Chapter 22
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
The truck rumbled along.
Do-jae sat in the passenger seat of the heavy 5-ton truck, heading somewhere.
His expression was a mix of complexity and subtle frustration.
‘A deployment on the first day….’
It wasn’t strange to him. Hunters were beings who chased dungeons.
Do-jae had often travelled to Gyeonggi Province, and sometimes to Jeolla and Gyeong-Sang provinces to target dungeons.
So what was bothering him?
‘North Korea, huh? It’s my first time here.’
In the past, North Korea wasn’t a place anyone could go to, but that had changed.
Due to the dungeon breaks in North Korea, the land had become infested with monsters, and with the purpose of subjugation, entry into North Korea was now possible.
‘I didn’t think it’d be so desolate.’
During the initial phases of the Great Cataclysm*, North Korea didn’t have many Hunters.
*(Great Cataclysm – A past event that led to the emergence of monsters and Awakened individuals with abilities.)
The reason was that most of the Awakened with abilities had crossed the Yalu and Tumen Rivers to China or fled overseas.
As a result, their response to monsters was slow, and over time, things got out of control.
Now, they barely maintain the semblance of the country.
By relying on nuclear weapons.
You may wonder how nuclear weapons could help maintain a regime in a world where humans can catch missiles mid-flight and hurl them into space.
The North Korean government had taken its citizens hostage.
In short, they threatened to drop a nuke on their own country.
And so, the burden had fallen on South Korea.
However, it wasn’t all bad. There was income from the subjugations, and they gained goodwill from North Korean citizens.
Additionally, it helped solidify the legitimacy of the Subjugation Army.
The only real loss was the waste of valuable Awakened manpower.
Although there was much debate, things quieted down once the Association intervened.
‘So, this is Kaesong.’
Currently, Do-jae was passing through what used to be the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Thanks to the numerous subjugations that had taken place, the supply routes were well-maintained.
After traveling a bit further, a man wearing a fluorescent vest waved a signal baton and stopped the truck.
“Stop!”
“What’s this?”
-“Food supplies and weapons.”
“And who’s this beside you?”
-“Ah, this is the new officer who’s just been assigned.”
Do-jae smiled slightly from the passenger seat window.
-“Hello.”
“Oh, hello, sir! The other officers have already arrived! You may pass!”
As soon as Do-jae arrived at the Subjugation Army’s base, he was immediately sent to the Kaesong outpost.
But another officer was already there?
He hadn’t even seen the commander yet, nor received his post.
‘Is there someone else assigned here?’
Do-jae began to wonder who it might be.
During the test, no one had particularly stood out.
That made sense, as there weren’t many monsters, and most people were busy trying to earn points through other means, so there was little interaction.
-“We’ve arrived. Thank you for your hard work.”
Stepping out of the truck, Do-jae saw the name and emblem of the base.
A large snake wriggling its way across the emblem, under which were the words:
[Chilgok Unit]
The Subjugation Army was structured around the Subjugation Army Headquarters and three Corps: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Subjugation Corps.
The actual combat units were the three Corps.
Each Corps had several independent units, each of which was the size of a medium guild.
As such, the units preferred to be called by nicknames derived from their commanders’ names or their unit’s nature, rather than by numerical designations.
Hence, the unit Do-jae had arrived at was called the ‘Chilgok Unit.’
It was named after the nickname and skill of the unit’s commander, Chilgok Sword.
‘But… where am I supposed to go?’
The driver who had dropped him off left for somewhere, leaving Do-jae standing awkwardly in the middle of the Chilgok Unit’s temporary barracks.
Around him, people were bustling, but no one approached him; they only glanced at him out of the corners of their eyes.
‘Is this some kind of hazing? Intimidation?’
These were people who spent their days fighting monsters, living isolated from society.
Unlike guilds, they spent their time in a place full of masculine energy, constantly on the edge of death.
To them, Do-jae, who had just joined the unit as an officer, probably looked like a naive lamb.
‘Well, whatever.’
It was just that they were dealing with the wrong person.
An inexperienced young Awakened might have felt overwhelmed, but Do-jae wasn’t like that.
