Chapter 83
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Incheon, the Demon Realm, the Black Market - 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Superhero. In this day and age, it wasn't uncommon to find people called by such a title.
It was a term reserved for the top-tier Rankers, those with exceptional skills even among Players.
Like the heroes of myth and legend, they accomplished extraordinary feats single-handedly.
But Go Jun-cheol didn't hold such individuals in particularly high regard.
‘They might be able to stop a regional crisis, but they can't dictate the world's order.’
Take, for example, Woo Seong-mun of South Korea, Gordon Price of the United States, or Aishima Akii of Japan.
There were those who held the fate of a nation in their hands, even if they didn't engage in flashy heroics.
And they were the true ‘heavyweights’ who formed the central axis of this world.
They, the heavyweights, set the stage, made the rules, and started the game.
The heroes were merely… ‘pieces’ playing their part on that board.
‘But this man…’
Go Jun-cheol looked at Lee Hyun-wook.
The F-rank ‘Control’ type Player, known as the Savior of Seoul.
He had certainly achieved a feat worthy of the title ‘hero.’
That was why Go Jun-cheol had initially thought of him as a new ‘piece’ acquired by Woo Seong-mun.
But after exchanging a few words with him, that perception had been forced to change drastically.
An agent of a secret government agency, the operator of Hugin, the administrator of Laputa, and even an S-rank Player…
One formidable title after another had emerged.
‘Yes, he’s already established a considerable position within the Korean government.’
Go Jun-cheol could sense it instinctively: this young man was becoming a ‘heavyweight.’
‘He might even become the next central pillar of this country, succeeding Woo Seong-mun.’
It wasn't an exaggeration to think so. Woo Seong-mun couldn't reign as the government's core figure forever. That was why the Korean Player community was keenly watching to see who his successor would be.
And just then, a talent like this had appeared.
As his thoughts reached that point, Go Jun-cheol's instincts screamed at him.
‘For the future of our village, I cannot let this man go.’
Go Jun-cheol raised his head and met Lee Hyun-wook's eyes.
"Among your many titles, Hyun-wook, could you make room for one more—Savior of Red Hole?"
Go Jun-cheol said, extending his hand.
"Yes, of course."
Lee Hyun-wook took his hand.
He masked his expression, but inwardly, he was celebrating.
‘Yes, it’s done. The conversation was a success.’
This man, Go Jun-cheol, was a figure who had built an immense presence in the underworld.
‘At the same time, he’s a man of principle, a moderator of the underworld.’
In other words, he had just gained an ally who would bring enormous advantages in many ways.
‘And I’ll have a chance to monopolize the Adamant Mine, the hidden stage in this dungeon.’
Adamant, one of the legendary metals, was incredibly rare.
You might get one or two pieces at most after killing dozens of elite monsters.
That’s why it fetched a price of 1.3 to 1.5 million won per 10 grams.
But if it was a ‘mine’ where the metal lay dormant, its value would be incalculable.
‘If that happens, I’ll be able to make it rain adamant…’
Even with the same weight, the power of ‘Steel Rain’ varied depending on the properties of the metal.
In any case, that was a matter to worry about after handling this business.
"However… there are a few things I need. Could you procure them for me?"
"Of course, name anything. There’s nothing hard to find here!"
As a heavyweight of the Incheon black market, Go Jun-cheol could get his hands on almost anything.
"Ah, but before that, I need a person."
And just like that, Lee Hyun-wook planned to smoothly achieve his first objective.
‘Good, things are falling right into my lap.’
***
The village of Red Hole had a population of exactly 1,345 people.
And all of them were individuals who, for various reasons, had no choice but to leave the real world behind.
Persecution of black mages, false accusations, being hunted by Player assassins hired by giant guilds—this place was a new home for those who had been inevitably pushed out of the country of Korea.
Therefore, the news that an outsider had entered was bound to be a very sensitive issue for them, and the village atmosphere had grown cold as they kept a wary eye on the stranger's presence.
The young men, in particular, gathered in a corner of the village square as if preparing for battle.
"Damn it, that bastard! I don't know what he's up to, but something smells fishy!"
