Chapter 1534 Making Preparations (4)

“What is up with all this whining? It’s only been a few laps, okay? Move faster, goddamn it!”

Bang Jin-Hun chided the Assembly martial artists, the decibel of his voice surprisingly low. However, it still sounded louder than thunderclaps to his poor audience.

“Tsk, tsk! Would you look at these idiots falling behind?! Young generations these days!”

“Urgh...!”

A panting and wheezing martial artist running behind Cheon Tae-Hun caught up to him and asked, “W-what’s gotten into Director Bang?”

The heavily sweating Cheon Tae-Hun shot back. “Just shut up and keep running, okay?”

“Blooming hell...!”

Cheon Tae-Hun wiped the streaming sweat away from his face while shouting in his mind, You think I’d know?!

Anyone who had spent some time living in a group environment, like that of the military, should know the truth: there didn’t have to be rhyme or reason for a superior officer’s mood abruptly falling to the pits.

These existences called the higher-ups could be such a mysterious and profound force. They could be staring out their office window one minute before suddenly experiencing a downturn in their mood and tormenting their subordinates next!

It was the Martial Assembly members’ misfortune that Bang Jin-Hun’s mood had to sour at this precise moment.

“You idiots are too damn lazy! And weak! You’re supposed to be martial artists! How can you be out of breath already after jogging around for a bit?! Just how bad was your training until now that you’re all like this?! I’m telling you, you’re all goddamn lazy!”

Director Bang! If we keep running at this speed, someone will die for sure! You should thank all the harsh training we went through for letting us survive this abuse until now, sir! Without that, we...

“I... I’m out. Ku-rururuk...”

A martial artist running ahead of Cheon Tae-Hun collapsed as foam bubbled out of his mouth.

Plop!

Yup, that’s the inevitable end result, sir!

Cheon Tae-Hun jumped over the collapsed man and kept running. Trying to help his fallen comrade would only turn him into a target for Bang Jin-Hun’s ire, after all!

“What’s this? You dare collapse on me?”

Bang Jin-Hun frowned slightly while walking over to the collapsed martial artists. But then, he grabbed the poor man’s collar and dragged him over to the side of the athletics field.

Whoosh!

When Bang Jin-Hun tossed the fallen martial artist at the waiting crowd, they swiftly examined the man’s state before jotting his name down on a list.

“Make sure to record everyone who has failed, okay?!”

“Yes, sir!”

“I’m telling you, these youngsters are way too weak!”

Bang Jin-Hun glared furiously at the still-running martial artists.

Those on the receiving end of his verbal abuse felt deeply aggrieved by this situation. Because, they had been covering the same distance a marathon runner might cover in a race all the while running at a speed that most 100m Olympic sprinters would have been envious of!

Ordinary people would have collapsed already from a heart attack or something by now!

“You bastards! Did you really think you could neglect your stamina just because you have cultivation and whatnot?! What will save your lives in the end isn’t your cultivation but your stamina, okay!? I’ve even seen some of you relying on your cultivation when walking around! Seriously? Do I have to rip your guts out for you to wake the hell up?!”

“...”

“I dare you! I dare you to drop out! If you think these passed-out fellas are having a good time over here, I dare you to fall down yourselves! I promise to give you all the tender loving care you could ever ask for!”

Who would want to drop out after listening to such a powerful pep talk?!

Cheon Tae-Hun gritted his teeth and kept running.

Why! Why is every higher-up in this place like Director Bang?!

Did the sight of their subordinates taking a quick break get on their nerves or something?

Just as Cheon Tae-Hun’s thoughts reached that far...

“What are you all doing?”

Everyone’s head snapped toward that voice.

“A-Assembly Master!”

“Ah, aaaah!”

“You’re finally here!”

They all saw Kang Jin-Ho leisurely approaching the athletics field, and hope quickly filled their hearts. Because they could see the unimpressed expression on the face of the Martial Assembly’s Angel of Welfare and Well-being!

Bang Jin-Hun rushed over to Kang Jin-Ho and bowed a little. “Good to see you, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew slightly colder. “Training?”

“Yes, sir. These kids seem to lack stamina these days, you see?”

“Hmm...?”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the track and all the martial artists filling up the space. They were pleading with him with their eyes while still lapping the athletics field.

“Everyone, stop.”

The moment Kang Jin-Ho had issued his order, everyone stopped immediately and plopped down on their butts.

“Huff, huff! Wheeze!”

“Uwaaa... I’m dying, dude. I’m... dying...!”

They panted and wheezed loudly. Kang Jin-Ho frowned at this sight and glanced back at Bang Jin-Hun, clearly dissatisfied.

“This kind of training won’t be much of a help, though?”

