Chapter 57
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Final Erosion Factor -3
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Lee Hyun-wook, sitting in the command vehicle, faced the hell approaching from the front.
The 'black fog' pouring out from Cheongryongsan Mountain was swallowing the city center.
"Is... is all of that really... insects?"
Kim Se-hee asked from the back seat.
"Yes, it appears so."
"Oh, damn..."
A swarm of insects that moved in a pack, devouring everything in their path like a plague of locusts... But the problem was that what those things were devouring wasn't crops, but the 'city' itself.
'That's why they're later called the <City Devourers>.'
Today marked their spectacular debut.
WHIIIIIIIIIRRRRRR!
As they moved forward, the sickening sound of flapping wings grew louder, pounding in their heads.
The upper floors of the buildings they passed vanished as if melting away.
They were gnawing away with their mandibles, but they were so fast it looked as if the structures were dissolving.
“C-Crazy..."
the driver muttered, letting out a groan.
It was a natural reaction.
Pressing the accelerator toward that sight was anything but easy.
WHIIIIIIIIIRRRRRR!
As the distance closed and the repulsive noise grew louder, everyone in the vehicle let out a faint groan.
If the monsters they had faced so far were creatures that could be defeated one way or another,
this felt like an unstoppable disaster, a force against which their courage couldn't help but waver.
But Lee Hyun-wook, as always, remained calm.
'On the surface, they look like the most heinous threat, but their weakness is actually very clear.'
That was why Lee Hyun-wook had saved them for last among the four erosion factors.
The Ironclad Insects were a swarm with metal skin, flying tangled together while maintaining extremely close proximity to one another. By doing so, they formed a single, massive steel storm—that was their weapon.
'But what would happen if something like lightning struck the middle of that dense formation?'
Their hard shells—metal—were naturally one of the most powerful conductors.
And inside was nothing but a living creature made of flesh and blood.
Simply put, they were perfectly suited to be electrocuted.
'...A very interesting scene is about to unfold.'
Lee Hyun-wook raised his Mana Messenger.
"Park Jun-mo, are you ready?"
-*Kshh*— Ready!
Now, the 'lightning' was prepared.
Lee Hyun-wook's gaze fell on the armored reconnaissance vehicle at the head of the column.
On its roof, where a machine gun would normally be mounted,
now sat a very special item.
'The Mace of the Thunder God. I'm looking forward to this.'
The Mace of the Thunder God, an Artisan-grade support weapon crafted from a Hero-grade item.
Its 'spear tip' was aimed at the sky ahead.
"—Fire!"
The moment Lee Hyun-wook's command fell,
the Mace of the Thunder God began to emit a brilliant blue light.
VMMMMMMMM—!
The spear named Indra's Blessing,
unleashed a tremendous amount of electrical current from its tip.
The currents writhed as if they would fly off in all directions at any moment,
but they were drawn together by a powerful force and condensed into a single point.
Thus, a massive sphere of electricity, like a blue ball of yarn, was born.
Just then, Park Jun-mo pulled the trigger.
KRA-KOOOOM—!
For an instant, the world turned a piercing blue.
The sphere of electricity shot out like a cannonball, striking the center of the surging black wave.
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KA—!
The sphere transformed into bundles of current that spread out like a spiderweb, surging over the conductive mass of the Ironclad Insects' metal bodies, reaching hundreds of meters away—instantly engulfing the entire swarm.
But this was just the beginning.
"Park Jun-mo, show me what you've got."
At Lee Hyun-wook's command, Park Jun-mo stretched both his hands toward the swarm and began to spread them wide.
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KA—!
At that, the currents tangled with the insects moved in accordance with his gesture, spreading over an even wider area.
It was a mystical and intimidating scene, like 'volcanic lightning' striking within an ash cloud.
“Whoa..."
Electrocuted by the strike, their nervous systems paralyzed, the Ironclad Insects rained down toward the ground.
"—Move quickly!"
Meanwhile, the Steel Company's convoy halted, and all troops assembled on the road.
Lee Hyun-wook also stepped out of the vehicle, assessed the situation, and raised his Mana Messenger again.
"Now! Unleash all lightning magic!"
At his command, all the mages fired the 'lightning magic' they had prepared.
KRA-KA-KA-BOOM—!
