The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 6
6. leopard and buffalo - 1
=================
A gate is a phenomenon in which a dimensional crack occurs and monsters invade through the gap..
Although approximately 11 years have passed since such an unknown phenomenon was first observed, there is still no way to predict the ‘cause of occurrence’ or ‘time of occurrence’..
Therefore, simply monitoring all key locations in real time to detect the occurrence of a gate and immediately respond was the ‘best option’ for gate security operations..
“It's great that our sentries responded well. By the way.”
As the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Kim Kang-seok's words faded, a cold feeling filled the command and control room..
He was a capable soldier who held the rank of lieutenant colonel at the young age of 35. But he had a greater reputation than that.······.
He was ranked 166th in the ‘Korean Player Rankings’..
That's exactly why every word he said felt heavy..
“······You have to be sure. You all know very well that it is not reasonable to report to the Brigadier that an F-rank soldier single-handedly stopped the first 'eruption' of the gate. This isn't a question of format. It's a matter of common sense. What I mean is, you have to report it as much as common sense tells you..”
Right now, he didn't really believe that an F-class soldier was active..
“Everyone, let me ask you again. What on earth happened to our unit this morning??”
None of the executives from the ‘initial response team’ within the command and control room could give a hasty answer..
there was no evidence.
CCTVs were installed throughout the unit, but as soon as the gate occurred, a large amount of mana exploded and temporarily disabled electronic equipment in the area..
All that remained was fragmented testimony..
The sentries at guard post No. 6, who witnessed the situation closest, had not yet recovered, and the deputy gunner at guard post No. 5 was a private, so for some reason I did not trust them..
It was then.
“Battalion commander, the soldier you called has arrived..”
When Kim Kang-seok motioned for him to come in, Lee Hyun-wook entered the command and control room..
“loyalty!”
However, Kim Kang-seok did not receive the salute..
1The company commander, Captain Kwak Yong-jun, stood up..
“Battalion commander, this soldier is Corporal Lee Hyeon-wook, a worker at guard post 5 during the time of the incident..”
Kim Kang-seok nodded and looked Lee Hyun-wook up and down..
And Lee Hyun-wook also looked at him..
They are full of fatigue as they woke up early in the morning, but their eyes feel even sharper... Not only the soldiers, but even most of the executives become discouraged without even realizing it..
‘Kim Kang-seok, a B-level druid player known as the Sangun of Namsan······.’
As long as Kim Kang-seok and Lee Hyun-wook knew, it was a name they would hear often in the future. It is currently B-level, but will soon be promoted to A-level. And in just a few years, he was a big man who became a one-star ‘Brigadier General’ and within a few years he rose to a three-star ‘AMT Attack Operations Commander’..
He paused for a moment to think about what he was thinking, then slowly opened his mouth..
“······I heard that the soldier caught the elite boss by himself, so I thought it was Sergeant Youngjun Choi, his friend..”
It was a sour voice. And it was about ignoring Lee Hyun-wook..
“Hmm, but you... soldier, is it true that you repelled the first eruption??”
“Yes that's right. We detected the gate occurrence while on duty and responded immediately..”
Lee Hyun-wook answered right away. But Kim Kang-seok's expression was still stiff..
He stood up without a word..
193As the cm-tall, strong-boned figure stood up, a thick shadow fell over the strategy table..
He had a threatening appearance that belied the title of Mountain Lord of Namsan..
“Well, under normal circumstances, soldier, you would have been torn to pieces and died on the spot..”
He continued to say somewhat harsh words, as if he was trying to pressure Lee Hyun-wook to get the truth out of him..
“My judgment is that there is no way an F-class could have defeated the ‘elite boss monster’ alone. There seems to be quite a lot omitted, for example, the lightning magic that bounced from guard post 6 luckily hit the 'Goblin Shaman' and left him in a dying state... Yeah, I think that would make more sense, don't you think??”
At Kim Kang-seok’s cynical words, Lee Hyun-wook boldly shook his head. And then······.
“Battalion Commander, I don't understand what you're saying right now. And... I feel like I was cheated..”
He made a bombshell statement out of nowhere, chilling the command and control room..
“······fraud? Did I just say it was a scam??”
Kim Kang-seok’s eyebrows twitched..
“Yes that's right.”
“······Why?”
Lee Hyun-wook looked straight into Kim Kang-seok’s eyes and answered..
“There is something that the battalion commander emphasized every time he gave group training to the battalion members. This is something that has been said without fail. Do you remember?”
