Ch….33
The dreamlike weekend had ended.
We were now entering the fourth week of training.
This week was packed with what could be called the highlights of the entire boot camp schedule.
And opening that series was none other than—
[Individual Combat Training]
The moment I saw those words, a curse slipped out of my mouth before I even realized it.
“Damn it.”
I thought once I finished my service, I’d never have to see the words ‘individual combat’ again for the rest of my life—but here we are.
Yet that grim thought had become reality.
I wanted to let out a string of curses, but with the instructors pacing up and down the hallway outside, I didn’t dare say anything.
If I muttered something carelessly and they thought it was directed at them, I’d be in serious trouble.
In the army, even if you have something to say, you learn to hold it in.
That’s true in society too, so it wasn’t exactly stressful for me.
The problem isn’t that. The problem is the combat training itself.
And it wasn’t just the combat drill — it was followed immediately by outdoor field camping.
That made things even worse.
As soon as he saw the word “outdoor camping,” Seohwan tilted his head in confusion.
“Hey, Geumseong. What exactly is outdoor camping?”
“It basically means we’ll be setting up tents and sleeping outside.”
“Huh? Seriously? That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, that sounds easy enough.”
“…”
I couldn’t help but stare at him with an expression that said Are you serious?
Noticing my look, he frowned, confused.
“What? What’s so hard about sleeping outside? You said we’ll have tents, right? I’ve gone camping with my family a few times—it might even be fun…”
“Fun, my ass. If you think it’s camping, you’re going to regret it.”
There’s a certain rule in the army:
Even if a word is the same as one used in civilian life, never assume it means the same thing.
The military has its own language entirely.
I already knew this much from experience, but Seohwan—who’d just taken his first steps as a trainee—had no clue.
Not that it really mattered; the army’s all about learning by crashing, burning, and figuring it out the hard way.
“Since individual combat starts tomorrow… we’d better start getting ready.”
“Getting ready? For what?”
I pointed to my elbows and knees.
“The protectors.”
If you asked me what’s the worst part of individual combat training, I’d answer without hesitation:
The crawling drills.
Some people might scoff and say, What’s so hard about crawling on your stomach?
Sure, if it’s flat ground and just for a few seconds, no problem.
But the crawling drills in individual combat are on a completely different level.
“We’ll be crawling on piles of rocks—and for a long time. Our elbows and knees are going to be shredded.”
“…”
Back in the barracks, both Seohwan and Jun swallowed hard after hearing my explanation.
For their sake, I went on to describe the drill in brutally vivid detail.
It’s not like we’d be rolling around on smooth river stones; these were jagged, sharp rocks that hadn’t been shaped or cleaned.
So we needed to prepare thoroughly.
“T-Then… what do we do? Is there a way to protect ourselves?”
Jun asked, already sounding terrified.
“The most basic way is… this.”
I pulled out a pair of thick winter socks from my locker.
Seohwan pointed. “What are you gonna do with those?”
“Like this.”
I wrapped one long sock around my left elbow.
“See? Instant elbow guard.”
“Whoa…!”
Their reactions were like cavemen seeing fire for the first time.
It was honestly funny.
Well, the training wouldn’t be.
“So if we do this, our elbows and knees will be safe!”
“Geumseong, you’re a genius! How did you even think of that?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Just trust Geumseong.”
The mood was getting lively.
I couldn’t help smiling seeing them so happy—but…
“There’s a problem, though…”
The method I’d shown them had one fatal flaw.
But before I could warn them, Seohwan and Jun were already running around the barracks, excitedly spreading my “sock protector tip” to everyone else.
“Hey! Guys! I just found this amazing trick—!”
Just like before, the room filled with enthusiastic cheers.
They’re not listening at all, huh.
Chasing short-term comfort only leads to pain in the army.
Watching them, I could only think—
They’ve still got a long way to go.
We’re doomed.
The next day finally arrived.
“Starting today, we’ll begin individual combat training!”
At the instructor’s shout, we snapped to attention and shouted back in unison.
The combat training ground, like the shooting and grenade ranges before it, was located far from the main base.
And worse—it was up in the mountains.
