About 300 meters ahead, a purple shimmer was visible. It was a gate.
"We're almost there."
Lee Hyunwook's steps quickened as he climbed the mountain trail. Though his gaze was fixed on the ground in front of him, his unique sensing ability stretched out in all directions, detecting metal almost everywhere.
His metal-detecting ability currently allowed him to sense up to about 102 meters away and objects weighing around 500 grams.
He intended to use this ability to 'identify' the location of monsters.
"I have to catch moving metal."
There was a lot of metal scattered throughout the camp.
Fences, guard posts, stakes — these interfered with the identification process. However, what Lee Hyunwook was looking to detect was moving metal, specifically, the weapons carried by the Goblins.
And then…
Beep-beep—
"Th-This is Guard Post 6! We are surrounded in an instant! It's Goblins! About ten Goblins are approaching the guard post! It's a gate! A gate has opened within the camp! We need immediate backup!"
A desperate radio call was made, and gunshots rang out nearby.
Ta-da-da-da-dang!
Both Lee Hyunwook and Park Junmo immediately ducked.
While Park Junmo lay down to shoot, Lee Hyunwook continued to advance.
Zzzzzap!
A flash of light flickered from the front.
It was lightning magic.
In that split second, Guard Post 6 came into view. It seemed there was a mage specialized in 'electrical' spells among the soldiers at the post.
One Goblin was sent flying far after being hit by the magic.
Screech—
From what Lee Hyunwook remembered, the soldiers at Guard Post 6 were 'archers' and 'mages.'
"Those guys won't last long. They'll collapse soon."
There was a lantern at the guard post, and the surrounding bushes had been trimmed short, but it was quite challenging to accurately target small and nimble monsters like Goblins in the dead of night.
In other words, it was impossible to stop the approaching swarm of Goblins unless there were warrior-type players.
"This is Guard Post 5. We're heading to Guard Post 6 to provide support."
Lee Hyunwook radioed this as he climbed the mountain.
-This is the Command Control Room, Guard Post 5! Wait a mo—
The voice of the situation officer was cut off, and another voice came on.
-Hey! 5! 5! You guys are F-rank, aren't you? Damn, who paired up F-ranks for guard duty?
It was a man.
The voice seemed to belong to the person in charge of the Command Control Room, presumably the duty commander.
-Hey! A 5-minute backup team has already been dispatched! You guys just stay put in your guard post! Don't cause trouble by—
Lee Hyunwook turned down the volume on the walkie-talkie.
Not just because the duty commander's irritated voice was annoying, but also because the noise could reveal their position.
And then…
"It takes quite a while for the 5-minute backup team to leave the barracks and climb the mountain."
He had experienced this in his past life. Waiting for the 5-minute backup team resulted in Guard Post 6 being horribly overwhelmed.
"Senior Soldier Lee Hyunwook! Didn't the duty commander just say not to go?"
"Junmo, if we don't go, those guys will get seriously hurt. And they might even die."
"Ah…"
But Lee Hyunwook was more attracted by the substantial benefits he could gain from that gate rather than the idea that he should rescue the sentries at post #6.
That's why he was moving so quickly.
'An elite monster is killed on the field, dropping quite a good item.'
Goblin Shaman.
Typically categorized as an 'elite monster,' hunting one could yield far better items than ordinary monsters.
Lee Hyunwook lowered his stance and simultaneously aimed a single shot at the 'control center.'
Beep-beep-
-Hey, this is post #6! Corporal Kim Jeong-ok is in-, injured! Quick, quick! Ah! Hurry and rescue him!
Through the walkie-talkie, a panicked voice came through, probably the lieutenant of post #6.
Just then, Lee Hyunwook raised his gun barrel.
'Phew! I finally feel it.'
He still couldn't see anything, but he began to sense the 'moving metals.'
About 300g in weight…
The goblins' 'crude daggers' were certain.
Aiming at those points, Lee Hyunwook fired without hesitation.
Bang! Bang!
After two shots, he heard something collapse with a shriek from the bushes in front.
Screech…
The 5.56mm bullet had hit the goblin's head. Of course, an ordinary bullet couldn't penetrate a monster's skull, but a proper hit could induce a concussion and bring it down.
Bang!
He fired again, and once again, he heard the sound of something falling. It was also a direct hit.
Then, from post #6, a lightning spell was cast again.
Zzzap!
The world was momentarily filled with white light, broadening his vision…
At that moment, Park Junmo saw it.
"Huh?"
Screech!
A goblin lying in the bushes was launching itself at him.
"No, no!"
Park Junmo hurriedly raised his gun.
"Ah!"
At that moment, he realized he hadn't reloaded yet.
He tried to pull the bolt to reload quickly, but the creature had already reached him.
Screech!
There was no time to react.
Park Junmo fell backward, shielding his head with both arms.
Thump!
At the same time, he heard the sound of flesh being pierced.
"Huh?"
