Surviving Among the Entities

Paper without backing is easily pierced by a pen.

“Sit……”

Therefore, intending to sit and take the survey, I tried to suggest going elsewhere.

“I am sitting.”

By the time I regained my senses, I was already seated with a round parasol table prepared before me.

“Thank you.”

The pen gripped in my right hand was a given, so I first examined the questions on the survey handed to me.

[1. Did you have a good relationship with your seniors during military service?]
[2. Did you have a good relationship with your juniors during military service?]
[3. When you were discharged, did any officers say “Ah, you were just starting to become useful!” (or similar sentiments)?]
[4. When you were discharged, did your juniors express regret or hold a party for you?]
[5. When you were discharged, did your juniors give you a blanket ceremony?]
[6. After being discharged, have you contacted seniors or juniors at least once in civilian life?]
[7. After being discharged and contacting them, did your seniors or juniors welcome you warmly without scorn or coldness?]
[8. During military service, did you ever cause inconvenience to others due to your own mistakes?]
[9. When you were a corporal or higher, were you reprimanded 5 or more times by other soldiers or officers for frequent mistakes in your duties?]

It was the same as in the game. Ten questions surveying you, with the result determining if you get kidnapped to a special space or not – the very ‘Reserve Forces Survey’.

‘I should answer honestly?’

Even if I didn’t want to, I felt compelled to be honest. Probably a unique trait of the entity.

‘Relationship with seniors? It was good, we conversed a lot.’

As for juniors, unfortunately being discharged as a private first class meant I didn’t have any, so not applicable. As for officers when being discharged, everyone was too busy for me to meet them.

‘Come to think of it, there are many questions here that can’t be answered unless you were discharged upon completion of service term.’

With no choice, I had to select “Lack of Experience to Answer Survey” all the way to the end.

[10. Are you a dumbass?]

Unable to understand the question, I raised my hand.

“Does ‘dumbass’ refer to the commonly used internet term for ‘a person who makes countless silly mistakes and fails to adapt to military life’?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

The man curtly answered.

“To accurately judge whether one is a dumbass or not, clear criteria are needed. People inherently tend to be generous toward themselves, so without criteria it’s difficult to make a fair assessment.”
“……Please wait a moment.”

After a brief contemplation, the man stated the criteria for a dumbass.

“If 50% or more of those around you directly referred to you as a dumbass, then you are definitively a dumbass.”

50% huh.
I quietly recalled my military service.

[You crazy fuckkkk!!!]
[Don’t doooooo ittttttt!]
[Get downnnnnnn!]
[You bastarddddddd!]
[Seung-hoon, please just stay still until discharge, okay? Please, I’m begging you as your unit leader.]

“I wasn’t a dumbass.”

The moment I wrote that I wasn’t on the 10th question, the world became distorted.

[“You aren’t a dumbass? My eyes tell me otherwise. And dumbasses always claim they aren’t dumbasses.”]

Soon after, an unfamiliar scene from old buried memories emerged before my eyes.

[“Then prove it. By re-enacting your military service once more.”]

The shaking military truck’s rear seats, and the rapidly passing mountain scenery of Cheorwon outside the window.

‘The day we were assigned to our units.’

Regrettable.

‘It doesn’t start from training.’

That was the real fun part.

“New recruit, was your name Seung-hoon Lee?”
“Private Seung-hoon Lee.”

Without giving me a chance to adjust, the officer in the passenger seat addressed me. While I would have given a different answer now, to escape this entity I had to follow my past self’s actions predetermined by the escape conditions.

“Right, Seung-hoon, listen, our seniors will really love you? Since we’re an independent company the size is a bit small? So we have fewer training officers which means personnel is precious.”
“Is that so?”
“You’ve probably heard outside that in the military the seniors bully you, hit you and stuff, right? Our unit doesn’t do that so don’t worry.”

The staff sergeant’s insignia pinned to the officer’s collar swayed along the mountain road as he turned back.

“Hey, Unit Commander, where does assault even happen these days. It’s not the 80s military anymore.”
“Yup yup, people said the same thing in my day too. That there’s no hitting, no military corruption. Everyone always says that but how can I believe you guys?”

The officer playfully smacked the driver’s nape as he spoke.

