---

My head spins as the human-modifying furnace boils up the sand!

This isn’t just confined to the red desert of the Mauritania Continent.

The Republic of Korea Marine Corps, who loves their red name tags as fiercely as the crimson sand itself! This is the original human-modifying furnace!

They take immense pride in being part of the Special Forces! (Navy Headquarters: ? / Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Korea: ?)

The only thing they know how to do is parachuting, easily overpowering the so-called “Shatter the Ground” unit of the Misari training ground! (Special Forces Instructor: ? / Dongmyeong Unit 29th Division – Surveillance in Lebanon Conflict: ?)

The all-weather underwater infiltration search team is thousands of times stronger than the Jinhae front sea “Gear Seal” UDT, who can only handle underwater demolition! (Training Battalion Instructor: ? / Cheonghae Unit 40th Division – Currently setting up a mill on a warship: ?)

They even have the notorious H.I.D. and U.D.U. Special Information Units known for their overwhelming capabilities! (XX Unit – Officer: What’s going on over there? / XX Unit – Private: I don’t know!)

The strongest in the world! The Republic of Korea Marine Corps! (U.S. Marine Corps: lol)

Red symbolizes blood, and yellow symbolizes sweat. The red name tag is inscribed with yellow letters on a red background.

That is, a Marine is a ‘human weapon’ forged out of blood and sweat!

The Marine Corps itself is the ‘human-modifying furnace’ that creates human weapons!

*Marine Jajang – Representing the ‘Marine Literature Universe’ and absurdly transformed questions exceeding imagination are malign propaganda from North Korean puppet information warriors envious of the Marine Corps!

In this sense,

“Gear Ground Guy!” – (TMI 1. The Army’s Information Corps is a short form for ‘real infantry’!)

“Administrative Affairs!” – (TMI 2. Information Officers seem to be ‘just’ office workers handling paperwork on the surface!)

“Soldier’s main enemy – Executives!” – (TMI 3. – The Information Agency/Counterintelligence Department usually revolves around executives!)

Those who meet these three conditions are:

Someone unworthy of being a man, someone unforgiven, the pinnacle of Gear, a being that shouldn’t exist!

“See-eeeen-zaaah…”

“Run, Frederick!”

“I’m running….”

The human-modifying furnace will reject you!

—

Episode 18 – Club of Men

Being born a man and daring to apply not to the Marine Corps but to the Army, especially as a ‘main enemy’ to soldiers – that was an unredeemable disgrace!

It’s been 77 years since liberation, and how deep must the grudge of the youth who have sweated blood as soldiers be?

(Of course, many served as NCOs and officers, but debating that now is fun and cool and sexy only to those who are losers!)

And did I alone get commissioned as an officer? Not quite. My father was a commissioned officer!

Proud Marines know that in the Republic of Korea Navy, the term ‘being an officer’ refers to that.

Then! Through elimination, one can guess what ‘commissioned officer’ implies – either a Ground Guy (Army) or a Sparrow (Air Force) officer!

For reference, Marines dislike Gear Sparrows particularly.

It’s not just disliking, but a relationship built on aversion. If you spot a ‘smelly Bonggo truck’ in the self-censorship-galactic-special city, there’s a saying to immediately belt out ‘Red Muffler!’.

Therefore, they’ve wiped out the memory of Gear Sparrow training camps (Air Force Academy), leaving only one thing.

The barracks which churn out Ground Guys like StarCraft favoured by those whose resident numbers start with ‘1’! (Army Academy: ?)

In other words, this man has served as a Ground officer for two generations! He strolled down a path unworthy of a man!

…Of course, if someone said this to his face, whether they got a field shovel stuck in their jaw or a fist smashed in, their chin would’ve been blasted to bits.

Likewise, if this got into the ears of the Army Academy Commandant, there would be an unrelenting assault on the Marine base with the Air Force’s ‘natural enemy’ helicopters.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t dump their precious helicopters and valuable rotor pilots into a place more contaminated than the toxic waste duo thrown by the North Korean puppet army of 2024, so the Marine base’s atrocities continue unabated.

Frederick’s situation was not much different.

“……”

Dazed eyes. Sunken cheeks. Decayed skin and a grim, almost dead complexion!

