There weren't just one or two people who found it strange as to why a formidable man named Choi Young-jun became an AMT soldier. Honestly, wouldn't it be normal for someone as skilled as him to be recruited by a private guild?
Regarding this matter, Kang Ik-jun, a sergeant who once was Choi Young-jun's senior, testified.
"That guy? Damn lazy! Even when he was a private, he tried to avoid doing anything. Can you believe that? But, honestly, he's good at everything, so I couldn't really say anything later on. Unlucky guy…"
A lazy genius.
Yes, at first, he wasn't very motivated.
"And he didn't even want to awaken, but he constantly mumbled about not understanding why he was dragged into mandatory service. Seriously, it drove me crazy when I was the squad leader…"
He's defiant.
He often complains about society and doesn't conform to the system.
"He originally just wanted to live drawing comics, but suddenly after awakening, he got annoyed or something. Crazy! Whenever I see his face now, I can't help but chuckle."
He had a completely different dream, a dream he wanted to achieve.
But why did such a person suddenly change his mind and start to grow?
"Well… He said it was fun killing monsters. I told you, he's a psychopath."
It was a rather chilling reason.
He started to realize a certain 'fun' he hadn't known about and began to show his true worth.
"Se… Sergeant Choi Young-jun!"
He was standing there now.
With his hands in his pockets, he slowly turned his eyes and looked at the monsters.
Perhaps he was already feeling some kind of interest, but it didn't show on his face.
Then the driver's side door of the SUV opened, revealing Major Kwak Yong-jun.
"Hey! Young-jun! You've had some alcohol, are you okay to drive? Should I do it? I only had a sip!"
Yes. On the day before his return, Choi Young-jun was in the middle of drinking with a few others, including Kwak Yong-jun, who had already been discharged.
That's why when Kwak Yong-jun received the "initial response team assembly message", they could return together.
"No, it's fine. The person who is going to have a second child and needs to take the Cheonghwa Line should take care of themselves. If you unnecessarily get hurt somewhere, you'll be out before even getting to transfer."
"…Hey! Tr, transfer, why would you say such a thing?! This bastard is drunk, he's drunk!"
Choi Young-jun slowly walked over and stretched out his hand towards An Min-tae.
"Min-tae, give me your sword."
"Ah! Its condition is a bit…."
But An Min-tae's sword was half broken due to that woman's single strike.
"Ov, over here!"
At that moment, a female soldier from the second company shouted like that.
She, with tears streaming down her face, took the sword from her dead superior officer's waist.
"I'm sorry, Corporal Lee Eun-hee…."
And sobbing, she handed the sword to Choi Young-jun.
"He, here… please, take care of it!"
"Thank you."
Choi Young-jun took the sword and raised it to the height of his face.
He was gauging its length and weight.
But it was a very short auxiliary sword, only about 50cm in blade length.
Woaaaaa-
Before they knew it, all the zombies that had been pushed back by the SUV were getting up and approaching the guard post.
There were still over thirty of them.
"Se, Sergeant Choi Young-jun! We can't kill those with regular swords! And it seems much shorter than the weapon you usually use, are you really going to be okay?"
An Min-tae asked with concern.
Of course, it wasn't that he didn't trust Choi Young-jun.
However, just now, when he passed by, the smell of alcohol was strong, so he couldn't help but worry.
Yet, as if completely sober, Choi Young-jun silently nodded.
"Yeah, I know."
At his words, a suspicious woman among the zombies chuckled softly.
"What? You're stepping forward so confidently even while knowing that? Should I add him to the list of suicidal idiots?"
Then, Choi Young-jun rubbed his eyes with his left hand.
"Hmm… A zombie that talks? Am I… drunk?"
"What? I'm not a zo, zombie!"
"Oh, really? Well, I'll turn you into a zombie soon, so just wait a bit."
His voice was gentle and composed, but the content was somewhat brutal.
"Min-tae, watch closely. What's important when using a weapon is not its length."
"Yes? Then…"
Instead of replying, he advanced towards the swarm of zombies, swinging the sword with his right hand.
