The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 3
3. The return of an F-level player - 3
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Climbing the barracks stairs, Park Jun-mo broke into a cold sweat..
“I am Corporal Lee Hyun-wook.······.”
“huh?”
“The adjutant on duty today is Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol..”
“Uh, I know. I saw you in the morning.”
The reason Park Jun-mo brought up this story was to tell people to be careful..
Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol absolutely hates Corporal Lee Hyun-wook..
It was a story so famous that even Park Jun-mo, the youngest member of the squad who had moved in only three months ago, was familiar with it..
‘······Corporal Kwak Jin-cheol was brutally broken by Corporal Lee Hyun-wook. Even though I was a private.’
It was very embarrassing to lose to an F class, the lowest grade in duel training..
Anyway, after that happened, it seemed like the 2nd squad leader at the time was quite upset with Kwak Jin-cheol, who was the youngest member of the 2nd squad. It was an unprecedented humiliation for Kwak Jin-cheol, and he said that in the early morning of that day, he could be heard sobbing..
Of course, this was a year ago, and things have changed since then..
Kwak Jin-cheol, who gradually grew up, was promoted one level to D level. And he took on the role of the best 'dealer' in the company..
After that, in order to restore his honor, he once again requested duel training from Lee Hyun-wook.······.
‘Corporal Lee Hyun-wook refused everything, which made me hate him even more.······.’
It started from then.
It is said that Kwak Jin-cheol began to subtly harass Lee Hyeon-wook based on the position he had built within the company..
However, Lee Hyun-wook, who was lacking in all aspects, would have had no choice but to endure it..
‘But... Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, isn't he holding it in too long and finally exploding??’
Park Jun-mo was worried as he watched Lee Hyun-wook walking down the hallway..
No matter how angry I am, as Corporal Lee Hyeon-wook, who has no standing, there is nothing I can do..
You'll probably suffer even greater humiliation..
If you squirm, you'll get trampled even harder..
However, contrary to Park Jun-mo's worries, Lee Hyun-wook was in a very peaceful state..
‘I still have to exercise more to digest the metal I swallowed in the morning, but it's bothering me..’
Lee Hyun-wook has experienced something so terrible that it cannot be compared to the level of absurdity of these kids. I wasn't so soft on the inside that I was personally annoyed by these trivial conflicts..
‘Still, it will become a distraction in the future, so I have to cut it off now..’
Absurdity restricts freedom.
And bound freedom makes it impossible to use time smoothly..
In other words, it hinders growth..
That cannot be tolerated..
‘Everyone will be surprised because my change is so sudden, but it doesn't matter..’
After regression, I often heard that something had changed. She said that if you can hear it from all directions, it means it's obvious..
But Lee Hyun-wook had no intention of hiding the fact that he had changed 180 degrees..
‘You've got a lot of time, but you shouldn't waste it..’
The enemy he will have to deal with in the future is the axis of evil that has encroached on the entire world. There was no time to worry about cause-and-effect relationships or order in the midst of a power struggle within the company..
‘It might be better to take control of the unit quickly..’
It may seem absurd for a soldier to take control of a unit, but this is A·M·T. There is always a battle going on, and gaining 'advantage' in that battle becomes your 'position'..
Nowadays, a single powerful soldier is more valuable than cutting-edge combat weapons..
For example, a single Class A 'tank' player is evaluated as having much greater power than hundreds of tanks..
In that respect, if you make the best effort in the large and small battles that will occur in the future, you will be able to reap quite a variety of benefits during the remaining 'player duty mission period'..
Abilities, items, companions, money, forces, etc.······.
If you don't do that······.
‘Villain. Just because you increase your abilities doesn't mean you can overcome them..’
You can never change the worst future.
***
Meanwhile, the remaining 5th squad members were gathered in the central hallway..
Click- Click- Click-
The periodic sound of the ballpoint pen button filled with discomfort, the person who made that sound was Kwak Jin-cheol..
He was leaning against the wall, wearing his duty deputy armband and holding a pen in one hand..
“hmm······.”
He let out an exasperated breath and glanced at his watch..
gulp-
At that action, several members of the 5th squad swallowed dry saliva. Because two streams of steam were already rising from his nostrils..
That wasn't a good sign..
“Do I have to wait for you like this??”
“······.”
In the tense silence, I could see Kwak Jin-cheol's teeth heating up like steel in a furnace..
“huh? Why is there no answer? Are you ignoring me too??”
“no!”
“Support squad, you guys... I've been losing my mind since we evacuated Sergeant Kim.?”
“sorry!”
Sergeant Kim Ho-jong, the 5th squad leader currently hospitalized in a military hospital. He was a person who obediently took on all the chores and was truly liked by the subjects of his bad habits..
