Episode 49. [Pivot point in hell – 1]
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– …Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, can you be sure?
Kim Kang-seok’s voice flowing from Mana Messenger
contained a surprise that could not be concealed.
– Are you sure that the object you removed was an ‘erosion factor’?
Because I completely trusted Lee Hyun-wook, I organized a steel company and put it into operation, but the fact that it was a catastrophe that was difficult for the Wave to handle did not change, and even if Lee Hyun-wook’s steel rain was useful, it was not omnipotent, so I held out hope but did not expect too much. …
Then I heard a report that the first source of erosion had been removed in just one day.
That’s why I asked myself several times if I had heard something wrong.
To this, Lee Hyun-wook answered confidently.
“Yes, we confirmed it correctly. We identified an erosion factor in the form of a World Stone digging into the ground and destroyed it. Immediately thereafter, a system message was displayed stating that the World Stone was destroyed.”
If he had seen the system message, it was certain that he was not lying.
Only then did Kim Kang-seok laugh.
It was a laugh that went beyond admiration and seemed absurd.
– Sergeant Hyun-wook Lee I always trusted you… but it seems like that trust was a bit lacking. “ No.
There are still three more left, so I will keep my head straight and carry out my mission.”
– Okay, and soon the ‘Strategy Company’ will be moving towards the brigade headquarters.
The brigade headquarters commanded by General Choi Jeong-cheol seemed to have finally cleared the gate that had appeared in the compound.
In fact, it was a very successful response as it meant that as many as 4 gates were processed in one day.
It’s just that the 1st Battalion with Lee Hyeon-wook was overwhelmingly faster…
‘If the attack company under the brigade commander’s direct command is mobilized, it will be a great help during the final battle.’
The attack company was a unit the size of 3 to 4 attack platoons and was the highest strength of the 3rd Port Horse Brigade.
It would help during the ‘extra event’ that occurs when you remove 3 or more erosion factors.
“Yes, I understand. If so, we will continue to operate alone until the next order.”
– Of course, you’re the best now, so do what you want. Oh, is there anything else you need?
“We don’t need anything right now, but if we run out of supplies, we will request supplies immediately.”
– Yes, the Brigade Commander also said that he would fully support the Steel Company. We will mobilize a transport aircraft and send it over immediately, so you can pour in everything you have without holding anything back.
“I understand.”
After finishing the report, Lee Hyun-wook checked his watch.
– 01:06
Since we had been fighting almost non-stop since last morning, we really needed a break now.
But there was one urgent matter right now.
“Please gather all the priest players because we need to find the person who took the beast transformation potion.”
Lee Hyun-wook worked with Lee Jeong-jun and the station guards to collect as many priests as possible and then select those who were cursed to become beasts. Fortunately, the task did not take as long as expected. After weeding out those who had been in contact with the sanctuary manager, there were only a
few
. After the work was over, everyone was ordered to go to bed.
That was at 1:40 a.m.
The members of the steel company were spread out in the hallway inside the station and went to sleep.
But, as they say, even on the battlefield, love blooms and babies are born . Since they were
all gathered together without distinction of men and women, they must have been somewhere. I heard whispering and giggling…
“Hey! If you don’t sleep, I can force you to sleep, so please keep your mouth shut…”
Kim Se-hee said a few words while swearing, and it quickly became quiet.
***
At 2:50 a.m., Lee Hyun-wook was sitting in the station security room, claiming to be on watch.
This was because the operational route for tomorrow had to be clearly organized.
It was also necessary to check one’s overall abilities from time to time.
‘If I do not clearly understand what my level is, my judgment may be distorted during the battle.’
So, Lee Hyun-wook had a habit of reading his abilities every time he rested.
– Current weight of ‘metal’ that can be controlled: 78658g
* Transcendent sense (+30%) is being applied.
* Steel bone (+10%) It is being applied.
‘As expected, one additional effect has been added.’
Ganggol Stage 1 That was the power of ‘Moglai.’ Moglai
’s first skill, ‘Ganggol’, was a ‘passive skill’ with the concept of increasing not only physical ability but also overall power, and in Lee Hyun-wook’s case, ‘metal control’ was also a part of that power. It fell into the category of,
‘This gives us a whopping 40% extra control.’
After completing the ability check, he took out his military PDA and checked the map of Seoul.