So we had to climb uphill in full gear.
Seohwan let out a deep sigh.
“I’m already exhausted and we haven’t even started yet.”
If even Seohwan, who was one of the fitter ones, said that, I could only imagine how the rest felt.
I was already drenched in sweat, constantly wiping my forehead.
And it’s hot as hell today, too.
It was winter, but somehow it felt like midsummer.
Still, we all knew the instructors weren’t the type to show mercy just because of the weather.
The sun was merciless, and my helmet was absorbing heat like a stove, baking my head.
The combat ground was on a small hill, and as I remembered, the terrain wasn’t dirt—it was rough, full of sand, gravel, and rocks.
“Oh, hell… they expect us to crawl over that?”
I heard Seohwan’s dazed voice.
Sure, I’d warned him beforehand, but hearing about it and seeing it are two completely different things.
Once the first squad started, the entire area was filled with groans and screams of pain.
Then, finally, it was our turn.
Before we entered, Assistant Instructor Park Gilyoung gave an order.
“Select a squad leader first.”
“A squad leader…”
Everyone’s eyes turned in the same direction.
At the end of that collective gaze stood—
Me.
“You want me to be squad leader?”
“Yeah.”
“Geumseong, you know this stuff best.”
“Right, right.”
“You’ll do great. We believe in you!”
These bastards…
It was obvious they just didn’t want the responsibility.
Still, being squad leader had its perks—you’d be more visible to the instructors, and if you performed well, you might earn extra merit points.
Once I finished that quick calculation, I reluctantly put on a show of accepting.
“Fine… I’ll do it.”
“Instructor! We’ve chosen our squad leader!”
When asked who, they all pointed at me in unison.
Instructor Park smirked.
“Just as I expected.”
Expected, huh. Not sure if that’s good or bad.
Anyway, it was time to move out.
“Crawling is divided into three types,” the instructor began. “Low crawl, high crawl, and combined crawl. Watch the demonstration by the assistant instructor, then follow each step in order. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Assistant instructor—take position!”
This time, Assistant Instructor Joo Yonghyuk dropped flat onto the ground and shouted, “In position!”
Even among the different types of crawling, the postures varied drastically.
Personally, my least favorite was—
The low crawl.
Just thinking about scraping my elbows and knees made my temples throb.
But regardless, Instructor Park blew his whistle, signaling the start.
“One, two! One, two!”
We watched as Joo Yonghyuk moved flawlessly across the rocky ground.
Gasps of admiration rose among the trainees.
“Doesn’t that hurt?”
“He’s incredible. As expected of an instructor…”
“Look at those rocks… rubbing against those would hurt like hell.”
It was impressive—but terrifying to realize we’d have to do the same.
When the demonstration ended, Instructor Park raised his whistle again.
“Squad leader.”
“Trainee number 45, Lee Geumseong!”
“Read the phrase written ahead. Begin.”
“Yes, sir!”
As squad leader, I had to shout a line written on a board.
“Attention! Do you see the enemy ahead?!”
The squad yelled back in unison, “Yes, sir, we see them!”
“Advance toward the enemy!”
“Advance toward the enemy!”
The whistle blew—signaling the start.
We dropped down, mimicking the instructor’s posture, beginning with the low crawl.
Stretch arms forward, pull body ahead. Simple enough—except…
“Don’t drag your rifle on the ground!”
“S-Sorry, sir!”
It was nearly impossible not to drag the rifle’s barrel through the dirt—it just kept catching.
Crawling alone was already agony, but with full gear strapped on, it felt like dragging ten sandbags across broken glass.
And the suffering didn’t end there.
“Damn it… the protectors—!”
Seohwan’s face twisted in panic.
He wasn’t alone.
Jun, me, and the others all started reacting the same way at once.
It was obvious why.
The sock guards are slipping off.
That was their fatal flaw—no way to keep them in place.
Since they weren’t real equipment but makeshift wraps, they couldn’t hold up under pressure.
I’d tried to warn them before training, but…
Well, too late now.
And with the sock protectors gone, what awaited us next was—
“Return to starting positions! Prepare for the high crawl! Begin!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Welcome to the Crawling Hell
