Once the rear stabilized, the tide quickly turned in our favor.
Arrows and bullets flew without pause.
Specially made and infused with Mana, they easily pierced through the Zabriks' hides.
The Swordsmen and Spearmen got a hold of themselves and began doing their part as well.
The Spearmen used their reach to pin down one bastard at a time, then the Swordsmen moved in and cut their throats.
WHOOSH—!
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang continued displaying overwhelming force.
They weren't even a match for him.
No wonder he'd been able to enter the underworld as soon as he was discharged.
Places like that unexpectedly care even more about actual ability.
And with that, the battle came to an end.
Zabrik corpses lay scattered everywhere with their tongues hanging out. We'd won, but it could hardly be called a good result.
The fact that their corpses were strewn all over the place meant our tactics had been that much of a mess.
“We won!”
“Whoa!”
Regardless, the squad members reveled in their victory.
We'd turned around a battle that had practically been lost, so it was understandable that they were excited.
“This is all thanks to Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho!”
“Our Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho really is amazing. No wonder you did so well at Modang Station.”
The squad members gathered around me.
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang was the only one who didn't come over, standing there alone with a deep scowl on his face.
So that's what they mean by looking like you've bitten into a piece of shit.
“Don't celebrate.”
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il approached.
He'd watched our squad's entire battle from a short distance away.
“Only the result was a victory. The process was a miserable defeat.”
“―”
“At this rate, it'll be difficult to get a good score. You'd be better off using different tactics on your second attempt.”
You might think winning was all that mattered, but this time, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il was absolutely right.
There was no meaning in killing all the monsters if the Hunters ended up just as badly injured.
Private Second Class Kim Jeong-mi alone was bleeding heavily from her thigh.
“If Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho hadn't dealt with those bastards in time, Private Second Class Kim Jeong-mi's injuries wouldn't have ended at that.”
“We'll do better on our second attempt.”
“Good. Put in the effort.”
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il took out medical equipment and handed it to Private Second Class Kim Jeong-mi.
Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep, so it could be handled with rapid treatment.
“And Jo Tae-gwang.”
“Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang!”
“This cooperative exercise is being carried out entirely according to your own judgment from beginning to end, so I'm letting this go without saying much. At any other time, you wouldn't have gotten off so easily.”
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il had politely expressed that Jo Tae-gwang would've been dead meat.
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang couldn't utter a word and lowered his head.
“Ah, let me ask one thing. Will Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang be the Squad Leader for the second attempt too?”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho. I'll be the Squad Leader then.”
“I see. Understood.”
When I raised my hand, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il briefly looked relieved.
That was expectation.
The expectation that things would be different if it were me.
Achievements and reputation really are important in this line of work.
The way people treat you changes completely.
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho, would you like some water?”
Just like Private Second Class Kim Jeong-mi, who kept hovering beside me.
“No, thank you. I have my own.”
“Mmm, I see.”
It was now both our break and lunchtime.
We found a suitable spot, sat down, and opened our combat rations.
They were packed with high-calorie foods such as beef fried rice, seasoned rice, braised tofu, braised anchovies, and seasoned sausage.
They were salty enough that they didn't taste bad, but compared to the food from the mess hall, they were inevitably somewhat lacking.
Maybe it was because they sat a little heavy in the stomach.
Still, there was nothing better for quickly taking care of a meal.
Especially when entering a world detached from reality like the Abyss.
After filling my stomach, I lay down with my combat helmet beneath my head and rested.
With the sky as my roof and the ground as my bed, my body soon grew sluggish.
I'd also burned through quite a bit of Stamina during the earlier battle.
Since I hadn't fought all the way to my limit, [Instant Fatigue Recovery] hadn't activated.
And in a sense, [Instant Fatigue Recovery] was a double-edged sword.
If it activated, that meant I was in that much danger.
I slept soundly until waking at 13:00.
The other squad members, who'd even been snoring in their sleep, stretched and opened their eyes.
No matter how important rest was, preparing for the next battle during this time would've been more effective.
But that was impossible.
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il had been watching us the entire time.
“Did you all sleep well?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then, just like before, I'll give you thirty minutes to discuss your strategy. You'll be facing Zabriks again, but they'll spawn in a different location. Keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
Their spawn location.
My memory of where it was had been vague, but being here brought it back quickly.
It wouldn't matter much even if I didn't know.
Unless those bastards fell from the sky or sprang out of the ground, I already knew how to win perfectly.
“Squad members, listen carefully. In this battle, we're going to rely more on camouflage and terrain than on our individual weapons or Abilities.”
“Camouflage and terrain?”
“Yes. Once the instructor gives the signal, those of you at range should camouflage yourselves with leaves. Zabriks are dog-type monsters, so while they have an excellent sense of smell, their eyesight is relatively poor.”
“It's a good idea, but won't the camouflage become meaningless the moment we attack? They'll bare their claws and charge us immediately.”
“That's fine. It's only meant to buy us one opening.”
“One opening?”
“You probably realized it during the first battle. Even if a human shield draws all the aggro and forms a defensive wall, eventually the bastards will still manage to attack.”
I was talking about Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang.
Since it was an undeniable fact, he couldn't argue.
He'd caused the whole mess himself in the first place.
“So that's the point. We only need to buy one opening.”
“And during that opening, the other Swordsmen and Spearmen attack the Zabriks?”
