“Song Gi-yong, what are you doing? Why aren’t you saluting?”
“Ah…!”
For some reason, Sergeant Song Gi-yong had been standing there dazed. He straightened his uniform and rose from his seat.
The other squad members followed suit.
“Everyone, attention.”
“!”
“Salute the new Squad Leader.”
“Loyalty!!”
Their thunderous voices echoed all the way into the corridor outside.
The new Squad Leader stepped forward.
“Loyalty!”
“That’s right. This is how you should greet each other—with nice, loud voices.”
Captain Oh Jun-beom nodded in satisfaction.
“Our new Squad Leader here has just graduated from the Hunter NCO School and is a newly appointed Staff Sergeant. She maintained excellent grades throughout her time there and even received four commendations, so you could call her an outstanding Hunter. Since she’s just getting started, she may have less experience than the bastard who got kicked out, but her actual ability is a hundred, a thousand times better.”
A few squad members snickered at the phrase bastard who got kicked out.
“So treat her well. As long as you listen to Staff Sergeant Seon, you might even become the elite Hunters of our 3rd Company.”
“Yes!”
“Okay, I’ll get going, then.”
Captain Oh Jun-beom placed a hand firmly on the new Squad Leader’s shoulder.
“Staff Sergeant Seon can handle the detailed introduction—no, Squad Three Leader can handle the rest.”
“Yes! Loyalty!”
Once again, he merely flicked a hand in acknowledgment before leaving the quarters.
An awkward atmosphere immediately descended upon us.
Part of it was because this was our first meeting, but there was actually a bigger reason.
“Gasp…!”
The squad members, especially the men, couldn’t take their eyes off the new Squad Leader.
She was simply that beautiful.
“Ahem.”
The new Squad Leader cleared her throat and spoke.
“Nice to meet you, everyone in Squad Three. I’m Seon A-rin, your Squad Leader.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am!”
CLAP, CLAP, CLAP.
Applause broke out.
The atmosphere loosened in an instant.
“Thank you, everyone, for welcoming me.”
The new Squad Leader—no, Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin—sounded noticeably more relaxed as well.
“As the Company Commander said, I’ll be taking my first step as an NCO here in Squad Three. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of shortcomings, but I’ll study hard and do my best so I don’t become a burden to any of you.”
The squad members quietly listened.
Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin glanced over their faces before speaking again.
“That’s… okay, right?”
“Yes! We’ll do our best as squad members too!”
“Mm…! Thank you.”
Consideration.
Cautiousness.
Those qualities were plainly visible in just a few words and exchanges.
It wasn’t simply because she was a new Staff Sergeant.
Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin had always been that kind of person.
She was too kind-hearted.
So kind that it sometimes made me angry.
“Could everyone give your Squad Leader a quick introduction too? I looked through your records on the way here, but I think it’d be better to hear it directly from you…!”
“Yes! I’m Sergeant Song Gi-yong. I serve as the Assistant Squad Leader, and my specialty is….”
There was nothing inherently wrong with being kind, but there was something I’d learned from living to nearly fifty before my regression.
Especially during my time in the Hunter Corps.
“Corporal Gwak Woo-hee. My specialty is….”
Being kind often meant you were the one who lost out.
“Corporal Jeong Ye-som. I’m a Mage Soldier, and I mainly use Fire Magic.”
Because people saw kindness as weakness and tried to devour you.
Just like that bastard.
“Corporal Byeon Ji-tak. My specialty is the sword. By the way, Squad Leader, you’re really pretty, ma’am. Hehehe.”
“That’s… nice of you to say, but I don’t think that’s something you really need to say right now. Anyway, nice to meet you, Ji-tak.”
“Hehehe, yes, ma’am.”
Even if it meant making people dislike you a little, you had to come down hard.
That was the only way bastards like Byeon Ji-tak learned to keep their mouths shut.
But considering what Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin had been like before my regression, there was no chance of that happening.
Well, what else could I do?
I’d have to help her.
Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin was the benefactor of my life, after all.
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho!”
The introductions went around one by one until finally, it was my turn.
I spoke in a loud voice.
“My specialty is the sword! I look forward to serving under you!”
“I already know quite a bit about you, Yun-ho. I saw you on the news recently, but I never thought I’d meet you in person like this. I look forward to working with you too. Let’s do our best together.”
“Yes!”
Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin smiled brightly.
It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen that smile.
I answered her with a smile of my own.
“I think that covers everyone’s introductions. Is there anything you’re curious about regarding your Squad Leader? You can ask me anything.”
The moment she said that, Corporal Byeon Ji-tak raised his hand.
“Squad Leader! When was your first kiss?”
“Oooooh!”
Private First Class Kang Seong-jun immediately joined in, egging him on.
“Huh…? Why would you ask….”
“You said we could ask you anything, ma’am.”
“That’s true, but….”
Her pale face flushed bright red.
I could feel her embarrassment from where I sat.
