The Dark Mage’s Return to Enlistment

Chapter 13: Are you up for a promotion?

The platoon leader said it was nothing special, but the distance they had to spread sand was 2 km.

“What the hell! There’s a machine for spreading sand, right? Can’t we just use that? Why do we have to do it manually?”

During the work, a corporal spoke up with a bitter expression.

“It’s because it’s cheaper for us to do it manually than to use the machine. It sucks.”

“Is it true that we only get 10,000 won for night duty pay? I could earn more working at a convenience store.”

As this was not a training or real combat situation, the allowance given was very small.

“Spread more sand there! Be thorough in the corners too!”

“Yes, understood!”

Kim Cheol-min supervised rigorously, waving his small baton around.

Even the platoon leader was like this, so how much more powerful would a star-level general be?

They say a star-level general can move mountains with just one baton.

“Alright. The platoon leader is leaving now, so finish the job properly so we can go in. You guys can handle it, there are a lot of corporals here, right?”

“Yes, understood!”

“Look at them raising their voices. Don’t just slack off and let the privates do everything, you guys need to help them finish quickly.”

Kim Cheol-min left like a ghost as soon as it hit 9pm.

When the corporals saw that the platoon leader was gone, they sat down on the street.

“Hey, take a break for a bit. This is gonna take forever anyway.”

“Hey, Bidulgi (pigeon in Korean). Don’t rest, kid. You lost to the youngest one, didn’t you? Hey, are you even a corporal?”

“Coo, coo, coo, coo!”

In response to his peers’ comments, Kim Kwang-sik imitated a pigeon and began moving the sandbag with his mouth.

“Ugh….”

“Click….”

The soldiers who witnessed the scene suppressed their forced laughter.

“Wow, the youngest member moves so quickly.”

“Yeah, with this pace, we should finish soon.”

The work proceeded from then on.

Kim Min-jun showed an incredible work efficiency that caught the attention of his senior colleagues.

It was like a machine spreading sand.

“I’ll spread it all the way down to the bottom!”

And he went even further.

“That guy is good at both training and work.”

“He should just get promoted to sergeant.”

Kim Min-jun had already captured the hearts of the sergeants.

“What should we ask him to do next after the pigeons?”

When Kim Min-jun descended to the entrance of the base to spread sand, he smelled something familiar.

“It’s faint, but it’s a savory and fragrant smell….”

It’s ma-hyang (a type of Korean spice)!

Kim Min-jun lifted his head and found a place where ma-hyang was emanating.

“Here.”

It was a small tree that was dry and could fall down at any moment near the entrance of the base.

“To be exact, it seems to be inside the tree…”

How should I get it out? If I put my hand in too hastily, the tree might fall over.

“It should be okay. No one’s watching anyway.”

After confirming that no one was around, he reached his hand inside the tree. He felt something soft and wriggling. When he pulled it out, it was a caterpillar about the size of his palm.

“Wow. Do bugs in Gangwon Province also have magic power?”

Kim Min-joon quickly absorbed the magic power.

Ssshhhh—

“Good. Better than nothing.”

It wasn’t as significant as the Dark Hound he encountered at the Hunter Training Camp, but it was a decent amount of magic power.

“You have absorbed a certain amount of magic power.”

“Your magic power stat has increased by 1.”

“Oh? Nice.”

A system window appeared in front of him, and he couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected increase in his stats.

Certainly, the optimal environment for gathering magic power was upfront.

“If I slowly absorb the lost magic power, my physical abilities will also return.”

He was one of the Black Magicians who possessed a unique skill. Of course, he doesn’t have it anymore.

“But! I am not satisfied with this!”

Because he needed to quickly achieve his goal.

To do so, overwhelming stats are essential.

“Since I’m going to get stronger from the beginning, why not get stronger than when I was in this world?”

Kim Min-joon decided to use the training room every weekend.

“Since it feels good, I’ll spare you.”

Kim Min-joon released a wriggling caterpillar on his palm.

The caterpillar was a giant stag beetle larva that cost at least 8 million won, the minimum price.

“You all worked hard. Especially Kim Min-joon. You worked hard.”

The night shift didn’t end until 10 p.m.

It was a task that originally took more than two hours, but it was shortened thanks to Kim Min-joon’s efforts.

“Private Kim Min-joon! Thank you!”

“Hey, come with me. I’ll buy you a frozen one.”

“Thank you, I’ll gladly eat it!”

On the way back after finishing the task.

A senior in the same squad beckoned him closer.

He seemed to like Kim Min-joon.

Originally, privates and corporals were only allowed to use the PX on weekends.

Of course, exceptions are made when sergeants or corporals buy things for them.

“Ah, it’s good to train, work, and eat frozen food. King’s Chicken tastes so good!”

Was frozen food supposed to feel like this?

The quality was lower than what came out of the soldier’s cafeteria, but there was a strange addictive taste to it.

“Min-joon, looking at what you’re doing, if you had joined two years earlier, you would have been a sergeant by now. So come early next time.”

“Private Kim Min-joon! Two years ago, I was still a high school student!”

“Oh, right. Then you came at the right time. I have work to do now, so I’ll go. Just keep doing what you’re doing. The seniors are looking at you favorably.”

“Yes! I understand!”

After the senior told him to organize things, he left the room first.

“Okay. He’s doing well with image making.”

Although he would soon be promoted to sergeant or corporal anyway, first impressions are important.

“What a waste. If only the promotion exam system hadn’t changed, we could start from sergeant.”

What the senior had just mentioned was a regulation that allowed soldiers with excellent promotion exam scores to be promoted up to 2nd class.