Among them were those who had been captured by Lee Hyun-wook.
Their necks were stained red, likely from the metal restraints he had put on them.
"I mean, he knows how to get rid of the black vines? Does that even make sense?"
They remembered what the outsider had said when he first encountered Go Jin-hwa's mounted unit.
"How the hell would he know that… and how is it even possible?"
"I don't know. I think he's talking to the village chief about it right now…"
For the past eight months, they had waged war against those black vines, but to no avail.
Now, some random guy rolls in and claims he can solve the problem? It was absurd.
But the moment the outsider's identity was revealed, everyone was utterly shocked.
"What? What? That guy is… Lee Hyun-wook, the Savior of Seoul?! Is that for real?"
"Gasp—gasp—It's true! I just went by the chief's house and saw him! I'm sure of it!"
"Whoa, holy crap…"
Since they occasionally passed through the gate to the black market, they received intermittent news from the outside world. The biggest news recently was, of course, the ‘4th Wave.’
In other words, there was no way they wouldn't know the name Lee Hyun-wook.
"Whoa…"
And unknowingly, they had all felt their hearts stir upon hearing his heroic tale.
The story of an underdog hero who had stopped the hellish events unfolding in the world above…
Consequently, the cold atmosphere began to thaw in a peculiar way.
"Ah! Hey! Come to think of it, that power he used on us, wasn't that metal manipulation?"
"Oh, right! Now that you mention it, that's what it was!"
Even those who had been defeated by Lee Hyun-wook clapped their hands in newfound admiration.
"Ah, I should've known when he disassembled and reassembled nine pistols in the blink of an eye!"
"Whoa… thinking about it now, man, that was a badass scene, wasn't it?"
The image of the ‘Savior of Seoul’ spread among the public was so powerful that they could forget the pain in their bruised necks and gasp in awe.
Their thoughts began to lean toward the idea that this man, Lee Hyun-wook, might actually be able to pull something off.
Just then, two young men standing in a corner snorted simultaneously.
"Hah, bullshit… a hero? My ass. That guy's gotta be a con artist."
"Yeah, only suckers fall for that crap."
The two men trading insults looked strangely identical.
Not twins, but completely identical from head to toe.
"...Hey, Yeo Sang-min, why are you getting so worked up all of a sudden?"
Yeo Sang-min, the 21-year-old ‘men’ so-called, snorted.
"Hey, I know better than you guys. I'm an F-rank, after all."
"That's right, you bastards. You think you know more about F-ranks than me?"
As the two Yeo Sang-mins spoke in turn, the expressions of those around them hardened.
"This bastard, here he goes again… he flips out whenever the topic of F-ranks comes up…"
"Tsk, tsk, it's a sickness, man! What's the point of denying it so vehemently?"
Judging by their reactions, it was clear this wasn't the first time Yeo Sang-min had acted this way.
He reacted like this every time he heard news about the F-rank hero, Lee Hyun-wook.
"Just you wait. Lee Hyun-wook or whatever, his lies are gonna be exposed soon enough!"
The Yeo Sang-mins huffed and turned away.
"That bastard. He's a smart kid, but so damn emotional…"
"How pathetic must he feel about being an F-rank to act like that?"
***
Yeo Sang-min was a Player with a non-growth trait… an F-rank.
All he could do was create a single ‘clone.’
And with such a peculiar ability, the only thing he could accomplish was…
‘Nothing, except being able to shovel twice as fast when farming, that son of a…’
But at some point, stories about an F-rank hero began to fill the world.
The hero who protected Seoul during the 4th Wave, Lee Hyun-wook…
Yeo Sang-min wasn't particularly pleased to hear that someone of the same F-rank as himself had achieved such a thing.
How should he put it? It was like when a friend you thought was in the same boat as you suddenly becomes successful.
Instead of feeling happy, you want to deny the reality of it…
‘What? An F-rank saved Seoul, and now he’s here to save us too? Give me a fucking break…’
As he stormed home, his 14-year-old younger brother shot up from his bed.
"Hyung! Did you hear? The identity of the man who came to the village today—"
"—I know!"
"Huh? What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"
At Yeo Sang-min's sharp reply, his brother, Yeo Sang-jun, looked bewildered.