One of them jokingly said that Kim Ho-jong was the ideal 'head of the flock' from a shepherd's perspective..
Even though the shepherd dogs did not bark fiercely, they led the herd in the desired direction..
‘But Lee Hyun-wook, that pinch hitter, started acting out without a care in the world.?’
Kwak Jin-cheol, the self-proclaimed next shepherd candidate, laughed out loud because he was dumbfounded..
At that time, two people appeared at the end of the hallway..
Kwak Jin-cheol clicked his tongue..
“Look, the two foolish sheep that got lost are finally coming back..”
It was Lee Hyun-wook and Park Jun-mo..
At that moment, Kwak Jin-cheol’s expression suddenly became distorted..
“hey! Are you not running?!”
Along with the excess, gray smoke rose from Kwak Jin-cheol's mouth..
but······.
“huh? what? Are those bastards really crazy?······.”
the two didn't run.
Park Jun-mo was startled by Kwak Jin-cheol's shout and tried to run, but Lee Hyun-wook grabbed his shoulder. In Kwak Jin-cheol’s opinion, it was truly an amazing scene..
“······.”
Park Jun-mo didn't know what to do, Lee Hyun-wook took his time, and the two walked slowly..
Soon, Lee Hyun-wook and Kwak Jin-cheol, two classmates, looked at each other..
“My squad, why did you call me??”
Kwak Jin-cheol snorted at Lee Hyun-wook’s short question. As expected, smoke came out..
“why? why? It's work, right? Lee Hyun-wook, I didn’t even know that at that time.······.”
“no.”
Lee Hyun-wook took a step closer and stopped talking..
“I asked why us. We also worked on the drain behind the main office in the morning. But it's not strange that we do it again?”
“what?”
“Let the other kids do it. This is absurd.”
Kwak Jin-cheol was momentarily speechless at Lee Hyun-wook’s words..
‘As expected, if I go out strong, I get embarrassed..’
It was as Lee Hyun-wook expected. Kwak Jin-cheol opened his mouth and then closed it again..
No matter how widespread absurdity is in an organization, if the victim opens his mouth and demands justice, the perpetrator is bound to be momentarily embarrassed..
Nine times out of ten, unless you're an idiot, yes..
This is because the perpetrator feels ashamed of himself. So, they mainly attack people who do not resist and continue the harassment in ‘silence’..
‘In my past life, everyone, including me, had never been this strong..’
To put it simply, it was a completely unexpected reaction from the Kwakjin Railway line..
“You know very well that this is absurd, right? Kwak Jin-cheol.”
Lee Hyun-wook asked again..
“······.”
Kwak Jin-cheol already felt like something had stopped him. But he smiled as if it were as absurd as possible. But the corners of his mouth were trembling slightly..
“Hey, Hyunwook Lee. A day or two? This guy, why are you acting like an amateur??”
Yeah, it usually goes like this..
People who know that they are making mistakes, when their mistakes are revealed, try to rationalize it by saying that it is all like that..
At that point, Lee Hyun-wook nodded..
“It's more of a problem because it's not just a day or two. So it's absurd. Our squad also has the right to guaranteed rest time to maintain its fighting ability and training time to improve its fighting ability. To be fair. So divide the work equally..”
“training? haha! Class F is training? Hey, a goblin passing by will laugh. you said you would train?”
This too was too obvious repertoire. I have experienced personal attacks citing F-class status countless times in my past life. There was no way there was any damage.
“Okay, our squad will be training from now on, so let the others do the work. Please note that this is guaranteed training time. This is stipulated in the A·M·T barracks living regulations, so if you have any complaints, go to a higher level and not me..”
“Well, you crazy bastard······.”
He countered with such correct words that I couldn't win with words. Kwak Jin-cheol, who couldn't bear it anymore, pushed his head back, saying his eyes were bulging..
But Lee Hyun-wook did not back down. But that didn't mean he was fighting with Kwak Jin-cheol. There was coldness in his eyes, and Kwak Jin-cheol unconsciously avoided his eyes... and glared at Park Jun-mo..
“······her! Look at this guy? Did you suddenly open your mouth? People are saying that Lee Hyun-wook is a little strange these days and that something has changed, but he really has changed. You just... turned around? huh?”
Embarrassed and excited, Kwak Jin-cheol's neck swelled and orange heat bubbled up inside his throat. It was ready to burst into flames at any moment..
“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook. Now, stop······.”
Then the squad members began to stop Lee Hyun-wook. If the problem becomes more serious, the one who will be angry will definitely be Lee Hyun-wook..
But Lee Hyun-wook didn’t even blink. Rather, he smiled leisurely, as if it was funny to see Kwak Jin-cheol so excited..
