On his way to meet with the Taesan Guild, Lee Hyunwook communicated with a Mana messenger in the car.
"...Commander, I'll leave it to you."
He hastily made some requests to the Commander for the upcoming battle.
―Alright, we'll prepare as quickly as possible. Contact us and we'll be on our way, so don't worry.
"Thank you."
―And… please be careful. As you know, as time passes, the waves get exponentially stronger. So, today it would be much stronger than yesterday.
"Yes, understood."
This was the truth.
There were countless reasons why the waves were referred to as the worst disaster,
But the biggest among them was that the 'raid difficulty' increased over time.
Simply put, the monsters that appear during the wave evolve into increasingly challenging forms.
For example, the number of 'Hell Rats' that they faced yesterday would have exponentially increased.
A hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, hundreds of thousands, eventually up to a million…
Once a certain number is exceeded, they 'evolve' and develop a passive skill,
Like emitting a 'gas' that forms a 'poison fog', a kind of 'special option'.
'The swarm of Hell Rats that appeared with a green fog and devoured everything was truly the worst.'
Although the Hell Rats were overwhelmed by the Steel Battalion yesterday, by this afternoon their numbers would be unbearable. That's why Lee Hyunwook set them as the primary target.
Otherwise, more than half of the shelters in the wave zone would have been overrun by the Hell Rats.
'The next biggest threat is the Multiracial Black Magic Association.'
While the Hell Rat swarms caused the most civilian casualties in Seoul,
The Multiracial Black Magic Association caused the most player casualties.
They kidnap humans and offer them as sacrifices to evil gods.
In doing so, they gradually obtain powerful black magic spells,
By the fourth day of the wave, they manage to create a black magic entity called 'Chimera'.
'…It was a top-tier monster comparable to a Dragon Hatchling.'
Many players were mobilized to eliminate it, but they repeatedly failed.
Ultimately, the number of player casualties in that operation reached 1,855.
'Today, we will eliminate it before it grows, along with some trash.'
At that moment, the car stopped.
"We have arrived. We're about 500 meters from the agreed location."
Lee Hyunwook looked out of the window upon hearing the driver's words.
It was an apartment complex in Apgujeong-dong.
"Good. We move on foot from here on."
Following his orders, 15 troops disembarked from a transport truck.
The rest were on standby at the A Elementary School shelter.
"Stay on your guard and move slowly."
It was possible that the Taesan Guild had set a trap, so they had to be cautious.
"…Over there! Is that the Steel Battalion?"
As they approached the meeting point, a voice was heard.
"It's here, up there! Come inside!"
A man was waving from a third-floor window of a commercial building.
"Split into three teams and maintain distance as you ascend."
Lee Hyunwook remained cautious till the end, but fortunately, nothing happened.
Inside the spacious third floor of a gym, more than twenty players were gathered, looking exhausted as if they had just finished a battle.
A man with glasses approached Lee Hyunwook.
"Ah! You're here!"
Who is he? Lee Hyunwook scanned his face, thinking he might recognize him if he was a villain.
But if he couldn't immediately recognize him, then he might not be that significant…
"Hello, I am Choi Minseong from the Taesan Guild."
The moment he heard the name, it clicked.
'Choi Minseong… So, Chu Gyoyong is here too.'
Choi Minseong himself wasn't a very significant name.
'Chu Gyoyong is the important one.'
Monster Tamer Chu Gyoyong, the leader of the strategy team Choi Minseong belonged to, was a player with the unique ability to control monsters.
Lee Hyunwook shook hands with Choi Minseong, once again scanning the surroundings.
'At a glance, there are 24 people, much more than expected.'
If all of them were to charge at once… honestly, it would be difficult to handle.
Facing monsters is one thing, but taking on well-trained elite players is on a completely different level…
"Are all of you here from the Taesan Guild?"
"No, not all. Those over there are players who gathered from the elementary school shelter. They united their forces with the intention of rescuing the civilians. They come from different guilds like Cheonghwa Guild and Goryeo Guild."
"…I see."
