After leaving the barracks on top of mountains.  

When did we encounter the most monsters?  

It was right when we were coming down from the mountains.  

“It was when zombies-turned-soldiers started shooting. The sound of their gunfire attracted all sorts of monsters.”  

And now that I think, it strangely overlaps with the current situation.  

Back then, it was truly a miracle that we survived.  

However.  

We didn’t come out of there empty-handed.  

Apart from escaping the unit and reaching the surface.  

We were able to secure the flesh of many useful monsters like the Alahfur.  

And.  

One of them was the Light Foot Slypa.   

After the gunfire echoed.  

It was one of the monsters that attacked us first.  

It had the appearance of a wolf with blue fur.  

Its peculiar feature was that it had six legs instead of the usual four.  

When it effortlessly leaped over the defenses of our allied warriors, we really thought we were done for.  

And.  

The effects we could obtain through its meat were quite predictable.  

[Light Foot Slypa Jerky made with care by a Junior Chef]    

[The dish has been consumed]  

[Drastic Increase in Agility]  

[The magic power of ‘Light foot Slypa’ contained in the dish permeates your body]  

[Acquired Temporary Attribute – Slypa’s Light foot (Deterioration)]  

[This attribute is unique to the Slypas. A beast with most of their magical power concentrated in their six legs. The chieftain of the Slypas, can be as big as ogres and can achieve unimaginable speed and movements irrespective of their size thanks to their six distinctive legs]  

[Significant increase in agility. From walking speed to jumping height, you will approach the realm of magical beasts, surpassing human realms]  

[However, the user may suffer from side effects due to its ‘Deteriorating effect’]  

“My legs feel so light!”  

“Even after awakening, this feeling is new!”  

We could immediately feel the effects.  

Compared to our usual speed our current speed was on a different dimension.  

It wasn’t just the effect of my dish alone.  

“The buffs from Lieutenant Kim and my dish… strangely complement each other.”  

Lieutenant Kim’s buff granting bonuses for retreating.  

Combined with the effects of my dish.  

The synergy wasn’t just double the effect of one buff alone.  

It might have been triple, no, quadruple.  

As a result.  

The speed at which we were running…  

Surpassed vehicles speeding at full speed down the highway.  

No.  

Actually, it was beyond that.  

“There, monsters are approaching!”  

When we had barely started running out of the building.  

We could see monsters approaching from afar.  

However.  

“The monsters are getting further away!”  

“Already?!”  

Because of our excessive speed.  

The monsters that were charging at us had to retreat in an instant and move far away.  

“Haha!”  

As we sprinted ahead.  

The wind brushed past our faces.  

And the scenery was changing rapidly with every step.  

While running like this, I felt a strange sense of liberation.  

Seeing the world in that state.  

Despite being human, I couldn’t help but accumulate stress.  

But the exhilaration I felt while running.  

Made even the stress that had built up disappear.  

“If it’s like this, there shouldn’t be any monsters chasing us!”  

“Sergeant Shin, this dish is really amazing!”  

“I know, right!”  

The soldiers running alongside me seemed to share a similar feeling.  

It was a peculiar sensation of rising excitement.  

Feeling good, I shouted to the soldiers.  

“Since we’ve come this far! Let’s just run back to the barracks!”  

“Yes!”  

“Lead the way, I’ll go ahead, Sergeant, take it slow!”  

“What did you say?”  

Anyway.  

It wasn’t that bad of a feeling.  

On top we had plenty of Slypa’s jerky.  

When feeling stressed, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to run like this occasionally.  

***  

I was crazy to even think of something like that.  

“Arghhh….”  

After returning to the unit.  

The first thing I did was.  

Collapsing in agony and groaning in pain.  

[Slypa’s Light foot (Deterioration)]  

The attribute obtained through cooking.  

Their effects are remarkable, but.  

The problem lies in the “(Deterioration)” mentioned at the end.  

