Chapter 60
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Saviors of Seoul - 3
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The Players gathered at the 'main assembly point' ahead of the final battle.
Though they were a motley crew, their goal was the same.
Prepare for the fight, attack the source of the corrosion, and save Seoul.
But before even the first step was complete, a major problem arose.
"—Damn it! A swarm of bugs is descending!"
They had taken flight far earlier than expected.
And they were heading straight for this place, the main assembly point…
"How is this possible? How do they know we're here?"
Naturally, the assembly point had been established outside the creatures' 'detection range'.
They had even been keeping noise to a minimum to avoid drawing 'aggro'.
For them to suddenly fly this way… it couldn't be explained as a mere coincidence.
"Damn it, stop thinking and start preparing! They'll be on us any second!"
They hurried inside the school—the shelter—and took up positions at the windows and on the rooftop.
Facing them in the open, under an exposed sky, would be madness.
Just as the Players were scrambling to prepare,
Cra—a—a—ack—!
A loud explosion and vibration echoed from somewhere, and the Players reflexively turned their heads.
There, a rather strange scene was unfolding.
The shattered corpse of some monster, a greatsword embedded in it, and Choo Kyo-yong furiously throwing punches at Lee Hyun-wook… It was a sight not easily understood.
"…What the hell is going on over there?"
They couldn't hear what the two were saying, but they could see their expressions.
Choo Kyo-yong looked somewhat dazed, while Lee Hyun-wook, in contrast, remained calm.
However…
"Damn it, that Choo Kyo-yong, what's he doing at a time like this?"
Like that, no one thought Lee Hyun-wook was at fault.
Given Choo Kyo-yong's terrible reputation, everyone naturally assumed the ill-tempered man was picking another fight for no reason. More importantly, in such a tense situation, they had no time to worry about such a trivial incident.
"Damn it, forget about that and move!"
But to Kim Kang-seok's eyes, the scene looked different.
'Hyun-wook, what was he thinking, doing something like that…'
From the looks of it, the unknown 'greatsword' Lee Hyun-wook wielded had collided with a magic drone and unfortunately fallen on Choo Kyo-yong's familiar. Yes, it certainly looked like an accident.
But Kim Kang-seok knew very well that Lee Hyun-wook was not one to make such a clumsy mistake.
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook began to approach him.
"Hyun-wook, that just now… it didn't seem like a simple accident."
Kim Kang-seok asked bluntly, not hiding his suspicion, and Lee Hyun-wook nodded in acknowledgement.
"Yes, that's correct."
The swarm of Ironclad Venom Bugs was drawing closer, but Kim Kang-seok kept his gaze on Lee Hyun-wook.
'…He still looks completely unfazed by this situation. There's something more to this.'
Soon, Lee Hyun-wook came right up to him and spoke in a whisper.
"There's a possibility that Choo Kyo-yong is connected to the terrorists who attacked our unit."
Kim Kang-seok couldn't help but be surprised.
"What? That's not a claim you can make lightly. Do you have proof?"
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"Yes, I do. But… I don't think now is the time to explain."
It was a crucial matter, but this wasn't the time to hear the details.
"Right, for now, we have to stop that swarm of Ironclad Venom Bugs…"
The two of them first took refuge inside the school.
Before they knew it, the sound of the creatures' wings was very close.
Buzzzzz—!
"—They'll reach us in two minutes!"
In just two minutes, the creatures would sweep over the school.
All the Players had already lined up inside the school building, by the windows and on the roof.
And the mages were gathered around the magic barrier generator, ready to 'inject mana'.
When a mage injected mana into the magic barrier, it allowed for a kind of real-time repair.
Of course, if it broke faster than it could be repaired, it wouldn't last very long.
"If this breaks, it's over. Pour every last bit of mana into it and defend it no matter what."
They all wore tense expressions, like infantrymen taking cover in a bunker against an aerial bombardment.
Unprepared as they were, a difficult struggle was about to begin.
Buzzzzz—!
The nauseating sound of wings, as if shaking the entire world, drew completely near.
At a glance, their numbers seemed to be about ten times greater than what the Steel Company had faced before.
Buzzzzz—!
Their shadows fell over the land, and the world suddenly grew dark.
The Players couldn't help but tremble in fear, crushed by the sheer presence.
