The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 32
32. Ready for the waves - 2
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Hyunwook Lee took over the phone from Captain Yongjun Kwak..
“Loyalty! This is Corporal Lee Hyun-wook.!”
Then a loud voice came out from the other side of the phone..
- hey! Huh, I've never seen a guy like you in my life.!
This may have seemed like an insult at first, but it was a very excited voice..
It had to be that way..
‘Judging by the tone of your voice, you got quite a lot.?’
There is a game popular among high-ranking players..
It was an illegal gambling called ‘gate game’..
Every time a gate appears, they make 'bets' on various topics..
Which strategy team will have the highest contribution, which boss monster will appear, etc.······.
But in this edition, Jeong Sang-sik probably won a lot of Yoo Jae-hyuk's money..
- ······Hahaha! What is the contribution, 100 percent? Hahaha! Oh my, what on earth did the Cheonghwa Guild do after failing three times? Hahaha!
He calls the soldier and talks very hesitantly..
Anyway, it meant he was that excited, which was a very good sign..
- Hmm, hmm, yes! You said your name was Hyunwook Lee.?
“yes, that's right.”
- amazing! It's truly amazing! Even if I did it, I never thought I would do it so perfectly.!
“I didn't do this alone. This was achieved by 8 soldiers together..”
- then! Don't worry, I will take care of everything and more than you can imagine, so you won't be disappointed! It will be several times more than all the reward points I earned throughout my military career combined.!
“Thank you, Commander.!”
It goes without saying, but if you were the commander of the AMT Seoul Operations Command, you had tremendous authority in all aspects..
Therefore, even Pale Note and hero grade items could be transferred at one's own discretion..
‘Yes, this man changed his soldiers, but the reward was as bold as his boldness..’
- And sometime, I'd like to listen to the story in detail while eating something delicious together, that's okay.?
“of course.”
- Okay, then go in today and get some rest. I'll tell you to skip work for a few days.!
“yes! All right! loyalty!”
That’s how the call ended..
“······Okay, it's over.?”
“yes.”
Captain Kwak Yong-jun was drenched in cold sweat..
It was not easy for a captain to receive a call from Three Star..
When I turned my head, Yoo Hae-na was still standing there, staring at Lee Hyun-wook..
He waited patiently while this noble woman called, as if she still had something to say..
“I have more to say?”
“······But I still lost, so if you have any favors to ask me later, let me know..”
Even though my cheeks are very flushed, I pretend to be arrogant until the end..
I lost, so I'm angry, but I'm sure I'm still trying hard to save face..
“Or... would you like to join Cheonghwa for a good position? I'll give you a seat on the attack team..”
On the other hand, I'm still trying hard to keep him under my control..
But at those words, Seo Eun-ha glared at her and opened her mouth..
“Wait a minute, what are you doing? Are you trying to blatantly steal AMT power??”
“······I told you to come in after being discharged, but there is a problem.?”
“Well, what do you say??”
“If you were a soldier, you wouldn't have gone to the AMT because you wanted to, you would have been taken there out of obligation, so why are you, an officer, trying to get in someone else's way? What kind of soldier is this, your pet dog??”
“······.”
Honestly, that was so true that Seo Eun-ha couldn't say anything..
Moreover, Yoo Hae-na was now using the honorific language differently than usual..
It meant that I felt very uncomfortable..
“······.”
Of course, Seo Eun-ha had no intention of giving in easily and glared at Yoo Hae-na..
The two women felt an invisible infrasound between them..
“hmm-.”
In the end, Lee Hyun-wook cleared his throat and intervened..
“······I'm sorry, but I have no intention of joining the Blue Flower Guild at the moment..”
“Why? What's wrong with Cheonghwa??”
“I went in today and saw,······.”
Lee Hyun-wook smiled sheepishly, as if he found it difficult to speak..
“why? Looking at it, it's like, what??”
“······The level wasn't as high as I thought..”
“······.”
“And I wasn't going to say this, but one of the snipers left and attempted a 'steal'. Haha... Still, it's the best guild in the country, but I was very disappointed in many ways..”
She opened and closed her mouth, hesitated..
The contribution of the ambitious strategy team was 0%..
