Chapter 28 – What Are Those

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Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“—That is all. And…”

Meursault, whose suspension that wasn’t really a suspension had ended, added after submitting a brief report to the commander.

“Today is the day of Heydam-nim’s training simulation.”

“Is it today.”

“Yes. If we leave now, we will arrive without being late.”

Even though he said so, Meursault asked again when the commander did not stop reading the report.

“Are you not going to go watch?”

“There is no reason to go.”

The commander answered, putting the report down with a thud.

“Since Heydam will win anyway.”

“…Even being a fool for your child will get you criticized if it’s excessive, Your Excellency.”

At Meursault’s valid yet rude pointing out, Commander Hayden merely chuckled.

It was understandable for him to look like a doting father to Meursault, who did not know the circumstances.

‘Heydam is a regressor…’

Actually, the commander believed that Heydam was a regressor to some extent.

Just as Heydam said, when Luna Moon was a ‘player,’ there was no way her child, Heydam, would be an ordinary child.

‘A player’s child is a regressor. Will Daphne’s child also become a special existence?’

Thinking so, the commander stared blankly at Meursault for a moment.

‘A child between that guy and a player might be a bit dangerous.’

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

At Meursault’s question, the commander replied casually.

“Because it’s unexpected.”

“What is?”

“Do you, Meursault, think Heydam will lose?”

“Heydam is ten years old. The cadets are reserve officers who are about to graduate soon. However…”

Meursault frowned slightly and smiled faintly.

“It is strange. I also do not feel like Heydam will lose.”

“Your eye for reading people is still accurate.”

“Even so, it doesn’t change that Your Excellency is a doting father.”

“Your arrogance is still the same, too.”

Lightly ignoring whatever Meursault was grumbling, the commander looked toward the direction of the military academy beyond the window.

‘The Second Apocalypse…’

If another apocalypse is to strike in the near future.

And if Heydam is truly a regressor who returned to the past from the future.

‘Luna Moon. Your child will save the world.’

* * *

The military academy’s training simulation.

Actually, in this era where non-human alien monsters are the main enemy.

Interpersonal combat training between cadets might be anachronistic.

Even so, the reason they had to conduct interpersonal combat training was that they occasionally encountered other zones while out on subjugation.

Since it was an era after the apocalypse, humans, who were already an endangered species, trying to kill each other was very rare, but.

The bastards from the Knife zone were out-of-the-question, non-negotiable homicidal maniacs, and occasionally, other zones with depleted resources or refugees who couldn’t return to their own zones due to crime or political reasons attempted pillaging, making this training necessary.

Conversely, it was also because our zone also had to go raid other zones if resources became scarce.

Planting a flag in the opponent’s zone held that meaning.

In other words, this training was to experience the bottom of humanity.

That is, it meant they had to do their best even if the opponent was a ten-year-old child.

Actually, I was worried that the military academy cadets wouldn’t deal with me properly, but…

‘Looking at those glares, I don’t need to worry about that.’

I didn’t know why, but the cadets selected as my opponents were looking at me with eyes full of hostility.

Why?

Because I said I had no intention of entering the military academy since it was a waste of time?

Or because I used my father’s influence to gather outstanding cadets and use them as my combat power measuring instruments?

Or because I said I could deal with them alone, so they should come at me all at once?

‘There are too many things that catch.’

Anyway, if they dealt with me in earnest, it was a good thing for me.

Because at least no one would say I won because they went easy on me because I was the commander’s son.

If this was a real exam taken after entering, rather than a demonstration, I would have just won using my father’s backing and moved on.

“Everyone probably knows the rules of the training simulation, but since Heydam-nim is doing this for the first time, I will explain briefly before starting.”

Among the three instructors selected as referees and supervisors of this training simulation, the instructor wearing a red cap stepped forward and spoke.

“The rules are very simple. To win, you must annihilate all enemies or plant your flag on the opponent’s flagpole. Basically, if your body receives a strike, the sensor will react to judge whether it is a fatal wound or death, and for situations that cannot be judged by the machine, we instructors will look at the situation through drones to judge fatal wounds or death. Since this is strictly training, I hope you will declare surrender without hesitation if you judge it to be dangerous.”

Originally, that last sentence was not there when explaining the training, but it seemed he added it because I was the commander’s son and a child.

At that moment, one of the cadets raised his hand, as if he had a question.

When the instructor permitted him to speak, the cadet said.

“Since we have experienced the training simulation in this training ground, we are familiar with the terrain and obstacles here, but Heydam-nim is using this training ground for the first time. For the sake of fairness, shouldn’t we use a different terrain?”

At those words, the instructor glanced at me and replied in a flat voice.

“…It is a decision made because Heydam-nim said that no matter which zone it is, it is too advantageous to himself, so for the sake of fairness, the training must proceed in a space familiar to the cadets. There is no reversal.”

“……Pardon?”

The cadet who threw the question had a dumbfounded expression for a moment, and then soon flushed red upon realizing that they had been ignored by me.

The other cadets also began to stir as if dumbfounded, and the cadet named Plato, whom I had met before, was staring at me with his blue eyes as if he were about to eat me alive.

‘They really are still greenhorns.’

Seeing them drawing aggro from a ten-year-old before the training even starts, it doesn’t seem like it will be difficult to wipe these guys out.

Because a viper that is thoroughly irritated is bound to forget to protect its own body while preoccupied with the thought of inflicting a fatal wound on the enemy in front of its eyes.

* * *

“What kind of kid is that?”

Before starting the training in earnest, entering the starting point of each camp, a cadet vented his dissatisfaction.

