Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Heroes of Seoul - 3
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"Huh, uh... what is this..."
Park Jun-mo's body was absorbing the current from the lightning strike.
He stared blankly into the air.
He was probably looking at some kind of 'system message.'
But he soon came to his senses and stretched his hand toward the High Black Mage on the rooftop.
Then, a searing blue current began to extend from his body.
Bzzzzzt—!
The current tangled together in one spot, elongating until it resembled a spear.
"Whoa, this is... awesome?"
Park Jun-mo hurled the 'Spear of Lightning' with all his might toward the boss monster.
A flash—in the blink of an eye, a straight blue line shot from his hand to the rooftop.
KABOOOM—!
The entire rooftop railing shattered, and concrete fragments rained down.
However, the High Black Mage threw himself backward, dodging the attack.
Grrrr—
But that wasn't the end of it.
As Park Jun-mo spread his hands, the Spear of Lightning unfolded like a net,
and it wrapped around the creature, clutching it tight.
Bzzzzzzzzzt—!
The High Black Mage's body was engulfed in the searing blue current and thrown backward.
Still, it was a boss monster, after all.
Even while being electrocuted, it glared fiercely and prepared a teleportation spell.
But in that instant, Lee Hyun-wook extended his left hand toward the creature,
and dozens of spears, including Failnaught, shot forward.
In its electrocuted state, it couldn't react in time.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thunk! Thud!
In an instant, a total of 22 spears were embedded all over its body.
And...
'Shatter!'
CR-A-A-A-ACK—!
...there could be no more definitive finish.
- Congratulations! You have defeated the boss monster 'High Black Mage (Red Orc)'!
"It's really over..."
With this, all obstacles guarding the corruption factor had been eliminated.
Lee Hyun-wook moved the Living Armor to eliminate the remaining stragglers and activated his Mana Messenger.
"Situation clear. Evacuate the civilians and clean up the area. And... Park Jun-mo, come up here."
After giving the order, he immediately began searching the rooftop.
He soon discovered the 'corruption factor' hidden beneath a pile of rubble on the altar.
A bundle of roots extending from it pierced through the department store, reaching all the way down to the basement.
In three days, the entirety of Gangnam would have been covered by the roots of this demonic tree.
'That desolate landscape will never come to pass.'
By removing this, he would prevent the forest of buildings in Gangnam from turning into 'demonic ruins.'
In other words, he could save a large part of Seoul.
Lee Hyun-wook grabbed the World Stone entangled in the roots, tore it out, and crushed it in a single motion.
Crunch—!
- You have destroyed the 'World Stone (Wave)'!
Groooan—
With that, the gate that had been open on one side of the rooftop began to collapse.
And just as when he had obtained Moglei, the moment the gate vanished, an item was created.
Humm—
Lee Hyun-wook reached out and snatched it. It was a very small, round object.
- You have obtained the Seed of Mistilteinn (Unknown).
'Finally...'
[Item Information]
- Name: Seed of Mistilteinn (Unknown)
- Effect: None
In Norse mythology, Mistilteinn was the god-slaying weapon that killed Baldur, the god of light and son of Odin. It was said to be a branch of 'mistletoe,' and this item followed that legend.
However, as it was an incredibly overpowered item in many ways, it didn't drop in its completed form.
One had to plant this seed in the ground and invest a great deal of time and effort to make it sprout a 'treetop branch.'
But there was one problem. That mistletoe was a 'parasitic tree.'
In other words, it was a plant that grew by parasitizing another tree, which meant he had to find a host tree for it.
'...It can't be attached to just any tree; it needs to be something like a divine tree.'
The 'World Tree' in the heart of Africa would be ideal, but that was impossible for now.
In many ways, this wasn't an item whose power could be seen immediately just by obtaining the seed.
'But it's a huge relief that it didn't fall into a Villain's hands.'
Lee Hyun-wook knew of dozens of heroes who had died by this weapon. No matter how powerful their defense or tenacious their life force, Mistilteinn simply 'ignored' all of it.
'Someday, I'll grow it and have Kang Hee-seol modify it into a weapon I can use.'
