32. Preparing to face the waves – 2
———————==
Lee Hyun-wook took over the phone from Captain Kwak Yong-jun.
“Loyalty! I am Corporal Lee Hyun-wook!”
Then, a booming voice came from the other side of the phone.
– hey! Huh, I’ve never seen a guy like you in all my life!
At first glance, this seemed like an insult, but it was a very excited voice.
It had to be that way.
‘Judging by the tone of your voice, you’ve won quite a lot, huh?’
There is one popular game among high-ranking players.
It was an illegal gamble called ‘gate game’.
They make ‘bets’ on various topics every time the gate appears.
Which strategy team will have the highest contribution, which boss monster will appear, etc…
However, in this edition, Jeong Sang-sik probably won a lot of Yoo Jae-hyuk’s money.
– ······ Hahaha! What do you mean 100% contribution? hahaha! My God, what on earth did they do at the Cheonghwa Guild after failing three times? hahaha!
He makes a lot of noise when he calls the soldier.
In any case, it meant that he was that excited, which was a very good sign.
– Hmm hmm yes! You said your name was Lee Hyun-wook, right?
“Yes, that’s right.”
– amazing! really great! Even if I did, I never thought I would do it so perfectly!
“It’s not something I did alone. It was something eight soldiers did together.”
– then! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything more than you can imagine so you won’t be disappointed! It will be several times more than the sum of all the reward points you earned throughout your military service!
“Thank you, Commander!”
It goes without saying, but being the commander of the AMT Seoul Operations Command gave him enormous authority in all aspects.
Therefore, Palenote was able to transfer possession of even hero-grade items at its own discretion.
‘Yes, this man replaced the soldiers, but the reward was as bold as his boldness.’
– Also, I would like to listen to the story in detail while eating something delicious together sometime, is that okay?
“of course.”
– Okay then, go in today and get some rest. I’ll tell you to skip work for a few days!
“yes! All right! Loyalty!”
So the call ended.
“······Are you done?”
“yes.”
Captain Kwak Yong-joon was soaked in a cold sweat.
It wasn’t easy for one captain to answer the phone from Three Star.
When I turned my head, Yoo Hae-na was still standing there, staring at Lee Hyun-wook.
He waited patiently while this noble woman called, as if she still had something to say.
“Do you have anything else to say?”
“······Still, I lost, so if you have any favors to ask me later, please let me know.”
Even though his cheeks flushed a lot, he pretended to be arrogant until the end.
He’s angry because he lost, but he’s probably still trying hard to save face.
“Or… would you like to get a good seat in Cheonghwa? I’ll reserve a spot for the attack team.”
On the other hand, I am desperate to keep him under me like this.
But at those words, Seo Eun-ha glared at her and opened her mouth.
“Wait a minute, what are you doing? Are you trying to steal AMT power outright?”
“······I told you to come back after being discharged. What’s the problem?”
“What?”
“If you were a soldier, you wouldn’t have gone to AMT because you wanted to, you would have been taken there out of obligation, so what are you, an officer, trying to get in someone else’s way? “What kind of soldier is your pet dog?”
“······.”
To be honest, that was so true that Seo Eun-ha couldn’t say anything.
Moreover, Yoo Hae-na was using honorific words unlike usual.
That meant I felt very uncomfortable.
“······.”
Of course, Seo Eun-ha had no intention of giving in easily and glared at Yu Hae-na.
That’s how the two women felt an invisible infrasound between each other.
“hmm-.”
Eventually, Lee Hyun-wook cleared his throat and intervened.
“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of joining the Cheonghwa Guild at the moment.”
“Why? What is the blue flower?”
“Today, when I went in and saw it, it was a little…”
Lee Hyun-wook smiled sheepishly, as if he found it difficult to speak.
“why? “What do you think?”
“······The level wasn’t as high as I thought.”
“······.”
“And I wasn’t going to say this, but one of the snipers slipped out and attempted a ‘steal.’ Haha… Still, it’s the best guild in the country, so I’m very disappointed in many ways.”
She opened and closed her mouth hesitantly.
The contribution of the ambitious strategy team was 0%.
And Steele, I have no choice but to say that he did such a shameful thing…
In the end, both cheeks and neck turned red and I turned around.
