“We came after receiving the report. Is this the place?”
“Oh my, yes! Please hurry and go in.”
Ijang looked around and put on an act.
“Camera’s off.”
He glanced about for the cue, then stuck his face into the portal.
“Stop coming out.”
A middle-aged man came out from inside and greeted them awkwardly.
“Then please log it as us having been dispatched after receiving a report. We’ll text you the return time.”
“Uh, uh. Good work, then.”
Once Ijang and his party went down, the three including Sinhyeok entered.
“Let’s work hard too.”
Sinhyeok familiarly enhanced his live ammunition.
“It’s slimes?”
The surroundings were full of squishy, wiggling slimes.
“It’s E-rank. One of the remaining Gates that wasn’t cleared last time, and the boss mob is just a bigger slime.”
Looking at the squishy slimes, Sinhyeok thought of Blue for no reason.
“I wonder if our Blue hatched?”
“Huh? Oh right. Hyung, we haven’t seen Blue lately.”
“That’s true. Mister, where did Blue go?”
Sinhyeok walked forward and spoke.
“He’s been sleeping these days. Just kept sleeping. Is he hibernating or something?”
“C’mon. He’s not a bear. Wasn’t he a slime like these guys?”
“Hmm? But wasn’t he more on the puppy side?”
Arin and Ichan gave conflicting opinions.
“Let’s say it’s somewhere in between. I don’t know either. Clean up the surroundings for now. I’ll find the core.”
“Okay.”
Arin drew her sword, and Ichan put down his gun and pulled out two daggers.
“Ooh~ Ichan, did you change your equipment concept?”
“I’m trying this out. My concept keeps overlapping with yours, Hyung.”
“Pfft.”
The two moved lightly and leaped forward.
“Right, it’d be a problem if we overlap. Then shall I go look?”
[Mapping initiated.]
[Unidentified mineral detected.]
[Unidentified mineral detected.]
[Unidentified mineral detected.]
“Ah, I want to clear this away somehow.”
Finding minerals was nice, but it didn’t explain what they were.
‘Can’t I do something about this?’
For now, he left it alone and focused on finding the core.
‘Where is it?’
After searching for about twenty minutes, he finally found it.
“Found it.”
Sinhyeok got up and went to find the two.
“This punk Ichan is really into it. He left his gun behind to play with daggers?”
He picked up the rifle and wandered around looking for them.
“Hah!”
“Haat!”
The two moved nimbly against the slimes.
“If you get hit even once, you’re the little brother!”
Arin shouted, nodding her head.
“One week!”
“Deal!”
Hearing that, Sinhyeok smirked.
“They’re playing around so funnily.”
Amidst that, he saw the rifle left abandoned.
With an expression that said he’d caught them red-handed, Sinhyeok picked up the rifle and called out to Ichan.
“Trainee Hong Ichan! Who goes around leaving their rifle behind!”
Deliberately lowering his voice, he shouted in a drill instructor’s tone.
Ichan, startled by Sinhyeok, stiffened and looked back.
“S-sorry!”
Szzt.
Ichan had been anxious for a moment, but soon relaxed and grumbled.
“Ah, don’t do that! You startled me!”
“Kekep. If this is uncomfortable, bring a handgun next time. You should always carry your firearm.”
Baek Arin took down the last slime and looked at Hong Ichan, giggling.
“What? Why are you giggling like that? It’s not over yet.”
Baek Arin wiped her sword with her sleeve and pointed with her gaze.
“What? Ah.”
He was left speechless at the slime fluid on the hem of his pants and the traces where the edge had melted away.
“Ahhh! Seriously! Because of Hyung!”
Baek Arin giggled and said.
“Oh my. This noona’s luggage is heavy. Carry this luggage for me.”
She handed over the pack on her back.
“No, I……!”
“Tsk, can’t you see this noona’s arms right now?”
“Ughhh!”
Ichan hung the pack on his back with a tearful face.
“Take this too, Ichan.”
Hong Ichan carefully packed the two people’s luggage with a tearful face.
“Pfft.”
“K-euhk.”
“Don’t laugh!”
Sinhyeok pointed in another direction.
“Let’s clear that direction too. I found the core.”
“Okay. Then shall we move~ Oh my, that direction. I have to go faster than Hyung-nim and Noona-nim.”
Ichan grumbled and ran ahead.
“Keu-heuhek.”
“Keu-heoheng.”
Baek Arin and Sinhyeok laughed heartily at the sight.
* * *
Three hours later, Sinhyeok neatly finished clearing up. He kicked aside the shattered large slime and looked around.
“What time is it now?”
Arin checked the time and spoke.
“Exactly 22:00.”
“Then let’s look around for just an hour. We have to see if there’s anything worth taking. Oh right, we need to collect the intact slime nuclei. Those are used as mana stone substitutes.”
“Okay.”
Sinhyeok checked for things worth collecting as he looked around.
