“The food’s been so good lately.”
On the way back after finishing their meal, Baek A-rin said with a smile.
“Ajusshi’s going to the PX. They said we’re the only ones with perfect scores today, so we can buy and eat whatever we want.”
“Whoa! I-chan!”
Bu Shin-hyeok shouted at Hong I-chan, who was coming out slowly.
“PX!”
“Huh? PX?!”
The three of them dashed off immediately.
The PX soldier flinched at the sight of three humans charging again and quickly opened the door.
“Sweep it all up!”
They scooped up an armful of goods and, as usual, spread a mat in Shin-hyeok and I-chan’s room.
“So.”
Munch, munch.
Baek A-rin chewed on her snack earnestly as she spoke.
“Supposedly, starting tomorrow, it’s a 48-hour straight survival training with no sleep.”
“Oh, right. Finish that snack and then talk.”
She nodded and kept inhaling her food.
After emptying the entire bag into her mouth, she dusted off her hands.
“I heard it’s a survival format.”
Shin-hyeok grimaced at the word survival.
“Ugh, no thanks. Then we have no choice but to be stuck there for 48 hours?”
I-chan nodded.
“It’s going to be tiring.”
She agreed with a sympathetic look, worrying if something like today might happen again.
“There’s no guarantee tomorrow’s training won’t turn out like today.”
“Then we’ll really have to make them pay.”
Shin-hyeok grinned ferociously.
“It’s common to get hurt during training, or even end up dismembered in severe cases, isn’t it?”
At the casual, blood-curdling remark, I-chan and A-rin laughed awkwardly.
“But knowing the drill instructors’ personalities, would they really give us time to beat each other up among ourselves tomorrow?”
Hong I-chan and Baek A-rin looked puzzled.
“No, think about it. It’s been way too relaxed. Has the training we’ve done so far really been all that insane and hellish?”
At Shin-hyeok’s words, the two flinched.
“When you’ve been around long enough, you get a feel for it. You realize—ah, these guys have gotten loose! It’s time to tighten the screws and crush them.”
Shin-hyeok smirked, opening another bag of snacks.
“That’s what drill instructors and seniors are like.”
Crunch.
“So let’s not worry about interruptions. Let’s just figure out how we can survive well. And with that in mind, how about we lay out each of our abilities first?”
Shin-hyeok immediately shot a glance at I-chan.
“You first, punk. You’ve got something hidden, don’t you?”
Hong I-chan averted his gaze, hesitating.
“Just a sec, bathroom.”
“Where do you think you’re going!”
He immediately grabbed I-chan’s leg and tickled his armpit.
“Hahahahang! Hahahat! Seriously! Hahahahat!”
Unable to endure the endless tickling, Hong I-chan finally confessed.
“Wraith! Necromancy!”
As soon as he heard the answer, Shin-hyeok released him from the tickle torture.
Hong I-chan gasped for breath, glaring at Shin-hyeok.
“Usually, not revealing stuff like this is basic etiquette!”
“So what. Sucks~?”
At the irksome attitude, I-chan quivered with anger.
“Those wraiths—how many can you summon?”
At Baek A-rin’s question, Hong I-chan slurred his words.
“Um, roughly, $@*$”
“What?”
“Roughly #@$(*&!$”
“Hey, you jerk!”
When Shin-hyeok flared up, I-chan spilled it.
“I can summon them endlessly. I don’t use any mana to summon wraiths.”
“Huh?”
“But I can’t control them. That’s why I have to release them a little at a time.”
An unusual talent.
“Then what about me? Don’t you already know?”
At Shin-hyeok’s turn, the two started to nod but then stopped.
I-chan’s eyes blazed with a fighting spirit and he lunged.
“No way! You spill everything too, hyung! Now!”
He tried to tickle him, but Shin-hyeok trapped I-chan with his legs and pinned him.
“Aack!”
“I call mine Mapping. Abilities like a radar, enhancement, and also alchemy that awoke the day before yesterday.”
It was a somewhat peculiar combination. Baek A-rin raised her hand to ask a question.
“That seems odd. Why do you have two abilities?”
“Well, my constitution is pretty unique.”
Shin-hyeok focused and swept his hand through the air.
Instantly, mana dripped from his fingertips, thick enough to be visible.
“Huh?”
“It’s my constitution—the phenomenon of mana solidifying. These are abilities that apply it.”
