Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Dongdaemun Station, Erosion Factor, Giant Sword - Part 3
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"...Please, I'm counting on you. Yes, I'll call you back."
Kang Seo-yoon, South Korea's 4th-ranked Player, ended her call.
Just then, the news came on the wall-mounted TV.
- ...As criticism mounts against the government and guilds for failing to produce a viable solution, the future of South Korea, once hailed as a rising powerhouse of Players, has become uncertain.
"Emerged? More like the top countries sank, making us look good by comparison..."
It was true that South Korea was considered one of the most powerful Player nations of the current era.
But the reason wasn't that its Players were exceptionally great; it was because the early powerhouses—the United States, Germany, China, and others—had been swept away one by one by the Waves.
Thus, South Korea's international standing had risen, but...
'...This time, it's our turn.'
Perhaps this country, too, was destined to sink.
- Oh god! My son is in there! Please, save him!
The news screen shifted to show a group of protesters.
A middle-aged woman crying for her family trapped in the Wave Zone, young Players burning with a sense of justice and causing a commotion, declaring they would break into the Wave Zone at any moment...
"Hah, trying to break in is just plain stupid, but someone has to step up. Just... someone more capable than them..."
She turned off the TV with a bitter feeling.
Then she opened the door and stepped outside.
A cacophony of noise washed over her.
"—Channel 3, communication established. Yes! They say they're the Baekho Guild!"
"New information! A Corpse Golem is reportedly roaming Dongjak-gu!"
"What? Doesn't that mean there's a Necromancer nearby?"
Dozens of staff members bustled through the massive space, a chaotic blend of voices.
This was the situation room, set up in the basement of the National Gate Response Committee Integrated Command Center.
The current crisis they were managing was, of course, the 4th Wave.
And they weren't focused on some 'post-incident countermeasures,' but on the here and now.
This was the 'control tower' established to stop the 'Seoul Erosion.'
And the person in charge of this organization, the 'Head Player,' was none other than Kang Seo-yoon.
Normally, a high-ranking government official would take on such a role...
But this time, for various reasons, the mantle had fallen to her.
"Wizard 13 has connected with an unidentified Player. Recording conversation."
"Wizard 44 is in communication with Lee Cheol-hee, a B-grade Player located in Daerim 2-dong."
"Communication with Wizard 51 has been lost... It seems they were attacked."
The primary mission of this 'control tower' was 'communication' with Players inside the Wave Zone.
Their job was to persuade and unite the Players within, guiding them to find the erosion factors.
The decision-makers at the control tower had agreed that this was the best they could do from the outside.
To that end, 35 high-level mages were currently mobilized, communicating with the Players inside the Wave Zone.
"Emergency Communications Director, have you managed to contact anyone?"
At Kang Seo-yoon's words, the man sitting at the highest point turned his head.
"Ah, we've reached a few places so far. But their reactions are... lukewarm."
"Hah... What, they won't step up even if we offer them a Legendary-grade item?"
"Yes, well, they don't want to die. If there were a strong, central figure, people would trust and gather around them, but... hah—since there's nothing like that, they're all saying they'll just wait and see."
"Hmm, so no one wants to take the lead, is that it..."
After all, a Wave was on a different level from a normal Gate.
It was an incomprehensible hurricane that had never once been overcome.
Who would want to walk into that?
That was why a 'central figure' was necessary.
Someone they could trust and follow...
'...Then, those who covet the items and cash rewards would start to rally.'
The problem was that they hadn't yet found anyone who could become that central figure.
Why in the world was there not a single person like that in all of Seoul...?
"Ah! But... there was one group that gave a positive response. In fact, they said they had already been systematically carrying out a response operation even before we contacted them."
Kang Seo-yoon's eyes lit up.
A force that had taken the initiative early on in this hopeless Wave Zone? Who on earth could it be?
"Oh! Where are they? Is it a guild? What's the leader's grade? How many of them are there?"
