“P-Private Jin Cheolho!”
The dozing soldier in the back row was a new recruit assigned to the troop not long ago.
His eyes were bloodshot, a clear sign of exhaustion.
“Hey, have you lost your mind? We’re in the middle of Hunter Mobility Training, and you’re falling asleep?”
“I’m sorry…”
“Should I call in your senior officers from the barracks?”
“No, sir! I’m sorry!”
First Lieutenant Kim Chulmin glared at him for a moment, but because of the packed schedule, he decided not to say anything else.
He has no idea what Mobility Training is. Bad timing, indeed.
But falling asleep during a large-scale division mobility training was simply unacceptable.
“You all should stay alert and focus on the training. If you don’t take this training seriously, I’ll make sure everyone from Private First Class to Corporal in the 2nd platoon gets some special training. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Perhaps angered by the new recruit’s behavior, Sergeant Lee Seungho set an example with stern expressions.
Given that Seungho was always sensitive about training, it was unacceptable to doze off during Mobility Training, which only occurred once every four years.
And this behavior was coming from a Private.
Sergeant Lee Seungho’s comment indicated his high level of anger.
“Everyone, keep your wits about you! From now on, for the next three nights and four days, think of it as a real mission and act accordingly. Got it?”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Under the leadership of First Lieutenant Kim Chulmin, the Hunter Mobility Training began.
The platoons set off at set intervals.
The hunters who left the military hospital in full gear headed towards the mountains.
We have to climb two mountains.
The distance the hunters had to cover was approximately 100 km.
Aside from dealing with monsters in real time, it was no different from a mountain march.
Plod. Plod.
After several minutes of hiking up the mountain path, the platoon was on high alert, looking around nervously.
From now on, the base would randomly release monsters.
Guess we’re starting with goblins.
Kim Minjun sensed movement from above the mountain and lifted his head.
Goblins were relatively easy to deal with, but depending on the situation, they could be tricky.
About 20 of them.
As goblins were beast-type monsters, they exploited the mountainous terrain freely.
In contrast, the hunters were fully armed climbing the steep mountain path.
Carrying heavy gear naturally limited their strength.
“Nols spotted 150m ahead!”
“Everyone, ready your weapons and organize ranks!”
“Understood!”
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Goblins were coming down the mountain in droves.
Following the platoon leader’s command, the hunters equipped their weapons and took positions.
“Don’t rush them! Let them come to us!”
“Yes!”
They would have already dealt with the situation in ordinary circumstances, but this was a training mission.
These situations would occur incessantly for the next three nights and four days, so they needed to conserve their energy as much as possible.
“Grrrr!”
The goblins circled around the hunters, waiting for a chance to attack.
As soon as the slope became steep, they attacked.
“Argh!”
“Hey! Brace your legs and hold on!”
When one of the hunters staggered, the one behind him quickly lifted his hands to support him.
If the line broke, the damage could be substantial.
“I’ll take care of this!”
In the meantime, Kim Minjun slit a goblin’s throat with his military knife.
“From the side! Three of them coming from the side!”
“Hold on a little longer!”
Perhaps because of the heavy gear, the hunters’ responses were slower than usual.
That’s a bit unsettling.
Looking around, the goblins’ attacks were concentrated on the hunters at the back.
They must have been circling around the hunters, looking for weak spots.
I should provide cover.
This was exactly why you couldn’t let your guard down, even with lower-rank monsters.
The synergy that occurred when they grouped together was tremendous.
“I’ll momentarily support the rear ranks!”
Kim Minjun swiftly moved to the ranks at the back.
Thud! Thump!
After deeply embedding his sword into a goblin’s neck and helping up a fallen senior, the soldier said to him,
“Phew, thanks, Minjun. I almost lost a lot of health right from the start.”
“Corporal Kim Minjun. No worries. I’ll return to the ranks immediately.”
“Nice. Good timing, Minjun.”
It took only 10 minutes to deal with all the goblins.
Compared to other platoons, which averaged more than 20 minutes, it was definitely fast.
“We’ve gathered all the bodies!”
“Spray the chemicals, and let’s move out immediately!”
“Yes!”
After gathering the scattered corpses of the goblins, the hunters sprayed special chemicals.
There wouldn’t have been a need if they were inside a dungeon, but they were on a training ground now.
“Attention, everyone!”
“Attention!”
At 6 pm, the platoon leader in charge of the hunters signaled a halt.
“From now on, we set up tents and prepare for camping!”
“Understood!”
The platoon members finally looked relieved.
On the first day of training, no extra monsters were released from 6 pm to midnight.
Only soldiers who were well-connected knew this premium information.
“Ah, what were the people who made this thinking? How can four people fit inside this cramped tent?”
“It’s probably because of budget constraints. They should spend more on defense.”
“I don’t need anything else, just keep the mosquitoes out. Please.”
The hunters began to set up the military tents, dividing the tasks among themselves.
It’s certainly small.
The hunter’s tent was even smaller than a regular military tent.
Because it was made of special materials in preparation for monster attacks, a small tent like this cost more than 10 million won.
It was inevitable that the tent was small as they had to extract the maximum efficiency with the least cost.
“Wow, Minjun, is this your first time setting up a military tent? This is a hunter’s military tent, so it’s a bit more difficult.”
“You’re pretty fast. Help us out too.”
