Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: No Freaking Way...!!!
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The mana rifle looked just like an assault rifle. It might be a pretty unfamiliar piece of gear to the other trainees, but to me, it was a reliable companion like no other.
Military training was nothing but pointless drudgery, endless fatigue, and a chain of annoyances...
But oddly enough, live-fire training where you actually pulled the trigger? That was pretty fun. There was this weird sense of accomplishment from experiencing in real life something I'd only ever done in games.
"Everyone, treat this seriously. You're not warriors—you're soldiers. Remember, a soldier's top priority is swiftly neutralizing the enemy and clearing the situation."
Drill Sergeant Kate's expression turned deadly serious.
No matter the army,
whenever someone held a gun, a chill hung in the air.
"Now that you're soldiers, you need to master the mana rifle completely. Most enemies can be taken down with this magic tool alone."
But the vibe here was totally different from the mocking atmosphere I'd faced at the range before. There were still a few women sneering at me, and idiots fumbling awkwardly with their rifles.
Only three of us were serious.
Me, Mino, and Drill Sergeant Kate.
"Laughing?"
Of course, it wasn't long before Kate dragged out the giggling girls and gave them hell with some brutal punishment details. But to me, the whole scene just felt utterly awkward.
Soldiers who didn't even know to fear their first rifle...
An instructor grabbing them like rats and force-feeding them terror...
And in the middle of it all,
only I held my rifle reverently in both hands, standing ready.
"..."
No, I wasn't alone.
Mino next to me had peeked at what I was doing and was mimicking it perfectly, so at least two of us were fully prepped to learn shooting.
Don't put your finger on the trigger.
Never point the muzzle at anyone.
Always keep the selector on safe unless you're firing.
These phrases were second nature to me,
but the women couldn't even grasp the basics.
Since they had to start from scratch, it took forever. Except for weird geniuses like Mino, almost all the women had to learn the hard way—getting beaten and rolling around.
They got absolutely wrecked by the instructors all day. The only ones who didn't catch serious heat were me and Mino.
"Can't even do this right? Your heads are all messed up. What a bunch of worthless idiots."
Drill Sergeant Kate strode past the squadmates trembling face-down in push-up position, unleashing her icy barrage of insults.
She didn't stop there, either. Her combat boot flew into the backs of some girls' heads.
Thwack-!
"Ugh..."
I couldn't tell if it was my imagination,
but it felt like she was zeroing in on the ones who'd mocked me earlier...
"Dumbasses."
Nope, it was definite.
100%.
Even Kate, who always separated work and personal perfectly, had a hint of emotion leaking through her boot.
That didn't mean the other instructors went easy. True to shooting training, their eyes burned with malice, and horrific discipline drills ran nonstop to prevent accidents.
"You can't learn properly, huh? Fine."
Among them, Kate was the harshest.
"Push-ups aren't enough. Everyone, foreheads to the deck."
[Achievement: Despite Being a Man!]
You've achieved superior performance compared to the top 80% of women.
The squadmates, utterly exhausted from the nonstop abuse, couldn't even hold their forks properly.
Only me and Mino were unscathed. Sure, we'd caught a bit of punishment under the banner of "battalion responsibility," but nothing soul-crushing like the others.
It was pretty satisfying from my perspective,
but the mess hall atmosphere was total shit, ruining my meal for no reason.
Cold glares from the women zeroed in on me. Swallowing my bread hurt.
I acted nonchalant,
like it was no big deal, focusing silently on my food, but the prickly stares rained down nonstop on the guy who'd aced the day better than them.
Daring to be a man.
Lucky bastard.
Voices like that buzzed annoyingly in my head. I didn't need to hear them—I could feel the women's inner thoughts.
But unlike the aggressive glares hitting me for real, a shimmering chime rose from the status window over my tray, packed with praise.
[Achievement: Pride Breaker]
[Achievement: Object of Envy]
[Achievement: Anger Inducer]
...Wait, no?
