Chapter 77: The Tenth Trial （8）
The words of a mere soldier.
The 1st Company Commander stared intently at Kim Chun-sik.
He glanced at his chest and saw Kim Chun-sik’s name written there.
‘Was this guy the soldier from the Link incident?’
He had heard the rumors.
When the Link occurred, a soldier searching the surrounding area saved people against dozens of monsters. It was something the media had briefly covered, so he remembered it clearly. Especially since the Battalion Commander praised the 2nd Company Commander for that incident, lamenting why he didn’t have such a soldier under his own command.
He saw Kim Chun-sik in a new light.
At first, he judged it reckless, but considering his past actions, he thought it might not be.
‘He has a point. In this race against time, even if the main unit arrives, they might not be able to find the way properly due to the full moon’s effect, which will inevitably delay the rescue. If he perfectly fulfills the role of a scout and rescues the Ranger unit, the credit will go to our 1st Company. Although it’s a form of dispatch, it’s the commander who listened to the soldier’s words and made the decision. The problem is that this is really dangerous…’
There are many types of soldiers.
Those truly dedicated to their country, or those sensitive to promotions.
The 1st Company Commander was the latter.
The problem was that if he sent Kim Chun-sik and he died, the 1st Company Commander would have to take responsibility.
The 1st Company Commander asked,
“Are you really sure? If you fail the mission, we might end up in a worse situation than if we hadn’t tried at all. Instead of the primary mission of rescuing the Ranger unit, we’ll face the complex problem of rescuing ‘you’ as well.”
“I’m confident.”
“Really?”
Even if he had a desire for promotion,
The 1st Company Commander was not reckless.
The 1st Company Commander called a non-commissioned officer.
“Provide Sergeant Kim Chun-sik with full equipment, including an action cam, right now. Since he’s taking on the role of a scout and entering a dangerous situation, we need to provide him with as much support as possible. Give him explosives that aren’t issued to regular soldiers.”
“Yes, sir.”
They made thorough preparations.
The preparation time was short.
As time was of the essence, it ended quickly, and the 1st Company Commander held onto Kim Chun-sik and said,
“Remember, the top priority of this mission is not to find the Ranger unit, but your safety. If you judge that there’s even the slightest problem, run away immediately. We’ll be checking your situation in real-time through the action cam, so don’t overdo it, okay?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Chun-sik’s eyes gleamed sharply.
Did the 1st Company Commander know?
From the moment he received the mission,
Whether he returned with Kang San or died with him, he would never return alone.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Before departure,
There was a slight incident.
Several people, including Sergeant Park, said they would go with him, but he persuaded them that he would go alone for mobility, as it was a dangerous mission. From the beginning, the odds weren’t high if they encountered monsters. C-rank Werewolves were like a disaster to the soldiers, so the best-case scenario was to avoid them and find the Ranger unit.
The forest as darkness fell.
He stepped into the space distorted by the full moon.
Even the sound of the grass brushing against his pants could be heard acutely, as the surroundings were silent, without even the sound of insects.
Swish.
Swish, swish.
He increased his speed.
More important than safety was Kang San’s life or death.
Kim Chun-sik firmly shouldered his rifle and scanned his surroundings with bloodshot eyes.
『Sergeant Kim Chun-sik, slow down.』
In his earphone,
The 1st Company Commander’s voice was heard, but he ignored it.
The path Kim Chun-sik was taking was being ‘datafied’ and transmitted to the 1st Company, and if he could just find Kang San, the main unit would not get lost. At least within 10 minutes, he had to find the Ranger unit.
How long had he been moving?
Suddenly, the bushes rustled.
Rustle━
Kyaak!
It was a Werewolf.
Kim Chun-sik’s reaction was immediate.
B*ng!
Tatatatatatang!
His gun spat fire.
The reinforced bullets dug into the Werewolf’s flesh, but such an attack couldn’t bring down a C-rank Werewolf. Kim Chun-sik wasn’t flustered in the slightest. He had expected this from the beginning. He grabbed something from his waist and tossed it into the air.
