The Jaeger Camp consisted of a grand cavern spanning two floors, as well as a regular, three-story structure.
On the B1 floor, there were mostly training facilities, tactical and strategic equipment, and various spaces designated for training.
Captured monsters for Jaeger’s live combat practice were also housed on that same floor.
The B2 floor was a far more dangerous place than B1.
Here, fissures existed.
The area was divided into sixteen sectors, with each sector hosting a distinct fissure.
That’s why the B2 floor was constructed as such an expansive space.
There’s no way sixteen fissures would naturally gather in one place like this.
That means they must have been brought here by artificial means.
Kim Seo-jun was deeply curious as to just how the Jaegers managed to move fissures here.
Was it a mysterious power possessed by the Jaeger awakeners?
Or did they have some special device capable of transporting fissures?
Either way, the fact remained that Jaeger had a method for moving fissures—and it was something he needed to uncover.
And then there was the B3 floor.
This area consisted of living quarters, a dining hall, and spaces for rest.
The barracks for stationed soldiers, Jaeger agents, and trainees in training—all of them were located here on B3.
This wasn’t a cavern but a standard underground floor, yet the ceilings were five meters high and the place was enormous. The living spaces were clearly separated to ensure that Jaeger agents, soldiers, and trainees almost never ran into one another.
The B4 and B5 floors were off-limits to trainees; they couldn’t enter and had no idea what was there.
One could only learn about those floors after finishing training and officially becoming an agent.
While listening to this explanation from the instructor, they had almost passed through the B2 floor.
Soon, they would arrive at B3, and the elevator would stop.
At that moment, Irina asked one more question.
“Instructor. I heard there’s special equipment given to Jaegers—could you tell us about it?”
Irina was referring to the “gift” that one of the trainees, Park Hae-sung, had mentioned.
The instructor, knowing this, chuckled softly and replied right away.
“You want to know about the Gift, huh? But you’ll find out all the details soon. Is my explanation really necessary?”
“Even just a rough idea, please.”
Irina spoke with a bright smile on her pretty face, her words laced with just a hint of charm, prompting the instructor to chuckle once more.
“Haha. All right. I’ll give you a brief explanation, then. So, the Gift—what is it, exactly?”
The instructor began a short explanation about the Gift.
The Gift.
The so-called “God-given gift”—it was a special weapon unique to Jaegers, capable of producing mysterious powers similar to those an awakener obtained.
The Gift was completely different from regular artifacts.
It was also distinct from relics.
A magical device crafted by genius scientists using cutting-edge technology—that was the Gift.
Gifts usually took the form of a watch. Beyond simple timekeeping, they had built-in features for communication, environmental scanning, map making, and remote control of all electronic devices as standard.
Additionally, each could be embedded with up to twelve magical abilities.
Barrier, Mana Boost, Physical Enhancement, Speed Amplification, Power Increase, Flight, Cloaking, Mana Measurement, Allure, Immunity Enhancement, MPSP (Magical Power Shutdown Pulse), and finally, Mana Cover ability.
Each of these abilities wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful on its own, but for Hunters who could possess only one mystery, the value of a Gift was simply immense.
All twelve magical abilities could not be embedded in a single Gift at once.
A Gift could only hold up to three abilities at a time.
Any more, and the device couldn’t contain it—or if one tried, there was a great risk of it exploding, making such use impossible.
Every Jaeger agent was issued a Gift, and by default, all Gifts came with the “Mana Cover” ability.
Due to the nature of Jaeger missions, revealing one’s identity or abilities to outsiders was unacceptable, so every agent was required to use the Mana Cover ability to suppress their own mana signature.
In short, every Jaeger agent could possess a Gift, but beyond Mana Cover, they could choose two additional abilities to use.
“Wow. Then we get that incredible Gift today, right?”
“That’s right. During training, you’ll be able to use all twelve abilities. After training, you must choose three—Mana Cover plus two others. Only after locking in your final selection will you be able to use your Gift’s powers at 100%.”
“That’s still an amazing advantage. Even the Mana Boost ability is impressive.”
