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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: A Fortunate Find and a Hidden Foe
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To humanity, the phenomenon known as the "Wave" was nothing short of hell.
But in the game's system, it was merely a type of "event."
- You have discovered a Treasure Chest (Event)!
That was why opportunities like this, strokes of good fortune, existed throughout the "map."
'Lucky for me, there's a chest right here.'
Of course, this wasn't the only event chest in existence.
They were by no means easy to find, but several were scattered across Seoul.
It was just by chance that one happened to be here.
"...."
Fortunately, there were no prying eyes nearby. Lee Hyun-wook immediately opened his inventory.
Clank-
Inside were two items.
A silver ring and a gold card.
First, he picked up the ring.
- You have acquired Mana Tank (Tier 2).
'Not bad.'
The Mana Tank he had previously obtained from Heo Young-tae was Tier 3.
Even that was a pricey item, fetching over a billion won.
But this one was a tier higher, a Tier 2.
'It's at least six times more expensive.'
That meant this small ring was worth somewhere between six and seven billion won.
While its effect would only be about 50% greater than the Tier 3 version, anyone who had experienced combat knew just how significant a weapon that 50% difference could be.
Lee Hyun-wook picked up the remaining item, the gold card.
- You have acquired Trait Awakening (Special).
*This item is bound upon acquisition.
'This... is a jackpot.'
The item was so valuable it made the Mana Tank feel like a mere bonus.
"Awakening" a trait simply meant that a new "skill" would be created.
For a , a random "Trait Awakening" occurs every five levels gained. For a , it happens when their abilities increase by a certain amount or when specific conditions are met.
In other words, the higher a Player's level, the fewer opportunities they had to acquire new skills.
Therefore, obtaining a skill like this, with no strings attached, was an incredible stroke of luck.
- Would you like to use 'Trait Awakening (Special)'? (Y/N)
Lee Hyun-wook selected Y.
- Congratulations! A new skill has been created through a stroke of luck!
[Skill Information]
- Name: Metal Transformation
- Grade: D
- Effect: Consumes mana to 'transform' the shape of controlled metal.
* Mana consumption varies depending on the amount of metal targeted by the skill.
'Metal Transformation. A skill that lets me change the shape of metal, just as the name implies.'
Lee Hyun-wook took out a steel bead and attempted to use Metal Transformation.
Creak— Grind—
The steel bead seemed to crumple and compress before flattening out, soon becoming a sharp weapon.
This could even be used on his "hardened" body.
Lee Hyun-wook hardened his left hand and simultaneously attempted Metal Transformation.
Krrk-
Hard, scale-like protrusions rose on the back of his hand and fingers. At first, it looked like a standard body-hardening technique, but they soon began to elongate and sharpen, sprouting like a leopard's claws.
Swoosh-!
If he were to swing this hand and channel his weight into the claws, it would be more powerful than one might think.
It seemed useful for self-defense in an emergency without a weapon, or for launching a surprise attack.
'It's weak for now, but it's a skill with a lot of potential later on.'
The ability to freely mold metal as if it were clay was bound to have countless applications. For instance, he had once turned massive steel rebars into chains to bind an ogre.
While Lee Hyun-wook was leveling up, the A.M.T soldiers finished their inspection of the station.
Ahn Min-tae, tasked with leading the 2nd platoon, came to report.
"No identifiable issues, sir. The barrier is fully charged and functioning properly. Oh, and during our sweep, we identified points to post sentries for the night watch."
Not long ago, Ahn Min-tae had been just another unremarkable face in the company, but now he was handling his duties with initiative. In many ways, he was growing into a reliable asset.
"Good. We can't move at night, but deploy the magic drones to confirm monster locations in the area. We'll finish preparations to leave the shelter before dawn. Tell everyone to get plenty of rest; tomorrow will be twice as long as today."
"Yes, sir."
"By the way, where's Sergeant Kim Se-hee?"
"Uh, she was over by the ticket gates a minute ago..."
Lee Hyun-wook went to find Kim Se-hee. He had something to give her.
Near the turnstiles, in a quiet spot, he heard her voice.
"...Seriously, you're throwing a fit just because I summoned you once? A damn fit! Unbelievable!"
For some reason, she sounded agitated, as if she were yelling at someone.
The moment Lee Hyun-wook rounded the corner and came face to face with Kim Se-hee—
Swoosh-!
Something that had been floating in front of her face vanished as if it had evaporated.
It was likely the wind spirit she commanded.
"Sergeant Kim, uh... who were you talking to?"
"Ah..."
Kim Se-hee's face flushed in embarrassment.
'Looks like she was fighting with her spirit...'
A spiritmancer's power stemmed from either "Spirit Affinity" or "Spirit Dominance."
