“Uraaachachachachaaaaaa!”
“What, what is it! What’s happening all of a sudden!”
“F-rank… F-rank’s gone wild!”
Park Jinsung’s arms spun at an unbelievably rapid pace. His body, honed since childhood, combined with the relentless training under Sergeant Ahn Sungho, was now in overdrive.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
Digging, shoveling, and scooping. Around where Park Jinsung was digging, the dirt piled up in heaps.
His blood boiled, veins popped, and his meticulously trained muscles danced.
“Uryaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Every time Park Jinsung let out a roar, his speed increased even more.
He was truly an ace, truly the best soldier.
“Insane… he’s already finished one…”
“Way to go! Our F-rank! No! Today, you’re SSS!”
The morale of his fellow 3rd squad members also skyrocketed. Park Jinsung’s rampage poured fuel on the fiery spirits of the 3rd squad members.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The combat shovels moved as if they refused to lose to someone of F-rank.
Even Kim Seyeon, in her excitement, couldn’t hide her delight.
“You think you’re going to be pushed around by a trainee like him?! Huh?! 3rd squad! Answer me! Answer!!”
“Woooooo! We’re ten strong! We can’t lose!!”
“Are the privates going to be pushed by someone without even a rank? 3rd Squaaaaaaaaaad!”
A scene of fervor unfolded.
Only the 3rd squad was on the brink of completing their task. In stark contrast, other squads were dropping from the heat, exhausted.
Woooooooooo!!
“Huff!”
It was almost simultaneous: Park Jinsung completing the third hole and the rest of the 3rd squad finishing their second.
Drenched in sweat, Park Jinsung slowly approached Kim Seyeon. Not only the members of the 3rd squad but also those from other squads held their breath, watching the scene unfold.
“Whew… Corporal…”
“Mm. trainee.”
“Victory, mission accomplished.”
“Yes. Victory.”
A quiet yet formal salute.
“Wooooooooooooooo!!!”
“F-rank did it! Our 3rd squad did it!”
“We get to rest first!”
What was merely a tedious task of digging holes transformed in an instant into a bonding experience of camaraderie.
In that moment, the entire 3rd squad felt gratitude and awe towards Park Jinsung. Even Byun Kiyoung let out a sigh of relief, setting down his combat shovel.
The direct sunlight remained brutally hot, and the other squads still hadn’t completed their holes.
The speechless platoon leader hesitantly approached the 3rd squad.
“Uh, um. 3rd squad, good job.”
As a platoon leader, he genuinely didn’t expect them to complete all five holes. Considering the students’ physical capabilities, he thought they’d struggle more.
This time, even the platoon leader admired Park Jinsung, though there was a tinge of envy in his eyes.
“Jinsung, your stamina is commendable. Though the rest about you still leaves much to be desired.”
“Thank you. I’m trying my best not to get expelled.”
They had to transfer Park Jinsung soon, but something kept going awry. Being under Kim Seyeon, his overall grades oddly kept rising.
“Sir, can we go rest now?”
“Address me as platoon leader, trainee Park Jinsung. And let me just ask one thing.”
“Your way of speaking has become quite military-like too, ah, yes. You can ask two, three questions if you’d like, sir.”
“Why do you think you’re toiling so hard under the scorching sun like this?”
“Um… because there’s nothing else to do?”
“Hahaha! That’s why you’re on thin ice.”
The platoon leader feigned joviality, but internally, he was contemplating how to get one over on Park Jinsung.
“I will answer that question as the vice squad leader of the 3rd squad, sir.”
“Oh, you? Ahem. Alright, Seyeon, what do you think the reason is?”
Kim Seyeon, sensing the mood, stepped forward to confront the platoon leader. She was well aware that the platoon leader was wary of her.
Even if he was an F-rank two-time champion, he was still a valued member of the 3rd squad. She had no intention of letting him be swayed by the petty politics of the platoon leader.
“Humph. Moreover, you still don’t fully know his identity.”
“Seyeon? Ahem. Corporal Kim Seyeon?”
