S-Ranks Assemble
The multi-legged tank.
It was the main battle tank of the machine species, a symbol of the sheer resilience and devastating firepower that defined them.
Until now, it was a terror only seen in the real world. But thanks to the exploits of the B-rank player Lee Jun, it could now be witnessed on the internet as well.
The presence of a multi-legged tank on the internet meant that players could fight and study it without risking actual human lives.
"That's why Maetan issued a subjugation mission targeting S-rank players this time. It seems they want to test our strongest forces against it first, then gradually lower the difficulty to study it step-by-step."
Yoo Hyeyeon spoke from the driver's seat.
She handled the SUV with practiced ease. Judging by her taste in motorcycles, she seemed to have a quiet fondness for large vehicles.
It was even a manual transmission.
"So, where we're heading right now is..."
"Yes. Uijeongbu."
Making a few stops along the way, Yoo Hyeyeon followed a designated 'route' toward the event zone in Uijeongbu. Because the Uijeongbu Event Zone had drawn so much attention from Maetan's high-ranking officials, several different routes had been mapped out in a short amount of time.
Upon arriving in Uijeongbu, we parked the car in an underground lot and headed toward the first floor of a department store.
"Everyone is already here."
As we pushed open the main doors on the first floor, the ruined cityscape of Uijeongbu stretched out before us.
We had entered the event zone depicting the very day the multi-legged tank first appeared.
A crowd of unfamiliar faces had gathered in front of the department store.
There was a snake-like man, a knight clad in full plate armor, a sharp-looking man in a neat suit and glasses, and even a woman in a red dress who looked like a witch.
Though I had never seen any of them before, I could tell at a glance that they were players.
"Yoo Hyeyeon!"
The knight in full plate armor called out the Sprout Guild Leader's name.
When the knight raised her helmet's visor, a refined woman's face was revealed.
"Baek Yeonju... Joohyuk, excuse me for a moment. I'll introduce you to the others in a bit."
Yoo Hyeyeon walked toward the knight, the sharp click-clack of her high heels echoing through the air.
As if taking her place, a man dressed in black ran out from the crowd.
"Joohyuk!"
It was Lee Jun, a man with a smile brighter than the sun.
Lately, she had been using her default avatar, Choi Soyeong, complaining that people wouldn't stop talking to her whenever she went around as Lee Jun. It had been a while since I last saw this face.
Lee Jun leaned in close, almost hiding behind my back.
"I didn't know anyone here. I thought I was going to die of awkwardness..."
As that handsome face pouted and clung to me, I had the bizarre illusion of white flower petals fluttering in the wind around us.
"Were you invited too?"
"Yes... They asked me to point out anything unusual from the perspective of the event zone's discoverer. After all, this is the place Maetan is most interested in among all the recently discovered event zones."
I pondered for a moment before asking about the favor I had requested.
"Any clues about the event zone for 'that day'?"
'That day' referred to the day our Shoeshine Unit was wiped out.
I had brought her the prosthetic arms of my deceased comrades and commissioned her to find an event zone that would let me uncover what had truly happened on the day of our annihilation.
"I think it'll still take some time. Strangely enough, there are barely any records of the Shoeshine Unit. Even within the military, the unit's designation kept changing... and they were often left out of the chain of command entirely. It's incredibly difficult to find any documentation."
"Really? That's unexpected..."
Not to toot our own horn, but the Shoeshine Unit was quite famous.
Whenever our allies retreated—and battles against the machine species were seventy percent retreats, twenty percent defensive operations, and the remaining ten percent offensive strikes, which were so rare they could be counted on one hand—we were the ones holding the absolute rear.
When we finally marched back into base after securing the retreat, the soldiers who had escaped before us would sometimes stand and applaud.
"They probably operated it as a temporary unit from the start, not expecting it to last very long. I'll contact you the moment I find anything."
"Thank you. If you ever need anything, just call. I'll do whatever it is."
"Anything?"
Lee Jun grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes.
The avatar was so meticulously crafted that his eyes practically sparkled.
Just as I was about to get sucked into that gaze, a man approached us.
"I'm Go Yongwan. Pleasure."
He was a snake of a man.
