As the other hunters’ movements were awkward, Minjun’s swordsmanship naturally caught the instructor’s attention.
“Alright, Privates, stop your movements! Private First Class Kim Minjun, come up to the platform!”
At the instructor’s words, the privates’ gazes focused on Kim Minjun.
What’s going on?
He was just swinging his sword with a relaxed mind.
“Private First Class Kim Minjun! Understood!”
Since it had come to this, he would show them properly.
Kim Minjun stepped onto the platform.
“From observing the Privates’ movements, many disjointed and awkward sections exist. Let’s see how Private First Class Kim Minjun does it.”
The instructor instructed Kim Minjun to take positions 1 to 4.
The corporals and sergeants appeared uninterested, but they stole glances at him.
“Yes. Understood.”
Kim Minjun performed the basic forms from position 1.
He even slowed his movements so the privates could easily watch and learn.
The instructor stared at him silently, sunglasses on.
“Alright, stop the movement here.”
“Stop the movement!”
“See this gap? You should maintain this exact distance to effectively deflect a monster’s attack.”
The instructor approached Kim Minjun, who had stopped his movements, and pointed at his legs with the baton.
The privates were busy trying to imitate his posture while watching him.
Huh. This feels like…
It felt like he had become a teaching assistant.
Everything was good, but it was a bit strange to be poked with the baton.
“Alright, next is position 4! I said that positions 1 to 4 are important for the lower body’s power. In the case of position 4…”
The training continued until they were given a break.
“After a 20-minute break, we’ll continue training! Make sure to hydrate!”
“Yes!”
At the instructor’s words, the hunters left their spots for a moment to drink water.
As Kim Minjun was about to step down from the platform,
“Kim Minjun, good job. You’ve earned the instructor’s favor. Have this later.”
The instructor slipped something into his pocket.
“Private First Class Kim Minjun! Thank you!”
It was wrapped in red packaging.
A ChocoPie.
…Is this supposed to be a bribe?
Both the training officer and the instructor.
Why did they love ChocoPies so much?
“Minjun.”
As soon as he stepped down from the platform, Private First Class Lee Dongjin approached him.
Looking at his sweat-soaked upper body, he seemed to have devoted himself to training.
“Private First Class Kim Minjun.”
“You’re good with the Hunter Army’s swordsmanship. If it’s alright with you, could you check my posture during the break?”
“No, I’m still inexperienced. But if it helps, I’d be happy to look.”
“No, you’re good. I should learn from you.”
Dongjin’s main weapon was a sword.
In front of Kim Minjun, he accurately performed the basic forms according to the textbook.
Where can I even find fault?
That was Kim Minjun’s impression.
It was clear that he had trained a lot.
It felt like a textbook example of the Hunter Army’s swordsmanship.
“Private First Class Lee Dongjin, I don’t see any shortcomings from my perspective.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Um… Actually, whenever I face monsters with a sword, I don’t get satisfactory results.”
Dongjin spoke with a slightly gloomy expression.
He was worried that his apparent weakness would make him fall behind other hunters when facing monsters.
“Isn’t there practical training later? I’ll watch you closely then, Private First Class Lee Dongjin.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Yes, understood.”
He had to help, at least to this extent, since this particular senior took care of him in his own way.
“Everyone, gather up!”
Before he knew it, 20 minutes had passed, and along with the instructor’s voice, they moved on to the next training.
“The main weapon training will end with a final match against monsters!”
The instructor pointed to monsters locked inside iron bars.
Goblins.
They were strong among the low-ranking monsters.
These creatures had cunning minds, and if you let your guard down, they could cause serious trouble.
“Kiekk! Humans!”
“We’ll kill you!”
Instead of clubs as weapons, they held wooden sticks made of training material.
“All Privates, return your weapons first and step back. Begin!”
“Begin!”
Even if the privates couldn’t take promotion exams for a year, they could still receive the same training.
However, they were excluded this time because the training was against goblins.
Usually, privates trained against weaker monsters.
“From the front, one by one, come out and get ready.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Kim Minjun was assigned the last order.
He was told to watch and learn how the seniors dealt with the monsters.
“If you’re ready, start right away!”
“Yes!”
At the instructor’s signal, the iron gate opened.
The first battle was with Private First Class Lee Dongjin.
Let’s see how he does it.
Dongjin cautiously closed the distance between him and the goblin.
His posture is good.
But there was a problem from the start.
He took too much time.
“Lee Dongjin! You only do reconnaissance against unknown monsters! Why are you wasting so much time with a goblin!”
“Private First Class Lee Dongjin! I apologize.”
Kim Minjun’s judgment was accurate.
The instructor pointed out the same thing.
If it’s just being cautious, it’s not a big deal.
Small mistakes could lead to big accidents.
That didn’t mean, however, that wasting time was acceptable.
The hunters ‘ stamina started to deplete from the moment they entered the dungeon.
“Lee Dongjin. It took you 8 minutes to deal with just one goblin! No matter how good your posture is and how perfect your response is, it’s meaningless if it takes too long!”
“Private First Class Lee Dongjin! I apologize!”
Even the adequately trained privates could deal with a goblin in less than 5 minutes.
But to spend 8 minutes with their main weapon was indeed too slow.
“Hey, Dongjin. That’s why you can’t become a corporal. Don’t get nervous and just charge in.”