And Steele, you did something so shameful, I have nothing to say.······.
In the end, my cheeks and neck turned red and I turned around..
“······Whatever it is, don't be such a fool as to stay in the military..”
Seo Eun-ha opened her eyes and glared at those words, but Yoo Hae-na didn't care..
“A bet is a bet, so I thought it made sense, so I used my business card and that number to contact you..”
After saying those words, he turned away, quite nervous..
‘Yeah, you'll get your bet right, don't worry.’
A few things came to Lee Hyun-wook’s mind..
***
In the truck returning to the unit, although the special attack platoon members were exhausted, no one was dozing off..
It was because I was hearing a very interesting story from Hyunwook Lee..
It was a phone call with the commander who said that whatever you think, you'll get more..
“oh!”
“Great, great······.”
When they heard that story, the corners of everyone's mouths began to twitch..
“I live to live and receive a reward from the commander, hahaha······.”
As Hyunwook Lee has already received several times, AMT rewards are paid in the form of reward points or items..
To put it simply, it was a kind of performance bonus..
“I will never have an opportunity like this again, so what should I ask for so that word gets out that I received it well??”
“Would you like to put together an armor set? It was so expensive that I couldn't even afford it, but isn't that a complete deal??”
As they were excited and imagining various things, Lee Hyun-wook intervened..
“Wait, there's an item I'd like to recommend to you all..”
Then everyone looked at Lee Hyun-wook with expectant expressions..
“oh! what is that?”
Now, I was ready to believe that if I just listened to Lee Hyun-wook carefully, I would have rice cakes in my sleep..
“This time, unconditionally... receive a weapon filled with divine power as a reward..”
However, the moment they heard that, everyone could not hide their puzzled expressions..
Divine power?······.
“······Uh, yeah? What is the reason??”
“If it's Shinsung, aren't we... useless except for the healer, Minwook??”
As Choi Taeyong said, divine power was a characteristic that had no general purpose..
In other words, unless it was a class where the sacred power itself affected the efficiency of the skill, such as a priest or a paladin, it could be considered virtually useless..
‘What should I say about this?······.’
4I couldn't tell you that I would need it during the tea wave..
This time too, I have no choice but to make it plausible.······.
“Has anyone heard the news of a large-scale undead gate opening in the Siberian region of Russia??”
“Um... I haven't heard it..”
“Yes, I also happened to hear that there was a large-scale undead gate in Siberia, and it was discovered too late, so a huge number of undead spread throughout Siberia..”
Gates that occur in remote areas such as Siberia or the Amazon could not be responded to immediately, and sometimes they were discovered much later, and dozens of eruptions may have already occurred..
“Oh... Then, the demand for sacred weapons, which are already rare, will suddenly increase.?”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded..
“Yes, it is very confidential information whose source cannot be disclosed, that Russia's number one guild is planning a large-scale crusade. So, if possible, it would be more profitable to receive a sacred weapon as a reward, then sell it later to buy the weapon you want..”
This was a blatant lie, but when a few details were added, people seemed to believe it as expected..
“Hmm... but where on earth do you hear such news??”
Ahn Min-tae tilted his head and asked..
“I told you I couldn't reveal the source. Why shouldn't I know this??”
“No, I don't mean that, I'm just really curious. ah! I saw you earlier and it seems like you are acquainted with the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild. Perhaps... That's right, that's right.!”
Ahn Min-tae found plausible evidence on his own..
Well, in their eyes, it was surprising that the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild, and an A-rank player at that, was interested in an AMT soldier, and it was bound to be an unusual scene..
That's why I thought there was some kind of friendship between the two..
“That's not it, you don't need to know.”
“Then, it could not be possible... Like the company commander, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook also went to the Cheonghwa Guild after being discharged from the military.······.”
“I said no.”
“But why on earth did she... Hmm, I understand..”
Ahn Min-tae nodded quietly at Lee Hyun-wook's glance..
“Anyway, do as I say. It's a sacred weapon.”
“Yes, I understand!”
“Thank you for good information!”
There will soon come a time when ‘divine power’ will become more effective than anything else..
As a result, the survival probability of these guys, and even their chances of being active, has increased..
