“Argh!”
Ichan, who had run off laughing and calling someone a blockhead, ended up getting flicked on the crown by Sinhyeok.
“How dare you call someone a blockhead?”
“Hngggh.”
Ichan glared at Sinhyeok, rubbing the spot where the flick had landed. It had hurt quite a bit.
“That really hurts!”
“Oh~”
Sinhyeok teased Ichan as he rubbed the top of his head with a grin.
“Everyone’s slowly gathering.”
As they headed toward the parade ground, people began to saunter in one after another.
Some had formed a ring around the area, while others had come down onto the parade ground.
They were divided into two groups.
“Quite a crowd came to watch.”
Sinhyeok scanned those who had not gone out on an operation.
“Uncle, do people usually come out to watch like this?”
Baek Arin had somehow come to stand beside Sinhyeok.
“No, of course not. Do you think those people would come watch a combat-power evaluation just because they have nothing to do? They’re curious. They want to see what’s up with these rejects.”
The gazes of the officers of various years of service, standing with their arms folded behind the podium, were focused solely on the three of them.
“They are talking about us, right? Everyone’s looking at us.”
Baek Arin also looked around, conscious of their attention.
And it was not only them.
The newly appointed sergeants who had joined the previous year, as well as the sergeants due for promotion to staff sergeant, were also watching the three of them.
“We’re pretty popular.”
Unfortunately, it was not the good kind of popularity.
Platoon leaders and deputy platoon leaders had gathered around the podium to watch.
“Are those three the new recruits?”
“They all have quite impressive backgrounds. The girl is a chaebol heiress, the young-looking boy is either a bomb or a boss mob, and the old-looking one is supposedly a former deserter.”
The relatively junior officers whispered among themselves.
Amidst their many questions, they kept their eyes on the three.
“To be honest, they were picked by the battalion commander, but I don’t exactly trust them.”
“True. The chaebol heiress is the most puzzling. Why did she even come here?”
“I’m more curious about Sergeant Hong Ichan. He supposedly has a Core inside him. Isn’t that just a boss mob?”
“Hey, the other two are still decent enough. Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok deserted from here and was discharged, wasn’t he? They say he knows the battalion commander and had his reasons, but still.”
The questions surrounding the three were becoming quite noisy.
“Is this a marketplace? Are you here to chatter?”
At that moment, the first sergeant appeared.
The officers and noncommissioned officers fell silent all at once.
“Do you people have nothing to do?”
Kim Hyeonsuk looked at the many who had come out to watch.
“Cough. Supporting our squadmates here is also part of our duties—”
“Give me a break. Then quietly watch and don’t keep talking back.”
First Sergeant Kim Hyeonsuk glared for a moment at those coughing awkwardly and making troubled faces, then headed toward the podium.
When Kim Hyeonsuk stood atop the podium, everyone gathered on the parade ground straightened their posture.
“Attention!”
At the command, the sergeants on the parade ground immediately stood rigidly at attention.
“Why is the second half of the year made up entirely of sergeants?”
Kim Hyeonsuk turned around.
The staff sergeants, master sergeants, and second lieutenants who had come to watch began subtly putting distance between themselves, nervously reading the room.
“I suppose that’s proof you haven’t grown at all, is it?”
“Come on! We’re working hard!”
“Then go do your individual training. Dismissed.”
Everyone hurried away, afraid the first sergeant’s anger might spill over onto them.
“Honestly, what a bunch of slickers.”
In the end, only the sergeants taking the evaluation, a tiny number of second lieutenants, the third platoon leader of First Company, and the company commanders remained on the parade ground.
The first sergeant turned back around and faced forward.
“Beginning today and continuing through tomorrow, we will conduct individual combat-power evaluations.”
She continued speaking as she stared at those lined up on the parade ground.
“Some of you are receiving this evaluation for the first time, so I will explain the precautions. In Hongik Battalion, anyone who receives a grade of E or below according to the Awakened Corps’ standards will be immediately transferred out or discharged.”
Arin and Ichan tensed at the harsh warning. She fixed her eyes on the three of them and continued coldly.
“However, exceptions may be made if someone is truly overwhelming, or if the individual is considered too valuable a talent to lose. Just like Yu Ttaeng-ttaeng in the past.”
At her words, everyone glanced at Sinhyeok.
“But that won’t happen anymore, will it, Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok?”
“Sergeant Bu Sinhyeok, yes! That’s right!”
“Good. Back then, you were an ordinary person who hadn’t even awakened, so there were grounds for an exception. There aren’t any now. So make sure we don’t face the unprecedented situation of everyone receiving a failing score.”
She swept her gaze across the people on the parade ground and briefed them on the schedule.
“Today, we will test physical fitness, marksmanship, and mental strength. Combat fitness in the morning, marksmanship in the afternoon, and mental strength in the evening.”