Kim Kang-seok did not answer, and Lee Hyun-wook continued talking..
“He emphasized that even if you are a low-level player, if you attack based on the correct response method, you can deal with trolls even if you are a D-level player or even an E-level player..”
I heard this a long time ago, but I still remember it because I was so sick of it..
“According to the battalion commander's training, it doesn't seem that strange that I, an F-class person, could have subdued a goblin, even if it wasn't a troll. I fought back according to AMT and defeated the enemy. But now you are saying that the victory I risked my life for is impossible.······.”
I feel cheated,
I didn't bother mentioning it again..
However, it would have already had a significant impact on Kim Kang-seok's thinking..
“······.”
Kim Kang-seok looked at Lee Hyun-wook in silence. Lee Hyun-wook did not avoid his gaze. There was no change in his expression, but the anger he had shown at first glance when he heard that he felt cheated had disappeared..
‘Up to this point, it was emotional pressure, and from now on, rational persuasion is needed..’
Lee Hyun-wook took a breath and continued speaking..
“Of course I was lucky. The moment the lightning magic exploded at guard post 6, we captured the goblin shaman near the gate. At that time, I noticed that it was not an ordinary goblin gate, but an elite level, and decided that it would be better to move in a different direction rather than blindly apply..”
Suddenly, Kim Kang-seok’s expression changed subtly..
Lee Hyun-wook said he was lucky, but Kim Kang-seok would not consider that to be true luck, and would rather highly evaluate him for carefully understanding the situation..
He was a soldier and player who had fought countless battles, so he knew how important those small decisions were..
“······Where do you continue?.”
He also seems interested. Lee Hyun-wook nodded his head and continued his speech..
Due to the nature of the 'Goblin Shaman' that commands a large number of goblin subordinates, rather than supporting guard post 6 in crisis, it was decided to use guard post 6 as bait to directly attack the boss monster Goblin Shaman... And after that, , explained how he was able to defeat the elite boss monster one-on-one..
“······Although it is an F-level ability that can only control small metals, I moved the goblin shaman's necklace to strangle the goblin, and when the goblin showed me an opportunity, I moved the goblin shaman's dagger and stabbed the goblin's neck. Like this, I think I've harmed him in the best way I could..”
Overall, it was a thorough report on how Class F was able to function in the field..
“As the battalion commander said, I am an F-level weapon, so I only have one enchanted M9 bayonet. So all I can do is prepare for the worst and fight as best as I can..”
Prepare for the worst and fight the best, even those last words were something Kim Kang-seok often said..
This was both a claim and flattery..
Kim Kang-seok nodded slowly..
“······I get it. Stop going out.”
He turned and said, and Lee Hyun-wook saluted and walked out of the command and control room..
Then there was silence again..
The commander on duty who was sitting in his seat swallowed dry saliva..
Otherwise, it did not seem like a good scene for a single soldier to assert himself so clearly in front of the battalion commander, who must have been very sensitive after an unpleasant incident occurred in the compound..
Kim Kang-seok was lost in thought with his hands crossed, and no one opened his mouth..
After about a minute, he finally spoke..
“······If you were Class F, do you think you would have been able to fight like that guy just said??”
No one could answer. It was a moment where neither positivity nor negativity suited me..
In the silence of the staff, Kim Kang-seok looked into space..
And for just a moment, I was lost in old thoughts..
When the gate first opened, when you were a second lieutenant, when you first encountered a monster······.
I remembered the old memories of countless real soldiers fleeing to Paris and dying..
“Now I understand. That guy, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, was not an F-level player, but he faced him as a prepared soldier, and that's how he won. To my shame, I overlooked the fact that that friend was a soldier and judged him..”
He decided to believe Lee Hyun-wook’s testimony..
“1Company Commander.”
“Yes, battalion commander.!”
Kim Kang-seok showed a faint smile. It was an expression I couldn't normally see..
“I will give that friend a special reward with the authority of the battalion commander. Oh, and...you can choose any weapon you need from the battalion armory without restrictions. Does it make sense that a friend like that's exclusive weapon is a great sword??”
***
Lee Hyun-wook came to the command and control room without hearing the results, but was confident that everything went as planned..
‘It must have been an answer that targeted my taste..’
Lieutenant Colonel Kim Kang-seok, he was a true soldier as they say..
When he graduated from the Military Academy and was just commissioned as a second lieutenant, the gates began to open. And a few days later, there was a battle with a group of orcs... and at that time, all of the platoon members were lost..