‘Leave the minerals alone.’
An hour passed quickly.
There didn’t seem to be any hidden treasures or relics, so they finished searching.
“Let’s stop. We can’t search this place openly, so let’s just do this much.”
“Okay~”
Sinhyeok found the core and raised his hand.
[Core discovered.]
[Closing the corresponding Gate.]
[Portal generated for escape.]
A portal appeared right next to them.
Sinhyeok gestured to the two.
“Let’s get out.”
As soon as they exited, the portal disappeared and the system displayed a message.
[E-rank Gate Slime Forest closes.]
[Settling Gate rewards.]
[Experience granted.]
[Acquired a large amount of experience.]
However, their levels did not rise.
“Ah, it’s not enough to level up with this.”
“Mine didn’t either.”
Sinhyeok’s level did not rise either.
“I guess everyone’s experience gauge is large?”
“It’s fitting enough. We’re aces, after all.”
“They said I had good potential too.”
At Ichan’s words about having good potential, Sinhyeok and Arin gave him a scolding.
“You’re a Dark Elf. You have a racial buff.”
“Tch! Even without that, it’s innate.”
“Oh my, quiet.”
At Arin’s words, Ichan shut his mouth with teary eyes.
“Let’s return.”
Everyone laughed and returned to base.
Upon returning, the Warrant Officer in the command control room glanced at them.
“I heard a report came in. Did you handle it well?”
“Yes. One civilian was caught up in an E-rank Gate. We rescued them and they returned home, and we closed the corresponding Gate.”
“Good. Well done. Go get some sleep now.”
She leaned back comfortably in her chair and waved her hand.
As soon as they left the command control room, Ichan jumped around and shouted.
“Ramen! Let’s eat ramen!”
“Deal.”
“Sure.”
The three headed to the barracks once again.
Gathered in the room, the three familiarly boiled ramen and spoke.
“But Mister, where do you get the crafting commission you received as a reward done?”
She spoke while lying on the sofa in a very comfortable posture.
“The workshop you guys went to earlier.”
“Ah, there? But who’s there?”
Sinhyeok spoke as he set the ramen down on the table.
“There’s a dwarf.”
Arin shot up. Ichan also turned away from the TV.
“A dwarf?”
“A dwarf?!”
The two stared at Sinhyeok with surprised faces.
“You didn’t see? I thought you saw when I opened the door.”
“We didn’t see!”
“Me neither!”
“Anyway, you place a request there and they craft it for you.”
“Jackpot! Then I’m going right now!”
“Me too!”
Just as the two were about to excitedly leave, Sinhyeok threw cold water on them.
“But I’m the one who makes them now.”
The two, who had really been about to leave, hurriedly stopped.
They quickly turned their heads to look at Sinhyeok.
“You, Mister?”
“Hyung?”
“The Battalion Commander told me to make them. But were you two about to commission one right now?”
The two exchanged glances, then scurried back inside.
“L-later.”
“I’ll just go later too.”
They sat back down and slurped up the remaining ramen.
“Hey, I’m starting to get a little ticked off. You like the dwarf but not me?”
“C’mon. That’s not it.”
Arin denied it strenuously, and Ichan avoided his gaze, laughing silently.
“I’m getting a little heated. I’ll make you something incredible~”
“C’mon, that’s not it.”
“That’s right, Hyung should build up a bit more skill first!”
The two tried hard to calm down the motivated Sinhyeok.
“No! Let’s go right now! I told you, I do synthesis and enhancement amazingly well!”
Arin and Ichan grabbed Sinhyeok tightly.
“That’s not it!”
“Just stay put!”
“Let go! Commission me right now!”
“No!”
“Me neither!”
After struggling for a while, the three reached a tentative agreement.
“Let’s do it when you can make at least Hero-grade items?”
“Deal.”
“Okay.”
Only after reaching the agreement did Arin talk about tomorrow’s patrol.
“Then tomorrow like today too?”
“We have to.”
Feeling full, she lay down on the sofa.
“Can we go to C-rank?”
“That would be hard. If it takes too long, other units will butt in.”
“Ah.”
“But we’ll see how it goes. If Ijang-nim insistently asks us to clear it, we have to clear it even if we make excuses.”
Arin and Ichan were disappointed.
“I wish we were at least level 10.”
“Me too.”
Level 10 was a kind of turning point for the Awakened.
Whether they would soar higher, or be stuck at the bottom.
“Let’s just run around for now. People come before levels. Don’t forget.”
Sinhyeok left words of caution and warning to the two who were fixated on levels.
“If you’re too hung up on levels, byproducts, and stuff like that, you’ll be dead in an instant.”
At the brutal warning, the two laughed awkwardly.
“You have to be careful. That’s the thing Hongik hates the most. Killing monsters instead of saving people just to level up. Ignoring fallen citizens to collect a few mana stones.”
“C’mon, we know.”
