Chapter 26

26. Cheongdam-dong, An Unexpected Incident – 1

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"......How was that possible?"

After Lee Hyun-wook's report ended, General Choi Jung-chul asked in a low voice.

"Hmm, I see that your profile says you can control 300g, but from what I just heard, it seems like you moved several times that amount. I didn't hear wrong, did I?"

He spoke gently, a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

However, Lee Hyun-wook knew that he was far from an easy person to deal with.

A few years later, he would be known as one of the guardians of South Korea.

'He must have been a figure that even necromancers feared and attempted to assassinate early on.'

Six years later, Choi Jung-chul would repel the first invasion of the necromancer army coming from the north.

With a force of 10,000 undead, an army of the undead that could not die and kept regenerating, he swept them away with a relentless fire, turning them into piles of ash that could not regenerate.

'If Inferno were a rocket launcher that could fire indefinitely, Choi Jung-chul would be a single tactical nuclear bomb.'

As an 'Archmage,' the pinnacle of the mage class, he had focused solely on range and destructive power, excluding all other magic, making this possible.

Thus, he became a deformed but definite military power.

However, in the end, the fires of Seoul and Busan would both go out, plunging the Korean Peninsula into darkness.

......After a brief moment of thought, Lee Hyun-wook nodded and answered Choi Jung-chul's question.

"A while ago, a message appeared saying I had achieved a milestone, and my abilities improved. As you mentioned, I can now control 15kg instead of 300g, and I've gained a few skills."

15kg, he revealed his ability increase at a moderate level.

"Hmm, a milestone......"

In this game, the 'milestone system' was as rare as 'quests.'

"Specifically, I achieved the milestone of defeating three elite monsters. I think it might be a milestone that can be obtained by a character with an ability that cannot normally improve."

He added a plausible detail he had prepared in advance.

Choi Jung-chul seemed to be pondering for a moment but then dropped his suspicious gaze.

It was an era where even the slightest possibility of growth for an 'F-grade' was non-existent.

No matter how he thought about it, there was no other explanation besides the milestone.

"......Yes, if it's that kind of milestone, it's a plausible story."

Choi Jung-chul turned to Kim Gang-seok and smiled meaningfully.

"Captain, then this guy can't really be considered an F-grade anymore, can he?"

"Colonel, from what I can see, his potential as a soldier has already surpassed the limits of F-grade."

"Hahaha, yes, I agree. He's a guy worth praising."

According to the official standards, he would be an F-grade, but his actual combat power was above C-grade.

With this, the biggest obstacle to his promotion to officer was removed...... Kim Gang-seok thought.

"Lee Hyun-wook, let me say it again, you did a great job. Not just as an AMT member who carried out the operation well, but you saved many lives...... Yes, you protected a part of society."

Choi Jung-chul reached out his short arm and patted Lee Hyun-wook's shoulder.

"Then, you should be rewarded, right?"

Indeed, it was only natural.

"By any chance, is there an item you want? Like, magical armor or something, just name it."

Unfortunately, he didn't know what items were in the battalion's armory.

'Once the metal absorption is complete, something similar will appear, so I don't need it.'

Thus, he couldn't pinpoint a specific item to ask for......

'Soon, I'll need a weapon...... Yes, I should ask for that.'

Lee Hyun-wook nodded.

"Yes, thank you very much. There are a few items I need."

"Sure, just say it. I'll give the order."

"I want a weapon imbued with holy power. Two one-handed swords would be great."

Holy power, as the name suggests, is a sacred force.

It is the foundation of priests and paladins and the opposite of dark power.

In other words, it is highly effective against undead and ghost-type monsters.

'I need to steadily increase my holy power for the future.'

This was due to a name that came to mind.

On the other hand, Choi Jung-chul looked puzzled.

"Hmm, your ability isn't related to holy power, is it?"

"That's correct. However, I felt the need to have weapons with various attributes."

"Why?"

"In the recent Unlucky Event, the spider-like monster was practically immune to physical damage. Since AMT operations can involve monsters with various attributes and characteristics...... especially when facing undead monsters with tough vitality, I thought it would be difficult and decided I needed a weapon imbued with holy power."

His plausible explanation made Choi Jung-chul nod.

"Oh...... You're a thorough guy, and you learn from experience. That's great!"

"Thank you."

"Sure, I'll tell the logistics department to pick out a few good ones for you. You can take as many as you need."

Choi Jung-chul didn't place much importance on military posture, so this statement wouldn't earn him many points, but Kim Gang-seok was smiling contentedly at every word.