But for some reason, his body was fine. On the other hand, he confirmed that the goblin rushing toward him was now sprawled out in front of him.
And an M9 dagger was embedded in the back of the goblin's head.
"Ah…"
Beyond that, Lee Hyunwook was looking this way.
As he lightly raised his left hand…
Swoosh-
The M9 dagger was pulled out of the goblin's skull, hovering and coming to a stop in mid-air.
"See, Park Junmo, I told you you wouldn't be able to catch even a single goblin with that body of yours."
That was something he had said a short time ago.
"Ah… S-sorry…"
"Get your wits about you and stand up. And use the magic you're good at. Only then will things change."
With that, Lee Hyunwook turned his head back to the front. The M9 dagger that had been hovering laid down horizontally and followed his line of sight, shooting into the darkness.
He was pursuing the enemy.
Shiick-
Where the dagger had passed, the bushes were cut and the pieces scattered in the light of the lantern. Lee Hyunwook charged into it, continuing his aimed fire.
Bang! Bang!
And soon, three more daggers were floating behind him.
Crude daggers, weapons dropped by the goblin.
"Huh?"
Yes, he was now controlling a total of three daggers.
'Change, he said… Can things really change?'
Park Junmo couldn't believe that the man in front of him was rated as 'F-class.'
The three daggers hovered menacingly like giant wasps, then soon dove into the bushes.
The scene was so fast and precise that it could be mistaken for falcons diving toward their prey.
Park Junmo suppressed his rough breath and focused on what was happening now.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amidst the noisy gunfire, goblin screams intermittently erupted.
Park Junmo watched the entire process, stunned.
'…He's changed. He's definitely changed.'
Park Junmo was the first to realize that what had changed wasn't just his mindset.
* * *
'As expected, it's easy.'
In just three minutes, Lee Hyunwook had dealt with nine goblins.
Although his body and abilities were the same as before, his memories from his past life hadn't vanished.
He had not only defeated low-level monsters like goblins but had even exterminated monsters powerful enough to overthrow a nation.
To be honest, he was confident he could handle this much with just a single dagger.
Lee Hyunwook had gotten close enough to identify Outpost 6 before he knew it.
During that time, Lee Hyunwook circled around the goblins' rear.
Since all the goblins were each holding a crude dagger, Lee Hyunwook was able to accurately determine their locations and avoid them without much difficulty.
And then…
'Found it.'
Near the gate, he spotted a goblin in strange attire. The tattoos covering its entire body, the numerous tawdry trinkets, and a head that was larger than that of a regular goblin…
That was the 'Goblin Shaman,' the boss monster and elite monster of this gate.
'If I don't suppress it in one go, all the goblins will come rushing at me.'
Lee Hyunwook held his breath and aimed at the creature's knee.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired three shots in single shots, each precisely aimed.
All three bullets hit the creature's knee.
Screeeeech!
The creature's wail sounded, and at the same time, daggers flew from behind Lee Hyunwook.
However, as befitting an 'elite monster,' the creature sensed the approach of the daggers and immediately raised a small wooden shield to protect itself.
Thump! Thump!
Two of the daggers were stopped by the shield, but,
'It's useless.'
Swoosh—
The remaining one changed direction in mid-air and grazed past the shield. He had mastered the art of controlling the 'flight trajectory' of multiple pieces of metal over many years.
Thud!
The dagger lodged into the creature's side, causing its foul body to stagger significantly.
Grr!
Despite the critical hit, it didn't lose its will. It pulled out both the dagger from its side and the ones in its shield, then threw them back through the gate to another dimension.
Metal transported to another dimension couldn't be controlled.
Did it catch on to how the daggers were being manipulated?
"Indeed, it lives up to its name."
However, nothing had changed.
"In that case…"
Within a range of about 150 meters, Lee Hyunwook was sensing numerous pieces of metal.
"Let me borrow some of yours for a moment."
Lee Hyunwook reached his hand toward the Goblin Shaman.
The creature had various trinkets hanging around its neck and arms, some of which were pieces of metal. As Lee Hyunwook manipulated them, a long necklace began to quickly coil around its owner's neck.
Choke, cough!
The Goblin Shaman, whose neck was being strangled, dropped its shield and clutched its own throat.
Crack!
It managed to break the necklace with brute strength but…
"You can't afford to be distracted, even in an emergency."
Suddenly, one of the crude daggers that had been hanging at its waist shot up into the sky.
The goblin, taken completely by surprise, raised its head in astonishment.
Even though it was an elite monster, it hadn't anticipated such an attack.
In the next moment, the dagger descended straight towards the goblin's forehead.
Thud!
The goblin's body collapsed vertically.
Thump!
That was the end of it.
However, Lee Hyunwook did not let his guard down. While the removal of the Goblin Shaman would throw the goblins that had been under its command into disarray, many still remained.
Ta-da-da-dang!
