Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Platoon Leader
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A week had passed since the surveillance team's visit.
On days when no dungeons appeared, Seo Dae-hyun volunteered at a charity hospital.
"You really seem to like kids, huh?"
May said.
She was the association agent assigned to him.
"Yeah."
Seeing the children reminded him of the kids back at the orphanage in Korea.
"Still, working at the hospital every single day for a whole week can't be easy."
Seo Dae-hyun had been commuting to various hospitals over the past week.
For ordinary people—who weren't hunters—to receive healing from a healer, they had to pay at least tens of dollars.
And the higher the healer's rank, the more the price skyrocketed.
Of course, Dae-hyun didn't charge a single penny. He treated everyone for free.
As a certified association hunter, he earned at least ten billion a month, so he had no need for more greed.
"There's no work anyway, so I have to make myself useful somehow," he said humbly.
It was a stark contrast to the arrogant healers of the past.
Before becoming an association agent, May had entered a dungeon herself.
The healers she'd met there... were all insufferable bastards.
At that moment, her phone rang.
[Caller - Kyle]
May answered.
- A gate has appeared.
They mobilized upon hearing that a dungeon had spawned.
* ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ It had been a week since the last one—a new dungeon had appeared.
The city where the dungeon spawned was Des Moines in Iowa State.
It wasn't far from the association branch.
Gates rarely formed in the corn belt region than expected, so the dungeon in Des Moines felt strangely unfamiliar.
Gates appearing in Iowa at all were a rare phenomenon.
Out of curiosity, people wandered dangerously close to the dungeon.
"It's Seo Dae-hyun!"
Someone shouted then.
Unlike before, it was a clear cry, bright as morning sunlight.
Additional association agents were deployed.
If only an A-Rank healer and two agents entered, people might find it suspicious.
So they'd agreed to add a few extra personnel for dungeons that spawned in or near the city.
The association combat agents knew Seo Dae-hyun's abilities to some extent.
They could enter together without risking a leak.
"Estimated C-Rank gate,"
May announced the gate's rank.
They entered with the bare minimum personnel required.
The dungeon's theme was a ruined city.
Thankfully, it wasn't a jungle or forest.
In jungles or forests, higher-rank dungeons brought vastly varying numbers and types of monsters.
But since they didn't know what monsters would appear, the agents moved cautiously, scanning all directions.
"We'll protect you, Hunter Seo, so don't worry!"
One of the agents entering with Seo Dae-hyun said.
Aside from May and Kyle, the other agents were stepping into a dungeon with him for the first time.
Knowing he fought by summoning soldiers, they held a slight prejudice that he was weak in close combat.
They had no idea his close-quarters skills could devour most dealers.
Kyle scratched his head apologetically.
"Sorry. We seem to have misunderstood you a bit, Hunter Seo."
It was like a house cat offering to guard the king of beasts, a lion.
Kyle looked embarrassed, as if ashamed on their behalf.
But Dae-hyun didn't mind much.
"I'm fine."
He added for Kyle's sake, who looked mortified.
"Feels reassuring to have association agents watching my back."
The agents were deeply moved by Seo Dae-hyun's words.
But the emotion didn't last long.
Ripples spread, like tossing a stone into a calm lake.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A monster appeared, covered in clumps of scrap metal. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Iron Golem Seo Dae-hyun summoned Kim Hyun-jun and Michael. ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Kim Hyun-jun (Sergeant)] [Michael (Corporal)] His first dungeon in a week.
He had to make it worth it somehow.
"This body... makes its entrance!"
Kim Hyun-jun charged at the scrap heap as if his body had been itching for action.
* ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Iron Golem defeated.] [Iron Golem defeated.] ... The agents had no need to step in at all.
Kim Hyun-jun and Michael handled everything.
It was their solo show.
The agent who had boasted about protecting Seo Dae-hyun looked utterly deflated.
Clearing a C-Rank dungeon with just the two of them.
Boom boom boom!
The scrap heaps charred and crumbled under the soldiers' explosions.
Tougher than the regular golems they'd faced before, but they had a fatal flaw.
The loose joints connecting the golem's arms, legs, and torso were its weakness. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Promotion conditions met.] [Michael (Corporal)'s rank advances one level.] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Michael (Sergeant)] Only Michael's promotion went through.