Swish-chop
'What, what happened?'
An Min-tae had no choice but to think that.
With a single stroke, the heads of three zombies soared into the air.
Swish-chop!
With the following stroke, the heads of two zombies fell.
Chop-chop
With their heads severed, no matter how much they were zombies, they couldn't move.
It was indeed very obvious.
In the case of lower undead that move independently, they cannot function when their heads are cut off.
But who would dare to think of beheading zombies with a one-handed sword…
"Did you just see? Distance, accuracy, timing, these three are the core of physical combat."
Choi Young-jun said so as if giving a practical lecture rather than being in a battle.
However, An Min-tae's gaze had no choice but to be somewhere else entirely.
"-Careful! In front!"
It was because the woman's long blade was falling towards Choi Young-jun's head.
Ching-clang!
However, without even turning his head, Choi Young-jun fended off that attack.
Really, it could not be anything but an amazing scene.
The woman's strike, which had cut through An Min-tae's sword and shield like paper, was deflected so futilely.
Moreover, it was blocked with a sword much lower in grade than An Min-tae's sword.
Furthermore…
Shuck!
At the same time as fending off the attack, Choi Young-jun's swinging sword grazed the woman's thigh.
The woman retreated, staggering with a surprised expression.
"Oh, what is this?"
However, this time a scene unfolded that was not just astonishing but hard to believe.
The woman's thigh, which had been slashed lengthwise, was healing rapidly.
It was so fast that you could see the wound closing with the naked eye.
"…Is that even possible?"
Everyone present doubted their own eyes.
Indeed, it couldn't be anything but an incredible healing ability.
However, only Choi Young-jun remained indifferent.
"What's the matter? It's a zombie, isn't it?"
The woman brushed off her thigh as if she had gotten dust on it.
"It seems you can handle a sword a bit for an AMT, huh? But what to do, it seems like it won't be of any use against me, don't you think? The sight of you showing off to your juniors after cutting off a few zombie heads… You know it's really not impressive, right?"
At those words, Choi Young-jun took a step forward with a sly smile.
"Really?"
But at that fleeting moment, An Min-tae felt a strange emotion contained in Choi Young-jun's expression.
'Is he… enjoying this?'
For a long while, the higher-ranking individuals had asserted that Choi Young-jun had a psychopathic side to him, and it seemed that An Min-tae had discovered it just now.
"Hmm, then… what do you think about this?"
His voice contained a hint of playfulness somewhere in it.
And then, once again, something strange happened.
Shik- shik-
Choi Young-jun swung his right hand twice, very quickly and succinctly, as if he was wielding a whip.
The next moment, the woman's fingers, all ten of them, were severed and fell to the ground, one after another.
"Aaahhhhhhhh!"
The woman screamed in panic, but Choi Young-jun did not stop.
He took another step forward and swung twice more.
Swish-swish! Swish-swish!
The left calf and the right forearm were cut off.
Before the severed body parts even had the chance to separate, another two flashes of light flickered in succession.
Chwa-ak! Chwa-ak!
This time, the left shoulder and the right ankle were severed.
"Ugh, kh-ah!"
Like Lego pieces, the sight of limbs and joints dropping off one by one…
It was so surreal that it didn't even feel brutally gruesome.
"Ggung, kkeuu…."
In a single moment, the woman who lost her limbs fell to the ground and moaned.
The tip of Choi Young-jun's sword lightly touched the woman's chin.
"Hmm, it seems like there is only one place left to cut… But before that, want to tell me? Was this also not so great? How was it?"
"Please, please…."
"…Honestly, it was quite good, wasn't it?"
"..."
However, Choi Young-jun did not swing his sword.
He lifted his right foot and swung a kick at the woman's head.
Thud!
Eventually, the woman fainted.
"Min-tae, can you bring some restraints and tie her up well so she doesn't get loose?"
"…Uh, y-yes!"
"We should hurry because she might regain consciousness quickly due to her fast recovery rate."
Yes, they had to capture her alive to uncover the identity of this insane assailant.