His eyes were narrowed into slits so thin his pupils were invisible, and he wore a black coat that looked like it was made of crocodile skin. The hem of his coat curled up slightly, revealing a lizard-like tail sprouting from underneath. Was this another beastman avatar?
He's the Guild Leader of Gyeokryongdan, the guild rumored to have the best fighters.
"Sniff, sniff... Hmph."
Go Yongwan leaned in, bringing his face right up to mine. If he got any closer, our noses would touch.
A thin, black tongue flicked out of his mouth and vanished just as quickly.
A sudden jolt of electricity shot down my spine. It was my instincts screaming danger.
Seeing me flinch, Go Yongwan's slit-like eyes narrowed even further.
"Hmm, indeed, indeed. The avatar is pathetic, but the contents are solid. No wonder Yoo Hyeyeon was bragging."
He crossed his arms, looking me up and down as if appraising merchandise.
"But what a shame. Did they say your computation grade is D? If only you were at least a B..."
"What are you doing to a newcomer? Stop throwing your bloodlust around at random."
An elderly man with a bushy white beard spoke up from behind Go Yongwan.
He looked as disheveled as a homeless man, but his presence here meant he was undoubtedly an S-rank player as well.
That's Wan Dalho, an S-rank player. He goes by the alias 'Archmage'. Rumor has it his computation know-how is the absolute best in Maetan.
CC explained briefly.
Where on earth did she hear all this? She was with me almost all the time.
"A goblin, eh? Using a trash mob as an avatar... you've got excellent taste. I always welcome a fellow who appreciates a bit of romance. I'm Wan Dalho."
Wan Dalho extended his hand for a handshake.
His back was hunched, making him about the same height as me. Since there was no reason for a virtual avatar to have a hunched back, this too was clearly part of his concept.
I guess one roleplayer recognizes another.
As soon as Wan Dalho and Go Yongwan walked away, Lee Jun spoke up as if he had been waiting for the chance.
"There are twelve S-rank players right here. Excluding those who are inactive or chose not to participate, this is practically all of them. I can't believe I'm seeing this with my own eyes..."
Lee Jun bounced on his heels, sounding slightly thrilled.
"That person over there in the tailcoat suit is a player named No Taekyeong. He's called the 'Illusionist' or the 'Magician'. True to his name, he mostly uses illusion magic... And above all, do you see him? The man in the suit and glasses!"
At the end of Lee Jun's pointing finger stood a young man wearing dark glasses, a sharp suit, and a gray coat.
He had a warm, friendly smile that left a deep impression.
"That's the current Rank 1 player, Kang Sihyeon!"
Even I knew that name.
Quantum Position, Kang Sihyeon.
"I heard he has the ability to see the future...?"
"It's slightly different."
The voice came from right behind us.
Startled, I spun around. Kang Sihyeon, who had been at the edge of my vision just a second ago, was now standing right behind us.
"Haha, I didn't mean to startle you. My ability is different from seeing the future. In any given moment, I can generate dozens of 'myselves' with different possibilities, and then choose one of them."
Kang Sihyeon stepped in front of me and reached into his coat.
The moment he did, a violent shiver ran down my spine, and cold sweat broke out all over my body.
A moment later, he smiled warmly, pulled out a microfiber cloth, and began to wipe his glasses.
"You're fast. Is that a survival instinct? You possess an extraordinary will to live."
"!!"
I realized I had already taken a step back.
My throat felt bone-dry as the words forced themselves out.
"What did you just do...?"
"When I reached into my coat just now, a multitude of 'presents' unfolded before me. Among them were versions of me pulling out guns and knives with the intent to kill you. Amazingly, you reacted to every single one of them. It was incredible. I've never seen anyone with such a sensitive nose for death. Seeing your reaction, I simply chose the reality where I pulled out my glasses cloth. The tension you feel is the residual effect of indirectly experiencing a moment where you 'could have died'."
He slipped the cloth back into his pocket.
"Usually, people don't feel a thing. Truly remarkable."
It's like a Schrödinger's cat kind of ability.
What the hell is that? Please use an analogy I actually understand.
...As if anticipating my ignorance, CC naturally began to explain.
It seems like an ability to choose one out of many possibilities. For example, if you had options to attack him with a punch, a kick, or a headbutt, some would succeed and some would fail. He has the power to test all of those options and then select only the successful outcome.
