Finally Got Stronger but Ended Up Regressing

Chapter 27 The Tail of the Dragon (4)

I focused my mind and drew up my energy.

It rose like smoke and enveloped the sword.

Normally, it would end here.

But the next moment, a change occurred.

Rustle.

With a small wave, the energy began to take shape.

A long body and sharp fangs.

Eyes slit vertically.

It was a snake.

The [Mystic Snake] had been embodied in my sword.

“Very minimalistic.”

Compared to the dead giant serpent, it was almost cute.

Like a common flower snake you might see in the countryside bushes.

But the color was decisively different.

Flash!

The blue aura of the [Mystic Snake] dyed the sword blue.

The notification rang at the same time.

《The [Mystic Snake] has been embodied in the sword.》

《The power of all techniques related to swordsmanship is increased.》

Embodiment fundamentally has the effect of increasing the power of all techniques the weapon uses.

Additionally, it can also derive new abilities.

Just like how I shot [Thorns] like throwing stars before my regression.

“I’ll have to train diligently.”

Although it will take quite some time until awakening, deriving abilities doesn’t take that long.

Learning and repetition.

Since the learning is already done, I just need to repeat.

I tried stabbing and slashing the air with the sword as a test.

After a few repetitions, another notification popped up.

《You can derive a new ability from the possessed ability [Mystic Snake].》

It meant my actions had an impact.

Good, I just need to keep doing this.

“Oh no.”

Lost in happiness, I checked the time belatedly.

At this rate, I was going to be late for the assembly.

I sheathed my sword and ran back the way I came.

If I hurried, I wouldn’t be late.

Anyway, how am I supposed to explain this mess?

Currently, my body was covered in blood from head to toe after battling a giant serpent.

I quickened my pace, searching for an excuse.

After several minutes,

“Yunho, what happened to you?”

As soon as I arrived, Corporal Jeong Yesom looked me up and down with wide eyes.

Her already big eyes grew even larger.

“What happened?”

“I ran into a beast on the way.”

“A beast?”

Sergeant Sun Arin also approached.

“Yes. It was a deer with horns, but it must have eaten something bad because it went berserk and charged at me… so there was a bit of a fight.”

It was a lie from start to finish, but I couldn’t exactly say I fought a giant serpent that failed to transform into an Imoogi, could I?

They wouldn’t believe me anyway.

“Oh dear… Are you hurt?”

Sergeant Sun Arin examined my body here and there, lightly touching my arms and legs.

“Private Gu Yunho. No, as you can see, I’m fine.”

“Hey, you don’t look fine at all.”

Corporal Gwak Woohee, who arrived shortly after, said while rubbing his chin.

“You look like someone who just came back from the dead.”

“Hahaha.”

I laughed exaggeratedly on purpose, feeling a bit guilty.

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

“It’s all the deer’s blood. None of it is mine. Look at this.”

I lifted my combat uniform to show that I had no wounds, and only then did they all look relieved.

Corporal Jeong Yesom handed me a handkerchief.

“Use this to wipe yourself.”

“Private Gu Yunho. Thank you.”

It was a handkerchief with a cute character drawn on it. It was clean, as if it hadn’t been used much.

I hesitated to use it.

“Is it okay if it gets really dirty?”

“But you’ll be clean instead. That’s what matters.”

Corporal Jeong Yesom smiled bashfully.

Only then did I feel relieved and wiped my face.

“I’ll return this to you later.”

“Why?”

“It needs to be as clean as you.”

When I said this while waving the handkerchief, Corporal Jeong Yesom tapped my forearm and nodded.

“Nice line. Got it, do that.”

“Yes.”

Thus, the mission was finally completed.

Of course, not a single relic that Captain Oh Junbeom so desperately sought was found.

“Hey, rookie.”

“Private Gu Yunho.”

On the way back to the base in the vehicle, Corporal Gwak Woohee, who was sitting next to me, put her arm around my shoulder and said.

“Thanks for meeting, no, exceeding expectations.”

“Thank you for seeing it that way.”

“You rascal.”

She rubbed my hair with her palm.

The corners of my mouth involuntarily curled up.

It was a rewarding day in many ways.

After returning, I had dinner and did personal training.

Since I had to pay attention to swordsmanship, physical strength, and even my energy, an hour and a half was barely enough time.

If this accumulates step by step, it will bring about another change.

That evening, during the squad meeting.

“Fortunately, Jitak is recovering quickly. He’ll be back soon, so everyone can worry less.”

“Oh… is that so? Understood.”

Sergeant Seon Arin reported the situation of Corporal Byeon Jitak with a bright smile.

Unlike her, the squad members were forcing smiles.

Only Private Kang Seongjun, the lackey, sighed in relief, saying, “That’s really a relief!”

“And next, what I’ll tell you is…”

Sergeant Sun Arin then roughly informed us of this week’s schedule.

Additionally, she communicated with the squad members while receiving suggestions.

She kept smiling, but I could see it.

The shadow hidden behind it.

She must have been scolded harshly by Captain Oh Junbeom as soon as we returned earlier.

One of the squad members was carried away in a canteen during the mission sent to make up for Sergeant Kwon Minchan’s case, so he, who is sensitive to performance, couldn’t have tolerated it.

He wasn’t the type to go easy on a new sergeant.

If anything, he would have been harsher.

‘The squad leader didn’t actually do anything wrong, though.’

No matter how skilled the squad leader is, or even the company commander, it’s hard to handle unexpected situations.

Byun Jitak was exactly like that.

He got hit while taking his eyes off me to yell at me.

I felt sorry for him, thinking it might have been partly my fault.

“Lastly, Yunho.”

“Private Gu Yunho!”

“You know there’s a promotion test next week, right? Yunho is the only candidate for the promotion test in our squad.”

