Finally Got Stronger but Ended Up Regressing

Chapter 18 It Doesn’t Work on Me (5)

As the rear stabilized, the tide of battle quickly turned in our favor.

Arrows and bullets were fired incessantly.

Those specially made with magic easily pierced the Zabricks’ hides.

The swordsmen and spearmen also came to their senses and started working.

The spearmen would tie up one with their reach, and the swordsmen would go and cut its neck.

Swoosh!

Private Jo Tae-kwang continued to display overwhelming force.

They were no match at all.

That’s why he could enter the underground world as soon as he was discharged.

Such places surprisingly value skill more.

Thus, the battle came to an end.

Zabricks lay scattered everywhere with their tongues sticking out. Although we won, it couldn’t be considered a good victory.

The fact that corpses were strewn about meant that our tactics were a mess.

“We won!”

“Wow!”

Regardless, the squad members enjoyed the joy of victory.

It was understandable since they had reversed a losing situation.

“It’s all thanks to Private Gu Yunho!”

“Our Private Gu Yunho is amazing. He didn’t just perform well at Modang Station for nothing.”

The squad members surrounded me. Only Private Jo Taekwang stood alone, not coming over.

He was frowning deeply.

That’s what they call a face like chewing dung.

“Don’t be too happy.”

Lieutenant Noh Youngil approached. He had been watching our squad’s battle from a little distance away.

“The result is a victory, but the process was a disastrous defeat.”

“-“

“At this rate, it will be hard to get a good score. You should take a different approach in the second chance.”

Well, as long as we won, isn’t that enough? But this time, Lieutenant Noh Youngil was absolutely right.

Even if we killed all the monsters, if the hunters were equally injured, the victory would be meaningless.

For instance, Private Kim Jungmi was bleeding from her thigh.

“If Private Gu Yunho hadn’t dealt with them in time, Private Kim Jungmi’s wound wouldn’t have stopped at that.”

“We’ll do better in the second chance.”

“Yes, do your best.”

Lieutenant Noh Youngil took out medical tools and handed them to Private Kim Jungmi. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep, so rapid treatment was possible.

“And Jo Taekwang.”

“Private Jo Taekwang!”

“This cooperative task was carried out entirely based on your judgment from start to finish, so I’m letting it slide without saying much, but at other times, you wouldn’t have gotten away with it.”

Lieutenant Noh Youngil expressed what would have been a death sentence in a gentlemanly manner.

Private Jo Taekwang hung his head without a word.

“Ah, let me ask one thing. Is Private Jo Taekwang the squad leader during the second chance as well?”

“Private Koo Yoonho. That would be me then.”

“I see. Understood.”

When I raised my hand, Lieutenant Noh Youngil’s face momentarily relaxed.

That was expectation.

The expectation that you would be different.

Indeed, performance and reputation are very important in this field.

The attitude towards me changes completely.

“Private Koo Yoonho, would you like some water?”

Like Private Kim Jungmi, who kept fussing around beside me.

“No, thank you. I have my own.”

“Ah, I see.”

From now on, it was both rest time and lunch time. We found a suitable spot, sat down, and started eating our combat rations.

Beef fried rice, seasoned rice, braised tofu, braised anchovies, seasoned sausages, and other high-calorie foods filled our meals.

They were salty and not bad in taste, but compared to the food in the military dining hall, they were somewhat lacking.

A bit heavy, perhaps.

Still, there was nothing better for a quick meal.

Especially when entering a world detached from reality like the Abyss.

After filling our stomachs, we lay down with our combat helmets as pillows and took a rest. The sky was our roof, and the ground was our bed, and soon our bodies became drowsy.

We had exhausted a lot of energy during the fight earlier.

Since we hadn’t fought to our limits, [Momentary Fatigue Recovery] didn’t activate.

And in fact, [Momentary Fatigue Recovery] is a double-edged sword in some sense.

Its activation means that I am in that much danger.

We fell into a deep sleep and woke up at 1 PM.

Other squad members, who had been snoring, also stretched and opened their eyes.

No matter how important rest is, it would be more effective to prepare for the next battle during this time, but that was impossible.

Lieutenant Noh Youngil had been watching us the whole time.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes!”

“Then, as before, I will give you 30 minutes of meeting time. The monster you will face is the same, a Jabbrick, but the location where it will appear is different. Please be aware of that.”

“Understood.”

The location where it will appear.

I vaguely remembered it, but being on site, I quickly recall.

It doesn’t really matter if I don’t know.

As long as they don’t fall from the sky or rise from the ground, I already know the perfect way to win.

“Squad members, listen carefully. In this battle, we will fight using camouflage and terrain rather than each individual’s weapons or abilities.”

“Camouflage and terrain?”

“Yes. When the trainer gives the signal, the long-range members should camouflage themselves with leaves. Jabbrick is a dog-type monster, so its sense of smell is excellent, but its vision is relatively poor.”

“It’s a good idea, but won’t it become meaningless the moment we attack? They will immediately charge at us with their claws.”

“It’s fine. It’s just to buy us one moment.”

“One moment?”

“You must have felt it in the first battle. Even if the human shield draws all the aggro and sets up a defensive wall, in the end, it allows the monsters to attack.”

He was referring to Private Jo Taekwang. It was an undeniable fact, so he couldn’t argue.