"......Ah! And this time, shouldn't we add another stripe to his chest, Captain?"

"Yes, I was going to ask about that. If you allow it, I'll take care of it."

The additional stripe on the chest represented a promotion to corporal.

In other words, a special promotion.

The regular promotion would be in about two months.

'This...... It seems they're laying the groundwork to make me an officer......'

Lee Hyun-wook noticed the intentions behind the special promotion.

However, he had no intention of falling for their plan.

"Then, I'll be a corporal in a few days?"

"Thank you. I'll work even harder from now on."

"Hmm, no, if you work any harder, it'll be a problem, you!"

"......What?"

"To do that, you'd at least need to defeat a Drake! Hahaha!"

Choi Jung-chul laughed heartily, making a joke.

***

Lee Hyun-wook asked the colonel for one more thing.

'Colonel, I hope my face isn't revealed in this incident.'

If his face were made public, there would be no benefit.

However, this was a welcome decision from the AMT's perspective.

If the soldier they were trying to cultivate was targeted by civilian guilds, it would be troublesome.

Thus, Lee Hyun-wook's existence was not revealed in the news covering the incident.

– ...Reports of the AMT soldier's heroic actions during the Seoul Station Unlucky Event are pouring in. It is said that a single soldier saved over 800 citizens from the monsters before the arrival of Han Tae-san, the King of Fists, but the identity of the soldier remains unknown.

– ...Citizens who were isolated at Seoul Station say that the AMT soldier saved them just as much as Han Tae-san, and they unanimously agree that this hero should receive attention.

Of course, there were also efforts to investigate the matter in more detail.

It was the biggest topic of public interest at the moment, so it was natural.

'Anyway, in four days, a big issue will overshadow all of this.'

The Seoul Station Unlucky Event was just a precursor.

The full-scale onset of the Fourth Wave was about to begin......

All the gossip so far would become insignificant.

And Lee Hyun-wook was preparing for that moment from now on.

However......

– Metal absorption is 16:19:59 away.

"One day......"

The 'Secret Armor of Mannaan Mak Mir' was not easy to digest.

Even with his internal furnace running at 150% efficiency, allowing him to maintain daily life, it would take 16 hours.

"Phew...... Hero-grade items are still too much to absorb."

Of course, there were many things he needed to handle in the meantime.

First, he planned to cash out the 'reward points' given by the colonel.

'This time, I got 8,000 points from the reward......'

That's about 12 million won in cash.

And he received an additional 2.3 million won from his salary yesterday.

Lee Hyun-wook bought a lot of items from the PX item shop that could be cashed out.

He then called Park Chul-soo, and that evening, Park Chul-soo came for a visit.

It was not a far distance from Sin-gil to Namsan.

Lee Hyun-wook sat across from Park Chul-soo in the visitation room.

"Bro, I'm sorry for calling you. I can't move myself, so......"

"No problem, what's up?"

Lee Hyun-wook first handed over a paper bag.

It contained four cans of the highest-quality formula.

"Take this first. It's the best, I think. I picked it out, not knowing what the baby eats."

"Oh, why would you...... Thank you."

Next, he handed over the orbs and asked Park Chul-soo to cash them out and invest in stocks.

"And, bro, I have one more favor to ask. Could you go to the blacksmith alley?"

"Blacksmith alley? Why there?"

He handed over the business card of Master Kang Jeong-doo and a list of items to order.

"A holy power-infused...... iron ball? Why do you need that?"

"It has its uses. If you tell Master Kang my name, he'll know what to do."

"Manufacturing holy water is one thing, but the price of holy power-infused items will rise soon...... Are you stockpiling?"

Lee Hyun-wook's suggestion to invest in a particular stock was indeed perceptive.

However, without the crucial information, he couldn't fully grasp the situation.

"No, can you stockpile with just 3 million won?"

"Hmm, anyway, I understand. But those stocks...... Are they really going to rise? There's no related news?"

"Bro, just wait a bit. And you should invest too."

"......"

"Bro, trust me."

"Okay, I understand."

Soon, a great disaster would begin, and like Bitcoin in the past, the prices would skyrocket......

Lee Hyun-wook swallowed those words.

***

"What? Why is no one here?"

When Lee Hyun-wook returned to the dormitory from the visitation room, it was completely empty.

He thought they might all be at the PX or something, so he grabbed a water bottle and headed out of the barracks.

Even with his internal furnace running, he couldn't neglect exercise.

To use the training ground, he had to wear combat gear, so he changed into it.

On the way to the training ground......

"......Oh! Did you come?"

Near the pull-up bars, his squad members, including Ahn