The Victims' Team
Ding!
Name: Green Yam
Type: Consumable
Level: -
Effect: Slightly increases wound recovery speed.
Details: Looks like a fruit, but it's actually a root. A herb found commonly anywhere mana exists. One herb yields about 4~5 Green Yams. The effect isn't great, but it helps with wound recovery a bit.
It's a herb root, not a fruit, huh.
Still, adding this herb to the shop window was an unexpected gain. Why would I want a mediocre herb like this? You might think there's no need for it when potions—a clear upgrade—are available. But that's not quite right.
In the frantic situations of Terraforming, pulling out a glass vial of potion looks way more suspicious than whipping out this herb. Of course, if my life was truly hanging by a thread, I'd use the potion without a second thought...
"Here, take it back. Is this a fruit?"
"They said it's a root from a herb, not a fruit. Like a sweet potato tuber plant or something."
"Got it. Don't push yourself too hard. Hope you recover quick. I'm beat—need some rest. Sleeping rough for the past two weeks made me miss the training camp beds."
"Haha! Seeing how much weight you've lost, the training must've worked wonders. You even look taller somehow. See you tomorrow. Get some good sleep!"
Thud, thud...
Lee Kangin and I parted ways after that brief stomach-check chat. Only after he was completely out of sight did I open the shop window.
The Green Yam checked out at a measly 15 karma. Probably cheap because you get a bunch from one herb. Plus, the herb itself is easy to find.
"Better not expect much performance..."
Cheap as it is, it probably matches the price. Can't put too much faith in it.
*
Blanc and the other roommates—whom I finally got to properly greet after so long—said much the same as Lee Kangin. Unrecognizable weight loss, solid training results... Endless chatter flew between us. I was genuinely glad to see them too, so we didn't crash until nearly dawn.
...
"Trainees! Rise and shine!"
"Ughhh..."
"Ugh... Feels like I just closed my eyes..."
"Tom? Could you wake us in five minutes...?"
"No way! Get up! I woke you—don't blame me if the instructors chew you out later!"
"Urk... Damn it..."
"Everyone, up... Remember what happened to the guy late for morning run last time with Gwangnyeon-i...?"
The one yanking us from deep sleep at the crack of dawn was Tom, the staffer. The kid who earned merit requesting backup from District 12's combatants during the rebel raid—and the youngest guy waking 50 trainees every morning.
We dragged ourselves to the clearing. Then it was the usual: quick stretches for hands and ankles, a few laps to kick off the run.
Everyone had gotten used to runs in my absence—no stragglers like before. Me included.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Huff. Huff. Been a while since training with Instructor Brack. Huff."
"Huff. Finally free from Gwangnyeon-i's bullshit?"
"Shh! She'll hear."
"Eep!"
Blanc clapped a hand over his mouth, peeking nervously at Gwangnyeon-i. She was up front with Brack, leading the trainees—either didn't hear or pretended not to, no glance back.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"...That was close."
"Watch your mouth."
"Huff. Huff. Did you see how Chanyoung jumped to defend her when Blanc badmouthed the instructor?"
"Heh heh heh... She's totally his girl now! Badass, right?"
"?... What kinda bullshit is that..."
"Having such a fun chat??"
—Swoosh.
Butting into our convo was Natalia Kaya. With Gwangnyeon-i and Brack at the front, she was stuck covering the rear. We were toward the back, so a blatant superhuman like her overhearing our banter wasn't weird.
No, more importantly... I needed to correct these idiots' misconceptions. Whose girl? ...Joking, right?
"Kaya?! Haha! Uh... n-nothing. Just guy talk, y'know?"
"I swear I heard 'his girl'?? Romance talk? Let me join!"
"Uh... ahem..."
"I love romance stories! Who's it about??"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Kaya latched on, eyes sparkling. But no one spilled the prior chat.
Good thing they were just messing around...
Lucky these guys knew a joke from truth. If they'd meant it and blabbed to Kaya, things could've gotten messy fast.
Reading our hesitation, Kaya was about to prod again when—
"Kaya—!"
"Eek! Yes, Instructor!"
"Do your job—!"
"Yessir!"
Thud thud thud!
Gwangnyeon-i's voice from ahead sent Kaya scrambling back to our tail.
...Come to think of it, she probably heard the whole convo too...
A weird embarrassment washed over me.
"Ahem..."
*
"Attention! As of today, basic physical training for trainees is over! Real combat training starts now!"
No usual PT waiting post-run. Team training was finally here.
"Teams assigned arbitrarily by instructors! Complaints? Step up and speak! ...If you dare."
—Smirk.
Whoa... Gwangnyeon-i's psycho act on point. That madness-filled grin—pure acting?