"Damn it, this is crazy… Did I make a mistake coming here…"
"Sh-shit, stop saying things like that."
When the swarm descended, would they be able to hold out? No one was certain.
And Kim Kang-seok was no exception.
His mind was a complicated mess.
'We don't have enough firepower. Honestly, I don't know if we can hold on.'
One of their greatest assets, the Anyang Duo, hadn't arrived.
And if what Lee Hyun-wook said was true, they also had to exclude Choo Kyo-yong from their forces.
In other words, their firepower was even more lacking than he'd thought.
And lacking firepower when facing a man-eating swarm of bugs like that meant…
They could be wiped out in an instant, like being swept away by a flooding river.
But just then, Lee Hyun-wook said something unexpected.
"Battalion Commander, in my opinion… this is actually an opportunity."
Hearing this, Kim Kang-seok couldn't help but look puzzled.
As a commander, he too was trying to figure out a way to break through this situation.
…A way to survive this moment.
But Lee Hyun-wook was talking about an opportunity.
Lee Hyun-wook continued.
"…I don't know what happened, but the Ironclad Venom Bugs have taken flight a bit early. We've been caught by surprise, but to put it another way, they've also launched in a hurry, unprepared."
In other words…
"The number of them guarding the source of the corrosion will be much smaller. Now is our chance to counterattack."
Not defense, but offense…
"Hmm…"
It made some sense. However, Kim Kang-seok couldn't picture a viable plan.
He couldn't see a clear way to break through that swarm of Ironclad Venom Bugs and reach the source of the corrosion.
'Even the toughest tanker wouldn't last more than a few minutes if surrounded by a swarm of Ironclad Venom Bugs.'
The only way to break through was to use overwhelming and sustained firepower to keep them at bay… but with their current forces, they could barely defend, let alone break through.
Thus, Kim Kang-seok couldn't hide his skepticism.
"Is that even possible? The only weapon we have that can break through that swarm and reach the source is Choo Kyo-yong's monster. But if what you say is true, and his identity is…"
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
"No. We don't need Choo Kyo-yong."
"Huh?"
And then he said something completely unexpected.
"…I can break through."
***
Buzzzzz—!
Ironclad Venom Bugs, at least several thousand of them. The moment they swarmed the elementary school shelter,
Rumble—!
it felt as if the entire school was being capsized by a black wave.
The creatures clung to the entire school, tearing at the magic barrier with their claws and mandibles.
From inside the barrier, on the rooftop and at the windows, all sorts of magic was fired, striking and pushing them back.
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
With each explosion of magic, a huge number of them rained down, but others immediately filled the gaps, maintaining the form of a great, seamless black curtain.
For now, it was a battle where neither side was giving way, but the gap would soon widen.
Buzzzzz—!
While the defensive battle was in full swing, Lee Hyun-wook and Kim Se-hee were in a completely different place.
A commercial building some distance from the school, on the third floor.
Choi Jeong-cheol and Kim Kang-seok had approved Lee Hyun-wook's 'breakthrough' plan.
And they had separated from the others to carry out that operation.
"That… They're holding on for now, but I think we'll eventually be pushed back."
Kim Se-hee's assessment was correct.
Even at this very moment, Ironclad Venom Bugs were pouring endlessly from the gate.
On the other hand, the Players' mana was rapidly depleting, and even with 'over-clocking' by continuously drinking mana recovery potions, there was a clear limit.
In short, if this tug-of-war continued, their side would eventually collapse.
'And whatever buff Choo Kyo-yong applied is still active.'
The others might not know, but thanks to Choo Kyo-yong's skill, many of the Ironclad Venom Bugs were in an enhanced state.
Of course, the Players who were on their way here would probably gather somewhere else and prepare a counterattack, but…
'…The Villains will have another scheme prepared for that.'
Those bastards weren't fools.
They would do whatever it took to stop the Players from grouping up.
'But it's not like I can just kill them…'
However, without solid evidence to reveal to everyone, he couldn't do such a thing.
The only thing he could do in this situation was to keep an eye on the now-powerless Choo Kyo-yong.
That was precisely why he had tipped off Kim Kang-seok that Choo Kyo-yong might be a 'terrorist'.
"Well, let's get started. Our real plan isn't to just hold out, is it?"
