Chapter 12

12. Itaewon 2-dong, Gate Sealing Operation - 4

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“I’m starting to feel sleepy.”

Sergeant Kang Yikjun was keeping an eye on the intermediate checkpoint from the rooftop.

This was because Lieutenant Seo Eunha, the assault platoon leader, had instructed him to do so, but he also occasionally glanced around.

“We’re not even backup players, damn it. What’s with this on-site standby? It’s a waste of time...”

Of course, his real mission for today was just ‘on-site standby,’ so he wasn’t being negligent.

The main task of the assault platoon, a direct subordinate unit of the battalion commander, was to enter the gate and seal it.

However, today, a civilian guild’s assault team was in charge of the operation, and the assault platoon was waiting as a second line in case of emergencies.

“Since it’s the Kobold dungeon, and seeing how these merchants have jumped on it, it must be a lucrative dungeon... Ah, just get it over with quickly!”

Kang Yikjun yawned.

As long as the Blue Flower Guild had the right to assault, he wouldn’t have a chance to get involved.

But...

“Hey, what’s that?”

One of the snipers shouted, having noticed something.

Kang Yikjun rubbed his eyes and turned his head.

And at that moment, he had no choice but to run towards the railing.

“Damn...”

In the middle of the residential area of Itaewon 2-dong,

a black smoke was rising like a dragon.

And that place was...

“...the intermediate checkpoint, right?”

It was the exact spot that Seo Eunha had told him to watch.

“Yes, that’s right. Sergeant Kang, that much smoke must mean a fire, right?”

“No.”

Kang Yikjun shook his head at the sniper’s words.

“Huh? Then what is it?”

“That’s... ‘black magic.’”

As a C-grade Tier 1 magic player, Kang Yikjun immediately recognized the nature of the black smoke.

“It seems a Kobold black mage has appeared.”

“Huh? An elite monster? But it’s before the second eruption, how can it appear?”

“Yeah, damn it. If this happens, there will be casualties...”

Kang Yikjun raised the barrel of his Barrett M82A1.

However, his view was completely blocked, and there was nothing he could do.

He immediately pressed the button on his left earpiece.

“Platoon leader! There’s a problem!”

- What? What’s happening?

Seo Eunha responded immediately.

“It’s the intermediate checkpoint! A highly toxic fog has suddenly appeared!”

- Is that even possible? ...Got it! I’ll go there!

The order given to the assault platoon was to ‘stand by.’ Therefore, they had to remain on standby no matter what happened within the operation area, as the operational authority within the Red Ground currently belonged to the ‘1st Company Commander.’

In other words, without an order from the battalion commander, it was impossible to intervene in the operation.

“I’ll throw a shield to the first floor, so catch it and get out quickly!”

However, this situation couldn’t be left unattended. It was beyond what a support squad could handle.

No,

even the 1st Squad, the first line of the battalion, couldn’t easily deal with this situation.

If they didn’t act soon...

“...You need to get there as quickly as possible! If we don’t, they’ll all die!”

It would be a total wipeout.

Kang Yikjun picked up the shield that Seo Eunha had left behind and threw it down to the road below.

- Whoom!

The next moment, Seo Eunha, who had appeared from somewhere, caught the shield.

She drew her greatsword and ran into the alley.

Her speed was incredible.

However, Kang Yikjun had a hunch.

“Maybe...”

Unfortunately, some of them might already be dead.

***

Two colors were intertwining, creating a strange current.

“Phew...”

In the smoke, the 5th Squad members were crouching behind combat supplies, taking cover.

They had prepared a magic defense barrier activation device called a ‘Crystal Barricade’ in case the ‘intermediate checkpoint’ was attacked. However, since the Kobolds emerged from a manhole inside, it was useless.

In other words, they couldn’t hold out for long.

However...

“...”

Something was off.

Despite a considerable amount of time passing, the Kobolds hadn’t approached at all.

‘Why? Is it because of the steam created by Private Lee Hyunwook?’