"Well, although we are the main group, there are only 6 of us."
Six people… Lee Hyunwook didn't entirely believe that.
Considering that they might have hidden some people in the shelter to confirm the arrival of the Steel Battalion,
There could be others inside pretending to be unrelated third parties.
However, there was one odd thing.
'Choi Minseong is here, but the actual team leader, Chu Gyoyong, isn't.'
He wondered if Chu Gyoyong might be hiding somewhere, but then again, there was no apparent reason for him to do so.
'…Ah, they've split their team.'
For the fourth wave, what Ki Baek-jun prepared was a total of '3 player cards'.
Five Slaughterers / Gong Hyun-joon, the Mad Scientist / Chu Gyoyong's strategy team
'But I've already burned through 2 of their cards.'
Considering one of the Erosion factors has been eliminated, they must be feeling desperate,
Leaving the last remaining 'Chu Gyoyong strategy team' with no choice but to move in split groups.
As the leader, Chu Gyoyong must be somewhere near another Erosion factor.
"It's a good thing their forces are divided."
Hiding his thoughts, Lee Hyunwook looked at Choi Minseong.
"Do you have an idea where the captives are being held?"
"Yes, you can see it from here. Right there."
Choi Minseong pointed out a location as he approached the window.
Among numerous apartment complexes, there was a department store.
But… its appearance was highly unusual.
"The 'Erosion' has already progressed significantly."
"Yes, it looks like a devil's castle…"
The massive department store building was covered in something that looked like the roots of centuries-old trees.
Moreover, there were trees resembling baobabs growing in the rooftop garden,
With black birds flying above them, but they weren't crows.
Yes, it had transformed, resembling the castle of a demon king from legends, and was still changing.
By this afternoon, the entire vicinity would be covered in such scenery.
"…I heard you attempted an assault to rescue the civilians, but it failed?"
At that question, Choi Minseong showed a bitter expression.
"Yes, we tried attacking once… But those bastards… as we approached, they began dropping civilians from the rooftop to their deaths. It's like they knew exactly what we wanted."
Hearing Choi Minseong's words, Lee Hyunwook felt a surge of disgust.
That expression, those words, all full of pretense.
Pretending to be sorrowful while he himself might be inducing the death of civilians…
"In the end, to prevent the pointless sacrifice, we had no choice but to retreat without any results. Moreover, there's a 'barrier' around the entire department store, so sniping from the rooftop of nearby apartments is also impossible."
A barrier… Looking back at that place, it was enveloped in a purple shimmer.
It was a mechanism capable of blocking magic from outside.
"Hmm, I have a method."
At Lee Hyunwook's words, Choi Minseong raised an eyebrow.
"…A method?"
"Yes, I'll explain. Please gather the people."
Soon after, Choi Minseong summoned the players.
"Everyone! The commander of the Steel Battalion has a plan! Let's hear it."
Lee Hyunwook looked around at the players and began,
"The pattern they've shown so far is consistent. They use unidentified black smoke to knock people unconscious and then kidnap them to their main base without killing them. They don't discriminate between civilians and players."
The players nodded in agreement.
"In that case, the easiest way to get inside is… to get kidnapped."
"Kidnapped?"
At that, almost all the faces in the room scrunched up in disbelief.
"…What?"
"Do you mean to say we should intentionally inhale that smoke and get ourselves kidnapped?"
"Exactly."
"Wait— can you look at them first?"
Someone pointed with a snort of disbelief.
There, two men lay unconscious.
"They inhaled that black smoke. Look, not only did they pass out, but for a full 8 hours, all their skills were 'deactivated'. Meaning, they're practically like normal humans."
In other words, if one got kidnapped, their combat ability would be reduced to zero.
"Yes, I'm aware. But we're fine. We have resistance."
At that, everyone looked puzzled.
Resistance wasn't something easily obtained.
Lee Hyunwook elaborated further.
"Fortunately, we have an
Admiration burst forth from various quarters.
"Oh— there's such a thing?"
"No wonder they could destroy an Erosion Factor…"
But then, Choi Minseong raised his hand.