Kwang!
Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrr!
It was a bomb.
As the bomb exploded, Kim Chun-sik momentarily wrapped himself in the specially provided protective coat.
Thump━
Thud!
Nevertheless, he rolled on the ground from the impact.
He immediately raised his head.
The Werewolf was not in sight.
The smell of blood filled the air, and the sensor Kim Chun-sik was wearing warned him of the Werewolf’s approach.
Beep.
Beep━!
A signal indicating heat detection.
He threw himself to the ground without hesitation.
Whoosh.
Wheek━!
B*ng, tatatatatang!
The Werewolf brushed past him.
Kim Chun-sik fired his gun madly in that direction and quickly widened the distance after using the Haste scroll provided by the 1st Company Commander. He was desperately out of breath. He had to risk his life against just one Werewolf, and even though he seemed to have been hit by at least a dozen bullets, he could still hear the Werewolf’s rough breathing.
Tadatadak.
This time, he didn’t dodge.
He swallowed hard.
If he couldn’t inflict a shock with firearm damage, he needed a really powerful b*ow.
Thud.
Roll.
He rolled something on the ground.
And then he closed his eyes.
Flash!
It was a flashbang.
As the Werewolf screamed at the sudden loss of vision, Kim Chun-sik threw three specially provided bombs and retreated. He didn’t wait for the bombs to explode. When the bombs reached the Werewolf’s head, Kim Chun-sik’s gun emitted an intense flash and fired bullets.
Tatatang━!
Kwang!
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwang!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
With the powerful explosion occurring near its head, even the C-rank Werewolf couldn’t withstand the damage this time. Special weapons that ordinary soldiers couldn’t use. The 1st Company Commander’s consideration had paid off. Of course, if Kim Chun-sik hadn’t possessed the physical abilities of a Hunter, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve this result.
“Huff, huff.”
Only then did Kim Chun-sik exhale a rough breath.
As he walked over to check, he saw a corpse whose head was unrecognizably mangled.
Kim Chun-sik spoke to those who would be watching this situation.
“I’ve eliminated one Werewolf. I’ll continue the mission.”
There was no time to catch his breath.
As he left the corpse behind and moved on, the 1st Company Commander’s voice came through his earphone.
『…You, the rumors were true?』
The soldier who single-handedly faced dozens of monsters.
The slightly trembling voice acknowledged Kim Chun-sik’s ability.
✦✦✦✦✦✦
Perhaps it was because his desperation reached the heavens.
He found the Ranger unit.
Perhaps due to the full moon’s effect, no sound could be heard, but as he pushed through the bushes, he witnessed the Ranger unit engaged in a fierce battle with a pack of Werewolves.
“I found them.”
『Good work! Now come back. Your mission ends there……….』
That’s when it happened.
Kang San stumbled.
Seeing him drenched in blood and on the verge of being attacked by a Werewolf, Kim Chun-sik ignored the voice piercing his ears and immediately dashed out. There was no time for rational judgment. Regardless of whether his own abilities were extraordinary or not, the thought of saving Kang San took precedence.
The incident in the dungeon.
His grandmother’s medical expenses.
Even if he were to die here, Kang San was a person worth that much.
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
Thud.
He pulled out a bundle of bombs.
Immediately throwing it, Kim Chun-sik fired his gun like a madman.
“Everyone, get down!”
B*ng!
Tatatatatatatatang!
Kwang, kwakwakwakwakwakwang!
A tremendous explosion erupted.
With simultaneous chain explosions, a massive shockwave swept the surroundings as if a wide-range magic spell had been cast. However, the situation wasn’t as dramatic as he had anticipated. When he dealt with a single Werewolf, it was a single target, and he concentrated all his firepower on its head. But in a situation like this, with so many of them swarming, human weapons didn’t yield the desired results.
Growl.
Not a single one died.
A few were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain, but their writhing suggested they still had the strength to get back up.