“By sharing hard tasks, we boost the morale of squad members, and by creating a competitive structure between squads, we can foster superior trench-building skills. Thus, trench construction can be a very effective training.”
What a load of crap.
Even after saying it, Kim Seyeon felt disgusted.
It was a complete waste of time.
The only purpose of this backbreaking digging seemed to be tormenting the students.
Digging with entrenching tools, if anything, would reduce their combat effectiveness due to fatigue.
“Perfect…”
Yet, the platoon leader looked utterly impressed. He felt that if only Kim Seyeon remained under his command, he could be promoted to great heights.
“Sir, I’ve provided my answer. May we rest now?”
“That was a perfect answer, Corporal Kim Seyeon. However…”
However, the fact that Kim Seyeon was exceptional and the fact that Park Jinsung was an eyesore were two separate matters.
The platoon leader never intended to let the 3rd squad off easily from the start.
“There’s one more task left. When leaving a trench, it’s crucial to erase any trace of it. It’s about concealing the shape of the trenches we’ve used.”
“We’re aware of that. But I believe we’re allowed to use Edeyas for that.”
Kim Seyeon boldly interrupted the platoon leader.
“Uh, what?”
“If we’re going to demolish the trench and move on, it’s better to deal with it quickly. By the time we’ve finished the trench construction, the enemy would roughly know our position anyway. In most cases, there’s no need to hide. 3rd squad, assemble!”
Kim Seyeon’s rapid-fire argument caught the platoon leader in a brief panic.
‘Wow, she truly is a monster.’
A high school girl verbally handling a grown adult.
Park Jinsung looked at the confidently speaking Kim Seyeon and whistled in admiration.
That was some impressive negotiation. They almost ended up filling those damned holes with just entrenching tools again.
“Let’s go, 3rd squad! Before we rest, we’ll use our ‘Edeya’ to fill the holes! Trainee, you too! Now begins another battle, the start of the second act.”
“Huh? What battle are you talking about?”
Kim Seyeon smiled as she locked eyes with Park Jinsung.
“3rd squad, it’s a battle! Are we going to be pushed around by an F-rank trainee?!”
“No, squad leader. What are you suggesting we do now?”
“We won’t lose if we use our ‘Edeya’!”
“I’ll show you why you’re still a trainee, rookie.”
The members of the 3rd squad, regardless of gender, shouted loudly, their spirits burning brighter than ever, instead of feeling tired.
“Vice squad leader, can I step out for a bit? Honestly, I’m not really needed if we’re using Edeyas.”
“Let’s go, 3rd squad! Let’s go, trainee!”
“Are you… listening?”
“Trainee? You can’t rest.”
Kim Seyeon took out a bottle of cold water from her biscuit pocket. Judging by the frosty appearance, it was undoubtedly sacred ice-cold water.
“Is that… water…? Am I really looking at cold water right now? Where did you get that?!”
“Go… trainee…”
“Please, just one sip.”
“Heh. Once all the holes are filled, I’ll graciously allow you to drink second. Naturally, I’m first.”
The art of taming a person.
Sadly, it’s not so different from animals. Push and pull with what the subject desires.
The moment they are pushed and pull back even a little, it’s over.
“Gulp, gulp, gulp. Ah, refreshing. I wonder who will be the second to drink?”
The owner of the water drank it refreshingly, making any water commercial look pale in comparison.
“Victory.”
A now wild-eyed Park Jinsung softly chanted the salute.
“Ahhhhhh! The F-rank goes wild again!”
“He’s become a beast since he went into the HT program!”
This is the story of a man who would someday… become a legend in trench construction.
In just a few months, he would display unparalleled expertise.
“Yahhhhhhhhhh! The second person to drink is me!!”
“Pfft, hahahaha!”
Kim Seyeon, having successfully tamed a soon-to-be legend, burst into laughter.
* * *
Haeun High Special Training Battalion.
Where victory is the top priority, the salute is “Victory.” The victory here refers to overcoming all situations, including enemies.
