Ch.134Side Story – A National Disaster-Level Monster Enlists in the Army (4)

Finally, the day of individual combat training had dawned.

Friday afternoon, just before the first weekend at the training center.

We trainees of the 142nd Hunter Division, who had been practicing individual combat all morning, were standing at attention waiting for one particular person.

And that person was, of course, the regimental commander with three national flower insignias who was briefly visiting the Army Training Center.

It was Colonel Lee Hongchan, who was reportedly taking special interest in the Hunter Division.

“Hmm, yes. So there are four trainees in the Hunter Division this time.”

“Sir! Thank you for coming, Regimental Commander!”

“I’ve been hearing rumors lately about this batch of Hunter Division recruits. I hope all of you trainees will show me something impressive.”

“Yes, sir!!”

I wondered how nervous the career military personnel must be at this moment.

Since I was only here for three months before getting out, I didn’t think much of it, but I could see that my fellow trainees who were aiming for long-term service were extremely tense.

“Trainees. Are you all confident?”

“N-number 2 trainee! Lee Suah! Y-yes, sir!”

“I am confident, sir!!”

“J-just leave it to me, sir! …Y-yes.”

“Hahaha, you all seem too nervous. Take a deep breath first.”

The regimental commander laughed heartily, but that only made my fellow trainees breathe even more desperately, like critical patients.

Then Colonel Lee Hongchan’s eyes met mine.

“Hmm?”

“Number 1 trainee. Han Shinwoo!”

“Have I… seen you somewhere before?”

“!? N-no, sir! I believe this is our first meeting!”

“…Is that so?”

I guess colonels have enough experience to notice things.

Of course, it was a rank far below the four-star general.

Still, as befitting a regimental commander in charge of an entire regiment, I thought for a moment he recognized me as the only son of Korea’s Army Chief of Staff.

Fortunately, since he wasn’t a general, he ultimately failed to identify me.

‘I should pull my helmet down a bit more.’

After that brief exchange with the regimental commander, we immediately entered our respective trenches as we had been trained.

“Can everyone do what we practiced this morning?”

“O-of course!”

“Just leave it to me, I said!”

“Let’s make sure we succeed!”

This wasn’t an ordinary individual combat exercise.

It was practically real combat with live ammunition and actual monsters appearing.

Moreover, we were being observed by the regimental commander and several other officers.

My fellow trainees aiming for long-term service had faces that showed they didn’t want to miss this golden opportunity.

So as soon as the starting signal rang out:

“Lee Bak and Kim Palnyeon will form the front line with bayonet techniques for tanking! Suah will be behind them, and I’ll be at the very back providing covering fire as we charge forward!”

I immediately gave instructions to the three people like in an AOS game.

Click!

Clack!

“Live ammunition ahead! Everyone get behind me!”

At the first position.

Machine guns that seemed to have been waiting for us suddenly appeared and aimed directly at us.

At that moment, as planned, I followed Lee Bak’s instructions and we all took cover behind the sturdy former E-rank Hunter.

Gunfire erupted simultaneously.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

No matter how powerful the rapid fire was, without monster-killing bullets, they couldn’t penetrate the body of an E-rank Hunter who had already crossed the threshold of superhuman abilities.

As soon as all the bullets aimed at us fell to the ground:

“All trainees except Lee Bak! Fire at the trench where the shots came from!”

I gave the order to fire.

Simultaneously, we sent 15 rounds toward the trench where the bullets had been raining from.

Meanwhile, watching these trainees:

“Impressive…!”

Regimental Commander Lee Hongchan was amazed that these rookies who hadn’t even completed their first week were already using such tactics.

Of course, he was also pleased that they were performing beyond expectations.

“That fellow’s name was Han Shinwoo, correct?”

“Yes! That’s right, sir.”

“He’s truly remarkable. He looks like he’s just become an adult, early twenties, but what was this trainee doing at the Hunter Association before joining the military?”

“Sir! Trainee #1 Han Shinwoo… is listed as having worked as a workshop Meister at the Hunter Association.”

“A Meister… As it happens, our regiment is short on construction engineers, and the more I look at that fellow, the more I want him.”

“…! I-I’ll make a note of that, sir!”

“I want that fellow.”

When a superior says something like that in the military, it’s slang meaning “give that person to me.”

And a Hunter Meister was a useful profession in many ways.

Though not as much as the Hunter Association, the modern military was also currently producing various equipment to prepare for monster battles.

So naturally, a soldier with both courage and skill would be coveted.

“What’s his family background?”

“Sir! Well… um…”

“…? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, yes! It’s nothing special, just that he has a mother, father, and one younger sister!”

“That’s it? …I thought someone who made it into the Hunter Association as a Meister would have something more, but surprisingly ordinary.”

Because Lee Seokgyu had personally prepared the family information in advance, the regimental commander could never discover Shinwoo’s true identity.

As the trainees passed the second position and headed toward the third position where the final monster awaited, everyone was looking satisfied when suddenly:

“…! Sir!”

“Oh, yes.”

One of the instructors waiting at the back of the officers suddenly saw stars rising slowly behind him and quickly saluted.

