Blood Demon of the Past Life – Chapter 74

Chapter 74: The Tenth Trial （5）

The 2nd Company Commander’s face contorted.

Kim Chun-sik’s words.

He had crossed the line.

There was no mention of accepting volunteers for this mission, yet Kim Chun-sik, a mere soldier, dared to make the mistake of approaching the commander first. This was an absolute impossibility in the military, which operates under a strict hierarchy. No matter how favorably he viewed Kim Chun-sik, he could not make an exception.

“You, do you know what mistake you’ve made?”

“……I do.”

“The military operates under a strict hierarchy. We received orders from higher-ups, and accordingly, the 1st Company will serve as scouts, while the 2nd and 3rd Companies will prepare for the Outbreak. Do you think it’s possible to send just one soldier to join the 1st Company? Sergeant Kim Chun-sik!”

“Sergeant Kim Chun-sik!”

“This is too much. Even if you made a contribution last time, you should know your place, shouldn’t you?”

Kim Chun-sik closed his mouth.

He knew.

Kim Chun-sik wasn’t naive enough not to know how the military worked.

But he had to come anyway.

From the moment he confirmed the name Kang San, he had no other choice.

“Immediately join the company troops and…… You bastard!”

Thud.

He suddenly knelt.

As the 2nd Company Commander’s eyes widened, Kim Chun-sik bowed his head and spoke in an earnest voice.

“I know that I have made a mistake that goes against my duty as a soldier. But I am a person before I am a soldier. Among the Rangers who are in a dangerous situation right now, there is a benefactor who saved my life. If it weren’t for him, neither I nor my grandmother would be alive today. How can I just stand by when he’s in danger? I’m not asking you to make the impossible possible. If there’s any possibility that volunteers might be accepted, please, I beg you, send me to the operation area.”

It was heartfelt.

Listening to his desperate voice, the 2nd Company Commander showed a complicated expression.

After the last incident.

He had vaguely heard Kim Chun-sik’s story.

The reason Kim Chun-sik could make such a sacrifice stemmed from the immense goodwill that had helped him.

“……You’re a real pain in the ass.”

He chewed on his lips.

For a soldier, a long and uneventful life was the ideal.

Kim Chun-sik was like an uncontrollable variable as a commander, but he couldn’t ignore the sincerity of his heart.

He too.

Was human.

After much contemplation, the 2nd Company Commander spoke.

“Wait. I’ll find a way.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

The 2nd Company troops were assembled.

The 2nd Company Commander spoke to the soldiers looking at him.

“……This is the situation. As you know, this is a personal matter, and entering beyond the Gate is obviously more dangerous than preparing for the Outbreak outside. If we must proceed despite this, we have only one option. To send some troops to the 1st Company in the form of a dispatch. To meet that condition, Sergeant Kim Chun-sik alone will not be enough.”

It was the best he could do.

Sending only Kim Chun-sik was problematic, but if he bundled a few and sent them as a dispatch, it would appear plausible on the surface.

Therefore.

“I’m warning you in advance. Those who volunteer for this mission will be in great danger. If there’s anyone who wants to join Sergeant Kim Chun-sik in the 1st Company knowing this, raise your hand.”

He gave them a choice.

It was forcing a sacrifice.

The 2nd Company Commander had no intention of forcing the soldiers, so if no one volunteered, Kim Chun-sik would have no choice but to give up. He wasn’t cruel enough to sacrifice his colleagues. He was just reckless out of gratitude to his benefactor, but he wouldn’t drag his colleagues into a dangerous situation.

That’s when it happened.

“I’ll go.”

Among the lined-up troops.

One soldier suddenly raised his hand.

It was Sergeant Park.

He, who had been on a buddy team with Kim Chun-sik, volunteered for this absurd mission.

Flustered, Kim Chun-sik said.

“Company Commander-nim. I think I made a wrong judgment. Let’s just forget about this…….”

“No, now that a soldier has volunteered, this cannot be undone. That makes two. If eight more come forward, I will approve this dispatch.”

This time.

Kim Chun-sik didn’t want others to sacrifice themselves.

He was able to speak boldly because it was his own life. No matter how much he signaled Sergeant Park to back down, he just smiled and didn’t react at all. And he was the start. After the buddy team incident, there were soldiers who followed Kim Chun-sik, led by Sergeant Park, and they raised their hands one by one.

“I’ll go too.”

“I volunteer as well.”

Ten people were quickly filled.

It was a done deal .

If this was the soldiers’ will, the 2nd Company Commander had no intention of dampening their spirits.

“Kim Chun-sik and 9 others. From this moment on, you will be dispatched to the 1st Company and carry out the mission as scouts.”

✦✦✦✦✦✦

In the military, orders were absolute.

Following the 2nd Company Commander’s order, the dispatch was decided, and on the way to the 1st Company, Kim Chun-sik spoke reproachfully.

“Why on earth did you do that? As the Company Commander-nim said, this mission is dangerous. If it’s a problem that’s dangerous even for the Ranger unit, it wouldn’t be strange for us soldiers to die at any moment. Do you even have the confidence to handle a single Werewolf? You don’t!”

“So what?”

“What?”

“That’s the same for you or us, isn’t it? But you said you’d go. We’re just following your lead.”

Sergeant Park grinned. Although they were of the same rank due to the special promotion, they had decided to become like brothers after that incident.

Despite Kim Chun-sik’s angry face, none of the soldiers who followed, including Sergeant Park, wavered.