She fired off a volley of questions.
But for some reason, the Emergency Communications Director's expression was tinged with bitterness.
"Well, about that... it's the A.M.T. The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Anti-Monster Brigade, stationed at Namsan. They formed a special operations team this morning and began a mission to search for the erosion factor."
"Ah..."
Her hopes were dashed. It wasn't the news she wanted to hear.
'Of all the people, the A.M.T....'
Specifically, the 3rd Anti-Monster Brigade's 1st Battalion wasn't a special forces unit, but one centered around regular soldiers.
In her judgment, they wouldn't be a very useful force.
Just then, someone approached her from behind.
It was a middle-aged man in a white suit.
"Oh? Guildmaster Ki, what brings you here?"
It was Ki Baek-jun, the leader of 'Taesan,' South Korea's 3rd-ranked guild, and the country's 10th-ranked Player.
"I came in person to deliver some positive news."
"Yes?"
"As it happens, one of our guild's main raid teams was clearing a gate that opened in Heukseok-dong."
"Ah?"
"An hour ago, they contacted us saying they had finished the raid. After a brief rest, they've decided to begin searching for the erosion factor. They're a skilled team, with one A-grade and three B-grade Players."
Kang Seo-yoon nodded repeatedly, her face filled with anticipation, and Ki Baek-jun smiled faintly.
"I thought it would be a good idea to have them form a core... and rally the other Players around them."
***
"...This won't take long."
Just before entering the tunnel, Lee Hyun-wook spoke with assurance.
But Ahn Min-tae, who was accompanying him, honestly expected a long fight. Entering that dark tunnel meant they would, in all likelihood, face a 'Boss Monster.'
'I don't know what will come out, but it's bound to be something incredible.'
It was hard to imagine quickly defeating a Boss Monster from a 'Wave,' not just a regular Gate.
Of course, he believed Lee Hyun-wook would somehow manage it...
'Still, it's only natural that it would take a considerable amount of time.'
That's what Ahn Min-tae had thought.
And yet...
"Crazy..."
Now, he was clicking his tongue in sheer amazement.
The object of his awe was, once again, Lee Hyun-wook.
'Even for a Boss Monster—!'
The reason was that, with a few gestures of his hand, the Boss Monster had been reduced to a crimson pulp.
What's more...
'I think it took about 10 minutes... Does that even make sense?'
Yes, it had been 10 minutes ago.
They were moving through the tunnel when they came upon a Line 1 subway train blocking the path. At that time, Lee Hyun-wook had said the Boss Monster seemed to have made its nest inside.
And sure enough, there it was, coiled within.
*Kweeeeeeeh—!*
The Boss Monster's name was 'Hell Rat Mutant.' As Ahn Min-tae recalled, it was a sewer rat the size of a brown bear, with two heads and six snake-like tentacles writhing on its back.
Its grotesque appearance momentarily stunned everyone.
But Lee Hyun-wook, as always, spoke with a calm expression.
"Tsk—of all the places to nest, it chose very, very poorly."
And again, as always, he slowly raised his left hand.
Yes, that was the beginning.
Lee Hyun-wook sent hundreds of steel beads into the train car, then triggered a continuous series of 'Shatters.'
*Fuh-buh-buh-buh-buck—!*
The metal fragments ricocheted around the confined space of the train car, mercilessly piercing the Boss Monster.
Naturally, the Boss Monster tried to escape, but something strange happened.
'The steel poles inside the train car started moving like snakes, binding the Boss Monster!'
Ahn Min-tae saw it clearly. The stainless steel handrails inside the train—their frames all buckled at once, wrapping around the Boss Monster's body like steel chains...
Ahn Min-tae didn't know it, but this was 'Metal Transmutation,' a trait Lee Hyun-wook had recently unlocked.
He had momentarily transformed the hard stainless steel to bind the creature's body.
But that alone couldn't completely stop a beast of that size.