At Lee Hyun-wook's words, Kim Se-hee let out a long sigh.
"But, really… is this possible?"
Kim Se-hee asked, her expression filled with deep doubt.
"Yes, it should be."
Lee Hyun-wook said, looking at a tablet PC.
A video was playing on the screen.
It was a live feed from a camera mounted on a mana drone.
The location was likely Cheongryong Mountain, which had become a wasteland after the 'semi-Armageddon'.
But…
Buzzzzz—!
The surface of Cheongryong Mountain was seething with an enormous number of Ironclad Venom Bugs.
Like a swarm of flies boiling over a rotting corpse.
Kim Se-hee shook her head as she watched the screen.
No matter how hard she looked at the screen, she couldn't even see where the 'source of the corrosion' was.
In other words, even if he somehow managed to get there, there was a high probability he would get lost in the bug-infested mountain and die.
"…Honestly, I think this is insane."
At her candid words, Lee Hyun-wook chuckled and nodded.
"You're right. But sometimes, an insane move can be a brilliant one. Now, please."
At Lee Hyun-wook's confident words, Kim Se-hee sighed once more and held out her hands.
Wooo—
Then, a wind spirit with a young girl's face appeared above her palms.
As expected, it had a sulky, discontented expression.
"Hoo, hey, Hani… Like I said before, please stick with this person and support him."
The spirit's name was Hani, a surprisingly cute name.
It was probably a name given when they were on good terms.
But Hani just yawned with a bored expression.
"Hey! Please… this is important, so let's not get on each other's nerves, okay?"
As Kim Se-hee hinted at her temper, Hani flew to Lee Hyun-wook as if escaping and sat on his shoulder.
Then, it winked at Lee Hyun-wook and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Ah, for goodness' sake…"
Kim Se-hee laughed in exasperation.
That Hani, it usually showed her a completely different finger.
"Why on earth are you fighting with such a nice kid?"
When Lee Hyun-wook said that, Kim Se-hee and Hani both sighed at the same time.
"…Do you have time for jokes right now? Anyway! The maximum time Hani can operate far away from me, its master, is probably about 15 minutes at most. I'm not entirely sure."
"That's more than enough time."
An unbelievable statement, implying he would end this disaster within 15 minutes.
"…I know you're not the type to be careless, but please, don't be careless."
"Don't worry. There's no time to explain, but I have a plan."
Lee Hyun-wook and Kim Se-hee headed to the building's rooftop.
There, a giant beast was crouched.
Screee—!
A Great Condor, one of Kim Kang-seok's familiars, a monstrous bird with a wingspan of a full 12 meters.
Lee Hyun-wook, with the cloth-wrapped Mogeley floating in the air, climbed onto the creature's back.
At that moment, the creature spread its wings and flapped.
Whoosh—!
With a single motion, it rose five or six meters into the air.
"Well then, see you in 15 minutes."
To Lee Hyun-wook's words, Kim Se-hee whispered, "Please…"
As the Great Condor began to move its wings,
it soared into the sky in an instant and disappeared above the clouds.
Kim Se-hee watched it go with a bitter expression.
"How can a person be like that…"
He makes bold, almost reckless decisions with such conviction.
And every time, he has prevented sacrifices and achieved victory.
She believed it could happen again this time, but… she couldn't help feeling anxious.
"Please…"
***
Meanwhile, there were reporters mixed in among those inside the school.
They used mana messengers to report to their news agencies that the main assembly point was under attack.
The story was immediately broadcast as breaking news and spread across the world.
- We have breaking news! The Players who were gathering in one place to attack the final source of the corrosion are reportedly on the verge of annihilation! Among them are the Steel Company and a total of…
A world that had been filled with hope began to speak of despair once more.
Kang Seo-yoon clicked her tongue as she watched the news.
"…On the verge of annihilation? Bullshit. What the hell do they know, reporting their own damn speculations!"
Of course, it was an undeniable fact that the situation was not good.
Even from what Kang Seo-yoon had heard, it sounded rather desperate.
But Choi Jeong-cheol had said there was a plan, and that they were going to execute it.
However…
"General Choi Jeong-cheol still hasn't told you the specific details, has he?"
Kang Seo-yoon nodded at the emergency communications officer's question.