“Anyways, if anyone acts up come straight to the unit commander’s office immediately, got it?”
“Yes, understood.”

The swaying vehicle caused a pause in the conversation. In the interim, I thought about the entity.

‘Entity Name: ‘Reserve Forces Survey’, approaches those finishing reserve forces training to conduct a survey, kidnapping those judged to be dumbasses who answer that they aren’t on the final question to a separate space re-enacting their military service.’

As mentioned earlier, you have to re-enact 90% or more of your military service to escape from here.

‘In the game you could easily escape by just selecting a few choices, but with it becoming reality the additional condition of directly acting it out drastically increases the difficulty.’

Fortunately, I had written down my entire military service in my mental notebook beforehand, so it wouldn’t be too difficult for me.

“Alright, we’re here. Seung-hoon, let’s go.”
“Private Seung-hoon Lee, yes, understood.”

Carrying my duffel bag, I followed the unit commander. We soon had an interview in the administrative office.

“Right, let’s see, what did you do in training?”

As he prepared, I surveyed my surroundings like my past self.

[Organization Chart]
[Higher Unit: 6th Division Commander – Colonel Kwak Yun-sun]
[Higher Unit: 15th Infantry Brigade Commander – Brigadier General Lee Deok-gu]
[Baekseok Peak Company Commander – Captain Yoo Se-hyeon]

The unit organization chart posted on the wall matched my memories.

’32 officers, 114 soldiers.’

The unit’s name was Baekseok Peak Company, and from what I heard it was a GOP border guard unit though I had never been deployed there.

“Erm…… Seung-hoon?”

The unit commander, who had been looking at the monitor, asked.

“Your parents both passed away in an accident, right?”
“Yes. They died in a traffic accident.”
“In high school?”
“Specifically, since I did not attend high school, they passed away when I was 18.”
“Oh… I see? You didn’t go to high school?”
“I felt there was no need to attend, so I dropped out.”

At that moment, the typing sounds from the other soldiers in the administrative office ceased.

“Why?”

As we continued the conversation, I checked my physical condition.

“Since high school curricula are tailored for the College Scholastic Ability Test, I deemed them not worth learning.”
“You didn’t want to go to university?”
“Yes, the knowledge taught at universities is accessible even to the general public through their libraries. Additionally, some open-minded professors readily permitted me to audit their classes, so there was no need for me to take the College Scholastic Ability Test separately.”

I could no longer feel the physical Enhancement the ghostly girl had granted. However, my senses remained exceptionally sharp, allowing me to perceive things I couldn’t before.

“I see? Well, if you say so……”

For instance, the words “Grade A Soldier of Concern, Caution Advised” reflected in the unit commander’s pupils were imperceptible to me previously.

“Oh! Private Kim! Shouldn’t you have done public service if you dropped out of high school?”
“Yes, I believe that is the case.”
“Seung-hoon, didn’t you know this? If you didn’t, even now you can……”
“I was already aware. I merely wished to experience military knowledge first-hand through voluntary enlistment.”

I faintly heard a murmur of ‘crazy’. This too was a new experience compared to before.

“Voluntary enlistment, voluntary enlistment, voluntary……”

With a troubled expression, the unit commander peering at the monitor asked:

“Seung-hoon, do you really know 100 different types of grasshoppers?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Acrida cingulatа, Acrida willemsei, Anabrus simplex, Agelena labyrinthica, Atractomorpha lata, Gryllotalpa major, Leptophyes punctatissima, Phaneroptera falcata, Phyllium siccifolium, Gampsocleis sedakovii, Rhacocleis annulata, Pyrgomorphidae, Tridactylidae, Gryllotalpidae, Tettigoniidae, Calliptamus italicus……”
“Ok ok, enough, you really do know them.”

His voice was much softer and calmer than before.

“Wow, impressive. Our Seung-hoon knows so much.”

It was as if he were soothing a child.

“Hmm.”

Silence fell again. The administrative office was quiet, with only the sound of the unit commander’s mouse clicking.

‘This is fun.’

I also snuck a peek at the monitor reflected in the unit commander’s pupils.