***
“······Well, it's a success!”
Someone kicked in the door of Dormitory 2..
Oh Sang-guk and Kwak Jin-cheol, who were watching TV, frowned and turned their heads..
“Ah, sir! I'm surprised...what is it??”
“The ones who left last night! It is said that the attack was successful.!”
18A special attack platoon composed of only those below level,
It had been 16 hours since they left the company..
“Well, the Cheonghwa guild must have prepared properly and went in, isn't it natural??”
Oh Sang-guk spoke as if he were not a poet..
“That's not it!”
“Then what is it, nigga!”
“Wow, the contribution of the kids in our company is 100%...!”
“······huh?”
Oh Sang-guk and Kwak Jin-cheol looked at each other and frowned..
Even if you kill just one monster in a dungeon, you will receive a decimal contribution..
However, since one side contributed 100%, it was realistically impossible..
Really, it was ridiculous..
“Damn it...······.”
But now, when I think of Lee Hyun-wook's face... I somehow felt like it was possible..
That's why I turned my head to the TV without much denial..
But there was no way the TV content would enter my head..
‘How on earth can that be??’
The two people started shaking their legs at the same time with blank eyes..
This story was being covered all over the company..
In the counseling room, five soldiers were sitting and talking..
“Wow... Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, if this happens, he is actually no more than Sergeant Choi Young-jun.?”
“Hey, hey! Anyway, that's not it. Didn’t you see Sergeant Choi Youngjun fight??”
“See, even when you were surrounded by 4 orcs, you just cut them all down and came out. Hmm, but should we say command ability rather than personal force? Isn’t that the best??”
“Um, really? Well, the attack strategy is not something that just anyone can do.······.”
He has even come to be identified with Choi Young-jun, who was considered the strongest soldier in his battalion..
“······By the way, Sergeant Choi Young-jun will be returning from vacation soon, so it would be really astounding to hear what happened..”
“huh? why?”
“It would be funny to hear that Corporal Lee Hyun-wook suddenly changed, but what would he think if he were to be deployed in an attack operation that even he himself could not have done??”
“ah······.”
And it wasn't just the 1st Company that reacted that way..
“omg! Is that him? The man who ordered the closure of the Kobold Gate!”
It was also becoming a hot issue among the female soldiers of the 2nd Company sitting around the PX..
“Hey, that's not all. At the Seoul Station Unlucky Event, the man that the brigade commander who came through the teleportation was looking for is also the same person... It's crazy, really..”
“Heh, it's cool? Sometime, when I run into you at PX, I'll have to get your number.!”
“Hey, you said you don’t even pay attention to men below grade C.?”
“Hehe, it seems like my thoughts are suddenly changing.?”
In fact, I became a celebrity..
***
While this became the subject of gossip, nine people, including Lee Hyun-wook, were ordered to take a 48-hour break from combat..
Of course, that didn't mean it was just hanging out..
They all woke up after just 6 hours of sleep and immediately gathered at the training site..
And according to Lee Hyun-wook's instructions, they trained according to their respective roles..
“Huh... I didn't know training could be this fun and rewarding..”
“Now I really think I know why this training is necessary and what needs to be improved..”
In particular, 6 out of 8 members of this special strategy platoon were members of the 5th squad..
Therefore, the morale of the 5th squad soared to an unprecedented level..
“Corporal Ahn Min-tae, can’t you die with orcs now??”
“Well, honestly, wouldn't it be able to withstand even if three or four orcs attack it??”
Ahn Min-tae's level is already 20, reaching the upper-middle rank among the 1st Company corporals..
3Increase level by 5 in 1 day······.
It was encouraging and explosive growth..
“nice! You are now a real tank..”
“Then what kind of fake tank was it before??”
“Well, honestly, it didn't feel that way at all.?”
“Oh... Taeyong Choi, you don't want to stand behind me during the next battle.?”
“Oh, just kidding.!”
And it was the next day.
Morning routine and assembly time, the company commander came out and announced the special schedule..
“Well, a special promotion review will be held today, so anyone who wants to review can come to the administrative department and register. Of course, everyone knows that this only applies to those who have risen more than 5 levels since the last screening.?”