Sergeant Choi Seona, the deputy squad leader, was only thinking this,

...Keck!

‘What’s that sound?’

She had no idea about the mysterious ‘terminal scream’ occasionally heard from the black smoke.

“Deputy squad leader, lower your posture and keep your gun down as much as possible.”

“Ah... Uh, okay.”

At Lee Hyunwook’s words, Choi Seona nodded and knelt on one knee.

Although she was the highest-ranking officer in this position, she had no choice but to follow his lead.

No,

she was completely relying on him.

‘Was Private Lee Hyunwook always like this? No, he wasn’t...’

She knew that Lee Hyunwook was an F-grade soldier and a temporary squad leader replacing the injured squad leader.

Therefore, just before the operation, while changing into her combat uniform, she had reminded herself to be extra vigilant since the real squad leader wasn’t there.

No matter how young he was, an officer was still an officer.

She had to lead this operation and take responsibility.

‘...But, to be honest, I didn’t have to do much.’

Just before the ambush, Lee Hyunwook had noticed everything and gave concise and accurate instructions.

His calm voice in the black smoke... When she heard it, her prejudice against Lee Hyunwook disappeared, and she found herself trusting and following him without hesitation.

“...Everyone, keep quiet and listen to me.”

At Lee Hyunwook’s words, Choi Seona held her breath and listened.

Not just her, but everyone in the position did the same.

“We can’t see anything, but the enemies can’t see us either. It will only be for a short while.”

“...”

“An Min-tae, go to the front and set up your shield to block the Kobolds’ approach. If you’re properly covered, their poison needles will be useless.”

“Understood.”

An Min-tae, who was standing next to Lee Hyunwook, answered quietly and took two steps forward.

The area protected by his broad shield expanded as he got closer to the enemy.

“Private Lee Hyunwook, are you... planning to advance now?”

An Min-tae noticed that Lee Hyunwook had moved quite far forward.

“Yes, I’ll go and lock the gas valve, so you stay there.”

“...What? Are you serious?”

An Min-tae was surprised and asked.

However, Lee Hyunwook didn’t answer and started walking forward.

“...Private Lee Hyunwook?”

There was no response.

His shadow, which had been faintly visible above the smoke, disappeared into the thick smoke and vanished from sight.

“Ah, I’m going crazy...”

An Min-tae swallowed hard and raised his shield to his chin.

“Huh? Is Private Lee Hyunwook... going forward?”

“We’ll wait calmly for now.”

“Ah...”

With the disappearance of Lee Hyunwook, whom they had been relying on, the squad members were once again overwhelmed by fear.

All kinds of thoughts started to flood their minds, and they expected to hear Lee Hyunwook’s agonizing scream from the black smoke at any moment.

But what they heard was...

Keck! Ke-ek!

Only inhuman screams.

And a moment later...

“Hey? I can see something!”

Park Junmo said.

Indeed, the black smoke was clearing, and something began to appear faintly in the newly visible area.

“That’s... a Kobold.”

More precisely, it was the corpses of seven Kobolds.

Their heads were all pierced by a greatsword.

“Look! There’s Private Lee Hyunwook!”

Near the manhole where the black smoke was coming from, Lee Hyunwook was standing. Something was broken and scattered at his feet.

It looked like ceramic pieces, but it was actually a ‘medium’ used by the Kobold black mage to create the black smoke. When he said he would lock the valve, he meant this.

He turned to look at them.

“Park Junmo, come here.”

“Understood!”

At Lee Hyunwook’s gesture, Park Junmo quickly ran forward.

“Use all your lightning magic and shoot it into the sewer immediately.”

“Ah, understood! Got it!”

Park Junmo took out the wand attached to his waist, took a deep breath, and swung it into the sewer.

Paa-zik!

Blue lightning shot out from the tip of the wand.

“Pour it all in.”

“Understood!”

Paa-zik! Paa-zik! Paa-ji-zik!

Three more shots followed.

“I only managed to get four shots...”