It was all his doing in the first place.

“So, we just need to buy one moment.”

“And in that time, the other swordsmen or spearmen will attack the Jabbrick?”

“Yes. Once they are entangled with each other, the monsters will never charge at the long-range members.”

I spoke deliberately and decisively. If I said ambiguously, “I think they won’t charge,” it would only make them anxious.

It was my own command style, born from countless experiences.

I also set up a safety measure just in case.

“It would be better if you create a shield with rocks.”

“Oh. Understood.”

“Squad leader, should we just run to the point where the monsters appear and fight?”

The swordsmen and spearmen asked.

I nodded.

“Yes. In a frontal battle, trust is more important than tactics. Trust your comrades and yourself. We are strong. We can do this.”

“!!”

I instilled courage. Given that we had completely messed up the first battle, this confidence was necessary.

“How do we locate the Jabbricks? Is it best to advance cautiously while maintaining a vigilant stance, as we did earlier?”

“I have very sharp ears. I can sense it beforehand.”

“Right, you mentioned that earlier. Truly reliable. Got it.”

The squad members let out exclamations and subtly watched Private Jo Taekwang’s reaction. Then they each made a comment.

“This is the difference between doing it with your body and doing it with your head.”

“Different from someone else~”

“He was acting like he could handle everything alone earlier, why is he suddenly so quiet?”

“Shut your mouth, will you?”

Bang, Private Jo Taekwang pounded the innocent ground with his fist. I stepped in.

“Alright, let’s get up now. It’s been 30 minutes.”

“Yes, squad leader.”

The second battle began afterward.

The situation did not deviate an inch from my expected scenario.

Preemptive strike after identifying the positions in advance.

Swift support fire from the camouflaged archers and riflemen.

Private Jo Taekwang followed my instructions without any independent actions.

Probably because of the evaluation score.

“A perfect victory. Well done.”

After the battle ended, Lieutenant Noh Youngil gave high praise with a thumbs up. Given that we used every combat element, including preemptive strikes, camouflage, and cover, it couldn’t have been more satisfying for someone like him who follows the manual.

“Thank you, squad leader. Thanks to you, I’ll get a good score.”

“Let’s go to the PX together later. I’ll buy you something delicious.”

“Contact me when you go on leave. I’ll treat you to a full course.”

The squad members each expressed their gratitude to me.

Except for one person.

“What’s so great about winning with tricks?”

“We usually call that tactics. Not tricks. Oh, can’t understand because of low intelligence?”

“What did you say, you b*stard?”

Taking advantage of Lieutenant Noh Youngil’s departure, Private Jo Taekwang picked a fight again.

Just what I wanted.

“You said you’d show the difference in level, and this is the result?”

“Shut up, you b*stard!”

He took a step closer and stared straight into his eyes.

“If you had a problem, you should have done better, you pathetic b*stard.”

Talking more with a worm like him would only tire my mouth. I patted the stiff shoulders of Private Jo Tae-kwang and went on my way.

Day 2 of intensive training, thus concluded.

*

I had been watching all along.

I was simply in awe.

‘Even considering that he’s a summoned monster and not a real one, his tactical understanding is very high.’

Anyone can know tactics if they are well-versed in theory, but applying them in real combat is a different matter.

Combat situations always change rapidly in real-time.

Private Gu Yoon-ho did not panic or become impatient in such situations.

He calmly encouraged his squad members and gave precise orders as a squad leader.

That was why Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-chul was impressed with him.

‘The more I see him, the more interesting he becomes.’

After the second day of tactical training ended and the officers gathered for a moment, he called Captain Oh Jun-beom.

“Third Company Commander.”

“Yes, Battalion Commander!”

“Who is Private Gu Yoon-ho’s opponent in the last combat item tomorrow?”

“Ah! Please wait a moment.”

Captain Oh Jun-beom quickly checked the training schedule and said.

“It’s Private Oh Chan-young from the 1st Company, 2nd Platoon, 1st Squad. His specialty is the sword.”

“Do they usually pair up people with the same specialty?”

“Rather than the specialty, we pair them based on their skill level on the index.”

“It’s a bit unfair to compare Private Gu Yoon-ho’s current skills with the index so far. Just look at the Modang Station incident.”

Captain Oh Jun-beom quickly understood Lieutenant Colonel Park Ui-chul’s intention.

“Shall we change his opponent?”

“Yes. Let’s make it Private Jo Tae-kwang from the same squad in today’s cooperation item.”

“Private Jo Tae-kwang…”

Although he was from another company, Captain Oh Jun-beom knew a bit about Private Jo Tae-kwang. This was because he used a large weapon that most privates couldn’t even lift.

“Yes, Battalion Commander. I will make the change.”

I agreed because it was an order from a superior, but I couldn’t help feeling doubtful.

Isn’t this a fight with an obvious outcome?

“Why, do you think Private Jo Taekwang will win? Because the physical strength difference is too great?”

“Ah. No, sir.”

“Your face says otherwise, man.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Haha, it’s fine.”

Lieutenant Colonel Park Euicheol laughed as if it was nothing.

“I think so too. It’s a fight with an obvious outcome. But you know.”

He looked at the training ground where the final battle item would take place tomorrow with curious eyes.

“Somehow, I feel that Private Gu Yunho might produce an unexpected result.”