Chapter 41

Chapter 41

The campaign against the monsters was now truly racing toward its final stages.

The time spent searching for monsters far exceeded the time spent hunting them.

As a result, Chilgokdae gained a sense of ease instead of the bleak, tense atmosphere.

With time to spare, Dojae sought out Kim Hwan-su.

“Captain, would you teach me swordplay?”

Do-jae wanted to learn swordsmanship.

One might wonder what swords were for, given that the ‘Hapiqueen’s Poolroom’ had been destroyed, but he wasn’t learning to wield a sword; rather, it was to counter sword techniques.

Countless Awakened ones favored swords.

Whether Hunter or Extermination Corps, the sword was the most common weapon.

While some Awakened used weapons like spears or axes, it ultimately came down to how they were wielded—the core remained the same: weapons with blades.

That’s why Dojae sought out Kim Hwan-su, the best swordsman within Chilgokdae.

“Hmm. I’ll teach you when I have time.”

After that, Dojae visited Kim Hwan-su whenever he had time to learn swordsmanship.

True to his reputation as a user of the demanding Yeon-geom sword, Kim Hwan-su possessed profound expertise in swordsmanship.

Even if his swordsmanship stemmed from skills, there were things that could only be mastered through relentless practice and refinement.

The skill of an A-rank Awakened One wasn’t something forged solely by luck.

It wasn’t a long period, but he trained diligently.

Then, just a few days later, Dojae realized he had gained a new skill.

[Swordmanship Lv. 1]

It was his first skill unrelated to golems.

He never imagined he could acquire skills this way.

Dojai certainly grasped swordsmanship quickly.

He had quickly mastered the basic movements Kim Hwan-soo had taught him.

There was a reason for this.

Dojae’s heightened mental stat.

His mental stat boosted Dojae’s comprehension and memorization abilities.

Realizing this, he felt a slight regret that he hadn’t boosted his Spirit stat when preparing for the extermination force written exam.

Ultimately, he realized that the Mental stat helped him learn quickly even in completely unfamiliar fields, and that what he learned became skills.

Dojae used his skills in front of Kim Hwan-soo.

The movements he had taught him flowed naturally, without conscious effort.

Kim Hwan-soo was utterly astonished.

Those without skills spend years, or even decades, to reach a level similar to that of a skill.

No, even then, it’s difficult to catch up to awakened individuals who possess skills from the start.

Yet Dojae, with just a few days of intermittent instruction, replicated him perfectly.

Do-jae didn’t stop there; he harnessed the golem’s nerves to amplify the destructive power of his swordplay.

His level shot up to 4 in an instant.

But that was the end of it.

Repeating the same movements over and over meant the sword skill level wouldn’t increase any further.

If he’d had more time, he would have learned the next stage of swordsmanship from Kim Hwan-soo, but unfortunately, another problem arose.

***

“Who’s in charge here? Get out here!”

As the extermination of all monsters neared completion, North Korean agents began to creep out of the shadows.

Their goal was money.

They claimed the monsters came from their territory, so everything should be left behind.

“Ugh, they didn’t show their faces when the monsters were here, but now what? Telling us to get out because it’s the people’s territory?”

Song Ji-yoon, who had been searching for hidden monster stragglers, frowned and said.

While combat against monsters was considered the most important part of the extermination force’s mission, how well they handled the aftermath was also crucial.

They had to find every single monster that might be hiding and completely eradicate them to make the land truly human.

If a hidden monster was missed, the damage would fall squarely on the shoulders of ordinary citizens.

Ultimately, the extermination force, who risked their lives fighting, would bear the brunt of every curse imaginable because of a single monster they accidentally missed.

Even doing well meant breaking even.

That’s why the extermination force always poured immense time and effort into mopping up stragglers.

Fortunately, the Kaesong extermination is relatively less taxing due to its geographical features.

“Everyone, withdraw.”

After reporting to Kim Hwan-soo, Dojae withdrew his men.

If this had been our country’s territory, various conflicting interests would have entangled, creating a complex situation.

For example.

What happens to the area where a Dungeon Break occurs?

Typically, the state steps in to purchase it and develop a new city or designate it as a national park.

Would the people who lived on that land just stand by?

As soon as monsters start to disappear, they’ll appear out of nowhere, set up tents, and claim the land.

Of course, the state provides substantial compensation for those who suddenly lose their homes.

Therefore, most find new places to live and are satisfied. However, inevitably, some people fail to reach an agreement and stage a sit-in protest.

From the extermination force’s perspective, it’s incredibly frustrating to have civilians show up when the extermination isn’t even fully complete.

Some people even eat and sleep right next to rotting monster corpses.

What if a hidden monster suddenly attacks these civilians?

All responsibility would fall squarely on the extermination force.

Then, inevitably, the extermination force wastes manpower here, and as civil servants, police officers, firefighters, and others gather, the situation drags on.

Nowadays, dungeon breaks don’t happen often, and the system is established, so it’s not a common occurrence. Still, from Chilgokdae’s perspective, being able to wrap up the extermination without worrying about these things is a very convenient situation.

“Everyone, you’ve endured much hardship away from home. As of today, the Kaesong subjugation operation is over. Prepare to withdraw.”

Kim Hwan-soo gathered all members and declared the expedition operation completely over.

Now, the battle for this land would be fought not with bodies, but with minds.

That was the job of those above, not Chilgok Squad.