“Hey, don't waste your energy, just call the others. We go in. Let's go guys······”
“hey! Order the deputy on duty now! Rebellion... No, rebel?”
Since it was an order from the deputy on duty... Kwak Jin-cheol also seemed to be trying to refute it logically. But he wasn't that smart, and he made a fuss..
“okay? Then, is there an officer on duty??”
“······what?”
“Don’t you know that the deputy on duty is a substitute for the officer on duty? If you are there, it must be an order from the officer on duty. Then I will go and ask you directly. Are you giving orders to our squad?.”
Kwak Jin-cheol had no choice but to keep his mouth shut again..
‘Where did this bastard suddenly come from to study rules and such? What on earth... Where did you pick this up and make me angry with such a complicated story??’
If it was just a battle of energy while spitting out harsh words, Kwak Jin-cheol was confident. Because of his personality, he has been fighting in such an ignorant way all his life..
However, when I attacked them with logic and evidence in this way, I became speechless, became embarrassed, and began to feel discouraged..
“······.”
Kwak Jin-cheol looked towards the administrative unit, where the officer on duty was..
‘The officer on duty today... damn it, is Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha.!’
An executive who was concerned about these issues, especially a non-commissioned officer who had been a soldier, could have taken Kwak Jin-cheol's side. Several such executives also passed through Kwak Jin-cheol’s mind..
‘Boss Kang Seong-chun, who is scheduled to work tomorrow······.’
But it wasn't Seo Eunha.
She was a B-level player with the trait of ‘paladin’.
And perhaps similar to those characteristics, she was a very noble and pure person with even her values, and was even the second daughter of General Seo Baek-jin, the commander of ..
In other words, he had enormous influence beyond the rank of lieutenant..
‘damn······.’
If such a woman found out about this situation... it would not only be a headache, but a very big problem would arise with Kwak Jin-cheol's personal situation. She wasn't the type to tolerate her absurdity.
‘Does this bastard even know this and is pulling this trick? You planned everything and tried to fuck me.······.’
Because I was embarrassed, I started feeling all kinds of damage..
“Hey, Kwak Jin-cheol. Why don't you say anything?”
“······.”
“Don't you have anything to say? Then I will have to tell the officer on duty directly..”
Lee Hyun-wook said that and passed by Kwak Jin-cheol..
“hey! hey! hey! Don't you stand there??”
It was then.
“······deputy on duty.”
Someone came out from the administrative department..
she was a tall woman.
She was wearing an A·M·T black military uniform and a black beret..
Pure white skin and clear features even without any makeup.
So I catch her eye once in a while, but when I meet her cold eyes, I automatically turn my head away..
“there. What's going on?”
The officer on duty, Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha, asked in a stern voice..
“Oh no!”
Kwak Jin-cheol denied it, but Seo Eun-ha looked suspiciously..
“Well, I have a moment to go to the main office right now..”
“ah! Is that so?”
“Please take care of the administrative team. But the fuel tank doesn’t need that much work. Because they asked me to send only three people. And I can see the people who worked in the morning... Hmm, I guess it's not just the privates who are doing the work.?”
“ah! no. No need to worry. We will handle it reasonably well..”
Seo Eun-ha nodded and turned around, and Kwak Jin-cheol gave her a raised hand salute..
In this way, with Seo Eun-ha's appearance and just a few words, Kwak Jin-cheol's feelings became much more complicated. He stared at Seo Eun-ha's back blankly and did not turn her head..
Lee Hyun-wook opened his mouth first..
“Since you yourself said that you would handle it reasonably, we go in without worrying..”
“······.”
“Guys, what are you doing? Let's go in.”
Lee Hyeon-wook turned around, and Kwak Jin-cheol could no longer hold on..
The 5th squad members standing in the central hallway watched and had no choice but to follow Lee Hyun-wook..
Park Jun-mo watched the situation, drenched in cold sweat, and was the last to turn around..
At that moment, I heard Kwak Jin-cheol mumbling..
“That bastard······.”
It was a voice driven by evil..
Park Jun-mo sensed that something bigger than this would happen in the future..
***
“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, why on earth these days... no, what were you thinking just now??”
Lee Hyun-wook’s successor, Ahn Min-cheol, asked.
Naturally, the most embarrassed were the 5th squad members. I felt burdened rather than grateful that I blocked the absurdity with my whole body..
It was already dark before my eyes how that person, Kwak Jin-cheol, would retaliate in the future. Isn't Kwak Jin-cheol close with the sergeants who are powerful figures in the company??
“Mincheol-ah.”
“······yes.”
“don't worry. Everything will be okay.”
“······If you don’t believe what Corporal Lee Hyun-wook says, are you offended??”
“No, it's normal to think that way. Just wait and see. everything will be ok.”