Everyone was aghast at the brutally packed schedule.
“Normally, this would be an evaluation conducted over five days, but the unit is extremely busy. You all know why we’re busy, don’t you?”
Everyone sighed at her words.
“Exactly. Even I’m being sent out to clear minor Gates, so that should tell you everything. Let’s get this done quickly so we can get back to work quickly. Everyone, come collect your equipment.”
The company commanders waiting behind her came forward carrying boxes. They shouted toward the personnel gathered on the parade ground.
“Put it all on! This equipment standardizes your stats!”
The equipment being handed out by the company commanders was familiar to Sinhyeok.
It was in the form of a bracelet, similar to the one the first sergeant had used when she trained her senses.
The first sergeant shouted at those moving too slowly.
“You’re all incredibly slow! Are we really going to finish everything today at this rate?”
Everyone hurriedly collected the equipment and regrouped on the parade ground.
“Put them on.”
Everyone fastened the bracelets around their wrists.
[Shackles of Suppression][Rare]
=======================
An apparatus that forcibly suppresses the wearer’s mana response, limiting all stats to the level of an F-rank Awakened.
Used to measure or control an Awakened’s potential, it also maintains a set standard of abilities during combat.
Creator: Lucien Blom
=======================
After putting on the bracelet, Sinhyeok checked the explanation displayed by the system.
‘My body feels like it’s gone completely limp.’
Everyone seemed to be experiencing something similar.
After confirming that everyone had put them on, the first sergeant explained.
“This equipment is a tool for evaluating pure physical ability. The physical-fitness test will be performed using only your stamina, without relying on abilities or mana. Understood?!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Everyone answered energetically.
“Then, company commanders, take your positions.”
At her command, everyone moved briskly.
The commander of First Company ran toward the turning point, while the commanders of Second and Third Companies took timers.
“Prepare for the three-kilometer run.”
Everyone hurriedly got into position.
“The course will take you around the base, up to the mountain behind it, and back. Go!”
At the starting signal, everyone began running at once.
The senior soldiers who had disappeared began creeping out to watch.
“Think they’ll at least be average in physical fitness?”
Everyone watched with curiosity and suspicion.
* * *
“Hyung? Where’s the mountain behind the base?!”
“Uncle, where is the mountain behind the base!?”
The two, unfamiliar with the surrounding terrain, did nothing but follow behind Sinhyeok.
Sinhyeok turned his head and pointed to the side.
“That one.”
Once they confirmed their destination, the three began running for their lives.
“Huff. Hy, hyung, what’s the cut-off ti, time?!”
Ichan forced his heavy body onward and ran hard.
“I don’t know! Just make sure we finish first!”
It had been so long that he could barely remember.
Sinhyeok planted his feet forcefully against the ground and drove his body forward.
“Huff, huff, hup.”
Baek Arin followed calmly behind him, with Ichan keeping pace as well.
Starting from the rear, they soon overtook the middle of the pack and began closing in on the leaders.
The three sergeants running at the front glanced backward.
“Hup, hup. What the hell are they?!”
They were horrified to see Sinhyeok and the other two charging after them from behind.
“Huff, huff! Dain, widen the gap!”
“Aaaagh!”
Faced with the terrifying momentum of the newcomers pursuing them, the three sergeants who had enlisted together the previous year ran for their lives.
“Damn it! Why are they so fast?!”
They had joined Hongik the previous year as the most highly anticipated prospects.
They had not come through a noncommissioned officers’ training school, but had instead been recruited externally and enlisted.
They were rookies who had been active in a guild.
“Run! Don’t let them take the lead!”
Seeing Sinhyeok, Arin, and Ichan draw right up behind them, they ran as if possessed.
All their abilities had been suppressed. The strength they were exerting now came purely from their physical bodies.
“Gaaaaah!”
As they began climbing the mountain beside the base, their speed quickly began to drop.
At that moment, Ichan’s expression came alive. With a faint smile, he surged past them.
‘A mountain! Elves rule the mountains!’
“Hup, hup! I’m! Going! Ahead!”
Like a squirrel, Ichan bounded forward, stepping on rocks and trees as he zigzagged through the terrain.
“Damn it!”
Sinhyeok and Arin immediately overtook them as well.
“Excuse me!”
“Coming through!”
Watching the two pass them one after another, the three became furious.
“No! Don’t let them get away!”
The three most anticipated prospects of the previous year forced their trembling legs to keep moving.
By the time they were staggering and looking toward the summit, the three had already run up and were coming back down.
“Watch out!”
“Careful!”
Seeing them practically rolling down the slope, the three screamed and ran onward.
“Damn it!”
“What the hell are they?!”
“Weren’t they supposed to be rejects?!”
The others reacted no differently.