At the request of the battalion commander, AMT ‘player rating examiners’ visited the unit..
Normally, 'promotion review' is only conducted during the 'regular review period' held once every six months, but if there was a player who showed explosive growth, he/she could apply for a grade review at the discretion of the unit commander..
And this time, no matter how you look at it, it was a visit for ‘special strategy platoon members’..
“We will do well!”
“I will definitely get a promotion and come back.!”
6100,000 squad members went to the promotion review full of confidence..
And about 2 hours later······.
rattle!
The dormitory opened and the squad members came running in halfway, covered in sweat..
“······.”
Their expressions were somehow filled with joy..
I could tell the result without having to say anything..
“······Corporal Lee Hyun-wook! I am also in D grade from now on! Hahaha!”
“And me too, me too!”
“We have all been promoted to D rank.!”
As a result of the promotion test, four participating 5th squad members were promoted from grade E to grade D..
“Yeah, well done everyone..”
“Honestly, isn’t it all thanks to Corporal Lee Hyun-wook??”
“If you think so, keep up the good work.”
“of course! I will be loyal!”
“Okay, it's loud, so don't overdo it..”
So rumors began to circulate that the support squad was scheduled to be 'reorganized'.
It was obvious.
It was already an established fact that they had more than the strength of the 3rd and 4th squads, which were the combat squads of the 2nd platoon..
There was even speculation that if Lee Hyun-wook was in command, it could be more than one squad..
And Lee Hyun-wook had the confidence to make it happen..
Also, their growth did not end here..
Having achieved growth in ability, it was now time to experience material growth..
- hook! Ah, this is preached by the administrative group. Members of the special strategy platoon who were deployed to attack Red Gate yesterday, please go to the battalion armory immediately. I spread it once again······.
The squad members all looked up at the broadcast..
“······Doesn’t that mean a package was delivered to us??”
“Oh, I guess so! And the delivery person, wow! Commander, isn't it??”
Excited, they stampeded down to the armory..
“Loyalty! Thank you for your hard work.”
“Uh, guys, what on earth is going on??”
The armory manager, Lieutenant Oh Jeong-tae, looked dumbfounded..
This was because a lot of weapons had arrived in the name of the AMT Seoul Operations Commander..
During his time on the job, this has never happened before..
“This is a reward item we received..”
“······huh? It means I received a reward from your commander.?”
“Yes that's right!”
Oh Jeong-tae also knew that these were the lowest-grade soldiers, so he looked puzzled..
In fact, it seemed like they had been weeded out and stuck here, barely hearing any news from the battalion..
They opened their respective boxes and checked the reward items..
Each person requested an item with divine power according to the item they mainly use..
“Maybe it's because it has divine power, but it looks more brilliant somewhere..”
“It's because of my mood.”
Of course, it also emits light in response to the power of darkness..
“Oh, by the way, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, why do you have two boxes??”
That was because the reward item requested from the brigade commander also arrived..
First, he opened the reward box he received from the brigade commander..
Inside were two one-handed swords..
Both appeared to be the same model. The blade was about 70cm long and looked like a gladius, a Roman ceremonial weapon..
I picked one of them up..
S-Rung-
[Item information]
- Name: KG19 (Advanced)
- Effect: Embraces divine power.
It was not an item obtained from a dungeon, but an item manufactured at the AMT Arsenal..
If regular items are divided into 5 levels: Normal, Rare, Heroic, Legendary, and Mythic.,
Manufacturing items are divided into five levels: Normal - Advanced - Skilled - Artisan - Master..
This weapon was still at an advanced level, it was light and had a good center of gravity..
‘It'll be useful for a while.’
Then it was time to open the second box, the reward sent by the commander..
“-Sigh! Why is this so heavy??”
Taeyong Choi said as he brought the box..
But when Lee Hyun-wook lifted his finger, the box rose into the air and flew towards Lee Hyun-wook..
“oh······.”
I snapped my fingers again, and the box opened with a clanging sound..
Then the others' eyes widened..
“Wow, what, why are there so many??”
“But what on earth is this used for??”
Inside, it was full of specially made items to prepare for the coming hell..
that······.
“Is this a stake...??”
There were as many as 30 silver iron stakes filled with divine power..
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