What? Is that snow?
When he looked at the wheels, he noticed that snow chains had been installed.
What month was it now to be already snowing?
“I must have kept you waiting. I was late because I was driving slowly due to the snow. Get in the back.”
“Private Kim Minjun! Understood.”
No matter how brutal the frontlines were, it couldn’t be worse than Isgard.
With a relieved heart, Kim Minjun climbed into the seat.
***
Before his peers left for their units, they had left some words for Kim Minjun:
There are many crazy people like you in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province; there are a lot of injustices there; the training is insane, etc.
Who would have thought I’d return the day before my military enlistment?
Although he lost most of his strength when he returned to Earth, his character remained the same.
In other words, he currently lacked the patience to endure miserable tasks.
Even if I hit a senior once, I heard I’d be sent to the military prison and reassigned to a regular army.
There, they only got a break once every six months.
The food was terribly tasteless too.
For someone accustomed to life in the Hunter Army, the regular army was no different from a prison.
I have to bear it. What can I do?
He had gone through some nasty experiences in Isgard.
Although it’s hard to hold back now, he decided to recall the incidents from the other world whenever he had to.
“The new recruit has arrived. Feed him and teach him well.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
The officer dropped Kim Minjun off at the barracks and then promptly disappeared.
From private first class to corporals and sergeants, etc., Kim Minjun felt the countless gazes focused on him.
“Salute! This is Private Kim Minjun!”
“So, you’re the new recruit who arrived today. Nice to meet you.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
“Kim Minjun? Isn’t he the excellent soldier from the training center?”
“Oh, the one who caught that gigantic hound all by himself?”
“That’s right. I heard a new recruit was coming, but I thought it was just a rumor.”
The seniors examined Kim Minjun with curious eyes.
“Why did you come to the frontlines when you had good grades in the training center and could have chosen a unit in the rear?”
“I heard you could accumulate achievements faster in the frontlines!”
“What? You came for that? You want to get promoted quickly?”
“That’s right!”
At Kim Minjun’s words, the seniors displayed an expression of disbelief.
Thump!
“Hey! A new recruit has arrived!”
“Who do you think is the best-looking among us?”
As soon as Kim Minjun was about to answer, the door opened, and several soldiers with sergeant ranks flooded in.
‘Hey. When you get to the unit, the sergeants will gather around you and ask who’s the best-looking, right? One hundred percent.’
‘There, it’s the frontlines, so they might make you do something worse. Like bragging about your skills or something?’
‘When did that ever happen? No matter what, they wouldn’t make you do something like that.’
The words from his peers at the training center came to mind.
The situation was eerily spot on.
They said there was no correct answer.
That’s right.
There was no correct answer.
He just needed to answer in a way that didn’t upset anyone.
Either way, it’s all the same.
Objectively speaking, no single soldier could be called good-looking, especially the sergeant on the far left, who looked like an ugly catfish.
“In my opinion, the Sergeant over here is the best-looking.”
“Kyah! You see that? The new recruits picked me three times in a row! He has good eyes!”
At Kim Minjun’s words, the sergeant who was pointed out lifted his head happily.
“Now, pick the ugliest one.”
“Understood.”
Kim Minjun tactfully chose a fairly ugly sergeant.
If I had picked the catfish, he would have been hurt. Being tactful is difficult.
Afterward, the sergeants asked where Kim Minjun was from, if he had any sisters or older sisters, and if so, how pretty they were.
They said they always asked these questions when new recruits arrived.
“I don’t have any younger or older sisters!”
“Really? Then do you know any women? You must have gone to college.”
“I only have a high school diploma! I didn’t go to college!”
Even in the Hunter Army, they were still soldiers.
It’s natural for them to be obsessed with women, especially pretty women.
Men were locked up in a place with only men for a whopping five years, so it was understandable.
“Ah, shit. Is it a dead end?”
“Lastly, show us a skill you’re proud of.”
“A skill I’m proud of?”
“That’s right. Anything you’re confident in. But if you just do anything randomly, you’ll get scolded by us.”
A skill to brag about.
The words of his peers from the training center were spot on.
I have to do it. What can I do?
Kim Minjun said he would try to do push-ups with one finger.
“Hey. What kind of skill is that? Even a sergeant could do that easily.”
The sergeants, who had been expecting something interesting, looked disappointed.
“Just try it. Let’s see if you can do it. If you manage it, I’ll acknowledge your skills.”
“Understood.”
Kim Minjun immediately planted one finger on the ground and assumed a plank position.
In that state, he began to do push-ups using only one finger.
“Uh….”
“What the hell is he doing?”
The sergeants gaped at the scene before them.
This wasn’t the kind of push-up they had expected.
Kim Minjun’s push-ups were like something you’d see in a movie.
“Doing that with only one finger? How high is his strength stat?”
“Are there even people who can do that?”
“I think I could barely do one if I tried to fake it?”
While the sergeants were making a fuss, a familiar voice came from behind.
“Hey. Stop it and get lost. I’m tired.”
It turned out to be Lee Seungho, the sergeant he had seen at the training center.
I thought he was a training center assistant, so why is he here?
Kim Minjun curiously stared at Lee Seungho’s retreating back for a moment.
“You came here after enjoying being an assistant, and now you’re pretending to be tired.”
“You get a break after taking care of the newbies. How many days did you get?”
“I only got four days. So just get lost now.”
