Finally Got Stronger but Ended Up Regressing

Chapter 36 Plan (1)

With the final return march, the long and arduous guerrilla training finally came to an end. We started under the sunset and moonlight, and before we knew it, the morning sun was rising.

Bihodae Parade Ground.

Even though it’s a place we always see, it has a special charm at times like this.

“As the battalion commander, to our soldiers…”

Without disbanding immediately, Lieutenant Colonel Park Eui-cheol’s instructions continued.

It was as long and tedious as the guerrilla training.

But for some reason, everyone looked bright.

“I will grant combat leave for both Monday and Tuesday next week.”

Combat leave for two whole days.

Considering that it’s usually one day or sometimes not given at all, it was a very generous reward.

Including the weekend, it meant a total of four consecutive days off.

“Operations officer, let’s do the awards now. Would it have any meaning if we do it later?”

“Understood.”

The awards ceremony proceeded afterward.

“Next, we will proceed with the awards for the outstanding soldiers of this guerrilla training. It will be awarded by rank, and those called should come forward to the review stand.”

There was no cash reward, but instead, there was a reward leave.

At least 2 nights and 3 days.

It could be combined with regular leave or other reward leave, so everyone wanted to receive it.

“Please…!”

“I hope my name is called.”

I could hear the sound of prayers from here and there.

Except for one rank.

“The recipient of the Private First Class award is obvious.”

“It’s already decided.”

It was me.

Not out of envy or jealousy, but purely out of recognition.

And after a while.

“The next recipient of the Private First Class award is Private First Class Koo Yoon-ho of the 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad.”

“As expected.”

“Congratulations, Yoon-ho.”

“In the Private First Class rank, there’s no one else but Koo Yoon-ho who deserves it.”

I stepped forward to the review stand, receiving everyone’s congratulations.

Just like when I received the Hero of Bihor award, I shook hands with Lieutenant Colonel Park Eui-chul once again.

It just feels new.

From someone I hardly met before my return, now I’m not only meeting him but also receiving awards.

Twice.

Even before the return march, I received direct commendation from him.

He said it was very impressive.

But.

There was one more award left.

“Next, we will proceed with the award for the Best Soldier. This award is newly established from this year.”

The Best Soldier.

In other words, the King of Guerrilla.

I was a bit puzzled.

‘The Bihor Battalion’s King of Guerrilla award is supposed to be established a few years from now. But newly established from this year? Suddenly?’

As I tilted my head in confusion, the recipient was announced.

“The recipient is Private First Class Koo Yoon-ho of the 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad.”

“!”

It was my name.

For a moment, I was stunned, but I quickly regained my composure and stepped forward.

“Wow, a private won the newly created award.”

“If it were any other private, it might be different, but if it’s Koo Yoon-ho, it’s understandable. I heard he even knocked out his senior shield-bearer with his strength.”

“He also single-handedly took down the orcs and goblin monsters.”

There was no opposition among the soldiers.

Rather, it would have been stranger not to acknowledge it.

“Awesome, Koo Yoon-ho!”

The seniors in the same 3rd squad reacted particularly enthusiastically.

As a human being, my shoulders did rise a bit.

But it was still puzzling.

An award that clearly did not exist before my regression.

The fact that I received that award.

That means.

‘Did they create an award just for me…?’

It’s not self-praise or arrogance, but considering the circumstances, that was the only conclusion.

I could feel it even on the podium.

There was a certain firm resolve in the hand of Lieutenant Colonel Park Eui-chul, who was holding mine.

“Private Koo Yoon-ho! Thank you!”

“Yes, Private Koo Yoon-ho. As the battalion commander of the Bihodae Battalion, I am truly pleased to have a talent like Private Koo Yoon-ho. I hope we can continue to be together, forever, always.”

Continue.

Forever.

Always together.

It sounded as if he was emphasizing those words.

“Private Koo Yoon-ho, who has been selected as the best soldier, will also receive an additional reward.”

“!”

“We expect Private Koo Yoon-ho to continue to perform well as a member of the Bihodae Battalion and as a hero of Bihodae.”