Lee Hyun-wook tucked the seed deep into his inner pocket.
Besides that, he had gained a lot from this battle.
First, he had acquired two items from the High Black Mage's corpse.
- You have obtained a Dark Wood Wand (Rare).
- You have obtained an Ancient Coin of the Underground Kingdom.
'I can give this wand to Park Jun-mo.'
In truth, Park Jun-mo's 'Current Control' could be used with his bare hands, as seen earlier.
However, a wand could still serve as a sort of antenna, a medium to help him utilize his ability.
Of course, once he awakened a 'sense of control' on par with Lee Hyun-wook's, he wouldn't need a wand.
He then checked the second item, the 'Ancient Coin of the Underground Kingdom.'
Although it was metal, he wouldn't gain any special abilities from absorbing it.
'This will be useful when the dwarf race appears in the future.'
Not all monsters that emerged from gates were hostile.
Some possessed considerable intelligence and interacted with humanity from their very first appearance.
The dwarf race was one of them.
They would later appear in various parts of the world, build villages, and engage in friendly exchanges with humanity. Their item crafting skills and magitech level were far beyond what any human blacksmith could replicate.
And this 'Ancient Coin of the Underground Kingdom' was the highest denomination of currency among the dwarves. For now, it was nothing more than a 'junk item,' but its value would change the moment the dwarves appeared.
'Tsk, everything I got today is useless for now...'
In any case, just as he finished searching for items, Park Jun-mo arrived on the rooftop.
"Um... Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook..."
The man had a somewhat dazed expression.
"I, I just saw a very strange... system message."
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"I know. You don't have to explain."
He knew without having to hear it. An ability growth message must have appeared.
"Ah! As expected of Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, you also—!"
At Lee Hyun-wook's words, Park Jun-mo nodded with an expression that said he had expected as much.
He had figured out the method behind the dramatic growth of Lee Hyun-wook, who, like him, was an F-rank.
"Listen carefully, Park Jun-mo. Don't tell anyone about this, and don't let it show."
"Pardon?"
"You don't want to be experimented on, do you?"
"......."
At those words, Park Jun-mo's expression hardened.
Live experimentation...
It made sense. If an F-rank's ability, known for its non-growth trait, suddenly improved, it would become more than just a hot topic. He would become a research subject, and just like in the movies, agents in sunglasses might show up...
Imagining such a scene, Park Jun-mo nodded his head repeatedly, his innocence showing.
"Gasp! Yes! I'll keep my mouth shut!"
Naturally, it was absolutely not a good thing for the method of ability growth to become public knowledge.
'For now, Park Jun-mo can just say he achieved a feat, just like me.'
A lie like this would be found out eventually, but it had to be delayed as long as possible.
'By the way, is this guy's ability growth method electrocution... or a lightning strike...'
The growth methods for non-leveling growth traits were often more bizarre than unique.
He would have to check later, but there was a high chance that Park Jun-mo's method wasn't simply being 'exposed' to an electric current.
The 'Inferno' trait, known to improve with exposure to fire, actually required exposure to flames of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. That's why its user had a massive furnace in his residence.
'There's probably a condition, like a certain amount of voltage or amperage.'
Still, Park Jun-mo's growth method was relatively normal.
'It's at least more plausible than me, who has to swallow chunks of iron, right?'
Of course, there were plenty of growth methods even more outlandish than Lee Hyun-wook's.
'But the funniest one of all had to be Han Tae-san.'
Thinking of Han Tae-san, Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but chuckle twice.
Korea's number 2 ranked Player, the Fist King, was famous for his 'secluded training.'
Each time he reemerged, he would be significantly stronger.
Because of this, his secluded training had a cool image, like the mysterious ascetic practices of a true martial artist.
But the reality was...
'He probably locks himself in an empty basement and does 10,000 sit-ups a day, right?'
The Fist King, having to do sit-ups morning, noon, and night to increase his ability...
That was the one and only complex and sore spot for the man overflowing with self-esteem, Han Tae-san.
Lee Hyun-wook chuckled once more, picturing him drenched in sweat, doing sit-ups all by himself even now.
