Chapter 63
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The End of the Wave, A Shocking Declaration - 3
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The trio’s next destination was the blacksmith alley in Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu.
It was only one subway stop from Singil Station, but the subway was currently out of service.
As there were few places as difficult to clear of monsters as the underground tunnels, it seemed they would remain closed for the next few weeks.
They ended up walking, and just as they were about to arrive…
"Oh, look over there. I think there are still monsters."
Park Jun-mo said, pointing somewhere.
A fully armed A.M.T unit was lined up in front of a commercial building.
They appeared to be a unit dispatched from another region for the Seoul subjugation, and the signs of a recent battle were evident.
Blood was spattered throughout the alley, and what looked to be zombie corpses were strewn about.
"Damn it, the underground passage is too narrow to enter!"
"F-for now, just throw a few fire spells in there!"
"We've already tried that several times! I-I don't think it's working!"
And as if they were still in the middle of their cleanup operation, they were moving about busily.
Seoul was, indeed, still in a dangerous state.
"Thousands of people have been deployed to kill monsters for three straight days, and it's still not over."
"I guess it's because so many gates opened. I heard over a hundred of them appeared."
"Hmm… with the situation still like this, I wonder if it's okay to allow passage."
Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee exchanged such thoughts, but Lee Hyun-wook couldn't join their conversation.
'This is insane…'
An unbearable pain crushed his entire body, making it hard to even breathe.
- The 'Ether Engine' is forming in your heart. (42%)
* Extreme pain may occur!
His breath caught in his throat, as if his heart might stop at any moment.
Fortunately, the formation process was faster than he had expected.
'It's about halfway done. I just have to endure for another 30 minutes.'
While he was enduring the pain, they entered the blacksmith alley,
and soon arrived in front of the most dilapidated building, the workshop of artisan Kang Jeong-du.
"Sir, I'm here."
"Oh my, Sir Hero, you've arrived!"
Kang Jeong-du took off his magnifying glasses and rushed out to greet them.
"You must be busy preparing to move, and now my request is adding to your troubles."
"Haha— My household goods are nothing special anyway, so there's not much to pack."
"Now you can move to a nice place and get some nice things."
Lee Hyun-wook had hired Kang Jeong-du and Kang Hee-seol as the Hope Guild's "exclusive blacksmiths."
He had also promised to provide them with a new home and workshop nearby.
Kang Jeong-du was hesitant about the offer, but he didn't refuse.
He wouldn't want his granddaughter to grow up in a cramped, old workshop.
"Of course, it's all thanks to you, General. I will not forget this kindness."
Lee Hyun-wook suppressed his pain and managed a smile.
"How is the item I requested coming along?"
"Yes, of course! I'm not much of an expert in magitech, that sort of thing, but the item turned out well!"
Despite his words, Kang Jeong-du had likely been learning magitech skills for quite some time.
"Ho ho— thanks to your recent heroics, General, some kind of island appeared in the sky over Seoul, didn't it? Laputa or Lapida or something, that island has been giving us all sorts of buffs, so the work has been going incredibly smoothly."
"Ah, right. That's a relief."
"Yes, if you'll just wait a moment, I'll bring the item out."
With the appearance of Laputa, the area was saturated with "buffs" related to production capacity.
As a result, the blacksmith alley was demonstrating more explosive productivity than ever before.
In a few years, this place could become the center of the world's item manufacturing industry.
A moment later, Kang Jeong-du came out of the warehouse pulling a cart.
"Here, this is it."
On it was a large, square object—a black box made of steel.
Its surface was etched with numerous circuit-like patterns, giving it a distinct engineering feel.
When Kang Jeong-du flipped the power switch—
Whoooosh—!
The circuits on its surface glowed blue, and its heavy body instantly lifted into the air.
Yet, there were no visible physical propulsion systems like propellers or air vents.
"This fellow has a 'Flight Stone' inside, so when mana is supplied, it floats like this."
That was right. It flew solely on magical power.
The magitech aircraft, the 'airship,' also floated using the power of a Flight Stone.
"Wow, what is this?"
"Oh, what's it used for?"
Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee asked at the same time.
Lee Hyun-wook answered.
"Well, to put it simply, it's an 'automated aerial drop device.'"
"Aerial… drop? What does it drop?"
"It supplies the weapons I use."
"…Ah!"
Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo clapped their hands at the same time, as if they finally understood.
Lee Hyun-wook's combat power increased exponentially with the number of metal weapons he could control.
That much was clear just from watching his ultimate move, 'Steel Rain.'
But he couldn't carry all of them around, nor could he open a 'portal' at every moment.
'Opening a portal in the sky is actually a very inefficient method.'
