On the military road on the north face of Namsan, a convoy of trucks was passing down the slope.
It was the Steel Battalion.
Woo-woo-woo—
The lead K-153 armored scout vehicle was a hundred meters ahead of the vanguard.
Following were four trucks carrying weapons, a command vehicle, three trucks carrying troops, and a rear-guard vehicle, all moving at 40 km/h while vigilantly securing their surroundings.
Lee Hyunwook was sitting in the passenger seat of the command vehicle.
"…Uh, Sergeant Lee Hyunwook, it seems like that big bird has been following us for a while."
Park Junmo, who was on the lookout from the rear seat, said as he pointed outside.
Lee Hyunwook turned his head following Park Junmo's pointing finger.
Peee—
A clear cry resounded through the sky, and a bird of prey was flying with its wings fully spread.
"It just looks like an ordinary bird, but I thought I should mention it, just in case."
"No, it's not ordinary."
"What?"
"That's not any bird from this Earth."
"Ah! Could it be, the Battalion Commander's…"
Park Junmo seemed to realize and said so, and Lee Hyunwook nodded.
It was 'Great Condor,' one of Battalion Commander Kim Kang-seok's 'familiars.'
Its wingspan was an astonishing 12 meters. Its wings were larger than most trucks when fully spread,
and if seen up close, one could easily believe it was not a bird but a dinosaur.
It was flying above the Steel Battalion, securing the surroundings.
Of course, it couldn't stray far from its master, so it couldn't keep following indefinitely.
And under the shadow of the Great Condor, two 'Magic Drones' were flying.
Wiiing—
Magic Drones were cutting-edge items manufactured with magical engineering technology, connected to a mage player who had infused them with mana, sharing the vision, and capable of detecting the mana emitted by monsters.
―Chk- This is Steel 3, no anomalies identified so far, we will soon enter downtown. Over.
It was Choi Tae-yong's voice. He was in the leading armored scout vehicle, keeping watch over the surroundings.
As the end of Namsan came into view, Lee Hyunwook picked up his radio.
Commonly known as a walkie-talkie, this military radio normally operated through radio waves but could switch to 'mana communication' if radio waves were disrupted by mana scatter.
―Chk-
"This is Sergeant Lee Hyunwook, Steel Battalion Commander."
His voice echoed in all ten vehicles of the Steel Battalion.
―Chk- We are now entering downtown Seoul.
At those words, everyone couldn't help but feel an odd sense of unease.
Entering Seoul, the capital of South Korea, had never been so unsettling.
It was an unfamiliar sensation.
―…To find the cause of the erosion, we have no choice but to go where there are many monsters. In other words, numerous battles will ensue. And as everyone knows, our enemies are not just the monsters coming from the gates.
Although Lee Hyunwook didn't explicitly say it, the battalion members thought of 'vampires.'
The terrorists who had infiltrated the unit and massacred the 5th platoon…
But only Lee Hyunwook knew that they were villains.
'For now, it's better that the world doesn't know about the existence of villains. It's an unbearable truth…'
Of the five killers, two—Carol Choi and Yang Hee-joo—had been captured but died suddenly before questioning.
According to the medical officer, it seemed their brains had burned due to some 'latent magic.'
Lee Hyunwook had anticipated this. It was a sort of 'safety mechanism' set up by Ki Baek-jun. A drastic measure in case his subordinates were captured and the veil over the villain organization was lifted.
―…It's a cliché, but finding the 'cause of erosion' in vast Seoul will be a long march. However, stay alert, don't panic, and always focus on my commands.
A long, long march… it was supposed to be that way.
But Lee Hyunwook knew 'their' locations.
So, it was bound to be a fortunate march.
―…I hope that we can meet again in Seoul after this operation is over. Over.
It was a promise that could only be kept if Seoul didn't disappear.
"Um, I can see downtown."
Thus, the Steel Battalion left Namsan and faced Seoul, which might soon vanish.
