The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 2
2. The return of an F-level player - 2
======================
Can a person change overnight??
‘well······.’
One day, the gate opened and the world turned upside down..
Those with super powers,
‘With the advent of ‘players’, the power structure of society was redefined..
But the human population remained the same..
The selfish people rolled their eyes, trying to take advantage of the disaster to get a bigger share, while the cynical people continued to complain as if they were displeased with everything..
A few heroes tried to change the world in their own way, but they were always blocked by numerous obstacles, including the previous two categories..
Yes. Still, many problems were caused by people, not monsters..
Players were humanity's only weapon, but not all of them were heroes..
Player-turned-politicians and businessmen seized and shook power, and crimes committed by players increased day by day..
It was a predictable problem.
Because in the end, players are only human..
Like this, even if the world changes overnight, people do not change easily..
Of course, if you have numerous experiences over a long period of time, your way of thinking will change in some way, but at least it does not change overnight... It was a maxim that was valid regardless of the era..
however······.
‘Corporal Lee Hyun-wook... Something has changed..’
Park Jun-mo, who had just become a private first class, felt that his gunner, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, had really changed overnight..
4It started a few days ago when he showed a strange reaction when I woke him up before dinner..
“······after!”
He was currently doing pull-ups alone on the bar in the open space behind the barracks..
What on earth is so special about that?······.
‘Originally, he was always lethargic, but suddenly the look in his eyes changed and he started exercising every day, and he didn't seem to be the person I used to know..’
This is because Park Jun-mo's behavior was completely contradictory to the Lee Hyun-wook he usually knew. He had only been watching for three months, but during that time he had never been seen moving except during training or operations..
And his recent behavior has also been somewhat suspicious..
As if his memory was blurry, he asked various questions about the unit he had been in for over a year and often took notes. And out of nowhere, I even started muttering to myself about a future date..
And above all, the eyes have changed.
‘As I look at the seniors, I can tell how they feel just by their facial expressions. Corporal Lee Hyun-wook... he has definitely changed..’
He had always been a helpless and unconfident person, but now he opened his calm and cold eyes as if he could see through everything..
What can I say... To exaggerate, it was the eyes of an old beast..
‘Of course, no matter how much I think about it, it’s strange.’
While he was thinking that, Lee Hyun-wook turned around..
“Junmo, what’s going on??”
Even that single word of voice felt somewhat solid..
“······ah!”
Park Jun-mo scratched his cheek in surprise..
“Well, it's almost dinner time..”
Lee Hyun-wook checked his watch..
“Ok, thanks.”
He approached me while lightly stretching his shoulders, and perhaps because of his mood, it felt like he had gained a lot of weight in just a few days..
“I am Corporal Lee Hyun-wook.?”
“huh?”
“Um, may I ask why you're suddenly working out??”
Lee Hyun-wook chuckled at that question..
“why? It feels weird when I exercise.?”
“Oh, that's not it. Just, me······.”
He tapped Park Jun-mo on the shoulder..
“You never know when to fight. You too, do some exercise. It would be difficult to subdue even a single goblin with that body..”
“Ah... I understand..”
That was correct.
'Anti Monster Troop' composed of players)’
Abbreviated as A·M·T, they were deployed on actual missions several times a month and had to deal with monsters..
In other words, the crisis of death could come at any time..
Therefore, training one's abilities and body was a necessity, not an option..
‘But we rarely do that.······.’
However, Lee Hyun-wook and Park Jun-mo were F-grade, the lowest grade among players, so opportunities to fight monsters directly were rare..
They are part of the 'support squad' composed of low-level player troops and are only responsible for assisting other squads during battle..
To put it simply, members of the support squad are effectively ‘hands on’..
Hyunwook Lee must have sensed that puzzlement, and added,.
“Actually, there is no reason. Just trying to change.”
‘······How can you change it??’
Park Jun-mo thought so, but he said it differently..
“Ah, the effort to change is wonderful....”
“Enough lip service. Let's go eat something.”
“no. It's true. As a deputy commander, I will definitely follow suit..”
Actually, what was said was correct. There are things in the world that cannot be changed..
‘I'm sure you don't know that grade F doesn't change with effort.?’
Players are broadly divided into three categories:.
First of all, they are A, B, C, D, E..
As the name ‘player’ suggests, this level was able to grow its abilities by raising its ‘level’..
