Chapter 48: Hunter Tactical Training—2

"Is this Hunter ATT training or a forced march?"

"Exactly. Why’d they build the training grounds so far away?"

Members of the Third Company, moving in formation outside the base, frowned.

The distance to the training area was about 50 kilometers. Since they had to travel on foot, it was naturally perceived as a forced march by the soldiers. On top of that, they were carrying firearms and training magazines that they didn't usually equip. Furthermore, they had to wear heavy training suits and carry weapons for each of their respective classes.

The equipment was hanging all over them alongside their military packs. They had to live with this gear attached to their bodies for four nights and five days, which was enough to make anyone dizzy.

'Monsters or enemies might attack while we're moving to the base...'

Meanwhile, Kim Hyeon-jun was recalling memories from before his regression.

'Back then, the enemy attacked right as we were arriving at the defensive point.'

He couldn't remember the exact distance. He only remembered they suffered damage from an ambush just as the soldiers' tension began to slacken. It would be helpful to let them know in advance. The problem was how to convey this to the company commander...

'As expected, archers are the best for detecting enemies.'

A person immediately came to mind.

"Tell Jeong Ye-na to keep a close eye on the flank. Tell her I sent the message... The direction would be northwest from where I'm looking."

"Yes! Understood!"

Since he told the soldier in front of him, the message would be delivered soon. This was the moment when First Class Private Jeong Ye-na, who possessed the Hawk Eye trait, became incredibly reliable.

"Keep an eye on the northwest? Why? Does he think an enemy is coming? We haven't even been moving for that long."

"Corporal Kim Hyeon-jun told me to relay the message."

"What am I, a pair of binoculars? Fine, I get it."

Once the words were delivered, First Class Private Jeong Ye-na glanced at Kim Hyeon-jun with a pout. Instead of answering, Kim Hyeon-jun gave her a gesture of request.

"Everyone, stay alert. We don't know when the enemy might launch a surprise attack."

"Yes, sir!"

The Third Company commander warned the soldiers not to relax as they passed through a stretch of farmland. Although they were still far from the defensive point, an attack could come from anywhere at any time.

'Huh? Something's squirming over there.'

Meanwhile, about 30 minutes into the march, First Class Private Jeong Ye-na, who was scouting the northwest after hearing Kim Hyeon-jun’s words, caught a sign of movement. Something was writhing inside the cornfield, and it clearly wasn't the movement of an animal. The scale of the movement was significant.

'Th-there really is something there? At a glance, it's about the size of a platoon.'

Despite having the Hawk Eye trait, she had to look closely to notice it. She definitely wouldn't have known if it hadn't been for Kim Hyeon-jun.

'Did he point out the northwest knowing this would happen?'

While surprised internally, First Class Private Jeong Ye-na reported what she had seen to the company commander.

"Ambush team spotted about 3 kilometers ahead to the northwest. Everyone, prepare to counter the surprise attack, but act as usual."

Captain Do Min-gyu used his binoculars to confirm the enemy was lying in wait. He ordered everyone to stay alert so they could respond immediately upon receiving further instructions.

"Yes, sir!"

An ambush so soon after leaving the base? The company members took deep breaths to calm the rising tension.

'An ambush already?'

Meanwhile, Kim Hyeon-jun was slightly puzzled by the memory being different from before his regression. Back then, they had appeared near the end.

'Since the training was moved up from the original schedule, does that mean the enemy’s tactics are changing as well?'

Regardless, they had spotted the ambush team as planned. Now, they just needed to handle it well.

"When the ambush starts, take cover below the farmland on the left and respond. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

"There are archers and mages mixed in, so watch out for long-range attacks."

"Understood!"

About 20 minutes after the commander's orders...

*Rat-tat-tat-tat!*

The enemy lying in wait in the cornfield fired first. Training bullets rained down on the Third Company. Training bullets don't hurt much upon impact, but the training suits are set to register a "death" if they take a certain amount of damage.

Normal bullets can't inflict fatal wounds on Hunters, but mana bullets are different. For a D-Class Hunter, a single shot can be fatal if they are unprotected. Two shots are enough to kill.

'Even C-Class Hunters can't ignore them... though they barely work on B-Class Hunters and above.'

Mana bullets are threatening to low-level monsters or Hunters. However, that only applies to lower ranks. Beyond a certain level, mana bullets don't work at all.

'I suppose if mana bullets were all-powerful, Hunters wouldn't be able to run rampant everywhere.'

Anyway, since this training assumed a state of war, the training bullets were treated as mana bullets.

"Take cover! Shieldbearers, cover the exposed areas!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Third Company, which had known about this in advance, quickly took cover below the farmland. They organized their lines and began returning fire. Because the shieldbearers joined in and deployed their shields to respond quickly, the ambush team couldn't inflict much damage.

"Dammit! Retreat! We're retreating!"

The enemy platoon leader quickly issued a retreat order. Their goal was to stall the moving Third Company and inflict damage. Since their initial plan had failed completely, they had to pull out fast.

"Don't let them escape! Fire!"

"Yes, sir!"

The company members formed a firing line and rained bullets on the retreating ambush team. Even though they crossed the cornfield, they couldn't dodge that many training bullets. Enemy deaths began to register one after another. In just a short moment, more than half of them were killed.

"Cease fire! The remaining ones will be pursued by the swordsmen and spearmen! Third Platoon, give chase!"

"Understood!"

"Archers, cover the members of the Third Platoon. Spread out the formation!"

"Yes, sir!"

At the commander's signal, the Third Platoon members dashed forward. It was a tactical decision to conserve the limited training bullets. Mana bullets were precious. Even in a real war, they would be used sparingly like this.

'Nice timing!'

Equipped with a spear, Kim Hyeon-jun quickly drew his mana and used a skill.