While not comparable to the Mace of the Thunder God, a dozen bolts of lightning magic were unleashed simultaneously with a deafening roar.
Following that, various items with electrical effects obtained from the government armory were all brought to bear.
Archers fired arrows enchanted with lightning,
mages sent consumable items like 'shock bombs' flying with wind magic,
and Captain Go Jin-han, the Marksman of the Magic Bullet, indiscriminately fired 'lightning bullets'.
And Lee Hyun-wook, too, sent forth his 'Unsa Amsu'.
*Shhh—*
The moment it reached the center of the Ironclad Insect swarm—
'Lightning Discharge—!'
The skill of the Unsa Amsu, its potential unlocked, erupted with electricity, electrocuting dozens of insects in an instant.
KRA-KA-KA-KA-KA—!
And so, more than half of the Ironclad Insects were caught in the electrical storm, their wings stopped, and they fell helplessly from the sky.
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD—
The sound of those metal lumps hitting the ground echoed loudly.
This was truly a massive, wide-area lightning attack, something that should never have been possible for a single company.
"This... this is no joke..."
Lee Hyun-wook muttered, newly surprised himself.
Honestly, until yesterday, he hadn't planned on a direct confrontation like this during the 'final event'.
'Fundamentally, facing them head-on was madness. The moment you were swept up, it would mean annihilation...'
That's why he had intended to just wait for the 'reinforcements' gathering from all over Seoul to arrive.
But as you could see, they had succeeded in pushing the enemy back with sheer firepower.
'The government armory and Park Jun-mo's awakening—those two things were key.'
It was only possible thanks to those two strokes of good fortune.
The Ironclad Insect swarm finally broke formation and began to scatter in all directions.
"Hey! They're retreating!"
"Yes, we did it!"
An enormous number of stragglers that had fallen onto the asphalt were twitching and making sickening screeching sounds, as marksmen cautiously approached behind tankers, picking them off one by one.
Meanwhile, a bus presumed to be carrying civilians entered the Steel Company's formation.
"It's alright now! We'll protect you!"
And with that, the situation was resolved.
'But it's too early to let our guard down.'
The Ironclad Insects had a clear strength to match their clear weakness.
'Their numbers are even greater than the Hell Rats. And they replenish quickly.'
He kept his eyes fixed on Cheongryongsan Mountain.
From the gate there, countless insects were surely still pouring out.
"Ahn Min-tae, that's enough for now. Get the civilians and prepare to retreat. They'll be back."
"Yes, sir."
Just as Lee Hyun-wook said, the scattered swarm began to regroup in the distance.
Still in staggering numbers, from a little farther away, it would have looked like a dark cloud.
Lee Hyun-wook felt that this very moment was even more dangerous.
'They'll be back soon. And... if this turns into a war of attrition, we're at a disadvantage. We need to leave this place within ten minutes.'
He looked at Park Jun-mo.
"Ugh..."
He was chugging a 'mana recovery potion' while trying to control the electrical currents, but he had overexerted himself and even had a nosebleed.
Not only Park Jun-mo, but almost all the lightning weapons that had just been used were now on 'cooldown'.
In other words, if they clashed again now, they wouldn't be able to win.
"That insect swarm has an endless supply! If you don't want to get eaten, prepare to move as fast as possible!"
Ahn Min-tae yelled at the top of his lungs, urging everyone to move quickly.
But just then...
“—Huh? Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, look over there!"
Choi Tae-yong shouted, pointing somewhere.
"The swarm is... it's already... coming back!"
"—What?"
At those words, even Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but be flustered.
He turned his head to look toward Cheongryongsan Mountain.
"Dammit..."
Indeed, a black, shimmering line was extending from that area, surging toward them.
A force at least twice the size of the one they had just fought was flying toward them at an incredible speed.
Having already expended their firepower once, it was a number they simply couldn't face now.
'Much faster than I thought. But why...'
The Ironclad Insects were social creatures, so it was natural for them to act as a group when their kind was attacked.
But something was wrong with this.
No matter how much monsters defied the laws of nature, there was always a certain 'process' involved.
For example, a surviving individual returning to the nest to send a signal that they were attacked...
'Monster behavior definitely has such a mechanism.'
But for the 'nest' to respond within mere minutes of a battle breaking out—that was impossible.