It was in many ways a difficult task to bind a person alive with severed limbs, but it couldn't be helped.
Meanwhile, Choi Young-jun began to easily sweep away the incoming horde of zombies.
* * *
After knocking down Heo Young-tae, Lee Hyunwook immediately moved towards the 2nd barracks.
'Seo Eunha went to the 1st barracks, so there's no need to worry about that area.'
However, there was a high possibility that the 2nd barracks was still unprotected.
"….Find a way to stop them!"
"Please quickly bring out the weapons!"
Sure enough, as they approached the 2nd barracks building, he heard women screaming.
Clatter! Clatter!
The sound of bones clashing, and dozens of skeletons filled the 2nd barracks parking lot.
They were breaking windows, tearing up the security grills to get inside, and desperately trying to infiltrate from the front door, jostling each other.
Without any purpose or system, they moved only to tear humans to shreds.
Boom-
From inside a second-floor window, a fire magic spell was shot, causing an explosion in the middle of the parking lot.
A few skeletons within the explosion radius fell down and crumbled.
"The magic works! Quickly, prepare again!"
Skeletons were somewhat easier to 'retire' through regular attacks among the undead.
Just crumbling their bones to prevent them from rising again was enough.
However, the problem was that their number was too great at this moment.
"This is insane! If this continues, there will be no end!"
"They keep coming through the first-floor windows! Stop them somehow!"
Right next to the barracks, a gate opened and skeletons were continuously pouring out from there.
'A few hours later, we managed to reach them, but significant casualties had occurred, eventually causing the collapse of the whole battalion command chain.'
Later, a considerable number of soldiers deserted the battlefield, leading to a rout. The remaining soldiers and hastily returned officers managed to successfully seal the gate with combined efforts, however…
At that time, they had suffered irreversible damage.
That was the history that was originally supposed to unfold.
'But this time, we will be facing the wave with almost all of our forces intact.'
Lee Hyunwook fired all the weapons, sweeping away the tangled skeletons in one shot.
Prrrrrrr-brrrrrr-brrrr-buck!
The moment they were touched by the weapons infused with holy power, they collapsed as if they were made of sand.
In this way, dozens of skeletons crumbled down all at once like bowling pins, and dust soared into the air.
"Huh?"
At this sight, the female soldiers of the 2nd platoon showed bewildered reactions.
One by one, they poked their heads out of the windows to look at Lee Hyunwook.
Lee Hyunwook walked slowly amidst the pile of bones and approached the front door.
"....."
The tankers blocking the front door slowly lowered their shields.
Behind them, there were female soldiers who were not fully prepared for battle.
"Uh, that person is…."
"Right, isn't it?"
Perhaps because they ran out hastily just grabbing weapons while they were asleep, several of them were still in their underwear.
Although it was somewhat embarrassing, now was not the time to worry about such things.
Lee Hyunwook walked into the 2nd barracks, a territory designated for women.
"Who is in charge here?"
At his question, the female soldiers turned their heads one by one to look at someone.
At the focus of their gaze, a short woman stood with a frowning expression.
"…It seems like, for now, it is me."
She was wearing a defense-colored sleeveless outfit without a military jacket, making it impossible to recognize her rank.
"The officer on duty tried to stupidly escape in a car and died alone over there."
She pointed to one side of the parking lot with the dagger she was holding.
"But you are Lee Hyunwook from the 1st platoon… Sergeant, right?"
Although she had checked the name tag on his uniform, she seemed to recognize Lee Hyunwook.
It was natural. For the past few days, every issue within the battalion involved him.
And Lee Hyunwook also recognized who she was.
'Kim Se-hee, a spirit sorcerer by nature but also an assassin, possessing a unique background.'
Kim Se-hee was known as the goddess of the 2nd platoon within the 1st platoon, more famous for her appearance than her skills.
However, she soon receives the 'Black Tiger's choice and eventually rises to the rank of sergeant.
And 5 years later, she is deployed in a special operation to assassinate the king of the Orc Kingdom founded in Shanghai after the second wave, establishing merit by being at odds with the Orc King 'Stonox', leaving her name in history.