‘Currently, there are a total of 4 erosion factors created in the Seoul Wave Zone, 1 of which has just been destroyed, and according to the original history, the erosion factor in Yeonsinnae is targeted by Anyang Duo. So you don’t have to worry about that.’
One of the four erosion factors was planned to be targeted by the so-called ‘Anyang Duo’.
‘Then… next we go to Gangnam.’
And right there, the god-killing weapon ‘Mistilteinn’ was sleeping. The
villains would try to get it first, so I had to quickly go and kill it.
At that time, Kim Se-hee appeared at the end of the hallway.
She yawned. “Sergeant Kim, where are you going alone again?
”
“I’m going to the bathroom. Why, would you please come with me to the comrade camp?”
She frowned and said,
“No… I was wondering if you were going to have a fight with the spirit, so I asked.”
“…Don’t take anything that others give you just because you’re tired in the morning.”
Still, Lee Hyun-wook is the company commander, so he tries not to say a single word.
‘As expected, if you look at his personality, it’s worth swearing and fighting with spirits.’
Lee Hyun-wook raised his head and looked at the map again.
However, Kim Se-hee, who had returned from the bathroom, came next to Lee Hyun-wook.
Water dripped from his face as if he had washed his face.
“……why?”
“I’m next in line. Didn’t you know?”
“Well, is there still time left?”
Kim Se-hee leaned against the wall without answering and sighed.
“…No one died.”
“yes?”
“No one died during this operation. That means you were well-directed.”
Lee Hyun-wook just nodded absently, wondering what he was talking about, and Kim Se-hee continued,
“But yesterday… 19 of our company members were killed by those bastards.”
The five butchers massacred the five-minute group.
Then the skeletons swooped in and quite a few people lost their lives.
Even Lee Hyun-wook couldn’t stop it.
“Fuck…”
When I looked again, her face was full of fatigue .
Small and small . Despite her pretty appearance, she had a very tough and rough personality, but
still, losing her comrades seemed to be quite a shock.
“…So, please don’t let anyone die like this in the future.”
“Well, of course it has to be that way.”
“If you just do that… I will trust and follow you until the end.”
She said, looking at the ground with her head down.
From the looks of it, she wasn’t the type of person to say things like this.
But perhaps she was shaking whether she knew it or not in the midst of an arduous fight…
‘Well, she’s an amazing woman, but she’s still in her early 20s. …’
Lee Hyun-wook closed the PDF and looked up at Kim Se-hee.
“Of course, I will try to make sure no one dies… but sometimes there will come a time when someone has no choice but to die.”
His answer was too realistic.
Lee Hyun-wook also hopes to have the same wish as Kim Se-hee someday. It
was because I realized that it was impossible after a lot of experience.
***
Dawn broke and preparations for the move began.
However, as the AMT prepared to leave, National Assembly member Park Gil-sang and his gang seemed very happy. They were
depressed for a while, but now. They gathered together and smiled wryly.
‘…If we leave them alone, we will definitely do something foolish. They are a risk factor.’
Although the wave closure period was only 5 days, it was inevitable that rescue would take a much longer time. This
was because they had to eliminate the monsters that had taken over the streets, ensure safety, and then rescue them one by one from the outskirts. Therefore, they spent several months in this shelter. I may have to hold on….
‘I’m planning to use this shelter as a small kingdom and live comfortably until the wave ends.’
In any case, it seemed like he couldn’t
give up the so-called ‘gapjil’. However, Lee Hyun-wook had no intention of letting them run freely.
He called the guard captain aside.
“I’m sure you heard, guard captain, but we will leave as soon as the sun rises. ”
“Yes, I was really grateful for that time. And for that incident… I’m sorry.”
The guard commander blushed and lowered his head.
It was because he had doubted AMT’s abilities for a moment and was skeptical.
“Really… I never dreamed they were such great people.”
“no.”
Lee Hyun-wook smiled awkwardly and got to the point.
“But… I’m worried that another problem might arise even after we leave. Have you seen anyone who was close to the sanctuary manager and was in constant contact with him?”
“uh? “Are you saying that there is an accomplice?”
The guard commander, Gong Hyeonjun, the sanctuary manager, swallowed dry saliva as he remembered his terrible plan.
If it hadn’t been for AMT, everyone in this shelter would have been food for Helet.
“No, not necessarily, but let’s think about what if.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure. Before the wave occurred, we barely even had a conversation…”
At that time, Lee Hyun-wook walked closer to him and said in a whisper,
“Actually, I’m not sure, but I heard something from the sanctuary manager.”
