Chapter 1

### Steel-Eating Player – Branch Manager

1. F-Rank Player's Regression – 1

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Everyone has a touch of genius within them.

However, most people never discover their genius throughout their lives.

But what if one realizes their genius only at the twilight of their life? How would life change?

Would the belated joy make life happier?

‘...No, no.’

Lee Hyun-wook could assert with certainty.

‘On the contrary, it’s a bitter agony.’

From his experience, the late discovery of talent was like opening Pandora’s box. It bound one in a chain of torment, filled with an indescribable sense of powerlessness and regret, a cruel torture of hope.

‘Even if I had realized my abilities, I couldn’t change anything.’

Lee Hyun-wook was now lying on the rooftop of a skyscraper, drenched in blood.

Around him, his comrades lay as cold corpses, and it seemed that he was the only one still breathing.

At that moment, about half a dozen figures slowly descended from the sky and surrounded Hyun-wook.

‘Villains’

These were human players who had sold their souls to demons and led the invasion of Earth.

One of them approached and spoke.

“The last hero of Seoul, the Steel Emperor, has rusted and fallen.”

Steel Emperor (鋼鐵大帝) was what the world called Lee Hyun-wook.

‘It’s a bit childish, but I was glad to be recognized, even if it was late...’

Soon, a boot appeared in front of Hyun-wook’s eyes.

He moved his gaze with great effort to look at the person. A tall man with a pompadour, he was Gordon Price, the CEO of the global corporation ‘Blue Tree.’

“Gordon, you traitor...”

Gordon, who once held the most wealth on Earth and was the greatest supporter of heroes, was revealed to be a ‘Villain’ only after his ‘underhanded moves’ had already eliminated countless heroes.

And from that moment, the downfall of humanity began.

“Hyun-wook, to be honest, you were a very tough opponent.”

He said this while stretching his arms up to the sky.

“The sight of thousands of swords and spears rising in unison, like a heavy rain, following your fingertips... The awakened power of the Steel Emperor was, in truth, difficult for us to handle.”

He slowly lowered his arms and smiled politely.

“So, I wanted to tell you this someday.”

He leaned in close to Hyun-wook’s ear and whispered softly.

“...I’m really grateful that you didn’t fully utilize that great power.”

He smiled.

To hear gratitude from the one who had wiped out humanity... Rage boiled up inside him. But he couldn’t move his body, for he had suffered irreparable injuries.

*Grinding teeth*

He gnashed his teeth in unbearable anger, his gums sinking in...

The belated realization of talent was this terrible.

But conversely, it was a great fortune for the enemies.

‘If I had only realized how to use this power a little earlier... Would things have been different?’

It was a vague regret.

About 12 years ago, Lee Hyun-wook awakened as a ‘Player’ and gained the ability to control 300 grams of metal.

Of course, 300 grams was only enough to move a single dagger.

But like all abilities, he believed it would gradually grow, increasing the amount and methods of control.

However, for a full 10 years, Lee Hyun-wook’s ability did not change at all.

The reason was simple: he didn’t know how to develop his ability.

He practiced moving metal thousands of times a day and even slept in a room made of steel. He tried countless methods.

But they were all in vain.

‘But who would have thought... that eating steel was the answer?’

Eating and absorbing steel. He realized this bizarre method two years ago.

After that, Lee Hyun-wook voraciously consumed steel.

Although he couldn’t eat indefinitely due to the time it took to digest, he reduced his sleep to the minimum and continued to eat steel. The weight of metal he could control slowly but surely increased.

Thus, he could now control 4,145 kilograms, toss trucks like toys, shake and collapse buildings, and wield thousands of steel weapons like a storm.

And so, he earned the title of ‘Steel Emperor.’

But that was as far as it went.

No matter how great his potential, he couldn’t catch up to those who had already advanced far ahead.

“Hyun-wook, if you had been given a little more time, wouldn’t you have lifted this entire building and dropped it like a giant meteor? Hahaha... It must be quite disappointing for you, right?”

Gordon, taunting gently...

‘Yes, it’s disappointing! Maddeningly disappointing!’

If he had realized it just three years, or even two years earlier, he could have consumed and digested dozens of times more steel, moving hundreds or thousands of tons. Then, things might have been different.

“Look over there. Your city, Seoul, is collapsing.”

Gordon grabbed his head and turned it.

*Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom-Boom*

With a heavy roar, the buildings in Yeouido began to sink. A dusty storm rose from there, sweeping over the Han River, now a sea of red with countless corpses.

The cries and screams from all over the city intertwined, forming a bizarre symphony. The orchestra of hell crept into Hyun-wook’s ears.