Immediately after, he awakens as a player and becomes an early member of the founding of AMT..
He is a man who lives with a sense of duty to protect this land in response to an unknown invasion..
‘He carries out exactly what he emphasized, so you won't be able to hate him..’
Each and every word of Lee Hyun-wook was composed of keywords that thoroughly targeted Kim Kang-seok..
After a while, the company commander, Captain Kwak Yong-jun, came to see Lee Hyun-wook..
“Hyunwook Lee, thank you for your hard work. Although I spoke too boldly... fortunately, it seems like the battalion commander viewed you favorably. ‘Reward points’ will be paid out tomorrow and you will probably also receive a commendation..”
Reward points, AMT's reward system, could be exchanged for items not only for vacations and overnight stays, but also for items at military item stores. Items exchanged in this way become yours only..
“Also, if you go to the military governor tomorrow, they will transfer possession of an item from the battalion armory. Since the battalion commander's order allows you to use anything without restrictions, you must choose carefully..”
Lee Hyun-wook was internally delighted. As expected, the prize I wanted was given away..
Kim Kang-seok placed the most importance on combat power, so he usually gave out item rewards like this, and Lee Hyun-wook's intentional comment that he only had an enchanted M9 greatsword because he was an F-class player probably played a big role..
“During my time in the military, this is the first time I have seen an F-class member receive a commendation. See you again, Hyunwook Lee.”
“I was lucky. thank you.”
“Yes, of course I got lucky, but I did well..”
Kwak Yong-jun smiled kindly and tapped Lee Hyun-wook on the shoulder..
He still thought it was luck.
Understandably, the soldier he commanded for several months named Lee Hyun-wook did not possess the combat power to deal with the goblin shaman alone..
“Okay, then rest well and see you tomorrow..”
“Yes, I understand.”
It was already 8 am. I woke up at 3:30 in the morning, so I was a little tired, but I couldn't rest..
- (05:12:49) left until metal absorption.
Adamant, it was necessary to quickly absorb this expensive metal and then quickly consume the secretly hidden ‘Mana Stone’. To achieve this, it was necessary to shorten the absorption time through exercise..
‘Sleep is a luxury. I need to get some exercise and then plan a vacation..’
And you can now go on a reward vacation with reward points..
***
The story of the compound gate incident that occurred early in the morning and the activities of the F-class players at the scene quickly spread throughout the unit. Most reactions were a mixture of puzzlement and surprise..
but······.
In the company counseling room, Kwak Jin-cheol and Oh Sang-guk were sitting on the sofa..
“Oh Sergeant, does this make sense? That bastard captured the goblin shaman all by himself..”
Even though his duty as deputy on duty was over, Kwak Jin-cheol could not sleep..
“I feel like I'm dreaming of this. If I wake up like this, I wonder if I'll be dozing off at the administrative desk and eating Kusari from Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha... I'd rather be in that situation. This really doesn't make sense..”
He blew out smoke with a puffy face..
“Boy, don't worry.”
On the other hand, Sergeant Oh Sang-guk was still full of leisure..
“I can't believe it either, but it worked out. If that bastard got all worked up over that, wouldn't there be a high chance that Won-seok would fight him out when he challenged him? Ugh······.”
Although the Goblin Shaman was a difficult monster to deal with, Oh Sang-guk thought that it was not at a level that could be compared to a D-level barbarian player, which was actually rated as a C-level player..
“Maybe a few bones will be shattered, so you'll need a couple of healers to heal until you get the mana oring. If he gets embarrassed like that, all the rumors that Lee Hyun-wook has done something great will disappear..”
Oh Sang-guk chuckled as he said that. Kwak Jin-cheol also laughed, but felt uneasy for some reason..
‘But no matter how much I think about it, something is ominous, something seems to have changed..’
He recalled the moment he had a confrontation with Lee Hyun-wook yesterday. Should I say that Lee Hyun-wook’s expression at that time was like that of an old beast? Anyway, I felt a sense of heterogeneity..
At that time, someone knocked on the counseling room door..
“Private First Class Lee Won-seok! Can I come in??”
“Uh, come in!”
Large black ravens came rushing in. It was the barbarian Private Wonseok Lee and his comrades..
“Hey... Look at our June military bundles, they really look like an Orc tribe.?”
“Seriously, if you put these guys in green clothes, they might get shot with machine guns..”
The privates burst into laughter at the words of the two seniors..