***
About an hour later, the cleanup was in its final stages.
"Alright, we'll be heading to the shelter soon. Ah! If anyone is injured, please let us know anytime!"
The rescued civilians were boarding the four buses that had been prepared in advance.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook gathered the Players who had fought alongside him.
"Everyone, you've all worked very hard. Although there were sacrifices, we saved many lives."
At Lee Hyun-wook's words, the Players nodded, but with slightly awkward expressions.
"Well, we didn't really do much besides watch an incredible spectacle."
"I was truly amazed. The Steel Platoon... you're not called heroes for nothing."
"I agree! I learned so much from how calm and systematic you were in every aspect!"
Each of them voiced their admiration.
The feats of the Steel Platoon they had witnessed were, for the most part, still unbelievable.
If they could just survive this Wave, they would probably have stories to tell at bars for the rest of their lives.
"By the way, to think you've eliminated two corruption factors... wow... you're truly the saviors of Seoul."
At those words, Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
"It's too early to be optimistic. This disaster is not over yet."
"Ah, right..."
Although two corruption factors had been eliminated, the Wave was still ongoing.
"And this is not something we can accomplish on our own. We would be grateful if you all continue to lend your strength to overcome this disaster. The fate of Seoul will be decided in exactly two days."
Everyone nodded at his words.
"Yes, of course!"
"That's right. If we don't fight, who will?"
They had been terrified by the appearance of the world boss monster, but after seeing the Steel Platoon in action, their fighting spirit was rekindled.
"And we will be returning to the O Elementary School shelter to spend the night. If you wish to accompany us, it might be a bit uncomfortable, but there are seats available on that truck or the buses, so feel free to board."
As Lee Hyun-wook spoke, he was watching the three men standing at the very back.
They were Choi Min-sung's subordinates from the Taesan Guild.
'They must have realized their scheme failed midway, yet they didn't flee?'
Lee Hyun-wook had thought they might run the moment the barrier disappeared.
That was why he had ordered Kim Se-hee to keep a close watch on them and subdue them if necessary.
But for some reason, they had brazenly stuck around until now.
'They've judged that they won't be killed outright and are trying to stick around a bit longer to grasp the situation.'
Lee Hyun-wook came to that conclusion.
And it seemed their assessment of the situation was finally over.
The three men began to slowly slip away from the group.
"Hey, where are you going? It's getting dark. You should ride with us on our truck."
Park Jun-mo approached them and asked casually.
"Haha... we'll be moving separately. Our guild office is nearby."
"Ah, I see. And... I'm sorry about what happened to your colleagues."
Park Jun-mo bowed his head.
"...It's alright. They died doing a good thing, so they won't have any regrets."
With those words, they hastily left.
***
About five minutes later, the three men were standing in an alley far from the department store.
"Hoo... fuck, what the hell just happened?"
"See! I told you we were fucked!"
The moment the department store's barrier disappeared, they realized something had gone wrong.
But that alone wasn't enough to confirm failure and flee.
Because... no matter how they thought about it, the plan was supposed to be foolproof.
So at first, they believed that Choi Min-sung had hastily changed the plan for some reason.
But even after a long while, Choi Min-sung was nowhere to be seen.
Only then did they have no choice but to admit it.
The plan had failed, completely...
"Shit! What do you mean the deputy leader changed the plan inside? I told you! He just failed and died in there!"
"Ha... but how the hell could that happen! What are we going to tell the team leader when he asks? That we just bailed because we couldn't see him? Fuck... we have to at least figure out what happened!"
"Ha, this is driving me crazy..."
There were more than a few questionable points.
"No, something's weird, I'm telling you. Normally, they should be questioning us or at least giving us suspicious looks, right?"
According to the plan, Choi Min-sung's group was supposed to have targeted the Steel Platoon.
In the process, their alliance with the monsters would likely have been exposed.
But instead, they didn't seem to care at all, even expressing concern and apologizing.
Of course, they couldn't believe it was sincere, but it was all very confusing for them.
"Fuck, where did it all go wrong? And who the hell are those guys—!"
There was not a single part of it that they could even begin to guess.
