06:30.
CLICK, CLICK.
Just before reveille sounded, a faint noise came through the speakers.
Absurdly enough, my body reacted to it.
I shot upright.
Twenty-five years had passed, yet my instincts were still keeping me on alert.
I couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
I quickly stretched, then started by straightening the slippers scattered here and there.
After that, I drew back the curtains.
Bright morning sunlight flooded the barracks.
Ba-bam ba-bam-bam ba-ba-ra ba-bam ba-bam-bam♪
Ba-bam-bam♪
Only then did reveille sound.
It was an intense noise no matter how many times I heard it.
“Fuck, another day's dawned.”
“I want to die….”
The senior soldiers began waking up one by one.
The male soldiers all had bedhead like magpie nests perched on their heads, while the female soldiers' hair was disheveled like ghosts.
Hair regulations were looser than in the regular military, so most people grew it out like that, but once midsummer came, they got so sick of the heat that they shaved it all off.
Nothing raised your discomfort level quite like cramming long hair under a combat helmet.
“Yun-ho, you're on the ball today.”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho! Thank you.”
Corporal Do Ji-yeon, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, gave me a thumbs-up.
Of course I was on the ball. How many years had I done this for?
Even after becoming an NCO, I'd done every odd job imaginable to stay in the good graces of the Sergeants First Class and Master Sergeants.
This much was a piece of cake.
“On May 7, 2030, we will now conduct today's morning roll call.”
Fifteen minutes later, the company personnel assembled on the parade ground.
We started with simple calisthenics, followed by a moment of silence honoring the noble sacrifices of those who came before us, then a run.
By the time it was over, my upper body was drenched in sweat.
If it was already this bad, midsummer was going to be hell.
But something even worse was waiting for me….
‘Fuck, come to think of it, I have to do Ranger Training all over again.’
Regression was changing my life, but it didn't come with only good things.
Ranger Training.
I'd have to endure those hellish four nights and five days all over again.
Haah.
Deciding I'd worry about that later, I picked up the PT shirt I'd taken off beneath the reviewing stand.
At that moment, something soft touched my forearm.
“Our Yun-ho's got more muscle today, doesn't he?”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho.”
“Nice and firm. Feels good.”
Corporal Jeong Ye-som kneaded my forearm.
I might not have had any abilities, but I'd always trained hard, so my body was densely packed with lean muscle.
It was pathetic compared to soldiers who had unlocked the relevant abilities, though.
Corporal Jeong Ye-som even let her hand wander over to my chest.
This big sis really doesn't know when to stop.
So I pushed back a little harder too.
“Corporal Jeong Ye-som, if you keep doing that, I may have to touch you the same way.”
“Yeah? Then touch me.”
As if to say I could go right ahead, she thrust out her chest.
Both hands were gripping the hem of her shirt, as if she'd strip it right off if I wanted her to.
…I really can't beat her when it comes to things like this.
“I admit defeat.”
“Pfft, what do you mean, defeat? I told you to do the same thing.”
“No, thank you. We should go eat breakfast instead.”
“Sure.”
Corporal Jeong Ye-som snickered as she headed toward the mess hall.
Actually, it wasn't her behavior that had flustered me just now.
It was her body.
Her chest was so full that you'd think her mana pouches were attached there.
The PT uniform actually toned it down.
One time, I'd seen her in civilian clothes while she was out on leave, and I'd been so flustered I hadn't known what to do.
Breakfast was seaweed soup and stir-fried sausage with vegetables.
There was salted squid too.
It couldn't have been a better combination.
After filling my stomach, I went back up to the barracks and changed first.
An olive-drab combat uniform similar to the regular military's.
NCOs wore the same thing, so it didn't feel strange at all.
I'd already worn it yesterday too.
Duty hours arrived quickly.
I used the key I'd brought in advance to unlock the weapons locker.
As announced yesterday, the morning schedule was specialty training.
“I'll issue the weapons! Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho. Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho. Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho.”
I handed the senior soldiers their weapons one by one, then took mine last.
A sword.