Although he assured that, the atmosphere in the 5th squad that day was cold..
But Lee Hyun-wook didn't care at all, perhaps because he didn't notice..
He just kept training and exercising over and over again..
***
It was that night.
Park Jun-mo went to the outdoor drying area to collect laundry and heard a conversation coming from the smoking area right next to him. It was a coincidence.
“······Fuck! Lee Hyun-wook That bastard must have done something wrong..”
It was Kwak Jin-cheol's voice..
As expected, he was still running a fever after the incident this morning..
Grrrr!
In an instant, a dark light spread into the drying shed..
“uh! hey! Burn all your cigarettes, man.!”
“No matter how hard you fight, be careful of your power within the compound! If the battalion commander sees it, he will go crazy..”
“······Huh, I understand..”
The people talking to Kwak Jin-cheol seemed to be Sergeant Oh Sang-guk, the 2nd squad leader, and Sergeant Kim Kang-jun, the 3rd squad leader. They were people who could be called the powerful people of this company..
“Huh... Anyway, that bastard really did that.?”
“It's real. Should I just skip this??”
“It won't work. How dare an F-level bastard challenge our ace??”
It was Oh Sang-guk, the 2nd squad leader, who said that..
He looked favorably on his successor, Kwak Jin-cheol, and even selected him as the next squad leader, so there was no way he could ignore this incident quietly..
“Seriously, that bastard almost melted..”
“Jincheol, this is not something you should deal with on your own..”
“So what should I do? I'm really so angry. I don't think I can sleep at night.”
In response, Oh Sang-guk exhaled a long puff of cigarette smoke and then slowly opened his mouth..
“If that bastard suddenly got some pride, well, that pride needs to be trampled on. Great. If something like this happens, Choi Yeong-jun, who would roll his eyes and make a fuss, is gone on sick leave right now, right? Ugh!”
“Ah, well, it would have been more of a headache if Sergeant Choi Young-jun had been there at a time like this..”
“yes. If only that scholar bastard was there, ugh.······.”
It felt like the villains were plotting..
Park Jun-mo slowly hung up the laundry and tried to suppress the sound of his breathing as much as possible..
“Lee Hyun-wook, I heard he comes and goes to the training ground like this these days.?”
“you're right. Training on F-level topics is shit..”
“Well, then there are the privates who train hard, Won-seok and his classmates.?”
“Oh, you mean Barbarian? He said that he was already promoted to C level..”
Barbarian was a fairly high-ranking trait among close combat classes. And the Private Lee Won-seok mentioned here was Private No. 3, and was already one of the people mentioned as the company's ace..
According to rumors, he may soon be commissioned as a non-commissioned officer. That's why seniors couldn't treat him carelessly. One day, he might suddenly return as an executive..
“uh. He was really fucking strong. Did you see him tearing up a goblin with his bare hands during the last operation??”
“Yeah... that was really crazy. No matter how strong you are, who would think of tearing it apart with their bare hands? That bastard also has the temperament of an idiot..”
During the last operation, Private Won-Seok Lee became quite famous by performing such an antics..
As a crazy person who enjoys killing.
“Anyway, if you send them in, give them some talent, make them train for duels, and then beat them up, they will take care of their small pride. If you say you won't do it, you can make a fool out of it again..”
“Oh, that seems like a really good idea..”
“Yes, Jincheol. The problem is how to handle it like this. Stay calm. I’m telling this to Won-seok..”
“thank you Oh, I'm surviving my military service well thanks to Sergeant, really..”
Park Jun-mo felt a chill down his spine. He only listened to that and came out of the drying yard..
“Ah... uh, what should I do?······.”
Lee Hyun-wook was a really good person..
But no matter how much Park Jun-mo thinks about it,······.
He was a person who had absolutely no power to protect himself..
***
10 pm.
“I'll go to bed and turn off the lights..”
When the lights went out, Lee Hyun-wook took out a lock he had put behind his pillow. And very boldly, he put it in his mouth..
gulp-
Then, strangely enough, the heavy lock went down my throat like a vending machine sucking up banknotes..
As it has the ability to absorb metal, it can be easily swallowed when accompanied by the will to eat..
Of course, it was impossible to fit metal in a size that could not be put in the mouth..
- (03:59:59) left until metal absorption.
‘By the time I leave for night guard duty, I'll have gained about 60g more..’
To be honest, it was very convenient to be able to improve my abilities even while I was sleeping..
He checked his current abilities before going to sleep..
- Current controllable ‘metal’ weight: 1,297g
At this level, I could now move four daggers at the same time..
‘At this level, I will be able to respond to the incident that will occur at dawn..’
Today, during the night shift, a small disturbance was expected to occur..
And if you just take advantage of that commotion······.
‘Great benefits will come one after another..’
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