His head ached.

*Thud...*

A city of ten million people, dying before his eyes.

“Ah...”

Lee Hyun-wook could only let out a small sigh. He could do nothing.

“Hyun-wook, you did your best. But honestly...”

Gordon sneered.

“...you were terrible.”

With that, Gordon turned around. At the same time, someone approached and raised a giant wooden hammer. The man’s left foot stomped on Hyun-wook’s chest, pinning him down.

The hammer fell from above his head.

*Crash!*

That was the end.

A life of possessing a genius ability but failing to use it properly came to a close.

***

For a moment, Lee Hyun-wook was immersed in darkness.

The next moment, a light appeared in the distance.

He extended his head toward it.

“...Huh!”

He gasped and opened his eyes, instinctively rubbing his head.

“Huh?”

His head, which should have been shattered... was perfectly intact.

‘I was hit directly, right?’

He felt the powerful blow that should have shattered his skull.

No matter how he thought about it, the damage was not something that could be easily recovered from. In fact, he should have died instantly.

‘What’s happening? Did I fall into the afterlife?’

He looked around with this thought.

But this place was quite familiar.

He rubbed his eyes and looked again. This was... the barracks where he had served in the military.

“Crazy...”

“Why here of all places...”

If he had fallen into the afterlife, it must have been hell.

At that moment, the door opened, and someone entered. A bald private in a black combat uniform.

“Private Lee Hyun-wook, are you awake? It’s time for the evening meal formation.”

Lee Hyun-wook jumped out of bed.

“What... J, Junmo? Is that you, Park Junmo?”

“Private Park Junmo! Yes? What do you mean by that?”

This was the squadmate who had died fighting a monster during his military service.

“Uh... Yes! Of course, it’s me!”

Was he in the afterlife, where deceased acquaintances greeted him?

But this guy looked just as clumsy as he did back then.

It was as if...

he had returned to the past.

“...Huh?”

*Clunk!*

Lee Hyun-wook quickly opened the drawer and looked at himself in the mirror.

‘Crazy, what’s going on here?’

The face in the mirror was clearly younger, that of a man in his early twenties.

He was confused.

“Private Lee Hyun-wook? Are you okay? Your complexion...”

“...I’m not okay.”

What was happening?

Lee Hyun-wook reported that he couldn’t eat dinner due to feeling unwell and returned to the barracks, sitting down.

He held his short hair, trying to understand the situation.

“Phew... I need to think calmly.”

But no matter how he thought about it, he had to accept what he was seeing.

“I’ve returned to the past, specifically... 8 years ago, when I was 22.”

Soon, a ‘System Message’ visible only to ‘Players’ appeared in his field of vision.

– Current controllable ‘metal’ weight: 300g

As expected, it was still only 300 grams.

‘And based on my previous life, this will not change for the next 6 years.’

During those 6 years, his life was nothing but tragic. He would be discharged as a sergeant in 7 months and then, branded as an F-rank player, take a job as a temporary worker at the ‘Hunter Guild.’

It was a hard-earned job, but in reality, he was just an extra, supporting famous heroes. He fought with his life on the line, but no one cared or cheered for him.

‘But after I realized the method to develop my ability, I could stand alongside the heroes.’

But...

“...I know how to change all of that now, don’t I?”

There was no need to wait.

He opened the drawer and took out a small clip.

‘Eat metal, absorb metal, control metal.’

A simple but bizarre method that defied common sense.

He put the clip in his mouth.

The unique, bitter taste of metal made his nerves stand on end.

Nausea rose.

His past body, not yet adapted to this strange sensation, instinctively rejected this abnormal behavior.

But the rationality from his future life forced it through.

*Swallow*

Then...

– Congratulations! You have realized the method to develop your ability.

– Metal absorption remaining: (00:09:59)

A countdown appeared before his eyes.

When the time ran out...

– Controllable metal weight: 301g

It changed.

The weight.

By just 1 gram, but the weight of metal he could control had increased.

He remembered the first time he saw this message. The puzzle that had bound him for a lifetime was solved so simply... It was both futile and exhilarating.

“Phew...”

He held his breath and closed his eyes. Then, he slowly raised his hands.

*Hum*

The alien sensation in his fingertips... tingling, numbness, cold, heat, these subtle feelings indicated a connection to some ‘object’ far away.

When he opened his eyes,

on his palm,

dozens of clips were floating and rotating.

“Yeah, this time...”

He extended his left hand, and the clips flying in the air gathered neatly on his palm.

“...I’ll really become a genius.”

The genius that should have remained dormant awoke prematurely.

And the impact was tremendous.