Chapter 4
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Congratulations on Fulfilling National Defense Duty~!
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What the hell is night watch duty anyway?
Just like I answered Drill Sergeant Kate, it's about swiftly responding to any sudden nighttime incidents to protect your comrades' lives... or some crap like that.
That's all bullshit compared to reality. To put it simply, it's just taking turns staying awake every hour to guard the barracks interior.
The quality of your military life hinges entirely on this goddamn night watch.
Think about it. You have to wake up in the middle of every night to stand watch—how could anyone stay in decent condition? No way in hell.
Of course, the intent is solid. It's not like they do rotating night watch in isekai stories or hero tales for no reason.
If you're caught sleeping and get ambushed from behind, it's game over—total party kill. Someone has to stay awake to guard the others.
Anyway, back to reality...
"You seem to know your stuff."
Drill Sergeant Kate wagged her tail, clearly pleased with my answer. Her eyes were still fierce as ever, but seeing those cat-like ears and tail of hers let me breathe a sigh of relief.
I'd made it past the hurdle. She wouldn't pick on me anymore or nag relentlessly.
But right at that moment,
an inexplicable sensation started buzzing in my right wrist.
Like a sudden static shock.
A tingling feeling crept up from around the tattoo. Wondering what was up, I glanced down and...
Welcome! You've taken one step closer to becoming a Military Life Ace! Truly impressive!
...What the actual fuck is this?
It felt like some rage-inducing line designed to piss me off, but it also seemed genuinely congratulatory, which made it even more off-putting.
We wish Han Jeong-woo swift adaptation to this isekai and military life. May you complete this life-changing military service healthily and enjoyably before returning to Earth! This message appears only once, right after your first achievement, and vanishes after 3 minutes.
But once that mocking message faded, something like a status window unfolded in front of it.
Flash!
Congratulations on Fulfilling National Defense Duty~!
...Should I just smash this thing to pieces?
Status window or whatever, tear it to shreds and wreck it?
Firework-like special effects even burst out on either side of the hologram, making me want to punch it even more.
"Trainee No. 158?"
Oh shit. I'd gotten so distracted by the sudden status window.
Drill Sergeant Kate called out to me. Maybe she could see the screen too.
"...Trainee No. 158, Han Jeong-woo!"
I glanced at her nervously in my panic, but...
"Got something to say? You look disappointed. If you need some PT, just say the word."
"N-no, ma'am! I'll correct it!"
"...Correct it? Hmph. Read a military book or something before coming here? Pretty soldierly response for a trainee."
She couldn't see the status window.
It was made just for me.
A status window to help this isekai transfer.
And it listed the achievement I'd just unlocked.
You've earned +1 Military Life Point for your first military service bonus.
What the hell are Military Life Points?
Poking that term seemed like it would bring up a detailed view. Unlike the annoying messages, it looked pretty user-friendly.
"..."
I stealthily pointed my index finger at it, hiding from Drill Sergeant Kate. Hope bubbled up inside me—I might get home faster after all.
Because,
after adding that 1 Military Life Point...
The tattoo that read [D-729] was flickering.
The slave-brand-like mark on my skin, once stark and vivid, was now outlined in a warm blue glow. Something was about to happen.
It didn't take long for the tattoo to change.
The number, which seemed to show my remaining isekai life, decreased by one more—to [D-728]!
The countdown had dropped again. I had no idea what I'd done to trigger it, but in 728 days, I could escape this place and go home...!
I cheered silently. I'd gleaned a huge hint from that short exchange with Drill Sergeant Kate.
Not certain yet, but...
Answering her question properly must've influenced it...!
But my moment of realization was short-lived.
"At-ten-HUT!"
Women in combat uniforms shuffled in awkwardly, shattering my catharsis. They were the next shift for night watch duty.
Maybe because they were still trainees, everything from their uniforms to their movements screamed amateur hour. Drill Sergeant Kate's sharp eyes glared at them, then flicked back to me.
"...You're all not even worth one man."
Her cold breath echoed through the silent, chilly corridor. That cynical demeanor didn't match her cute cat ears and tail—it was pure terror for the trainees.
"Everyone except Trainee No. 158, drop and give me push-ups. It's 05:02. You're all two minutes late. Two whole minutes."
In the early days of training camp, a bit of harsh discipline was allowed. Instructors had to aggressively enforce order.
But Drill Sergeant Kate's brand of discipline was tight even accounting for that. She was a great instructor from one angle—a vicious sadist drill sergeant from another.
"D-drop and...!"
"Push-ups until I say stop. If even one of you messes up form, everyone adds ten more."
So they all kept following orders until she was satisfied.
The women's arms trembled, sweat poured like rain, but they struggled on to comply. I was the only one standing still, eyeing both her and the trainees.
"Straighten up. Knees off the ground?"
Watching from the side, the punishment looked brutal as hell.
Somehow...
Different vibe from the one I'd gotten earlier.
"You worthless shits. Came to the army with that kind of resolve? You're barely better than food scraps not even worth throwing out."
Drill Sergeant Kate didn't stop at sharp insults—she shoved her combat boot right under their faces.
Then nudged their heads around to deliberately break their form.
"Repeat after me. Ten more."
"Ten more...!"
If they held steady, she'd press harder,
and some got their knees or sides kicked out entirely.
"Twenty more!"
"Twenty more...!"
Yet even while dishing out the harsh punishment, she kept glancing my way.
Her cat tail, protruding from her hips, was bristled stiff, lightly scraping the floor. It betrayed her mix of intrigue and irritation.
"Thirty more."
"Thirty more... ad-added..."
A chill ran down my spine.
They were the ones suffering,
but my future suddenly felt ominous.
"Kehak!"
The trainees collapsed to the floor in unison. Even on a freshly mopped training corridor, dust and stale smells lingered, but they didn't care—they just sprawled out, gasping raggedly.
"...Everyone, recover. I'll make sure you finish the rest tomorrow. You're now relieving the previous night watch shift. Guard your barracks doors for the next hour. Any questions?"
A split-second silence followed. Only the trainees' labored breaths echoed in the hall.
It was a scene full of agony,
but Drill Sergeant Kate's red eyes stared right at me, gleaming under the cold military lights.
"...Dismissed."
"Dis-dismissed!"
These Military Life Points...
Are they really a good thing...?
"Trainee No. 158."
"Trainee No. 158, Han Jeong-woo!"
I didn't fully grasp this system's mechanics yet, but it seemed Drill Sergeant Kate had quickly revised her first impression of me.
"...Keep performing like that from now on."
Her gaze swept from my head to my toes.
Unlike the contempt from hours ago, this time it brimmed with interest and curiosity.
Her tail swished, brushing the wall.
The cigarette back in her lips casually exhaled thick smoke, gray haze rising like a mirage between us.
"Not bad for a man. You've got potential."
I still couldn't wrap my head around this world. But...
Lots of things to watch out for, it seemed.
That was the nagging feeling.