These privates with the June service number were called ‘Kkakdugi’. Regardless of their characteristics, they were all large, so if they all crowded together, they felt intimidated, just like gangsters..
And among them, the barbarian, Lee Won-seok, stood out about a span more..
‘Well, if he's that good, he's the kind of guy who could cut a goblin shaman in two with his bare hands..’
How can someone who can do pull-ups at best beat a person who has the grip strength to split a log??
“Yes, Wonseok, remember what I said?”
“Yes that's right. 5th Squad, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook······.”
“Yeah, yeah, let's not say it out loud. You have to be careful?”
“ah! That's right, I often forget..”
Although it was the right time to say 'I'm sorry', Lee Won-seok smiled as he said that. However, Sergeant Oh Sang-guk also did not raise any objections. It was special treatment.
“That friend is at the training ground right now? I want to go and meet you for a moment.?”
“ah! Would it be okay if I went out to play right now??”
“Okay, we'll follow you a little later. It would be very strange if we went together.?”
The order was to beat up the senior, but Lee Won-seok did not look nervous..
“No need to worry. I'll handle it very smoothly. haha!”
Lee Won-seok worked as a club guard from the age of 18 to 24, but woke up at the age of 25 and enlisted in the AMT to fulfill the 'player's mandatory service period'..
He was a player with great potential who could soon be commissioned as a non-commissioned officer and had a high possibility of joining a decent guild after being discharged from the military..
“While I was working at a club, there were quite a few times where I took rude customers into the bathroom and beat them up. If you beat it moderately, it will make a fuss and become annoying, but if you tie it properly without breaking anything, it will be so scared that it will just go away quietly..”
“Hahaha! This guy is an expert at this.?”
“Well then, I'll handle it well.!”
As he was a bully at heart, he was used to being bullied by going against these rules..
***
“after······.”
Lee Hyun-wook was sitting inside the battle box, catching his breath..
To put it simply, a battle box was a square ring. However, it was a space blocked on all sides by a 'magic shield' so that players could use skills..
Hyunwook Lee just trained in close combat against the AI scarecrow there..
I was dizzy because I couldn't sleep well, but I felt refreshed..
And above all······.
- Absorption is complete.
- Steerable ‘metal’ weight: 2,558g
‘As expected, the total amount of metal increased significantly despite the delay in adamant absorption..’
The amount of metal that can be controlled jumped by more than 1 kg at once. The increase was incomparable to the scrap metal such as locks that had been swallowed up so far. As expected, swallowing high-quality metal was effective..
‘At this level, you will be able to control not only a short sword but also a normal long sword..’
That wasn't all.
- congratulations! New ‘skills’ are given by satisfying special conditions..
There are no growth characteristics or levels other than levels, but abilities are improved through hidden methods. And that also applies to acquiring these ‘skills’..
In Hyunwook Lee's case, if he swallows 'magic metal' with a special effect, he will gain the appropriate skill. And if you repeatedly swallow that metal, the skill will be strengthened..
‘Adamant gives you a particularly useful skill, and you're lucky to have gotten it so early..’
[Skill information]
- Name: Strong body)
- Grade: D
- Effect: Temporarily 'strengthens' part of the body by consuming mana (5).
* ‘If you swallow a certain amount of 'high hardness magic metal', your skill level will improve..
Although the grade is still low, even at this level, it was able to defend against most weapons and blunt weapons..
“and······.”
Hyunwook Lee raised his left hand..
T-that-enemy-
My fist started to harden like a diamond..
‘This alone increases your grip strength by three times..’
At that time, the door to the training ground opened and a group of large people came rushing in..
‘what?’
Lee Hyun-wook felt strange..
It was because those big guys were approaching, looking at them blatantly..
As if that feeling wasn't an illusion, they stopped in front of the battle box where Lee Hyun-wook was..
Among them, the largest man, Lee Won-seok, came forward..
“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, are you using that box now??”
In response to Lee Won-seok’s question, Lee Hyun-wook nodded silently..
“Hmm... I think you used it a lot by yourself, but can we use it now??”
As he said that and laughed, the gang also laughed..
It was blatant disregard..
‘look at these······.’
“Or would you like to play a game with me? I want to learn something.”
Lee Hyun-wook realized the context of this situation..
‘Oh Sang-guk and Kwak Jin-cheol, they are childish. Such a joke.’
Lee Hyun-wook released the rigidity of his left hand and gestured..
“Yeah, come up.”
That prank would never be done again..
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