You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿

Iteuk.

The official name is Special Forces for Ability Users.

This is where Hunters serve during their mandatory 39-month service period.

And I was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the Special Forces for Ability Users.

My number is 44.

‘Why does my number have to be like this?’

It’s an unlucky-sounding number.

Anyway, despite the "special forces" label, when you look at the big picture, this training is not so different from regular basic training.

From the government’s perspective, Ability Users are just soldiers fighting against monsters, not Hunters.

Though, it’s not exactly the same.

For ordinary people, physical abilities differ according to gender, but for awakened Hunters, gender doesn’t matter.

The system’s stats outweigh the natural differences of gender.

Because of this, Ability Users’ physical condition is far superior to regular people, and they finish basic military training in 2 weeks, which is significantly faster than the usual 5-week duration.

Awakened individuals can easily improve their stamina and strength up to a certain level through training.

So, the goal of basic military training is just to boost those minimum values.

Morning starts with physical training, including jogging.

Afternoons are for combat training.

There’s also chemical warfare training where we practice tearing up from the eyes and nose as a preparation for biological and chemical attacks.

Normally, trainees would take 5 weeks to finish all the training, but we had to finish it in just 2 weeks, which was tough but definitely effective.

By the end of the second week, everyone could carry about 40kg of military gear without a problem.

‘Maybe I should thank Yoo Han-ul for this.’

Since I already surpassed the minimum physical benchmarks, I didn’t struggle much physically at all.

But that doesn’t mean it didn’t affect me mentally.

‘This is the worst.’

First of all, formation training is terrible.

Moving in straight lines or following the command "fall in" makes my head feel so simple, as if everything else is irrelevant.

If you fall behind or fail to align, everyone gets punished together, and it’s frustrating.

Hearing the drill instructors shouting constantly is starting to make my ears ring.

Apparently, this is a lot better than the military of the past, but I still don’t understand why I have to do this.

‘If a mage has to go through this, then the mission must be a failure.’

As I crawl under the barbed wire, I can’t help but wonder what I’m doing here.

Sometimes I think the world could just collapse, and I wouldn’t care.

• The system reminds you: "You will be blessed if you do good deeds."

Quests and whatever, I’m just a trainee now, not some reincarnated Demon King.

The number 44 stuck in my head and hasn’t gone away.

‘I think my intelligence is dropping.’

At least one thing was fortunate: time passed really quickly.

Eat, train, shower, sleep.

The hours flew by.

And today, starting from the third week, we’d be training based on our individual abilities.

It sounded like a big deal, but basically, it’s just about learning systematic combat methods to fight monsters as a swordsman or mage.

Before being assigned to our units, we need to have at least basic knowledge of combat situations.

The purpose of Ability Users in the military is to manage dungeons and maintain public safety during their service period, so getting used to group dynamics is the most urgent matter.

"Did you see Lee Pyeong-hwa at the meal earlier?"

"I’ve seen a lot of her online, but didn’t recognize her in person. She’s really tall."

"Pay attention. Once we’re assigned, she’s going to be too high-ranked to see much of. After going out into society, we’ll never see her."

"Shit, I’m so jealous."

"I can’t even look at her. I’ll be stuck doing this forever."

"Not forever. It’s just 39 months."

"39 months feels like forever. No matter how much of a special ability user you are. I should file a lawsuit with the human rights committee."

"Human rights? We’re all about to die because of monsters. You think they’ll care?"

"Right. It’s probably because of Lee Pyeong-hwa and Jeong Da-on that the drill instructors are so calm."

"Of course. If we meet on the battlefield, they won’t even be able to look us in the eye. The instructors are probably just B-rank anyway."

"It’s so frustrating. I don’t even know if Jeong Da-on has any real abilities."

"So what? The system already gave her approval. Us low-rank Hunters are just meant to go out and die..."

Two of my fellow trainees, gossiping while washing their hands in the bathroom, immediately stopped talking when they saw me.