With a single struggle, the makeshift chains snapped apart.
But Lee Hyun-wook was not one to be unaware of that.
*Thud—!*
He immediately moved four Living Armors to block the rear doors, preventing its escape.
Next, he ordered the mages to fire 'Freeze Magic' into the space between the train and the tunnel wall.
*Jjeojeojeojeojeo—!*
The narrow gap filled with ice, making it impossible to escape through the windows.
It seemed the Boss Monster was now completely trapped inside the train car.
Immediately after, Lee Hyun-wook focused his power on the metal inside the train.
The hundreds of steel beads he had sent in earlier 'Shattered' and simultaneously 'Transmuted' into sharp points.
They tangled with the Boss Monster and began to spin violently.
Inside the cramped train car, it was impossible to dodge a single fragment.
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga—!*
Even a Boss Monster couldn't withstand such an insane attack.
Blood splattered against the windows, again and again. Eventually, chunks of flesh flew out and stuck to the glass with a *thwack*.
Watching the scene, Ahn Min-tae felt a chill run down his spine.
'What is this... It's like a blender...'
Ahn Min-tae's assessment was accurate.
The entire train car had become a giant blender, trapping the Boss Monster and tearing it to shreds.
Lee Hyun-wook even had Park Jun-mo pour all his 'electricity' into the train car... It was a move to stun the struggling beast and make it easier to grind up.
'A devil! The greatest devils are truly human!'
And so, the Boss Monster, unable to escape the train car, paid the price for choosing the wrong nest, getting ground up again and again for about five minutes.
*Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga—!*
Even after the creature's movements seemed to cease, Lee Hyun-wook didn't stop, keeping the 'blender' running.
All of that took exactly 10 minutes.
In that short time, 'what was once a Boss Monster' had been created, its form unrecognizable.
"Ugh—!"
"Damn... It looks like ground meat."
The sight was so gruesome that it was nauseating, even through their gas masks.
"I mean, how could you... It was a Wave's Boss Monster, after all..."
Ahn Min-tae asked, still in a daze, but Lee Hyun-wook looked as if it was nothing.
"A raid, if you exploit its weaknesses properly, can sometimes be strangely easy."
In truth, the 'Hell Rat Mutant' wasn't a particularly strong Boss Monster to begin with.
'That thing was nothing more than a guardian for the Gate behind it.'
The true danger of Hell Rats lay in their overwhelming 'numbers' that poured out endlessly. The Boss Monster was designed merely to guard the Gate, a sort of balancing act.
To those who didn't know this, it must have looked like an incredibly overwhelming battle.
"Alright, we're going in."
"Ugh..."
Led by Lee Hyun-wook, they entered the train car that had just been used as a blender.
Sticky blood dripped from everywhere like jelly.
"Damn it..."
And with metal fragments embedded everywhere, one wrong move could tear their clothes and skin.
Then, he saw it. A single sword was stuck in a chunk of flesh. It was the Cloud Sword.
- The Cloud Sword is filling with an unknown energy. (100%)
'Good, it hit the heart.'
By absorbing the creature's blood, the gauge had finally reached 100%.
The moment Lee Hyun-wook retrieved it, another system message appeared before his eyes.
- Congratulations! The Cloud Sword's potential has been unlocked, and it has been upgraded to 'Cloud Master's Shadow Hand'!
'Potential unlocked. Finally.'
Lee Hyun-wook checked the information for the Cloud Sword, no, the 'Cloud Master's Shadow Hand'.
[Item Information]
- Name: Cloud Master's Shadow Hand (Unsa-amsu)
- Effect: Absorbs water to release 'Water Mist' or 'Electric Shock'.
The original 'Water Mist Release' skill remained, with 'Electric Shock Release' newly added.
*Wooooo—*
And on the blade, with its wave-like pattern, ancient Hanja-like characters were engraved.
They momentarily flashed with a white light—
*Pajijiji—*
An electric current coursed through the entire blade of the Cloud Sword.
