A Player Who Eats Metal

Chapter 23: Seoul Station, F-rank and S-rank

< Chapter 23: Seoul Station, F-rank and S-rank – 2 >

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Seoul Station disaster, Lee Hyunwook remembered the incident that was referred to as such.

A part of Seoul Station had been forcibly closed due to an ‘unlucky event’, isolating hundreds for six hours and ultimately leading to the tragic deaths of 745 individuals; it was the most horrific event among the monster disasters that occurred during that time.

It could have been recorded as an incident revealing the flaws in South Korea’s ‘Gate Response System’…

‘But soon after, the fourth wave occurred, and hundreds of thousands died, overshadowing it.’

Therefore, later on, the lives of the 745 individuals who perished here weren’t considered very important.

They were merely seen as a few who had been sacrificed as a warning before a greater catastrophe…

However, right now, every single one of them was alive.

“Uh, Mom, I’m scared…”

“Shush- son, it’s okay, the players over there will save us.”

“Is Dad coming to get us?”

“Yes, let’s just wait a little.”

People who would have originally become prey to spiders were gathered here.

But the situation was still far from secure.

“…Can those people really hold off the monsters for 5 hours?”

The weak harbored inevitable fear and doubt…

The only ones they could rely on were a mere 40 ‘low-level’ players, so it was understandable.

The powerless civilians could only swallow dry saliva as they watched their backs.

Gulp- Gulp-

As time passed, the surface of the gate began to violently undulate.

Forty players, all of them held their breath and stared intently at the spot.

Warriors and knights, the ‘tankers,’ were blocking the stairs and escalators, while archers and mages lined up on the terrace, raising their weapons.

Silence-

Here and there, faint but rough breaths could be heard.

Shii-

And before they knew it, they were all wearing gas masks.

Thanks to Lee Hyunwook, who warned them about the poisonous gases that the armored poisonous spiders could emit.

How much time had passed since then? Suddenly, the trembling of the gate stopped…

Flash-

With a flash, the gate spewed out two horrendously large spiders in all directions.

Flash-

Thus, twice, a total of four appeared.

It was twice the number from the first division.

‘… They’re out.’

Everyone thought so internally but only exhaled rough breaths outwardly.

Screech! Screech!

The disgusting cries and heavy movements… As they began to move, the Seoul Station’s 2nd-floor reception area seemed to shrink.

“Hold…”

In the silence, only Lee Hyunwook’s voice echoed faintly.

Thump- Thump- Thump- Thump-

The ground-shaking sounds of eight feet reverberated, shaking their hearts.

“Hold…”

Lee Hyunwook raised his right hand above his head while stretching out his left hand towards the creature.

‘Just burst one of its shells. Towards its back, a spot easily accessible for other players to attack…’

If Lee Hyunwook fully utilized his ability, he could easily subdue a few venomous armored spiders, but he had no intention of bursting all the spider’s skin like in the first battle.

‘I need to conserve as much mana as possible.’

[ Mana (159/159) ]

-Recovers 5 per minute.

Since a number of monsters, several times more than in the first wave of the outbreak will come out, there was a need to conserve mana.

‘To face the one that will come out next, a substantial amount of mana will be necessary…’

Having thought up to this point, Lee Hyunwook clenched his left hand tightly.

[ Mana (151/159) ]

8 of the mana evaporated,

Boom-!

With a loud noise, the outer shell on the back of the nearest venomous armored spider exploded.

The creature jolted in alarm, and at that moment, Lee Hyunwook’s right hand fell to the ground.

“… Aim your magical attacks at the broken part!”

The magicians who were crouched, stood up and used the magic they had prepared in advance.

Boom-!

Fire magic exploded,

Zap-!

Electric magic surged.

The released magic hit around the hole in the back that Lee Hyunwook had burst open earlier.

Then with a crack- a sound, fractures occurred around that area and a fairly large area of the outer shell began to crumble and fall off.

Over the considerably exposed ‘flesh’…

“Now! Fire!”

Ta-da-da-da-da-da!

At the security team leader’s command, physical attacks from guns and arrows erupted all at once.

Shots aimed inside the hole of the broken shell rained down like a torrential downpour, green blood spurted out with a splosh, splosh, and soon clumps of sticky flesh began to fall out.

“Good! It’s working!”

Meanwhile, Lee Hyunwook’s ‘steel bead’ was different from the other physical attacks.

The unilateral shooting attacks only penetrated the surface of the target and inflicted damage once.

However, the steel bead controlled by Lee Hyunwook continued to ‘move’ even after penetrating the surface.

‘Grind up all the internal organs.’

Lee Hyunwook felt the spherical metal wriggling inside the creature.

Of course, since the control was still inadequate, the movement slowed down whenever it got stuck here and there, but apart from that force, the pain caused by the steel bead moving around inside the body was unimaginable.