They could either commune with spirits to borrow their power or pressure them to forcibly draw it out. The higher those two stats, the more high-grade spirits they could command.
Most importantly, it was a crucial factor that could unlock a spirit's "potential."
But at this moment, Kim Se-hee was doing neither.
'Still, cursing at and fighting with your spirit... she's in worse shape than I thought.'
On the other hand, it made him hopeful.
He had already seen a glimpse of her potential when she borrowed the wind spirit's power to instantly close the distance and get behind Gong Ik-tae's men.
If she could just make peace with her spirit, her abilities would improve dramatically.
"Ahem, what is it?"
Unable to bear the awkwardness, Kim Se-hee asked, averting her gaze.
"You know it's dangerous to be off on your own like this, don't you?"
"Ah, well, yes..."
"That's not why I came looking for you. I have something to give you."
Lee Hyun-wook took something out of his pocket.
It was a small stone with a greenish hue.
"It's a Spirit Stone. No need to report every little thing like this to the unit. You should use it, Sergeant Kim."
Kim Se-hee's expression was a mixture of emotions. She looked grateful yet troubled, trying to hide her feelings, but her hesitating lips gave everything away.
She had just been cursing at her spirit, and now she'd received a gift for it... To use this, she'd have to give it to the spirit directly, which was an incredibly awkward prospect... That's what she was thinking.
"Oh, th-thank you. But how did you know I was a spiritmancer?"
Few people knew her true specialty, as she usually used dual daggers.
"Everyone in our company knows about you, Sergeant Kim."
"Hmm, not really for that reason... Anyway, thank you."
As Lee Hyun-wook turned to leave, he tossed a remark over his shoulder.
"But... try to get along, will you? Stop fighting."
"W-W-What... Don't... don't meddle in my business outside of operations, okay?"
Kim Se-hee bared her teeth, her reddened face filled with irritation.
Well, what else could he expect from a woman who cursed at her own spirit? She was bound to have a temper.
Night soon fell, and Lee Hyun-wook ordered the entire company to set up watch and rest.
But the squad members all wore anxious expressions.
To them, it seemed like a day had passed with nothing to show for it.
The obsessive thought that only four days remained until Seoul's erosion filled their minds.
'But their rest won't be long. Something's about to happen... in here.'
Lee Hyun-wook was currently speaking with the station's security chief.
"...So, you're saying monsters once got in through the subway tracks?"
At Lee Hyun-wook's question, the security chief nodded.
"Yes, they were rat-type monsters. Not ordinary rats, of course. They were as big as dogs."
He said they had managed to fend off the monsters that tried to invade through the subway tracks in the early days.
Luckily, there were only a few back then, so it ended as a minor incident...
'It won't end there next time.'
A swarm of man-eating rats that surged forward like a black tide, devouring everything in its path. Hell Rats. By now, an unmanageable number of them must be teeming down below.
"Well, we've sealed that area up tight since then. I doubt they'll ever break through."
"Yes, I'm sure."
They should have. But unfortunately, that's not how history unfolded.
The magic barrier would fail, and a swarm of rats would pour into the shelter like a black tide.
Thousands would be eaten alive by the swarm.
The reason for that, too... was because there was a traitor in the shelter.
'The Apostate...'
Gong Hyun-jun the Apostate. Originally a Priest-class Player, he began to covet the opposing "power of darkness," eventually going so far as to kidnap Players and conduct biological experiments on them. He was a madman.
After becoming a Villain, he received support from Gordon Price and was free to pursue his research.
He then gathered others with similar tastes and founded a group called the "Mad Scientists."
'They were some of the most vicious Villains out there.'
They were the ones who released a poison fog over Beijing, slaughtering a staggering four million people in a single day—an act of terror unprecedented in history.
'And the reason for that massacre was to supply corpses to a Necromancer.'
The Necromancer used those corpses to raise an undead army and march on the Korean peninsula.
It was then that General Choi Jeong-cheol's performance, equivalent to a tactical nuclear strike, barely managed to repel the first invasion.
In any case, that man, Gong Hyun-jun, was here in this very place...
'There he is.'
Lee Hyun-wook had just identified the man's location.
Because the man was walking toward him.
***
Fifteen minutes earlier—
On the B1 floor of Dongdaemun Station, near the shelter entrance, was a space called the "Public Sanctuary."
A Sanctuary, as its name implied, was a sacred place. By placing a certain number of Holy Relic-type object items, a "Sanctuary Buff" would be provided within a certain area.
The effects of the buff were varied, but most notably, it drastically increased recovery from status ailments and amplified a Priest's holy power several times over, allowing for tremendous healing effects.
In short, this place was a kind of emergency room that could save even a Player on the verge of death.
But in an office deep inside that place... there was a spot strangely untouched by the relics' power.
