Pick Me Up!

It has already been set.

After returning to the third-floor training grounds, I spoke to the members.

“Tomorrow, we’re heading to the 25th floor. It’s been a while since we had a real battle.”

“That’s fast.”

Velkist, who was sitting on a chair while lifting weights, said.

The weight was about 30kg. He lifted it as if it were a 5kg weight and then lowered it.

“Then we will be staying up all night today, right? If we want to regain our senses two hours won’t cut it”

“We won’t stay up all night. We can’t afford to ruin our condition. We’ll train harder than usual though. Tell everyone to gather.”

“I’ll call Eloka.”

Next, Jenna came down from the shooting range. Eloka came out with Neryssa.

“We’re going in starting tomorrow?”

“Why, do you have a problem with that?”

“It’s not that I have a problem… It’s just that you seem different. Your shield is nowhere to be seen, and we’ve changed too. Going into battle after just one day seems a bit fast, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t worry. Your role won’t change much. Just do what you’ve been doing.”

I didn’t have a shield, but my role within the party remained the same.

I took on the role of the front-line attacker along with Velkist, blocking attacks heading to the rear. Jenna focused on the shortbow, Neryssa excelled at mid-range combat, and Eloka used magic in the rear. It was a simple yet efficient formation.

‘It doesn’t matter how strong I’ve become.’

I’m going to still act as the party’s vanguard.

We fight shoulder to shoulder. It was a basic rule for survival. I knew well how overconfident heroes meet their end.

The second party was mobilized for formation training to improve our combat sense.

Edis nodded in agreement when I asked. She said she would help anytime if needed. She had also said that she had been waiting eagerly to train with us.

“From the left, Annan, Benik, Lilinia.”

Edis introduced the members of the newly joined second party.

All three of them were not very old, in their late teens to early twenties. Their eyes sparkled with admiration as they looked at me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, hyungnim! I’ve even seen you in action when you defeated the Black Dragon. It was amazing.”

Annan approached me.

Annan was a young man with attractive blond hair. He wore simple leather armor, had a sleek longsword at his waist, and a round shield on his back.

“This guy…”

I recalled something from the past.

The two who called me “hyungnim” and followed me around. They also used the same sword style as me. They died bleeding on the 5th floor.

‘Zeet and Hanson.’

I smiled bitterly.

I had no regrets, and I would make the same choice again if I had to, but there was a lingering bitterness.

“I’m Benik. I’ve heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you.”

“He may seem like this, but he’s a passionate guy once you get to know him.”

Annan chuckled.

“Don’t say unnecessary things.”

Benik, a calm-looking young man, twitched.

He had a pair of daggers and a shortbow on his belt, the same weapon choice as Edis.

“I, I’m Lilinia.”

Finally, the quiet girl who had been standing somewhat shyly bowed to me.

For some reason, her expression seemed quite stiff. A large spear hung on her back, taller than her. After looking at the three of them, Edis said.

“They joined the second party two weeks ago. They’re enthusiastic, and their combat performance is not bad. They’ll be a big help in future missions.”

“We’ll do our best!”

“Your voice is too loud.”

Edis laughed gently.

It was a smile I hadn’t seen in a while. I whispered quietly to Edis so the three of them couldn’t hear me.

“Give it your all but in moderation. It’ll get tough later if you don’t.”

“It’s okay.”

Edis reassured.

“This time, we won’t let anyone die.”

“Right.”

‘An unpredictable woman.’

Edis Callen.

Seems cold, but secretly caring. When Asher and Diran died, she seemed calm on the surface, but I could tell she was heartbroken. Not your typical mercenary.

‘What do I know?’

I looked at the three of them.

Vibrant Annan, composed Benik, and quiet Lilinia. Even at a glance, they seemed to get along well. It reminded me of the old trio.

‘My thoughts have wandered for too long.’

I erased my sense of complacency.

There was no time to get lost in thoughts. If I wanted to get enough sleep, I had to focus on training right now. Swish. I drew my sword.

“Let’s not waste any time. Form groups of five. Attack us as if you’re trying to kill the enemy.”

“Are we really doing this?”

Lilinia, who had been fiddling with her wooden spear, asked.

“You want us to pretend, then? Throw away the practice weapons and use the real ones behind you. It’s okay even if you get hurt.”

“Let’s do it as Han suggested. You don’t need to feel pressured.”

Lilinia nodded and drew her long spear.

Edis took out his dagger. Following her, Roderick, Benik, and Anan also drew their weapons.

“Don’t just stand there watching. Sloppy movements will just waste time.”

‘They’re probably not skilled enough.’

Edis and Roderick were quite powerful.

But the three in the back hadn’t become strong enough yet. You could tell just by looking at how they drew their weapons.

“That timid girl was in the same party as me.”

Velkist, who had drawn his sword, chuckled coldly.

“Do you know her?”

“I know her. She was right beside me when we were first summoned. She was so scared that she was just in the way. I thought she’d be stuck on the 1st floor for the rest of her life, but somehow, she made it up.”

“She’s talented. Her soft self is what’s in the way.”

Neryssa added.

The second party was gathered in a circle and discussed their plans.

Watching this, Eloka complained.

“The atmosphere is so different. They look harmonious over there. Our party members are all ice blocks except for one. No fun, no consideration, no romance, and no fighting spirit.”

“Does fun put food on the table?”

“Agreed.”

“That’s true.”

“Ugh.”

Eloka shook her head and walked away slowly.

They were forming their formations.

A while later, the first party and the second party clashed.

The main goal was to improve our combat sense in group battles.

I could probably handle it alone if I set my mind to it, but I refrained from doing so this time. The key was to maintain the formation while recovering our senses. So, we started practicing the tug of war between formations with minimal movement.

The purpose of the formation was to maintain combat effectiveness while reducing the members’ stamina consumption, covering each other’s weaknesses, and enhancing their strengths.

No matter how strong I had become, I couldn’t match Eloka’s rapid firepower alone.

Moreover, receiving long-range support from rear members was several times stronger than fighting alone.

In that sense, the second party served as a good practice opponent.

The tactical objectives of the second party kept changing. They concentrated on attacking Eloka at times, then focused on me and Velkist, and occasionally made a move on Jenna and Neryssa. Colliding naturally like this allowed us to revive our old senses.

“There’s no threat with wooden swords. It’s dull. You can’t kill with this!”

Velkist said it like it was nothing, but well, there was no other way.

We couldn’t force the training style of the first party, which didn’t use practice weapons at all, on the second party. Each party had its own characteristics.

As the night grew darker,

During the break, Edis spoke to me.

“Han, don’t go easy like just now.”

“I didn’t.”

“You only focused on defense. They need to get hurt a bit too.”

“Can I kill them, then?”

“Of course you can’t!”

“Just kidding.”

I laughed and looked back.

The four members of the first party were sitting in chairs, resting.

“You heard, right? You can do whatever you want as long as you don’t kill them.”

“…Should have I not said that?”

In the next clash, the three members of the second party were carried out in less than a minute.

I had reduced my strength to some extent, but it was inevitable that they would get hurt. It was what Edis wanted.

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