Corporal Gwak Woo-hee glanced at Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin, then shot Corporal Byeon Ji-tak a warning look, but his eyes remained fixed on the Squad Leader.
“You’ve dated someone before, haven’t you?”
“….”
“What, don’t tell me you’ve never dated anyone. You’ve been single your whole life?”
“Ji-tak, do you have any other questions?”
Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin, now red as a carrot, tried to change the subject.
Corporal Byeon Ji-tak pretended not to hear her.
“It’s just surprising that someone with a face like yours has never dated anyone.”
He snickered with Private First Class Kang Seong-jun beside him before quietly muttering, “That makes her even more attractive, ma’am.”
Fortunately, Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin didn’t seem to hear that part.
“Byeon Ji-tak.”
Corporal Gwak Woo-hee stepped in again.
“Knock it off.”
Only then did the grinning Corporal Byeon Ji-tak read the room.
“…Yes, ma’am.”
“Why? Why is everyone acting like this? Woo-hee, it’s okay. I’m the one who said he could ask me anything.”
Instead, Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin was the one who felt sorry and blamed the whole thing on herself.
Ha, shit.
All because of that fucking bastard.
My fist trembled, but I had no choice but to endure it.
Even if a senior was wrong a hundred times over, a junior stepping in against him through words or actions was still unmistakably insubordination.
I’d be lucky if all I got was military jail. If things escalated, even my Hunter Qualification could be put at risk.
“Any other questions?”
“Squad Leader, what’s your specialty?”
After barely restraining myself, I asked the question.
I already knew the answer, but I wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible.
“Ah! I haven’t mentioned that yet. My specialty is magic.”
“Wow! Same as me, ma’am.”
Corporal Jeong Ye-som asked,
“What’s your primary Element?”
“Lightning. Yours was fire, right, Ye-som?”
“Yes! That’s amazing. Lightning is the best part of magic!”
“Pfft, fire is cool too.”
Her exaggerated enthusiasm warmed the atmosphere again.
A few more questions followed after that.
Then Corporal Song Ji-han raised his hand.
“Are you planning to hold some kind of welcome party?”
“Sure. Just not right away. Let’s do it later. As all of you know, our company is currently….”
Nobody needed to hear the rest.
Everyone understood.
“If there aren’t any more questions, should we wrap things up here?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then I’m sorry, but could you all take care of your personal maintenance for a while? I think your Squad Leader needs to get a handover.”
“Understood. But the previous Squad Leader ended up like that, so how are you going to get a handover?”
“Well, I’ll have to ask the Assistant Squad Leader for help.”
When Staff Sergeant Seon A-rin cautiously turned toward him, Sergeant Song Gi-yong rose as though he’d been waiting for the opportunity.
If anything, he seemed delighted.
He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Of course, Squad Leader. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“Thank you, Gi-yong. Could I also take a look at things like Squad Three’s performance records?”
“Kwon Min-chan, that bast—no, Staff Sergeant Kwon Min-chan should have prepared those. Let’s head to the Squad Leader’s office first, ma’am.”
“Let’s do that. Everyone else, take care of your personal maintenance.”
“Yes, ma’am. Loyalty!”
“Loyalty!”
The two of them left.
The moment they did, cold gazes swallowed Corporal Byeon Ji-tak and Private First Class Kang Seong-jun whole.
“Do you two want to fucking die?”
“We’re sorry.”
“I know she said you could ask her anything, but why the fuck would you start spewing shit about her first kiss and whether she’s ever dated anyone?”
“We won’t do it again.”
That was all talk.
The two of them bowed their heads and apologized, but the moment Corporal Gwak Woo-hee left for the bathroom with Corporal Jeong Ye-som, they started snickering again.
“Wasn’t she insane? I thought I was looking at some celebrity. And that figure of hers is something else too.”
“She is fucking gorgeous. Maybe it’s because she just graduated, but her hair’s short too. How does someone still look that good?”
“It wasn’t just her hair. She wasn’t even wearing makeup.”
“You’re right. She’d look even more incredible if she put a little something on her face.”
“Corporal Byeon Ji-tak, do you know what the most important part is?”
“What?”
“Seeing how she couldn’t answer and dodged the question earlier, doesn’t that mean the Squad Leader really has never dated anyone?”
“Oh, right, right. Heh, fuck. With that face, she’s never dated anyone? Whoever gets her later is going to hit the fucking jackpot―”
“That’s enough.”
I finally opened my mouth, unable to endure it any longer.
“You’re going too far, aren’t you?”
“What? What the hell did you just say?”
His huge frame instantly loomed in front of me.
Corporal Song Ji-han hurriedly stepped between us.
“P-please calm down, Corporal Byeon Ji-tak. People have been praising Gu Yun-ho so much lately that I think he lost his mind for a second.”
“Do you fucking think Gwak Woo-hee is going to be here forever? That bitch is getting discharged eventually.”
A murderous hand tapped my cheek.