“······Whatever it is, don’t do anything stupid like stay in your army.”
At those words, Seo Eun-ha opened her eyes and glared at him, but Yoo Hae-na didn’t care.
“I thought it made sense since a bet is a bet, so I’m calling that number on my business card.”
After saying those words, he turned around very nervously.
‘Okay, I’ll get the right bet, so don’t worry.’
A few things came to Lee Hyun-wook’s mind.
***
Although the special attack platoon members were exhausted in the truck returning to their base, none of them was dozing off.
It was because I was hearing a very interesting story from Hyunwook Lee.
It was a phone call with the commander who said that you would receive more than whatever you thought.
“oh!”
“Big jackpot….”
When they heard that story, the corners of everyone’s mouths began to twitch.
“I live to live and receive a reward from the commander, hahaha…”
As Hyunwook Lee has already received several times, AMT rewards are paid in the form of reward points or items.
To put it simply, it was a kind of performance bonus.
“I will never have an opportunity like this again, so what should I ask for so that word gets out that I received it well?”
“Should we match the armor set at this point? “It was so expensive that I couldn’t even afford it. Isn’t that a complete deal?”
As they were excited and imagining various things, Hyunwook Lee intervened.
“Wait a minute, there’s an item I’d like to recommend to you all.”
Then, everyone looked at Lee Hyun-wook with expectant expressions.
“oh! “What is that?”
Now, they believed that if they listened to Lee Hyun-wook carefully, they would get rice cakes while sleeping.
“This time, unconditionally… Receive a weapon containing divine power as a reward.”
However, the moment they heard that, everyone could not hide their puzzled expressions.
Divine power…
“······Huh? “What is the reason?”
“If it’s a divinity, aren’t we… of no use other than healer Minwook?”
As Choi Tae-yong said, divine power was a characteristic that had no versatility at all.
In other words, unless it was a class where sacred power itself affected the efficiency of the skill, such as a priest or a paladin, it could be considered virtually useless.
‘How should I cover this…’
I couldn’t say that I would need it in the 4th wave.
This time, I have no choice but to look around in a plausible way…
“Has anyone heard of a large-scale undead gate opening in the Siberian region of Russia?”
“Hmm… I haven’t heard of it.”
“Yes, I also happened to hear that a large-scale undead gate occurred in Siberia. It was discovered too late, and a huge number of undead spread throughout Siberia.”
Apparently, gates occurring in remote areas such as Siberia or the Amazon could not be responded to immediately, and sometimes they were discovered after a long time, and dozens of eruptions may have already occurred.
“Oh… then the demand for sacred weapons, which are already rare, will suddenly increase?”
Hyunwook Lee nodded.
“Yes, it is very confidential information whose source cannot be revealed that the [Muzestva Guild], the number one guild in Russia, is planning to prepare for a large-scale crusade. So, if possible, it would be more profitable to receive a sacred weapon as a reward and then sell it later to purchase the weapon you want.”
This was an outright lie, but when a few details were added, people seemed to believe it.
“Hmm…but where do you hear that kind of news?”
Ahn Min-tae tilted his head and asked.
“You said you couldn’t reveal the source. “Why shouldn’t I know this?”
“No, I don’t mean that, I’m just really curious. ah! “From what I saw earlier, it seems like he is acquainted with the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild. Is that true?”
Ahn Min-tae found a plausible reason on his own.
In fact, in their eyes, it was a strange and unusual scene that the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild, and an A-rank player, was interested in an AMT soldier.
That’s why I thought there was some kind of friendship between the two.
“It’s not like that. You don’t need to know.”
“Then it could not be possible… Like the company commander, Corporal Lee Hyeon-wook also went to the Cheonghwa Guild after being discharged…”
“You said no.”
“But why on earth did she… Hmm, I understand.”
Looking at Lee Hyun-wook, Ahn Min-tae nodded quietly.
“Anyway, do as I say. “It is a sacred weapon.”
“Yes, I understand!”
“Thank you for good information!”
Soon the time will come when ‘divine power’ will become more effective than anything else.
As a result, these guys’ chances of survival and furthermore, their chances of being active have increased.
***
“······························ is a success!”
Someone kicked in the door of Dormitory 2.
