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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Seoul Station, F-Rank and S-Rank - 3
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20 minutes before the level-less Player appeared, inside Seoul Station…
- A boss monster is scheduled to appear. (00:08:12)
"If this 'boss monster' also has a metal shell like those spiders… my ability might not work on it."
Lee Hyun-wook had predicted early on that his power would be rendered useless.
"Huh, you mean…"
"I won't be able to destroy that spider monster's shell."
"…"
He didn't bother to explain why.
'Just because it's metal doesn't mean I can make anything explode.'
There were metals that fell outside Lee Hyun-wook's control for various reasons: if they were protected by magic or an authority, if they were items of rare grade or higher, or if they possessed a certain level of durability, like the hide of a powerful monster.
'Of course, if I raise my Metal Control, I can break through those limits, but not yet.'
That was why he couldn't let his guard down and had to continue expanding his abilities.
"Th-Then what should we do? Magic damage seems to work on their shells, but I don't think we have enough firepower here to break through…"
The security team leader asked with a worried expression, but Lee Hyun-wook answered calmly.
"Well, we'll have to tie it down and tear the shell off."
"What? T-Tie it down? How could we possibly tie up a monster like that…"
"I'll explain the plan now."
With little time remaining, Lee Hyun-wook explained concisely, focusing on the key points.
"Ha…"
When he finished, the Players couldn't hide their grim expressions.
"…Hah, I don't know if that's even possible, but it seems like the best method."
"And right now, it's our only method. Everyone, get to your positions and prepare."
With only five minutes left, the Players scattered to their respective positions.
'A raid isn't about overpowering the enemy with brute force.'
Raid. It was a term from MMORPGs that meant to conquer a boss or dungeon, but after the world had changed to become like a game, it had become a technical term referring to 'anti-monster tactics.'
By the design of this game, Players were constantly forced to face enemies stronger than themselves. Most monsters were more powerful than Players of a corresponding level and, more importantly, far more numerous.
Of course, one could win through sheer force by decking themselves out in incredible gear bought with a fortune, but the reality was that most Players couldn't afford such preparations.
'That's why you have to use every method at your disposal.'
In his past life, Lee Hyun-wook had served as a 'Raid Leader.'
A raid involved venturing beyond a gate to conquer a 'dungeon' and defeat a 'boss monster.' Lee Hyun-wook remembered all the vast knowledge—the 'strategies'—he had learned and mastered in the process.
'This thing's weakness is, in fact, electricity.'
- A boss monster is scheduled to appear. (00:00:00)
The numbers floating before his eyes had reached zero.
At that moment…
- The boss monster 'Venomous Armored Spider (Queen)' has appeared.
Vwoooom—
Along with the system message, the gate began to spew light on a completely different scale than before. Soon, something enormous emerged from somewhere, blocking the beams of light and casting a massive shadow.
"Gasp! It-It's here!"
It was another spider.
Only this time, it was a 'Queen.'
Kikikikikiki---
The Queen Spider was about one and a half times larger than the Venomous Armored Spiders that had appeared in the first and second waves.
It was so large that the highest point of its body seemed like it would touch the third-floor terrace.
'It's not just its size. The paralysis gas will be at least three or four times stronger.'
Just in case, Lee Hyun-wook extended his left hand and sensed the monster's shell.
- This metal is uncontrollable.
'No choice but to stick to the plan…'
Lee Hyun-wook rose to his feet.
He drew the 'Cloud Sword.'
- The 'Cloud Sword' skill 'Water Mist' is available.
He aimed the tip of the sword at the monster and used the skill.
Fwoooosh—
A tremendous amount of water mist began to spray from the sword's tip.
However, whereas it had been an omnidirectional spray against the kobolds, this time it fanned out in a hemispherical shape directly in front of him.
Simultaneously, he used his Metal Control.
'All of you, rise…'
His targets were the thousands of nail-sized fragments of Venomous Armored Spider shells that had been piled up in a corner. He made them all rise into the air at once.
'Spread out and advance!'
Whoooosh—
Passing through the water mist, they became thoroughly soaked.
They then formed a loose formation and began to fly forward like a swarm of insects.
Kikikikikiki---
The monster began to react to their movement.
Soon, it would notice that there was prey nearby.
"The, the Water Balls are ready!"
"Fire them now!"
Two mages raised their staves.
A round ball of water formed at the end of each.
It was 'Water Ball,' one of the most basic skills.
"-Fire!"
Splat! Splat!
Two Water Balls, each containing 300 liters, burst like water balloons on the monster's back.
Water bombs, water-soaked metal fragments…
At that moment, Lee Hyun-wook turned his head.
Park Jun-mo was standing there.
"Yes! I'm ready!"
Park Jun-mo stepped forward with his wand and took a deep breath.
'A crucial role… I can do it!'
Lee Hyun-wook had once again instructed Park Jun-mo to play a 'crucial' role.
F-rank, Private—titles that had once seemed so pathetic… but things were different now.
"Everyone, get back as far as you can!"
Park Jun-mo shouted confidently as he swung his wand.