Someone was sitting there.
The Sanctuary's administrator, Gong Hyun-jun. He was currently attempting a "mana communication."
"Yes, it's me."
- So, is it true? That A.M.T forces have entered the shelter?
The voice belonged to Ki Baek-jun.
"Yes, that's correct. A little less than... fifty of them."
- Is she there? That woman, Seo Eun-ha?
A faint hint of irritation laced his voice.
He had realized that the Five Butchers had all been taken out at once.
It seemed impossible no matter how he thought about it, but if there was one possibility... it was Seo Eun-ha.
It meant the second daughter of the Holy Knights was growing much faster than expected.
"Hmm... No, I didn't see any women in armor among the tall ones in military uniforms. I've been staring so much I'm pretty sure they've pegged me as a creep. Ah well, it's true I am one, isn't it? Haha!"
- Tsk— Regardless, don't let a single one of them leave alive.
"Yes, now that they're here, they'll never leave alive. I've made thorough preparations."
He chuckled, turned, and opened a cabinet in the corner.
Click—
Inside were all sorts of flasks and plastic bottles.
Gong Hyun-jun picked one of them up.
He poured the light brown liquid inside into a coffee pot.
"Yes, I've already tricked the sixteen station guards here into drinking a beastification potion by offering them tea. Once I trigger the spell, they'll turn into beasts and tear the civilians apart."
- ....
"Hehehe, and that's not all. Tonight, after I release a paralyzing poison gas in the shelter..."
He lifted a black box from the corner of the cabinet.
"...if I ring this bell that summons the rat swarm from the tunnels, every human here will experience having their eyeballs and entrails gnawed out while they're wide awake. Isn't that just delightful?"
- Yes, I know you are always thorough and act according to plan.
"Of course. You won't be disappointed this time either."
- If this goes well, not only will you receive significant research funding... I will introduce you to the 'Chairman.'
"Yes! Thank you! Please tell him I look forward to meeting him soon!"
The mana messenger automatically cut off the moment he grinned, baring his gums.
It seemed the mana battery had been completely drained.
As he boiled the coffee pot, he checked a system message.
[Hidden Quest]
- You shall cast off the unbecoming light and don the darkness...
1) Biological Experiment: Successfully conduct 30 beastification experiments (17/30)
2) By any means necessary, massacre over 1,000 'civilians'. (In Progress)
3) Nurture the 'Hell Rat' swarm stirring in the tunnels and breed 30,000 of them. (In Progress)
* Reward: Grimoire of Darkness of Unknown Origin - 3
He grinned from ear to ear as he scanned the message.
As planned, this quest would be completed tonight.
"Now, shall I go find my eighteenth test subject?"
He put on a white lab coat and started humming as he left the sanctuary.
All the while, he scanned the A.M.T soldiers.
Then, he spotted a man who seemed different from the rest.
A man with two swords on his back was talking with the security chief.
'Ah! That man must be the A.M.T's leader!'
A brilliant idea struck him, and he chuckled to himself.
'It would be fun to turn him into a werewolf the exact moment he's about to issue a command, wouldn't it?'
And for tonight's grand event, it would be much more convenient to deal with the leader first.
He concealed his vile grin behind a warm smile and waited for their conversation to end.
And when the man was alone, he approached him naturally.
"Hello."
The man's name was Lee Hyun-wook. His rank insignia wasn't visible.
He looked at Gong Hyun-jun with a blank expression and nodded.
It was a look that said he had no interest in talking.
But Gong Hyun-jun knew how to draw people like this into a conversation.
"I heard the main monsters in this wave are undead. Is that true?"
"...Ah, yes, that's correct."
"My, that must have been quite difficult for you to handle."
First, bring up the issue that is most likely on their mind to open a channel for conversation.
"It has been, yes."
"I'm the administrator of the Dongdaemun Station Sanctuary, a Priest. I also majored in at the International Player University's Raid Department. I may not be much, but I was wondering if I could be of any help."
Then, appeal to them with your expertise on the subject.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes, I'm currently in the doctoral program."
Just as he expected, the wariness vanished from the man's eyes.
It was only natural.
He must be feeling an overwhelming sense of responsibility; the mere mention of a solution to his problem would surely pique his interest.
"That's great. In that case, there's something I'd really like to ask you."
The man's stiff, expressionless face softened, now tinged with worry.
'So easy, too easy!'
He hid his smile and nodded with a serious expression.
"Yes, please ask me anything. I'll help in any way I can, with what I know."
"Well, I've been wondering how best to deal with incorporeal, ghost-type enemies. As you can see, our unit has almost no Priests at the moment..."
"Hmm... that is a difficult problem. It's a bit hard to explain simply. If you have a moment, would you care for a cup of tea? I have some relevant materials in my office."