Oh Sang-guk and Kwak Jin-cheol, who were watching TV, frowned and turned their heads.
“Ah! “I’m surprised…what is it?”
“The ones who left last night! They say the attack was successful!”
It had been 16 hours since
the special attack platoon, made up of only level 18 and lower, left the company.
“Isn’t it obvious that the Cheonghwa Guild must have prepared properly?”
Oh Sang-guk said it as if it were a poem.
“That’s not it!”
“Then what is it, man!”
“Wow, the contribution of the kids in our company…is 100 percent!”
“······huh?”
Oh Sang-guk and Kwak Jin-cheol looked at each other and frowned.
Even if you catch only one monster in the dungeon, the contribution of a decimal point comes out.
However, it was realistically impossible for one side to contribute 100%.
It was truly ridiculous.
“Fuck it… I’m doing it…”
But now, when I think of that guy’s face, Lee Hyun-wook… somehow it felt like it was possible.
That’s why they turned their heads to TV without any denial.
However, there was no way the contents of the TV would come into my head.
‘How could that be?’
The two people started shaking their legs at the same time with blank eyes.
This story was being discussed throughout the company.
In the counseling room, five soldiers were sitting and talking.
“Wow… If Corporal Lee Hyun-wook becomes like this, isn’t he actually no more than Sergeant Choi Young-jun?”
“Hey! Anyway, that’s not it. “Didn’t you see Sergeant Choi Young-jun fight?”
“You see, even when you were surrounded by four orcs, you just cut them all down and came out. Hmm, but should we say command ability rather than personal force? “Isn’t that the best?”
“Well, is that so? In fact, not everyone can carry out an attack strategy…”
He has even come to be identified with Choi Young-jun, who was considered the strongest soldier in his battalion.
“······By the way, Sergeant Youngjun Choi will be returning from vacation soon, so it would be really astounding to hear what happened.”
“huh? why?”
“It would be funny to hear that Corporal Lee Hyun-wook suddenly changed, but what would he think if he was sent into an attack operation that even he himself couldn’t do?”
“ah······.”
And it wasn’t just the 1st Company that reacted that way.
“omg! Is that him? “The man who ordered the closure of the Kobold Gate!”
It was also becoming a hot issue among the female soldiers of the 2nd Company sitting around the PX.
“Hey, that’s not all. “The man that the brigade commander who came through the teleportation during the Seoul Station Unlucky Event was the same person… That’s crazy, really.”
“Heh, it’s cool? “If I run into you at PX sometime, I’ll have to get your number!”
“Hey, you said you don’t even pay attention to men below grade C?”
“Hehe, it looks like you’re suddenly changing your mind?”
In fact, he has become a celebrity.
***
While this was becoming the subject of gossip, nine people, including Lee Hyun-wook, were ordered to take a 48-hour break from combat.
Of course, that didn’t mean it was just hanging out.
They all woke up after just 6 hours of sleep and immediately gathered at the training site.
And according to Lee Hyun-wook’s instructions, they trained according to their respective roles.
“Whew… I didn’t know training could be so fun and rewarding.”
“Now I think I really understand why this training is necessary and what needs to be improved.”
In particular, 6 out of 8 members of this special strategy platoon were members of the 5th squad.
Therefore, the morale of the 5th squad soared to an unprecedented level.
“Corporal Ahn Min-tae, can’t you die with the orcs now?”
“Well, honestly, wouldn’t it be able to withstand even if three or four orcs attacked?”
Ahn Min-tae’s level is already 20, reaching the upper-middle range among the ranks of corporals in the 1st Company.
5 levels increased in 3 days…
It was not only encouraging, but explosive growth.
“nice! “You are now a real tank.”
“Then what kind of fake tank were you before?”
“Well, honestly, you didn’t have that feeling at all, did you?”
“Oh… Taeyong Choi, you don’t want to stand behind me during the next battle, right?”
“Oh, just kidding!”
And it was the next day.
Morning routine and assembly time The company commander came out and announced the special schedule.
“A special promotion review is scheduled to be held today, so anyone who wants to review can come to the administrative department and register. Of course, everyone knows that only those who have risen to level 5 or higher since the last review, right?”