"Alright, alright, whatever happened, we have no choice but to regroup with Team Leader Choo."
The other two men nodded at his words.
"Yeah, if it's him... he could take care of guys like that easily if he put his mind to it."
A-rank Player Choo Kyo-yong. With him, the Steel Platoon would be nothing.
"Hey, no one's watching now, so take out the Mana Messenger."
"Right, let's contact the main force and tell them what happened—Gack—!"
For some reason, the man couldn't finish his sentence and collapsed forward.
The other two men looked down at him. In his neck... there was a bright red hole.
The two looked at each other with shocked expressions.
In that moment...
"Gack!"
Something pierced through the other man's neck and shot out.
It was a silver arrow.
"Hah—!"
The arrow flew toward the sole survivor,
who stumbled backward until he hit a wall.
At that moment, the arrow stopped dead, right in front of his Adam's apple.
Humm—
"P-please spare me!"
Unable to move an inch, he trembled and darted his eyes left and right.
"Please, spare me!"
He cried out desperately and looked around again.
But there was no one there.
Then, a shadow fell over him from above.
He swallowed dryly and lifted his head.
"You seem to have a lot of questions..."
The commander of the Steel Platoon, Lee Hyun-wook, was floating in the air.
"Ah..."
His body descended toward the ground very slowly, as if defying gravity.
"...Did that provide you with any answers?"
Failnaught, touching the man's neck, spun lazily.
It looked as if it would pierce through his soft flesh at any moment.
"Guh! P-please spare me! I don't know anything!"
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"Alright, I'll just ask one thing. If you happen to know, just answer that."
"......."
"Where is the Monster Tamer's 'Heart Box'?"
"What? H-how do you..."
The man's eyes widened. The question was completely unexpected.
Lee Hyun-wook smiled faintly.
"...So you do know? Then you can answer me, can't you?"
"......."
"I'll ask one more time. Where is the Monster Tamer's Heart Box?"
A Monster Tamer captures monsters and makes them their familiars.
And most of them don't dominate such monsters, but rather communicate with them and become companions.
In that respect, taming powerful and violent monsters was quite difficult.
But Choo Kyo-yong was able to do it, and that's why he was a top-tier Monster Tamer.
And his secret was the 'Heart Box,' where he extracted and stored the monsters' hearts.
Using it, he could not only force obedience from ferocious monsters that wouldn't acknowledge a Player's dominance but also turn them into undying beings, like zombies.
In other words, if that box was destroyed, the A-rank Player Choo Kyo-yong could be neutralized.
"I'll, never... tell— Mmph—!"
Lee Hyun-wook forced the man's mouth open and began to shove something down his throat.
"Then I'll have to make you talk... but my methods are a bit different from the norm."
He tried not to swallow, but the unidentified objects pushed their way down his throat on their own.
"Gack— Gulp—"
In the end, he swallowed them all.
Immediately after, Lee Hyun-wook raised his index finger and pointed at the man's stomach.
Then he began to draw circles, and...
"Gaaah!"
Something churned inside his stomach, and an indescribable pain washed over him.
It felt as if his intestines were being slowly gnawed away...
"Guaaaah—!"
That's right. What Lee Hyun-wook had fed the man was a handful of metal scraps.
"Guuh—"
Lee Hyun-wook clamped a hand over the man's mouth and spoke quietly.
"Think carefully. Regardless of what happens to your organization's plans, you will die here."
"......."
"Forget everything. A peaceful death, or a painful one... that's the only choice you get to make."
"Guh..."
Lee Hyun-wook believed in the power of this simple and clear method.
It was a result derived from using it countless times in his past life.
'Villains are, for the most part, selfish and evil. That's their nature.'
They become Villains by committing selfish and evil acts to receive 'Villain Quests' in the first place.
There was no way an organization full of such people would have exceptional bonds.
That's why they implant 'latent magic' in their members, holding their 'lives' hostage to enforce discipline.
So, if he made the pain great enough to make them give up that life...
'A low-ranking member will easily betray some damn organization and choose a comfortable death.'
The last card Ki Baek-jun had prepared was slowly beginning to turn over.