To humanity, the phenomenon known as the 'Wave' was nothing short of hell.
However, in the game system, it was merely considered a kind of 'event.'
[ You've discovered a treasure chest (event)! ]
Thus, opportunities for good fortune existed throughout the 'map.'
"Ah, what luck, for the box to be here."
Of course, such event boxes weren't only found here.
They're not easy to find, but several exist throughout Seoul.
It just so happened that one was here.
"..."
Luckily, no one was around to see. Lee Hyunwook immediately opened the storage box.
Creak-
There were two items inside.
A silver ring and a gold card.
First, he picked up the ring.
[ You've acquired Mana Tank (Tier 2). ]
"Nice."
The Mana Tank he had previously acquired from Heo Young-tae was Tier 3.
Even that item alone would fetch a price in the ballpark of 10 billion.
But now he had a Tier 2.
'It should be at least 6 times more expensive.'
So this tiny ring was worth about 60 to 70 billion.
Although the effect would be about 50% greater compared to a Tier 3, those who had experienced this difference in battle would know how significant it was.
After gobbling it, Lee Hyunwook took out the other item, the gold card.
[ You've acquired Special Trait Awakening. ]
-This item becomes bound upon acquisition.
'This is… incredible.'
The previous Mana Tank was virtually a service item compared to this.
The term 'Trait Awakening' essentially meant a new 'skill' would be created.
As a player's level increased, the opportunities to acquire new skills decreased.
Therefore, acquiring a skill like this without any strings attached was a tremendous stroke of luck.
[ Would you like to use 'Special Trait Awakening'? (Y/N) ]
Lee Hyunwook obviously chose Y.
[ Congratulations! A new skill has been generated due to your fortunate opportunity! ]
[Skill Information]
-Name: Metal Morphing
-Rank: D
-Effect: Morphs the shape of controllable metal by expending mana.
-Mana cost varies depending on the amount of metal.
'Metal Morphing, a skill that allows me to change the shape of metal.'
Lee Hyunwook took out a metal ball and attempted Metal Morphing.
Whoosh—Whoosh—
The metal ball compressed and spread out, becoming a sharp weapon.
He could even use this on his 'hardened' body.
Lee Hyunwook activated body Hardening on his left hand and attempted Metal Morphing.
Crunch, Crunch—
Scales rose on the back of his hand and fingers. At first, it appeared to be ordinary body Hardening, but soon they became elongated and sharp like the claws of a leopard.
Swoosh-
Swinging his claws with added weight would be more powerful than one would expect.
It seemed useful for self-defense in emergency situations without a weapon or for ambushing enemies.
'It might be weak for now, but this skill has significant potential for later use.'
Being able to shape metal as if it were clay had immense utility. For example, he had once turned a massive steel rod into a chain to bind an ogre.
While Lee Hyunwook leveled up, AMT soldiers completed their inspection within the station.
An Min-tae, who was responsible for the second platoon, came to report as a representative.
"No identifiable issues. The barriers are also fully charged and functional. Ah, and during the search, we've identified locations for nighttime guard duty."
Not long ago, An Min-tae had been an inconspicuous extra within the company, but now he efficiently took care of tasks on his own. He had grown into a trustworthy and competent subordinate.
"Right, we can't move because it's night, but let's deploy magic drones to locate the monsters in the area and prepare to leave the shelter before dawn. Tomorrow will be twice as long as today, so make sure to rest."
"Yes, understood."
"By the way, where did Corporal Kim Se-hee go?"
"Ah, she was near the ticket gate earlier…"
Lee Hyunwook went to look for Kim Se-hee. He had something to give her.
And near the ticket gate, in a secluded area, he heard Kim Se-hee's voice.
"…No, just because I summoned you once doesn't mean you can act all high and mighty! Seriously!"
It sounded like she was yelling at someone, and quite worked up about it.
The moment Lee Hyunwook turned the corner and came face to face with Kim Se-hee—
Whoosh—
Something that had been floating in front of her face vanished as if it had evaporated.
It seemed to be the Wind Spirit she was controlling.
"Corporal Kim, uh… who were you talking to?"
"Ah…"
Kim Se-hee's face flushed, seemingly flustered.
'Looks like she was arguing with the Spirit…'
The power of a Spirit Mage comes from their 'Spirit Affinity' or 'Spirit Control.'
You either borrow strength by communicating with the Spirit, or you forcibly draw out their power by intimidating them—the higher these metrics, the more high-ranked Spirits you can control.
And most importantly, it was a crucial factor in unlocking the Spirit's 'potential.'
