The Private Second Classes who had finished the grueling climb were resting with their helmets off.
Everyone was completely exhausted and still gasping for breath.
Some had completed the climb relatively easily thanks to relevant Abilities, but even they had hollow eyes and clearly looked worn out.
That only made one person stand out even more.
Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho, who had suddenly regained his vigor as though he had found and eaten some miraculous elixir on the way up.
“Hmm.”
Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol stood beneath the shade of a tree on one side of the summit, watching Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho.
Captain Oh Jun-beom stood beside him, diligently fanning him.
“His physical fitness certainly falls far below that of the other Private Second Classes.”
“Are you referring to Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho?”
“Yes. Seeing him for myself, I understand why he was passed over for promotion three times. Physical fitness is the most fundamental requirement for a Hunter.”
“According to his record, it seems he barely managed to graduate from the Hunter Training Center.”
“I would imagine so. His physique itself is poor. He seems to have exercised quite a bit, but exercise alone is not enough for a Hunter. You need the talent to unlock Abilities and the instinct to improve their efficiency.”
“You are absolutely right.”
Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol clicked his tongue, looking somewhat disappointed.
“Gu Yun-ho seems to have almost no Abilities related to physical fitness, never mind a naturally strong physique. At most, he probably has [Strength] and [Stamina].”
“You saw right through him. That is exactly the extent of what he has.”
“But you see….”
On the way up, he had watched Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho.
From around the halfway point, Gu Yun-ho had practically already failed.
Even his running form had gone limp, as though he were moving underwater.
And yet he had ultimately set foot on the summit.
Without exceeding the time limit.
“His perseverance is remarkable. His Stamina ran dry long ago, yet he made it all the way here through sheer refusal to give up.”
“That cannot have been easy. Especially for a low-ranking Private Second Class.”
“Indeed. I wonder where such mental fortitude comes from in someone so young.”
Some of those who passed had arrived in only forty-five minutes.
But in Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol’s eyes, they were all more or less the same.
They were still just Private Second Classes with a single stripe.
There was nothing particularly remarkable about them.
That was precisely why Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho seemed more special.
He had made the impossible possible.
‘I thought he would either give up outright or arrive long after the time limit even if he did make it.’
Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol focused on one person again.
Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho was pouring water all over his face.
Apparently it felt so refreshing that he exclaimed,
“Ahh, that’s good! That’s the stuff!”
It was the sort of thing a forty-year-old man would say.
“Is it his perseverance that interests you? Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho, I mean.”
“I became interested after coming here.”
“Sir?”
Today, Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho had played out an entire growth story in real time.
Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol had been captivated by it.
“Because as of today, I do not think physical fitness will be a problem for Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho anymore. Look at him. He was struggling so badly that it would not have been strange for him to collapse, yet the moment he arrived, he recovered his vigor. What do you think that means?”
“Could he have unlocked an Ability related to physical fitness…?”
“Exactly. Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho’s body has finally realized it. How to improve his physical fitness.”
His confident voice continued.
“He has probably unlocked an Ability that increases or supplements his Stamina.”
But he was completely wrong.
[Instant Fatigue Recovery], which Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho had unlocked, was less a physical-fitness Ability and more a type of buff—in other words, something closer to a Blessing.
They were not even in the same category.
Physical-fitness Abilities were generally treated as ‘General,’ while Blessing Abilities were treated as ‘Special.’
They were on entirely different levels.
Of course, Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol knew about the existence of [Instant Fatigue Recovery].
But it was impossible for him to connect that Ability to Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho.
Even field-grade Hunter officers and veteran Master Sergeant Hunters who had spent years on battlefields barely managed to unlock such an Ability.
How could a green rookie possibly unlock it?
Absurdly enough, Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho was exactly that kind of case.
He had spent a full twenty-five years on battlefields.
In terms of experience alone, he had no reason to fall behind Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol.
***
“Looks like everyone’s finally here.”
Once the last Private Second Class arrived, the physical-fitness category finally came to an end.
The instructor was merciless.
“Those who reached the summit within the time limit will receive good scores on their Soldier Service Records. Those who failed will lose points according to how much they exceeded the time limit.”