Therefore, even if you acquired relatively weak abilities, you could upgrade your level if you worked hard to raise your level..
Next is S..
They had no levels. Instead, different special growth methods are ‘presented’..
For example, Busan's Savior 'Inferno', the most famous non-level growth trait player, gets his abilities improved just by being in fire..
In other words, it was a huge advantage that it was possible to improve one's abilities as long as one could keep a fire in bed while sleeping. Rumor has it that his mansion has a huge 'furnace', which he enters whenever he wants to relax..
This was a kind of 'hidden class', and this S-class ability was so rare that there were only 31 people in the world..
And finally, grade F······.
‘Non-growth characteristics······.’
, This is a trait that literally does not grow..
If S was a ‘hidden class’, then F was ‘a failure’..
‘Even in college, an F means retaking a course. i.e. no points.’
No matter how hard you try, you cannot make progress... Is there anything more sad than this??
The 'kwang' selected in the random drawing could not be exchanged for any other product..
Park Jun-mo felt bitter and looked at Lee Hyun-wook, who had the same fate as him..
He was now looking up into the empty space..
‘For some reason, you seem to be thinking a lot. What are you worried about??’
Park Jun-mo empathized like that at will. Because we were in the same F grade, I felt like I knew Lee Hyun-wook’s feelings..
But actually, Lee Hyun-wook wasn’t thinking about anything else..
he just······.
- Current steerable ‘metal’ weight: 877g
I was just staring at the one-line status message that appeared before my eyes..
‘Well, the rate of absorption is faster because you exercise..’
Before we knew it, the amount had almost doubled from 300g, increasing to 577g..
‘If this continues, I'll eat up all the metal I've collected in two days. In order to grow quickly... we need much higher quality metal. I need to go on vacation as soon as possible and save up a bunch..’
In fact, the abilities classified as F-class were not something that could ever be changed. But the truth will not be revealed until six years later..
This is the so-called ‘F-level player rediscovery incident’..
After that incident, the F-level player received considerable treatment..
In other words, as is known at this point, F-class was not a 'bad' class with no ability to grow. Rather, it is a hidden class similar to the S class, and is a kind of 'puzzle' in which the method of ability growth is hidden..
Hyun-wook Lee was solving the puzzle assembly he had already tried once, much faster..
I couldn't complete it when I tried before.······.
‘······It'll be different this time.’
He secretly swallowed metal..
***
The next day, Saturday, it was around lunch time..
Someone knocked on the door of Dormitory 5. He was a private who had just moved in a few days ago, and he seemed to be running an errand..
He pushed his head into the living room..
“Private, Choi Seong-min! Can I come in??”
“uh.”
Corporal Ahn Min-tae, who was sitting by the door watching TV, nodded..
“Is the 5th squad leader there? From the administrative unit, the deputy on duty called me..”
At those words, Ahn Min-tae looked around the dormitory, but the squad leader was nowhere to be seen..
“Hey, Junmo. Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, where have you been??”
Not long ago, after the 5th squad leader was transported to a military hospital, Lee Hyun-wook was carrying out his duties as a ‘temporary squad leader.’.
The reason he took over was simple. Because he was the highest rank.
“ah! You must have gone to exercise now..”
Ahn Min-tae chuckled at Park Jun-mo’s answer..
“You went to the gym again? Why is that guy acting like that these days? Hey, new soldier. The deputy on duty said he was looking for me for some reason? Are you in a hurry??”
“Well, the deputy on duty just told me to do it, so I heard him say something about cleaning the fuel tank and such..”
In response to that answer, the 5th squad members who were taking a break stood up stiffly, as if they had sensed something..
“Ah! Then I guess it's work.?”
“What is this, work again? no! Didn’t we work on this morning too??”
Lament broke out here and there..
“Ah, the deputy on duty today is Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol. I guess he's a bit······.”
Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol, he had a tendency to bully lower-ranking soldiers, such as E-level or F-level soldiers. And since the majority of low-ranking soldiers were concentrated in the 5th squad, the entire 5th squad was often targeted..
“Oh, we're not really slaves······.”
Someone muttered with a mixture of complaints..
5It was true that the squad's common name, 'Support Squad', was treated as a minor task, but it was only a concept of 'supporting' the 'combat unit' during operations..
They still carry out essential missions during battle, such as transporting combat supplies and moving the wounded..