“Now that I think about it, it’s infuriating. You enjoyed the benefits and got four days? Take this.”
The sergeants who entered the barracks flipped off Lee Seungho and left.
The atmosphere is a bit off.
A short while later, Kim Minjun felt the peculiar atmosphere in the barracks and sat down properly at the edge of his bed.
The other privates with their rank insignia also stared straight ahead in the same posture.
It’s not like we’re in the military of the 1980s.
In this day and age…
This scene made him realize that even as time passed, the military was still the military.
First, I’ll quickly reach the rank of private first class and then try to reach corporal as soon as possible.
Judging by the other corporal-ranked soldiers, who were comfortably using their smartphones, privates seemed to have many restrictions.
A short while later.
“Dongjin!”
“Private First Class! Lee Dongjin!”
When one of the corporals called someone, a soldier sitting upright on his bed quickly stood up.
“Kim Minjun is your new junior from today, so take responsibility and teach him.”
“Understood!”
Lee Dongjin took Kim Minjun outside the barracks.
“Let’s have something to eat while we talk. I already got permission to go to the PX[1] from another senior.”
“Private Kim Minjun. Understood.”
What?
We couldn’t go to the PX whenever we wanted?
That meant there was a high probability that he couldn’t use the game room inside the military base either.
Ah, this is shitty. The Dungeon Power Fighter event is coming up soon.
There was no other choice.
He would have to use his saved-up vacation days.
“Normally, privates can only use the PX on weekends, but if it’s the day new soldiers arrive, you can go on weekdays too.”
He also informed him that the PC room was available for corporals and above, and the exercise facilities were available for privates on weekends only.
Freaking crazy.
Regular training was essential for raising his rank.
But he could only use the training facilities on weekends.
In this case, ordinary soldiers wouldn’t be able to raise their ranks.
Did the officers know about this fact?
“There are quite a few injustices in this unit. There’s not much I can do to help.”
Seeing Kim Minjun’s expression, Lee Dongjin gave a weak smile.
“Can those injustices be changed once I reach the rank of sergeant?”
“You will probably be able to change them if you become a corporal… No, once you’re a sergeant.”
Usually, one would get angry and tell them not to talk nonsense, but Lee Dongjin answered earnestly.
“Most of the current injustices have been around for a long time. It won’t be easy.”
“…I see.”
The information from his training center peers was accurate.
The closer to the frontlines, the more injustices there were.
At least this unit was on point.
I’ll change everything. Just wait and see.
Kim Minjun resolved to wipe out the injustices within the military when he reached the rank of sergeant.
As soon as I hit sergeant, I’ll turn everything upside down.
“Today, I’ll pay for everything. Don’t feel burdened, and just buy whatever you want.”
Arriving at the PX, Lee Dongjin told Kim Minjun to pick out whatever he wanted to eat.
“Can I really do that?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you.”
Kim Minjun, who didn’t know the meaning of restraint, grabbed a large basket and began to sweep the shelves.
“…You’re really good at grabbing everything without hesitation.”
Lee Dongjin laughed incredulously as he looked at the receipt totaling over 300,000 won.
Still, he didn’t feel bad seeing Kim Minjun happily eating.
“Private First Class Lee Dongjin, you should eat too. I bought plenty.”
“I just need coffee.”
He sat down next to Kim Minjun and explained the upcoming training schedule and guidelines for behavior.
This guy has a friendly personality.
Lee Dongjin willingly provided more detailed information whenever Kim Minjun asked questions.
“How long have you been in the military, Private First Class Lee Dongjin?”
“Me? It’s been four years now. Doesn’t it sound pathetic that I’m still a private first class after four years?”
“Not at all. You’re incredibly kind to your juniors, and you seem to be diligent all the time.”
“Thanks for saying that, at least.”
Lee Dongjin laughed bitterly and finished the rest of his coffee.
In reality, many hunters couldn’t even get promoted to corporal and were discharged at the end of their service.
That’s how difficult the promotion exams were.
Of course, the allowance increased as the years went by.
But more importantly, the sense of shame and self-disgust that a lower-ranked soldier must feel when their junior was promoted ahead of them was no joke.
Just working hard doesn’t guarantee success.
This was especially true for hunters.
The differences in innate stats from birth only widened the gap in growth.
“Let’s get up now. We have shooting practice tomorrow, so get ready.”
“Understood.”
Kim Minjun followed Lee Dongjin back to the barracks.
Why are there so many restrictions for a private first class?
One could only move around alone when going to the restroom. Otherwise, they had to always be accompanied by a higher-ranking soldier.
The promotion exam is next week.
Just one more week to endure.
***
10 PM sharp.
After completing a simple cleanup, it was time to prepare for bed.
“I’ll go to sleep first. We have shooting practice tomorrow, so don’t waste time and get some sleep.”
“Yes. Sleep well.”
Even the relatively free and open Hunter Army had a basic routine similar to that of a regular army.
Dawn guard duty.
Regular dungeon clearing, along with training at set intervals.
If they didn’t establish regular habits, they wouldn’t be able to efficiently carry out their duties.
Ah. How long do I have to endure this?
Of course, Kim Minjun was an exception.
Grumbling inwardly as he lay down on his bed for a moment.
“Kim Minjun. Follow me.”
A corporal called him in a low voice.
[1] PX, or post exchange, is a retail store located on military bases.
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