“We know as much as you do. How dangerous this mission is. But from what I heard, the person you consider your benefactor is in there. You’re the kind of person who would risk your life to save him, how can we ignore that? You have no right to stop us because it’s dangerous. When I broke rank to save my family, you followed me. Like then, I’m just following you.”

“You really……!”

“That’s right, hyeong. We’re not kids, we know it’s dangerous and we volunteered. And honestly, I want to meet this Kang San person in person. I mean, what kind of person risks his life for a complete stranger? Just the fact that he’s in the Ranger unit means he’s not an ordinary person, right?”

“That’s true. But you said he was an F-rank human shield, how did he get into the Ranger unit?”

“Chun-sik-hyeong said he’s skilled. There must be something special about him.”

The soldiers chattered noisily.

Kim Chun-sik was speechless at their appearance, devoid of tension, or rather, trying to appear calm on purpose.

He didn’t know.

This situation.

How to react.

After a long silence, Kim Chun-sik spoke in a voice suppressing his emotions.

“……Thank you so much.”

Just then, the 1st Company came into view.

There was no turning back now.

Kim Chun-sik earnestly prayed in his heart that this choice would end as a heartwarming memory.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

10 minutes.

The minimum time required for the main base to realize that a problem has occurred during the mandatory communication.

It’s a very short time in everyday life.

But not long after Kim Myeong-min announced the 10 minutes, a crisis that felt like an eternity struck.

Woof woof woof!

Grrrrrrr.

Beyond the darkness.

Gleaming eyes appeared through the darkness.

It was a pack of Werewolves.

They followed the scent of blood relentlessly and attacked the Ranger unit without giving them time to recover properly.

“Block them━!”

“Guardian Shield.”

Kang Gi-dong was at the forefront.

Sub-Tanker Kang Gi-dong and Kang San took the front, and Kim Myeong-min backed them up, blocking the incoming enemies. A fierce clash occurred from the start. Kang Gi-dong, using Guardian Shield, endured the Werewolves’ attacks from all directions, getting torn and bloodied, feeling an unbearable pressure.

But.

‘I have to endure.’

He gritted his teeth.

Until the rescue team arrives.

Or at least until Ju Seok-hun regains consciousness.

They needed time.

While Kang Gi-dong desperately held them off, Yoon Ji-tae finished casting the magic he had prepared in advance.

“Thunder Cannon.”

Crackle.

Boom!

A powerful electric current swept through the Werewolves.

It was 5th Circle magic that even C-rank monsters couldn’t withstand, proving in a single spell why B-rank mages were so highly regarded. The Werewolves fell one after another. Sparks bounced off the ground, and some Werewolves were frightened and couldn’t advance.

Then.

Awoooooo━!

A howl was heard from afar.

The Werewolves’ eyes turned red, and they began to charge again, stepping on the corpses of their comrades.

“Damn it.”

Kim Myeong-min brutally cut down an enemy.

There were too many.

He could see more than a dozen in his field of vision, and the thought that there might be a Lord beyond them made him feel faint. Could they really hold on? The mandatory communication hadn’t even taken place yet, so the main base wouldn’t know that a problem had occurred here. Once they realize the problem, it would take time to organize troops and send a rescue team, but they had faced a crisis too early.

Kyaak━!

He dodged an incoming attack.

Stabbing his sword into the opponent’s heart, Kim Myeong-min shouted.

“Hold on somehow! If we retreat any further, we’re doomed! Dance of Blades!”

Papapapat.

Blood splattered around Kim Myeong-min.

He cut down the Werewolf charging at him, then tore open the chest of the Werewolf behind it, and in an instant, he dug into the space where the enemies were gathered and indiscriminately slashed at them. Even for a B-rank Hunter, a Werewolf under the influence of the full moon was a formidable opponent, but Kim Myeong-min showed an overwhelming presence.

Berserker Kim Myeong-min.

Contrary to his neat appearance, he was called the warrior of frenzy , and he proved how he earned that reputation.

His performance was needed now.

Even one more.

As many as possible.

He had to take them down.

Only by lightening the burden on his teammates could they increase their chances of surviving this absurd situation.

Beep.

Beep beep.

A signal sounded.

It meant it was time for the mandatory communication.

They had finally endured for 10 minutes.

From now on, the true golden time began, with no knowing when the rescue team would arrive.

But at that moment.

“Kuaaaagh━!”

A piercing scream was heard.

The Lord that had entered the battlefield.

Kim Myeong-min saw Kang Gi-dong collapse, spraying blood, from the monster’s attack.

✦✦✦✦✦✦

It had only been 10 minutes.

They had to hold on for at least 40 minutes, and this was too fast, way too fast.

Watching Kang Gi-dong collapse, Kim Myeong-min instinctively knew that they couldn’t endure for another 30 minutes.

It was over.

They wouldn’t be able to hold on.

They would struggle, but they wouldn’t make it out alive.

Crack.

His thoughts changed.

If he was going to die like this, he decided he would burn his body and slaughter as many of these monsters as possible.

At that moment.

“Maintain your positions!”

Someone’s voice.

It was Kang San.

Kang San blocked the Werewolf trying to get past Kang Gi-dong and shouted furiously.

Kang San knew too.

How disadvantageous the situation was.

His heart pounded, but strangely, Kang San’s eyes were calmly focused.

“Don’t break formation. We must not react emotionally at a time like this.”

There was no main Tanker.

And no Sub-Tanker.

If they didn’t have teeth, they had to use their gums.

Kang San adjusted his shield.

“I’ll try to hold them off. So, don’t give up until the very end.”

He took a deep breath.

Why?

The pounding of his heart suddenly calmed down.