Two years ago, it changed because an officer who was promoted from sergeant to staff sergeant due to an accident in the dungeon.

“Only up to one rank at a time.”

There are only two promotion exams per year.

That means you have to aim for special promotion by performing as well as possible.

“But wait, what was the criteria?”

Kim Min-joon finished his King’s Shernell chicken and headed to the dormitory.

“Private Lee Dong-jin, may I ask you a question? Are you free for a moment?”

“Sure. Ask away.”

“I heard that there is a regulation that allows for promotion based on excellent performance, other than the promotion exam. Can you tell me about the criteria for that?”

Lee Dong-jin blinked his eyes for a moment at the unexpected question.

“Oh, yeah. There is. Such as rescuing civilians in emergency situations or achieving results in dungeons of a certain scale… but it’s all subjective.”

In the end, it was up to the commander’s discretion.

“You should think that this regulation does not exist. There are hardly any hunters who have been promoted by this.”

“Thank you.”

It might have sounded like a ridiculous question, but Im Dong-jin explained in detail.

He was a very kind senior.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you as soon as you become a private.”

Thinking that way, a voice came from the opposite side.

“Oh, the youngest already has such thoughts…”

“Where did the pigeon go?”

“Co co!”

It was Private Kim Kwang-sik.

“Kim Kwang-sik, do you think it’s fun to receive special marksmanship training?”

“Sorry, Private Kim Kwang-sik!”

As if to scare him to speak, Sergeant Lee Seung-ho glared at him.

“If you do it again next time, you’ll get caught by me.”

“I understand!”

“Alright then, keep doing what you were doing.”

“Co co! Co co!”

After looking at him for a moment, Lee Seung-ho turned his gaze to the TV.

“Now, let’s start giving him some real work.”

Cleaning time was approaching soon.

Kim Min-jun opened his mouth towards Private Kim Kwang-sik.

“Private Kim Kwang-sik, you’ve imitated the pigeon enough. Now, start cleaning the dormitory. After you’re done, I’ll give you other tasks.”

“You really know how to be thrifty. Okay. Since I’m easy-going, go ahead and use me all you want. But if you get caught by me next time, I’ll make you work like crazy for 24 hours.”

Kim Kwang-sik said he’d see him at the next training and picked up a mop.

“Yes, I understand.”

Of course, there would never be such a situation, but he answered as if he understood.

“Private Kim Kwang-sik, you have to keep cleaning until not even a speck of dust comes out. Don’t the hunters also have to be careful of fine dust?”

“…The youngest is really kind. His consideration is not a joke.”

“Thank you.”

After playfully threatening Kim Min-joon, Kim Kwang-sik left the dormitory.

“Kim Min-joon.”

“Private Kim Min-joon!”

“I’ll take responsibility, so make him work without rest. Otherwise, you’ll be in trouble with me.”

Meanwhile, Lee Seung-ho had said that if he didn’t make Kim Kwang-sik work properly, he would get into trouble.

The words were “make him work without rest,” but the nuance sounded like “make him suffer.”

Kim Kwang-sik seemed to dislike the special marksmanship training he had received.

“A private being made to suffer by a sergeant.”

When would such an opportunity come again?

“Yes, I understand!”

Kim Min-joon replied energetically, feeling refreshed inside.

“But he should only suffer enough.”

If Kim Kwang-sik had been a malicious person, he would have made him suffer for 24 hours without a chance to catch his breath.

“Private Kim Kwang-sik, did you wash the rag properly?”

As soon as he brought the rag, Kim Min-joon asked seriously.

“Of course! I washed it properly. I’ve been doing this for years.”

He held out a rag as if it were purple and looked relaxed.

“Then I’ll check for a moment.”

Kim Min-jun took the rag and squeezed it with all his might so that it wouldn’t tear. Squish- Then, a single drop of water fell to the ground.

“Private Kim Kwang-sik? I’ll take a look since it’s the first time water has fallen from the rag. You can start cleaning as is.”

“Oh, I feel sorry for the successors when a private becomes a corporal.”

“I’m treating Private Kim Kwang-sik specially.”

At those words, Kim Kwang-sik put on a sullen expression

. “…Hey, you there? Have I ever harassed you?”

“No, you haven’t.”

“But why are you like that to me?”

“Because I don’t like the sound of you imitating a pigeon.”

“Well, I can’t say anything to that.”

Kim Kwang-sik started cleaning while imitating a pigeon.

“Koo! Kukoo!”

Other privates tried hard to hold back their laughter and stared straight ahead.

“I feel a little sorry for tormenting him for 24 hours, so let’s torment him a little more. He’s also an interesting guy.”

Kim Min-jun decided to torment Kim Kwang-sik only to a certain extent.

“This private can’t even use the arcade and will be miserable. I have to do this much to enjoy life.”

In fact, it was a problem with the unit itself that was absurdly ongoing.

Kim Gwang-sik was an unlucky case for him.

“Oh. I’ll sleep well today. It’s more fun than I thought.”

**

1 a.m.

Except for Kim Min-joon and Kim Gwang-sik, the hunters had fallen into a deep sleep.

“Corporal Kim Gwang-sik, we’re done for now. Now that the barracks are clean, you can go to bed.”

At that, Kim Gwang-sik threw the mop.

Kim Min-joon caught the flying mop lightly.

“Hey, rookie. Squeeze the mop a little. Actually, I thought I was going to die from being sleepy since earlier.”

Kim Gwang-sik yawned repeatedly and threw himself onto the bed.