Among the soldiers in this unit, the only three who would later become famous were Lee Hyunwook, Choi Young-jun, and Kim Se-hee.
In other words-
'She is useful.'
Lee Hyunwook nodded his head and turned around.
"Finish arming yourselves while I hold them off. We need to block the gate right now."
"By yourself… is it possible? It seems possible after seeing just now but…"
"I can't do it for long. Mana isn't infinite. Please hurry."
"Understood."
Kim Se-hee turned around and shouted loudly.
"What are you doing! Quickly go in and get dressed!"
The situation rapidly improved with just Lee Hyunwook's intervention.
He was able to fend off dozens of skeletons on his own. Even just controlling 11 steel balls was more firepower than an 11-person shooter squad armed with holy arrows.
In the meantime, the soldiers of the 2nd platoon were able to arm themselves stably.
"Move quickly!"
And they went outside the building and took the 'raid positions' they had practiced several times.
"Properly align according to each one's position!"
"There's a spot vacant at the front for a shield!"
A tanker stands at the front and advances, followed by a shooter, a magician, and a healer.
This straightforward formation was optimized for facing monsters with low intelligence.
Clatter- clatter-
The sound of bones colliding rang out, and white devils walked out from the darkness.
"The skeletons are coming!"
"Prepare for battle! 2nd row, fire! Smash them all!"
The well-organized 1st platoon forces were not pushed back by the skeletons coming from a single gate.
"Good, let's advance while maintaining this pattern!"
Originally, skeletons weren't so threatening unless there was a boss monster with a 'command' ability present.
The reason they had been struggling until a moment ago was because it was an entirely unexpected attack in a defenseless state.
Meanwhile, armed forces began to emerge from the 1st barracks as well.
Seo Eunha swept away the skeletons that had advanced towards that direction, rescuing the 1st barracks.
"Look there, the 1st platoon is coming out too!"
"We did it! We should be able to hold them off now!"
Some soldiers shouted like that, revealing a sense of relief.
With the forces of the 2nd platoon, the operation to block a single gate wouldn't be difficult.
Of course, most of them were unaware that there were more gates.
Lee Hyunwook approached the 1st platoon, which was forming ranks in front of the 1st barracks.
"Ah! Look, it's Sergeant Lee Hyunwook!"
As Lee Hyunwook appeared, the soldiers of the 1st platoon all turned their heads at once.
And most of them subtly revealed a sense of relief.
It was because they believed that if it was Lee Hyunwook, he would give a reliable command.
However, the expressions of Oh Sang-guk and Kwak Jin-cheol, who had essentially been leading the entire platoon until just now, were nervous.
Lee Hyunwook stood in front of them.
"Sergeant Oh Sang-guk, another gate has opened near the guard post. Have you heard about it?"
"…."
"I think we can somehow hold this place with the 2nd platoon forces, so our 1st platoon needs to move there and respond individually. How about moving immediately?"
The platoon members listened to Lee Hyunwook's voice.
But Oh Sang-guk's face was full of nervousness.
"…Are you giving me orders right now?"
Oh Sang-guk said so with irritation mixed in, but there wasn't much confidence in his voice.
"No, Sergeant Oh, why are you being like this?"
"Ha… is this the time to play pride?"
Such murmurs were heard from behind Oh Sang-guk.
Thus, in just a few days, the reputations of the two had completely reversed..
"Sergeant Oh Sang-guk, I was just suggesting an opinion, not giving an order…"
"In that case, I will give the order."
It was Seo Eunha's voice.
She was suddenly wearing gray full-plate armor and had a shield and greatsword on her back.
"Sergeant Oh Sang-guk, do as Sergeant Lee Hyunwook said. Lead three squads and go to the guard post immediately. The 1st platoon leader is already there, so join them and proceed with the gate blockade operation."
"…Yes, understood."
In front of a real order, Oh Sang-guk had no choice but to turn around with a stiff expression.
Seo Eunha handed back the KG19 to Lee Hyunwook, scanning his body.