Some cheered.
Others sighed.
My eyes naturally went to the latter group.
I know that feeling better than anyone.
But this field runs entirely on skill.
When something does not work out, you have to find a solution yourself somehow.
You cannot just sit there in despair.
That was why I had stubbornly repeated the same training over and over again.
It was the only solution I had found.
It had taken far too long, but in the end, I had produced results worth mentioning.
I had turned a life destined for failure into a reasonably successful one.
Yeah.
That was how it had been.
At last understanding the saying that even pain becomes beautiful once it turns into a memory, we descended the mountain in formation.
By the time we left the Empty Dungeon, it was almost 17:00.
I headed straight back to the barracks.
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho, reporting back after completing Intensive Training.”
The senior soldiers who had gone out on patrol within the Authorized Travel Area were already back.
Those lying down watching television or fiddling with their phones greeted me.
“Oh, Yun-ho. You’re finally back.”
“Yun-ho, good work~”
Corporal Jeong Ye-som even took a canned cola from the small refrigerator and handed it to me.
“Drink this.”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho. Thank you.”
“Wow, look at all this sweat. You did the physical-fitness category first, huh?”
“That is correct.”
Corporal Jeong Ye-som had gone through the same training in the past.
She already knew without me having to explain.
“That must’ve been rough. Hurry up and take your gear off.”
“Yes.”
I went to my spot and quickly removed my equipment.
My combat uniform was rough and dry from the sweat, like hair that had not been washed for several days.
At least it was only May.
In the middle of summer, it would have been crusted with salt.
“So? How’d you do?”
“Fortunately, I made it within the time limit.”
“Oh! Really?”
“Yes.”
“Our Yun-ho really is changing. As the older sister who cherishes you, I’m so happy.”
After I changed and came back out to the bunks, Corporal Jeong Ye-som sat snugly beside me with a broad grin.
When the other senior soldiers heard about it, they were surprised too.
“The physical-fitness category? Yun-ho passed that?”
“Oh, right, Yun-ho. You haven’t checked yet, have you?”
“Checked what?”
“The prize money! It came in earlier. Check it.”
So that was why she had been grinning like that.
The prize money had arrived.
“Yes.”
A Hunter’s spirit and duty were important, but truthfully, everyone did this to make money.
What would be the point of going through all that trouble to save civilians if not a single coin landed in your hands?
You would only be left wondering what the hell you were doing with your life.
I gulped and opened my mobile banking account.
Let’s see.
My balance….
“Whoa, how many zeroes are there? Did they always give this much?”
“Looks like Soseo District Office gave us a separate payment too. We got Plaques of Appreciation as well, remember?”
Ah, the Plaque of Appreciation.
I had briefly forgotten about it because of the Heroes Who Brought Glory to Flying Tiger commendation.
Before I knew it, a silly grin had spread across my own face too.
“No matter how much money you receive, it never seems to become a burden.”
“Hehe, right? I’ve already picked out a bag~”
“You mean the Sasindan bag you mentioned before?”
“Yeah. Yun-ho, what are you going to spend yours on?”
“Me?”
There was nothing to think about.
I had already decided the moment I heard we would receive prize money.
“I’m going to buy gifts for my family.”
“What?”
“Why are you reacting like that?”
“Now I suddenly feel like an unfilial daughter. Forget the stupid bag.”
“Haha, no. Corporal Jeong Ye-som, you’re always a good daughter.”
“I am?”
“You’ve been promoted without trouble, you’ve earned reward leave, and you grew up beautifully. If anyone were asked to name the perfect example of a devoted daughter, they’d choose you.”
“Our Yun-ho knows what he’s talking about.”
Corporal Jeong Ye-som poked me in the arm.
“The amount’s so big that I’ll still have plenty left after buying the bag anyway. I should buy my parents gifts with the rest.”
Then she grinned.
“I especially liked that last part~”
“You mean the part about being the perfect example of a devoted daughter?”
“No, no. The part where you said I grew up beautifully.”
“Ahh, but that’s such an obvious fact. Everyone would agree.”
Her bright laughter rang through the room.
I had even learned how to humor the temperamental Sergeant Majors from higher units.