[However, the user may suffer from side effects due to its ‘Deteriorating effect’]  

Just like the Enhanced Hearing (Deteriorating effect) incident.  

This time also there was a statement indicating the existence of side effects.  

Previously, I could immediately understand what they meant by side effects.  

But this time, I didn’t know.  

Slypa, a monster with six legs.  

The results of using that characteristic as bipeds.  

“My, my muscles…”  

“Arghhh….”  

“The medical unit, save me….”  

“Argh… even the medics are down.”  

“Insane….”  

After the effects of the attribute ended.  

A tremendous muscle ache swept over us.  

All of us were lying on the floor.  

Rolling here and there in agony.  

“If only we had just outrun the monsters and walked slowly….”  

Continuously exerting ourselves to the point of straining our leg muscles.  

If we had slowed down midway, it wouldn’t have been like this.  

Damn it.  

From now on, this dish will be pretty much off the menu.  

***  

A few hours after my unit and I fell ill 

“Cough, cough.”  

A few deserters arrived at the barracks, following us.  

Unlike stats that don’t apply to civilians.  

Attributes can affect even ordinary individuals.  

These guys also had the same jerky as us, which allowed them to escape.  

“We, we were wrong. Please forgive us….”  

“We’re sorry. We’re sorry….”  

As a result of eating the dish embed with [Deep sense of guilt]    

These guys approached us engulfed in guilt.  

“The guilt they’re feeling is probably due to my dish.”  

Once the effects of the dish wear off.  

The guilt, too, will likely disappear, leaving behind only traces.  

“I should have lived by farming. I’m really sorry.  

“Farming? “What are you talking about?”  

Although it seems like he is sincerely repenting right now.  

I don’t know to what extent those are truly their feelings.  

There is no reason to be shaken by that sight.  

“How are they doing?”  

“These guys. They’re not awakened. The side effects of their attributes are worse than other soldiers’. They’ll probably be bedridden and out of their senses for a few weeks.”  

Instead of the medics lying down in pain.  

Our military priest was taking care of the soldiers.  

“So, what will you do?” Lance Corporal Shin Jungsu asked.  

“I’ve heard about the deserters. If these guys had just deserted, it would be something we could overlook, but…”  

“That’s right. They pointed guns at people.”  

That part is an unforgivable crime.  

“If the military’s system was working properly, they would have been executed by firing squad.”  

However.  

“For now, treat them.”  

“Yes?”  

“And when they wake up, call me. They should be given a meal too.”  

“A meal? Why are you being so kind to these guys?”  

“”It’s not because I like them.”  

“….?”  

“Rather the opposite.”  

“Just executing them like that?  

“That seems a bit wasteful, doesn’t it?”  

From the start,  

If you consider the punishment these guys deserve, a simple death might actually be merciful.  

But, sorry,  

I’m not exactly known for being lenient.  

“We can’t just let them off that easily.”  

For these guys,  

I’ve got something more severe than death in mind.  

[Title – The Chef of Reformation]  

[Chef’s Special Sauce of Deep Repentance]  

As the eternal juniors of our unit,  

They’ll face a punishment that’ll make life feel like hell.  

Choosing plunder as a comfortable way to survive,  

And when that option was blocked, unlike the others who ultimately chose a peaceful death.  

“At least these guys… made an effort to live.”  

There’s a will to survive.  

They’ve met the minimum criteria for joining our unit.  

“We’ve been struggling with manpower shortages as it is.”  

The culprits behind that shortage are these deserters.  

They should bear the responsibility, shouldn’t they?  

I guarantee you,  

“Their remaining military life won’t be easy.”  

***  

While I and other unit members were laid up with fatigue,  

Not all unit members were just idling around.  

“I’ll be off for the final awakening operation.”  

“Yeah. Sorry for just lying around.”  

“No worries. Rest up.”  