"Hnngh…"
- Dischargeable Current (100%)
Normally, he would have used it in four separate bursts, but not this time.
He squeezed out every last bit of his maximum capacity at once, forming it into a sphere.
Bzzzzzt—
The ball of electricity flickered unstably, as if it would dissipate at any moment.
'I trained just like Corporal Lee instructed! I can do it!'
Park Jun-mo had not taken Lee Hyun-wook's advice lightly before he went on leave.
He did pull-ups every day and went to the training grounds to hone his ability.
'I can change. Even if my ability stays the same, I can be different!'
Park Jun-mo focused with all his might to condense it, overcoming the immense resistance he felt at his fingertips.
The sensation of gathering electricity was indescribable.
It was like trying to scoop up overflowing water with his hands and shape it into a ball…
It was an impossible feat, but Park Jun-mo was doing it.
"…Go!"
He then shot it at the monster.
The moment the azure sphere touched the creature's body—
Bzz-zz-zz-zz-zzt!
A massive wave erupted.
Like watching a giant 'plasma ball,' azure currents shot out in every direction, tangling together like a web. They ricocheted off metal, water, and every other conductor, tearing the area apart.
"Oh… holy…"
Moisture weakens the skin's electrical resistance.
The shell, and the gaps between the shells…
The azure currents dug into every wet part of its body.
Bzz-zz-zz-zz-zzt!
And when electrocuted, the first thing to go is the nervous system.
Kikikiki…
The monster trembled violently before collapsing with a thud.
"…Huh? It-It really passed out!"
Everyone was stunned that Lee Hyun-wook's plan had actually worked.
But this was no time to be complacent.
"It'll only be for a few seconds! Proceed with the next phase!"
In that time, Lee Hyun-wook had made the thousands of metal fragments stick to the monster's legs.
'They're so small, it's still hard to control them!'
But it wasn't impossible.
In his past life, he had moved things like this millions of times.
The wet shell fragments were now stuck all over the monster's body.
"…Freezing magic, now!"
The moment he gave the command, azure masses of energy shot from the mages' staves.
They exploded near the monster's legs.
Crack-crack-crackle!
Ice erupted from the points of impact like foam, intertwining with the wet metal fragments.
Just as concrete becomes stronger when mixed with gravel—
The resulting ice mass was several times harder than ice made of pure water.
With this, six of its eight legs were firmly restrained.
"It's completely stopped! Everyone, hurry!"
Lee Hyun-wook slung his bag over his shoulder and leaped off the terrace.
Woong—
Just before landing, he applied his control to the bag to cushion the impact.
He then opened the zipper, sensed the end of a pile of 'steel cables' inside, and pulled it out.
'I'll tie its legs with this!'
This was the reason he had bothered to prepare these heavy steel cables.
Three rolls of 2.23mm thick steel cable, each 20m long… Lee Hyun-wook manipulated them to bind the Queen Spider's legs together in pairs, wrapping them tightly.
Steel cables could withstand immense tensile strength.
This bought them a significant amount of time.
"Now! We have to tear off its shell while we have the chance!"
Lee Hyun-wook was the first to climb up to the monster's waist area.
After a moment's hesitation, the other Players also began to climb up, using the gaps in the shell as footholds.
'We just need to get one piece of shell off!'
If they could do that, they would be able to inflict effective damage on the monster.
It was then.
"Ah, shit… Why'd you even call me for this?"
A strange voice echoed from somewhere…
The Players instinctively turned their heads in unison.
"Huh? Is that person, by any chance…"
"…H-Han Tae-san?"
Near the entrance, a large man stood tall.
'Damn it! He got here sooner than I thought.'
Lee Hyun-wook ignored him and got to work.
There was no time.
Crack!
He applied 'Body Hardening' to both hands and jammed the Cloud Sword into a gap between the shells.
Then, using the principle of leverage, he applied force while simultaneously exerting 17.5kg of Metal Control.
"—Ughhh!"
Cra-ack!
It worked.
He had torn off the shell, but at that exact moment…
Ki-gi-git!
The monster woke up and began to struggle.
Even though its legs were still bound, the violent thrashing was enough to send Lee Hyun-wook flying.
"Wh-whoa! It-It's awake!"
The Players leaped from the monster's back in a panic.
'Still, I made a hole! We can take it down somehow!'
But more concerning was the burly figure in a green tracksuit swaggering toward them… the Fist King, Han Tae-san.
"Ha, what, it's not dead yet?"
He was cracking his neck and wrists as if ready to charge in at any moment.
'…At this rate, he'll get that item, just like he was supposed to.'
According to the original timeline, he was the one who would obtain the 'Heroic' grade item that dropped here.
He had planned to snatch it, but the timing had overlapped awkwardly.
"What the hell were you guys trying to do? Hey, you! Stop your useless struggling and get out of the way!"
Lee Hyun-wook tried to finish the boss first by exerting his Metal Control, moving every sharp object he could command.
But he couldn't stop Han Tae-san.
Thump- Thump- Thump-
The man closed the distance by kicking off the floor a few times as if for a running start, then threw a light left hook.