“Think carefully about who you’re going to be stuck with longer. Huh? Make the right call, you fucking bastard.”
“―”
“Hey, Seong-jun. Let’s go smoke.”
“Private First Class Kang Seong-jun! Yes!”
Corporal Byeon Ji-tak stuck a cigarette in his mouth and left the quarters.
Private First Class Kang Seong-jun raised a fist at me and muttered, “Don’t act up, bastard,” before trailing after Corporal Byeon Ji-tak.
“…Ha.”
Depending on how you looked at it, the situation could have been considered insubordination.
But none of the seniors who remained scolded me.
Corporal Song Ji-han approached.
“Yun-ho, sorry about what I said just now. I didn’t actually mean it like that.”
“I know. You deliberately went hard on me because you were trying to calm Corporal Byeon Ji-tak down.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“Not at all. I’m the one who should apologize.”
“Whew.”
He patted my shoulder and stared at the spots Corporal Byeon Ji-tak and Private First Class Kang Seong-jun had vacated.
“What can you do? This place might fucking suck, but rank comes first.”
“Yes.”
“So don’t do that again. Nobody can stop that bastard Byeon Ji-tak once he snaps. And Corporal Gwak Woo-hee… honestly, Ji-tak was right about that part. In the end, the one who’ll still be here longer is Byeon Ji-tak. Anyway, you understand, right?”
“Understood.”
No.
Byeon Ji-tak was wrong.
Even without Corporal Gwak Woo-hee, I had a way to fuck that bastard up.
The moment that time came, the gates of hell would open for him.
***
A fiery Friday night.
The phrase applied to the Hunter Corps to some extent as well.
Especially when there wasn’t any significant training scheduled for the following week.
After all, the base had all sorts of entertainment facilities, from karaoke rooms to movie rooms and game rooms.
But the moment I finished dinner, I headed straight for the training room.
It wasn’t because I was a Private Second Class and had restrictions on recreational activities.
‘Missing just one day has me itching.’
My daily routine had always been like this.
Training after duty hours.
More training.
Over and over again.
It had gotten even worse since I regressed.
Maybe it was some kind of compensatory urge to reclaim what I’d lost.
《Due to the effect of [Iron-Blooded Knight’s Soul], the Proficiency of all sword techniques increases faster.》
《[Thrust] Proficiency has increased.》
《[Slash] Proficiency has increased.》
Nearly two weeks of sweating had paid off.
About an hour later, a new notification appeared.
《The Proficiency of [Thrust] and [Slash] is nearing the Awakening threshold.》
Something that normally would’ve taken several more months looked set to be completed in only two weeks.
It was the result of combining the instincts I retained from before my regression with [Iron-Blooded Knight’s Soul].
The speed was terrifying.
If it had required nothing but Understanding like [Efficient Parry], wouldn’t I have finished it in two hours instead of two weeks?
After that, I moved on to physical conditioning.
Several sets of weight training.
Running on a treadmill while wearing sandbag weights.
Dodging incoming targets.
After warming up with exercises like those, I fought virtual battles using the simulation equipment.
It was called physical conditioning, but ultimately, physical ability was still part of one’s overall abilities.
And when it came to improving an ability, nothing beat combat.
The only thing better, of course, was actual combat.
“Whew.”
By the time I finished all my training, it was almost time for assigned cleaning duties.
I used the spare time to sit down cross-legged.
I closed my eyes and focused for a while.
FSSSS.
A pale, murky smoke rose above my palm.
It was a mysterious force known as aura, chakra, or, here in Korea, gi.
Every Hunter could manipulate this mysterious force.
Of course, just because everyone could use it didn’t mean everyone wielded the same kind of power.
Its power and efficiency varied enormously depending on its amount, density, rotation, speed, and Manifestation.
Especially Manifestation.
Gi normally existed without form, but by giving it a shape, a Hunter could forcibly increase its power and efficiency.
This, too, was something any Hunter could do.
That was because the gi could naturally take on a shape according to the nature possessed by the Hunter using it.
I had a nature like that too.
It had taken me far too long to develop it, but it was by no means bad.
Thorns.
I could manifest my gi as thorns and wrap them around the blade of my sword.
The sharpened blade could sever even an Ogre’s thick forearm in a single stroke.
I could also release it outward.
Just as mages manifested their magic.
WHOOOM.
I tried it just in case, but there was no chance of succeeding right now.
Forget thorns. All I managed to produce were little round clumps of gi that coiled around one another before quickly fading away.
That was only natural.
Training gi meant cultivating the mind alongside the body, so mere instinct and sensation weren’t enough.
Still, I can bring that time forward.
If it took 100 before my regression, I can reduce it to 10 now.
This time, however, I planned to manifest ‘something else’ before thorns.
After all, Manifestation wasn’t limited to shapes born from a person’s innate nature.
There was another method that people at this point in time didn’t know about.
‘As soon as next week.’
In a certain Dungeon I’d be visiting soon.