Krik! Krik! Krik! Krik!

Inside the venomous armored spider, Lee Hyunwook’s steel bead bounced like a ‘pinball’, tearing muscles, hitting internal organs, and severing blood vessels.

If it can somehow penetrate, it can cause continuous internal damage.

And,

‘Smash!’

Crack-

He felt the steel beads exploding inside his body, scattering into dozens of pieces, Lee Hyunwook felt it.

The person writhed in the agonizing pain that felt like his guts were being torn apart, the unbearable pain.

And soon…

Thud-

The hefty body landed on the ground.

“…Got him!”

A brief cheer-

However, it was just a giant now, Lee Hyunwook immediately reached out for the next target, and others followed his action, pointing their weapons toward it.

Bam-Boom!

Once again breaking the outer shell of another one’s back, without any distinct orders now, magic and physical attacks followed one after another, landing effective hits.

“Damn it, they’re looking this way!”

The venomous armored spiders began their counterattack.

After approaching the third-floor terrace, they aimed their rears towards them and spewed something out.

Whoo-shee-eek!

“Ugh! It’s gas!”

But since they were already wearing gas masks, they could avoid inhaling the unidentified gas.

However…

“Ugh…”

“My, my body… feels like it’s stiffening…”

“It’s, it’s paralyzing gas!”

Players began to complain about symptoms of paralysis.

‘As expected, this paralyzing gas works by permeating through not only the respiratory system but also the skin.’

This was the exact reason why Lee Hyunwook had ingested ‘poisonous property’ metals for 36 hours the previous night.

Although non-lethal, the poisonous gas could paralyze the body instantly; this was the venomous armored spider’s weapon.

Thus, only he could move perfectly fine.

“We, we haven’t completely stiffened yet, so everyone, fo, focus!”

The security team leader shouted, turning his stiffening neck.

“Yes! Skeletons have been spotted in the right vicinity!”

Suddenly, a group of skeleton soldiers were rushing out of a franchise hamburger store.

But they could remain calm.

Thanks to Lee Hyunwook confirming the ‘double gate’ phenomenon in advance.

“All members of unit 5, aim and shoot at those!”

As An Min-tae ordered, the muzzles of unit 5 moved.

Tat-tang! Tat-tang!

“Don’t worry and shoot slowly, I’m guarding the stairs!”

Though the shooter’s fingers were slowly stiffening due to the paralyzing gas, believing in the tankers including An Min-tae guarding their backs, they pulled the trigger calmly, one shot at a time.

Bam-ack- Bam-ack-

Each time a bullet hit, the skeletons, with their fragile bodies, crumbled down piece by piece.

“They seem like regular skeletons! They are very weak!”

“Good, keep sweeping them! Everyone is doing great!”

Since the gate was originally opened for contact with the villains, it was not so threatening.

Meanwhile, members of Unit 5 felt a peculiar sense of elation at this moment.

A feeling that they could accomplish it… realizing once again that they were not entirely useless entities, following the past Kobold Gate battle.

‘That we can fight like this…’

With a series of successful experiences, their confidence began to swell.

‘Corporal Lee Hyunwook was right, the rank doesn’t mean anything!’

Then, a quality hidden within them amidst the tension began to function properly.

They fully immersed themselves in their respective roles.

About 15 minutes later…

Hu-u-u-u-

Finally, the gunshots ceased.

As the dense smoke cleared, the devastated reception area of the second floor was revealed.

Fragments of corpses scattered everywhere; there was no movement.

“…It’s over.”

They had successfully halted the second wave of enemies pouring out of two gates without a single casualty.

One by one, they took off the gas masks they were wearing.

“I really… didn’t expect us to pull it off this perfectly.”

The security team leader said with a wry smile, and one of the civilian players chimed in agreement.

“I agree. I have experienced several dungeon shut down operations as a C-ranked warrior working in a guild raid team, but haha… this is the first time I’ve seen a battle handled so efficiently and safely.”

Their gaze shifted to Lee Hyunwook.

“To be honest, this is all… thanks to Corporal here.”

“I completely agree.”

It was an undeniable fact.

It was not just because of his metal destruction ability.

Even in what should have been the worst moments, where hiding might seem like the only option, they did not lose their will to fight, thanks to the cool-headedness Lee Hyunwook exhibited while facing those monsters.

Lieutenant Lee Hee-Min observed all this from a distance.

‘That guy…’

Now he couldn’t find any faults with the attention Lee Hyunwook was receiving from others.

Even the displeased expression that inadvertently appeared on his face had disappeared.

‘…He really is remarkable, isn’t he?’

He had no choice but to admit it.

Before the battle began, Lee Hyunwook disclosed that he had achieved a feat and gained an ability enhancement. But… he had not expected it to be to this extent.

Lee Hee-Min felt a sense of self-reproach for a moment.