A thick cloud of dust rose.
Red eyes glared at Kim Chun-sik.
Just one moment of aggro.
That was the end.
Clack!
Screech!
Woof woof woof woof!
“D*mn it.”
The Werewolves lunged at him ferociously.
Kim Chun-sik turned and ran.
Having bought Kang San a moment to escape, all he could do now was flee at full speed. His breath came in ragged gasps. He could hear the beast’s howls right behind him, and the stench of their foul mouths felt like they were about to devour him. This time, he couldn’t even turn around to fire his gun. Knowing that he would be done for the moment he was caught, as there weren’t just one or two of them.
Whoosh!
C*ack.
“Argh.”
He tumbled to the ground.
He had been caught.
His arm was torn off. Kim Chun-sik, scrambling to his feet, threw another flashbang.
Flash!
Thud━!
Something slammed into him.
According to his plan, he should have detonated the flashbang and created some distance, but a Werewolf leaped at him, causing them to tangle and roll on the ground. Gritting his teeth, Kim Chun-sik stabbed the Werewolf’s limbs with his dagger. The Werewolf, blinded, screamed in pain, and Kim Chun-sik tried to shake it off and escape.
But it was too late.
He was completely surrounded.
His tail was grabbed, and he realized it was too late to run.
Growl.
Grrrrrrrrrr.
Monsters dripping saliva.
Kim Chun-sik swallowed dryly.
Fear crept in, but he didn’t regret his actions in the slightest.
‘If my actions increased the chances of Kang San-nim’s survival, even by a little, then my death isn’t meaningless at all.’
He would probably be declared killed in the line of duty.
His grandmother would be sad, but that safety net gave him some peace of mind.
Click.
He quickly reloaded his gun.
“Come on, you f*cking b*stards.”
The moment he aimed his gun at the Werewolves with a fierce glint in his eyes, the monsters charged at him.
That’s when it happened.
Tatatatang!
Tatatatatatatatatatatang!
Behind Kim Chun-sik.
Bullets of tremendous firepower were unleashed.
Confused, Kim Chun-sik turned his head to see the 1st Company Commander looking at him with an exasperated expression.
“You, you crazy b*stard. Get back. We’ll take over from here.”
✦✦✦✦✦✦
A moment ago,
Kang San thought he saw a familiar face.
Thanks to the soldier who suddenly appeared and threw the bombs, he had gained a brief moment to catch his breath.
‘Have reinforcements arrived?’
It couldn’t be the main unit.
Since the other person was a soldier, it meant that they still needed time, but the hope that had been fading was revived.
Kim Myeong-min shouted,
“Reinforcements have found our location! The main unit will arrive soon, so hold on somehow!”
Grit.
He clenched his teeth.
The tenth trial.
It was a difficulty that Kang San couldn’t handle, but he had endured this far, and he couldn’t die here.
B*ng━!
He blocked the attack.
Now, even the attacks of ordinary Werewolves made his stomach churn, and he was being pushed back helplessly, unable to hold his ground. He was at his limit. The physical enhancement magic he had used with scrolls had also run out, and his limp body had long since lost control. He didn’t even remember how he had endured from that point on. Amidst the tangled red lines, he simply blocked and dodged whatever he could see.
His entire body was covered in blood.
The world spun, and his consciousness gradually faded.
Yet,
‘I won’t die.’
He didn’t collapse.
He didn’t give up.
As a Werewolf lunged at him, seemingly finding an opening, he let it pass and t*rust his sword under its c*in.
Stab.
Grrrrrr.
『The effect of Blood Demon Art has been activated.』
『Attack power temporarily increased by 42%.』
He raised his head.
Far away,
He wanted to prove to Luca Bellino, who would be watching him, that he hadn’t been broken.
That was when it happened.
Flash.
Kwarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
A beam of light descended from the sky.
The Werewolves’ bodies were torn apart in an instant, and a man with flowing white hair appeared amidst the light.
“Is everyone alright?”
Finally,
The main unit had arrived.