She was checking to see if there were any injuries.
"Hyunwook, what happened? What about that vampire…?"
"I finished it off properly."
Seo Eunha's eyebrows twitched. It was because she was baffled.
Could that situation be passed over with the expression that it was finished off properly…?
"You'll go to the command and control room with me for now."
"The command and control room… you say?"
Lee Hyunwook revealed a puzzled expression.
"You know well that by your standards, you shouldn't just be stuck amongst those soldiers there."
"…"
"Also, when we have some leeway, we need to establish a response strategy, and honestly, I need your help."
Seo Eunha spoke frankly.
There was no one who dealt with the current situation as well as Lee Hyunwook.
If it weren't for him, the entire battalion would have already suffered great damage.
"…And above all, the battalion commander is looking for you."
And that was also included as a reason.
Kim Kang-seok had, immediately upon hearing the news from here, naturally looked for Lee Hyunwook first.
'But he is not here right now.'
He was absent, dispatched to pursue the Sword Saint assassin Okita Kaito.
It seemed like he was giving commands remotely, perhaps.
* * *
The command and control room was a huge underground bunker connecting the main buildings of the base, including the headquarters, 1st barracks, and 2nd barracks.
"…3rd Battalion connected! But they also report gates appearing!"
"They report multiple gates discovered near the Cheonghwa Guild building!"
"There are no nearby units available for support! On the contrary, they are requesting support!"
Upon arriving at the command and control room, the situation soldiers, that is, administrative and communications soldiers, were frantically moving about.
However, the screen filling one wall of the conference room displayed 'NO SIGNAL'.
It was only natural that over a hundred CCTVs lost their functionality; aside from short-wave radios, both wired and wireless phones and the internet were all down, making smooth communication with higher units and adjacent organizations impossible.
The massive mana disturbance bursting out when a gate opens was causing communication disruption.
But that didn't mean there was no way to communicate with the outside world.
"Mana messenger number 13, connection complete. Currently, 5 communications are possible."
Communication through mana, not radio waves, like the 'mana messenger' Lee Hyunwook received when he was dispatched, was possible. Of course, its utility was extremely limited, requiring considerable effort in various ways.
"…Yes, I will do so. Ah! Battalion commander, that friend, Sergeant Lee Hyunwook has arrived."
It seemed that the duty commander, regional magic control officer Lieutenant Moon Tae-ho, was communicating with the battalion commander. He stood up as Seo Eunha and Lee Hyunwook entered.
"Sergeant Lee Hyunwook, it's the battalion commander."
From the rectangular 'medium mana messenger' handed over by Moon Tae-ho, Kim Kang-seok's voice flowed out.
―…Yeah, Hyunwook, can you hear me?
"Yes, I can hear you well."
―I'm hurrying back right now, but it seems it will take time. You know well that I trust you… I want to confirm that trust this time too.
"Of course, battalion commander."
―Yeah, as I mentioned last time, the current 2nd platoon leader is absent. We have Staff Sergeant Choi Seon-ah, but… I judge that it is more appropriate for you to command the 2nd platoon. What do you think?
2nd Platoon Leader Lee Hee-min had been on sick leave since the unlucky event at Seoul Station.
The next in command should naturally be Choi Seon-ah, but everyone knew she was not suitable.
―Naturally, you can perform the platoon leader's duties, right?
Temporary platoon leader, it was a role that Lee Hyunwook inevitably had to take on.
"Yes, understood. But… I have a favor to ask."
―Speak.
"Can you grant me access to the battalion armory?"
A considerable number of weapons were stored in the battalion armory.
And most of them were items.
What Lee Hyunwook requested was unrestricted access to all of them.
―Do so.
* * *
Coo-goo-goo-goo-goo-
A heavy sound resonated as the light came in.
Creak!
The floor opened fully, letting cool air seep out.
Step-step-
In the dark armory, only a single set of footsteps echoed.
The weapons lying dormant in the underground armory of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd ROK Army Cavalry Division…
The countless pieces of steel entered Lee Hyunwook's senses.