“Hyung, what do you take us for.”
“I trust you.”
From the start, one of the Battalion Commander’s criteria for selecting Hongik members was exactly that.
‘Whether they can prioritize people.’
“Then I’ll ask Ijang-nim in advance where we’ll go tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
The two chattered about tomorrow’s raid with excited faces.
* * *
The next evening, in front of an F-rank Gate.
“Then please take care of us today too.”
Ijang quickly went down first. The three entered inside.
“Hyung isn’t visible though?”
“Wait a minute.”
[Mapping initiated.]
“There aren’t many.”
At the words “not many,” Arin and Ichan exchanged fierce glances.
“Oh my, ladies first, Noona.”
“Noona, please take care of the youngest!”
To the fierce eye exchange, Sinhyeok provided an answer.
“Whoever doesn’t throw loses. Rock, paper……”
“Paper!”
“Rock!”
Ichan, who had thrown rock, turned tearful.
“Ah, whyyyyy!”
“Heheh! Then I’ll do it! Mister, watch the surroundings well!”
“Yeah, take care of the boss too while you’re at it.”
Ichan looked at Sinhyeok.
“Hey, what do I do. There’s really only a few of them.”
“Sigh. Then tomorrow’s Gate is mine.”
“Yeah.”
Like that, the three went around and around Gates for a week.
“Ughaaa. Tired.”
“Mister, how many Gates are left?”
“I don’t know, I have to call Ijang-nim.”
Ichan was utterly deflated, unlike his initial excitement.
“It’s getting a bit boring now.”
They entered the command control room and reported to the Warrant Officer who was still stuck on duty.
“Loyalty! We have closed the Gate that had an emergency report.”
“Ah, good work. How many wild boars are left in the mountain now?”
Sinhyeok quickly took out a paper with the status of nearby Gates from his pocket.
“About four locations. Most are a bit large in size. They’re above mid-size.”
The Warrant Officer instantly understood Sinhyeok’s words.
“Then leave the rest alone. It’d be a bit much if you killed them all. Good work.”
“Yes.”
Ichan and Arin smiled as they exited the command control room.
“Yesss.”
“Yesss, we’re taking a break for a while.”
Sinhyeok was dumbfounded at their reaction, which had changed from before.
“You said it was good. You said you wanted to level up.”
“Euheu~ not anymore. Moderation is best.”
“Me too, me too.”
Ichan and Arin bounced along toward the barracks with excited expressions.
“Let’s just rest tomorrow~”
“That’s right~ Another senior said they’d take the night shift for us~”
It happened to be the weekend, and someone else had volunteered to take over the night patrol shift.
“But did you two level up? I’m still barely over 6 myself.”
“Hyung really doesn’t level up.”
“Right. Mister, isn’t your experience gauge too big?”
[Status Window]
Name: Bu Sinhyeok (Lv.6)
Class: Alchemist
Strength: 65
Agility: 56
Stamina: 67
Mana: 90
Traits: Mana Solidification, Ancient Earth Dragon’s Blessing
Sinhyeok, whose level was plain for all to see, scolded the two.
“I was just cleaning up after you guys in the back.”
At those words, the two giggled.
“No wonder we leveled up a lot.”
“Me too, heheh.”
“So what level?”
“I’m 9.”
“Me too, 9.”
The two were exactly at a pleasant 9.
“That’s a shame. If you go up one more, doesn’t a class change appear?”
“Sigh, that’s really a shame.”
Arin was quite disappointed.
“I don’t really care. Since Necromancy is my main anyway, it doesn’t matter if my class changes or not.”
Unlike Arin, for Ichan, it was important to manage his innate temperament and traits rather than the abilities given by the system.
“It’s important to me. The platoon leader promised to take me to the temple when I reach level 10.”
“Ah, will they recommend you?”
Arin nodded.
“That is a shame.”
Arin ran off bouncing while worrying.
She suddenly turned around and looked at Sinhyeok.
“No. Don’t. Tomorrow is the weekend.”
Sinhyeok refused as much as possible, sensing her intention.
“Mister~”
“Uwehk.”
Ichan grabbed the wall and dry-heaved.
Sinhyeok looked at him with killing intent.
“Hey, seriously.”
Arin gave up on acting coy and cleanly took out her phone, punching in numbers.
“Ten million won.”
“Deal!”
“Me too, deal!”
Arin, who got permission immediately, earnestly made them promise.
“If you break your promise, I’ll crush that mister’s balls and yours too.”
At the brutal threat, the two clamped their legs together.
“She’s been hanging out with men too much; her mouth has gone foul.”
“But Hyung, where are you planning to go?”
“Well. I don’t really know any place.”
‘Ah, there is one.’
A place he had gone to during boot camp too.
A place that couldn’t be closed but overflowed with monsters.
“Saibi, I think we can go there. There’s no surveillance, so it’s good for sneaking in.”
“Oh.”