"Hmm… actually, I and these three friends also possess 'curse resistance'."
…What now? Lee Hyunwook wondered what he was playing at.
"Wow…"
"Wow— Taesan really does live up to its name."
"Ah, it's nothing special. We built it up while dealing with undead-related gates for a while."
Amidst the cheering, Choi Minseong, with a serious expression, continued.
"Anyway, we did consider such a strategy. However, just with that… it's suicide. The moment you're kidnapped, all your weapons will be taken away, and your hands and feet will be bound."
Lee Hyunwook immediately countered.
"That's where my abilities come into play."
Choi Minseong tilted his head, intrigued.
Meanwhile, his eyes held eyes held an inexplicable glint.
"…May I know what that ability is?"
That glint in his eyes was a cunning desire to learn about Lee Hyunwook's power.
Lee Hyunwook took out a small metal bead and floated it in the air.
"—It's like this."
"Oh, is it telekinesis?"
"No, it's a control type."
Given its rarity, it was hard to deduce the capability from a single demonstration.
And that uniqueness was one of the significant weapons of the 'growth beyond level' trait.
The lack of information making analysis difficult meant opponents couldn't devise strategies against it.
That's why those with 'growth beyond level' were extremely reluctant to reveal their abilities.
However…
"Hmm, can you explain a bit more in detail? If we go by your strategy, we might have to go in together. Shouldn't we understand each other better before that?"
Despite the bold request for information, Lee Hyunwook readily nodded.
"I can control metal. And to some extent, change its shape."
"So, even if your weapons are taken away, you can use various things as weapons."
"Yes, exactly. And…"
Lee Hyunwook used 'metal transformation' on the metal bead, flattening it.
"I can hide small pieces of metal in my mouth, change their shape to use as keys or knives. That means I can open locked or bound doors. It'll be very useful inside."
"Hmm… It's risky, but it does seem to be the strategy with the highest chance of success."
"Yes, as you might know, control types are especially physically vulnerable. So, if you prioritize protecting me, this strategy will succeed."
At Lee Hyunwook's words, Choi Minseong smiled slightly and stood up.
"Alright! Let's do this. We will infiltrate with the Steel Battalion to rescue the civilians. Once inside, we'll send a signal by shooting magic outside the window. Then, you can start a full-scale attack to distract them, and we'll move to destroy the object causing the barrier."
"Oh…"
"Once the barrier is gone, snipers from the nearby apartment rooftops can target the department store. It'll be a battle advantageous to us."
Most nodded in agreement.
"So, what do you say? Does everyone agree?"
Everyone consented. In the current situation, it was undeniably the most logical strategy.
Choi Minseong looked at Lee Hyunwook with a sly smile.
There was something hidden behind that smile.
And Lee Hyunwook, in return, wore a slyer and deeper one.
* * *
After asking for a brief preparation time, Choi Minseong summoned his subordinates.
"The commander of the Steel Battalion seems to be quite clever. Thinking of infiltrating based on their resistance and utilizing that unique ability… However…"
"…They got it wrong!"
A woman exclaimed with a giggling laugh.
"Exactly. They don't even realize we're after their lives, and they're willingly offering themselves up. Isn't it rather dull?"
The idea of voluntarily being kidnapped for infiltration was admittedly ingenious. However, in a situation where the villains were targeting the Steel Battalion, they believed it was equivalent to walking straight into a trap.
"Haha, this is why I can't quit being a villain!"
The woman, exhilarated, danced around.
Her eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Ha! The thrill of playing around with secrets others would die to protect—"
"Park Ji-hyeon, we haven't succeeded yet. Don't get ahead of yourself and keep your mouth shut."
"Oh, yes… hehe…"
Even though Choi Minseong reprimanded her, Park Ji-hyeon couldn't hide her excitement.
"Did she take drugs again? Sigh… Anyway, we'll probably clear out anything in the prison that could be used as a weapon. But just in case, let's think of a way to ensure he can't wield any weapon. As he himself said, he has a control ability, so without something to control, he's nothing."
