A Player Who Eats Metal

Chapter 58: The Saviors of Seoul

<Chapter 58: The Saviors of Seoul – 1>

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"Damn— What the heck is that?!"

Three men stood on the rooftop of a building in Gwanak-gu.

They were gazing at the massive sun, ‘Semi Armageddon’, that hung in the sky.

"Oh, my God…"

Soon after, it plunged straight into Cheongryong Mountain, the main territory of the Ironclad Beetles.

The next moment, the entire mountain flew up into the air.

Boom——Ah——Ah!

A tremendous gust of wind followed, forcing the men on the rooftop to drop flat on the ground.

Soil showered down on them like torrential rain.

"What the hell just happened…"

"Ugh! Captain, are you okay?"

"Ugh, yeah… The Erosion Factor is still intact, right?"

One man asked, brushing off the dirt from his mouth.

"It seems so, fortunately. We haven't received a ‘quest failed' notification yet."

"Damn, where did that come from?"

They were underlings of a villain named Chu Gyoyong.

After detecting the approach of the Steel Battalion, they had lured the ‘Ironclad Beetles' to sweep them away.

Using a special item given to villains during this wave, they could accomplish this. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but out of the blue, someone disrupted all their arrangements.

"Damn, this complicates things…"

―Chik— Hey! Hey!

Suddenly, their mana messenger on the floor buzzed with a voice full of fury.

"Uh-oh! Captain… I think we're getting a call from the Team Leader."

The man, addressed as the captain, hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button.

"Yes, Team Leader, reporting!"

―Chik— Damn it, what was that explosion? What kind of explosion is that massive—?!

An irate voice blasted from the other end.

That voice belonged to the team leader, Chu Gyoyong.

"It seems like… the Archmage, that man, has appeared."

The Archmage was the highest-ranked player currently in the Wave Zone.

―What? … Are you sure?

"If there's a magician player who can cast such powerful magic after teleporting, who else could it be if not the Archmage?”

―F*ck, I knew that guy would be a stumbling block! We should have somehow gotten him out…

Before the Wave began, the villains tried their best to remove any players that might interfere, doing their work behind the scenes. As a result, Seoul was emptier than ever before.

Their strategy was to create a power vacuum and then incapacitate any remaining forces at the outset.

This was precisely the villain's tried-and-true Wave strategy.

But there were a few, like Choi Jung-chul and Kim Kang-seok, who didn't fall for their bait.

―Damn… This… Well, maybe it's for the best!

For some reason, Chu Gyoyong started to chuckle.

"…Yes?"

―That Choi Jung-chul guy, after using his ultimate move, he'd need 12 hours to use that skill again.

Although Choi Jung-chul was known by the nickname ‘Archmage' or Grand Magician, his skills were rigid and non-versatile. His magic was focused entirely on causing immense destruction over a vast area.

And skills of such power typically have a very long ‘cooldown period' before they can be used again.

A full 12 hours.

―So, without him, to remove the erosion factor, you'd have to directly break through those bugs… I'll join forces with them, leading the way and pretending to break through with them…

"Oh…."

―… And then I'll wipe them all out at once.

The reason the villains' strategy had a high chance of success was that no one knew their true intentions.

"Team Leader, but what about that Steel Battalion… Shouldn't we be cautious about them?"

Strangely, every villain that confronted the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, especially the Steel Battalion, went missing.

Regarding that, they couldn't get any detailed information. Not a single one returned…

However, Chu Gyoyong scoffed.

―Hey, O Taek-jin, are you an idiot? Do you think they're on the same level as me?

“I apologize! I didn't mean it that way.”

Indeed, an A-ranked player was definitely on a different level.

Monster Tamer Chu Gyoyong, the monsters he controlled never die.

* * *

It had been 3 days since the 4th Wave engulfed Seoul.

The significant events that occurred within the Wave Zone were conveyed to the world through various channels.

For the past three days, the world only talked about the 4th Wave.

And the most mentioned topic was undoubtedly the ‘Steel Battalion'.

‘Probably, almost every news headline would have mentioned our name.'

From the outside of the Wave Zone, one could mistakenly think that the Steel Battalion was fighting alone.

Until the news of the An-Yang duo's achievements was relayed, only the Steel Battalion had shown results.

However, this was not the case at all.

A significant number of players were fighting in different areas to defend Seoul.

‘Their achievements are masked because there are a lot of selfish ones, but there's no shortage of players with a sense of justice and mission.'

Even Seo Eunha and Choi Young-jun cleared two gates around Namsan, and players from various locations made their mark. Currently, about twenty gates have been captured throughout Seoul.

This means that the number of players confronting the Wave was substantial.

‘And right now, we need to gather the strength of those people who have been fighting in one place.'

The last erosion factor was not something the Steel Battalion could handle on their own.

‘To capture this erosion factor, we have to penetrate the swarming armored insects, and there's only one way… we need powerful and sustainable firepower.'