The seniors were impressed at how adeptly Kim Minjun was setting up the tent.
The terrain was awful for tent setup, but Minjun ‘s skills were impressive.
“Corporal Kim Minjun! Sure thing.”
Kim Minjun chuckled and started helping the other seniors set up their tents.
This is a piece of cake.
In fact, he had naturally become adept at this during his time in another world.
Over there, I had to cut down trees on the spot, stack them, and gather leaves that were like dog’s… Let’s skip the details.
After setting up the tents, the platoon members received a briefing from the platoon leader.
“If everyone’s done setting up the tents, you can start eating! Finish your meals within 30 minutes! Understand?”
“Yes!”
While eating their combat rations, the hunters quietly chatted.
“Ah, it’s only the first day of training, and I’m already exhausted.”
“Today’s the easiest day, though.”
“I can’t even imagine how many monsters will be released from tomorrow.”
For them, these 30 minutes were the only break time during the day.
Crunch!
“Ugh…”
Kim Minjun bit into a biscuit-shaped bread and scowled.
Ah, this familiar taste…
He was reminded of the food ration he used to eat in Isgard.
It was terribly tasteless.
“Hey, Minjun. Is this your first time eating combat rations?”
“Corporal Kim Minjun. Yes, that’s right.”
“Ah, that stuff tastes disgusting.”
“I’d rather eat ten-pound cakes than that. Agreed?”
The time for casual conversation with the platoon members was short-lived, for mealtime passed quickly.
“Attention, everyone!”
“Attention!”
First Lieutenant Kim Chulmin captured the hunters’ attention.
“In case of an emergency, you are to keep your individual military equipment on as you sleep. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Then, I will now assign guard duty shifts.”
The time when most monsters appeared was at dawn.
It was to push the hunters to their limits.
‘Please. Please let it be the first or last shift.’
‘Or just before the last shift or just after the first.’
The platoon members prayed inwardly, hoping to get a sweet deal.
“Nice! It’s the first shift!”
“Ah… Shit. That’s awkward….”
“Ugh, 2 am… for real…”
When the guard duty shifts were assigned, mixed expressions of joy and disappointment crossed the hunters’ faces.
There were hunters with gloomy faces, and some were smiling happily.
They must want to recover as much fatigue as possible.
Kim Minjun looked at the hunters and chuckled quietly.
The Hunter Mobility Training was not a big deal for someone like him who was full of stamina.
But for the platoon members, every day would be an ordeal.
“Starting today until the end of the training, I, as your platoon leader, will also stand guard. If there are any hunters standing with me, take it easy.”
Standing guard with the platoon leader during the worst time slot?
‘3 am…’
‘That’s not right…’
‘I must avoid that at all costs.’
‘Please don’t pick me!’
This was a situation that absolutely needed to be avoided.
“Corporal Kim Minjun! I’ll do it!”
Then, Kim Minjun raised his hand and stepped forward.
‘Sa-saved.’
The platoon members breathed a sigh of relief and sent Kim Minjun grateful glances.
“Alright. Corporal Kim Minjun, it’s with me from 3 am to 4:30 am.”
“Yes! Understood.”
Kim Minjun had the last shift, but sleep wasn’t a priority for him, so he readily accepted.
“If I may add one more thing, this round of Hunter Mobility Training is said to be quite intense!”
He explained that if they only faced monsters during the last training session, they were expected to face more diverse situations this time.
“The other officers always emphasize this, but the ability to respond according to the situation is important! Understood?”
“Yes!”
“This round of Hunter Mobility Training is said to be quite intense…”
The hunters, especially the sergeants, swallowed their dry saliva at those words.
Four years ago, they barely finished the training while gritting their teeth.
They didn’t know how much more they could take with it now being more intense.
“If there are no issues, you can go straight to bed!”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Ultimately, they let it go, as only time would tell.
The squad members went into the tent on the first day, thinking that nothing would happen.
***
Time passed, and it was 3 am.
Kim Minjun went out of the tent for night duty.
No incidents had occurred since dinner time.
“Loyalty.”
“Yes. It’s until 4:30 from now. Report immediately if there’s an anomaly.”
“Yes! Understood.”
Lieutenant Kim Chulmin nodded his head.
Because it was a training situation, his tone was sharper than usual.
Even for the officers, training is important.
Of course, it should be like this.
While other officers were resting, Lieutenant Kim Chulmin didn’t show any signs of it.
Furthermore, he even went out for night duty at a time other hunters usually avoided.
It was his way of showing consideration and solidarity for the other platoon members.
About 30 minutes left now.
Time passed, and it was 4 am.
While Kim Minjun was walking around surveying the surroundings…
Huh? Something’s coming.
He felt a presence from the sky.
Although it wasn’t a monster, it was definitely falling toward this side.
The platoon leader didn’t seem to notice.
That was inevitable.
Who would notice an object falling silently from the sky at dawn?
“Platoon leader! An incident seems to be on the verge of occurring.”
“What? Report in detail.”
At his words, Kim Chulmin responded with a puzzled look.
Surely, he didn’t feel the presence of a monster around.
“It’s coming from above.”
Kim Minjun pointed to the sky with his hand.
“That is…”
As time passed, the object became clearer.
Once Kim Chulmin realized what it was, he quickly began to wake up the squad members.
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