It’s a system akin to playing soldier, but what can you do? If you don’t like it, the only option is to transfer to a regular school.
Nevertheless, the battalion soldiers could choose one of two paths for victory.
One is the Combat Unit.
Its goal is to contribute to national defense by specializing the Edeya for expert combat.
The other is the Medical Unit, specialized in rescuing lives from various disasters.
The Medical Unit was assigned to classes 7 and 8 for each grade. This means there are two squads for each company.
The reason for the division, like humanities and sciences in schools, was largely to let the students set their own futures.
While not sure about the statistical data supporting vocalization, the number of Edeyas skilled in medical aid was relatively lower than those skilled in combat.
In reality, combat-centric Edeyas can also be used for medical aid, and vice versa.
Ultimately, how the Edeya is used makes the difference. However, human society wasn’t so accommodating.
By distinguishing the methods of use, competition was stimulated, promoting somewhat forced growth.
Organizing these capabilities for visibility held great advantages in relational aspects. This applied to states, organizations, or individuals alike.
Currently, these advantages were being fully realized. It succeeded in making the students appear excellent.
Haeun Battalion had always been adept at distinguishing students since its time as Haeun High School.
By dividing them into Combat and Medical Units, they identified the outstanding students.
They then set these students against each other to foster competition.
Afterward, through combined lessons of combat and medical training, they further filtered the students.
This cycle of endless tests kept pushing the students to their limits.
Those students who fell behind were never given any attention.
Even when the main theme was the soul, this system was so mechanical and dehumanizing. Perhaps it’s a miracle that a rank like “sergeant” even exists in such a system.
An unsolvable mystery of South Korea.
A miracle born out of rot.
Of course, the battalion leaders believed this system to be superb.
Especially the implementation of “playing soldier” reinforced their belief, even if they weren’t aware of the true intentions of the military ritual’s initiator.
And, inevitably, today.
The day for combined lessons with the Medical Unit had arrived for the 10th platoon of the 2nd company.
“Vice squad leader, where are we heading right now?”
“I’m not sure either.”
There was no officer currently leading the 10th platoon.
They had merely received instructions to head to the assembly point. They were told the Medical Unit would be there.
This was the true charm of combined lessons.
The squad leaders need to move efficiently among themselves. The 10th platoon leader is hiding and observing and evaluating the students.
“Hmm, but why is the gathering point outside the battalion?”
“I told you, I don’t really know.”
Park Jinsung and Kim Seyeon simply followed the person in front of them without questioning.
The students were lined up according to rank, with Park Jinsung at the very back of the squad. The squad leader led from the very front, while the vice-squad leader took the rear.
As civilians came into view, the students squared their shoulders. They synchronized their steps and adjusted their berets without a reason.
“1st Squad, halt!”
“2nd Squad, halt!”
“Damn it. Halt.”
“4th Squad, halt!”
They passed the battalion’s perimeter and arrived at a bank in the middle of the street. The building was so overwhelmingly tall that it was hard to guess how many floors it had. Its clean facade made it look like a giant mirror.
In front of the bank’s entrance, students in school uniforms were waiting for the members of the 10th Platoon.
“They’re here.”
“Look over there! It’s Kim Seyeon.”
“Wow, they’re really wearing combat uniforms.”
The students openly admired the squad members, looking at them as if they were animals trapped in a cage.
Unable to contain his anger, Byun Kiyoung growled softly.
“Hey… who are you guys?”
“Hey, forget him. Can you get Kim Seyeon to come out? Wow. She’s so pale and pretty. Is that skin texture even real?”
“Kim Seyeon is our vice-squad leader. If you have any business, talk to me.”
“Wow, incredible. Is this the rank system we’ve only heard of? The imitation of soldiers is amazing.”
The students weren’t intimidated by Byun Kiyoung at all. They treated them as if they were a lower group who were hobbyists cosplaying as soldiers.
“I’m the 3rd Squad Leader of the 10th Platoon in the 2nd Company of Haeun Battalion. I’ll ask one last time, who are you?”
“We? To a soldier’s eyes, what do we look like?”
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