BO-O-OM!
Could such a sound truly come from a single punch…?
CRASH-CRUMBLE-CRACK!
A sonic boom—the phenomenon of air exploding as it breaks the sound barrier. The roar was comparable to one, and everything in the dome that could break, shattered.
Even the steel pellets Lee Hyun-wook was controlling were swept up in the gale before they could even reach the Queen Spider, losing his control. They were probably embedded like shurikens in a wall somewhere.
"F-Freaking…"
The Queen Spider was sent flying, crashing into the far wall.
The impenetrable armored shell crumbled and fell off like dust.
Four of its legs were even severed, flying off in different directions.
Everyone was overwhelmed by the dominating sight, their mouths agape as they stumbled backward.
Kikiki…
The Queen Spider shrieked, as if letting out a final death cry.
"Oh, what's this… Its physical defense must be pretty high? Wow, it's still alive?"
To say that after reducing a boss monster designed to be a 'hard counter' to physical attackers to a near-death state with a single punch… it was unbelievable.
Thump- Thump-
He even had the leisure to shadowbox in the air as he walked toward the Queen Spider.
Just then…
Shunk!
Something fell from the sky, embedding itself deep into the Queen Spider's exposed flesh where the shell had been torn away.
"…Huh? What's with the toothpick? Whose is it!"
It was a sword—the Cloud Sword.
Squelch—
Due to the insect's anatomy, once the 'exoskeleton' was breached, its insides were incredibly fragile.
In other words, it was surprisingly easy to tear through.
Squelch—
Lee Hyun-wook focused all his senses on the tip of the sword, forcing it deeper into the creature's torso.
And then…
- An unknown energy is filling the Cloud Sword. (24%)
'It worked.'
The Cloud Sword had begun to drain its blood.
It was a sign that he had pierced its heart.
"Huh? Hey, was that you? I thought I told you to get back."
"…"
He glared at Lee Hyun-wook.
"That means don't touch it at all, so step aside. You're in the way."
Lee Hyun-wook stepped back without a word, but he continued to move the sword's tip, churning the heart.
'Good. I'm the one who pierced the heart, anyway.'
CRACK- CRACK-
Soon, with a series of brutal sounds, Han Tae-san began to beat the Spider Queen like a punching bag.
CRACK- CRACK-
With each punch, the shell shattered, legs were torn off, and organs splattered.
"Wow…"
"Th-That's the power of an S-rank Player…"
Not long after, a line of text appeared before everyone's eyes.
- You have defeated the boss monster, Venomous Armored Spider (Queen)!
"Hah, it's over…"
While relieved, they also felt a sense of futility.
- Congratulations! You have survived the
The enemy they had been so tense and prepared for…
The enemy that had been so challenging even with a solid plan…
To be dealt with so easily…
- A lucky reward will be granted to those who survived the terrible misfortune!
- 'Ranks' will be determined based on contribution to the event, and rewards will be distributed accordingly.
The Unlucky Event drove participants into the worst possible situations, but those who survived were given special rewards—often things that couldn't be obtained from regular gates.
However…
"Huh? The fuck is this?"
Wiping the blood splattered on his face, Han Tae-san let out a dissatisfied voice.
A bewildering message had appeared before his eyes.
- Congratulations! A lucky reward will be granted. (2nd Place)
"Why am I not first? I'm the one who killed the boss!"
He turned his head and began to glare at the Players one by one.
Lee Hyun-wook quickly moved away, slipping something into his pocket.
- Congratulations! A lucky reward will be granted. (1st Place)
That's right.
First place went to Lee Hyun-wook.
'Whew, success.'
No matter how many mobs he had killed, if he hadn't managed to deal effective damage to the boss monster, which gave the most 'contribution,' first place would have undoubtedly gone to Han Tae-san.
'My final decision to pierce the heart was the right call.'
He clutched the object in his pocket and looked at the message floating before him.
- You have acquired 'Manannán mac Lir's Secret Armor (Heroic).'
'This is it.'
He only took it out after reaching the third-floor reception hall.
It was called armor… but it was a thin, black necklace.
However, true to its name as secret armor, when worn and infused with mana, a thin layer of armor would form over the skin. It was an item that was highly practical for carrying and storage, while also providing high defense.
An armor that wasn't heavy or cumbersome and could be taken off at any time…
It was certainly the perfect defensive gear for a fighter-class Player like Han Tae-san.
'Moreover, it had one more function. A one-slot subspace, I think?'
Another secret hidden within this armor was its ability to store a single item.
'Han Tae-san used that quite effectively as his ace in the hole.'
Han Tae-san, who fought with gauntlets and fists, would suddenly pull out something like 'Mjolnir' and swing it, or throw a mana bomb. It was a highly versatile function.
'And what's more… it's an armor that can grow.'
A Heroic-grade armor that could level up…
Unless it was a Legendary-grade piece of equipment, it couldn't get much better than this.
And, of course, Lee Hyun-wook…
Gulp—
Swallowed it.
He intended to absorb every last one of its incredible functions.