They moved northward along 'Jangchungdan Road,' between D University and S Hotel.
―Chk- A four-way intersection up ahead, be thoroughly vigilant. Over.
Soon they reached the Jangchung Gymnasium intersection.
The usually bustling intersection was strangely quiet.
"Um, thankfully, there aren't many cars blocking the road."
The driver from the headquarters platoon said.
As he said, the road in Seoul, a city of ten million, was unusually empty.
"It happened at dawn, and citizens probably moved on foot."
And so, the Steel Battalion's march continued without frequent stops.
Then, it happened.
―Monster identified in the proceeding lane— we will stop and verify! Over.
It was an emergency transmission from the lead vehicle.
Lee Hyunwook initiated 1-to-1 communication with Choi Tae-yong, the Private First Class in the lead.
"Choi Tae-yong, this is a private channel. Report the situation."
―There's one zombie lying flat on the road. But… something seems off.
"Skip your feelings, just report the facts."
―It's a single zombie with red skin. It's just spinning in place.
At his report, the sound of swallowing dry saliva came from the back seat.
―How should we… it's just one, shall we eliminate it?
Lee Hyunwook pondered.
What people commonly call zombies, 'Hell's Residents,' were of various kinds.
Therefore, dealing with them all as 'zombies' without properly identifying their characteristics wasn't ideal.
'But we don't have time now… even if Hell's Residents swarm us, we can handle it.'
While he was pondering, Choi Tae-yong's voice came through the radio again.
―Uh, there's something else. That is… a person. They're approaching us, waving their hands as if to signal not to shoot. They seem to be armed, so they're probably a player. What should we do?
A player…
"…Wait, I'll go."
Lee Hyunwook took off his sergeant rank insignia and got out of the vehicle, lifting his K2C1 rifle.
Park Junmo, who had been in the back seat, also got out to provide cover for Lee Hyunwook.
As Lee Hyunwook walked forward, he detected nearby metal—moving metal.
Seven things were actively approaching their convoy.
But if he included the slight, uncertain movements, there were many more.
'At least 16, not a small group.'
About 50 meters ahead, Choi Tae-yong had gotten out of the vehicle and was talking to a tall man.
As Lee Hyunwook approached, both Choi Tae-yong and the man turned their heads.
Six players behind the man were watching with wary eyes.
The rest seemed to be hiding somewhere.
"…Are you in charge of this unit?"
The man asked.
Judging by the long wooden staff he was holding, he seemed to be a mage.
"Yes, I am."
"That zombie over there— you mustn't touch it. You almost caused a major incident."
Without responding, Lee Hyunwook took binoculars from Choi Tae-yong and observed the zombie about 200 meters away.
It had an unusual appearance. About 160cm tall, but with a very large head.
Oddly, its head had no eyes to speak of.
Instead, it had a large mouth and a throat inflated like a frog's.
"…So it's a Siren Zombie."
"Yes, if you touch just one, they'll all come swarming. They're clustered around that intersection."
Siren Zombies emit a strange cry to summon other zombies when they sense external threats. It's best not to mess with them unless you can handle hundreds of zombies.
"Thank you for the advice. We're from the AMT unit at Namsan. May I ask your affiliation?"
"Ah, we're just small guild members, subcontracted by the Cheonghwa Guild."
Subcontracted guilds are those that have contracts with larger guilds to do various odd jobs.
During major guild campaigns, they act as 'porters,' 'gunmen,' or 'dungeon demolition teams.'
That didn't mean they were weak. At least, they received better treatment than AMT soldiers.
The man took another step closer.
"It seems like your unit is heading north, but as I said, it's a zombie field up there, you can't go. Would you consider coming south with us instead?"
It was somewhat of an unexpected proposal.
When Lee Hyunwook gave a puzzled look, the man continued.