Assignments flew fast. Five per team, ten teams total. With 49 trainees, one got four—but not mine.
"...Familiar faces."
"Chanyoung! What a coincidence, same team!"
Lee Kangin grinning shamelessly at me.
...You begged the instructors to put you with me...
Anyway, him on my team was a given—no surprise. But the rest? Kinda shocking.
"Ri Shaolin... why're you here?"
"..."
Ignoring me? Bitch.
"Sigh... Hate to say it, but aren't we the reject squad?"
Me, once reeking of reject vibes (better now). Lee Kangin, KO'd by Gwangnyeon-i day one. Ri Shaolin, bawling in front of everyone after losing a bet. Blanc François, humiliated upside-down after knocking on Gwangnyeon-i's door for sex. Even Midachi Kenji, marked from day one...
"At least familiar faces. Relieved."
"Blanc... doesn't our team seem off?"
"Y... yeah?"
Five weirdos, each with baggage. Perfect freakshow team.
Lining 'em up like this screamed Gwangnyeon-i's chaos. Everyone but me had eaten her shit once. No—starting hell training? Her fault too.
All five: Gwangnyeon-i victims.
Fuck. Victims Anonymous?
Original story didn't have this lineup. Like instructors dumped watchlist rejects together.
Expected tweaks with me aboard, but not a total rewrite.
"From today, teams bunk together! No gender split—mix it up! Beds are separate anyway!"
—Murmurs.
Gwangnyeon-i's words stirred minor chaos. Two weeks same-sex roomies, now co-ed? Shocker. Girls especially worried.
"Oh, and listen up—if any dumbass can't keep his dick in check and something like rape happens here... Won't end pretty. Serious advice. Don't."
—Chills!
Venue went dead silent. Mana-laced voice drilled in. Trainees' minds flashed Gwangnyeon-i advancing on Ri Shaolin, bloody dagger aimed at her eye.
Even Blanc—once smitten—eyed her fearfully.
This warning? No incidents all week, easy.
"First, shall we hand out your 'girlfriends'?"
...Military slang lost on most. Few vets here—me and Lee Kangin aside, blank stares.
Gwangnyeon-i bounced after that. Toward the armory, I knew.
Trainees followed cluelessly.
Rumble rumble...
Kaya stepped up for the puzzled masses, explaining.
"Hehe! In the military, they say treat your weapon like a girlfriend. So 'sharing girlfriends' means weapons. Get it? Weapons are your girls..."
—Blah blah blah...
"...So Gwangnyeon-i Instructor wittily tied it to that saying..."
"Whoa, stop! Got it! Thanks, Kaya."
"Yeah! Thanks for explaining, Kaya!"
"Ah, makes sense! Gotcha!"
"Huh? Really? Some might not..."
"Nah! Nah! All good. Right?"
"Yeah!"
"Perfect explanation!"
"R... really? Hehe."
Kaya's kindness great—for five minutes. At seven, ten... Endurance cracked.
Beautiful or not, repeating thrice was torture.
High INT on status doesn't mean smart, huh...
She seemed neither wise nor quick-witted. Despite standout INT stat.
INT meant skill/magic boost, not raw brains. 1,000 INT ≠ Einstein.
Yeah, guidebook confirmed it last time.
[Intelligence]
Magic and mana-related skills greatly affected.
Additional effects on mental strength and learning ability.
No mention of real IQ anywhere. Tough break for Kaya.
*
Instructors handed swords, not spears. Spears better for non-supers, but swords maximize superhuman power/speed.
Why spears in storage? Shoved in with supplies from clueless brass. Barely used post-issue.
Explains why raid spears looked brand-new.
But... none of that mattered now. Scene ahead was baffling.
"Hey, everyone! Say hi to Gerard!"
—Kreeeech! Krech!!
"Annyeong! Nice to meet you!"
Shake shake.
Drool splattered from child-sized green-skinned monster's mouth. Gwangnyeon-i beamed, yanking bound goblin's wrists to wave like a puppet.
Minutes ago, she'd dragged in the trussed goblin. We'd train and bunk with it from now on.
To conquer fear, get comfy with goblin monsters.
Trainees gawked terrified at the thrashing tied-up thing, but per original—tomorrow, all normalized. Humans adapt.
"Uwushushushu... Hungry, Gerard? Want milk? Milk?"
Smack! Smack!
—Kreeeeech!! Krech! Kreeeeeeech!!
Gwangnyeon-i playfully slapping goblin cheeks—eyes rolled back, berserk rage.
Why name it Gerard? She did—after rebel leader who attacked us.
"Fuckin' Gerard. Shitty Gerard."
Smack! Smack!
—Kreeeeeeeech!!!