Bang Jin-Hun sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “Well, mm... Yes, I agree this training won’t help martial artists a lot, but poor fundamentals and stamina will make it harder for them to utilize what they already know, you see? However, if you are not happy with this method, we’ll stop immediately.”

Everyone’s complexion brightened, then they hurriedly stared at Kang Jin-Ho.

I knew it! As expected of our Assembly Master!

Yes, he was not a boomer! I told you, didn’t I!

Please save us, sir!

These martial artists had no problem whatsoever with the idea of training. Getting stronger was the wish, the end goal, of everyone calling the Martial Assembly their home, after all. However, they all agreed that this type of training wouldn’t help much with their goal.

If they were being honest, they would rather toil over much more effective training methods than something this inefficient.

However, the only person who could stop Bang Jin-Hun in this place was Kang Jin-Ho. There were other directors who were older and stronger than Bang Jin-Hun, yes, but none of them would want to butt in when it came to preferred training methods.

That was because they respected each other’s boundaries and methods. Not butting in was a sign of respect from their perspective. On top of that, they also tacitly agreed that the Martial Assembly’s original members and their training methods were Bang Jin-Hun’s jurisdiction.

However, one person was not bound by this agreement, and he was now standing before their very eyes! And their fervent, expectant gazes burrowed powerfully into that man’s face!

Unfortunately for them, however... This situation rapidly flowed in a direction they did not expect.

“What’s the point of running around on a flat piece of land like this?”

“...?”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned even more in dissatisfaction. “You don’t have unlimited time, right? Meanwhile, there are plenty of things to learn and practice, too. In that case, train more efficiently. What you’re doing is only good for stamina training, but not much else besides.”

Bang Jin-Hun nodded meekly. “Y-yes, that’s true...”

“In that case, let’s get some field training while you’re at it, too.”

Kang Jin-Ho unfurled his index finger and pointed somewhere. At first, even Bang Jin-Hun couldn’t figure out what Kang Jin-Ho was pointing at. All he could see was, well...

“...? H-hang on? You mean, that mountain over there, sir?”

“Mm!” Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Our outdoor battles will take place in locations like that. Since you’re all training your stamina anyway, let’s do it properly. Don’t you think that is smarter?”

The complexion of every Assembly member present was drained of color in an instant. Even Bang Jin-Hun was flustered by that “suggestion.”

“Uh... Mm... Eh... I understand what you’re saying, Assembly Master. But for all these people to run on it, that mountain has no footpaths, so...”

“Do you fight on footpaths?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho briefly shook his head. “Besides, if there are no paths, make them. I’m speaking from experience here. Three days of back-and-forth should be enough to create paths that weren’t there before.”

That sounded about right. This many people running on a fixed route all day long would be enough to kill all the vegetation, firm up the soil, and pull out most trees in the way, after all! Which would mean roads would naturally be created at the end of the day! For sure!

“It’s just a suggestion, okay? A suggestion.” Kang Jin-Ho lightly patted Bang Jin-Hun on the shoulder. “I’ll leave it up to you, then. Keep it up.”

“O-of course, sir.”

“Oh, and by the way?”

“Yes, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho jutted his chin out and pointed at one of the squatting Martial Assembly members. “That guy. Third from the left, twenty-second row.”

“...”

“He was relying on his cultivation.”

“...!”

“Director Bang, it seems your perception has dulled a little lately. The old you would’ve spotted it immediately, after all. Maybe it’s time to focus on your own training?”

“I... will keep that in mind, sir.”

“Good. Do that.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled like a good-natured grandfather, then leisurely headed to the Assembly HQ’s main building.

Bang Jin-Hun, whose head remained lowered until then, sharply turned his head and glared at the martial artists as soon as Kang Jin-Ho’s figure disappeared into the building.

The murderous intent dripping from his eyes was more than enough to make the martial artists flinch nastily.

“The motherf*cker who got pointed out just now.”

He didn’t say anything else, but it was still enough for a certain individual from the twenty-second row to stand up in utter silence.

“Come over here.”

“Yes, sir...”

That martial artist, his face crunched up in dismay and dread, trudged out of the group and stood outside the track.

Bang Jin-Hun tutted loudly. “You morons, were you seriously happy about the Assembly Master showing up?”

“...”

“I can never understand morons like you. More specifically, morons who think the arrival of a division commander will put a stop to the company commander’s, or the battalion commander’s, acts of insanity.”

Bang Jin-Hun looked genuinely unimpressed as his lecture continued on.

“Let me ask you something. How do you think division commanders got their jobs? Folks who care about the rank-and-file can never reach positions that high, okay? Simply put, those commanders were bat-sh*t insane when they were mere company or battalion commanders!”

Bang Jin-Hun jutted his chin toward the Martial Assembly HQ’s main building.