In that case...
'As I thought... Choo Kyo-yong is nearby.'
In other words, Lee Hyun-wook realized that a special case was involved, one where monsters were being controlled, just like with the 'Devil's Bell' before.
He turned and shouted to the entire company.
"Find a building with an underground parking garage nearby, right now!"
"Sir!"
"No! It doesn't need a garage! Find a place to hide, even if you have to abandon all the vehicles!"
Lee Hyun-wook corrected his order.
He had to accept the loss boldly.
A moment of complacency would lead to annihilation.
'I was careless...'
He had planned to strike quickly and retreat to save the bus full of civilians.
'But I never expected them to act so quickly and radically...'
Should he have turned a blind eye to the civilian casualties...?
For a moment, Lee Hyun-wook even considered it.
'No, if Park Jun-mo and I squeeze out every last bit of our strength, we can shake them off somehow.'
He had overcome countless crises like this in his past life.
This life had been going smoothly, but it was absurd to think there would be no crises.
Several scenarios crossed his mind,
and he soon concluded that it was entirely possible.
But just then, a blue light shone down on his face.
*Vwoom—*
He turned his head toward the source of the light.
"Huh?"
At that moment, a thick pillar of light descended from the sky.
KRA-KOOOOOM—!
It was a teleport.
Everyone, who had been moving busily, stopped in surprise and slowly backed away.
Soon, several figures began to walk out from within the pillar of light.
*Step— step—*
Before long, the face of the person in the lead was revealed.
'General Choi Jeong-cheol?'
Archmage Choi Jeong-cheol stood there, holding a large metal staff.
And behind him were the elites of the A.M.T, including Kim Kang-seok, Seo Eun-ha, and Choi Young-jun.
"Ah, that's right..."
He had agreed to join forces with them to find the erosion factors first, and they had been sharing coordinates in real time.
It seemed they had used a teleport immediately upon hearing news of a large-scale battle here.
'That must have consumed a huge amount of mana, I can't believe he used it so boldly... In any case, the timing is perfect.'
General Choi Jeong-cheol looked at Lee Hyun-wook and smiled.
"...It seems Steel Company has led us to the final moment."
Lee Hyun-wook gave him a military salute.
He nodded and raised his staff, tilting it forward.
He was pointing toward the vicinity of 'Cheongryongsan Mountain', from where the swarm of Ironclad Insects was pouring out.
"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, is the erosion factor perhaps on that small hill hidden behind that building over there?"
“Yes, based on all the circumstances, it seems certain.”
"Hmm... they seem to be running wild because of the additional event. I suppose I should calm them down a bit."
Choi Jeong-cheol turned his head to look at Kim Kang-seok.
"First Battalion Commander, it might get a little hot, so tell the men to stand back."
At his words, Kim Kang-seok turned his head and shouted.
"All troops, take cover! Beware the heat wave—!"
His voice was as booming as his large frame.
Following the order, all troops took cover in alleys and behind trucks.
And Choi Jeong-cheol began to walk forward alone.
*Step— step—*
A brigade commander was walking alone toward a swarm of monsters, yet no one followed.
It wasn't because they feared the monsters, but because they worried about getting caught in his skill.
Of course, among those present, only Kim Kang-seok and the Lee Hyun-wook from his past life had seen his magic firsthand.
But even without experience, their bodies reacted instinctively; Choi Jeong-cheol's signature attack was that famous.
WHIIIIIIIIIRRRRRR—!
Before they knew it, the sound of the Ironclad Insects' wings drew closer.
But for some reason, it felt quieter than before.
The small giant, Choi Jeong-cheol, glared at them and raised his staff.
In that instant, a crimson beam of light shot up from the tip of the staff.
*Vwoooosh—*
The beam stopped high in the sky,
and energy concentrated at that point, forming a small ball of fire.
And that small fireball began to swell to an enormous size in an instant.
R-O-O-O-O-O-AR—
The temperature in that space changed rapidly, causing convection and stirring up a gale across the area.
'Don't tell me that's...'
In the blink of an eye, it grew to over 50 meters in size.
A giant sphere of flame blazing overhead... one might even believe it was a small sun.
"Ugh—"
Even from hundreds of meters below, their faces felt flushed with heat.