I-chan, still pinned under Shin-hyeok’s leg, watched this phenomenon expressionlessly.
It was because he’d already experienced it once.
“Then me.”
Just as Baek A-rin was about to share her ability, I-chan tried to ruin it.
“Your crazy, brutish body must be your ability. That’s enough.”
At his oddly infuriating remark, she opened both hands wide.
“Ajusshi, don’t let him go.”
“Huh?”
“Ack! Ack! Hyung! She’s really pinching me! Aaack! Is that a pickaxe?! Aaaaack!”
Shin-hyeok giggled and didn’t let I-chan go.
Only after he was left battered and bruised did they release him.
Thud.
I-chan trembled and crawled up onto the bed.
“You treacherous scoundrels!”
“Hmph~ Then I’m off! See you tomorrow!”
* * *
Next morning.
“Yesss, no roll call.”
Shin-hyeok shouted with puffy, swollen eyes.
“Take off your underwear and let’s scream~”
“Whoaaaa.”
I-chan folded his blanket and got up half-heartedly.
“Hyung, I’m busy. Pack your gear quickly. We have to assemble at the training grounds right away.”
Shin-hyeok grumbled as he got up.
“Eung! It’s only a single overnight, so why bother packing so much! You just need to drag your body along.”
Nevertheless, his body dutifully packed his military gear.
Once outside, everyone on the training ground was sorting out the supplies being distributed.
The battalion commander stood on the platform, announcing to each person who arrived.
“No lining up! Pick up your provisions immediately!”
Below, the drill instructors were handing out the supplies that needed to be packed.
“Come get them in order! One set of equipment per squad! The rest of the consumables—help yourselves and take plenty!”
Shin-hyeok and I-chan watched this scene for a moment.
Soon after, Baek A-rin appeared as well.
“Ajusshi.”
“Oh, let’s get our stuff now.”
They joined the line and began gathering supplies.
Baek A-rin glanced at the atmosphere around them and said.
“It looks like everyone’s taking only a little.”
Shin-hyeok looked around at that and snorted.
“Foolish mortals. We’re taking combat rations, water, and medical supplies in full. Cram every single thing they give us in there. Even if it’s heavy, take it all.”
The instructors said nothing as they distributed the items, a faint smile at Shin-hyeok’s words.
I-chan stuck close and quietly asked.
“Why? Won’t that get in the way of the training?”
“If this training ground is meant to simulate an actual gate, you have to assume it’s nearly identical.”
“You think so?”
“Then, can you resupply food there? That’s impossible.”
At the unexpected answer, I-chan and Baek A-rin froze.
“Without a doubt, food will be scarce. You’re there for 48 hours—you eat a little and keep moving? That’s tough. You need to eat well and move as much as possible. Plus, how would you know whether the terrain, soil, flora and fauna there are edible or not?”
At the seasoned veteran’s words, the two started madly stuffing their bags.
“More, put more in! Instructor-nim! Just give me that whole box, please!”
The instructor smiled and nodded.
“Alright, take it all. Go and open a shop with it.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll make a solid profit!”
They swept it all up, even using their inventories.
Then, other trainees laughed at them mockingly.
“What, are you planning to live there forever?”
“Right. Can’t you just roughly scoop up water and drink it? I even packed a filtration filter.”
Battalion Commander Captain Kim Chan-yeol watched this scene, observing two types of people.
“Picking up experience well is also an ability, isn’t it?”
The senior instructor standing beside him nodded.
“Everything is an ability. When a veteran acts like that, trainees should at least have the sense to follow. Tsk tsk.”
“They’ll have to suffer a bit to understand. Hehe.”
Once preparations were mostly complete, the battalion commander shouted.
“Fall in!”
“Fall in!”
The trainees replied in orderly unison and lined up.
The battalion commander looked over the assembled personnel and spoke briefly.
“The contents were announced beforehand, so I’ll skip them.”
He checked the time and snapped his fingers.
Then, a portal appeared out of nowhere behind him.
“Operation time is 48 hours. Survive until then, search the gate, and collect information on hostile entities, available resources, risk factors, and then return.”
“Yes, sir!”
At their thunderous reply, the battalion commander chuckled.
“I hope your results match that response. Also, the squad that discovers the core and captures it first will immediately end their training and return.”
At those words, all the trainees’ eyes blazed.