Even if it lasted for a short time, Choi Jung-chul's ‘ Semi Armageddon' bought valuable time.

‘In the meantime, gather as many players as possible, especially those with lightning skill items.'

No matter how many armored insects gathered, they had to be eliminated as if they were mere pests…

That was the plan proposed by Lee Hyunwook, and Choi Jung-chul supported it.

"Ah— We request support from all players in the Wave Zone! Currently…”

Communication soldiers gathered and sent out mana communications in all directions requesting support, and the <Seoul Erosion Response Headquarters> outside the Wave was also assisting in broadcasting this message.

Soon, players from the Wave Zone began to gather.

"From the west, three vehicles are coming from Euncheon-dong!”

"11 players in the Heukseok-dong area say they will join.”

In less than 20 minutes, over two hundred people had gathered in the school's sports field designated as the assembly point.

Of course, not all of them were useful forces.

"Sheesh— It seems like everyone and their brother has shown up…"

From the higher grounds overlooking the sports field, Go Jin-han scanned the players and grumbled.

He clicked his tongue as he looked at a group of young players.

With their soft, untouched skin and unnecessarily fashionable attire,

they clearly seemed to have little to no combat experience.

Go Jin-han pointed at them with his chin and looked at Lee Hyunwook.

"Do you think those ones have been dealing with the Wave until now?”

"…Hmm, I doubt it."

They probably had been hiding in some shelter and just came out to try and get a piece of the action, especially since it's common knowledge that a heroic-tier item and a large sum of money are at stake for the destruction of an Erosion Factor.

"Tsk, tsk, the situation has completely changed. With news of the erosion factors being conquered day by day, complacency is setting in… Damn, these naive fools…"

There were also a few who appeared to be reporters. Holding mana messengers, they darted their eyes around, relaying the situation here to the world outside the Wave Zone.

Though there were some undesirables…

‘…Still, there'll probably be more useful people gathered here than deadbeats.'

Lee Hyunwook stood on the higher grounds of the sports field, turning his gaze toward the erosion factor in the direction of Cheongryong Mountain.

Black smoke was billowing. This time, it was actual smoke, not swarms of bugs.

Following the Semi Armageddon, Cheongryong Mountain was still aflame.

‘But that amount of heat won't cause any harm to the armored insects.'

They were likely emerging from the gate, multiplying in dozens every minute.

‘We can't penetrate yet. We lack firepower, and more than anything, there's Chu Gyoyong.'

Just then, someone rushed over.

It was the chief of staff of the brigade.

"Brigade Commander!"

Choi Jung-chul and Kim Kang-seok, who were conversing on one side of the higher ground, turned their heads.

"Pant— Pant— We just received news of an immense reinforcement arriving.”

"…Hmm? Has the An-yang Duo arrived already?”

At the mention of ‘immense reinforcements', everyone's thoughts immediately went to them.

However, the chief of staff shook his head.

"No, not them. Due to various circumstances, they said it'll take about 30 more minutes."

"Then, who has arrived?”

Swallowing nervously, the aide replied,

"The Monster Tamer, Chu Gyoyong has arrived!”

Chu Gyoyong, the Monster Tamer, was ranked 68th among the players in South Korea.

Excluding Choi Jung-chul— who was ranked 38th— he was undoubtedly the most powerful person here.

Yet, his arrival did not elicit any cheers.

"He might be a great reinforcement, but he's also an unpredictable person…"

As such, Chu Gyoyong didn't have the best reputation.

In particular, Kim Kang-seok grimaced noticeably.

True to his moniker of the Monster Tamer, Chu Gyoyong tamed monsters with cruel binding spells.

He had made several public appearances, during which he ridiculed and criticized players who showed affection for their tamed creatures, calling them foolish.

As a Druid who communed with his tamed beasts, Kim Kang-seok found such comments distasteful.

Regardless, Lee Hyunwook had an inkling of why Chu Gyoyong was here.

‘He’s trying to infiltrate and maneuver things for his own purposes.’

That was a typical villain move. Since others wouldn't know their nefarious intentions, it was easy for villains to blend in and manipulate situations to their most dreadful state.

‘But he doesn’t know that I’m aware of the existence of villains…’

While they might find it odd that villains consistently fall short against the Steel Battalion, they wouldn't think that their true nature had been discovered.

Given how perfectly concealed the villain organizations were in this era, they firmly believed that their identities and motives would remain secret for a long time yet..

Bee—eep—Bee—eep—

Soon after, a massive truck towing a trailer began entering the school's sports field.

Inside that trailer were the ‘zombie monsters' Chu Gyoyong controlled.

‘And somewhere inside is the Heart Box.’

The undying creatures controlled by Chu Gyoyong,

The secret box containing their hearts…

Lee Hyunwook knew exactly where they were.

‘After I subdued him, I got to know more than anyone else.’

Yes, the reason he had tortured Chu Gyoyong’s minion was that the storage location might have been different in the past.