But Kim Se-hee seemed to be neither of these at the moment.
'Arguing and cursing at a Spirit, she's more problematic than I thought.'
However, part of him was also hopeful.
Just considering how she had leveraged the power of the Wind Spirit to swiftly attack and catch Gong Eik-tae's subordinates off guard, her potential was evident.
If she could just get along with the Spirit, her abilities would greatly improve.
"Um, what is it?"
Kim Se-hee asked, unable to overcome her awkwardness and avoiding eye contact.
"Don't you know it's dangerous to be separated like this?"
"Ah, well, yes…"
"I didn't come to scold you, I have something to give you."
Lee Hyunwook took something out of his pocket.
It was a small stone that emitted a green light.
"This is a Spirit Stone. You won't need to report to the unit every time for things like this. Corporal Kim, you use it."
Kim Se-hee had a strange expression on her face. She seemed grateful yet uncomfortable, trying hard not to show it, but it was evident in her hesitating lips.
She had just been arguing and cursing at the Spirit, and now she had received a gift for it… If she were to use it, she would have to directly tell the Spirit, which felt awkward… That's what she was thinking.
"Ah, th-thank you. But how did you know that I'm a Spirit Mage?"
Not many people knew that her real specialty was Spirit magic, as she usually wielded dual short swords.
"Corporal Kim Se-hee, you're famous even within our company."
"Hmm, not really for that… Anyway, thank you."
Turning away, Lee Hyunwook bluntly said,
"However… try to get along, will you?"
"What, what, what… except during operations, don't, don't interfere, okay?"
Kim Se-hee's face turned red as she filled her voice with irritation.
Well, she was the type to even argue and curse at her own Spirit, so her temperament was anything but ordinary.
Soon, night fell, and Lee Hyunwook ordered the entire company to be on guard and rest.
However, all the members looked uneasy.
It seemed like a day had passed without any progress and the pressure of only having four days left until the erosion of Seoul weighed heavily on their minds.
'But the rest won't be long. Something will happen here…'
Lee Hyunwook was currently discussing something with the station security captain.
"…So you're saying that the monster came in through the subway tracks?"
At Lee Hyunwook's question, the security captain nodded.
"Yes, it was a rat-shaped monster. Of course, not an ordinary rat; it was the size of a dog."
At first, they had managed to block the monsters coming through the subway tracks.
Luckily, there were only a few at that time, so it ended as a minor disturbance.
'The next time won't be so mild.'
Black waves of man-eating rats, Hell Rats, by now would likely be in overwhelming numbers lurking below.
"Well, we've thoroughly blocked off that area since then. They'll never be able to break through."
"Yes, I suppose so."
It had to be that way. Unfortunately, history didn't go as planned.
The magic barrier disappeared, and the rat swarm poured into the shelter like a black wave.
Thousands of people were eaten alive by the rat swarm.
And the reason was… there was a traitor within the shelter.
'The turncoat…'
The traitor, Gong Hyun-joon, was originally a Priest class player. However, he started craving the 'Power of Darkness' and began abducting players for live experiments. He was a madman.
After becoming a villain, he received support from Gordon Price to continue his research.
He even assembled a group of like-minded individuals, the 'Mad Scientists'.
'They were especially vicious among the villains.'
They committed an unprecedented terror act by spreading poisonous fog in Beijing, massacring as many as 4 million people in just one day.
'And the reason for that massacre was to supply corpses to the Necromancer.'
The Necromancer raised an army of the undead from those corpses and marched into the Korean Peninsula.
That's when General Choi Jung-chul heroically stopped the first invasion with a tactical nuclear bomb.
Anyway, Gong Hyun-joon was right here…
'There he is.'
Lee Hyunwook had just identified his location.
Because he was coming toward Lee Hyunwook.
* * *
15 minutes ago—
In the vicinity of the shelter entrance on the first basement floor of Dongdaemun Station, there was a space called the "Public Sanctuary."
The Sanctuary, as the name implies, was a sacred place where, if a certain amount of "sacred objects" were placed, a "sanctuary buff" would be provided within a certain area.
The effects of the buff varied greatly; for example, it dramatically increased resistance to status ailments and also boosted the sacred power of priests, allowing for powerful healing effects.
In other words, this was like an emergency room that could even revive dying players.
However, in the office inside the sanctuary, there was an area where the power of the sacred objects didn't reach.
Someone was sitting there.
The Sanctuary Manager, Gong Hyun-joon, was currently attempting "mana communication" with someone.
"Yes, over."
―Is it true that AMT troops have entered the shelter?