'Just as I thought, Semi-Armageddon. He's burning all his mana to land one proper hit!'
Choi Jeong-cheol tilted the destructive sphere toward Cheongryongsan Mountain.
KRA-RUM-RUM-RUM-RUM-BLE—!
The massive fireball began to move in an arc, as if it were a satellite of the Earth.
And every Ironclad Insect that overlapped with its trajectory vanished, turned into a handful of ash.
KRA-RUM-RUM-RUM-RUM-BLE—!
Erased. The scene was so destructive that the word was not an exaggeration.
And even those not directly touched by it couldn't withstand the immense heat and scattered in all directions.
The monstrous swarm that had seemed so menacing was neutralized as futilely as a swarm of mayflies.
“Whoa..."
General Choi Jeong-cheol's wide-range fire magic, which made Steel Company's previous efforts pale in comparison... everyone was left speechless before it.
Even Lee Hyun-wook, who knew his skills well, was newly surprised.
'Even back then, the Archmage's firepower was beyond imagination...'
Of course, the strike of a more developed Choi Jeong-cheol a few years from now was still vivid in his mind.
'That man was the one who first distorted the face of the ever-expressionless Necromancer.'
Thus, Choi Jeong-cheol was a tactical weapon-grade force, a one-shot power that went all-in on 'range' and 'destructive force'.
For that reason, he wasn't well-suited for all other situations, but when it came to wiping out large numbers like this, he was the best.
'And normally, the type matchup should be poor...'
Usually, fire has a hard time dealing effective damage to metal.
Lee Hyun-wook knew that best.
Countless fire-type Players had failed to pierce his steel and fallen.
That was why one was supposed to avoid fire magic when hunting Ironclad Insects.
But in the end, what refines metal is a fire powerful enough to melt everything—
and that was precisely the fire magic Choi Jeong-cheol wielded.
Before long, like a setting sun, the Semi-Armageddon disappeared behind a tall building, and the world grew a shade darker.
Cheongryongsan Mountain was right in that vicinity...
KABOOOOOOOOOM—!
With an explosive roar, the mountain was blown away entirely.
RUM-BLE-BLE-BLE-BLE—!
A hot wind mixed with sand blew all the way to where they stood.
"Ugh!"
Lee Hyun-wook drove Mogulay into the ground to block the blast.
But in that moment, Lee Hyun-wook realized one thing.
'Even with a hit like that, the erosion factor wasn't destroyed.'
The system message announcing the end of the wave did not appear.
Which meant it wasn't over yet.
The Ironclad Insects had probably protected the erosion factor by surrounding it with their bodies in layers, like a swarm of bees.
And this strike of Choi Jeong-cheol's had a massive 'cooldown', so he wouldn't be able to use it again for a while.
'In that case, this is where it starts again.'
Before he knew it, Choi Jeong-cheol was looking back at him.
"So, how about it? I've bought you some time to cook something up, haven't I?"
***
The Seoul Erosion Response Headquarters was busier than ever.
News of the third erosion factor's defeat had arrived, followed by the start of the 'additional event'.
And...
"Director! They say the final erosion factor has been found!"
Just now, word had come from General Choi Jeong-cheol, commander of the 3rd Anti-Monster Brigade, that the final erosion factor had been discovered.
At those words, Kang Seo-yoon stood up from her seat and slowly composed her breathing.
"It's finally here... Yes! What's the location?"
"Cheongryongsan Mountain in Gwanak District, they say!"
"Good! This is truly the final moment!"
She walked to the terrace, looked down at all the headquarters staff, and raised her voice.
"Contact every Player you can reach and tell them to gather there, to join forces and save Seoul!"
They began contacting every Player inside the Wave Zone.
The location of the final erosion factor was now public.
If they could just concentrate enough power now...
'We can really protect Seoul...'
Achieving the unprecedented feat of clearing a Wave was not an impossible task.
Kang Seo-yoon sat down, feeling her heart pound.
"Hoo..."
Then, she suddenly turned her head and looked somewhere.
Sitting there was Woo Seong-mun, Head of the National Gate Response Strategy Office.
'After standing by idly for the past two days, now he's just sitting here, not moving an inch?'
Such inconsistent behavior was nothing but an eyesore to her.
