20 Episode 20 - Item Making, Part II (1/2)
Chapter 7. Item Making, Part II
Translator: Khan
Editor: RED
4.
Kim Tae-hoon was looking at the pictures on his smartphone.
------
[Hobgoblin's Crystal]
- The skill of Mana increases when ingested.
- The skill of Mana Resistance increases when ingested.
- The power of a Hobgoblin [Hobgoblin's Sense] can be acquired when ingested.
------
Kim Tae-hoon's fingers flicked through the picture.
------
[Hobgoblin's Horn]
- The horn of Hobgoblin has a mysterious power. Some of the effects of that power are exercised when ingested.
------
He flipped the picture again.
------
[Basic Abilities]
- Strength: 69
- Health: 45
[Special Abilities]
- Energy: E rank
- Mana: E+ Rank
- Telekinesis: A Rank
- Defense: E Rank
- Mana Resistance: E+ rank
[Achieved abilities]
- Black Skin (Grade 6)
- The vitality of Troll (Grade 6)
- Hobgoblin's Sense (Grade 6): You can sense and understand the presence of a stronger enemy than yourself earlier and more accurately.]
------
Kim Tae-hoon took his eyes off his smartphone when he got to the picture with the mark of his right hand.
Kim Tae-hoon looked up.
He saw a fairly wide training ground, the bodies of the monsters all over the ground, soldiers atop the corpses and practicing the dissection of corpses to get the hearts out, and soldiers who had already come out of the area and smoking with bloody hands.
He listened to them talking.
”Huh, I didn't know I'd dissect monsters in my life. My hands are still shaking.”
”So are mine.”
”Shit, but this damn hard work makes the cigarette taste excellent, excellent.”
The faces of the soldiers spitting out cigarette smoke were fatigued.
”It has been a really long damn day.”
”Has it been a day?”
”I think the clock is wrong.”
”I can't believe it's January 1st. It seems that it's been about ten years.”
It was a day of eternity.
---
The traces were also on Kim Tae-hoon's face.
'A day has passed.'
Kim Tae-hoon could not easily believe that the year he looked up and was prepared to fall was the New Year, 2017.
A long sigh came from his mouth. White breath steamed in front of him.
Memories of the past began to grow dim after hard work and proper rest for more than 24 hours.
The faces of many people came to his mind. Now the faces could only be seen in memory. At the same time, his expression hardened.
A woman approached Kim Tae-hoon.
”We've divided and loaded the weapons into the dump truck, two military trucks, and four SUVs.”
It was Lieutenant Kim Soo-ji.
”Well done.” He was sitting on a crudely-made wooden bench and gave a short answer to Kim Soo-ji's words. He did not turn his gaze to her.
Kim Soo-ji looked down at him silently without turning around. Kim Tae-hoon finally spoke up.
”If you have something to say, say it.”
”May I know what your rank is?”
”It's Major.”
”Ah.”
Kim Soo-ji nodded, unsurprised at his words.
Major… She didn't know his age.
However, Kim Tae-hoon did not look very old, around the early thirties, so she was surprised.
The rank of major in the Korean army is that of a soldier who takes an elite course within the shortest period of time possible.
Moreover, it is the best elite course ever, where he has been promoted without a single stop. If someone took such an elite course, his name would be known early in the military.
She bet if Kim Tae-hoon did normal activities as an officer, he would never have become a major.
In other words, all the activities Kim Tae-hoon had done so far are not normal.
”Excuse me, can you tell me who you served under?”
”I served under Major General Chang Young-sung, and it's meaningless to ask further.”
”What do you mean, it's meaningless?”
”There will be no official documents to find and read. No matter what I say, there is no evidence to prove I exist.”
”I don't care about the evidence.”
When Kim Soo-ji kept pressing, Kim Tae-hoon raised his head and looked at her. He could see her eyes were determined.
'I do not think that Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong would tell a good story about Major General Jang Young-sung.'
Her grandfather, Brigadier General Kim Jae-ryong, would know full well the role of Major General Chang Young-sung.
That's why he must have warned his granddaughter, ”Don't get involved with major general Chang Young-sung in any way.”
Nevertheless, she asked the questions. It meant that she was fully prepared.
Kim Soo-ji was a model of a woman soldier who thought it was a sin to ask questions to her boss.
Therefore, Kim Tae-hoon told her about his affiliation. ”A secret unit created to assassinate or destroy the factors or groups that threaten the nation. The unit that doesn't even have a name is my affiliation.”
And that brief explanation was enough to guess what Kim Tae-hoon has been doing as a soldier.
At the same time, she could fully guess that Kim Tae-hoon was a member of such a secret special unit and had a rank that did not fit his age. It was evidence of his outstanding activities beyond active duty.
In addition, Kim Soo-ji could understand the meaning of the warning that her grandfather gave.
”Thank you for telling me.”
He closed his eyes without answering.
When he closed his eyes, he remembered the faces that had just come up with, the faces he could only remember now. They spoke to him.
'You must survive, at least you must survive, the boss should survive, and at least you will survive...'
Kim Tae-hoon swallowed a bitter smile at the words.
'I didn't become a soldier to survive, but from a certain moment surviving became my sole purpose.'
Kim Tae-hoon talked, swallowing a bitter smile.
”Is that the end of the questions?”
Kim Soo-ji seemed to think this was an opportunity, and immediately asked another question. ”Why did you organize a private organization called a clan? You could act in the name of the army.”
”If I work in the name of the army, I cannot go hunting monsters without ignoring the people and the nation. Of course, if I look at what the ROK military has done in the meantime, it will not be a big flaw if I go kill monsters in the name of the military.”
Kim Tae-hoon did not add that as he violated the spirit of the military to live, he could call it a real desire to keep living. Even if he did not add that, the meaning would be enough.
”Boss.” An uninvited guest appeared.