'Now I won't have to rely on Park Jun-mo when I need an electric attack.'
Just as he'd thought when he first held this sword, the combination of steel and electricity was truly formidable.
Of course, he'd need to practice a few times to use it properly, but now was not the time for that.
"Listen up. We killed the Boss Monster, but no 'World Stone' dropped."
"...What?"
"Can that happen?"
When you kill a Boss Monster, a 'World Stone' appears.
And when you destroy it, the Gate closes.
This was the basic formula for clearing a dungeon.
"There are various reasons, but one of them is an 'Erosion Factor.' We keep moving forward."
They passed through the train car and emerged on the other side, once again advancing into the darkness.
They had found proof that their target was not far, so there was no time to delay.
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook spotted something.
"Hmm... Wait a minute. Shine a light on this wall here."
Park Jun-mo raised his flashlight and illuminated the spot Lee Hyun-wook was pointing to.
On the concrete tunnel wall, wedged in a crack, was something black.
"Huh? It looks like some kind of crystal."
Lee Hyun-wook took out a dagger and scraped it out.
"...What is that?"
"Dungeon Iron Ore."
- You have acquired Dungeon Iron Ore (Grade 3).
It was one of the representative material items obtainable in dungeons.
If a Blacksmith Player refined it, it could be made into Dungeon Steel.
"What? Is that stuff actually growing here?"
"It's proof that this place is undergoing 'Dungeonization.'"
"If, if that's the case..."
"Simply put, it means the erosion is in progress."
The erosion proceeds rapidly over five days, and on the final day, an explosive 'Great Upheaval' occurs. The land would literally be overturned and the climate would shift dramatically, causing earthquakes and storms in the surrounding areas.
The precursors to that phenomenon were budding in small ways like this.
"In any case, for us right now, it's a good sign. It means the erosion factor is very close."
The party picked up their pace.
And after advancing for about another five minutes...
"Look over there! It's the Gate!"
Finally, the purple shimmer came into view.
Dozens of Hell Rats were gathered around it, but they were dealt with without issue, and the party searched the area. Then, about 10 meters beyond the Gate, they found something.
"There's something on the ground here!"
A red stone was embedded in the concrete floor between the railway tracks. Crimson veins extended from it, writhing. It looked just like a seed putting down roots.
*Thump— Thump— Thump— Thump—*
And it pulsed with a periodic vibration.
How should one describe it... Yes, it was like a heart.
"It's the World Stone!"
Ahn Min-tae exclaimed, and Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"To be precise, it's the erosion factor."
"Gasp! Is that right?"
"Ahn Min-tae, you need to study, not just train."
Thus, the identity of the 'erosion factor' was none other than the 'World Stone.'
A World Stone taking root in the Earth's surface and causing a massive topographical change—that was 'erosion.'
Even outside of a Wave, a World Stone left unattended for a long time could cause an erosion phenomenon.
In any case—
'Good, that's one down.'
Lee Hyun-wook fired a Pale Note, striking the World Stone.
*Jjae-aeng—!*
With a loud crack, a fissure appeared on its surface, and then it burst with a *pop*.
The impact wasn't particularly grand, so everyone just stood there blankly.
"......."
They weren't sure if they had actually succeeded.
Just then, a single line of a system message appeared before their eyes.
- You have destroyed the 'World Stone (Wave)'!
The moment they saw it, they looked at each other—
"We did it! We did it! We really did it!"
"Waaaaah—!"
The 15 members of the search team cheered in unison.
They had accomplished a feat that had only been achieved once in history.
It must have been an indescribable sense of accomplishment.
Lee Hyun-wook smiled as well, but his smile held a different kind of pleasure.
'Not only is this a great achievement, but I've also secured 55 billion won and a Hero-grade item.'
Lee Hyun-wook was well aware that a 'bounty' had been placed on this 4th Wave.