“Then, starting with the prepared squads, begin entry.”
They all began filing in neatly.
The battalion commander stretched as he watched them enter and gave orders to the instructors.
“Alright, instructors, I’m counting on you. Please run the kids ragged and harshly.”
“Yes, sir!”
The instructors formed up in front of the portal, wearing wicked smiles.
The senior instructor and company commander spoke with a smile on his lips.
“Just don’t kill them. Make sure they understand in their bones why we’re the 99th Regiment.”
Everyone nodded with excited grins.
“Let’s roll!”
They slipped into the portal.
The battalion commander gazed at the portal and plopped down onto the training ground floor.
“Who will be the first to come out, I wonder…”
* * *
The moment Shin-hyeok entered through the portal, he stopped immediately.
“Hold up first.”
He signaled a hand signal behind him to halt.
Shin-hyeok first took in the surrounding scenery.
‘Gate rank unknown, hostile entity info unknown.’
There had been no gate intel shared beforehand.
Meaning the rank of this simulated gate was also uncertain.
All he could see was nothing but desert.
Moreover, every squad that had entered seemed to have been scattered to different locations.
“I’ll stand guard. Check your gear first.”
Baek A-rin and Hong I-chan quickly inspected their weapons.
They confirmed the K2 rifles issued for training and finished checking the gear they’d brought.
“All set.”
Shin-hyeok set down his gear and said.
“If you can stuff your gear into your inventories, throw it all in there.”
Since they had emptied their inventories beforehand, they were able to shed their burdens relatively easily.
Now lightened, the three of them watched the way ahead.
“Let’s secure a base camp first. I’m going to activate Mapping, so cover me.”
“Okay.”
Baek A-rin and Hong I-chan held their firearms and faced opposite directions.
Shin-hyeok set his rifle down for a moment and pulled out a canteen.
He gauged the amount of potion sloshing inside.
‘Not much left.’
Just in case, he asked I-chan.
“I-chan, do you need any potion?”
“Huh? Maybe just a little?”
At the reply that a little might be needed, he reached his hand out to I-chan.
“Give me your canteen. In case I end up drinking this all.”
“Uh, okay.”
He received the canteen and poured some potion into it.
He let the few remaining drops of potion fall straight onto his tongue.
It was instantly absorbed throughout his body, and his mana awakened.
[Mapping starting.]
A single crystal dropped and spread out into the surroundings.
Watching the crystal extend forward, Shin-hyeok stood back up.
‘Doesn’t look like there’s anything.’
Since this was a training ground, they probably hadn’t released real monsters.
He quickly scanned the area and said.
“Seems like nothing’s there. The 500 meters ahead look safe. Let’s move.”
Having confirmed the 500 meters in front, the three got up and began moving.
Shin-hyeok looked around and said.
“The others are probably in this area too, right?”
“Wouldn’t they?”
Shin-hyeok removed the magazine from his rifle and checked the training rounds.
“So even if you get hit by this, you won’t die?”
“But it hurts like hell. We were warned not to shoot each other.”
At I-chan’s added comment, Shin-hyeok brushed it off.
“So since it won’t kill you, we can just shoot as much as we want?”
“No, still, they said not to shoot at each other.”
Shin-hyeok shouldered his rifle, aiming to the left, and said.
“Looks like I’m going to have to fire a few rounds. Those guys are running over here all excited.”
At that, A-rin and I-chan looked to the side.
Five people, upon spotting Shin-hyeok, were charging over like mad.
“Whoa! Bring it on!”
Shin-hyeok chuckled and said.
“What do you mean ‘bring it on,’ you pathetic fool.”
Laughing, he planted his rifle on the ground and removed the magazine.
At that sight, Baek A-rin and I-chan tried to stop him, but only half-heartedly.
“Eh, don’t do it.”
“Hyung, it hurts if you get hit, they say.”
[ Temporarily enhancing training non-lethal rounds. ]
Once he confirmed the rounds were definitely imbued with mana, he took aim immediately.
“Shooter ready.”
Just as he was aiming precisely and about to pull the trigger, something unexpected happened.
“Ugwaaah!?”
All five of the running figures had their feet sink.
They had fallen into a sand trap.
They flailed desperately, crying out.
“S-save me!”
Shin-hyeok set his rifle down beside him and said.
“See? I told you those instructor bastards wouldn’t leave us alone.”