**[Magic Lancer’s Step]**

Thick mana swirled around Kim Hyeon-jun’s feet. Perhaps it was thanks to the elixir he had taken before, but the shoe-shaped mana felt denser and larger than before. The enemy was moving away quickly, but Kim Hyeon-jun’s pursuit speed was much faster.

"Wh-what the hell! Why is he so fast!"

"Don't fight back, just run!"

"B-but the enemy is too fast! Argh!"

The enemy soldiers pulled out their weapons to resist, but it was hard to withstand Kim Hyeon-jun’s speed. Ordinary soldiers were no match for him. His stats were overwhelming. There was also the difference in skill proficiency between his refined skills and his main weapon.

It was the difference between a professional and an amateur—no, it was even greater than that. Kim Hyeon-jun easily took out more than ten enemies by himself.

"Situation cleared! Everyone, stay alert and reorganize the formation!"

The ambush team that tried to flee after their surprise attack was annihilated. After the Third Company finished reorganizing, they moved toward the base again.

"Hmm."

Meanwhile, an evaluator watching from a distance nodded. The ambush by the Fourth Battalion soldiers wasn't bad. It was just that the response from the Third Battalion was excellent.

When he asked the company commander how he noticed the ambush, he said an archer had reported it first. And when he asked that archer, she said a spearman had given her a tip-off in advance.

"Ambushes are common. They are, but... it's not common to tell someone to watch the northwest specifically."

That spearman was Corporal Kim Hyeon-jun. He was the soldier who had just shown a remarkable performance. He hadn't missed a single soldier from the Fourth Battalion, not even the officers.

"Did he increase his mobility by wrapping mana around his body? Or it could be a skill."

To prevent injuries, wrapping mana around training weapons was forbidden. Attacking by wrapping mana around the body was also prohibited. However, most other things were allowed. Everything Corporal Kim Hyeon-jun did was within the permitted range.

"Contributed to detecting the enemy ambush. Contributed greatly to eliminating the retreating enemy..."

It was rare for an ordinary soldier to stand out so much from the beginning of training. There was still more to see, but the evaluator's eyes were already fixed on Kim Hyeon-jun.

***

"Phew. I feel like I can finally breathe."

"Was that ambush really happening right from the start?"

"I already got hit once in the stomach. If I get hit one more time, I'll be marked as dead."

The members of the company only relaxed after arriving at the defensive base and being given time for a meal.

"Where's the guy in charge of the savory sauce! You brought it, right?"

Everyone searched for the magic sauce as soon as they opened their combat rations. They claimed they couldn't swallow the food without it.

'As expected, savory sauce is a must for outdoor training.'

Kim Hyeon-jun agreed. He couldn't pack much because of the gear inspection before training, but it was better than nothing. He squeezed the sauce all over his rice. Perhaps because it was a combat ration eaten on a mountain, it felt several times more delicious.

"Hey guys, look over there. Isn't the view wide open and poetic? When else would you come here if not for training?"

"Corporal Kim Hyeon-jun, you sound exactly like an old man."

"Shouldn't we enjoy it while we can? It's fun for me, like playing a war game."

"...I just want the training to end quickly."

The privates and first class privates shook their heads at his tone, which made it sound like he was actually enjoying the training.

'This is a pretty good start.'

The skirmish that occurred before arriving here... A few company members died, but it was a small loss compared to the enemy. The platoon-sized ambush team had been annihilated.

"By the way, Corporal Kim Hyeon-jun. How did you know about that earlier? Do you have some kind of prophecy trait?"

"I thought First Class Private Jeong Ye-na was the one who pulled it off."

The fact that they achieved such a miraculous exchange ratio was thanks to Kim Hyeon-jun. First Class Private Jeong Ye-na and several platoon members even asked how he knew. From a distance, the enemy hiding in the cornfield wasn't even visible.

"It was just a hunch."

He had recalled memories from before his regression, but he couldn't tell them the truth. Kim Hyeon-jun brushed it off as a hunch.

"Alright. Everyone, stop chatting and move quickly."

"Yes, sir."

The brief break ended. Following the company commander's orders, the soldiers went to their assigned positions to reinforce the base.

Point A-1, located deep in the forest, was easier to defend than other points. It was thanks to being on high ground. They installed signal lines for communication between positions and cut the grass that blocked the view. They also laid out obstacles to prevent enemy infiltration. There was much more to do than just occupying the base.

"Loyalty! Captain Do Min-gyu of the Third Company!"

The company commander also had a lot to do. He had to manage and move the company members while checking reports coming down from above.

"Attention, everyone."

"Attention!"

Once the defensive preparations were somewhat complete, the company commander gathered the soldiers' attention.

"Since the point we're in charge of is easy to defend, it will be a headache if it's captured by the enemy."

In short, it was one of the major strategic points, so they were told never to let it be breached. The actual deployment of soldiers was also quite thorough. If they could hold off the enemy for up to 48 hours here, the defense would end, and they would switch to the offensive.

'It seems like a good deployment at first glance, but...'

Kim Hyeon-jun remembered. He remembered why Point A-1 was captured despite the commander's textbook deployment and the advantageous terrain. The problem was that no one would believe him even if he told them. Even he found it ridiculous when he thought back to that time.

'In the end, I have no choice but to keep a close eye on it myself.'

Tracing his memories from before the regression, he recalled where the enemy had stormed in from. And instead of the front, he thoroughly scanned the inside of the defensive base.

The first wave of troops was a decoy. The second wave being deployed was the real deal.

'...As expected, it's hard for me to cover this alone.'

Kim Hyeon-jun asked the archers to keep an eye on the ground inside the base or near the tree roots whenever they had a spare moment. It was something that could happen as early as midnight tonight.