"Hey! Don't be swayed by such ridiculous stories! How could an F-rank possibly save Seoul?"
"No, but, they said he achieved the feat—"
"—Even so, stopping a Wave? It's all a scam cooked up by the government, I told you!"
Even if he had truly performed great deeds, he wouldn't be an F-rank but an S-rank. It wasn't uncommon for the government or guilds to hide the existence of an S-rank for a while, so this was probably just a grand debut they had orchestrated for him.
That's what he believed.
"No, hyung! Dad always said that a Player's potential is limitless… He said he had a blacksmith friend who took down orcs with a greatsword. Maybe there's something more to it?"
At those words, Yeo Sang-min's scowl deepened even further.
‘Dad used to spout that nonsense like a mantra.’
His father had been driven from the surface world to a place like this, but he never lost hope.
He always praised the power of Players, extolling them as heroes.
The reason was that, back on the surface, his father had served true heroes: S-rank Players.
‘Hmph, thinking about it now, it was nothing short of fanaticism!’
As a child, growing up on his father's stories about ‘heroes,’
Yeo Sang-min had also vaguely thought of Players as magnificent heroes.
And when Yeo Sang-min awakened as a Player, his father was overjoyed.
But when he succeeded in his first hunt,
and didn't gain any ‘experience points’…
‘Dad's stiff expression at that moment…’
He could never forget that scene.
His father didn't show it, but he must have hated the fact that his son was an F-rank.
"Hey, Yeo Sang-jun, you know what? After it was revealed I was an F-rank, Dad never mentioned those stories again. He must have realized that his son, an F-rank, had no potential…"
"..."
"And isn't it because Dad himself had no potential as a Player that he never came back?"
"No, hyung! No matter how frustrated you are, you shouldn't talk like that—!"
…The legends of Players he had heard so often as a child were all lies.
After realizing that potential,
was by no means something everyone possessed,
he couldn't help but see the world through a cynical lens.
Knock—knock—
A knock sounded at the door.
"Hey! Yeo Sang-min! Are you home?"
The visitor was one of the village's executives, Oh Dal-seong, the chief's right-hand man.
"Yeo Sang-min, the chief is looking for you right now."
"...Huh? Why? I haven't done anything."
A direct summons from the chief, Go Jun-cheol, usually meant he was in for a lecture.
"No, to be precise, a guest is looking for you."
"What? A guest, you mean…"
"Haven't you heard the news yet? Lee Hyun-wook, the Savior of Seoul, is here in our village."
"..."
"But hmm, I have no idea why such an incredible person would need you."
***
Sccrrraaaape—
With a bizarre sound, a writhing black mass slowly approached from the distance.
The cluster of vines burrowed through the ground, spreading out and sucking up all the moisture within the soil.
Eventually, it would burst to the surface, surging and crushing everything that grew upon it.
One day, it would cover this entire land.
"...Damn it. Those things devoured the western forest in just a week."
Go Jin-hwa pointed somewhere.
But… there was nothing there.
Only a thick cloud of sand and dust kicked up by the Swallow.
"...It was a pretty big forest."
According to her, that place had been lush with greenery just a week ago.
"And now… it's heading for the central reservoir."
The central reservoir, a massive body of water, was the last remaining water source for Red Hole village.
"Hah… if this place is taken too, we'll really have to leave this land. We can buy water from the outside, but the land itself will be completely dead, eventually becoming uninhabitable."
An extreme ecological shift… it wasn't a problem that could be solved with money.
"Don't worry. This last reservoir will be safe. And soon, this land will be restored."
"...Yes, I believe you."
"By the way, are the items I requested on their way?"
"Um… Ah! There they are now."
Five horse-drawn carts could be seen approaching along the makeshift road.
"But what on earth is the 'Red Moonlight Herb' for?"
The Red Moonlight Herb that Lee Hyun-wook had requested was a common, perhaps even useless, herb that bloomed in grassland-type dungeons. For an herb, it had no stamina recovery effect, only a hemostatic one.
But no one knew that it would be the key to stopping the great disaster known as the Swallow.