The voice was Ki Baek-jun's.
"Yes, correct. There were just under… fifty of them."
―By any chance, is Seo Eunha, that woman, also there?
There was a very faint irritation in his voice.
Because he had found out that the Five Slaughterers were taken down all at once.
Even upon reflection, it was an impossible feat, and if there was a possibility, it would be Seo Eunha.
It meant that the second daughter of the Holy Knights was growing faster than expected.
"Hmm… No, there wasn't a tall woman in armor among those in military uniforms. I've been snooping around so much that I got tagged as weird. Ah well, it's true I am weird. Haha!"
―Tsk— Anyway, don't let even a single one of them out alive.
"Of course. Once they've entered here, they'll never leave alive. I've prepared very thoroughly."
He chuckled and turned around to open a cabinet in the corner.
Creak—
It was filled with a variety of flasks and plastic bottles.
Gong Hyun-joon picked up one of them.
Pouring the light brown liquid from the bottle into a coffee pot, he said,
"Yes, I've already deceived the 16 station security officers here into thinking I'd serve them coffee and gave them the beast transformation potion. Once I initiate the spell, they'll turn into beasts and tear apart the civilians."
―…..
"Hehe, and that's not all. Tonight, after spraying paralyzing gas into the shelter…"
He lifted a black box from the corner of the cabinet.
"…when I ring this bell that calls the rats underground, all the humans here will experience their eyes and intestines being chewed up while they are still alive. Isn't it fun?"
―Yes, I always know that you act thoroughly and according to plan.
"Of course. You won't be disappointed this time either."
―If this goes well, not only will you receive a substantial research grant, but I'll also introduce you to the 'Chairman'.
"Yes! Thank you! Tell him I'll see him soon!"
The moment he grinned, revealing his gums, the mana messenger turned off on its own.
It seemed like the mana battery had been completely depleted.
As he brewed coffee, he checked a system message.
[Hidden Quest]
-Shed the unfitting light and put on darkness…
-Bio-Experiment: Successful Beast Transformation 30 times (17/30)
-Without discriminating means, massacre over 1,000 'civilians' (In progress)
-Feed the 'Hell Rats' underground to breed 30,000 of them. (In progress)
[ Reward: An anonymous dark magic book x3 ]
He read the message and chuckled gleefully.
As planned, this quest was scheduled to succeed tonight.
"Well, shall I go find the 18th experimental subject?"
Wearing a white lab coat and humming, he walked out of the sanctuary.
All the while scanning the AMT soldiers.
Then, he noticed a man who seemed different.
A man equipped with two swords on his back was talking to the security captain.
'Ah! That man must be the leader of the AMT!'
He had an ingenious thought and chuckled to himself.
'Wouldn't it be fun to turn that man into a werewolf just when he's giving orders?'
And for the events of tonight, it would be much more convenient to deal with the leader first.
He hid his sly smile and put on a warm one, waiting for their conversation to end.
And when the man was alone, he approached naturally.
"Hello."
The man's name was Lee Hyunwook, and he had no visible rank insignia.
With an expressionless face, Lee Hyunwook nodded at Gong Hyun-joon.
He looked like he didn't want to talk.
However, Gong Hyun-joon knew how to draw conversation out of people like him.
"I heard that the undead are the main monsters in this wave, is that true?"
"… Ah, yes, that's correct."
"Oh my, that must have been challenging for you."
He first touched upon what would most concern the man, opening the floodgates for dialogue.
"Well, yes, to some extent."
"I'm the Sanctuary Manager at Dongdaemun Station, so I'm a priest. I also majored in
And then he appeals to his expertise on the issue at hand.
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm in the doctoral program."
As expected, the wariness in the man's eyes disappeared completely.
He had no choice but to be intrigued.
Being burdened with an overwhelming sense of responsibility, his ears perked up at the mention of a solution.
"That's good news. In that case, there's something I'd like to ask."
The man's face, which had been quite stern, relaxed and was suddenly filled with worry.
'As expected, this is easy!'
He hid his smile and nodded with a serious expression.
"Yes, please ask away. To the best of my knowledge, I will try to assist you."
"Actually, I've been concerned about how to handle ghost-type entities that lack a physical form. As you can see, we have almost no priests in our unit right now."
"Ah… that's a difficult problem. It's hard to explain it simply and clearly, but would you like to have some coffee? I have some related materials in my office."
The man glanced at his watch, seemingly unsure, but eventually nodded.
"…I think 20 minutes should be fine."
Thus, Gong Hyun-joon successfully lured the AMT commander into the sanctuary.