At that, a bald man wearing a leather jacket raised his hand.
"Yes, I think my skill will do. In an emergency, I can create a 'ring' to confine him."
"Oh… Perfect, right? It's a skill you hardly use, but now there's a reason for it."
"Heh, exactly."
Then, as if something occurred to Choi Minseong, he raised his index finger.
"…Ah, remember this, don't kill them immediately."
"We need to capture and torture them to find out exactly how they destroyed the erosion factor so easily, right?"
"Yes, so don't act hastily. Wait for my command."
The villains stood up from their seats, and Choi Minseong threw in one last remark.
"Outside, people might be praising the Steel Battalion as some kind of hope. Let's shatter that hope right here."
* * *
An hour later, the so-called 'voluntary kidnap operation' began.
It was Lee Hyunwook and Park Junmo, along with Choi Minseong and his three subordinates, a total of six people.
They entered an alley, and at that very moment—
Whoosh—
Suddenly, a manhole cover opened, and black smoke billowed out.
"—Cough!"
They inhaled the smoke and collapsed.
No, they pretended to collapse.
About 10 minutes later, a group of monsters appeared at the entrance of the alley.
Kreeeh—
Interestingly, these creatures were cloaked in black robes, making it impossible to discern their identities.
However, listening to their voices, they seemed to be a mixed bunch, including orcs, goblins, kobolds, and gnolls.
They turned over the fallen party members, took all their weapons, and tied their hands with ropes.
An orc-looking monster hoisted a person on each shoulder.
'It's disgusting…'
The stench emanating from these creatures was so overpowering that pretending to be unconscious was no easy task.
Luckily, they arrived at the department store in less than five minutes.
Though it couldn't be seen clearly, the structure was morphing into a strange shape due to the erosion.
They were dragged into the dark space of the underground parking lot on the third basement floor.
'When did they prepare these iron bars?'
It was an underground prison. There were even actual iron bars on one side.
It was a mystery whether these structures were formed by erosion or manually crafted by the monsters.
There was no way to confirm this.
They were thrown into one of the prison cells.
Thud—
"Ugh…"
Park Junmo groaned as he was thrown haphazardly onto the floor.
They never expected to be treated like mere objects and thrown around like this.
Regaining his senses and looking around, he saw that about a dozen civilians were trapped in a rather spacious area.
"…Are you okay?"
A little child, sitting hunched next to Park Junmo, asked.
"Ah, yes, I'm fine."
"…But soon, you won't be."
The boy's eyes were filled with tears.
"…Huh?"
"One by one, they take us… sob… those monsters…"
"Oh…"
"They… they eat us."
Park Junmo placed his hand on the boy's head.
"No, it's going to be okay."
"..."
The boy looked unconvinced.
"Haha— What's your name?"
"Ah, I'm Shin Ji-ho."
"Really? Wow! How did we meet just like this? You're Hee-mang's friend, right?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
Shin Ji-ho looked genuinely surprised.
Park Junmo had previously asked a little girl named Hee-mang about her friends' names.
"You see, Hee-mang asked me to save Ji-ho. So, I came to rescue you."
"Huh? Came to rescue… me? You weren't captured?"
Grrr—
Outside, two orc guards were lurking.
Park Junmo whispered very softly.
"Yes, I genuinely came to save you. Don't worry."
But then…
"Pfft—!"
Laughter erupted from somewhere.
It was Park Ji-hyun, a member of the Taesan Guild.
She was crouched on the floor, shaking with mirth.
She seemed to be holding back her laughter for some reason…
"Puhahaha—! Vice-captain, I'm sorry! It's just too funny!"
In the end, she burst out laughing.
"Hey! Pfft! What do you mean you came to rescue? You dumbass! You were captured! Puhahaha—!"
Seeing her reaction, Choi Minseong let out a deep sigh and stood up.
"Seriously… you…"
Strangely enough, the ropes that had bound their wrists were now undone.
"No, it's just too funny hearing him try to act all cool in front of the kid, saying he came to rescue! Ah— I'm crying from laughter!"