Then one by one, they began to look back and salute.

“Training Center Commander! Sir!”

“Oh, yes. Regimental Commander. How is it? Are you satisfied with the individual combat training?”

“What? Ah, yes! Indeed. Thanks to some very capable trainees joining us, I was just giving a positive evaluation of the 142nd Hunter Division trainees.”

The current Nonsan Training Center Commander.

When Jo Sanghu appeared, even Regimental Commander Lee Hongchan had to immediately salute.

“Hmm, good. I’m glad you’re satisfied. …Really glad.”

“…?”

Commander Jo Sanghu was nodding with satisfaction as he watched the trainees who were now fighting an E-rank monster on the hill.

And he also breathed a sigh of relief seeing Lee Hongchan being satisfied without any strange complaints.

‘I’m really glad that Lee Hongchan is being quiet.’

Colonel Lee Hongchan.

As a promising officer in the Army, he was currently recommended as a candidate for the next general with stars.

While most colonels tend to become corrupt, he still showed initiative like when he was a second lieutenant and wanted to remain a pride of the Korean Armed Forces—truly an admirable fellow.

Commander Jo Sanghu had known Lee Hongchan since their company commander and platoon leader days, so he thought well of him.

But!

“Excellent! Then shall we raise the ‘difficulty level’ a bit here?!”

“…!”

Lee Hongchan… this guy had one very bad habit.

That was the habit of increasing training difficulty to test the capacity of talented individuals when he saw them.

Of course, it was to create strong soldiers, and since he kept it within reasonable limits without being too dangerous, normally Jo Sanghu would have just given him a mild scolding.

But you see…

The person up there named Han Shinwoo is actually…!

“H-Hongchan, wait…!”

“KRAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

“Hm? Commander, what were you about to say?”

He tried to stop him discreetly from behind, but it was too late.

As a result, Lee Hongchan’s ability.

Through life form enhancement, the mole-shaped E-rank monster began to bulge with muscles and gradually increase in size.

“W-whoa?!”

“What’s this now?”

“Did the monster… level up?”

Just before reaching the final position, the trainees’ advance was halted by the mole monster that had grown insanely large.

“Hmm… A monster suddenly growing stronger. I don’t recall this being in the individual combat manual.”

His son’s squad stopped in front of the suddenly strengthened enemy.

The Army Chief of Staff… pretending to be a master sergeant… looking up at them.

Lee Seokgyu stroked his chin with a slightly uncomfortable expression and asked the red-hat instructor Gon Hakseon beside him.

“Does Nonsan Training Center have a different training manual for the Hunter Division?”

“What? N-no, sir. This is my first time seeing this too!”

Instructor Gon Hakseon, who didn’t recognize Lee Seokgyu, simply shook his head as if he didn’t know either.

At that moment, a sergeant instructor two ranks higher than Gon Hakseon spoke up as if he knew.

“That’s not it. This is intentionally done by Colonel Lee Hongchan.”

“Lee Hongchan? That regimental commander over there?”

“Yes, that’s right! Colonel Lee Hongchan checks every batch of Hunter Division trainees, and when he finds a batch he likes, he raises the difficulty like this to put them through more intense training during individual combat exercises.”

“Is that so…?”

Hmm…

It was hard to say whether this should be considered good or not.

If the grown mole monster was too much for the trainees to handle, he would have immediately gone to discipline that colonel.

But in Lee Seokgyu’s eyes, Shinwoo’s squad seemed capable of barely handling the mole monster that had grown to E+ rank.

In fact, if it was about providing higher practical training to soldiers, he could be considered an excellent officer.

However,

‘They’re still trainees who haven’t even earned their rank insignia yet…’

If they were soldiers with some experience who had become familiar with military equipment, at least private first class with 5 months of service or higher, that would be different.

From that point on, practical experience would be more necessary than training.

But to suddenly raise the difficulty in the already challenging Hunter Division individual combat training for trainees who had just learned to pull a trigger.

“Hmm… This is concerning.”

“…! Ah, sir! Sergeant Major, you’re here!”

“Sir!”

While Lee Seokgyu was shaking his head thinking this wasn’t right.

The Training Center’s Sergeant Major, who had come up to the individual combat field after hearing the Training Center Commander had gone there.

He was receiving salutes from almost all the officers except the Training Center Commander and Regimental Commander at the front, when:

“Hm? Why aren’t you saluting me when you’re a master sergeant?”

He lightly tapped the shoulder of the master sergeant who was deep in thought among the soldiers.

The master sergeant… actually the general… turned his head toward him as prompted by the Sergeant Major.

And the Sergeant Major, befitting his position as the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer, immediately recognized the face of his country’s Army Chief of Staff:

“Wh-what?!”

He tried to salute vigorously in disbelief, but:

“Quiet!”

Lee Seokgyu directly covered the Sergeant Major’s mouth with his hand.

“Please keep quiet, Sergeant Major. I can’t have my identity revealed right now.”

Lee Seokgyu put a finger to his lips, signaling him to pretend not to know.

But that scene was more terrifying than any horror movie.