Gruff and tough, the men of the Subjugation Army were no match for the old veterans of the Association’s raids.
“Excuse me.”
Do-jae approached a man who had caught his eye.
He was the one who had been watching Do-jae from the start.
-“What can I do for you?”
The man replied in a polite tone, though there was something subtly off about it, but that wasn’t important to Do-jae at the moment.
“I’d like to ask you something. Where is the commander of the Chilgok Unit?”
-“May I ask where you’re coming from?”
“Ah, I’ve just been assigned here today. My name is Lee Do-jae.”
Suddenly, the man who had been sitting jumped up.
He hadn’t seemed that tall while sitting, but standing up, he towered over Do-jae, easily two heads taller.
His clothes were also so oversized that they hung loosely, giving him the appearance of a well-built basketball player.
-“Whew! It’s starting.”
-“Too bad. He should’ve talked to me first. Should I at least stick around to watch?”
-“I’m betting on that scrawny guy.”
-“You idiot, don’t you know Jung-gyu’s been on fire lately? I’m betting on him.”
Subjugation soldiers began to gather around, watching the scene unfold.
Do-jae was taken aback by the sudden attention.
What was this unexpected turn of events?
People were gathering in a circle, just like in a comic book.
-“You must be one of the officers arriving today.”
“Yes, that’s right. But what is this?”
-“Ah, this is a tradition of our unit.”
“A… tradition?”
With a smooth movement, the large man, Son Jeong-gyu, caught a sword someone threw to him.
He twitched his eyebrow, and a grin spread across his face.
-“Heh heh… let’s fight.”
“What?”
-“Let’s have a bout!”
Whoosh!
Son Jeong-gyu suddenly swung his sword at Do-jae.
Though it wasn’t sharpened, just a blunt training sword, getting hit by something like that would surely leave more than a bruise.
Do-jae hastily stepped back, narrowly avoiding the strike.
“What’s going on?!”
-“Hmph, so you’re not just another pushover like the rest of those idiots we’ve had.”
“What? What are you even talking about?”
Jeong-gyu didn’t give Do-jae any time to answer before continuing his attack.
Do-jae found himself in the awkward position of deciding whether to retaliate or just keep dodging.
-“Show him what you’ve got!”
As Jeong-gyu charged again, the surrounding soldiers erupted in cheers.
Of course.
No one had been ignoring him for no reason.
They’d just been waiting for someone to pick a fight.
Or rather, they’d been waiting for a chance to provoke someone.
‘This is so childish.’
He thought to himself that this was no different from playground antics, but at the same time, Do-jae began to feel a bit excited.
That’s just how men are.
Before law, status, education, or background comes the primal urge to see who’s stronger.
Especially in a world where strength is the ultimate logic.
-“Come on!”
Son Jeong-gyu swung his sword with a loud whoosh.
Though the sword was just a supply sword with no real bragging points other than its sturdiness, it was a genuine sword with a sharp edge on both sides.
‘Did they come as idiots or become idiots on their way out?’
Do-jae slightly twisted his body to avoid the strike.
He had never fought in person, but he was able to dodge expertly through his experience in the last temple.
‘I don’t even need the Golem’s Eyes for this.’
Having assessed his opponent’s skills from a single attack, Do-jae felt a clear difference, to the point where he didn’t even need to use his Golem Armor.
“Yahap!”
Son Jeong-gyu continued to swing his sword, driving Do-jae into a corner.
Each time, Do-jae dodged expertly, not even letting the tip of the sword graze him.
Son Jeong-gyu seemed a bit riled up now.
-“You’re not bad. Let’s see if you can dodge this.”
Son Jeong-gyu drew on his mana.
As a result, his already large body grew even bigger.
That’s why he wore clothes that were generously sized.
Swoosh-.
Then, he picked up another sword from where he had originally stood.
-“That crazy guy, if he uses a real sword, it won’t end with just a warning.”
-“Will you get disciplined? Don’t worry about it. I’m curious to see what happens!”
Some spectators stepped back.
They didn’t want to get involved.
But most stayed put.
Curiosity seemed to be irresistible.
“Yahap!”