As soon as Sergeant Sun Arin finished speaking, the seniors’ gazes all focused on me.

“oooh, Gu Yunho~”

“Our youngest is finally getting promoted to Private First Class.”

“Squad leader, isn’t it practically already over?”

“We should get a pre-celebration treat.”

They weren’t making a fuss or trying to tease me.

Their tone was playful, but the seniors were all sincere.

Because they had all seen it.

My battle today.

And the changes in me over time.

“The squad leader thinks so too.”

Even Sergeant Sun Arin, who should have been keeping order, agreed.

“You’ll definitely pass this time.”

I paid attention to the word ‘this time.’

Sergeant Sun Ah-rin knows it too.

That until recently, I was a lousy soldier who had been passed over for promotion three times.

Well, she must have looked at the squad members’ records as soon as she was assigned.

Anyway.

I think the same.

I could add another stripe under my name tag right now.

Complacency is always forbidden, but I can’t fall even if I wanted to.

Because the private promotion test is almost the same as the intensive training.

I successfully completed that intensive training not long ago.

Unless I get struck by lightning and faint, I’ll definitely become a private next week.

I suddenly recalled my previous life.

At this point, becoming a private was a dream I couldn’t even dream of.

I failed several more times.

To be honest, I was a hopeless case.

But not anymore.

“Private Koo Yoon-ho. From next week, I’ll be greeting you as a private.”

“Wow, listen to Yoon-ho talk?”

“What’s with the confidence?”

The seniors burst into laughter.

Sergeant Sun Ah-rin was also smiling at me.

A week passed like that.

The private promotion test began.

*

“Your physical strength doesn’t seem to have improved much.”

“It looks like he relied on his tenacity, just like during the intensive training.”

“That’s right.”

“How was his teamwork with the other privates?”

“It was excellent. I watched him myself, and if you closed your eyes and listened, you’d think he was a seasoned sergeant, giving only the necessary commands according to the situation.”

“Ho.”

On the third day of the private’s promotion test, Lieutenant Colonel Park Eui-cheol, who had briefly left the unit for another schedule, heard about a soldier’s situation from Captain Oh Jun-beom.

It was Private Gu Yun-ho.

“When is Private Gu Yun-ho’s turn?”

“He goes in right after noon.”

“His opponent?”

“A magic soldier named Gong Eun-seol, who uses ice magic.”

“An ice magic soldier, huh. That should be interesting.”

“Are you going to watch this time too?”

“Of course, I have to.”

Lieutenant Colonel Park Eui-cheol pressed down his combat cap and stood up.

Today, the last day of the three-day test, there was a sparring match between the privates.

He adjusted his combat uniform and said,

“Aren’t you curious? How he’ll overcome magic with that body.”

*

I lost some points in the physical strength part, but I made up for it in the cooperation part yesterday.

The examiner praised us right after the battle ended, saying, ‘It was a very clean fight. There were no unnecessary moves. Your squad gets full marks.’

Since I was also the squad leader, I would get extra points.

On the third day of the private’s promotion test, the only thing left was the sparring part.

1:05 PM.

I climbed up to the sparring arena located in the familiar Gong Dungeon Colosseum.

A familiar face was standing opposite me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say the 3rd Company is in an uproar because of Private Gu Yun-ho these days?”

“You’re too kind. Thank you.”

It was Private Gong Eun-seol. The very Private Gong Eun-seol who had shattered Private Shim Jae-hoon, who was also a swordsman like me, with her ice magic.

She exhaled and showed her enthusiasm.

“I know you’re strong, but I won’t go down easily. I’m different from that Jo Tae-kwang guy.”

In terms of pure strength, Private Jo Tae-kwang, who wielded a great sword, was overwhelmingly strong.

Stronger than Private Gong Eun-seol.

But every fight has its own dynamics.

Private Gong Eun-seol thought she had the upper hand in that dynamic.

“Understood. Let’s have a good match.”

“Yes. Me too.”

She was genuinely committed to this duel. It seemed she was more focused on winning than on the score of the promotion test.

Perhaps it was that spirit that allowed her to become a sergeant directly.

I was just grateful.

With an opponent like that, I could properly utilize the effects of the special training I had undergone over the past week.

“As long as you don’t aim for the head or the heart, free combat is allowed. Do both of you understand?”

“Yes!”

The referee was also the operations officer this time.

Beep, the whistle blew.

At the same time, Private Gong Eun-seol’s staff was enveloped in a white mist.

In the blink of an eye, it was unleashed towards me.

“Cold spirit, freeze everything!”

Private Shim Jae-hoon was bound by that cold from the start. He was beaten unilaterally and it ended just like that.

That was why she exuded confidence.

Swoosh!

I just stood still and waited. Although I could defend with [Efficient Reception], my hands might freeze.

That would be a disaster.

I didn’t intend to use [Efficient Reception] from the beginning anyway.

This time, just a direct attack.

The moment the cold was right in front of me, I unleashed the energy I had gathered all at once.

Slash!!

With a diagonal slash, the cold was cut through.

A path opened through the shattered ice fragments.

I charged forward without hesitation.

“?!!!!”

Private Gong Eun-seol’s eyes widened in shock. It was a look I hadn’t seen in her duel with Private Shim Jae-hoon.

She hurriedly prepared the next spell.

Several ice chunks floated up simultaneously and were shot at me like bullets.

I didn’t stop.

The [mystical snake] had already manifested along the blade. It swallowed the entire chunk of ice.

Literally gulped it down.

The blue snake opened its jaws.

“What, what is this…!!”

As she muttered in confusion, my sword was already at her neck.

The startled staff, following their master, spilled water.

As the magic was undone, the ice melted away.

“Stop…! That’s enough!”

The operations officer blew the whistle.

The duel was over.