“Private First Class Lee Dongjin! I apologize!”
“That’s right. Just fix that.”
“Understood.”
Next up was Kim Kwangsik.
His main weapon was a special knife that resembled a saw.
“Kieeek!”
It took Kim Kwangsik only 3 minutes to handle the goblin.
“Alright. Next!”
Starting with Kim Kwangsik, corporals and sergeants dealt with the goblins proficiently.
“Promotion exams are 100% real combat! If you make a mistake, you could die! Don’t be complacent and maintain your tension!”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Although they were currently training in a safe environment, there were no safety devices during the promotion exams.
It was a truly perfect real combat situation.
As a result, hunters occasionally suffered severe injuries during the exams.
“Alright. Privates, work harder. You’ll never become a corporal like that.”
“Yes!”
The training continued, and only the last in line, Kim Minjun, was left.
“Kim Minjun.”
“Private First Class Kim Minjun!”
“You haven’t even properly trained with your main weapon yet, and your opponent is a goblin. If you’re feeling saddled, tell me now.”
“I’ll give it a try!”
At Kim Minjun’s spirited response, the instructor nodded.
“That’s the attitude a hunter should have. You can choose any weapon you like.”
“Understood!”
Things had been getting boring, but this was a good change.
Kim Minjun headed toward the area where the weapons were lined up and scanned them with his eyes.
Let’s see. Other than a sword, there’s a spear.
Something about it just didn’t appeal to him.
Rather than slashing or stabbing, he preferred striking with blunt force.
They said I could have my own weapon. Oh?
Kim Minjun’s gaze finally stopped at the last weapon on display.
This is it. This one has a good feel to it.
It was a blunt weapon made from the byproduct of a dungeon.
At first glance, it looked like an iron mallet, but it was quite heavy when lifted.
Wow. They even wrapped some wire around it to make it hurt monsters more.
Not only did it look good, but it also had an excellent grip.
It was perfect for him.
Kim Minjun picked up the blunt weapon that other hunters might have shunned.
“What the…? Why did he choose that?”
“He must not know since it’s his first training.”
“It does look like it would hurt a lot if it hits.”
The seniors looked at the iron mallet Kim Minjun had picked up with puzzled expressions.
That iron mallet was so heavy that carrying it around would greatly deplete one’s stamina.
After swinging it a few times, one would pant without even realizing it.
Even soldiers with high strength stats had challenged the blunt weapon, but in the end, no hunter could properly wield it.
“But he can still lift it?”
“Wow. It must be difficult to even lift it.”
“He must have been born with great stats.”
“How could he have defeated 30 Middlebats if he didn’t have that much strength?”
All of the hunters’ gazes were focused on Kim Minjun.
Even the instructor seemed curious about Kim Minjun’s actions and stared at the weapon for a moment.
“If you’re ready, start!”
“Yes!”
At the instructor’s signal, the iron gate opened.
“Kueeeek! Human! I’ll kill you!”
The last remaining goblin, unlike the others, charged as soon as the iron bars opened.
Its eyes were wide open.
It had an extremely angry expression.
It must have lost its sanity in rage after seeing its comrades die so pitifully.
What? This crazy thing?
A goblin dared to spit at me?
“Kueeeek!”
“Die in half, you bastard!”
As soon as the goblin’s saliva got on his clothes, Kim Minjun swung the iron mallet at it.
Puhwak!
With just a single blow, the goblin was precisely cut in half and died from Kim Minjun’s seemingly casual swing.
“Kim Minjun. 15 seconds! That’s amazing.”
The instructor glanced at his stopwatch and looked back at Kim Minjun.
“…”
“Heh…”
The other hunters were no different.
They all stared at Kim Minjun, speechless and wide-eyed.
“Was it for real that he dealt with 30 Middlebats by himself…?”
“See? Didn’t I tell you? He didn’t become a Private First Class for no reason!”
“Hey, I didn’t expect him to finish off a goblin with just one strike, though.”
The hunters exchanged excited conversations for a moment.
“The training isn’t over yet! Close your mouths!”
“I’m sorry!”
The instructor calmed their excited atmosphere.
As expected, that guy should’ve been an officer or gone to a military academy.
From the shooting exercise to responding to emergencies and even the training just now, it was an impossible achievement for an ordinary hunter.
Anyway, it’s good that we have an excellent hunter in our unit.
The instructor cleared his throat and spoke.
“As you all just saw, monsters aren’t machines. They don’t have set patterns. That’s why adaptability is important.”
At his explanation, the silent hunters nodded one by one.
Ah, isn’t someone going to take this?
Kim Minjun returned the mace with a sense of regret.
It was a shame that there was only one weapon of such quality.
I’ll have to use it again during the promotion test.
The training proceeded as planned afterward.
Kim Minjun enjoyed the training with a light heart.
“It’s here.”
And then came the next day, Saturday.
The day Kim Minjun had been waiting for, the promotion test, had finally arrived.
“Let’s become a corporal!”
**
At 5 AM, still too early to wake up, Kim Minjun and Lee Dongjin conversed outside.
“Private First Class Lee Dongjin is too cautious when dealing with monsters. It’s necessary when dealing with many monsters, but I think it’s too much for a single monster.”
It was a story about the training that had taken place yesterday.
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