On top of that, he was covered in sand and lacerations, utterly in disarray!

A tattooed pig could flip upside down next to him! Be it the Red Pig (had this pig flown around in a biplane, this narration would not have appeared) screaming! He was so out of it, he couldn’t even muster the strength to roll around in the human-modifying furnace!

Even though he was lifeless, he had finally shed some of his Gear Girl squeamishness and started feeling a bit more like a man.

The proud Marines of Korea think about that.

Of course, there is no such country as Korea here.

And all the youth serving in Korea, including the Marine Corps, had no idea where they were or what they were doing – those are the ‘petty and adorable losers’.

But who cares about that!

None of that was important, at all!

“…Let me out.”

Even after looking like this, they still want to stay here!?

Look at that image, where tears cloud the eyes, failing to articulate properly!

The resolve of a man resonates within those watching!

“I want to go back!”

You little….

With determination!

*

After the last applicant (forced enlistment), Alexandra Petrovna the Duke set forth three conditions.

First, eliminate all monsters present within the barrier.

Second, through this training, each of you must gain a new realization.

Third, ensure everyone returns safely.

Numbers 1 and 2 essentially mean the end of training. In other words, they were conditions to leave this place.

Whether they kill all the monsters or achieve a new realization. If either of those two is accomplished, they can exit the barrier.

Conversely, number 3 didn’t hold significant weight. They weren’t enemies. Having battled demons, there was no way they could fall victim to mere monsters.

So they could just handle the monsters and get out.

…But alas, our hopeful expectations were shattered right from the start.

“A monster was added!?”

Following the furious shout of ‘I wanna go back!’ right after they wrapped up all the monsters, Camila screamed in glee (or maybe not) at the sight of the overwhelming number of monsters.

The Duke, lying on the ground, chuckled.

“Did you think we would let you kill all the monsters and leave in peace? You’re a wicked disciple who thinks with only your little head.”

As if she already knew everything, she mocked us with a wave of her finger.

The air ripped apart and a rift emerged.

– Swoosh.

As the space widened, flesh started to crawl out into the open.

Like a stampede of people, they tumbled out, stepping over each other and leaping into the air.

Right above our heads.

“What the….”

What’s this? This isn’t food! Monsters are falling from the sky. Is this an unlimited refill restaurant!?

“I’ll help you not die. But, one, you must face some life-threatening situations on your own as much as possible.”

The Duke, scouting the ground from her carpet, added reassuringly. Her kind smile was just a bonus.

“Don’t worry too much. I too trained like this back in the day.”

No! What kind of madman practices magic this way in a world like this!?

I protested loudly, but it either didn’t reach the Duke or she pretended not to hear.

The enigmatic silver-haired Archmage simply kept spouting typical oldie talks.

“Everyone did it like this in the past. Back in my day, I was lost for seven nights amidst the monsters of the snowy plains-”

“I get it now! You’re feigning ignorance while hearing everything!”

“Focus! Look ahead!”

The method the Duke frequently practiced in her youth wasn’t anything special. Simply throwing monsters in there, pushing humans to the limit.

It was the ultimate in inefficiency and chaos, existing somewhere ambiguously between romance and barbarism.

Yet for the Archmage born in an era where only the strong survived, even this seems to evoke youthhood memories.

As she watched us fighting desperately against monsters (even though we were the ones fighting, not her), the Duke was immersed in nostalgic reminiscence.

“This training carries the significance of surpassing your limits. On the twelfth night since I began my training, I finally encountered the wall I needed to surpass…”

Dodging the monster’s spines, Lucia, equipped with rock-throwing skills, muttered with a strained voice.

“Cutting limits aside… I feel like death is approaching right before my eyes.”

“Lucia! 4 o’clock! Be careful of the eight-legged king lizard!”

Camila, wielding two pronged sticks, kept jabbing at the soft underbelly of the monster. The one that Lucia had blinded earlier.

Honestly, we might think it was unfair for the monsters, who were simply living their lives, to be thrown into the coliseum against folks they had never met before.

They were just living (while eating people), but suddenly they were abducted and woke up to some crazy old lady saying ‘Now, let’s kill each other, shall we?’ as a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl was jamming rocks into their eye!

Wasn’t this the feeling of Jewish people forcibly relocated to concentration camps when Nazis attacked? I don’t know.