Putting our Ye-som in a good mood was nothing.
And as I always said, she really was pretty.
“You two sure play off each other well.”
Sergeant Song Gi-yong, who had practically melted into the Squad Leader’s chair while watching television, turned his head toward us.
“Are you that excited?”
“Hehe, I think I’m allowed to enjoy myself today~ The prize money’s huge.”
“Well, you did accomplish something major. Anyway, can we expect you to treat us?”
“Of course. Since you brought it up, let’s go tonight.”
“As expected of our Ye-som. She gets things moving fast. Guys!”
He clapped his hands and shouted.
“Go easy on dinner tonight. The lovely Corporal Jeong Ye-som is treating everyone to something big.”
“Ooh!”
“Sounds good!”
“Sergeant Song Gi-yong, I’ll pay too!”
I raised my hand, but my offer was immediately rejected.
“Hey, no matter how much prize money you got, you think we’re going to make the youngest guy pay for us? Just buy the snacks during weekend late-night free time and we’ll call it even.”
“Ahem. Understood.”
I mean, I was happy to save money.
But would it not be rough for Ye-som to pay for everyone by herself?
Our squad currently has….
I looked around at the bunks and soon decided it would probably be fine.
Corporal Byeon Ji-tak was tapping away at his phone as though he had no interest whatsoever.
Private First Class Kang Seong-jun was likewise sitting in his own spot, reading nothing but a comic book.
There were a few people like them who would absolutely never come.
Their pride would probably be hurt if they tagged along anyway.
“Yun-ho, what’s for dinner today?”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho! Today’s dinner menu is….”
It was almost dinnertime.
As I recited the menu, I organized the status board attached to the squad bulletin board beside the door.
We used magnetic markers to indicate where every squad member currently was.
All the senior soldiers had returned from patrol, so I moved them back to the barracks.
Then myself.
Everyone could be marked as being in the barracks.
Except for one person.
One member of our squad was currently on leave.
She had combined her regular leave and reward leave, so she had been away for quite a while.
Because of that, I still had not seen her even once since my regression.
Of course, just like Corporal Jeong Ye-som, I had known her for such a long time before my regression that I already knew exactly who she was.
Corporal Gwak Woo-hee.
She was due back from leave tomorrow.
She had been one hell of a troublesome senior in more ways than one.
***
The next day.
Day two of Private Second Class Intensive Training.
The Private Second Classes gathered again in yesterday’s Empty Dungeon.
Today, training began immediately in the morning.
An instructor stepped forward holding something in his hand.
“Hunters operate in teams in almost every situation. That is because a Dungeon contains far more dangers than monsters alone. The Hunter Corps is the same. Unless something unusual happens, you are always with your comrades.”
“―”
“Today, we will conduct the teamwork category, where you will test how well you coordinate with those comrades.”
“―”
“The method is simple. We will form temporary squads according to your specialties. Each squad will travel to a designated area and eliminate the monsters there.”
The instructor held up the object in his hand.
It was a Monster Capsule.
“The ones created through [Summon] are far less hostile toward humans than real monsters, but monsters are still monsters. If you rush into a fight recklessly, you will get hurt. And if you brute-force your way to victory, you will naturally lose points just as you did in yesterday’s physical-fitness category.”
“―”
“So put your heads together and come up with the best strategy you can. Of course, who you choose as Squad Leader will also be important.”
No matter how good the tactics were, a group would be pushed back if its commander lacked ability.
That was what he meant.
“You will have two opportunities in total. If your first attempt produces a poor result, boldly replacing the Squad Leader may be a good idea. Naturally, you should revise your strategy as well.”
“―”
“Once again, the instructors will not intervene. You may wonder how this can even be called training, but Intensive Training is not the process of learning.”
“―”
“It is the process of acting.”
“―”
“Think of it as taking everything you have seen, heard, and used since being assigned to your units and putting it into practice one piece at a time.”
“―”
“Why aren’t any of you answering?”
The Private Second Classes, who had been listening quietly, immediately responded.
“Understood!”
“Good. That concludes the explanation. Raise your hand if you have a question.”
“Will every squad be sent to the same type of area?”