Considering that a single use required more than thirty mages, it was a significant loss.
In that respect, an aerial drop device like this, if developed properly, would be incredibly useful.
Building dozens of these, storing them in a hangar, and summoning them in an emergency—that was the method Lee Hyun-wook had used in his past life, and the time had come to start implementing it.
Of course, with only a prototype available, it would still take time before it could be deployed in actual combat.
"But it looks less than 2 meters wide and long. Can it even hold many weapons?"
When Kim Se-hee asked, Kang Jeong-du chuckled.
"This fellow might look a bit small, but it's equipped with a small subspace, so it can store up to about 30 items."
"Aha—"
"Haha, it's more substantial than it looks."
Lee Hyun-wook examined its surface. As expected, it was clean and without any unnecessary parts.
"By the way, sir, what's the maximum operating time?"
At that question, Kang Jeong-du showed a hint of hesitation for the first time.
"Actually, I haven't been able to solve that. Finding a mana battery that can sustain a device this size for a long time is..."
As expected, like all cutting-edge technology, the damn battery was the problem.
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook took something out from his pocket.
"How much longer do you think it would last if we installed this?"
It was a small, red mechanical device.
Kang Jeong-du took it, looked at the system message that appeared before his eyes, and his jaw dropped.
"N-no, this is…."
"Is it any good?"
"Good? This is beyond good… There are no technicians in the country with this level of skill."
It was the 'Mana Heart' that had been embedded near the hearts of Choo Kyo-yong's Black Orcs.
It was a crystallization of advanced technology, its value currently impossible to estimate.
It was likely a custom-made item from the Republic of Chad's Magitech Research Institute.
"Hmm… If we install about two of these, it should be able to fly for about 50 minutes on a full charge. Of course, since it has its own mana generation capability, it can land, recover, and fly again."
But Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but be disappointed.
'Still, only 50 minutes… It's a far cry from the equipment I used to have.'
It couldn't be helped. The aerial drop devices he had used were from the future.
Seeing the disappointment on Lee Hyun-wook's face, Kang Jeong-du began to show him other items.
"Ah, look at me, forgetting my manners. Take a look at these little ones here."
Kang Jeong-du took out some marble-like objects from a box, and they all flew up at once, emitting light.
Whirr— Whirr— Whirr— Whirr—
"They have similar abilities to a mana drone, but they're much smaller."
They seemed to be ultra-small reconnaissance drones that also flew with the power of a 'Flight Stone.'
"I made these with some leftover Flight Stones. They're small and quiet, so they should be good for observing things stealthily. And you can even remotely 'self-destruct' them."
"Self-destruct, huh? That's pretty good."
"Yes, I thought it might be helpful for the Steel Company's special operations. Haha…."
But Kang Jeong-du's subsequent explanation didn't reach Lee Hyun-wook's ears.
- The 'Ether Engine' is forming in your heart. (62%)
* Extreme pain may occur!
"—Keuk."
The pain in his heart had intensified even further.
Lee Hyun-wook finally collapsed to the ground.
"Hey! Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook—!"
Park Jun-mo tried to support him, but he couldn't get up.
'Damn it, is my heart really going to stop?'
He keenly felt the sensation of his heart twisting.
And he could also tell that a powerful energy was surging from within it.
'Mana…'
Yes, his heart had begun to produce an enormous amount of mana.
But at that moment, something strange began to happen.
Wheee—eee—eee—eee—!
Inside the workshop, the magitech items that had been stationary suddenly started to operate all at once.
"H-how is this… That one doesn't even have a battery installed yet…"
With Kang Jeong-du's astonished voice as the last thing he heard, Lee Hyun-wook lost consciousness.
***
- This morning, the Seoul Erosion Response Headquarters briefed that the Seoul subjugation operation is entering its final stages, but a large number of monsters are still being discovered throughout Seoul…
A man's voice could be heard from somewhere.
- …Accordingly, opinions that the Saintess's 'blessing' is needed are rapidly emerging from all corners of the Player community. As the head of , the Saintess can cast a wide-range blessing magic, but she has been extremely reluctant to expose her identity after an assassination attempt two years ago. Whether the Saintess will move for Seoul…
It sounded like a TV news report.
Lee Hyun-wook opened his eyes.
His whole body was drenched in a cold sweat.
'Where am I? Ah, Kang Jeong-du's room…'
And a slew of system messages had appeared before his eyes.
- Congratulations! You have met a special condition and will be granted a new 'skill'.
[Skill Information]
- Name: Ether Engine
- Grade: D
- Effects
1) Mana Heart: Max mana increases. (+50,000) Mana recovery rate increases. (+500%)
2) Mana Transfer: You can grant 'mana' to a Player or a 'controllable target'.