"Right next to us, the magic barrier of the Jangchung-dong Community Center shelter has stopped working, leaving over a thousand residents adrift. We can't stay there, so we plan to move to Dongdaemun Station or Yaksoo Station… There are only 18 players among those thousand people."
It was a request for support to lead a sizable number of residents to a large shelter.
Certainly, it was a well-intentioned request, but it wasn't something you stop a military unit in the middle of an operation for.
"I'm sorry, but we have to go north."
At Lee Hyunwook's words, the man sighed deeply.
"Look, I've told you… There are all sorts of zombies near DDP, at least over 500. You absolutely can't go that way."
"Yes, understood. We plan to break through. That's our mission."
"..."
The man frowned and quickly scanned the AMT forces behind Lee Hyunwook.
It was as if he was trying to gauge their capabilities. Then he shook his head.
"Look, I'm sorry, but if you go that way, you'll all die. It's not just Siren Zombies."
"What else is there?"
"…Do you know what Zombie Trolls are? There are two of them up ahead."
Lee Hyunwook's expression noticeably changed at the man's words.
"Did you see those Zombie Trolls yourself?"
"Haha, is your brave determination to advance now disappearing?"
"..."
"Yes, I saw them pounding on the Line 2 shelter near DDP with my own eyes. You all seem to have a lot of troops, but… as you know, it's not about the numbers, is it?"
The man subtly disparaged the quality of the AMT troops.
Well, it could be considered a valid point.
For the AMT, unless it was a specialized assault squad, most were not at a level to handle Zombie Trolls.
However, Lee Hyunwook's thoughts were focused elsewhere.
'I've found it. The first prey…'
He had an intuition that the Zombie Troll would possess a special item. If it was an elite monster appearing during a wave, it would invariably 'drop' a high-value item.
"If you decide to evacuate north instead of south, we will provide an escort."
At Lee Hyunwook's words, the man and his companions looked stunned.
"Excuse me? Did you really understand what I said? Hey, what's your rank? You look young and you don't have any insignia; are you really the person in charge?"
However, Lee Hyunwook passed by him without responding and brought up an entirely different subject.
"Is there no one between here and DDP right now?"
"Excuse me? Of course, they're all still in the community center shelter. Why do you ask?"
Lee Hyunwook nodded and pressed the walkie-talkie on his shoulder.
"All units, prepare for battle–"
The man approached in shock at those words.
"What? What did you just say? Are you planning to fight now? Have you lost your mind?"
"I'm sorry, but there's no need for further advice. We're not fools."
"Aren't you about to do something foolish right now?"
In that moment, something shot out from Lee Hyunwook's waist and flew along the road.
Shush–
It was Failnaught.
"What… what are you doing now?"
Boom–
It grazed the side of the Siren Zombie up ahead.
However, upon inspection, the damage didn't seem very effective; it merely seemed to have agitated the creature.
Then, its huge mouth opened wide, and its throat swelled…
Kwoo-ae-ae-ae-
It emitted an incredibly loud howl, hard to believe coming from such a small frame.
It was like the resonance chamber of a brass instrument, a true siren.
When the loud noise stopped, a momentary silence ensued.
And then…
Ke-e-e-e-e-
From far away, starting at the DDP intersection, a disgusting wailing started to echo, as if in chorus.
And… it began to get closer.
As the man said, hundreds of zombies started to swarm, drawn by the siren's call.
Ke-e-e-e-e-
In the quiet city, the inhuman howl resonated… instinctively, bodies shrank back.
The faces of the players, including the man, turned pale white.
"Damn it, are you insane? Do you realize what you've just done? If you're going to attack, you should have cut off its lifeline immediately—what kind of—"
"No, I did that on purpose. Please step back."
"What on earth…"
Lee Hyunwook raised his walkie-talkie again.
"Truck 4, move forward and open up."
At Lee Hyunwook's command, one truck pulled out of the column and came right behind him.
Four soldiers disembarked from it; two stood guard while the other two opened the doors of the cargo compartment.