“It is. The mana affinity differs for every Gift user, and efficiency varies accordingly, but most can expect an enhancement of about 10 to 15%.”
It truly was amazing.
On paper, an increase of 10% or 15% didn’t seem much. But in actual combat, that boost was huge.
Someone who could run 100 meters in ten seconds would do it in nine; a long jump of three meters would become 3.3 meters. The difference was by no means small.
Especially regarding mana, the difference was even greater.
“We’re here.”
Just as the instructor said, the elevator stopped at B3.
The previously open walls on three sides were now completely sealed.
Then, the middle of the front wall split horizontally and quickly slid away, up and down.
Vrrrm.
The vehicles all rolled out the exit, and the trainees disembarked in a wide, three-way corridor.
Kim Seo-jun, carrying nothing but a single backpack, stepped down onto the metallic-finished floor.
As soon as the trainees and instructors were out, the vehicles sped away down the left passage.
Once the vehicles were gone, a barrier came down over the left corridor, perfectly dividing the space.
“Now, follow me. The living quarters are a fair distance away, so lighten your load as much as possible and run.”
Park Moon-ho took the lead, and the trainees lined up behind him.
The instructors took their positions beside them, with one bringing up the rear.
The only luggage Kim Seo-jun had was a space-expansion backpack containing a few personal items and changes of clothes, plus a space pouch holding various artifacts, so there was nothing heavy.
Most of the other trainees also carried space-expansion artifacts, making for a light load.
Except for one.
Eighteen-year-old Im Hee-joo, newly awakened and from a family of modest means, didn’t have a pricey space-expansion artifact yet.
She was carrying a backpack as big as her torso. Though her mana was high, her stamina was not, and she was clearly struggling.
When Park Moon-ho started running, Im Hee-joo began to fall behind.
But no one gave any consideration to Im Hee-joo’s difficulties.
Before long, Im Hee-joo was all the way at the back.
She’d never undergone physical training, so not only was running with a 20-kilogram pack nearly impossible—even walking with it was a challenge.
Park Moon-ho kept up his pace, striding swiftly through the wide corridor.
So did the other trainees.
The gap between Im Hee-joo and the others grew wider and wider.
At that moment, Kim Seo-jun, who was running third from the front, glanced back and noticed Im Hee-joo had already fallen behind by over fifty meters.
He let out a short sigh and deliberately slowed down.
Other trainees passed by, one after another, until he was ninth.
An instructor came up beside Kim Seo-jun.
“Trainee Kim Seo-jun. Remember that every action from this moment forward affects your training evaluation score.”
“I know.”
“Do you realize what consequences your next action may bring?”
“I do.”
“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”
“If I don’t do this, I think I’ll regret it even more.”
With that, Kim Seo-jun slowed down further and moved a bit to the side as he ran.
As Im Hee-joo staggered past, breathing hard, Kim Seo-jun quickly caught up behind her and lifted her heavy backpack from below.
He didn’t take all the weight.
He supported exactly ten kilograms.
He could’ve just carried the bag for her, or put it in his own space pouch, but Kim Seo-jun chose not to.
He gave just enough help to let her build some stamina—time she needed to adapt.
After all, if you always carry a toddler who’s struggling to walk, you only delay the time they start walking for themselves.
Did Im Hee-joo realize Kim Seo-jun’s intentions?
When the backpack suddenly felt lighter, Im Hee-joo gave Kim Seo-jun a small nod and simply kept running forward.
It was a peculiar thing.
There was a faint scent coming from Im Hee-joo’s backpack.
Cosmetics, perhaps?
She was only eighteen, but the desire to look pretty was no different from any other young woman.
One reason her pack was so heavy was that, as a Jaeger trainee, she was carrying plenty of unnecessary cosmetics.
So the trainees ran through the identical corridors for a full hour, endlessly.
“This is where you’ll be living for the next month.”
Park Moon-ho introduced the living quarters, not a drop of sweat on him.
They’d stopped at a pentagonal intersection, with a large circular structure in the center.
Five corridors radiated outward, and the round structure in the middle was lined with doors.
Each door had a trainee’s name displayed in front, like a sign.
