Chapter 55.2

Chapter 55.2

Soon, Lee Wooshin threw the empty bottle to the ground and gestured to an awaiting instructor for another one. His gaze remained firmly on Seoryeong until he received a new bottle.

“Trainee Han Seoryeong, do you know this?”

His eyes, usually covered by the midnight clouds, seemed darker than usual. He spoke slowly as he opened the bottle.

“When commanding on-site, unexpected variables are bound to appear. And the commander must quickly decide whether to eliminate or control them.”

Lee Wooshin slowly tilted the bottle.

“Until now, I’ve only focused on eliminating variables in front of me… but my thinking has changed.”

“Ugh…!”

Already freezing, the strong liquor poured over her head made it worse.

“―Trainee Han… comfort, I’ll find it for you”

Ugh… what? Although he was clearly speaking to her, she missed part of his words due to the sharp alcohol spreading across her skin.

Behind her, the waves were crashing against her body, and in front, the yellow liquor flowed down from her head to her chin, making it impossible to open her eyes.

Coldness pierced her from all sides like a thousand needles. Damn, this is awful. Seoryeong gritted her teeth and steadied her mind, which was already beginning to waver.

“So, let’s endure this Hell Week together.”

Truly, Hell Week.

For mercenaries sent to foreign lands, the enemy’s territory is hell. Thus, basic human needs like food, sleep, and even toilet breaks are often not guaranteed. This training was a direct simulation of such conditions.

For seven days, they couldn’t sleep, change clothes, and had to eat with their hands and take care of their bodily needs on their own.

During this time, they were not allowed to remove the training uniforms and boots they wore once. Although it was harsh training, Hell Week was a crucial period for assessing their adaptability.

The surroundings quickly filled with a sour, stinging smell. The dizziness from merely breathing it in seemed not unique to her, as Lee Wooshin also wrinkled his nose and licked his lower lip, appearing tipsy. Seoryeong clenched her teeth tightly and began counting the days left until the end of training.

Kim Hyun-ah, sweetheart, you bastard. I’m enduring this hell just to get you.

Seoryeong shook her head side to side, blinking her wet eyelashes. As she clattered her teeth thinking of the future, the instructors were launching IBS, large rubber boats, into the water.

At that moment, Lee Wooshin uttered words like a bolt from the blue.

“From now on, we’re going to group you into teams and test your maritime mobility. The team that ranks last when Hell Week ends will be expelled entirely.”

The training was vastly different from the solitary endurance exercises she had been used to. Seoryeong, who was inherently terrible at group activities and living collectively, inwardly clicked her tongue.

Suppressing the sudden surge of anxiety, she tensely watched as the names of the team members were called one by one.

And finally, her name was called.

“Damn…”

The guy who immediately cursed upon seeing her was the cocky macho, Seong Wookchan. Along with him, her team members included Dong Jiwoo, a steadfast guy despite his reputation as a coward, an unstable stutterer who seemed more in need of care than a mercenary, and a braggart who often boasted about the things he picked up here and there. These were the people she would carry the inflatable boat with for the hell week.

Seoryeong sighed inwardly.

Is this combination doomed from the start?

However, the clear looks of dismay and helplessness on her team members’ faces all seemed to converge on her.

Could it be that I’m the weakest link in this shoddy team? It was only then she realized she was the weakest even in this poor group. She wasn’t in a position to complain about others.

Beep―!

When the whistle blew, they clamped their mouths shut and entered the sea with the inflatable boat on their heads.

The seawater fiercely hit below their chests, and the weight pressed down on their heads like they were buried under a rock.

Moreover, with her teammates averaging over 180 cm in height, Seoryeong had to struggle to support the boat with both hands. Her wrists soon went numb, but the training was just beginning.

However, if she could endure hell week, the rest would be easy.

Even in this bone-crushing moment, the faint outline of Kim Hyun flickered before her eyes.

The real chase with him would only begin if she completed the Blast Company training without passing out or giving up.

“Damn…! If I fail, it’s all because of her. Why do I have to be in the same team with a woman and take the fall for it? This isn’t a team, it’s a penalty! Damn it, what am I supposed to do with these losers!”

Despite everything, Seong Wookchan continued to grumble and pick fights.

What did Instructor Lee Wooshin say earlier?

Seoryeong furrowed her brow, trying to remember. Didn’t he say he’d find something…?

As her thoughts tangled inside and out, she reflexively blurted it out.