“…Yes?”
“When I subdued him, he told me that if I let him live, I would receive the favor of the High Ones. If you are a high-ranking person in this shelter, um…”
“Gasp!” Isn’t this Rep. Park Gil-sang? Oh my god….”
Of course, this was a complete lie, a kind of frame-up.
‘But sometimes you have to act treacherously.’
If you act tied to morality, you can’t handle even a person like Park Gil-sang, let alone a villain.
Lee Hyun-wook knew very well that this world was structured that way.
Before he knew it, the guard captain’s face had turned red and blue.
“Damn it! “I knew that person was a black guy from the beginning!”
It seemed like he was already harboring bad feelings, seeing as he was convinced before even considering the facts.
In fact, he and his subordinates were the victims of drinking that coffee, so he couldn’t help but be emotional…
“Of course, I’m not sure. It could be that the sanctuary manager just spit it out because he wanted to live.”
“Hehe… That’s right, but it’s clear that he’s a disgusting person in many ways. “I watched it.”
“Yes, I think I know that.”
“How many times have we kicked out the people knocking on the shelter door…”
The guard captain shook his head with a bitter expression.
Even though he didn’t want to, he seemed to have been forced to comply due to pressure.
“All authority of this shelter now belongs to the captain of the guard. Don’t forget that.”
“…you’re right.”
The conversation ended with that.
The captain of the guard spurned his seat as if he had promised something.
And immediately, he disarmed Park Gil-sang’s gang and isolated them.
It seemed that some anger he had been holding back had exploded.
“…You guys are making a big mistake!”
Park Sang-gil shouted so loudly, but the guard commander did not even blink.
“No, you made a big mistake! What do you think will change after the wave ends? “We will bear witness to your evil deeds, so your political career is over!”
Confusion bloomed on Park Sang-gil’s face.
“What what? What on earth did I do to say this?”
“One or two fucking things? Above all, do you know how many shelter refugees you didn’t let in? “I was such an idiot that I couldn’t even refute what someone like you said, but not anymore!”
“Are you saying that with evidence?”
Then complaints started pouring in from all directions:
“I heard you told us not to accept it!”
“That’s right! We watched all the tricks you guys were doing inside!”
“Hey— how can someone like you be a member of the National Assembly!”
These may have been evil deeds done secretly in their own way, but rumors were bound to spread quickly within this narrow shelter. It was natural, especially since Lee Jeong-jun and his group, who had an antipathy toward them, had returned.
After all, no matter how pretentious it is, if the intentions are dirty, the ending can’t be good…
Park Gil-sang’s neck turned red from the criticism pouring in from all directions, but
a tuna can flew from somewhere and hit him on the head.
“evil!”
He shouted something, but was drowned out by the fierce cries of the citizens and was not heard.
He ended up slamming the door to the office where he was quarantined and entered, and
the guards blocked the entrance with a magic shield.
Lee Hyun-wook looked at the scene and laughed helplessly.
‘It’s a bit extreme, but it’s a good thing.’
If Park Gil-sang continued to exercise his distorted rights, the shelter could have been in danger.
Meanwhile, while the commotion was going on, the Steel Company was ready to move.
“Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, preparations are complete.”
Lee Hyun-wook went outside and looked through the ranks, inspecting them.
‘Okay, I’ve become much stronger in just one day.’
Now, Lee Jeong-jun and his group have been added, increasing the number of vehicles by three more, bringing the total number of vehicles to 13. As a result, not only has the strength of
18 players been added, but the level of each member of the company has also increased significantly. Additionally, through multiple battles, their experience and judgment have increased. It would have been a step forward.
‘And above all, the effect of divine protection is enormous.’
Lee Hyeon-wook, who obtained the event buff immediately after hunting down a group of Hellet, confirmed the details.
– The event buff ‘Divine Protection’ is being applied to the party.
1) ‘Divine power’ is granted to all weapons.
2) Natural healing power increases significantly. (+50%)
3) Has ‘resistance’ to darkness curses below a certain level.
‘This is… a power increase of more than 2 times only for the 4th wave.’
Since the main monster of the 4th wave was ‘dark attribute’, it was like getting the optimal weapon.
And at this rate, it seemed like it would be okay to move a little more actively. Meanwhile,
the huge great sword ‘Mogley’ was placed on the ceiling of the command vehicle. I hung it,
and I could fire this 55kg large sword at the person standing in my way like I was firing a cannon.