“Yes. Once they're tangled up fighting each other, the bastards will never charge the ranged fighters.”
I deliberately spoke firmly and with absolute certainty.
If I said something vague like, ‘I don't think they'll charge you,’ they'd only become unnecessarily anxious.
It was my own command style, developed through countless experiences.
Still, I added a safeguard just in case.
“It'd be even better if you used rocks to create shields for yourselves.”
“Oh. Understood.”
“Squad Leader, then do we just rush toward where they appear and fight?”
The Swordsmen and Spearmen asked.
I nodded.
“Yes. In a head-on battle, trust matters more than tactics. Trust your comrades, and trust yourselves. We're strong. We can do this.”
“!!”
I gave them courage.
We'd completely botched our first battle, so this kind of confidence was necessary right now.
“How do we locate the Zabriks? Would it be best to advance slowly while staying on alert like before?”
“My hearing is exceptionally good. I'll notice them before that becomes necessary.”
“Right, you did earlier too. That's really reassuring. Understood.”
The squad members exclaimed in admiration, then glanced cautiously toward Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang.
One by one, they began making comments.
“So this is the difference between using brawn and using your brain.”
“Someone's completely different~”
“You were talking like you'd handle everything by yourself earlier. Why are you suddenly so quiet?”
“Can't you shut your mouths?”
THUD—!
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang slammed his fist into the innocent ground.
I stepped in.
“All right, all right. Let's get up now. The thirty minutes are over.”
“Yes, Squad Leader.”
The second battle began afterward.
Everything unfolded exactly as I'd expected.
We identified their location in advance and struck first.
The camouflaged Archers and Gunners provided rapid covering fire.
Even Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang followed my orders without acting independently.
Probably because of his evaluation score.
“A perfect victory. Very well done.”
Once the battle ended, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il praised us highly, even giving us a thumbs-up.
We'd made use of every combat element available—each squad member's individual Abilities and weapon skills, along with a preemptive strike, camouflage, cover, and more.
Someone as by-the-book as him couldn't have been more satisfied.
“Thank you, Squad Leader. We'll get a good score thanks to you.”
“Let's go to the PX together sometime. I'll buy you something good.”
“Contact me sometime when you go on leave. I'll treat you to the full course.”
Each of the squad members thanked me in their own way.
Except for one person.
“What's so impressive about winning with cheap tricks?”
“We usually call that tactics. Not cheap tricks. Ah, are you too stupid to understand?”
“What did you say, you bastard?”
Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang picked another fight with me while Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il had gone back ahead of us.
Exactly what I wanted.
“You said you'd show me the difference in level. And this is the result?”
“Shut up, you fucking bastard!”
I stepped closer and stared straight into his eyes.
“If you're pissed off, you should've done better, you retarded bastard.”
Talking any longer with vermin would only make my mouth hurt.
I gave Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang's stiff shoulder a few light pats and went on my way.
And with that, Day Two of the Private Second Class Intensive Training came to an end.
***
He'd been watching the entire time.
All he could do was marvel.
‘Even accounting for the fact that they're summoned monsters rather than real monsters, his tactical understanding is extremely high.’
Anyone could understand tactics if they thoroughly learned the theory.
Putting those tactics to use in actual combat was another matter entirely.
That was because the situation in battle constantly changed in real time.
Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho hadn't panicked or become impatient in the slightest under those circumstances.
He calmly encouraged his squad members and issued nothing but crisp, precise orders as Squad Leader.
That was why Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol was so impressed with him.
‘The more I watch him, the more interesting he gets.’
After Day Two of Tactical Training ended, the officers gathered briefly, and he called for Captain Oh Jun-beom.
“3rd Company Commander.”
“Yes, Battalion Commander!”
“Who is Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho scheduled to face in tomorrow's final combat exercise?”
“Ah! Please give me a moment, sir.”
Captain Oh Jun-beom quickly checked the training schedule and returned.
“It's Private Second Class Oh Chan-yeong from 1st Squad, 2nd Platoon, 1st Company. His specialty is the sword.”
“Do you normally pair people with the same specialty?”
“Rather than their specialty, we pair them according to their performance metrics.”
“It seems inappropriate to use Gu Yun-ho's metrics up to this point to judge his current ability. Just look at the Modang Station incident.”
Captain Oh Jun-beom immediately understood Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol's intention.
“Shall I change his opponent?”
“Yes. Let's pair him with Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang, who was in the same squad as him for today's cooperative exercise.”
“Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang….”
Although he belonged to another company, Captain Oh Jun-beom knew a fair amount about Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang.
After all, Jo Tae-gwang used a Great Axe that most Private Second Classes could barely even lift.
“Yes, Battalion Commander. I'll make the change.”
He agreed because it was an order from a superior, but he couldn't help wondering.
Wasn't the outcome of that fight far too obvious?
“What? You think Private Second Class Jo Tae-gwang will obviously win? Because the gap in their physical ability is too great?”
“Ah. No, sir.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
“My apologies, sir.”
“Haha, no need.”
Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-cheol laughed as though it were fine.
“I think the same thing. The outcome already seems obvious to me too. But you know…”
His eyes filled with curiosity as he looked toward the sparring arena where tomorrow's final combat exercise would take place.
“For some reason, I have a feeling Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho might produce a result that overturns everyone's expectations.”