What? Isn't that completely broken?
"Is it really alright to just explain your ability like that?"
"Oh, my ability is far too famous. It's even featured in the card game published by Maetan. Have you played it? It's called 'Players: The Gathering'..."
"Hello, viewers! Bringing you the fastest news! This is Ham Chunghoon from Maetan Broadcast, MBC!!"
A booming voice suddenly rang out.
It was a voice I had often heard on Intra-Maetan or in Maetan's diners.
He was a player who specialized in streaming.
"Wow. It's Ham Chunghoon. He's the number one streamer among all players."
Lee Jun, who had dabbled in streaming himself, looked on with envious eyes.
Most player streams consisted of watching pre-recorded videos retrieved from the internet together, explaining the situation at the time, and sharing personal experiences of how they overcame obstacles. This was because live broadcasts couldn't be transmitted directly from the internet in real-time.
"Do you see this? Even I have never seen so many S-rank players gathered in one place! Today is a historic event! The players of our Maetan are going to hunt the strongest tank in Earth's history! The main weapon of the machine species! The multi-legged tank!!"
Boom! Crash! Ba-ba-boom!
In the distance, the sound of a synchronized barrage from human military tanks echoed.
"And as we speak, the battle between the human forces and the multi-legged tank has begun! In this battle, humanity will lose all of its tanks in the blink of an eye! Let's get closer!"
Ham Chunghoon's figure faded away, melting into the air.
At the same time, the S-ranks who had been gathered in small groups scattered, moving to secure the positions best suited for them.
Yoo Hyeyeon ran over and spoke to us.
"Joohyuk, Lee Jun, stay here. It's highly unlikely, but... if anything goes wrong, head straight into the department store and log out."
With those words, Yoo Hyeyeon pulled a set of brass knuckles from her pocket and slipped them over her fingers.
Her trench coat fluttered behind her like a cape as she strode forward, taking her place at the absolute front line of the S-ranks.
I was curious.
The multi-legged tank that had tormented our human forces so relentlessly.
How would these players take down that monster?
The multi-legged tank boasted immense attack power, but its most defining feature was its absolutely impenetrable defense.
The military manuals we received during the war outlined only three ways to defeat a multi-legged tank:
1) Support fire from naval artillery.
2) A synchronized barrage from self-propelled guns or artillery units of battalion size or larger.
3) Engaging in close-quarters combat to force it to empty its close-in weapon systems' ammunition, followed by a missile strike.
While options one and two were the most effective, the opportunity to use them rarely arose.
In the end, the only viable method was option three—draining its ammunition and then unleashing heavy firepower—but even that was no simple task.
In the process of draining its ammo, casualties would easily exceed the size of an entire company, and if even a single round remained, the tank would shoot down any incoming missiles.
Eventually, our military doctrine was revised: if you encounter a multi-legged tank, run.
It simply wasn't something humans could kill.
Boom!
The human military tank fleeing before us exploded.
It was the last one.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
The multi-legged tank moved its cylindrical legs, advancing toward us.
A green light swept out from its camera lens—the scanning beam it used to map the terrain with absolute precision.
The moment the light swept over the players, Yoo Hyeyeon, standing at the very front, bolted forward.
I couldn't even see her feet kick off the ground. It was a speed that bordered on teleportation.
Closing the distance in an instant, Yoo Hyeyeon pulled her right fist back while keeping her left hand forward.
The textbook stance for a straight punch.
"Haaah!"
CLANG!!
An impact that sounded like a massive temple bell.
The front armor of the multi-legged tank—which wouldn't even take a scratch from an anti-materiel rifle—caved inward in the perfect shape of a fist.
"Whoa."
Whoa.
"Whoa," Lee Jun breathed.
Myself, CC, and Lee Jun let out exclamations of awe at the exact same time.
But the shock was far from over.
"Haaah... Atatatatatatatata!"
A flurry of punches rained down at a speed the human eye could barely track.
With every single strike that connected, the tank's heavy armor buckled and warped.
"Hah!"
With a fierce shout, she delivered one final, devastating blow.
Thud.
The multi-legged tank actually took a step back.
I had never seen it before.
A machine of that class being forced to retreat.
And right behind Yoo Hyeyeon, the S-rank players leaped into action.