[Training Notes]
[Exempt from Firing Training – Reason: High Potential to Cause Unforeseen Situations]
[Exempt from Grenade Training – Reason: High Potential to Cause Unforeseen Situations]

“Seung-hoon, sorry for asking so much but you didn’t do firing training or grenade training in boot camp, right?”
“Yes, I did not.”
“Did you want to?”
“Yes, I really wanted to.”
“Why?”
“Because boot camp was the only place in Korea where I could fire guns and throw grenades.”
“You really wanted to experience that?”
“I had the knowledge but no actual experience using them.”

Back then I was a knowledge-starved beggar, so I didn’t want to miss out on the rare repository of military knowledge.

“Must have been disappointing. The instructors didn’t let you?”
“After consulting with the boot camp company commander, I was exempted from training.”
“I see, if you say so…… Let me go smoke for a bit?”

The unit commander briefly stepped out. Through the window, I could see the smoking room where he took a call while smoking.

[“Why would you have someone like that do voluntary enlistment? Are you insane? He clearly has mental issues just by looking at him! That’s why the Military Manpower Administration exists, to filter out people like him! You’ll just let anyone in as long as they say they want to enlist!? What!? Then hey! You might as well let in spies, defectors, and even Kim Jong-un while you’re at it!? The atmosphere has been tense enough lately, why do this!”]

With my enhanced vision, I read his lips to eavesdrop on the conversation.

‘The same experience can differ so vastly.’

It was truly moving and exhilarating to the point of feeling giddy.

‘Mental issues, you say? My actions may be a bit unconventional but not to that extent. A hasty judgment indeed.’

The administrative office remained quiet. Instead, the TV that was on relayed recent news.

[Amid a string of North Korean military defections, some have raised suspicions that proper tracking of North Korean military defectors may be lacking. Reminiscent of the North Korean military’s 2012 ‘Knock’ Defection Incident, there are suspicions of holes in the surveillance system, as well as suspicions that the defectors’ movements were secretly manipulated.]

Soon after, the unit commander returned.

“Seung-hoon, you’ll be a Master Sergeant, got it?”

On the first day at my assigned unit, duties were determined.

“This is where you’ll be staying.”

A few soldiers waiting at the old but still in use barracks regarded me with curious expressions.

“Alright, since we have a new recruit, everyone treat him well! And Jang Hyeon-gu! You, come here.”
“Me? You’re calling me?”
“Yeah, hurry up!”

The sergeant first class with a squad leader’s insignia disappeared with the unit commander.

“Oh, a new recruit?”
“Private Seung-hoon Lee.”

Bundled up in a blanket in the corner of the bunk, a soldier emerged.

“You have a soft voice.”

Upon seeing his familiar face, I nearly broke character.

“New recruit, new recruit, new recruit.”
“You called me?”
“Why aren’t you stating your name and rank? Hey! Who’s your reporting senior, you bastard!”
“Private First Class Min Sung-ho!”
“Get your head down.”

Private First Class Min Sung-ho got into the push-up position. A soldier who had dragged his slippers over came and sat on Min Sung-ho’s back like a chair.

“Hey, they say our unit has improved recently, but what about it?”

Even inside the barracks, he lit a cigarette. With an excellent physique and muscular build, coupled with the stereotypical rugged look, it was like a scene from a noir film.

“Not for us though.”

The caption “Property of Sergeant Jang Hyeong-seok, Touch and Die” printed on his training outfit caught my eye.

“So, new recruit, name and rank?”

I responded the same as my past self.

“Sergeant Jang Hyeong-seok, sir.”

Everyone’s attention was focused.

“No smoking indoors is a basic principle.”

Not a single breath could be heard.

“And only squad leaders have the authority to physically punish soldiers.”

The sound of held breaths could be heard.

“Therefore, Sergeant Jang Hyeong-seok’s actions cannot be permitted under military law.”
“Hah.”

He dropped the cigarette onto the barracks floor and ground it out with his slipper.

“Satisfied?”
“Cigarette butts go in the ashtray……”
“You fucking bastard!”

Yes, that’s how it was back then too. If I were my current self, I would have lightly evaded and continued the conversation, but back then I was a bit hot-blooded.

“Ughh!”

To the point of wrapping my arm around his neck in a chokehold, constricting his carotid artery.
I laid the collapsed Sergeant Jang Hyeong-seok onto the bunk.

“I momentarily put you to sleep since you seemed agitated.”

Along with my duffel bag.

“Where is my assigned bunk?”