With both hands tightly gripping the sword, Son Jeong-gyu charged forward.
His enlarged muscles and bulging veins.
He truly looked like a beast!
Like an angry rhinoceros charging forward with its horn.
‘This is a bit….’
Do-jae also felt a slight sense of danger.
It took about 5 seconds to open a pocket space and put on the Golem Armor.
Though it was a short time, it would already be too late by then.
If he just dodged, it would be too embarrassing.
If he just ran away with nothing but evasive maneuvers, he might end up a laughingstock on the very first day.
‘If it’s just the legs.’
Do-jae decided to try something he hadn’t attempted before.
He would try to wear only part of the Golem Armor, not the entire suit.
By covering just his legs and knees with the Golem Armor’s effects, he might not get all the benefits, but he would still receive some of them.
Clatter-.
As soon as he finished thinking, Do-jae cast the Golem Armor.
The gravel on the ground climbed up to his toes.
Since he didn’t need to summon from far away, he quickly had solid legs.
-“Die!”
Son Jeong-gyu was already up close.
Had his muscles consumed his brain too?
He even said things he shouldn’t say while attacking.
Clang-!
Do-jae swung his right leg.
It scraped the blade and thrust into Son Jeong-gyu’s chest.
‘Ah!’
He hadn’t intended to attack, just block the sword.
But perhaps Son Jeong-gyu’s strength was less than expected.
Or maybe it was the angle of Do-jae’s foot.
As the tip of Do-jae’s foot met the sword, they both veered off towards the ground, and as a result, Do-jae’s foot directly struck Son Jeong-gyu’s chest as he hunched over.
Boom-!
-“Stop!”
A heavy voice rang out between them.
The spectators hurriedly started to leave.
-“What are you doing!”
“Sorry… sorry, Commander!”
Son Jeong-gyu was startled and flustered.
His body had already shrunk back down.
Thud-.
The leader of the Chilgok Unit, Kim Hwan-soo, put down Son Jeong-gyu’s arm and Do-jae’s leg.
-“Everyone, disperse! Both of you, come with me!”
Kim Hwan-soo, fuming with anger, headed towards the barracks.
Do-jae and Son Jeong-gyu exchanged awkward glances.
*****************
Right after entering the barracks.
According to Kim Hwan-soo’s orders, Son Jeong-gyu was given a two-week suspension as a penalty.
Using skills inside the barracks was clearly illegal, and a month of suspension and a salary cut were the usual punishments, but Kim Hwan-soo decided not to report it.
Instead, Son Jeong-gyu had to handle hygiene duties in the barracks during his suspension, which included picking up trash and doing the dishes all day.
-“You! I’m letting you off easy today because you’re a new recruit!”
Kim Hwan-soo warned Do-jae.
As the leader, he was well aware of the unit’s circumstances and often overlooked such incidents, but this time, since skills were used, he imposed a penalty on Son Jeong-gyu to set an example.
As a warning.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
-“Enough. Let’s drop this topic. So, how was the test?”
Kim Hwan-soo’s question surprised Do-jae.
Why was he suddenly bringing up the test?
Do-jae looked at Kim Hwan-soo’s face to clarify what test he was referring to. Then, he recognized a familiar face.
“The test commander?”
-“How can you not remember the face of the test supervisor from just a short while ago?”
Indeed.
Kim Hwan-soo was the test commander from the Cheorwon test site where Do-jae had taken the exam.
‘Seriously, who remembers the face of the test supervisor?’
A face that was only visible for about 2 minutes during the entire test.
It was only natural that Do-jae didn’t immediately recognize him, considering he hadn’t seen him at all except for the announcement at the start.
It was impressive enough that he remembered Kim Hwan-soo’s face.
“Sorry. I was too nervous at the time….”
After that, Kim Hwan-soo explained about the unit.
There was no personal discussion, just information about the general subjugation situation and future plans.
-“Then you should introduce yourself to the unit members. Go ahead.”
“Yes, I will go now.”
With the brief meeting over.
With a mix of excitement and anticipation.
Do-jae left the unit leader’s barracks and headed towards the barracks where the unit members were stationed.
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