Because I’m the Nazi!

**Thud. Thud. Thud.**

With a rumble that echoed across the desert, the Duke, lying on his side and idly observing the drifting clouds, raised his eyebrows and exclaimed, “Oh!”

Was that an unbelievably huge lizard (with legs that were twice as long!) coming down? It was scuttling along with its eight legs doing a little dance, looking irresistibly cute as it tried to escape the dimensional space.

“What a well-fed creature!”

Of course, that was only how it appeared to the Duke.

To others, it looked like a massive monster that could swallow them whole, stomping around with its grotesque eight legs, like a deep-sea anglerfish on a rampage. (Down below, Camila was having a fit shouting “That-That-!” only for Colonel Frederick to smack her with a “knock it off!” and puff up her cheeks in annoyance.)

The silver lining was that the enormous king lizard was stuck, its massive backside—indeed quite large even from the Duke’s perspective—entangled in the entrance, making it nearly impossible for it to come through.

Thus, like citizens trapped in a hellish morning rush hour, it seemed the creatures waiting behind were impatiently kicking the lizard’s rear, grumbling, “Hey! Let’s move along! Teacher!” “Seriously! Can’t you see we’re stuck back here?”

If that lizard had grown up in South Korea, it would’ve made a perfect entrance-blocking champion. Or perhaps, merely a road-blocking troll. Maybe even both.

“Such a gigantic specimen is usually found in the rugged northern regions of the Empire. Though, the Red Desert is certainly treacherous as well.”

Just as the Duke was intriguedly observing the colossal lizard, he suddenly tilted his head and muttered, “…But did I catch something like that?”

Is this forgetfulness, damn it?

Whether they heard him or not, Francesca and Akande chimed in with their own comments.

It was a mad exchange between a crazy magician (after all, all magicians are a bit eccentric) and a dunce (cat dad—though he never brought a cat with him).

“Hmm… To me, that beast looks more like an iguana than a lizard.”

“An incredibly huge one! Plenty of meat too. We could eat for ages! Let’s take it away!”

“…I came on a business trip and have to deal with the world’s dumbest people.”

Anyway, no one was being helpful.

In her flurry of efficient magic use, Camila held two flame-like things (they looked more like tiny mouse droppings) in her hands and was vigorously poking at the monsters, alternating her attacks.

“Frederick isn’t being helpful at all!”

“Ha! That’s obvious!”

The Duke didn’t even give me a gun. He just tossed a greatsword at me.

When I asked what the hell I was supposed to do with that, he simply returned my words. “If you lack bullets, find another way to fight.”

Then he even dared to say, “If fate smiles upon you, a special opportunity might present itself?” What the hell. Even amateur astrologers say that kind of nonsense….

I threw a punch at the monster with all my might. Picked the smaller one to beat up, and I was going at it with brute force.

“Isn’t this a bit much?!”

But it’s alright. There’s still hope.

Our local representative had gone missing, but surely the company wouldn’t just leave it at that?

I pinned my hopes on the embassy (more precisely, I read “rescue” where it said, embassy-Abas Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Kien Ministry of Foreign Affairs for complaints).

No matter how much of a Duke he was! He would want to avoid diplomatic disputes!

“……”

But what the hell are those guys doing?

Looking as if they’d received news, people who seemed to be from the embassy appeared in the distance.

Seeing the dust cloud raised by their vehicle, the Duke pulled back the ‘veil of concealment,’ and people started observing from afar.

They looked at the Duke hovering above the clouds and then at the gathered officials from the cult/Al-Yabd/Magic Tower (emergency contact personnel) trio, before alternating their gaze to me and the Duke trapped in the station.

Then suddenly—

“Gah…!”

They gave a double thumbs-up and departed.

“Hey—what the hell—”

Are you even human? Just you wait, bastards. Once I return, I’ll blow up the embassy. You’ve never felt a 120mm round before, have you?

I’ll call in Hassan Warlord to smash the backyard pool too! Really, I’ll go all out.

As I raged and cursed, the monster lunged at me with a loud “Rawr!” so I quickly kicked it and darted away in the opposite direction.

“Whoa!”

“Shut up! Tattooed pig!”

“Hmm…?”