3) Mana Link: You can 'synchronize' with the magic circuits of a Mana Transfer target.
* The skill grade will improve upon meeting hidden conditions.
Lee Hyun-wook slowly read through the details.
By absorbing a near-infinite power source on par with a nuclear power plant, his heart had been converted into a <Mana Heart>.
And having absorbed a legendary-grade item, its aspects were truly incredible.
'My max mana had already increased significantly after swallowing the Mana Heart from the Black Orc a few days ago, but this… I don't think I'll ever have to worry about mana again.'
- Mana: 59,441/59,441
Simply put, he might be capable of infinite metal shattering and infinite metal shaping.
'If I had met the Ironclad Venom Beetles in this state, I would have just blown them up and wiped them all out…'
But the important thing wasn't the amount of mana.
The second skill, <Mana Transfer>, and the third skill, <Mana Link>, were the real core of it.
'It means I can produce mana from my heart and supply it to controllable objects…'
Lee Hyun-wook recalled the peculiar scene that had occurred just before he fainted.
The magitech items that had suddenly activated…
Lee Hyun-wook felt as though he had experienced some kind of 'connection' with them at that moment.
'So, this means I can charge the mana batteries of magitech equipment myself? Moreover, as magitech advances, various new items will be developed. If I can use them freely…'
This was insane.
Thinking so, he shot up from his spot.
"Ah! Patron, you're awake?"
Patron… The one who would use such a ridiculous title was, of course, Kang Hee-seol.
She was peeking her head in from outside the sliding door.
"How long… was I out?"
"Hmm, about 15 minutes? 16 minutes? Around that."
It seemed he hadn't been unconscious for very long.
"Want a glass of water? I have yogurt too."
"…Yogurt?"
"Yeah, want some yogurt?"
"No, that's a little weird…"
Offering yogurt to someone who just woke up after fainting—Kang Hee-seol was definitely not normal.
Anyway, not only Kang Jeong-du but also Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo were nowhere to be seen.
"Hee-seol, where did everyone go?"
"They went to get a healer after you fainted. But you don't seem to need one?"
"Ah…"
Opening the door led directly into the workshop.
And in the middle of it, the aerial drop device was sitting there.
Lee Hyun-wook raised his left hand towards it.
And then…
Whoooosh—! It actually activated.
And it slowly rose into the air.
- 'Mana Transfer' to 'Aerial Drop Device (Prototype)' will now begin.
* Mana consumption per second: 50
Just keeping it afloat consumed a whopping 50 mana per second.
But a greater amount of mana was being recovered in real-time.
'In other words, it's infinite power.'
He had thought he would need to spend at least a few months developing a mana battery to use it properly… but it seemed that was no longer necessary.
Just then, someone rushed into the workshop.
"What the… are you okay?"
It was Kim Se-hee. She was holding health recovery potions in both hands.
"Hah… I went to the A.M.T unit over there to call for a healer, but they were in chaos too. So I borrowed some health recovery potions instead. Here—drink this."
"Thanks, but I'm fine."
"What do you mean, fine? Why do you keep collapsing all of a sudden! I'm betting my future on you, so what am I supposed to do if you suddenly drop dead!"
"Haha…"
"You don't have some serious chronic illness, do you? You collapsed before, too."
Come to think of it, he had also fainted when he absorbed the 'Devil's Medal (Legion)'.
It seemed he could get into serious trouble at a crucial moment if he kept picking up and eating random things.
"I'm fine. I'm not going to die."
"Hah…"
Just then—
Rat-a-tat-tat—Bang—!
"What was that? Was that a gunshot?"
At Lee Hyun-wook's question, Kim Se-hee nodded.
"Well… there's a bit of a problem outside."
"Is it that A.M.T unit from before?"
The A.M.T unit they had seen on their way here. It seemed their cleanup operation had hit a snag.
"Yes, that's right. The A.M.Ts in that alley still haven't been able to enter the underground parking lot. I heard four of their tankers were even dragged into the garage… Hah, it's still a mess."
Kim Se-hee wore a bitter expression.
"…What kind of monster are they dealing with that they're all getting captured like that?"
"Um, I only got a glimpse, but there were these long, red vine-like things…"
At that description, Lee Hyun-wook tilted his head.
'Red vines strong enough to drag people in could only be Devil's Grasp… but did that appear during the 4th Wave? I don't think so.'
Lee Hyun-wook felt a sense of dissonance he couldn't quite place.
"…Let's go take a look."
"What? Us? We don't have any weapons."
"There are plenty of weapons lying around here."
True, this was a blacksmith's workshop.
"No, that's not it. More importantly, are you okay?"
"I told you, you don't need to worry."