"Ugh, I can already smell that rotten stench. It’s not even a slaughterhouse, what in the world…”

Go Jin-han muttered to himself.

Given that the monsters, especially rotting ones, were crammed into such a confined space, it was only natural for a foul smell to emanate. The players who were gathered in the field recoiled with disgusted expressions, distancing themselves.

Whooosh—

The sound of air pressure signaled the truck stopping, and the men who alighted from the truck unlatched the doors of the trailer.

Red, menacing eyes glowed from inside the trailer.

Thud—

The first to emerge was a muscular giant with the face of a bull: a Minotaur.

Its stature easily exceeded 3 meters, and it was baffling how it managed to crouch inside the trailer.

"Wow, shit…"

"I've never seen one that big."

"…Is that thing really safe?"

The players murmured, their curiosity piqued.

The Minotaur was a monster more potent than a troll and rivaled an ogre in power, making it a high-tier monster.

To witness one in action would typically require a player of at least C-rank 1-tier, and to attempt hunting it, a player would need to be of B-rank or higher.

And there were a whopping four of these Minotaurs.

Each had two double-edged axes hanging from its back.

At a glance, they appeared to be forged from adamantium.

Imagine an invincible beast charging with those weapons drawn…

‘Just four of them could turn 20 trolls into minced meat. But those weapons… wouldn't they be perfect for my living armors?'

Lee Hyunwook unconsciously swallowed his saliva.

Following the Minotaurs, Orcs began to descend. There were a total of 12.

Their skin was pitch black, with bluish tattoos inscribed.

Black Orcs; they were the top-tier Orcs originating from the Orc Kingdom in Shanghai, China.

They were so much stronger than regular Orcs that they were almost considered a different species altogether.

‘And they're further strengthened with various enhancement spells, making them far more formidable than they appear.’

Being a monster tamer wasn't just about controlling monsters.

It also entailed growing or enhancing them.

‘I remember them.’

These 12 were famously referred to as the ‘Black Orc Assault Squad’.

After removing their hearts, a ‘Mana Generator’ made of orichalcum was placed in the vacant space.

Acting as a sort of mana engine, they supplied an astounding 25,000 units of mana.

This constant surge of ‘aura' made them an incredibly powerful assault team. That was their true nature.

‘I might not want the axes, but I want those.’

Gulp—

He swallowed his saliva once again and began panting slightly with dazed eyes.

Thud— Thud— Thud— Thud—

"Whoa…"

As they lined up in the schoolyard, a primal fear began to creep over the players.

And it was only natural.

Lee Hyunwook muttered to himself.

Even if ferocious beasts like tigers or lions are tied by a leash, their imposing presence does not diminish. It's akin to fearing that they might break free and charge at you.

But then…

"Hey…"

A real problem arose.

Crash!

A few Minotaurs had begun smashing the vehicles the players had arrived in.

"What… what are they doing…?"

Among them was an AMT armored reconnaissance vehicle.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

One of the creatures was relentlessly pounding on an SUV, venting its frustrations.

Given that they inherently lacked reason, such erratic behaviors were occasionally exhibited.

Yet, the others who had descended from the trailer truck seemed entirely indifferent to it, simply minding their own business.

"Why… why are those bastards behaving like this?"

"Hey, why aren't you stopping them?"

"If they knew the monsters would react like this, they shouldn't have let them loose!"

"Right! Put them back right now!"

Just then…

"Ah, so noisy, really!"

A large man, looking like a toad, shouted. It was the Black Monster Tamer, Chu Gyoyong.

Exiting a black sedan that trailed the trailer, he approached the players.

"What's the fuss about a few crushed cars? I'll pay for it!"

As Chu Gyoyong yelled, the protesting players could only close their mouths.

Especially as behind him, the Minotaurs and Orcs began to advance.

"Can't you see their vacant eyes? Huh? They are mindless brutes. Isn't it obvious and insignificant that they'd smash some things? And you all are whining?"

"…"

"Yeah, try shouting in front of beasts. Watch as they make a ‘real' mistake."

When no one responded, he turned around with a snort.

But just then, someone murmured.

"Idiot, looking like a stupid toad…"

It was faint but audible to those with keen hearing.

Chu Gyoyong swiftly turned around.

His eyes narrowed as they scanned the players.

"Hey! You!"

"Me, sir?"

A young-looking man responded.

"Yeah, you. Come here! You thought I wouldn't hear…"

"That's enough."

Interrupting him was Kim Kang-seok.

"What?"

"We didn't gather here to quarrel."

The two giants faced off.

"Ah— Kim Kang-seok? Long time no see."

The Minotaurs grunted and eyed Kim Kang-seok, ready to draw their double-edged axes.

Sensing Chu Gyoyong's emotions, they seemed prepared to strike.

From behind Kim Kang-seok, ominous glints rose.

On the school's rooftop,

White tigers, black lions, and the great condor stood on the parapet, overlooking Chu Gyoyong.

It seemed both sides were on the verge of a clash.