‘Now, even if a zombie troll or something comes out, I won’t have to stop and react.’
Lee Hyun-wook checked the knot one last time, then boarded the command vehicle
and held up the walkie-talkie.
“All troops are departing.”
At his brief words, the vehicles with their engines running began to move one by one.
Wow,
that long, solid procession headed west into the quiet downtown of Seoul.
But at that moment…
– (!) The quest arrived.
“what is this?”
Such a system message was displayed in front of everyone in the procession.
[Event Quest]
– Disaster Expedition Unfold the sails and head into the darkness….
1) Eliminate as many ‘erosion factors’ as possible (in progress)
2) Eliminate as many ‘dark attribute’ monsters as possible! (In progress)
3) Rescue as many ‘ordinary people’ as possible! (In progress)
* Reward: Paid differentially according to performance.
“What is this…?”
Lee Hyun-wook smiled at Park Jun-mo’s question.
“…an opportunity in a crisis.”
As always, the arduous trials were hiding sweet rewards.
“We move forward while wiping out all visible monsters.”
***
“……Yes, please. “In times like these, we have to step up. When are we going to step up?”
Kang Seo-yoon was talking on the phone, moving around anxiously in the office.
“That’s right. I’m doing my best right now, but honestly… I have to prepare for the aftermath. So I was promised support by 4 airships from Gordon. Yes, if the erosion progresses, I’ll go in with magic bombing… That damn thing. “I plan to intercept the ‘erosion object.’ That’s the best.”
She was requesting a post-mortem recovery operation from the secret organization she worked for, [Guardian].
However, the Guardian’s response was just as indifferent.
“…Ah—I know that!”
They were people who resisted the disaster created in this game, but they were not the type of unrealistic heroes who were filled with a sense of justice and would jump into the fire without hesitation. Rather, like businessmen, they established secret operations with thorough consideration of loss and benefit
. In terms of the majority, the opinion was that rather than responding to the wave, we should save that power and prepare for the future.
This is because we have made a huge sacrifice when responding to the wave so far, and
because of that sacrifice, the Guardian’s power has been significantly reduced.
Seo-yoon Kang was now listening to that story once again through the phone.
Her face was getting redder and her breathing was starting to get rougher.
“…No ssang—! Is that what you’re talking about? How about changing nationality? What about me? “I even risked a legendary item for Seoul! I’m going to hand over that item, which is worth the price of an aircraft carrier!”
At that time, the door burst open.
Kang Seo-yoon frowned and hung up the phone.
Because a secret conversation was taking place, her nerves were tense.
“Huh—hah— CEO Kang….”
The door opened and someone came in. He was an emergency communications officer.
But for some reason, his expression was full of urgency.
“…Why, officer in charge?”
“Well…”
“I’m on the phone, so speak quickly!”
“…There is news that the erosion factor has been targeted.”
“yes?”
Kang Seo-yoon was startled and jumped up.
And hung up the phone.
“Who the hell are you—!”
The emergency communications officer took a deep breath and nodded.
It was time to deliver more surprising news.
“It’s the AMT! The troops from the 1st Battalion in Namsan that I told you about did it!”
“yes? Is it AMT? Uh, how… no, that’s not important, hu—!”
She took a deep breath and walked out of the office with the emergency communications officer.
“Director, have you accurately grasped this news? No, you are sleeping and don’t have time, so please spread the word to the players you can contact in the Wave Zone right away! There are only three days left!”
“yes!”
“This is my only hope now! A hope to become a focal point was born! “It also appears while destroying the erosion factor… Okay, from now on, it can completely change the game.”
Yes, even if a high-ranking, high-level guy showed up and decided to take the gun, most of the players in the wave zone were likely to fend for themselves.
But the news that someone had removed the erosion factor was on a different level.
It would be a real possibility, or something that would give courage….
Hopeful news was to be delivered to the whole world.
And one more thing…
“Oh, please pass this along as well. [Zmunnarae] Announce throughout the wave zone that the legendary grade reward offered by the guild is ‘Ge Bolg.’”
“Oh my god….”
“Yes, I’m going to drool a little. I’m going to want to hold that weapon that killed the ‘Twin Head Ogre Champion’ with a single blow during the ‘Battle of the Bright Ogre’…” Gde
Bolg
That single spear, which was said to be more expensive than an aircraft carrier, would ignite hope.