The man glanced at his watch, looking troubled, but then nodded.
"...I suppose I have about twenty minutes."
And so, Gong Hyun-jun succeeded in luring the A.M.T commander into the sanctuary.
"Here, please have a seat."
"Thank you."
"To be honest, after finishing my studies, I considered serving as an A.M.T medic for my 'mandatory Player service period'."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes, but to continue my research, I decided being a sanctuary administrator was a better, if slightly longer, path. In reality, they're more or less the same. Haha—"
Gong Hyun-jun kept the conversation flowing naturally as he poured two cups of the pre-brewed coffee.
Of course, something else had been added to it. He placed a cup in front of the man.
"Thank you. It smells nice."
"It's not expensive coffee, but I find it's the best among the instant brands."
The man, without any suspicion, brought the cup to his lips.
'That's it, drink it. Swallow it...'
But the spell he chanted in his mind didn't work.
The man suddenly lowered the cup, as if he'd just remembered something.
"Ah! By the way, sir, I was injured during a battle. Could you possibly take a look?"
What was this all of a sudden...?
He was growing impatient, but he hid his expression and nodded.
"Hmm, are there no Priests among your squad members?"
"Their skills are rather poor. They're all low-level Players, after all..."
"Ah, well then, let's have a look."
"Here, my left wrist."
The man rolled up the sleeve of his combat uniform.
But... there was no visible injury.
There was only a small, spear-shaped tattoo.
"Um... where exactly are you hurt?"
"If you look closely, right here—"
Ssssss—
'Huh?'
Something was strange. The tattoo on his wrist was vanishing, and a wisp of smoke was rising from it.
Thwump—
"...."
Gong Hyun-jun couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
He only belatedly realized that a long spear shaft was embedded in his abdomen.
"Gah— Gack..."
He coughed up a mouthful of blood and, with a trembling head, looked up at the man.
A cold, expressionless face was staring down at him.
The man raised his left hand.
Krrk-
Scale-like things sprouted on his fingers.
And soon, they grew sharp, like the claws of a beast.
"Guh—!"
Gong Hyun-jun tried to scream, but no sound came out.
The man, Lee Hyun-wook, watched Gong Hyun-jun's lips move and spoke the words for him.
"W-h-y..."
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"Yes, you would think that. We felt the same way."
Then he took something out of his pocket.
It was a silver steel bead.
"Now, here's what happened... You offered me coffee, but I accidentally spilled it, and it just so happened to touch this holy-powered steel bead I had on my desk."
Lee Hyun-wook tilted the cup over the steel bead.
As the coffee touched it...
Chiiiii——
"The holy power reacted with the poison, causing this strange reaction..."
"Ghk, ghhk—"
"Naturally, I became suspicious, and you got flustered and started spouting nonsense. It might be good to mention something about Congressman Park Gil-sang being involved... Anyway, then you made the mistake of pulling a weapon and swinging it when you thought my guard was down..."
The dagger Gong Hyun-jun had hidden at his waist slid out on its own and somehow ended up in his left hand.
He tried to strike, but his body had no strength.
"So, in the end, I had no choice..."
The next moment—
Swoosh-!
Lee Hyun-wook swung his left hand, and the man slumped over the desk.
'The people in the shelter will believe this story.'
He had dealt with Gong Hyun-jun, and depending on the circumstances, he might even be able to implicate Park Gil-sang.
Lee Hyun-wook retrieved the 'Spear of Achilles' embedded in the man's abdomen.
He also took the 'Mana Tank (Tier 3)' from the man's finger.
It seemed his total mana would increase severalfold by tomorrow.
"Hmm, is this it?"
Lee Hyun-wook opened the cabinet behind Gong Hyun-jun and looked inside.
It was filled with all sorts of Player-made potions.
"Beastification potions... so he was researching them back then."
Lee Hyun-wook clicked his tongue, recalling the "final stage" of these potions.
Those things had rampaged through downtown Daegu, causing an enormous number of casualties.
Knowing that was why he hadn't drunk the coffee the man offered.
Just then, a uniquely shaped "black box" at the back of the cabinet caught his eye.
'This item looks suspicious no matter how you look at it.'
As he lifted it, information appeared before his eyes.
- You have acquired the Devil's Bell.
* Infusing it with mana will attract 'Hell-born' creatures in the vicinity.
"This is..."
Yes, this was the item that could summon the rat swarm breeding endlessly in the underground tunnels.
Gong Hyun-jun had planned to use this to massacre the refugees in the shelter.
But that wouldn't happen now.
Lee Hyun-wook smiled.
"This makes the game almost too easy..."
It seemed he would be able to exterminate the teeming swarm of man-eating rats underground in a single stroke.
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