The soldiers assigned to the middle and rear of the pack were also aghast when they saw the three practically flying through the course.
“Are they insane?!”
“What’s gotten into them?!”
Sinhyeok and Arin overtook the others again to reclaim the lead, while Ichan, apparently overwhelmed by exhaustion, fell a step behind.
“Hup, hup. Huaaah.”
Seeing Ichan’s breathing grow ragged, Sinhyeok grabbed him.
“Ichan! Stay with us! Right behind us!”
As if that were not enough, Arin’s frightening threat followed Sinhyeok’s shout.
“Shorty! If you fall behind, you’re my little brother for life!”
“Gaaaaaaah!”
More than anything, Ichan hated the thought of being Arin’s little brother, so he ran for his life and held on to the lead.
The base came into view again, and the commander of First Company, holding a timer, shouted.
“Seven minutes, forty-five point twenty-seven seconds!”
At the time, the three stopped side by side.
Ichan collapsed onto the ground, while Arin and Sinhyeok braced their hands on their knees and caught their breath.
“Huff, huff.”
The commander of First Company gave the panting Sinhyeok a subtle smile.
“Well, our Sinhyeok isn’t dead yet.”
“Huff, huff. I was the biggest blockhead here. Basic physical fitness is, huff, huff, my—”
He could not continue and waved his hands dismissively.
“Heh. Fine. Move on to the next test right away.”
When he raised his eyes, he saw that the commander of Third Company had prepared the equipment.
“All right, the next one’s coming right up. No resting.”
That was the rule here. Hongik’s own rule.
There was no break in between.
The brief moment they had to catch their breath was all they got.
“Get ready for push-ups. Exactly one minute.”
The three placed their hands on the ground with their trembling bodies.
“Be, gin!”
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Everyone began energetically, their bodies moving swiftly.
After that came sit-ups, followed by measurements of the three major lifts using several pieces of equipment.
When the entire process was over, the three collapsed in a corner of the base.
“I want to die, but I can’t.”
“M-me neither.”
“Whew, Uncle, am I still breathing? I can’t feel anything.”
At that moment, the third platoon leader of First Company approached Ichan and Arin among those lying on the ground.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Ichan and Arin barely managed to prop themselves up with their trembling bodies.
“Loyalty.”
“Loyalty.”
They somehow saluted with their violently shaking arms.
The third platoon leader accepted their salutes with a smile.
“All right, loyalty. I hear you two came in first in this physical-fitness evaluation. Good work.”
Lieutenant Kang Siyun, the third platoon leader, patted Ichan and Arin on the shoulders.
“Keep it up just like this. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yes!”
At their vigorous replies, the platoon leader smiled and left.
Sinhyeok saluted him from where he lay.
“Loyalty.”
“You blockhead. Saluting while lying down?”
Sinhyeok replied with a grin.
“Am I not a blockhead?”
“Still, you haven’t lost your form, have you? I thought you’d crawl in dead last.”
“Come on. As if.”
He smiled and mentioned the three prospects from the previous year who had followed them and completed the physical-fitness test.
“Still, it’s surprising. Everyone thought they’d come in first, you know.”
Sinhyeok merely lifted his head slightly and looked over.
He saw the three panting excessively, their bodies trembling.
They glared at Sinhyeok, who was lying on the ground, and at the trembling Ichan and Arin.
There was a strange mixture of jealousy and envy in their eyes, which puzzled Sinhyeok.
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Why do you think? You stole their chance to make an impression. The battalion commander personally brought them in last year. They were rookies backed by some famous guild, but he supposedly lured them away.”
“Ah.”
Those three.
Go Dain, Song Jaesik, and Bak Incheol.
The three of them had enlisted at Hongik the previous year after being directly scouted by Battalion Commander Yi Gangyeol.
Song Jaesik glared at the three while panting heavily.
“Damn it. They stole all the attention.”
“No, seriously, why are those rejects so good?!”
Go Dain leaned against a tree to cool himself down.
“That crazy girl—no, that rich girl. Why is she so physically fit?”
He ground his teeth.
“Whew, this is seriously pissing me off. We have to do well again this year if we want a faster promotion or at least some kind of commendation.”
“Exactly. Then the battalion commander might give us something.”
That was why they had come to Hongik: the overwhelmingly superior equipment and items, along with instruction from the strongest Awakened in the country.
Hongik handled most of the country’s A-rank Gates.
As a result, the best equipment and items were monopolized by Hongik.
In other words, within Hongik, the more attention one received from the battalion commander, the more outrageous the items one was given.
Attention meant power, and power meant wealth.
On top of that, those who achieved overwhelming results in the combat-power evaluation were personally rewarded.
“There’s still a lot left. We’re good at marksmanship.”
Go Dain ground his teeth as he brought up the afternoon’s marksmanship test.
“Yeah, marksmanship.”