“You have about two hours of rest time now. Go to the room with your name on it, familiarize yourself with everything inside, and then gather at location B3-101. No questions. That’s all.”
Park Moon-ho gave no further explanation.
No one knew what exactly they were supposed to familiarize themselves with, or where B3-101 even was.
But no one voiced any complaints.
Everyone just hurried toward the door with their name on it.
Kim Seo-jun also went to find his room. As he did, Im Hee-joo came over and tugged gently at his sleeve.
“Thanks for before.”
Im Hee-joo, her face drenched in sweat, offered her thanks to Kim Seo-jun.
“Hang in there.”
That was all Kim Seo-jun said before stepping into his assigned room.
Left alone, Im Hee-joo stood there for a moment, then turned to go.
Just then, Irina, who was standing in front of her own door, smiled brightly at Im Hee-joo.
Im Hee-joo looked momentarily flustered, gave Irina a small bow, and hurried into her own room.
When Irina was the last to disappear into her room, Park Moon-ho—watching from a distance—let out a quiet chuckle.
An instructor beside him quietly spoke.
“Evaluation finished?”
“Of course.”
“Is Kim Seo-jun getting points deducted?”
“Yes. Minus three.”
“For Jaeger agents, survival of the fittest is the rule. Still, it’s heartwarming.”
This instructor was the one who had sternly warned Kim Seo-jun when he tried to help Im Hee-joo in the corridor.
“To become a numbered Jaeger, you need cold judgment. Sympathy is of no help on a mission. Maybe Kim Seo-jun just isn’t cut out for the Jaeger way.”
Park Moon-ho murmured with a face full of disappointment.
At those words, the instructor beside him smiled and spoke again.
“Maybe a new kind of Jaeger will be born—one we’ve never imagined.”
“A new kind of Jaeger?”
“You know. Jaeger No. 1, Yoon Hyun-do. I was his classmate.”
“Were you?”
“At the time, the chief instructor said the same thing. That Yoon Hyun-do wasn’t fit for the Jaeger’s ways.”
“Me?”
“Hahaha, yes. And at the graduation ceremony, you said this: That Yoon Hyun-do would usher in a new era of Jaegers.”
When the young instructor finished, Park Moon-ho smacked his lips and retorted briefly.
“That was eight years ago. Things are different now.”
“The times have changed, and people too…. But one thing never changes.”
“What’s that?”
“The chief instructor’s eye for people.”
“…What?”
Park Moon-ho, at a loss for words, remained silent for a long while.
*****
The living quarters were better than expected.
Opening the door, there was a living room about thirty square meters in size, a bathroom, a small kitchen, and a separate room about half the size of the living room.
The interior wasn’t flashy, but it radiated a futuristic vibe.
‘Not bad for a month’s stay.’
Kim Seo-jun quickly unpacked his bag.
With only a few clothes and personal items, it didn’t take long.
He undressed and stepped straight into the bathroom.
After enjoying a warm, refreshing shower, he changed into something light and stood in front of the bookshelf in the corner of the living room.
‘Feels good to see these again after so long.’
Since crossing into this world, it had been a while since he’d seen paper books.
In his original world, no matter how advanced civilization became, the importance of “books” never faded.
Printed books were essential for passing down secret arts, and for recording history, books were indispensable.
But since beginning his new life here, he’d rarely had the chance to see a printed book.
Everything was digital, handled through phones, computers, tablets.
That wasn’t so bad, but for book-loving Kim Seo-jun, it was a little disappointing.
Now, seeing a shelf full of books in Jaeger Camp brought a wave of nostalgia.
‘Definition of Mysteries, Where Do Mysteries Come From?, Classification of Monster Species, Jaeger Life Guide…?’
He skimmed the titles and paused at one that stood out: “Jaeger Life Guide.”
‘What’s this?’
The title seemed out of place among the others, sparking his curiosity.
He pulled the book from the shelf.
Standing there, Kim Seo-jun began reading the “Jaeger Life Guide.”
About thirty minutes passed.
And then Kim Seo-jun understood why Instructor Park Moon-ho had let the trainees into their rooms and granted them a full two hours of rest without any further explanation.