"Please, have a seat."
"Thank you."
"Actually, after finishing my studies at university, I also considered serving as a military officer in AMT during my 'Player's Mandatory Duty Period'."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes, but to continue my research, I thought it might be better, though a bit longer, to become a sanctuary manager. In reality, it's pretty much the same. Haha—"
Gong Hyun-joon naturally continued the conversation while pouring two cups of pre-brewed coffee.
Of course, something else had been added to it, and he placed the coffee in front of the man.
"Thank you. It smells good."
"It's not expensive coffee, but it's the best among instant ones."
The man, without any suspicion, brought the cup to his lips.
'Yes, drink it, swallow it quickly…'
However, the incantation he muttered to himself didn't work.
The man suddenly seemed to remember something and put the cup down.
"Ah! By the way, sir, I got injured during combat; could you take a look?"
What's this about all of a sudden?
Though he felt rushed and disappointed, he hid his expression and nodded.
"Ah, are there no priests among your troops?"
"They're not very skilled. They seem to be all low-level players."
"Ah, let's take a look then."
"Here, on my left wrist."
The man rolled up the sleeve of his combat uniform.
But… there was no apparent injury.
There was just a small tattoo shaped like a spear.
"Um… where exactly is the injury?"
"If you look closely, right here—"
Ssss—
'Huh?'
Something was strange. The tattoo on his wrist disappeared, and some sort of smoke started to come out.
Whoosh—
"..."
Gong Hyun-joon couldn't understand what had just happened.
He belatedly realized that there was a long spearhead lodged in his abdomen before he could even notice it.
"Cough… cough…"
He coughed up a bit of blood and then raised his trembling head to look at the man.
The man's expression remained emotionless, coldly staring at him.
The man raised his left hand.
Zzzz—
Scales appeared on the skin of his fingers.
And soon after, they sharpened into claws like those of a beast.
"Grr—!"
Gong Hyun-joon tried to talk, but no voice came out.
The man, Lee Hyunwook, looked at Gong Hyun-joon's mouth and deciphered it.
"Why, exactly, did this happen…?"
Lee Hyunwook nodded in response.
"Right, you would think so. We need to align our testimonies."
Then he took something out of his pocket.
It was a silver bead.
"Now, what happened is… you offered me coffee, and coincidentally, I spilled that coffee, which happened to touch a bead on the desk that contains holy power."
Lee Hyunwook tilted the cup over the bead.
As the coffee touched the bead…
Chiiiiii—
"The holy power reacted with the toxin, causing this abnormal reaction…"
"Grr, grrr—"
"Of course, I became suspicious, and you started babbling in confusion. Maybe I could even bring up something related to Congressman Park Gil-sang… Anyway, you make the mistake of drawing a weapon when it seems I've let my guard down…"
Gong Hyun-joon's dagger, which he had hidden in his waistband, automatically slid out and was suddenly put in his left hand.
He tried to strike, but his body wouldn't move.
"So, in the end, I had no choice but to…"
The next moment—
Shii—eek!
Lee Hyunwook swung his left hand, and the guy was thrown onto the desk.
'The people in the shelter will believe this story.'
He took care of Gong Hyun-joon, and perhaps he might even implicate Park Gil-sang depending on the situation.
Lee Hyunwook recovered 'Achilles' Spear' that was embedded in the corpse's abdomen.
He also obtained the 'Mana Tank (Tier-3)' that was on the man's finger.
By tomorrow, his mana capacity would likely multiply.
"Hmm, is it here?"
Lee Hyunwook opened the cabinet door behind Gong Hyun-joon and looked inside.
Various player-crafted potions were stored.
"Beastification potion… so you already started your research at this point…"
Lee Hyunwook recalled the 'final stage' of this potion, licking his lips.
These abominations had ravaged downtown Daegu, resulting in a huge number of casualties.
That's why he didn't drink the coffee Gong Hyun-joon had given him.
Then, at the end of the cabinet, a 'black box' with a unique shape caught his eye.
'That item looks suspicious, no matter how you look at it.'
When he lifted it, information appeared before his eyes.
[ You have acquired the Demon's Bell. ]
-When infused with mana, it summons 'Hellborn' creatures from the surrounding area.
"This is…"
Yes, it was an item that could call forth the swarm of rats that were breeding endlessly in the underground tunnels.
Gong Hyun-joon had used this to slaughter the refugees in the shelter.
But now that won't happen.
Lee Hyunwook grinned.
"This makes the game too easy…"
Apparently, he would be able to exterminate the swarming cannibalistic rats in the underground in one fell swoop.