‘Well, it’s not like they’re talking about me.’

In comparison to the infamous rumors, the drill instructors definitely weren’t as tough as I had expected.

Like they mentioned, their attitude might have been influenced by our high ranks like Lee Pyeong-hwa and me.

But still, it felt off...

‘This isn’t high school.’

When you overhear people gossiping like that, it really doesn’t feel good.

Actually, if I think about it, it might just be human nature, regardless of age.

And given that Hunters start their mandatory service at age 20, they can’t be said to have grown much mentally.

Thinking about it like that just made it even worse.

No, I just hate this group life.

"Oh wow, mages are really weak when it comes to stamina."

When I entered the living quarters after washing my hands, I saw Lee Pyeong-hwa massaging one of my fellow trainees who was lying down.

"Seung-hee, your back is totally stiff. Your shoulders are so tight."

"What should I do... Hey, Lee Pyeong-hwa! That hurts, stop!"

"Hang in there. If you don’t loosen it, you’ll have shoulder pain forever..."

Thud!

"Ahhh... oh?"

The trainee who was lying down screamed but then tilted his head, as if the tension in his muscles had finally loosened.

"It’s all better now. I feel amazing."

"Right? Even though I don’t look it, the best thing I learned while being an athlete is how to give a good massage..."

"Hey, hey."

That’s when the trainee, who had just received the massage, slapped Lee Pyeong-hwa on the arm.

He had realized I was standing by the door of the living quarters.

I raised my hand and pointed to the seat.

"That’s my spot."

Lee Pyeong-hwa had been massaging the trainee, but it turned out to be in my spot.

"Oh, sorry."

The trainee who had been joking with Lee Pyeong-hwa quickly got up and returned to his own spot.

And as I laid down in my spot, Lee Pyeong-hwa, who had been laughing a moment ago, just stared at me.

I realized something during the entrance ceremony: because of the seating arrangement, Lee Pyeong-hwa and I ended up being paired as battle buddies.

We share the same living quarters, and for about 20 hours a day, we end up seeing each other.

So, did we get close?

Not at all.

‘If I had known, I should have at least said hello.’

People usually get close when they train together and share the same dorm, but I’m the exception.

And now...

"Hey, hey. Let’s talk outside."

"No, it’s almost lights-out."

Lee Pyeong-hwa said sternly.

She was the one who held the power in this living quarters, in this batch of trainees.

Having been an athlete from a young age, she was used to the military hierarchy and group living, as well as building social relationships.

She was even the squad leader.

‘It’s easy with someone like her in charge.’

Like I heard in the bathroom, some people might dislike Lee Pyeong-hwa, but none of them would say anything in front of her.

Her skill was outstanding, and her leadership was solid, so she took care of even the trainees who weren’t as skilled.

This happened again during today’s training.

"From today, we’re going to conduct battle training against monsters based on what we’ve learned in theory. Understood?"

"Yes, understood!"

"Say it louder, with more strength!"

"Yes, understood!"

"During training, instructors will not intervene unless it’s an emergency. Treat it as if you’re in a dungeon and make your own decisions. Understood?"

"Yes, understood!"

After the military-style dialogue.

Fighting monsters in training wasn’t anything special. Of course, we weren’t actually using real monsters.

We used bundles of fabric placed in the center, pretending they were monsters, and the swordsmen attacked and retreated while the mages cast 1st-circle magic in a series.

The important thing was that the swordsmen’s speed of attacking and retreating had to be uniform.

And the mages’ magic attacks had to be cast evenly and quickly.

All of this had to be done precisely according to the command.

To my eyes, it felt like child’s play, but to the trainees here who had never faced a monster, it was tough.

Naturally, some people stumbled.

One trainee attacked the fabric bundle and was so startled that they fell, and others collided with each other.

The mages were just as awkward.

"Are you out of your mind? Are you trying to burn your teammate’s head off?"

"I’m sorry!"