“Alright, that’s fine.”

The four lightning spells illuminated the sewer in blue.

At the bottom of the sewer, sewage was flowing, and the current spread along the sewage to the depths.

Paa-se-se-se-

Then...

Kee-ee-ee-ee!

“Wow, crazy!”

From the depths of the sewer, a pained scream erupted.

The remaining Kobolds hidden in the sewage were caught in the current.

However, the damage from Park Junmo’s lightning skill wasn’t enough to kill the Kobolds...

Tung! Te-ung!

“Ah!”

They started to emerge from the manholes here and there.

Kee-ek! Kee-ee-ee-ee!

“Ah, ah! Everyone! Suppressive fire, shoot!”

Sergeant Choi Seona shouted instinctively, but instead of raising their guns, the squad members looked at Lee Hyunwook, who raised his gun at the same time as her command.

Only then did all the guns rise.

Ta-da-da-da-dang!

Scattered shots followed, and the remaining Kobolds, who had emerged while being electrocuted, were swept away by the barrage of bullets and fell one by one.

Kee-ee-ee-ee...

“Private Lee Hyunwook! As expected, rifles can’t penetrate the barrier!”

“Right, finish them off with personal weapons!”

Lee Hyunwook threw away his rifle and drew the Sword of Clouds from his back.

He then charged at a Kobold.

This one was different from the others, wearing a black robe.

‘This is the Kobold black mage.’

This was the elite monster.

Keck, ke-rek!

The Kobold had already been hit by 15 shots from Lee Hyunwook’s rifle and was lying on the ground.

The bullets hadn’t penetrated its skin, but they had likely broken several ribs.

While the Kobold was clutching its stomach and groaning, unable to regain its senses...

Chwa-ak!

Lee Hyunwook swung his sword and completely severed the Kobold’s right wrist.

At the same time, he threw the M9 greatsword, hitting the Kobold’s abdomen.

Kre-eh!

The Kobold stumbled backward and cast a spell with its left hand.

A green ‘magic circle’ appeared on the back of its hand.

Hoo-ung!

At that moment, Lee Hyunwook’s body rose into the air, soaring up to 2 meters in an instant.

“...Kuh!”

It was a gravity control spell.

‘If this continues, I’ll soar up to ten meters and fall to my death!’

But Lee Hyunwook wasn’t one to just take it.

He cast ‘hardening’ on his legs.

Che-je-jik!

His feet hardened.

At that moment, he used ‘control’ to pull his metal-hardened feet towards the ground.

This suppressed the vertical ascent, and while bending his waist, he swung his right foot at the Kobold’s head.

Che-eh!

It hit!

The power of the military boot, reinforced with hardening, was considerable.

Kuh!

The Kobold fell, hitting its head on a flower bed.

Its cervical vertebrae seemed to be broken, but Lee Hyunwook, upon landing, grabbed the greatsword with both hands and plunged the Sword of Clouds into the Kobold’s heart.

Poo-uk!

A sure finish.

At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes.

- The Sword of Clouds is absorbing the blood of the elite monster!

‘This is how you grow a latent weapon.’

The Sword of Clouds absorbs water to release ‘water mist.’ However, if it absorbs a ‘significant amount’ of elite monster blood...

- The Sword of Clouds is filling with an unknown energy. (11%)

The gauge fills, and eventually, the ‘latent potential’ is unlocked.

Lee Hyunwook, with the Sword of Clouds still in the Kobold’s heart, began to scan the Kobold’s body for metal.

‘There’s something. Inside the body.’

Inside the Kobold’s ribs, he felt a small, smooth metallic texture.

He pulled it strongly.

Tuk!

The object came out through the chest wound.

Lee Hyunwook caught it.

- You have obtained the ‘Demon Medal (Inferno).’

“What? This... comes out here?”

A truly unexpected item appeared.

The necromancer, the leader of the demon army that destroyed Busan...

One of its key items had ended up in Lee Hyunwook’s hands first.