Report
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Griffin Scans
Translator – Sleepyhead
Proofreader – Hero of death
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Chapter 11 - Regrouping
The dense forest came quickly into view, a green blur growing sharper by the second.
Despite the suddenness of the drop, it wasn’t high enough to seriously harm cadets who could wield mana.
Even so, I quickly scanned the area around me mid-fall. This was the perfect opportunity to grasp the lay of the land. The faster I could focus, the more information I could gather. In a sense, the training had already begun.
The roar of the wind screamed in my ears as my training uniform flapped violently.
Beyond the vast spread of trees, I glimpsed a towering mountain range. Among the undulating ridges, one solitary peak stood proud and tall. That must be our destination.
After one last glance around, I looked down again.
Like a monkey swinging through the canopy, I grabbed a branch to slow my fall. The trees here were massive—far larger than those on Earth. One branch was as thick as a grown adult’s torso.
But even that wasn’t enough to absorb the full force of my descent. The branch snapped under my fall, and I lost all balance, smashing through several others as I plummeted. It was like being beaten with clubs all over my body. I rolled as I hit the ground, trying to distribute the impact.
The world spun in my vision. My body tumbled through underbrush until I finally came to a stop against the base of a large tree. A cascade of leaves rained down from above in response to the impact.
“Kgh...”
Pain spread through every inch of me like I’d been trampled, but it was bearable. The branches had helped absorb the worst of the fall. And thanks to the built-in protection of the training uniform, I didn’t even have a scratch on my clothes.
"Everyone okay? Regroup Regroup."
Ha Tae-san’s voice rang out in my earpiece before I even had time to recover.
Since this was team-based, our first priority was to regroup.
They shouldn’t have landed too far away.
"Ugh, seriously! This is so annoying!"
A sharp voice carried through the brush. Despite the chorus of birdcalls, insect buzzing, and rustling leaves, the forest was otherwise silent, making it easy to pinpoint the voice.
I pushed through the foliage in that direction.
"Keep yelling. I’m coming to you!"
"Over here!!"
It was Lee mijin’s voice.
"Hurry up and get over here!"
I rushed toward her, concerned by the urgency in her tone only to find her sitting calmly and checking her face in a mirror.
She turned her head this way and that, clearly checking for injuries.
"What? Are you hurt?"
"Why the hell did the instructor just drop us from the sky like that? Ugh, so annoying. What if I got dirt on my face?"
So much for being worried. Her answer was so obnoxious I almost cursed but held my tongue. We were going to be teammates for a while.
[Ugh, what a nasty attitude.]
Even Samchil, quietly observing nearby, couldn’t resist commenting.
"Ugh, what’s this? I think I got a scratch here, right? Look, right here!"
There was a red line on her neck—probably from a branch.
"It’s a little swollen. It'll go down soon."
" ‘Go down soon?’ Do you know how sensitive my skin is? This is seriously annoying!"
[I can’t even look at her right now. I’ll come back later. Good luck.]
"…Right."
For the first time, I envied Samchil.
"Alright, that’s enough. Get up. We need to find the others."
She stayed sitting, clearly not interested.
"Just stay still, would you? You don’t even know what you're doing. People who don't know what they’re doing should just stay put—otherwise they’ll get hurt. Do I have to spell it out for you? Ugh, it's because you are the weakest. “
With a sneer, she sent out a transmission.
"Where is everyone? I’m with Yu Ji-hoon. You can regroup here."
"I’ll stay here. You go get them."
She didn't even wait for a response. Standing up, she casually dusted off her pants and scanned the surroundings.
I could feel the anger rising in my chest but what could I do? It was already done.
Still, she wasn’t completely wrong. It was better to have a fixed point to regroup around.
Everyone had landed nearby anyway.
"Found it. This spot will work."
She found a flatter rock to sit on and smiled, clearly pleased.
"What? You’re still here? Didn’t you get the message?"
Unbelievable. Sitting around while we’re training?
Was she even planning to participate?
"What are you doing? Go get the others. Someone has to hold the spot."
“…….”
Annoying, but she wasn’t entirely off. I shook my head and turned to leave.
“ Use the sun’s position as reference. Mark the trees as you move. I sent Yu Ji-hoon to get everyone, so shout as you move, use your voice to signal."