“Hey, who's the instructor?”
I moved with Corporal Byeon Ji-tak, my primary and a fellow swordsman.
“The First Platoon Leader.”
“The First Platoon Leader?”
“Yes.”
“This fucking sucks. That bastard's rigidly by-the-book.”
He spat out a string of curses and headed out first.
I agreed with him to some extent.
The First Platoon Leader really was rigidly by-the-book and never did anything halfheartedly.
Everything had to be exactly according to the book.
If your stance was off by even a little, he'd make you start everything over from the beginning.
“Good to see you, swordsmen. I'm the First Platoon Leader, and I'll be your instructor today.”
“Loyalty!”
“Loyalty.”
At exactly 09:00, at the swordsmanship training ground near the parade ground, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il was smiling from ear to ear.
He looked endlessly warm on the outside, but underneath that smile was every intention of putting us through the wringer.
“You're heading to Song-su Station for an investigation this afternoon, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then the afternoon will be easy, won't it?”
It sounded like he meant that since the afternoon would be easy, we'd go hard in the morning.
The seasoned Sergeants cried out in alarm.
“Instructor! You know how enormous that dungeon is! It takes forever just to get anywhere inside!”
“I know, I know. But what are you saying? Doesn't that mean all you have to do is walk? Am I wrong?”
“W-well, that's true, but….”
“Come on. Then it is easy.”
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il chuckled and drew his sword.
It was a training sword with no lethal force.
“All right. If no one has anything else to say, we'll begin training immediately. Everyone, draw swords.”
“…Draw swords!”
If they argued any more, they'd only end up doing extra training they otherwise wouldn't have had to do.
The soldiers knew Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il's personality well, so they followed his order without complaint.
Training swords were soon in every soldier's hands.
We spread out widely in five columns.
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il stood at the front.
“Today, we'll practice the fundamentals of swordsmanship. You've all done them until you're sick of them, but there is no end to the fundamentals. No matter what forms you learn in the future, you can only master them if your fundamentals support them properly.”
“―”
“And not just forms. The most important element for a Hunter is abilities. The fundamentals also play a key role in unlocking them.”
“―”
“Even something as simple as a thrust or a slash will never manifest as an ability if your fundamentals aren't in place.”
“―”
“You all understand what I'm saying, right?”
“Yes!”
“Then I'll demonstrate. First, wrap both hands around the sword hilt, then spread your feet lightly apart. After that….”
The soldiers took their stances one step at a time, following Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il.
They extended the sword straight out, then raised it and swept it horizontally.
It was a short sequence, but this too was a form.
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il said as much.
“…and with that, you've completed a simple form. Repeat it fifteen times each. There's no need to match anyone else's speed. Follow your own sense and rhythm.”
My own sense and rhythm.
Those were welcome words for me.
I licked my upper lip and began the form.
As I said, it was an extremely short form made up of only three movements, but beads of sweat quickly formed on my forehead.
With enough concentration, even flicking a single finger could become exhausting.
“Start over.”
“Tsk. That's far too sloppy. Again.”
“Good grief. Your movements are all out of shape. Again.”
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il watched the soldiers one by one before coming to a stop in front of me.
His eyes widened slightly.
“Hmm. Not bad. Keep it exactly like that.”
“Yes!”
This was a body that had spent a lifetime holding a sword.
I wasn't trying to show off, but basic forms like this were child's play to me.
The notifications proved it.
By the time the two-hour training session was drawing to a close, two new abilities had been added to my Ability Window.
《A new ability, [Thrust], has been unlocked.》
《A new ability, [Slash], has been unlocked.》
In short, abilities were both stats and skills.
The higher their Proficiency and Understanding became, the more powerful they grew.
In other words, these two abilities would make my growth even faster.
‘[Thrust] and [Slash] both took me ages to unlock before regression.’
There would be promotion exams later.
These abilities would come in very handy there.
But I couldn't afford to grow complacent.
Even as abilities, they were still basic techniques in the end.
‘I need to improve my physical abilities and strengthen my body too.’
