, so I thought we should have a welcome party."
At the sudden mention of a welcome party, Do-jae scratched his head awkwardly.
Shim Young-jin's story was just starting to get boring anyway, so he thought it was a good opportunity and immediately stood up.
"Alright, let's go."
Son Jeong-gyu and Do-jae headed for the Squad 3 barracks.
Watching their retreating figures, Shim Young-jin grumbled.
"Wow, I'm jealous… I wonder if my guys will throw me a welcome party."