At Choi Minseong's signal, two of his subordinates approached Lee Hyunwook, forcibly opened his mouth, and retrieved a small piece of metal hidden beneath his back molar, which was intended for escaping. They then placed it into what looked like a leather pouch.
"Now, there should be no more metal for you to control'."
Park Junmo finally realized that the situation was turning out much stranger than he had anticipated.
"What, what, what's happening… Sergeant Lee Hyunwook, what's going on right now…"
Even more surprisingly, the two orc jailers opened the iron bars and entered, standing tall behind them as if they were part of the same gang.
'…They're traitors!'
He was completely fooled.
That's what Park Junmo thought.
But he didn't give in to despair so easily.
'No, I can't give up yet.'
He glanced sideways at Lee Hyunwook, preparing for a counterattack.
Though his hands were tied, making it hard to aim properly, he could still use his ability.
Stealthily, a current started flowing from his bound wrists—
"Stay still, Park Junmo—"
Lee Hyunwook cautioned him.
"Yes, you're indeed sharp. Just keep being calm and let's have a deeper conversation."
Two men made Lee Hyunwook and Park Junmo kneel, and Choi Minseong stepped forward.
"Mr. Lee Hyunwook, I have many questions. Firstly, how did you get rid of the erosion factor?"
Lee Hyunwook didn't answer.
"I heard it wasn't the guardians… Hmm, is it a coincidence or just…?"
"..."
"Sigh— Exercising your right to remain silent isn't very smart here."
"But…"
"Oh, yes, finally thinking of speaking?"
Lee Hyunwook lifted his head to look up at Choi Minseong.
"Choi Minseong, I have some questions for you too."
"…Yes?"
"Why did you set up this place like this?"
At that odd statement, Choi Minseong tilted his head in confusion.
"Set up…? What do you mean?"
However, at that moment, Lee Hyunwook smiled.
"It's a perfect place for a private conversation, isn't it?"
"..."
"Wait, soon all the monsters that might disturb us will disappear."
"…The hell are you talking about?"
"There's a spectacle about to rain down from the sky, so they'll all be drawn to that…"
Unable to comprehend what he was hearing, Choi Minseong furrowed his brows.
But then…
Boom—!
A loud explosion made the building tremble.
"…What, what's happening?"
"Deputy Chief, it seems like something is exploding above us?"
Boom—!
Another loud blast, yes, something powerful was definitely exploding overhead.
Boom—!
Lee Hyunwook nodded.
"It's an air strike. While it won't break through the barrier, it'll create enough of a commotion to divert all the monsters' attention elsewhere."
"…What?"
"…In simpler terms, we can now talk privately down here."
Earlier, what Lee Hyunwook had requested from Kim Kang-seok,
It was an aerial bombardment.
"…Who are you?"
All sense of composure vanished from Choi Minseong's face.
"Choi Minseong, you know where the 'Barrier Creation Object' is, right? You're going to have to tell me."
Zzzzzz—
A strange sound echoed. It came from behind Lee Hyunwook.
"…Well then, let me show you firsthand how I removed the Erosion Factor—!"
Sssssh!
At that moment, the rope binding Lee Hyunwook's wrists tore apart,
And Lee Hyunwook pointed his left hand at Choi Minseong.
From his wrist, a spear jutted out.
"—Kuh!"
In a flash, Choi Minseong's figure disappeared into thin air and reappeared in a corner of the prison cell.
The spear of Achilles seemed to miss its mark—only to change direction,
And impale two orc guards rushing at Lee Hyunwook.
While this was happening, Lee Hyunwook stood firmly on his feet.
And once again, a peculiar sound started resonating from his entire body.
Zzzzzz—
"Huh?"
Then, Park Junmo saw it.
All over Lee Hyunwook's body, black crystals began to sprout on his skin,
And simultaneously, a sinister aura began to envelop him…
"Park Junmo—"
Park Junmo looked up at Lee Hyunwook.
"…I told you we came to rescue the civilians, so prepare yourself to send them to safety.."
Sharp, leopard-like claws emerged from his fingers.