Before regression, I'd had a body that could take an axe blow without a problem.
Now, even getting hit by a rock would hurt.
My arms and legs were already starting to ache.
I'd exhausted myself in only two hours.
That was fine.
I already had a way to improve my physical abilities in mind.
I just had to put it into action when the time came.
And unlike [Thrust] and [Slash], I already possessed an ability with considerable power.
[Efficient Parry].
It was a little disappointing that, given how today's training was going, I probably wouldn't get to use it, but as long as I had this, I shouldn't lose points in sparring or combat, at least.
Then lunchtime began drawing near.
“What time is it?”
“The current time is 11:30!”
“We've still got plenty of time left. Good. Until lunch, we'll practice another fundamental of swordsmanship.”
Unlike other instructors who would've dismissed us around this point, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il kept the training going.
By-the-book really meant by-the-book.
“There's a saying that the best defense is a good offense. Strictly speaking, that's wrong. A defense performed from an unwavering stance can parry any attack.”
The soldiers grumbled in irritation.
‘For fuck's sake, enough with that unwavering stance.’
I, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier.
Because that very thing called parrying was something I'd unlocked and awakened yesterday.
Just then.
“Let's see… all right, Gu Yun-ho.”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho!”
“Come forward. Your stance has been excellent today. Use what you've learned to attack me.”
“Understood!”
The soldiers began murmuring when my name was called.
His stance was excellent? Gu Yun-ho's?
It was understandable that they were surprised.
The guy who got corrected every single day had just heard that from none other than Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il, the very embodiment of doing things by the book.
Leaving behind Corporal Byeon Ji-tak, who was muttering, “Did he borrow money from that bastard or something? Or are his eyes fucked?”, I stepped forward.
“Start.”
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il didn't half-ass things just because his opponent was an ordinary enlisted soldier—and a Private Second Class at that.
He gripped his sword firmly in both hands and drew a straight horizontal line through the air.
It was the most orthodox defensive stance.
“Hah!”
I swung my sword with all my strength.
I thought the strike had gone in fairly well, but Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il's sword had already curved smoothly into its path.
CLANG—!
The impact traveled into my grip.
No matter how much I used the instincts from before regression, I couldn't overcome the difference in physical ability.
To begin with, Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il was an officer from the Hunter Military Academy, HMA for short.
He and I were fundamentally different.
“You take a defensive stance like this, then angle your sword to parry the opponent's attack. If you control your center of gravity and time it correctly, you can withstand an opponent even if they're stronger than you. Understood?”
“Yes!”
“Yun-ho did well again. Excellent.”
“Private Second Class Gu Yun-ho! Thank you!”
At the continued praise, the soldiers let out a brief “Oooh!”
When my eyes happened to meet Corporal Byeon Ji-tak's, his face was crumpling like a can someone had stepped on.
“This time, we'll switch roles.”
“I'll be parrying your attack, Instructor?”
“That's right. Just do exactly what I showed you.”
How was anyone supposed to do something perfectly after seeing it once?
But specialty training was held regularly.
Even the basic form we'd been practicing until a moment ago was something we'd already done dozens, even hundreds, of times.
So switching roles itself wasn't much of a problem.
But with a Second Lieutenant as my opponent, the result seemed obvious.
“Isn't that bastard going to get knocked flat on his ass?”
“He can't even kill a goblin properly. Hmph, anyone can see how this'll end.”
That was why Corporal Byeon Ji-tak and a few other senior soldiers were snickering.
The other soldiers weren't laughing, but they seemed to expect the same result.
I ignored them and took my stance.
My blade extended horizontally.
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il gave another satisfied smile.
“Very good stance.”
Then he swung his sword.
SWISH.
The crescent-shaped path of his blade lashed toward me like a whip.
More precisely, toward my sword.
If everything went as everyone expected, my sword should've been knocked flying somewhere, and I should've gone down with it.
The gap between Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il and me was that large.
But—
THUNK—!
What rang out was a dull impact.
Second Lieutenant Noh Yeong-il's strike had been stopped perfectly by my sword.