Since the defense forces and awakening operations were handled separately within the barracks,  

The soldiers tasked with awakening rotated shifts,  

While those in good condition continued to awaken survivors.  

Given that we were in the final stages of awakening,  

The last ones remaining were the Lee siblings we had encountered at the mart, Lee Suyeon and Lee Suhyuk.  

Since they belonged to a guild with roots in the military unit,  

The awakening process was arranged based on the order of joining the unit.  

“I’m sorry I can’t help directly. But those brothers there. No, the uncles. Just do as they say, and you’ll be fine. Relax. Don’t worry.”  

“Sigh. I’m actually more worried about the guild master.”  

“Haha”  

Fortunately, the siblings didn’t seem too tense.  

A few hours after they finished their report and left,  

It was evident that the awakening operation had been completed.  

[Guild: Steel Legion]  

[Corps Commander: Shin Young-joon]  

[Deputies: Lee Min-jae, Jeon Gwang-il, Seo Su-hyeok, Lee Sang-ah, Park Taejun]  

[Members: 128]  

The number in the guild information window had changed,  

“It feels like a fresh start.”  

When we left the mountain range, our unit had exactly 100 members.  

A group teetering on the edge of being a “guild.”  

Now, that number had increased to 128.  

There were no “survivors” left in our unit now.  

Everyone had taken their place as members of the legion.  

A few days later,  

By the time the muscle pain of the unit’s member had disappeared to some extent.  

“Everyone not on duty, gather for a meeting.”  

“As an awakened individual, it’s my first time attending a meeting, so I’m a bit nervous.”  

“What’s the big deal? Relax.”  

During morning roll call,  

All unit members gathered for the meeting.  

The small pavilion in the barracks.  

I cleared my throat before addressing the assembled soldiers.  

“Ahem. First off, the most important task, the awakening of survivors, has been completed. You’ve all worked hard.”  

As I spoke, I looked out at the soldiers gathered before me.  

Once huddled in a corner as survivors,  

They were now scattered throughout the units as members of different squads.  

Men, women, and children, all dressed in uniforms made by Lee Sang-ah.  

“The unit’s strength has increased significantly.”  

“Yes, I agree.”  

It wasn’t just a matter of adding 20 more people.  

It was something beyond that.  

“Since there’s a variety of awakened occupations, there should be more synergy now.”  

Similar to how my buff and Lieutenant Kim’s buff overlapped to produce a greater effect,  

When awakened individuals of various occupations gather, they could produce greater synergies.  

“Now that our strength has been bolstered, there’s something I’d like to propose.”  

“Yes?”  

“What is it?”  

Before I could speak,  

I glanced at Corporal Seo Su-hyeok.  

He stood there, arms crossed, seemingly without much expectation.  

It didn’t take long for his expression to change.  

“Ammunition procurement.”  

“… What?”  

Corporal Seo Su-hyeok’s eyes widened in surprise.  

Given his typically stoic demeanor, it was easy to tell.  

That guy.  

He was clearly excited right now.  

“Ammunition procurement. Are you serious?”  

“But how?”  

It wasn’t just Corporal Seo Su-hyeok.  

Even the awakened as marksmen soldiers,  

Given the situation where ammunition was running low along with the noise of gunfire, they couldn’t exert their full strength.  

So, hearing news of ammunition replenishment was quite exciting for them.  

“Perhaps we were too caught up in muscle pain to explain?”  

Information from survivors and deserters.  

I decided to explain this to the bewildered marksmen.  

“There’s an ammunition supply point nearby.”  

“… Yes?”  

“An ammunition supply point…”   

It was Lieutenant Kim who continued the explanation after receiving my cue.  

“It’s also known as ASP.”  

Ammunition Supply Point.  

Or simply, an ammunition depot.  

A unit also known as an ammunition battalion.  

“There are many names for it, but its role is simple. It’s a unit that stores ammunition and supplies it to the nearby units.”  

The soldiers, who only focused on their own duties, were often unaware of such topics.  