The operations officer who stepped forward also conveyed a similar nuance.

I’m not usually very perceptive, but I’m not so dull as to miss something like this.

I finally understood why they created an award that didn’t exist before.

This is a complete signal to stay put, isn’t it?

*

A sweet four-day rest.

Thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Park Eui-cheol’s promise to let me rest well, even the strict duty officers didn’t bother me.

Thanks to that, I…

“How can you train even on a day like this?”

“Calling him a tough guy isn’t enough. He’s just a monster, a monster.”

Except for eating and sleeping, I could train all the time. Now, I was at the PX with my seniors for a while.

“But because of that, he really became a monster.”

Corporal Kwak Woo-hee said while eating chicken well heated in the microwave with a fork.

“He awakened all his physical abilities, destroyed Kang Sung-joon, massacred monsters like Karols or Garols, and orcs too.”

“That’s true.”

Sergeant Song Ki-yong agreed as soon as he heard it.

“That’s why no one objects to Yoon-ho being selected as the best soldier.”

“We all need to work harder.”

Corporal Song Ji-han, who was unwrapping the packaging with me, also chimed in.

“At this rate, that saying will become a reality.”

“That saying?”

“You know, the toast Yoon-ho made when he got promoted.”

“Ah.”

Corporal Jung Ye-som said while taking a bite of pizza.

“Work hard, guys. You might catch up to me. Wasn’t it something like that?”

“Yes, that.”

“Wow, Yoon-ho even said something like that?”

Sergeant Song Ki-yong, who joined late and wasn’t there at the time, put down the chicken he was eating and looked at me.

Hey guys, if you say it like that without any context, it can be misunderstood.

I quickly unwrapped the packaging and opened my mouth.

“That’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding.”

“Look at Yoon-ho sweating.”

“Puh-huh, cute.”

Corporal Kwak Woo-hee and Corporal Jung Ye-som burst into laughter while looking at me like that.

Fortunately, Sergeant Song Ki-yong also roughly guessed what the situation was.

“I wanted to thank the seniors, but they encouraged me to do something different, saying it was boring, right?”

“As expected of Sergeant Song Ki-yong. You saw it correctly.”

“I thought so. But Yunho.”

Sergeant Song Ki-yong said, picking up the chicken again.

“I also think Ji-han is right. With your current momentum, it’s not entirely wrong.”

“Agreed.”

Corporal Gwak Woo-hee added a few words.

“There are people who suddenly explode with potential and become great. Yunho, you seem to be just that case.”

“And among the officers, there’s also this saying.”

Corporal Song Ji-han stepped forward again.

“When they see Yunho fighting, he looks like a very seasoned non-commissioned officer. You know, non-commissioned officers often go out to the field to fight? They say they see that in Yunho.”

At least that statement couldn’t be denied.

In fact, I was a former non-commissioned officer.

A non-commissioned officer who rose to the rank of sergeant.

From the perspective of officers who were much lower in rank than me, it was natural for them to see me that way.

“We really need to step up. Even if we get outdone by Yunho, we shouldn’t fall too far behind.”

“Indeed.”

What the seniors were saying now wasn’t just simple jokes like back then.

They were all sincere.

And this too, couldn’t be entirely denied.

Various runes and elixirs.

Artifacts.

The senses accumulated over 25 years before the regression.

With those, it was already a foregone conclusion that I would surpass them.

“But Ki-yong oppa, have you thought about it?”

Fortunately, the topic quickly changed. Corporal Gwak Woo-hee, who was speaking, was practically like a sibling to Sergeant Song Ki-yong, the squad leader.

“About what?”

“Where to go after discharge. You said you were looking into guilds these days.”

“Oh, I put that on hold.”

“On hold? How can a civilian have time to put things on hold? You should be looking into other guilds even more.”

“Hey, there’s still a few months left, you know?”

“A few months will fly by.”

“Try being in my shoes. Time is dragging like hell.”

“Yeah, now that you mention it. Why does the Ministry of National Defense clock move so slowly?”

At the complaints of the sergeant and the corporal, Corporal Jeong Yesom and Corporal Song Jihan flared up.