At the request of the battalion commander, AMT ‘player rating judges’ came to the unit.
Usually, ‘promotion review’ is conducted only during the ‘regular review period’ that is held once every six months, but if a player has grown explosively, he or she can apply for a grade review at the discretion of the unit commander.
And this time, no matter how you look at it, it was a visit for the ‘special strategy platoon members’.
“We will do well!”
“I will definitely get a promotion!”
Six squad members went to the promotion review full of confidence.
And about 2 hours later…
Shake!
The dormitory opened and the squad members rushed in, covered in sweat.
“······.”
Their expressions were somehow filled with joy.
I could tell the result without even having to say anything.
“······Corporal Lee Hyeon-wook! I am also in D grade from now on! Hahaha!”
“And I am me too!”
“We have all been promoted to D rank!”
As a result of the promotion test, four members of the 5th squad who participated were promoted from grade E to grade D.
“Yes, thank you all for your hard work.”
“Honestly, isn’t it all thanks to Corporal Lee Hyun-wook?”
“If you think so, do well in the future.”
“of course! I will do my best!”
“Okay, it’s noisy, so don’t overdo it.”
Thus, rumors began to circulate that the support squad was to be ‘reorganized’.
It was natural.
It was already an established fact that they were stronger than the 3rd and 4th squads, which were the combat squads of the 2nd platoon.
There was even a debate going on that if Lee Hyun-wook was in charge, it could be more than one squad.
And Lee Hyun-wook had the confidence to make it happen.
Also, their growth did not end here.
Now that we had achieved growth in capabilities, it was time to experience material growth.
– Hook! Ah, this is being preached from the administrative department. Members of the Special Strategy Platoon who were deployed to attack Red Gate yesterday, please go to the battalion armory immediately. I spread it once again…
The squad members all raised their heads at the broadcast.
“······Doesn’t that mean a package was delivered to us?”
“Oh, I guess so! And the courier sender is amazing! “Aren’t you Commander?”
They stampeded down to the armory with excited hearts.
“Loyalty! Thank you for your hard work.”
“Hey guys, what on earth is going on?”
Lieutenant Oh Jeong-tae, who was in charge of the armory management, looked dumbfounded.
It was because a lot of weapons arrived in the name of the AMT Seoul Operation Commander.
This has never happened while he was working.
“This is a reward item we received.”
“······huh? You mean you received a reward from your commander?”
“Yes that’s right!”
Oh Jeong-tae also had a puzzled expression because he knew that these were the lowest-grade soldiers.
In fact, it seemed like they had been eliminated and were stuck here, barely hearing any news from the battalion.
They opened their boxes and checked the reward items.
Each person requested an item with divine power according to the item they mainly use.
“Maybe because it has divine power, it looks more brilliant.”
“It’s because of my mood.”
Of course, it also emits light in response to the power of darkness.
“Oh, but Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, why do you have two boxes?”
That was because the reward item requested from the brigade commander also arrived.
First, he opened the reward box he received from the brigade commander.
Inside were two one-handed swords.
Both appeared to be the same model, but the blade was about 70cm long and looked like a gladius, a Roman ceremonial weapon.
I picked one of them out.
S-Rung-
[Item Information]
– Name: KG19 (Advanced)
– Effect: Contains divine power.
It was not an item obtained from a dungeon, but an item manufactured at the AMT Arsenal.
If regular items are divided into 5 levels: Normal – Rare – Heroic – Legendary – Mythic,
manufactured items are divided into 5 levels: Normal – Advanced – Skilled – Artisan – Master.
This weapon was still at an advanced level, was light, and had a well-maintained center of gravity.
‘It will be useful for a while.’
Next, it was time to open the reward sent by the second box commander.
“-Tsk! What’s so heavy about this?”
Taeyong Choi said as he brought the box.
But when Lee Hyun-wook snapped his fingers, the box rose into the air and flew in front of Lee Hyun-wook.
“oh······.”
I snapped my fingers again and the box opened with a clanging sound.
Then the others’ eyes widened.
“Wow, why are there so many?”
“But what on earth is this used for?”
Inside was a bunch of things specially made to prepare for the coming hell.
that······.
“Is this a stake…?”
There were as many as 30 silver iron stakes filled with divine power.