'Come to think of it, it's about time... I dug out the real reason.'
She approached him, crossed her arms, and looked down at Woo Seong-mun.
"Director Woo, it's about time you told me."
“...Yes? Told you what?"
Woo Seong-mun asked with a puzzled expression at the sudden question.
"Do you think you're the only one with sources? I have eyes and ears everywhere too."
“...Yes?"
"You came running here right after analyzing the Wave Zone with A-rank Analyst Players, didn't you?"
Analyst Players possessed the ability to 'interpret' various pieces of information about the game.
In other words, if a top-tier team of Analyst Players were given enough time, it would be possible for them to obtain information, both big and small, about the Wave.
And this time, it seemed they had discovered something quite big.
"Back then, you analyzed the Wave Zone and saw some piece of information, right? That's why you boldly opened up the second armory and gave everything away. In other words... you caught wind of some very sweet information, enough to make you completely forget about preparing for the post-erosion, didn't you?"
"..."
"Surely you're not planning to snatch away the reward after the people in there risk their lives to clear the Wave, then hide it and take it all for yourself, are you?"
As Kang Seo-yoon glared daggers at him, Woo Seong-mun chuckled and waved his hands dismissively.
"Haha—you don't need to worry. That's something that can never be hidden."
"Can't be hidden? Why?"
"Because... it will be incredibly, incredibly large."
Woo Seong-mun finally began to divulge the information he knew.
“Director Kang, isn't an event like a Wave a type of large-scale regional quest?"
"Yes, well... I suppose you could see it that way? I don't know for sure since one has never been cleared before..."
"Correct. In that case, if it is cleared..."
At his words, Kang Seo-yoon clapped her hands with a look of understanding.
“...There would be a huge reward. Ah! Don't tell me, you figured out what the reward is?"
Woo Seong-mun nodded, and Kang Seo-yoon's eyes lit up.
She couldn't even imagine what kind of incredible reward would come from clearing something on the scale of a Wave.
After all, even the regional quest <Unlucky Event>, which takes place in a much smaller area, could yield 'Hero'-grade items.
A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she swallowed hard.
"D-Don't tell me! Mythic-grade... is that right?"
A <Mythic-grade> item, something that had never appeared before—the possibility of it appearing was high.
But Woo Seong-mun shook his head.
“Hmm, that's not it. And it might be something even more valuable."
“...Excuse me? No, what on earth is more valuable than Mythic-grade?"
"Director Kang, what do you believe is the most valuable item or object that has appeared so far?"
At that question, Kang Seo-yoon thought for a brief moment, then slowly raised her head to look at Woo Seong-mun.
"The World Tree... are you talking about that?"
The sacred tree that appeared in the heart of Africa, in the Republic of Chad...
It had a greater impact than any item, any object, or any ability that had appeared to date.
Without the World Tree, responding to Gates would have been much more difficult.
"Yes, the World Tree also sprouted in the spot where the most difficult type of gate, a 'Blue Gate', was cleared. But if a far more difficult Wave is cleared... I believe an object will be created in the skies above Seoul."
"What on earth... is it?"
Woo Seong-mun clasped his hands and leaned back in his chair.
And looking into the empty air, he slowly opened his mouth.
"The city of magical engineering, Laputa... The analysis only came up with that."
The flying island from legend was scheduled to appear in the skies over Seoul.
Kang Seo-yoon couldn't possibly predict what it would be or what kind of impact it would have.
Just then, Woo Seong-mun raised his index finger.
"However, there is one problem."
“...Yes?"
"The token that allows one to enter the deepest part of the World Tree, its core—where did that come from?"
The World Tree is currently in the territory of the Republic of Chad, but what Chad monopolizes are only the various byproducts obtained from the tree.
Everything else was a right permitted only to a single Player known as the 'Administrator of the World Tree'.
"That... was obviously obtained inside the Blue Gate, in the dungeon. The World Tree itself was the reward for clearing the Blue Gate, and the administrator's authority, the 'token' or whatever, was an item you could get from the dungeon, right?"
"Yes. In that case, wouldn't some special right concerning Laputa be taken by someone inside that Wave Zone?"
His words were reasonable.
Kang Seo-yoon let out a dry laugh and nodded.
“So... you're saying someone in there is about to win a lottery unprecedented in history."