Kim Hyun-jun didn't advance.
But there was still a chance.
They hadn't encountered the boss monster yet.
The odds of a boss were fifty-fifty.
Bosses usually appeared in maze-type dungeons or those measured at high ranks.
But with open terrain and a C-Rank rating, it was ambiguous.
If Kim Hyun-jun won a one-on-one against the boss, he might promote.
All or nothing.
Vreeeeeng!
A metallic screech echoed from somewhere as they walked.
"Hyun-jun."
At Seo Dae-hyun's signal, Kim Hyun-jun entered combat stance.
The scrap from the defeated golems gathered in one spot.
The monster that emerged looked at least twice the size of the other Iron Golems.
Michael stayed by Seo Dae-hyun's side without advancing.
"Hunter Seo, can Kim Hyun-jun handle it alone?"
Kim Hyun-jun retorted to Kyle's question.
"I can... do it."
Kim Hyun-jun coveted promotion.
He'd died once already, but the primal desire to grow stronger hadn't died. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Iron Golem (2.0 Ver) Far from cyberpunk high-tech engineering, it was a shabby mess of spoons, forks, and miscellaneous scrap fused together.
Iron and copper formed the Iron Golem.
Its core generated a powerful magnetic field, drawing in the scrap.
A scrap hand fused with forks and knives reached for Kim Hyun-jun.
Boom!
Kim Hyun-jun stepped back one pace.
He instinctively knew getting caught meant the end.
His most powerful weapon would become useless.
To take it down easily, trigger Passive: Explosion near the core.
But the golem gave him no opening.
Whenever Kim Hyun-jun neared the heart (core), the golem flung nearby scrap shards like grenades.
Boom boom boom! ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Corpse Explosion Bang!
The explosion rang out, but the distance was too great to damage the core.
Kim Hyun-jun desperately tried to reach the core, while the golem blocked him relentlessly.
Spear versus shield.
At that moment, Kim Hyun-jun's body regenerated faster than before. ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heal [Healing Kim Hyun-jun (Sergeant)'s injuries.] Kim Hyun-jun's body rapidly regenerated from Seo Dae-hyun's heal.
"Do what you're good at."
Kim Hyun-jun mulled over Seo Dae-hyun's advice.
"...What I'm good at."
The bladed mechanical hand covered Hyun-jun's head.
Bam!
Hyun-jun's body exploded once more.
Whoosh—
Bursting through the black smoke rippling from the explosion, he charged the golem.
Only his left arm bore the passive effect.
His legs and right hand moved without hindrance.
In his right hand, he gripped a metal shard snatched during the previous blast.
No teeth? Use the gums!
That was his specialty. ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Surprise Slash As he slipped inside the golem's torso to destroy the core...
"...!"
Repulsive force from the golem's core pushed away the blade in his right hand.
Quick on the uptake, Hyun-jun released it immediately.
Holding on would have sent him flying back, making it hard to reach the core again.
Kim Hyun-jun hugged the golem's upper body tightly with both arms spread wide.
The golem thrashed in panic, unable to attack.
And for good reason—the spot he clutched with both arms was right by the core.
It knew attacking up close would doom itself too.
Did that mean Kim Hyun-jun couldn't attack either?
Miscalculation.
Corpse Explosion could be used even without taking damage. ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Corpse Explosion (C) [Power increased upon promotion to Sergeant] "I'll be back—"
Boom!
With those words, he detonated alongside the enemy. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Iron Golem (2.0 Ver) defeated.] The firepower was fiercer than usual.
Kim Hyun-jun had used his entire body as the medium for the explosion, amplifying the power.
Normally, he'd only explode 20% of his body, like a lizard shedding its tail.
This time, he used everything, boosting the output immensely.
However, the scattered remains of Kim Hyun-jun regenerated more slowly than usual.
As if something was interfering.
Seo Dae-hyun strode forward. ⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heal [Healing Kim Hyun-jun (Sergeant)'s injuries.] Gray smoke from the heal mingled with the black explosion smoke, swiftly reconstructing Kim Hyun-jun's body.
Good.
He hadn't vanished.
Seo Dae-hyun checked Kim Hyun-jun's status first.
"You...! Are you insane?!"
Relieved to see him intact, he snapped in anger.
Like scolding a runaway child who finally came home.