But Lieutenant Kim was at least a company commander and had some knowledge about it.  

“The ammunition battalion that was just mentioned is actually the one responsible for supplying our battalion with ammunition. I’ve actually been there quite a few times.”  

“… Yes?”  

“If you knew about such a place, why didn’t you mention it sooner?”  

“We didn’t have the luxury to procure ammunition until now. I was planning to suggest it once the awakening was completed. Something along the lines of joining forces with nearby units. But then…”  

A sigh escaped Lieutenant Kim.  

“I didn’t expect that unit to be wiped out.”  

“Wiped out?”  

“Not just the ammunition depot. It seems like most units, except ours, have been wiped out.”  

This revelation was followed by more explanations about the situation.  

The lizards that attacked our unit.  

Similar monsters seemed to have attacked other units as well.  

“Come to think of it…”  

A voice rose among the unit members.  

It was from one of the siblings who had awakened a few days ago, Lee Suyeon.  

“Come to think of it, in recent days she was more active with the survivors than vice guild master, Lee Sang-ah herself.”  

“Did you hear about the military units being wiped out?”  

“Ah, it’s related to that, but it’s more like an extension. The larger the unit, the stronger the monsters that appeared, it seems.”  

Hmm.  

Now that I think about it, that seems plausible.  

“The stronger the unit, the stronger the monsters need to wipe it out.”  

The lizards that attacked our unit were powerful, but…  

If they had attacked a place like the corps headquarters, they would have somehow managed to fend it off, right?  

But.  

If that were the case, then there’s something odd.  

“No, the stories told by the survivors that we had encountered in the middle doesn’t makes sense.”  

Every military unit suffered attacks from unusually powerful monster hordes.  

But does that really mean that every military unit perished?  

It’s hard to dismiss it as lies or rumors.  

In reality, most of the monsters that descended to the surface and clashed weren’t as strong as the lizard horde.  

At best, they could be compared to that Max.  

But going further from there,  

Did stronger military units encounter stronger monsters?  

“It’s hard to believe that monsters would enjoy fighting with the strong.”  

Especially, stronger monsters appearing only around military units.  

“Such a coincidence… seems unlikely.”  

It’s definitely a phenomenon that can’t be attributed to chance or coincidence.  

I sensed some intent here.  

To attack humanity.  

First, they want to suppress the military unit, which is the core of the human force.  

‘Clearly with malicious intent.’  

It’s a headache-inducing situation.  

First the sudden appearance of monsters, and then phenomena like awakening.  

There must be a clear cause behind it.  

I couldn’t figure out the cause immediately.  

If there’s any hint at all.  

[World Event – Occupation War in Progress.]  

The Occupation War.  

Since this world is urging us to engage in an occupation war.  

By pursuing that, perhaps we can grasp some clues.  

To succeed in the occupation war, ultimately, we need to strengthen our power.  

Securing ammunition is also part of that.  

“The location of the ammunition battalion is here.”  

Lieutenant Kim unfolded the military map and spoke.  

Some of the soldiers who saw the location expressed doubts.  

“Hmm?”  

“Isn’t the area a bit large?”  

Because the area shown on the military map was quite vast.  

“Oh. Surely not all of that is military units-.”  

“Yes, all of that area belonged to the military.”  

“….”  

“ASP is actually quite extensive. It’s on a rugged mountain, so it’s hard to compare its size with our relatively small unit.”  

The soldiers understood Lieutenant Kim’s words.  

“Oh. Didn’t we hear rumors that the stronger the unit, the stronger the monsters they encountered?”  

“If those rumors are true… how strong are the monsters there?”  

“Hmm. That’s unknown.”  

Unlike the soldiers,  

Lieutenant Kim had a relatively composed face.  

“I told you, right? This is the ‘Ammunition Battalion.’ Our unit is the ‘Anti-Aircraft Battalion.'”  