"…What can we do? He probably doesn't have time to explain everything to us in detail."
"Yes, that's true. It's not like anything would change if we knew."
"Hmph…"
There was a clear limit to what she could do while acting as the command center from the outside.
Now, all she could do was trust the Players gathered there.
"Now, we just have to believe… that they will save Seoul…"
Yes, if this was all over, it would be fitting to call them not heroes, but saviors.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the same room, Director Woo Seong-mun and Warrant Officer Cheon Myeong-ho were seated.
They too had looked quite troubled since hearing the news of the attack on the assembly point.
"Warrant Officer Cheon, do you think that guy you saw will pull something off this time too?"
At Woo Seong-mun's question, Cheon Myeong-ho thought of Lee Hyun-wook.
He had watched him several times since he first started to stand out.
And each time, he had surprised Cheon Myeong-ho in a new way.
"…Every time I've seen him, he's been a guy who surpasses my expectations."
"So, this time, your expectation is… to what extent?"
"Haha, he'll have to surpass it by a much larger margin than usual."
No matter how highly one rated him, this incident was not something that could be easily resolved.
"However, regardless of the outcome, if he just survives… he is a talent we must never let go of."
Woo Seong-mun intertwined his fingers and nodded.
"If this incident is resolved well, there's a great deal the Republic of Korea stands to gain…"
The magical engineering city of Laputa,
And the saviors of Seoul…
***
Not much time had passed, yet the entire school was crumbling.
It was as if a giant had grabbed the school and was shaking it.
"…We can't hold on any longer!"
That cry didn't come from just one place.
"Damn it, there's no end to them!"
Such screams were erupting from all sides.
They tried to hold on by pouring mana into the magic barrier generator, but they had reached their limit.
Cra—ack—!
Finally, the magic barrier was breached in one spot.
And…
Buzzzzz—!
An enormous number of Ironclad Venom Bugs poured through the gap.
"Damn it, they're in the hallway!"
"Quick, run to the other side—!"
The Players defending that area fled down the hallway in terror. But they couldn't escape the black swarm that filled the corridor, rushing forward like a train through a tunnel.
"Aaargh—!"
A dozen of them were swept away, torn to shreds in the blink of an eye.
Buzzzzz—!
The creatures swept through the hallway, advancing as they ground everything to dust.
Just then, a woman in gleaming armor appeared at a bend in the hallway.
It was Seo Eun-ha.
"Block it with an ice wall!"
She shouted as she raised her shield.
Bzzzzzt—!
Light erupted from her shield, pushing back the incoming Ironclad Venom Bugs, and in the next moment, a series of freezing spells flew in, blocking off the entire hallway.
But these were creatures that could even melt magic barriers.
Crack—! Crack—!
A mere ice wall like that began to crack almost immediately.
"Damn it, one isn't enough!"
The mages drew out all their mana and cast a dozen freezing spells.
Creating an ice wall several meters thick.
It seemed they could hold on for a moment, but it was obvious it wouldn't last long.
"Hah… Th-there were eighteen people in there…"
Someone said.
Not a single one of them had survived.
"Damn it! How long do we have to hold on like this?"
A Player demanded of Seo Eun-ha.
But there was nothing she could say.
"It's over. I'm really tapped out of mana."
"Yeah! If we over-clock any more than this, the mages will start fainting!"
Seo Eun-ha, as expected, didn't answer, simply raising her shield and sword.
There was no other way.
There was only fighting.
But just then.
"—It's appeared!"
Someone shouted, and everyone turned their heads.
The one who had shouted was Ahn Min-tae.
"…Corporal Ahn Min-tae, what's appeared?"
Seo Eun-ha asked, and Ahn Min-tae raised his sword and pointed out the window.
Everyone looked where he was pointing.
With thousands of Ironclad Venom Bugs blocking the sky like a curtain, their view was not clear.
Still, through the gaps between them, a glimpse of the blue sky was visible.
And at the southern edge of that sky, a lone shadow could be seen.
"Huh? It's a bird…"
A Player from a private guild said.
Yes, it… looked like a giant bird.
Ahn Min-tae pointed at it with a faint smile.
"No. That is…"
At that moment, a shadow detached from the giant bird and began to fall toward Cheongryong Mountain.
"…the Steel Company itself."