"Think of this as a kind of herbicide to get rid of those things."
"An herbicide? R-Really? This common weed?"
Clutching a handful of Red Moonlight Herb, Go Jin-hwa wore an expression of disbelief.
"Even the strongest fire can be put out by dousing it with common water. Some things are absolute counters."
As a rule, every being in nature possesses a ‘property.’
Thus, while some things exist in harmony, others are terrible natural enemies.
And that law applied to the ecosystems of other worlds as well.
‘The secret to the Red Moonlight Herb's hemostatic effect was its ability to restrict the flow of moisture.’
And it would be discovered that a Swallow that absorbed this component would wither and die within minutes.
Based on that information, development of an ‘herbicide’ to eliminate the Swallow that had overrun the Amazon would begin.
And so, Lee Hyun-wook had watched them succeed in ending the Swallow crisis in just three months.
‘Of course, right now, I can't create an object that emits that component.’
But with a temporary solution, he could somehow root out those things.
Just then, a familiar face got down from one of the carts.
‘And Yeo Sang-min. I finally found him.’
He was the man who had been the first mate, a key crew member of the massive airship, the ‘Gate Sentinel.’
‘In the future, he creates dozens of clones. And all those clones share their senses.’
In other words, securing and properly training one crew member named Yeo Sang-min was like gaining dozens of crew members, allowing for simultaneous assessment and response to all phenomena occurring within the ship.
‘The efficiency he showed in his prime was akin to a supercomputer.’
He could instantly handle problems arising on that giant ship without complex communication.
But right now, he had a somewhat sullen expression.
‘From what I know, he was a pretty sharp guy… but I guess he's different at this point in time…’
He approached Go Jin-hwa, glancing sideways at Lee Hyun-wook.
"...Noona, I heard you were looking for me."
"Oh, you're here? It wasn't me; this gentleman was looking for you."
Lee Hyun-wook extended a hand to Yeo Sang-min.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Lee Hyun-wook."
However, Yeo Sang-min did not take Lee Hyun-wook's outstretched hand.
"...I'm Yeo Sang-min. But there's something I wanted to ask. You're not an F-rank, are you?"
It was a sudden question, and for some reason, a highly aggressive one.
"Hey! You brat, what's wrong with you?"
"...Ah, it's alright."
Lee Hyun-wook gave Yeo Sang-min a faint smile.
"Yeo Sang-min, I called you because I have a favor to ask."
"Huh? No, but how do you even know me?"
Lee Hyun-wook simply shrugged in response.
"What the… And what could I possibly do in a situation like this…"
"Well, you might not be able to, but I called you because I have high hopes for your potential."
Potential, of all things… Yeo Sang-min scowled at that.
Of all the words he hated most, it had to be spoken by this irksome man.
"Judging by your expression, you're thinking, 'what potential could an F-rank possibly have?'"
"..."
He had hit the nail on the head, but Yeo Sang-min didn't answer.
"I understand. I thought the same way for a long time, longer than you have."
"...But whatever it is, if you're asking me to walk over there, I can't do it."
He declared this as he stared at the writhing waves of black vines in the distance.
He knew all too well what happened if you got near them.
It was a foolish, suicidal act.
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.
"No, don't worry. We won't be walking."
"Then what, are we going to fly or something?"
"Yes, you've seen right through me."
"...Excuse me?"
Yeo Sang-min stared blankly at his face, wondering what he was talking about.
‘…Is he making a joke like that with such a serious face?’
But just then, black smoke began to flow from Lee Hyun-wook's right hand.
Shiiiii—
And in his hand, a single white shield appeared.
"...A shield?"
But Lee Hyun-wook threw the shield far into the distance.
"Yeo Sang-min… I used to be the same, but you judge things only by what you can see and hear right in front of you."
"...Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"That's why you're trapped by the rules others have arbitrarily set, by the label of F-rank."
Just as he was thinking, what kind of condescending advice is this…
Woooooosh—!
That small white shield transformed into a colossal mass of white metal—an airship.
As Yeo Sang-min stared, dumbfounded, at the scene, Lee Hyun-wook clasped his shoulder.
"Come with me, and I can show you what your potential is."