Akande, still all over the place due to his diminished strength, was being yelled at by Camila. What a heartwarming scene!

While Lucia struggled to hold the monster’s lower and upper jaws, Francesca used basic elemental magic to slice a chunk from its neck.

“Thank you.”

“It just keeps coming.”

True to those words, there seemed to be no end in sight.

Every monster that existed in the Red Desert was brought alongside, and the interior of the barrier was packed with beasts. No matter how many we killed, there was no sign of decreasing numbers.

The Duke, lounging with a languid face, stretched and smacked his lips.

“If we’re short, just say so. I’ll go catch more.”

Those words pushed the button. I could no longer hold back. I had to end this cycle of barbaric, uncivilized atrocities this time.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I pulled out my concealed pistol (which I carried for safety at all times).

I’m sorry, Grandfather. I absolutely didn’t want to use this…!

—

**Central Information Agency, 通信局, Hidden Note—**

“Your Highness! We ought to train on a larger scale—gah, ah…!”

“Hmm?”

The decisive action towards the Duke (from a different nationality, no less) never came to fruition. The people who had been fighting leaped in, grabbing my limbs and covering my mouth in a hurry.

(※ Referring to the patch note from 1914.06.28, if I had shot with the heart of ‘Serbian nationalism’ instead of ‘the heart of a beast,’ the outcome might’ve been different.)

Camila quickly snatched the pistol away and tucked it away, while Lucia and Francesca tackled me on either side, pressing me into the sandy ground. Just for the record, my face was buried in the scorching sand under the blazing midday sun.

Shrieks erupted, but it didn’t matter.

“Hurry and let me go…!”

As Frederick (currently frying: progress 0%) screamed, Camila shouted.

“He just keeps thrashing around! What should we do?”

“We need to press down harder, I guess.”

Still thinking he was out of it, Lucia hurriedly pressed down on Frederick’s torso with her knees. Of course, she meant no harm, simply trying to restrain him until he calmed down.

Considering three adults pressing down on him while sprawled out like dried squid on the heated sandy floor, what do you think would happen?

“Graaah…!”

Even as he cried for release, the three were merrily placing a quasi-griddle Frederick (currently frying: progress 0.1%) onto the makeshift grill and frying him. Just like some Indian folks deep frying chicken in sand.

Flip him forward, flip him back. I had sensed something was off halfway through, but watching the amusing reactions, I kept at it.

Anyway, that giant lizard was blocking the entrance with its backside, so no monsters would come out for a while. (??: Damn! Lizard type! / ??: That guy needs to be reported;;)

“Hm? What? Why the screams? Looks quite amusing.”

After catching a few remaining small fries, Akande came by upon hearing Frederick’s screams.

As he juggled Frederick in a flip and a toss, it was a display of grilling all his body parts with the utmost glee.

And thus, finally!

The officer of the central administrative agency of the fiery desert was blazing red amidst the crimson sand.

Much more intense and fantastical than the memories of crunchy sand-fried delights on a hot summer day in New Delhi, the red (colored much like a hot pepper)—handmade fry finished completion!

“……”

And to the Great Magical Kiyel Sparrow (Archmage), Alexandra Petrovna, it seemed that since the fighting ceased, she was about to clean up, but upon looking down, there were men and women shamefully rolling around in the sand at high noon.

“…What are you all doing down there?”

Was she feeling faint from the heat or still not in her right mind?

Peeking out from the edge of the carpet, Alexandra Petrovna sighed deeply.

“I can’t live out my natural lifespan because of you all.”

“Graaah…! Let me go already…!”

“Would you look at that….”

You all are really having fun.

The Great Magical Kiyel Sparrow let out another big sigh! The claws (fingers) pointed at the clouds, and instantly, the clouds turned a dark ocean blue, transforming into ominous clouds, bursting into—

—

A flash.

Scintillating bolts came pouring down upon those cheeky students who were goofing off instead of studying.

Seeing that display, the lizard, apprehensive, began to backtrack slowly.

Meanwhile, all five students playing on the ground received affectionately thorough whacks from the rod of love.

Thus, the teacher scolding her bothersome disciples (though there was actually only one disciple) declared,

“That’s enough for today. Come out and eat. One must eat to keep living, after all.”

 

---