Even as she lounged there, she acted like a commander, relaying basic info like it was genius. My head was pounding already.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for our team to regroup. Everyone had landed relatively close.
It was time to make a plan.
"Did everyone get a look at the terrain?"
Ha Tae-san took the lead as team captain. I shared what I’d observed.
"Judging by the sun, our destination’s to the northeast."
With a compass and that towering mountain, it wasn’t hard to get our bearings.
"Agreed. By the way, that bag is holding up, right?"
He pointed at Lim Yu-ah’s pack, curious.
"Of course. This thing’s built like a tank."
She patted her bag proudly. It had already camouflaged to match the scenery—impressive
"You’re bragging about that? Pathetic."
"Watch your mouth.”
Lee Jung-hoon snapped at Lee mijin, who’d been belittling everyone nonstop.
"What did I even say?”
"You’ve been running your mouth since earlier."
"Oh really? Got a problem? Funny how you never talk back to Park Jong-pal."
"What did you just say?"
Lee Jung-hoon scowled, and Lee mijin glared back without backing down. Lim Yuah stepped in, looking exasperated.
"This isn’t the time to be fighting."
"Right. Let’s focus on the plan."
Ha Tae-san nodded in agreement, trying to move things along—
“Kyaaaaaak!!”
A bloodcurdling shriek rang out.
Goosebumps ran down my spine.
It was a monster’s roar.
"W-What? Was that a monster?!"
Lee mijin stammered.
"Yes. And it’s real. Stay sharp — this is no simulation."
Ha Tae-san remained calm, but even he was facing this for the first time.
Every year the training changed. Even students repeating a year couldn’t predict what would come. His calm likely stemmed from experience or just a naturally composed temperament.
"Are they insane?! Dropping us into a monster-infested forest with no warning?"
It was Lee mijin again.
What kind of person saw training and thought like this?
"Where do you think you are?"
"What?"
"This isn’t a playground. If you’re gonna whine like that, drop out. Otherwise, shut up and follow Tae-san’s lead. I don’t have the energy to argue with you."
Her face flushed red as she glared at me.
"Oh look at Mr. Perfect. You beat Park Jong-pal once and suddenly you think you’re special? You’re still the lowest-ranked student!"
"Enough. Yu Ji-hoon isn’t wrong."
Lee Jung-hoon’s voice made Lee mijin bristle further.
"Of course you’d defend him. He helped you once and now you’re his little fanboy?"
"Everyone Stop! This is not the time!"
Lim Yuah looked about as she was ready to scream.
Mijin's endless trolling was ruining everything.
"Wait. The air’s gone still."
Ha Tae-san raised a finger to his lips.
It was true—not a sound could be heard. The birds were silent.
A chilling aura drifted on the wind.
"I think we’re the target."
Tae-san drew his weapon, eyes sharp.
As if sensing our readiness, the brush began to shake violently. Then came the sound of rapid footfalls.
And then—
Something burst through the undergrowth at terrifying speed.
The first battle had begun.
—---
—---------
#Park Jong-pal.
"Not far now."
Jong-pal checked the tracker in his hand.
Two blue dots. One red.
"Let’s catch up to them."
"Got it. Let’s go."
Lee Seung-hwan nodded beside him.
Team 5, under Jong-pal, was made up entirely of Kim Woo-tae’s lackeys. Since team trades were allowed—with consent no one had dared stay once Woo-tae claimed the group.
"Today, I’m gonna wreck that bastard."
Anger glinted in Jong-pal’s eyes.
The humiliation of being defeated by the academy’s lowest-ranked student had haunted him all night. He hadn’t slept, just sharpened his desire for revenge.
If he injured someone outside of training rules, he’d be expelled but he didn’t care.
With Woo-tae’s influence and his family’s backing, he could easily transfer to another academy. Losing a SEAL Academy diploma was nothing compared to losing Woo-tae’s trust.
Jong-pal had long sold his soul, doing Woo-tae’s dirty work without shame.
There was no way he’d let everything fall apart now.
"Let’s move!"
He knew exactly where Yu Ji-hoon was. There was no way the guy would expect to be hunted down like this.
“Heh.”
A cruel grin spread across his face. He could already picture Yu Ji-hoon begging for mercy.
But it was too late.
Today would be his last day as a cadet. No academy accepted broken toys.
~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter End~~~~~~~~~