“His dad is the commander, not him being a soldier, so with what confidence is he spouting off that he can beat us in our front yard?”

The other cadets also had faces agreeing with that cadet’s words, but since there were many listening eyes, a senior cadet raised his hand as if to tell them to calm down.

“Watch your mouth. The instructor is listening.”

“Did you not see that even the instructor was dumbfounded?”

The cadet who vented his dissatisfaction spoke in a loud voice, as if telling them to listen.

“His Excellency is also too much! Telling us to deal with a ten-year-old child… It seems he looks down too much on us cadets who will soon become officers!”

Mentally agreeing with those words, other cadets also began to speak up one by one.

“It is also strange that he didn’t change the training location, claiming he can deal with us alone. Isn’t he trying to make an excuse later that he lost because we fought in a place advantageous to us?”

“What if he really acts like that?”

“Anyway, if that happens, Heydam-nim loses. We should think of it as a relief that no pressure was handed down to let him win.”

“We are also busy with training, and so are the seniors. This is indeed a real waste of time!”

“Heydam-nim says he thinks the military academy is a waste of time, so doesn’t the commander emotionally agree to that too? The commander is also not from the military academy, is he!”

“Calm down, everyone.”

As the atmosphere seemed about to overheat, Plato, who had been listening quietly from the very back, stepped forward.

“I understand your resentment, but getting angry now won’t help. Can you guys, who couldn’t even say a single word in front of Heydam-nim but act like this behind his back, call yourselves proud military academy cadets?”

“W-Well…”

“I misspoke. I am sorry.”

“I am sorry.”

As the cadets went into a reflecting mood, Plato spoke with a slightly more serious expression.

“Listen carefully. Although I was also dumbfounded when Heydam-nim said he would deal with us alone, thinking about it carefully, Heydam-nim had no choice but to do so.”

“Had no choice but to do so?”

“First. No matter how outstanding our cadets are, they cannot coordinate well with Heydam-nim who is participating in the training for the first time. Just as you all do not think well of Heydam-nim right now, it means a cadet who became teammates with Heydam-nim also wouldn’t have been cooperative with him.”

“……”

Perhaps because they had been swearing until just now, the cadets had faces of understanding.

“Second. Since it would take a lot of effort to protect the weakest, Heydam-nim, teaming up Heydam-nim and a cadet is inefficient. And what if Heydam-nim got injured during the training? Wouldn’t the cadets who failed to protect him become troubled?”

As if that was also true, the cadets’ heads nodded simultaneously.

‘Sigh… to think these thoughtless bastards are the future officers.’

Plato let out a small sigh and finished speaking.

“Finally, third. If Heydam-nim is alone, he can hide his body in the terrain and obstacles as much as he wants. It means that with that small body, he can stealthily sneak into places where our cadets cannot pass.”

“Ah… hearing it like that, it seems to make sense.”

“Therefore, the strategy Heydam-nim will target is only one. Sneaking in secretly and planting the flag in our camp. Annihilating all of us would be impossible, but planting the flag while taking advantage of our lapse in vigilance is not so impossible. Looking at it that way, conducting the training in a terrain we are familiar with is also advantageous to Heydam-nim. Because we will think it’s familiar terrain and let our guard down. Making ignoring remarks on purpose was probably also meant to excite us and narrow our field of vision.”

When Plato’s words finished, all the surrounding cadets clapped lightly with expressions of great realization.

“Oh… as expected of Senior Plato! Hearing it like that, Heydam-nim’s remarks also make sense.”

“Heydam-nim entered the strategy from the moment he faced us. He didn’t really do that because he looked down on us.”

“……”

In fact.

Plato, who had spoken directly with Heydam in the principal’s office even if briefly.

Knew that Heydam looking down on the cadets was ‘genuine,’ but.

‘Knowing it is genuine doesn’t help. Because anger and carelessness are poison to executing a strategy. If by any chance one of the cadets harms Heydam-nim out of malice, it will become irreversible.’

Therefore, Plato had no choice but to say the following instead of telling the truth.

“Yes. He is a clever person as rumored. If Heydam-nim is that earnest about this training, it is only polite for us to deal with him in earnest too. The commander permitting this training was probably also intended to let Heydam-nim know that the military academy is not a waste of time. And this training helps us as well.”

“What kind of help?”

“Are you guys confident that you won’t let your guard down or show sympathy when you actually meet a young resident of another zone during a subjugation?”

“Ah…”

“Therefore, we must do our best in many ways to beat Heydam-nim. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, understood!”

Watching the cadets answer loudly, Plato wore a faint smile.

As long as they didn’t let their guard down, by any chance, there would be no losing to a ten-year-old child.

“I will lie in ambush near the flag and snipe Heydam-nim when he appears. You all should go toward Heydam-nim’s camp as loudly as possible, acting as if you are excited by anger. Since Heydam-nim must think our entire team is moving to feel safe sneaking near the flag, move clumped together as much as possible so he cannot count our numbers accurately.”

“Yes.”

“It would be easy to plant the flag in Heydam-nim’s camp while Heydam-nim has left his post, but he won’t realize anything that way. So pretend to move according to Heydam-nim’s strategy and strike him from behind.”

Simultaneously with finishing his words, the buzzer starting the training rang.

Plato nodded his head as if initiating the strategy and said.

“Go. Go drive the rabbit.”

“Roger!”

* * *

Discovering the cadets approaching toward my camp, I doubted my eyes.

‘What?’

Why are those guys moving clumped together, making it so easy to kill them?