'By now, Kang Seo-yoon must be going crazy. She's probably nagging the hell out of the Guardians...'
In his past life, the same amount of money had been offered, but only one erosion factor was eliminated.
It wasn't a problem that could be solved just by offering a reward.
'But this time, I'll take it all.'
Of course, since the 40 members of the Steel Company had achieved this together, he would have to distribute some of it.
But since Lee Hyun-wook's contribution was overwhelming, the share coming to him would be large.
'I'll manage half as assets, and invest the other half in Cheol-su's guild.'
Lee Hyun-wook planned to nurture Park Cheol-su's <Hope Guild> and turn it into his own organization.
Just then, a gust of wind began to whip through the area.
*Fwoooosh—*
The Gate had begun to close, causing a change in air pressure in the tunnel.
The Gate, that purple shimmer, crumpled like paper and then condensed into a single point.
'...It's finally coming out.'
Lee Hyun-wook stared at that spot.
As the Wave closed, something massive took shape.
It fell straight down with gravity, and,
*Jjeo-eok—!*
It slammed into the concrete with a deafening crash.
At its sudden appearance, the excited party members jumped back in surprise.
Park Jun-mo raised his lantern and shone it on the object.
"What in the world is that..."
Everyone scrutinized the object.
"It looks like a sword, doesn't it?"
"Uh... It looks like a sword, but can you really call that a sword?"
But as their reactions suggested, it was not of normal proportions.
"It's too big to be called a sword."
As they said, the sword was misshapen.
It was larger than a person, far too big to be a weapon wielded by human hands.
Even at a glance, the blade seemed to be over 2 meters long.
And its width was greater than an adult man's torso.
A giant sword, deep black from hilt to tip...
While everyone was wary of the strange object, Lee Hyun-wook approached it.
He reached out and grasped the hilt.
- You have acquired Moglei.
'It's been a while.'
[Item Information]
- Name: Moglei (Hero)
- Effects
1) Mass Release (1-5): Releases sealed 'mass' and grants the user 'Reinforced Frame'.
2) Shockwave: Generates a powerful shockwave. Its destructive power is proportional to Mass Release Level 1.
"Uh... Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, can you even swing that thing?"
Ahn Min-tae asked.
Indeed, it looked like it weighed dozens of kilograms at a glance. It was completely unsuitable as a weapon to be wielded by hand; even a high-grade Barbarian Player would struggle to use it.
'That's why Red Berserker was such a monster.'
Red Berserker, the warrior-class Villain who had wielded this insane weapon freely...
With no particular skills, he had once demolished an eight-story shopping mall just by swinging this.
It was truly immense destructive power, but...
Honestly, it was far more powerful when Lee Hyun-wook, who became its second owner after defeating him, used it.
Because...
"You don't necessarily have to wield it."
Lee Hyun-wook let go of Moglei's hilt.
He took a step back and slowly raised only the fingers of his left hand.
And then...
*Jjeojeojeo--*
The thing dislodged itself from the concrete and slowly rose into the air.
Its massive body stood tall in the air.
'55kg...'
Even with its mass sealed and reduced to its minimum, it weighed a hefty 55 kilograms.
The reason Lee Hyun-wook could use this better than anyone else was simple.
He could control its immense mass freely, without having to bear it with physical strength.
And that was more flexible, more effective, and more powerful than swinging it by hand.
'For now, I can only use it at level 1 weight, but as I unlock its mass in the future, it will become much stronger.'
'Mass Release,' one of Moglei's skills.
It was divided into 5 levels, and in his past life, Lee Hyun-wook had unlocked it up to level 3.
At that time, Moglei's weight had reached a staggering 2 tons.
Lee Hyun-wook remembered that historic moment—
when he had dropped that 2-ton greatsword from thousands of feet in the air,
imbued its tip with the full force of his metal control,
and plunged it into the head of a Black Dragon flying over Suwon.
"...This will make things easier."