“Do you honestly think the directors sitting pretty in that building are kind-hearted people? Gimme a break. Compared to them, I’m practically an angel, okay? An angel! If the Assembly Master was in charge of training you, half of you would have fled already! From how torturous it was!”

“...”

“Well, in any case...” Bang Jin-Hun grimaced in reluctance while glancing at the mountain. “You heard him, right?”

“...!”

“I wasn’t planning to go this far, but what can we do about it now? When he says jump, we can only ask, ‘How high, sir?’, after all. I mean, that’s not even the division commander but more like the Chief of Staff... Actually, that’s more like the President of the country, isn’t it? The President has personally come here and told us what to do, so how can I go against his orders? All of you, stand up.”

“...”

“Stand up already.”

The squatting Assembly members slowly got up like zombies.

“Cheon Tae-Hun?”

“...Yes, sir?”

“You’re in charge of choosing a route up to the summit, okay? Set a... route that will take around ten minutes to complete. And do around twenty laps. That should be a good enough warm-up, no?”

“...?! Sir, twenty laps of ten minutes each means it’ll take two hundred minutes. And that’s well over three hours.”

“Yeah, I know.”

...?! Sir, why do you know? Because you shouldn’t!

No, you should’ve said, oopsie, my math was off! Or something! What are we supposed to do if you “know”?!

“Look, Tae-Hun. I get it, okay? But the Assembly Master told us to do this.” Bang Jin-Hun groaned loudly. “Imagine us doing only one or two laps. We do that, and the Assembly Master will think I’m trying to go against his orders. My original plan was to call it a day after making you guys lap this field a couple more times. But my hands are tied now, okay?”

“...!”

“And that’s why I keep saying you are all morons. You all should have run at full tilt when the Assembly Master showed up. So that he’d have gotten the impression you were all trying your absolute hardest. Did you really think he’d look at you idiots slowing down and making puppy-dog faces and go, ‘Goodness me, my poor babies,’ or something?”

“...”

“Hurry and get going.”

“...Yessir.” Cheon Tae-Hun groaned deeply, then took the lead. “Come on! Let’s go!”

The martial artists stared dazedly at Cheon Tae-Hun, but he simply deflected their gazes with his broad back while charging forward at his top speed.

“U-uwaaaaaah! Blooming hell!”

“Why don’t you just kill me instead?! Gimme a break!”

The martial artists soon broke into full-blooded sprints themselves to follow Cheon Tae-Hun, but didn’t forget to hurl all kinds of colorful language while doing so.

Bang Jin-Hun shouted at the group. “Oiii! If anyone drops out, have them come back here, pronto!”

“Yes, sir!”

Bang Jin-Hun chuckled while watching the rowdy group head toward the mountain. What a bunch of morons. Why did you stupidly focus on the Assembly Master? You should’ve avoided looking at him with everything you have!

It seemed Kang Jin-Ho’s recent drive to improve the Assembly members’ welfare had muddied his public image somewhat. However, one should never forget that he was absolutely merciless when it came to training.

“Hah. You guys got too soft.”

A deep smirk spread on Bang Jin-Hun’s face as he turned around.

He didn’t start today’s madness for no reason, of course. No, it was because the Martial Assembly had not experienced another battle after Japan’s invasion. This lull in the action was clearly leading to the loss of focus and determination in these people.

Unless they received timely supervision, such a state would inevitably impact their training and overall progress.

Geez. I’m supposed to be the villain here, you know? You didn’t have to, sir.

Without a doubt, Kang Jin-Ho must’ve known what Bang Jin-Hun was thinking and came to help.

“In that case, I should also earn my keep, eh?”

Bang Jin-Hun walked toward a certain spot by the side of the athletics field. The martial artists gathered there like a flock of nervous chicks saw him, and all semblance of color drained out of their complexions.

“Aiiigoo~, you couldn’t help but drop out, now did ya?”

“...”

“It’s okay. It really is! Because I’m not some stuck-up boomer, you see? Let’s be honest, we all know that stamina is something you’re either born with or not. So, it makes sense that some of you will suck at endurance training like this. However, rest assured, men! I am not a bad guy. Not totally, that is.”

“T-then...?”

“However~!” Bang Jin-Hun grinned brightly. “That doesn’t mean you must stay weak, am I right? Now, then~! Let’s work together to improve your stamina, everyone. You and me!”

“...!”

“Ehheiii~, don’t make that worried face now. I’m telling you, your stamina stat will improve. It will. If you don’t want to die, it simply has to improve, you see?”

“...!”

The bright grin on Bang Jin-Hun’s face suddenly grew a lot more sinister than before.

“Now, stand up.”

“...”

Soon afterward, tragic cries and screams echoed within the Martial Assembly HQ.