Swordsmen had to attack the monsters while retreating, but if the mages cast magic when the swordsmen weren’t ready, it would lead to accidents.

The instructors standing by the side were visibly tense.

And while the mage in the front row was attacking, the mages in the back row had to recover their mana quickly.

In other words, it was essential to practice controlling mana so that everyone could launch at least three attacks.

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

"Ha, huff...!"

One of the mages in the front row was breathing heavily.

This kind of situation happens often.

The pressure of not being able to make mistakes and the stress of the environment.

And using magic for the first time.

1st-circle magic is taught through a tutorial, so it’s easy to learn, but that’s not enough to prepare for actual combat.

Even though 1st-circle magic uses less mana, if you’re not used to circulating mana through your circuits, you can easily run out of mana.

And in this environment, it’s even harder.

"105th trainee, take a deep breath!"

The instructor shouted.

But even after trying to catch her breath, the mage couldn’t straighten her posture and clutched her chest.

"I... I can’t do it!"

Eventually, she collapsed on the spot.

It wasn’t a big deal.

This wasn’t a real dungeon, just a training session, and mana depletion is temporary, so after a short rest, she’d be fine.

But the problem was that only recently awakened Ability Users were here.

And after continuous training since the morning, everyone’s stamina had dropped, so their judgment had slowed.

In this moment, when everyone was frozen, not knowing what to do...

"Choi Ji-su!"

Shouting from Lee Pyeong-hwa, who had just stabbed the fabric monster and was waiting.

"Pull your teammate out of the line!"

This is the right way.

In a real monster battle, if one of the mages collapses, you can’t let it affect the attack.

The person who collapses should be pulled out by their battle buddy, given first aid, and the rest should return to attacking.

Before starting this training, we had learned the theory of handling situations like this.

"Move quickly!"

Thanks to Lee Pyeong-hwa, the training quickly returned to normal before the instructors could intervene.

Seeing how easily the situation normalized with her command, it was clear that she had strong leadership.

With someone like her in charge, it was no surprise that an implicit hierarchy had formed among the trainees.

After the training, the instructors praised Lee Pyeong-hwa.

"43rd trainee. Good judgment."

"Thank you!"

Naturally, the instructors saw Lee Pyeong-hwa as an outstanding trainee, which made the atmosphere of the training even better.

And when we returned to the dormitory, she interacted casually with the other trainees.

It was clear that she would be the center of this batch.

Of course, it had nothing to do with me.

That night, after lights-out, I lay on my bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.

The breathing of the other 8 trainees, already asleep, felt incredibly annoying.

‘I have to do this for 17 more days?’

This was crazy, no matter how I thought about it.

I quietly sat up.

‘I really can’t sleep like this.’

I’d endured enough up until now.

I was planning to take a short walk and get some fresh air.

Snap.@@novelbin@@

I quietly snapped my fingers, sending a small pulse of magic.

It was a simple 1st-circle illusion spell.

If someone else saw me, they’d think I was still lying in bed, completely covered by the blanket.

Since it was a 1st-circle spell, it was a simple illusion, and anyone could tell it was fake if they touched me, but nobody would bother me until morning.

I cast an invisibility spell and quietly slipped out of the dorm, passing by the dozing guard.

Behind the dormitory, in a grove of trees, there was a large tree I had noticed when I arrived.

I quickly climbed it and settled in.

A deep sigh escaped me.

"Now, I can finally breathe."

The tree was hard and the air still cold, but there was no one around, so it was incredibly peaceful.

I could already feel the headache that had been weighing on me for the past two weeks starting to ease.

Though I had lived in an orphanage until middle school, back then, I hadn’t awakened yet, so I wasn’t this sensitive.

But now that I had awakened, I couldn’t help but be so attuned to the presence of others.

If I didn’t have places like this to escape to...

"Jeong Da-on."

Honestly, I was startled enough to feel my heart drop.

I looked down in shock, and there, staring up at me, was Lee Pyeong-hwa.