And so, the Gaeseong campaign finally came to an end.

The time to part ways with the members of Squad 3, who had shared hardships and joys together for months, was fast approaching.

I vowed not to get attached, but it seems I’ve grown fond of them after all.

***

The final day of the Kaesong withdrawal.

A small table set for drinking stood in the center of the barracks.

“Captain, it was an honor to serve with you, even if it was only for a short time!”

“Class President, you mustn’t forget us!”

“We’re always Class 3!”

Do-jae and the Class 3 members gathered together to share small talk.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t take good care of everyone. And Ji-yoon and Hyeon-jae, you worked hard cleaning up until just now.”

Do-jae said, looking at Song Ji-yoon and Yook Hyeon-jae.

Yook Hye-jae frowned for the first time and said.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Haha, yeah. Thanks to you guys cleaning up so thoroughly every day.”

“Then I’m relieved. I should have stopped Ji-yoon that day. I felt bad for the class president.”

“It’s over now, so let’s not hold it against each other.”

“Yes, Class President.”

Do-jae and Yuk Hyeon-jae lightly clinked their beer cans together.

They then offered a can to Song Ji-yoon, but for some reason, she just stared blankly at it.

“What are you doing? The class president’s arm is going to fall off.”

“Huh? Oh… Oh!”

Song Ji-yoon snapped out of it and hurriedly lifted the can.

Then she accidentally knocked Lee Ji-woong’s can onto the floor.

Squeak.

“What is this, sis? What a waste. I didn’t even buy that many cans. Ugh.”

Lee Ji-woong picked up the fallen can and drank the overflowing foam.

Seeing this, Son Jeong-gyu asked Song Ji-yoon.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Nothing… really…”

Song Ji-yoon, who would normally cheerfully chatter away and set the mood.

But today, her mouth was tightly shut.

“No way, are you sad because the class president is leaving?”

“No.”

“No, it’s not like you’ll never see the class president again. You’re really not?”

“I said no.”

“Right. Even if it’s the class president, it shouldn’t make you sad. Huh? Are you crying? Are you crying?”

Lee Ji-woong leaned in close, teasing her, while the other members chimed in from the side.

“Yeah, why are you acting so unlike yourself?”

“Ji-yoon, drink up! Alcohol’s the only thing that can ease this regret!”

“Ugh… I said no…”

Song Ji-yoon, head bowed low, began to tremble violently.

Finally snapping, she screamed, “Bam!”

“Hey! You bastard!”

“Ugh! P-please, spare me!”

Song Ji-yoon, thoroughly provoked, grabbed Lee Ji-woong’s head, who was sitting beside her, and shook it.

With each shake, a handful of hair flew into the air.

“Gah…”

Kang Eun-taek clutched his long hair protectively and slowly backed away.

The other members roared with laughter.

“Heh heh heh. That’s more like Song Ji-yoon.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t like you.”

After the small commotion died down.

Lee Ji-woong rubbed his sore head and said.

“Ugh. Let’s talk about something else. Oh, right, they’re having a farewell party for the Class 2 president too, since he’s being transferred to Tobon. But they’re all excited because they’re going on a trip to China together.”

Lee Ji-woong, sharp-eared and loose-lipped.

He also served as Class 3’s news source.

He relayed the Class 2 news to Dojae, though it was unclear where he’d heard it.

“China? Why China of all places?”

Do-jae asked Lee Ji-woong.

Come to think of it, he didn’t know much about Shim Young-jin.

He wondered if there was some connection between him and China.

“I don’t know either. Maybe he likes China or something…”

“Maybe it’s because of Polina?”

Kim Joon-soo, who had been quiet, spoke up.

Kim Joon-soo, the most well-connected among the Class 3 members, got along well with all the former Chilgokdae members.

“Polina? You mean that big corporation Polina I know?”

“Yes, the chairman of Polina’s fourth son is Class 2’s leader, Shim Young-jin.”

Do-jae was shocked.

He never imagined that Shim Young-jin was the son of a conglomerate chairman.

Come to think of it, he recalled seeing a news article about Song Deok-hoon mentioning something about a conglomerate.

He’d thought of him as just the reckless nephew of a mere deputy guildmaster, but unexpectedly, he had a much more solid background.

“I heard that Class President Shim Young-jin lived in China when he was young. They say the China branch is the most successful among Polina’s overseas branches, so maybe there’s a connection?”

“Wow, how do you know all that, Jun-soo?”

“Jiwoong, you need to pay close attention to the news to understand how the world works. Especially the economy—you absolutely must know about it.”

Kim Joon-soo lectured Lee Ji-woong.

Then Park Jin-ho, Kim Jun-su’s classmate, laughed and said.

“Pfft. If a guy like that goes in, he’ll come back having hit rock bottom, right?”

“Hey, that story…”

“Hahahaha. You’re right, Jiwoong! You absolutely mustn’t listen to anything Junsu says!”

“Pwahaha. Yeah, just avoid Junsu’s predictions and you won’t lose your shirt.”

A wave of laughter echoed through the barracks.

Song Ji-yoon, who had been fuming, now seemed to have calmed down. Stretching out both arms, she shouted to the members with a sense of relief.

“This boring life in Gaeseong is finally over!”

Song Ji-yoon’s voice rang out like a song.

Do Jae, as if responding to her, raised his beer and said.

“Take care, everyone.”