Chapter 03

It was horrible working with you, and I hope we never meet again

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It was horrible working with you, and I hope we never meet again

The sweetest water in the world is said to be the spring found just before dying of thirst in the middle of the desert. The fruit called freedom, received after the agony of extreme exploitation. At this moment, I was tasting it.

"Discharged! I'm discharged! I can finally get out of this hellhole! No more living with those damn women!"

Originally, when I graduated from the military academy, I thought the moment of discharge would bring tears of blood to my eyes. It was natural. Discharge for a soldier is equivalent to being fired. I had entered this field with the goal of surviving to the end and earning stars, determined to endure no matter what difficulties I faced.

However, at this moment, as a 29-year-old packing my bags for discharge, not a single tear of blood fell. Instead, humming was coming automatically. 

If there were any tears, they would be tears of joy and delight, not despair and frustration.

'Is this how sergeants feel when they get discharged? No, this must be better. They could at least count down to their discharge date, but I spent every day in hell without any end in sight!'

With those thoughts, I packed my things at a record speed. My room in the guild annex looked like a warehouse with stuff piled everywhere, but there wasn't much I needed to take. All my military gear and weapons had to be left behind. 

Since I no longer had to worry about reserve forces or civil defense, I didn't need to take my uniform either.

"Well, I should take the combat boots. They're as good as high-end hiking boots."

So, the only things I ended up taking were my combat boots, dog tags, a book I had been slowly reading in my scarce free time, a diary, and my phone. I decided to leave the instant coffee and crackers piled in the corner for someone else to deal with.

After packing what I needed, I finally turned my gaze to the most significant items in the room: the dozens of notebooks and books piled up like mountains. These were the results of my three years of analyzing the Abyss, organizing their habits and strategies, and devising countermeasures and tactics for the war.

I'm sorry if this is a bit disorganized. It's just that the relief and joy of finally being free from this place are overwhelming.

About 70% of the contents of this room were filled with the work and materials I had meticulously compiled over the years as the vice-commander. 

Each item bore my mark, a testament to how diligently I had worked. These things filled me with pride, showing how hard I had strived.

However, I had no intention of taking these items with me. The sheer volume aside, I had already concluded that I no longer needed to concern myself with these matters. But, I wasn't planning to organize or dispose of them myself, not out of consideration for my successor, but because I knew the expert our merciful guild master would bring in would be far more competent than I was.

 Such a person wouldn't need the haphazard notes I had made.

The biggest reason was that I had no obligation to clean up before leaving. Besides, having spent three years painstakingly compiling these materials, it felt wrong to destroy them myself.

Deciding to leave behind the records of my three years of hard work, I packed the last of my belongings into a box and sealed it tightly with tape. The weight of the box was incredibly light compared to the weight of what I was leaving behind, as if it foretold the light and happy life of freedom that awaited me.

With the box in hand, I left the room that was no longer mine without a hint of regret and soon arrived at the exit of the base. This marked the end of my military life. Ahead lay a new path as a civilian. 

Feeling a thrill at this realization, I raised my voice one last time toward those who couldn't hear me.

"It was disgusting working with you, and I hope we never meet again!"

The C-rank Hunters guarding the entrance flinched slightly at my words. Flashing them one final, beaming smile, I took out my phone, left the guild's group chat, and immediately blocked it. But not before posting one last video in the chat.

A scene from an anime I had watched as a child. The heroine in a dress, waving her hand and shouting...

The famous scene I had always wanted to use.

*

—Huh?

—What's that?

—Wait a minute... What is this?

Three Hunters, who were maintaining their equipment in the living quarters, stared blankly at their phones, puzzled by the incomprehensible video and the accompanying message.

The message that appeared in the group chat of the 28th Guild, where all the guild members were present, took longer for people to understand than expected.

—Why did the vice-commander leave?

—I don't know. It seems he's blocked us, since we can't even invite him back. What in the world happened all of a sudden?

—The vice-commander blocked us? That doesn't seem like him... What's going on?

Jin-Hyeon Lee, who had practically managed the guild's group chat, delivering non-confidential notices and updates, left the chat with no prior warning, leaving only a farewell video. This bewildered not only the Hunters in the living quarters but most of the Hunters in the base as well.

Among them, the A-rank Hunters, who had some insight into the guild's internal affairs, reacted particularly sensitively and expressed deep concern.

—Hey... could it be?

—No way... but it seems like that 'no way' is actually happening.

—Honestly, I agree. You've seen how those S-rank Hunters treated the vice-commander, haven't you?

The A-rank Hunters often visited the officers' quarters for reports and other matters, witnessing firsthand the hardships Jin-Hyeon endured. Although they couldn't confront the S-rank Hunters, who were both their superiors and immensely powerful, they had a pretty good idea of what was happening.

They knew how the four Hunters treated Vice-Commander Jin-Hyeon.

"We knew this would happen someday, but to think he would just suddenly discharge like this..."

As the realization set in, the mood in the guild grew increasingly tense.

—Honestly, he held out for a long time, didn't he? If it were me, I wouldn't have lasted four days, let alone four years, in that situation.

—True, you've got a point.

—Quitting after dealing with them? If it were me, I wouldn't have posted a resignation video—I would have left after cursing them out.

The A-rank Hunters, while feeling a bit shocked by the vice-commander's sudden discharge, expressed their sympathy. However, soon enough, their thoughts shifted from worrying about Jin-Hyeon to worrying about their own futures.

—Hey, with the vice-commander gone, what happens to our 28th Guild now?

—Well, obviously...

They couldn't finish the sentence. The A-rank Hunters, who often found themselves on the front lines more frequently than the S-rank Hunters, couldn't help but picture an unwelcomed scenario.

And then, the most straightforward among them voiced what everyone was thinking.

"We're screwed."