‘What have I been doing all this time…?’

However, his feelings soon had to switch to confusion.

Because a system message with red letters appeared before his eyes.

[ Attention! Due to the astonishing achievements of the players, an <Additional Event> is awarded ]

“What, what is this!”

“…An additional event? What does that mean!”

The message appeared not only in front of Lee Hee-Min but also in front of everyone inside the dome.

The Unlucky Event, this unfortunate trial bestowed upon humanity, is never kind or merciful.

It literally pushes players to the worst possible scenarios until the very end.

‘Of course, after overcoming all of that, it grants a great fortune…’

Lee Hyunwook picked up a steel bead as he awaited the next message.

[ A boss monster is scheduled to appear (00:15:00) ]

‘As expected…’

Lee Hyunwook had anticipated this.

It had already been warned once before.

[ An ‘Unlucky Event’ occurs in the designated area! ]

-You can enter the designated area but cannot leave

-An entrance level restriction is imposed on the designated area. (LV. 15)

-To escape, survive for 6 hours or defeat the ‘boss monster’!

From the above description, since the ‘first condition’ of the third point—surviving for six hours—seemed to be too easily met, the system was intentionally enforcing the ‘second condition’.

‘Did it become uninteresting?’

No one could understand the intentions of the system.

There was only one thing to do.

Set aside doubts, and only focus on surviving.

“Ah…”

“Bo, boss? Not even an elite monster but the boss monster itself is coming?”

Everyone wore expressions laden with shock.

Then, without anyone saying anything, they began to look at Lee Hyunwook one by one.

“What should we do now?”

However, the moment they looked at his face, they could regain a sense of stability for some unknown reason.

“Everyone, it seems we have to prepare for battle again without any time to rest.”

It was because Lee Hyunwook’s expression, as he said this, was no different from before, remaining calm.

* * *

Gu-oo-oo-oo-oo-

At the Seoul Station Square, a roar and a vibration erupted from somewhere, shaking the entire area.

“Uh, wh, what is this all of a sudden!”

People lowered their stances and turned their heads.

“Hey? Look over there!”

Someone pointed at the dome.

The dome was howling.

[ 05:01:12 ]

[ The boss monster has appeared! ]

Then on the surface of the dome, below the numbers, such text was added.

A boss monster…

The situation inside the dome was being faintly relayed.

“A boss monster… has appeared? Has this ever happened before?”

Boss monsters usually do not come out ‘outside the gate’.

Therefore, it was the strongest monster that one could encounter only during ‘dungeon attacks’.

But what on earth was happening inside there?

A short while later, regarding this matter, Kim Gang-Seok was standing in front of a microphone.

And as the commander, he briefly briefed the current situation…

“Commander, I have a question!”

“Here, I also have a question here!”

Soon, a barrage of questions from the reporters began pouring in.

“Is it true that countless civilians are being sacrificed inside the dome and there’s nothing that can be done?”

“And what should we make of the appearance of the boss monster?”

“Excuse me? Please tell us!”

It was an undeniable fact that civilians were dying inside.

And quite a lot of them…

However, stating that publicly was an extremely sensitive remark.

“As I mentioned earlier, 30 minutes ago, our rescue team entered the inside of the dome. They are currently conducting a civilian rescue operation. I cannot provide any further details regarding the operation.”

Therefore, Kim Gang-Seok intended to only give a formal response.

“But from what we hear, the entry-level restriction to enter the dome is below 15, so uh, isn’t that an inadequate combat power to properly carry out the rescue operation?”

“… They are soldiers who have undergone specialized training. They will carry out their mission at the risk of their lives.”

“Then, how many civilian casualties do you expect?”

“… It is impossible to estimate at the current moment.”

He did not provide a concrete answer regarding civilian casualties in a single word, till the end.

Yet, the news was already reporting that a large number of victims had occurred.

There were even places releasing groundless breaking news indicating that over 800 people had been sacrificed, and experts were appearing saying there was a possibility that the entire rescue force could be annihilated.

Of course, those remarks weren’t baseless.

It just couldn’t be confirmed at the moment,

Everyone thought that it was bound to happen.

“I heard that the dome will only disappear after 5 hours! Does this mean we have to wait like this, without any additional measures until then?”

“Ah, no. We plan to dispatch additional rescue forces.”

Additional rescue forces, the reporters sneered.

“Excuse me? If it’s going to be a rescue team composed of level 15 again, it would be futile as well, wouldn’t it…?”

Kim Kang-seok raised his hand to interrupt the reporter.

He then exchanged glances with someone and nodded his head.

“Um, this was an undecided issue, so I couldn’t mention it during the briefing, but I am informing you now as we just received a report that it has been confirmed.”

After a brief pause, Kim Kang-seok opened his mouth again.

“… We plan to dispatch a rescue team without levels soon.”