“Listen, seniors. From our perspective, you two are practically civilians already.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize the newbies were here. Sorry.”

Corporal Gwak Woohee laughed, showing his palm.

I, who had been quietly standing by, was unfairly hit with a counter punch.

“Anyway, why are you asking?”

“I told you. The squad leader.”

“The squad leader?”

Corporal Gwak Woohee asked with a look of disbelief.

“That thing about winning the squad leader’s love or whatever?”

“Yeah.”

“This guy has finally lost it. Changing his life’s direction over one woman.”

“It’s not just one woman, it’s love.”

At the kind of line you’d only hear in a drama, she just nodded in agreement.

“Yes, yes, I hope you achieve it.”

She turned her head towards Corporal Song Jihan and Corporal Jeong Yesom.

“What about Jihan and Yesom?”

“I plan to join a private guild as soon as I get discharged.”

It was a sharp answer. I knew Corporal Song Jihan, who shuddered at the thought of military life, would say that.

Of course, it was the same before the regression.

Likewise, Corporal Jeong Yesom was supposed to join the Magic Tower Guild as a wizard after discharge-

“I’ve changed a bit.”

Huh?

“Changed? Didn’t you say you were going to join some Magic Tower? Changed from there? To where? Another Magic Tower?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I plan to stay in the Hunter Corps.”

“…?”

I thought it was a ridiculous statement, but Corporal Jeong Yesom’s expression was serious.

More serious than ever.

“What brought this on all of a sudden?”

Although not as much as Corporal Song Jihan, Corporal Jeong Yesom wasn’t particularly fond of the Hunter Corps either.

After all, isn’t it a confined life?

“Well, I felt something the other day.”

“The other day?”

“The Modang Station incident.”

“Ah.”

“I felt a great sense of fulfillment saving the citizens then. I even received letters thanking me, calling me a soldier sister.”

“So you want to stay in the Hunter Corps and continue doing fulfilling work?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, but wouldn’t it be the same if you joined the Tower? Or even a private guild?”

“In those places, people tend to move more for money than for people.”

“Corporal Jeong Yesom, I’m not someone who moves just for money.”

Feeling a bit stung, Corporal Song Jihan interjected. Corporal Jeong Yesom, who had been speaking seriously, burst into laughter.

“So what if you move just for money? After all, we’re all doing this to make a living.”

“But you felt something more valuable than money by saving the citizens, right?”

Corporal Gwak Woohee summarized it well.

Corporal Jeong Yesom nodded.

“Yes. That’s why I want to stay. In the Hunter Corps.”

“I thought you were just a troublemaker, but you have thoughts like that.”

“Sister, I’m actually a very serious person.”

“Oh, sister? And you’re subtly using the honorific?”

“Aww, I’ve been here for a while now, cut me some slack.”

Corporal Jeong Yesom rubbed her cheek against Corporal Gwak Woohee’s arm, acting coy.

Corporal Gwak Woohee shook her head as if she couldn’t handle it.

“Do as you please. So, have you made a definite decision?”

“Are you staying in the Hunter Corps?”

“Yeah.”

“If possible?”

“You seem pretty determined.”

I felt a bit dizzy as I continued to listen without saying anything.

The reason Sergeant Jeong Yesom changed her mind and got involved in the Modang Station incident was actually because of me.

I had dragged her into it since she was there with me.

In other words, because of me, Sergeant Jeong Yesom’s future changed.

This is a bit much.

“Sergeant Jeong Yesom, if you changed your mind and went there because of me that day…”

“Huh? No, no. If it weren’t for you, Yunho, I would have never known the joy and achievement of that day. I’m actually grateful.”

Her soft hand lightly pinched my cheek as if to say, ‘So our good Yunho shouldn’t worry~’.

Sergeant Gwak Woohee, who was watching the scene with satisfaction, asked.

“Then what about you, Yunho? What are your plans after discharge? Come to think of it, I’ve never asked our youngest member.”

Everyone’s eyes were now on me.

I took a sip of my drink and answered.

“As for me.”