"I told you... I'd come... back..."
It was the first time he'd used his whole body as an explosion medium.
Even unconscious Michael never fought so recklessly.
He instinctively left 50% of his body intact.
"I did... what I'm... good at... fighting with."
Seo Dae-hyun was dumbfounded, at a loss for words.
"Brother... but this time... I felt... a little pain."
Hearing he'd felt pain from the explosion sparked new hope.
Life is a chain of suffering, they say.
Feeling pain was proof he was becoming human again.
Seo Dae-hyun flicked Kim Hyun-jun's forehead.
Punishment for that massive blast and worrying him.
"Ow!"
It didn't even hurt much.
"Quit whining."
"To your... senior... like this...?"
"We're not in the army anymore."
Seo Dae-hyun and Kim Hyun-jun bickered like brothers, as if nothing had happened.
With the boss defeated, the gate opened.
Golems weren't corpses, so he couldn't command them as soldiers.
To Seo Dae-hyun, it was just another dungeon.
Like going to a sushi buffet with a fish allergy.
Still, Kim Hyun-jun had met his promotion conditions, so that was enough. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Promotion conditions met.] [Kim Hyun-jun (Sergeant)'s rank advances one level.] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Kim Hyun-jun (Lieutenant)] From sergeant, the next promotion skipped sergeant first class straight to lieutenant.
He wondered suddenly.
'Did it just skip sergeant first class?'
Then a system message appeared. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Conditions to appoint a Platoon Leader met.] - 30 soldiers. - Lieutenant-grade soldier. [Appoint soldier position.] "Kim Hyun-jun." ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Appointing Kim Hyun-jun (Lieutenant) as Platoon Leader.] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Kim Hyun-jun (Lieutenant)] - All stats +20%, Squad member buff +10% - Skill: [Surprise Slash] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Ding!] [New position unlocked.] [Appoint soldier position.] - Combat Soldier (new) - Infantry ... Not just positions—new roles unlocked too. ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Infantry] - Strength +20% - Active Skills: [Slash] [Thrust] ⚔ STATUS ⚔ [Kim Hyun-jun (Lieutenant)] - Platoon Leader - Infantry (Strength +20% / Skills +2) [Squad Leader: TBD (0/2)] Promoting Kim Hyun-jun to Platoon Leader opened squad leader slots. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Appoint soldier position.] "Michael." ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Appointing Michael (Sergeant) as Squad Leader.] [Squad Leader: Michael (1/2)] One squad leader slot remained.
"One-Eyed."
Bear Wolf was higher rank, but like the saying "give extra rice cake to the one you hate," he picked One-Eyed. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Appointing One-Eyed (Corporal) as Squad Leader.] [Squad Leader: Michael, One-Eyed (2/2)] No squad leader buff applied.
It would have been overpowered, doubling up on platoon leader buffs.
* ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The agents noticed Kim Hyun-jun's aura shift immediately.
It wasn't just his aura.
"Kyle, mind lending me an awakening stone?"
Kim Hyun-jun treated the precious stone like borrowing a cigarette.
Kyle handed it over without suspicion, then flinched.
"Wait. Your speech..."
He was communicating smoothly.
Kim Hyun-jun had spoken so haltingly before, frustrating listeners.
Becoming a lieutenant had cured his speech impediment.
"Huh? It works?"
Even Kim Hyun-jun himself was startled by his own fluent words.
The awakening stone rated him B-Rank!
Kyle and May's eyes widened.
A week ago, he'd been C-Rank.
"...Hah, promoted in just a week?!"
May's words were overheard by nearby senior agents.
"A week?"
"May, what do you mean?"
"Wait, Kim Hyun-jun Hunter was C-Rank just a week ago?"
Hunter rank-ups were incredibly difficult.
High-potential awakeners got national or major guild support, but those rated below B-Rank had to climb alone.
Yet Kim Hyun-jun, since becoming his soldier, was growing faster than in his previous life.
"Whoa... jealous."
The agents envied him.
Then Kyle shattered that envy toward Hyun-jun.
"Then you guys die once too."
They'd forgotten momentarily—Kim Hyun-jun had died—because he seemed so human.
"Ah..."
The agents who watched his fight realized their blunder.
They wanted strength, but not enough courage to die for it.