In other words, it was completely absurd to make people do chores during the holidays like this..
It was absurd, a bad habit that would have been eliminated long ago in regular military units..
However, as A·M·T had to be deployed in combat situations at any time, discipline and hierarchy were rigid to maintain the top-down system, and in that respect, a certain degree of absurdity during barrack life was tolerated..
And Kwak Jin-cheol was a vicious senior who took advantage of that aspect..
“Oh, come to think of it, it was a few days ago. Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol was in the bathroom...······.”
One of the privates hesitated while speaking..
“Why what??”
When he hesitated, Ahn Min-tae asked:.
“······Oh, I heard Corporal Lee Hyun-wook say that it seemed like he was stepping out as a temporary squad leader. It's ominous today.”
“Oh shit, I guess I'm going to pick it. We'll suffer too, damn it.······.”
At that time, the characteristic electronic sound heard when a speaker is turned on overhead rang..
whiz-
- after! This is disseminated at the administrative level. Dormitory 5... All 5 squads, please gather in the central hallway immediately. End of delivery.
It was the voice of Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol..
“Ah... it looks like you're bubbling again because it's a little late..”
Ahn Min-tae suddenly woke up and sighed and placed his hand on Park Jun-mo's shoulder..
“Junmo, quickly bring your gunner. Do you know who the deputy on duty is today??”
“yes! This is Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol..”
“Yes, that human spews fire from his mouth. If you don't want to see our temporary squad leader's head burning, run quickly. For the first time in my life, I will hang on to an iron bar and then be grilled over charcoal..”
Even though the remark was dismissive of my squad leader, the squad members also laughed. This was a part where we could see what kind of image Lee Hyun-wook usually has..
“Yes, I understand!”
Spitting fire from the mouth was not a metaphorical expression..
Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol was a fire-type expert, and whenever he replaced his successors, he would emit a boom like a 'dragon'. Thanks to his strange image, he was one of the most feared predecessors by his successors..
Park Jun-mo thought of that scene and hurried out of the barracks..
‘Anyway, Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol and Corporal Lee Hyun-wook are classmates.······.’
One has become an object of fear and respect by his successors, while the other is being ignored and caricatured just like before..
‘And Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, he’s a really nice guy.······.’
As far as he knew, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook was not an ugly person..
He was knowledgeable enough and had good sense and insight. Didn't he even perform better than anyone else in combat training, excluding player abilities??
There were 10,000 rounds fired each time..
If it were an ordinary army, he would definitely have become a trusted ace..
However, this was A·M·T, a unit that had to fight monsters..
‘Well, there is no place for F graders like us in A·M·T..’
When fighting monsters, no player wants to have an F-class on their back..
'Even if I had free time, I would still be treated like that.······.'
When I arrived near the iron bar, I saw Corporal Lee Hyun-wook..
It was the same as it was yesterday. He had been doing pull-ups really consistently for a few days like this..
I even heard some seniors laugh at me saying that I am exercising while drinking 'recovery potions' from the 'military item shop' with 'reward points'..
“······after! ······after!”
In reality, it was rare to exercise that much unless you were a close combat player..
Is that why??
Compared to a few days ago, I could see at a glance that my forearms had become significantly thicker. Once again, I could feel that he was working out really hard..
‘You said it would change······.’
Will the change he spoke of... take place??
“······I am Corporal Lee Hyun-wook.?”
Lee Hyun-wook came down from the bar and looked back..
“Junmo, why? The lunch meeting time...is still far away..”
he said, checking his watch.
“Ah, that's the working set....”
“Um, no way, I just called my squad again.?”
“yes, that's right.”
Hyunwook Lee also accurately pointed out the context. Park Jun-mo looked into his eyes..
For a moment, I felt a little disillusioned..
‘Why? He's someone who usually speaks quietly..’
Everyone knew that this was absurd. And if it was Lee Hyun-wook's time, it was actually right to treat him to a certain degree.······.
Kwak Jin-cheol was a very reckless person. As long as he wore the armband of the deputy on duty, he was a driver and used to mistreat lower-ranking soldiers..
And on the other hand, this was the fate of the F class..
“Okay, let's go.”
Lee Hyun-wook went ahead, zipping up his daily clothes..
Park Jun-mo felt uneasy for some reason..
For some reason, I felt like something was going to happen today..
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