With precise shooting and the use of multiple daggers, he literally hunted down the remaining creatures.
At the same time, he levitated the 'metal' that had fallen on the ground and scraped it into his pocket.
Mostly it was shell casings, and occasionally small stones emitting a blue light were mixed in.
Mana Stones.
These were items that almost every monster dropped, and they were a source of energy from another world. Despite their name "stone," they were actually made up of metallic elements.
And when Lee Hyunwook swallowed this, not only his 'total metal quantity' but also his 'total mana' would increase.
He gathered metal in this way and approached the corpse of the Goblin Shaman.
'Surely, it must have dropped it…'
He used his ability to move metal—metal control—to scan the area near the Shaman. Various metals around the creature's body were detected.
Most of them were trinkets.
However, what he was looking for was not such trivial things.
'…Found it.'
Soon, he detected something very heavy.
Woong- Thunk!
He pulled it towards him and grasped it in his left hand. It was a solid chunk of black metal.
[ You have acquired Adamantium ]
"…What is this?"
Adamantium.
It was an item known as a legendary metal.
A very rare magical metal used in the production of top-tier weapons, and it was the hardest material among them.
For players in the tanker position, acquiring armor made of Adamantium alloy was a once-in-a-lifetime goal.
Accordingly, it was an extremely expensive item, costing over a million won per 10 grams.
'To obtain this already…'
Lee Hyunwook, wary of anyone seeing him, quickly put the object, which had a diameter of about 6 cm, into his mouth.
Gulp-
The size was indeed large, making it somewhat difficult to swallow, but he eventually got it down his throat.
[ Warning! You are already absorbing 'metal.' Absorption delay occurs ]
The lock he had swallowed earlier had not yet been digested, activating a penalty called 'absorption delay.'
In simple terms, it was like 'indigestion,' significantly increasing the time required for absorption.
[ Time remaining for metal absorption (09:48:51) ]
It may have seemed like an inefficient choice, but…
'If I hadn't done it this way, the military would have collected it.'
According to AMT regulations, all items obtained through military operations become the property of the military.
That was why he had only taken a few Mana Stones, avoiding sweeping them all up.
Being too greedy could arouse suspicion, and being under intense scrutiny would be a headache.
It was at that moment.
Whoosh-
A brilliant white light burst from somewhere and soared into the sky, whitening the entire area.
It was not a fleeting light like a lightning spell; it was a bright beam that would overpower nearby floodlights.
'It's Holy Light.'
It was one of the basic skills possessed by players in the Holy attribute.
'Finally, the Paladin has arrived.'
The duty officer was Lieutenant Seo Eunha.
"Everyone, fall back!"
With a shout, she landed in front of checkpoint number 6.
She held a longsword in both hands and looked around.
Normally, she would be equipped with a metal shield and armor, presenting a true knight-like appearance, but she had hurriedly only grabbed her weapon.
"Support the injured and move away from the gate… huh?"
But everything was already over.
Seo Eunha began to look around again with a puzzled expression.
Soon her eyes met with a lone soldier standing amidst the bloodstained bushes, Lee Hyunwook.
"…What? Wha, what happened?"
While looking at her somewhat bewildered expression, Lee Hyunwook calmly gave her a military salute.
"…"
For her, it was a scene that was utterly incomprehensible.
* * *
Soon, the 5-minute standby unit arrived, and afterward, the battalion commander came down from the headquarters.
Lee Hyunwook was ordered to return to the barracks and wait for a moment.
And after some time had passed…
-Hook! This is an announcement from the Administration Division. Private First Class Lee Hyunwook… please proceed to the command control room immediately. You are being summoned by the battalion commander. Repeating the announcement…
The voice was that of the on-duty lieutenant, Kwak Jin-cheol, and it had an inexplicable sense of gloom.
Given his personality, Kwak probably started feeling sick to his stomach as soon as he heard that Lee Hyunwook had distinguished himself.
Lee Hyunwook stood up from his seat as if he had been waiting for this.
"It's a reward."
An F-rank player had perfectly prevented the gate from manifesting within the base.
In a way, it was an event equivalent to a private capturing a spy.
A generous reward was warranted.
"In that case… I'll have to ask for it."
Military life was extremely restrictive, but the benefits one could gain during this period were surprisingly substantial.
'An underestimated item, one of the latent items, is in the battalion armory.'
Like an F-rank player whose ability enhancement method would be veiled for a long time, items existed with 'hidden details,' known as 'latent items.'
Typically, items have fixed performance levels.
Though you can improve an item's abilities through "enhancement," the success rate of enhancement is not particularly high, which involves a level of risk.
But latent items grow without such limitations, under specific conditions.
The list of such items was written on a page in a notebook that Lee Hyunwook had been keeping since his return.
'If I request it as a reward this time, they'll likely hand it over without much difficulty.'
At a time when even the potential of an F-rank player had not yet been revealed, the value of that item was known to only one person.