Some of these achievement names were getting brutal.
A chill crept up my spine. But seriously, I hadn't done anything.
I just did what I was told. I didn't show off on purpose—I literally just followed orders...
[Achievement: Inferiority Complex Explosion]
[Achievement: Massive Aggro]
Sigh, fuck.
I was at a loss now.
At times like this, I envied Mino's deadpan personality, sitting right next to me.
It'd be nice to live without a care like that. Or maybe to get there, I needed to bulk up my physique first.
Anyway, I'd racked up all sorts of achievements while earning the women's hate in real time.
Still, let's think positive about the situation, even a little. Clinging to the negatives would make staying sane tough.
If the women hated my guts, at least my arousal points must've dropped. That was huge good news for me.
Just pull enough aggro,
while keeping proper boundaries.
The idiots clinging to me would've backed off, and if I could fend off the sneaky harassers, training life might simplify...
"..."
Yeah,
it should've simplified...
But the status window in front of me showed something weird.
💖 Arousal Points:47
📊 Overall:Getting hard to hold back. So many women want to pin you down first and ask questions later! Your popularity is skyrocketing!
Why the hell were arousal points rising?
Weren't they pissed because I outperformed them?
No, okay.
I got it, roughly.
In this gender-flipped world,
I'd ended up as the cocky knight type.
Just as guys here like dominating tough women, women here must like breaking capable men.
But the arousal points spiked way too fast.
Something felt off. What kind of education did these people get to react like this?
Cold sweat trickled down.
My hands shook.
Among the sticky stares fixed on me,
anger and vengeance now took root.
The next morning,
finally, live-fire day.
The trainees' eyes brimmed with venom after days of every punishment imaginable. Meeting one's gaze felt like inviting a fist.
It was like staring down starved beasts. I stood alone amid those massive predators, gripping my rifle tight, prepped to fire.
One by one,
30 rounds each.
First 10 for zeroing,
last 20 for hits.
"Hoo!"
The women finished shooting with venomous faces softening into smirks at last.
They seemed pleased with their results. I didn't know how well they'd done, but their relaxed expressions eased me too.
"How was it?"
"Easier than I thought. No big deal."
Friendly trainees swapped notes. Some beat themselves up for sucking, but our squadmates all grinned slyly, staring me down as they passed.
They wanted to beat me, bad.
The pre-shoot shade was vicious.
I got their side, sort of. Isekai women hated losing to men, so they didn't want me topping them in anything.
Especially after surviving Kate's brutal punishments.
Our squadmates' hearts overflowed with envy and jealousy toward me. Honestly, it was getting scary.
"Hey."
Only one,
Mino cheered me on.
"Shoot well."
The quiet girl who barely talked to anyone mustered courage to say that to me.
"Yeah."
I nodded back with a brief smile.
No need for much talk. We weren't that close.
Just fellow recruits who'd warmed up a bit over time...
That's it.
But in training camp, even that tiny bond offered tons of comfort.
"Next, Trainee No. 158."
Even prone for my turn, I agonized to the last second.
Maybe half-ass it? Hit like 5 out of 20.
I'd planned to rack up squad leader trainee cred,
good scores, and influence.
But the sharp glares and rising arousal points halted me.
Play it safe.
Watch the women's moods and coast. No disasters that way.
"...Jeong-woo."
Drill Sergeant Kate, directing from beside me, whispered softly before the real start.
"Don't overthink it. For a guy, hitting 2 is great. Men suck at combat."
No one would chew me out for sucking. Botching it on purpose might even help my situation.
Magazine in!
Bolt forward!
Selector to semi!
Chanting the familiar calls,
I resolved to sandbag.
No need to go hard here.
But,
still.
"Give it your best. You can do it."
Kate,
Mino,
both spurred me on somehow.
...Trainee No. 158, Han Jeong-woo,
20 out of 20 hits.
[Achievement: Shooting - Training Camp Record]
Highest live-fire score across men and women.