Lee Hyun-wook said, picking up a bead-shaped machine from a box on the workbench.
- You have acquired 'Flying Eye (Prototype)'.
'Master Kang Jeong-du said this was a kind of mana drone and a self-destruct device, right?'
He vaguely recalled what Kang Jeong-du had explained just before he fainted.
- You can synchronize with this item via 'Mana Link'.
'Synchronization…'
Lee Hyun-wook initiated the synchronization.
The 'Flying Eye' lifted off, and a completely different scene unfolded before his eyes.
Whirr— Whirr—
Amazingly, it was the camera's point of view from the 'Flying Eye'.
'This is like a mage's vision linking with a magic drone.'
It moved so fast it was a bit dizzying, but he could still control it to some extent.
It seemed this could be quite useful.
***
In front of the underground parking garage of an eight-story commercial building, about thirty A.M.T soldiers were lined up.
"Hah…"
They were in a fierce battle with an unidentified tree vine extending from the underground parking garage.
There was a brief lull now, but they couldn't let their guard down as the vine shot out periodically.
And no matter how much they cut it or burned it, it just kept growing back endlessly.
"Damn it, it's too late now…"
About 40 minutes ago, two kids had been dragged inside.
They had tried to rescue them multiple times.
But they only ended up losing five more tankers who were dragged in as well…
In the end, they had given up on a self-rescue and requested support from an 'Assault Platoon.'
"Platoon Leader, someone's coming! Ah! They're wearing A.M.T combat uniforms!"
But at only three people, they were too few to be reinforcements.
And they didn't even seem to be armed…
"Huh? They're not reinforcements. Isn't that the female sergeant from before?"
"Tsk, she came over here whining for potions when we were busy. What now?"
It was Lee Hyun-wook, Kim Se-hee, and Park Jun-mo.
Lee Hyun-wook first examined the vines scattered at the entrance of the underground parking garage and realized the sense of dissonance he felt was correct.
'This is definitely Devil's Grasp.'
This was not a monster that appeared during the 4th Wave.
'And it doesn't even appear outside a gate like a normal monster. It appears as a kind of trap inside a dungeon. Which means someone deliberately brought it out here…'
Lee Hyun-wook had a gut feeling that some kind of conspiracy was beginning down there.
"—Hey, you!"
Just then, someone shouted.
A female officer with the rank of lieutenant approached them.
Her name was Lee Tae-kyung, and she seemed to be the commander of this platoon, the platoon leader.
"What are you doing here! Is this a spectacle for you?"
Indeed, with a life-or-death battle going on, it was understandable that she would be annoyed by what looked like onlookers.
"Salute— Apologies, but do you happen to have any information on that monster?"
"…What?"
Unless one was on a 'dungeon-clearing team,' it was rare to see a Devil's Grasp in person.
Therefore, it was highly likely they weren't aware of the proper way to deal with it and were just flailing about.
"That's a plant-type monster called Devil's Grasp. Its regeneration speed is incredibly fast, so cutting off the tentacles that stick out is useless. You have to remove the thick stem inside, the core."
However, it didn't seem like a situation where Lee Hyun-wook's advice would be well-received.
"What is this guy talking about… Hey, do you not see this mess? How are we supposed to get in there? You think we haven't tried?"
It seemed they had already attempted to enter several times, but failed.
"Hah— If you're here to rub salt in the wound, just go back, please… Do you have any idea how many people have died here, to speak so carelessly…"
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
"Those people aren't dead yet."
"What—?"
"Devil's Grasp sucks the bodily fluids of living creatures, but it only drinks cold blood. So it injects a paralyzing poison and waits for their body temperature to drop. They'll probably be eaten around tonight."
As Lee Hyun-wook rattled off the information, a look of bewilderment spread across Lee Tae-kyung's face.
"On what grounds are you…."
Lee Hyun-wook didn't answer and walked past Lee Tae-kyung, moving a little closer.
"If you don't mind, may we attempt to enter?"
At that, Lee Tae-kyung's face contorted once more.
"Stop bluffing with no proof and state your affiliation, you bastard—"
At her words, Lee Hyun-wook turned his head and saluted.
"My apologies. We are from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Anti-Magic Brigade. I am Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, 5th Squad Leader of the 1st Company in that unit."
The moment she heard that, her eyebrows twitched.
The 1st Battalion, 3rd Anti-Magic Brigade… She had heard so much about them recently.
"Then you're from the unit that survived the wave… Huh? Don't tell me…"
To this, Lee Hyun-wook added one more thing.
"And though I'm just a sergeant now, until recently… I was the commander of a unit called the Steel Company."
And with that, the gazes directed at him couldn't help but change dramatically.