“Yes. If there is anything where fairness matters, it is something like this. The monsters will also be identical, so do not worry about that.”
“Yes.”
“Any other questions?”
Apparently, that had been all anyone was curious about.
No more hands went up.
“None, then. I’ll announce the members of each squad.”
Names were called one after another.
“…and with Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho and Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang, Squad 7 will consist of eight members in total. Next, Squad 8….”
I was in Squad 7.
Exactly as I had been before my regression.
Even being placed together with Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang was the same.
“…That concludes the squad assignments. Each squad will now follow its assigned instructor to its designated location.”
“Yes!”
Our assigned instructor was Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il, just as he had been before my regression.
Of course, being from the same company did not mean he would give us higher scores.
If anything, he was more likely to judge us more harshly.
“I am Noh Yeong-il, First Platoon Leader of Third Company.”
“Loyalty!”
“Loyalty. Squad 7 will follow me from this point onward.”
“Yes!”
We followed him to the edge of a forest in the western area.
Dense trees.
Several enormous boulders.
It was the sort of terrain you saw all the time inside Dungeons.
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il was also holding one of the capsules from earlier.
“The monster you will face is the Zabrik.”
Normally, this would have been followed by a briefing on the Zabrik’s physical characteristics and the most effective way to deal with it.
But today, there was nothing.
Discussing those things among ourselves was what Squad 7 had to do from this point onward.
“You have thirty minutes to discuss. I will not give you even one extra second. Solve everything within that time.”
With that, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il moved completely off to the side.
The Private Second Classes from other companies who did not know him grumbled briefly.
“Hey, is that second lieutenant always that strict?”
They were asking me because I belonged to the same company.
I nodded.
“Yes. He’s the master of doing everything by the book.”
“Damn, getting a good score is going to be tough.”
“No. That actually puts our squad at the greatest advantage.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because if we do everything properly by the book, he’s the kind of man who’ll give us a perfect score without question.”
“Ah! If he’s that by-the-book, I guess that makes sense. But doing it properly won’t exactly be easy.”
“That’s what we need to figure out now. First, everyone should share what they know about Zabriks. Then we can build a strategy.”
Somehow, I ended up leading the discussion.
It was not because I liked putting myself forward.
I simply had the most experience among everyone here.
I had spent twenty-five years as an NCO and led dozens of squads like this.
Not just squads, either.
I had led groups far larger than that.
“Hey.”
Then a phlegmy voice cut in.
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang curled one corner of his mouth into a crooked sneer.
“We should choose the Squad Leader first. Any group needs a leader if it’s going to function properly.”
He stepped a couple of paces forward into the circle formed by Squad 7.
As though he naturally belonged at its center.
“And if that leader has strength too, the group will work even better.”
His next words made his intentions even clearer.
“And I’m exactly that kind of leader.”
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang’s specialty was the Great Axe.
He held the weapon, which was nearly the size of a grown man, as though it weighed nothing.
His body itself practically resembled a gorilla.
Combined with his already vicious appearance, it made the squad members instinctively flinch.
“Anyone got a problem with that? Of course not. Then I’ll be the Squad Lead—”
“Me.”
I finally spoke after listening in silence.
I had not remembered exactly what he had said back then, but hearing it again was bringing the memories back one after another.
He really was an entertaining bastard in all sorts of ways.
“I’ve got a problem with it.”
“What? You bastard.”
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang’s eyebrow twitched.
Veins bulged across the hand gripping his Great Axe.
Before my regression, that strength had frightened me.
I had ended up keeping my mouth shut.
But now, all I saw was an inexperienced brat full of bluster.
“You want to die?”
“You started with ‘hey,’ then moved on to ‘bastard,’ and now you’re threatening to kill me.”
“You fucking bastard. You’re seriously pissing me off.”
With one long stride, his shaved head was suddenly right in front of my face.
I smiled faintly and met his murderous gaze.
“Go ahead, then.”
“…What?”
I spread both arms wide.
“You asked if I wanted to die. Go ahead and try.”
The bomb that had looked ready to explode at any second suddenly went silent.
Without even realizing it, Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang looked away from my eyes.
He was scared of me.