The roar from the reporters had to cease for a moment.

“Huh? If there are no, no levels…”

At that moment, a gust of wind came from somewhere.

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-

A large transport aircraft with two propellers flew in over the buildings in front of Seoul Station.

The blue flame-shaped emblem of the Cheonghwa Guild was engraved over the white-painted background of the aircraft.

“…It seems it has arrived just in time.”

As Kim Kang-seok said this and raised his head, all the cameras swiveled in that direction.

Even before the transport aircraft landed, the door opened and someone jumped down to the ground, about ten meters below.

And very lightly, they landed on the ground.

“…Ah!”

It was a giant man with his long hair tied back with a band.

He was wearing a green tracksuit from a famous sports brand, and glimpses of black scale armor could be seen underneath.

He was carrying a sports duffel bag on one shoulder.

“Ah! Look there! Ha, it’s Han Taesan!”

As the reporters rushed over to him, Kim Kang-seok let out a long sigh.

‘It’s a relief that Han Taesan came.’

Han Taesan, a man known as the ‘Fist King’ globally.

He was the second-ranked player in South Korea, the ninth in the world rankings, an S-grade player, and as evidenced by the black scale armor beneath his tracksuit, he was also the ‘Drake Slayer’.

“Right! Since he’s S-grade, he can enter the dome without a level!”

“Wow! Even though S-grade is a precious body, he steps forward in times like this!”

However, despite such tremendous fame, he was hardly seen in official appearances, as he would not personally step forward unless a gate of considerable scale opened.

“Hello? Yes, team leader! Breaking news! Taho has come out of his lair! Yes, it’s been a full 6 months!”

Therefore, he was nicknamed ‘Taho’ – the lazy tiger.

Of course, his growth did not stop just because he was inactive.

Being S-grade, with a ‘growth trait beyond levels’, he could continue to grow through ‘some special method’ that only he knew, without having to fight in real battles.

Therefore, he became stronger step by step each time he revealed himself after a long time.

How much stronger has he become this time…?

The reporters specializing in players couldn’t help but be excited.

“Ha, Mr. Han Taesan! Are you going to enter the dome immediately now?”

At a reporter’s question, Han Taesan furrowed his brows.

“Well, there’s no one else but me right now. It’s annoying, but it can’t be helped.”

It was annoying, nobody could say something like that in the face of such a disaster.

But Taho was different.

Because he had been attached to the image of a weirdo or a rascal for a long time, his actions were perceived more as a unique charm rather than a target of criticism.

“Ah! Mr. Han Taesan! By any chance, are you going to work with the Cheonghwa Guild again through this opportunity?”

“If that is the case, could you possibly tell us the compensation for this activity…?”

At that question, Han Taesan scrunched up his face severely and spat out curses.

“Shit, move aside.”

At his single word, the footsteps of the trailing reporters came to a halt all at once.

“People are dying in there, do you think I should be holding a mic right now?”

As he said that much, the reporters began to step back.

“It’s seriously annoying to have you buzzing around like a swarm of flies…”

As Han Taesan reached the stairs leading up to Seoul Station, he pulled out a bronze-colored gauntlet from his bag.

And then he turned his head looking for someone.

What met his eye was a woman wearing purple lens sunglasses, Yoo Haena.

“Hey! Yoo Haena! Once this job is over, we’re going to have dinner, remember!”

“……”

He shouted like that and dashed into the dome.

Although Yoo Haena was wearing sunglasses, she was visibly frowning deeply.

The Fist King, Han Taesan, was not particularly concerned about whether civilians died or not.

‘Anyway, there are more humans dying from starvation than being killed by monsters, so what…’

That didn’t mean he was a morally deficient evil person or a cynic.

He simply regarded the broader perspective, the future of humanity, as more important than immediate humanitarianism.

‘Someday, a bunch of shitty situations enough to disband S-grades will obviously erupt. Worrying about a few people dying now is just a stupid waste of emotions. It’s already insufficient even when preparing for the future…’

When that moment comes, Han Taesan wouldn’t be safe either.

With that mindset, he was constantly strengthening himself every moment, day in and day out.

“I should be raising my abilities at a time like this, Ugh!”

But what could he do? He was the only one who could resolve this issue, after all…

He had no choice but to break his 6 months of secluded training.

But honestly, on the one hand…

‘The reward here is at least rare-grade, and if boss monsters appear, there might be hero-grade items, right?’

He was also tempted by the quite savory rewards that came with such unlucky events.

No matter how high the rank, it’s useless without good items.

Han Taesan loosened his neck and shoulders as he entered the dome.

But then…

“…What is this?”

The moment he stepped into the reception room on the second floor of Seoul Station, he couldn’t help but frown.

“Ah, damn it… Why did you call me if it was going to be like this?”

The thought that he had come for nothing made irritation surge up.