Still facing forward, Lee Hyunwook reached back with his left hand toward the truck.
Whoosh-
Two metal boxes flew out from inside the cargo compartment and landed on either side of Lee Hyunwook.
With a flick of his finger, the lids of the boxes opened automatically with a clang.
Inside, something shiny was packed to the brim.
The contents of the two boxes started to bubble up as if boiling, then shot up into the air.
They were… an enormous number of iron beads, made from dungeon steel.
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'550 in each box, a total of 1,100.'
The beads rolled along the asphalt floor, making a noisy sound.
Chya-la-la-la-la-
It looked as if a horde of white mice were migrating along the road,
or as if a tidal wave was surging in.
'Aura-'
Lee Hyunwook bestowed 'Aura' onto some of the beads.
After recently absorbing a 'Mana Tank' from Heo Young-tae, both his mana pool and recovery rate had greatly increased, allowing him to use mana more boldly.
Thus, the 1,100 sanctified iron beads rolled fiercely, colliding with the hundreds of zombies swarming toward them. The moment the beads were placed under the zombies' legs—
Lee Hyunwook's mouth moved.
"Shatter-"
Cra-a-a-a-ack—
With a deafening sound, a mist of blood spurted out.
"Ah…"
Hundreds of zombies collapsed almost instantly.
It was because the enormous number of iron beads had simultaneously exploded, blowing off their ankles.
Bits of their flesh flew in all directions and dropped to the ground.
Kang-kwee-e-
As zombies, they wouldn't die from that alone, but they would never be able to stand on two legs again.
In other words, they had become non-threatening entities that could only crawl along the ground.
In that case…
"An Min-tae, we'll start farming experience points now."
Upon hearing that, the soldiers who had been waiting behind Lee Hyunwook came forward.
Leading with 8 shields, they advanced towards the incapacitated horde of zombies.
"What, what did you say? You're going to… farm experience points?"
The advancing AMT troops began to wield their sacred weapons, finishing off the zombies one by one.
Yes, they were actually farming.
They were effortlessly sucking up experience points.
"...."
The players who were watching them felt as if they were in a daze.
To consider a horde of zombies of that scale not as a disaster to be avoided, but as mere experience points to be gained—only a player of at least grade B could say something like that half-jokingly.
No, even if they were grade B, they couldn't have dealt with that many zombies in one go.
'…Who are these people? Are they really AMT?'
The man couldn't help but be amazed.
He felt embarrassed compared to his earlier bravado.
But then he snapped back to reality.
'No matter what, this is not the time for this!'
The biggest threat was still to come.
Swallowing, he ran toward Lee Hyunwook.
"That move just now was truly impressive. Yes, I admit it! But…"
He glanced around nervously.
"Yes, we must run away right now! It's coming! Zombie Troll—"
But his warning was cut off.
Ku-woong—
With a vibration that shook the earth, a gigantic head rose above the building in front of them.
Groo-oo—
A green giant, about 5 meters tall with rotting, fish-like eyes, slowly rolled its eyes to look down at them.
That was the Zombie Troll.
"Ah… we're screwed…"
The players hesitated and retreated, and the advancing AMT troops also quickly retreated.
A troll is a giant monster with unbelievable regenerative capabilities.
To the point where a troll's blood is used as the core ingredient for the highest-grade healing potions.
If such a troll became a zombie…
It was best to give up on the idea of killing it from the get-go.
Koong—
It took a step toward them.
Worms fell out from various spots in its rotting flesh each time it moved.
"What do we do now? Tell them to turn the car around quickly!"
The man was trembling as he shouted. Running away wouldn't be easy.
However, Lee Hyunwook grinned.
'As expected, it's there.'
He sensed some 'high-quality metal' within the massive zombie's body.
He pressed his walkie-talkie.
Beep—
And he issued just one brief command.
"Open all the remaining trucks."