“Well, that’s…”  

“In terms of unit organization, our unit is considered the same as this battalion.”  

A unit of this size is only a battalion.  

“Think of it as a characteristic of an ammunition compartment or ammunition supply base.”  

Lieutenant Kim’s explanation continued.  

“Especially here, it’s where ammunition for all kinds of weapons used in the front lines passes through. The amount stored is quite substantial.”  

“What does that have to do with anything?”  

“Because there’s a high risk of ammunition exploding, and if something goes wrong, it could lead to a chain reaction explosion. Even in storage, the distance between each type of ammunition shouldn’t be too close. Thanks to that, each building is large, and there’s a considerable distance between them and other buildings.”  

“Oh, I see.”  

So, that area is just wide, but the density of buildings is quite low.  

“Considering the number of personnel stationed in the ammunition battalion, it should be similar to our unit. Even if we take into account that our unit is relatively small in size, there shouldn’t be much difference.”  

“If that’s the case.”  

“The probability is high that the monsters appearing in the ammunition battalion are at a similar level to the monsters appearing in our unit. Ah, of course, this is based on the assumption that the rumor about ‘strong units encountering strong monsters’ is true.”  

Although Lieutenant Kim’s explanation ended,  

The expressions of the unit members were still uneasy.  

“Isn’t it dangerous? Knowing that strong monsters like those steel lizards are occupying that place.”  

“It’s not a defense battle. If we are the ones attacking… Well…”  

“If it’s deemed dangerous, we can retreat. Besides, obtaining ammunition isn’t the only reason.”  

“Excuse me?”  

While this aspect is far from practical purposes,  

It’s one of the major reasons.  

“We’re still soldiers.”  

Checking how other military units perished,  

And recapturing the captured units, isn’t that what we should do?  

“Sigh. It would have been nice if we had heard about the monsters that appeared in the unit from the deserters.”  

Due to the revelation during the interrogation.  

We forgot to ask about the most important information.  

Currently, due to the ‘deterioration’ attribute of the combat ration, those guys are unconscious.  

According to the medic, they might stay unconscious for a few weeks.  

It’s difficult to wake them up and ask.  

But wasting several weeks, each day is crucial.  

“Hmm. If we visit the ammunition battalion, I have one suggestion.”  

Lieutenant Kim said.  

Now that I think about it, he mentioned visiting a few times before.  

“Here. This mountain?”  

“Yes. What about this mountain?”  

Pointing to the map, Lieutenant Kim spoke.  

What came out of his mouth was quite surprising.  

“Actually, if you look down from here, you can see part of the Ammunition Battalion.”  

“Really!?”  

“I’m sure. Whenever we pass through this mountain path to the Ammunition Battalion from our unit, I’ve seen that view every time. There’s no mistaking it.”  

If it’s true, then this information was incredibly useful.  

And on top of that.  

 If you can at least roughly see the situation inside the battalion, the risk will be significantly reduced.  

Moreover.  

“Hmm. If we can see inside.”  

“Fool, that’s not all.”  

“What?”  

“Sergeant’s eyes!”  

“Ah!”  

My skill.  

[Chef’s Eyes] might also help identify the weaknesses of monsters in advance.  

“Oh? If you think about it that way.”  

“It should be more than enough.”  

The opinions of the soldiers who thought it was dangerous started changing slowly.  

“Does anyone else have a different opinion?”  

“….”  

“Alright.”  

It’s been almost three months since contact was lost with other military units.  

Finally.  

The time to visit another unit has come.  

* * *  

We boarded the vehicle modified by the engineers and began to move towards the vicinity of the ammunition battalion.  

As Lieutenant Kim said.  

The scenery of the ammunition battalion came into view.  

But.  

“Hmm…”  

“How should I put it.”  

The scenery there was a bit unexpected.  

“It’s too quiet, isn’t it?”  

The unit which was reported to be occupied by monsters.  

Inside there.  

It was strangely empty.