Chapter 34

34. Rain Falling Over the Waves - 1

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Seo Eun-ha couldn't leave work until just before midnight.

The reason was the 'strategy report,' one of her main tasks, which had piled up due to the numerous incidents recently.

“Ugh, my back...”

This way, being a squad leader of the strategy team was a tough job both physically and mentally.

However, the path to promotion was smooth, drawing a sharp upward curve.

Tap-tap-tap-tap

She alternated between the keyboard and the monitor, using the so-called eagle typing method.

The real culprit behind her frequent late nights, according to Private First Class Kang Yik-jun, was actually her slow typing speed.

She strongly denied it, but honestly... there was some truth to it.

“...through, the strategy, post-response, and, uh, hmm—securing, the, results report, hmm, done!”

After a long march, she finally hit the enter key, pushed her chair back, and stretched.

“Finally done! Ugh—”

Checking the clock, it was already 11:43 PM.

“Well, I can probably get in about an hour of exercise.”

Yawning, she turned off the office lights and stepped outside.

However, just as she emerged from the building—

Whirr—

A disturbing feeling echoed in her mind...

Her steps halted.

“What is it?”

Beyond her consciousness, an instinctive warning began to sound.

‘Dangerous.’

...What exactly?

She didn't know.

For some inexplicable reason, she felt a vague sense of unease.

Whoosh—

She stopped to scan the darkened base, searching for the cause.

From the building she had just left, three buildings were visible at the entrance of the main office.

On the left, the 2nd Company's 2nd barracks, in the center, the PX, and on the right, the 1st Company and Headquarters Company's 1st barracks.

And from within those two barracks... an unknown, alien movement was detected.

‘This...’

A kind of malevolence that only players who could wield divine power could sense...

‘The dark force, the necrotic aura of the undead.’

There were no soldiers or officers in the 1st Company who handled such power.

This meant that an external entity was using some kind of power in the 1st barracks.

Clearly, it was a dangerous situation.

She zipped up her combat uniform and sprinted down the slope.

Thud

She pressed herself against the wall of the 1st barracks, crouching low.

Reducing her footsteps, she slowly entered the building.

“...”

The inside was darker than usual.

Apparently, all the emergency and night lights were off.

And...

‘...the smell of blood?’

What she sensed was no longer just a vague foreboding but a tangible misfortune.

The source of the blood was the first door on the left side of the building, the 5th Squad's living quarters.

She approached it slowly.

Then, she infused her fingertips with mana and cast a tiny 'Holy Light.'

Whirr—

The small white light pushed back the darkness, illuminating the inside of the living quarters...

“...”

Seo Eun-ha couldn't speak.

Splat—

The interior was dyed a dark red.

It was the flesh and blood of the 5th Squad.

They...

‘Were all wiped out.’

And it seemed they were killed simultaneously without any resistance.

Splat—

In that dark red darkness, something was writhing.

A man in a black suit...

Splat—

He was crouched among the 5th Squad's corpses, sucking on someone's neck.

Suck...

The sound soon stopped, and the red eyes of the creature turned toward Seo Eun-ha.

***

As they approached the 5th checkpoint, a familiar voice was heard.

“Hey, how did our squad's aces end up gathered here?”

“Huh! How did the greatest hero of our company end up in such a shabby place...”

An Min-tae and Choi Tae-yong were the previous guards at the checkpoint, along with Lee Hyun-wook and Park Jun-mo.

“...Don't overdo it.”

Indeed, it was quite a rare sight to have four members of the 1st squad at one checkpoint.

However, this was actually Lee Hyun-wook's intention.

‘I need people who will follow my orders well.’

So he asked the administrative soldier in charge of the duty roster to arrange for them to meet at this spot.

He easily managed to change the roster by hinting that he might have dinner with Commander Jeong Sang-sik in the afternoon.

“Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, you didn't look well earlier. Are you going to collapse while on duty?”

“You look too good, don't trip and fall while clowning around.”

“Hahaha, who else but you, Captain? All thanks to you, Captain Lee.”

“...Please don't say that to anyone else, I beg you.”

An Min-tae couldn't contain his excitement.

“Then, loyal D-rank An Min-tae will head down! Good luck!”

“-Wait.”

Lee Hyun-wook stopped the two who were about to leave the checkpoint.

“What is it?”

The two turned to look at Lee Hyun-wook.

“...”

However, Lee Hyun-wook didn't answer immediately.

He stood still in the shadow of the checkpoint...

“Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook?”

He was just looking at his wristwatch.

23:59—

He slowly raised his head.

“...Just now, I heard a scream from somewhere.”

Lee Hyun-wook said this and descended the checkpoint stairs.

“...”

The playful expressions of An Min-tae and Choi Tae-yong turned serious.

Park Jun-mo swallowed hard and followed Lee Hyun-wook.

“What happened... which direction?”

They could now sense the slightest change in Lee Hyun-wook's demeanor.

That's why his single word was enough to completely change their attitude.

Whoosh—

At that moment, a cold wind swept over the ridge, making the surrounding trees rustle.

“Choi Tae-yong, do you have night vision?”

“Yes, I do.”

The squad leader's arrow was equipped with a night vision scope.

“Check the guard post area. The sound came from there.”

“Yes.”

From this ridge, the entrance to the base and the guard post were visible.

“Uh, hmm...”

Choi Tae-yong's gaze slowly moved and stopped at one spot, and he gasped.

“...”

He slowly turned his head to look at Lee Hyun-wook.

He swallowed and nodded.

“...Yes, the gate.”

“What, what gate? A gate?”

An Min-tae looked incredulous.

However, a purple glow was indeed rising behind the guard post.

Soon, the guards, sensing something amiss, approached that area...

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Sharp gunfire echoed, shattering the night's silence.

This was the signal flare indicating the start of a hellish race.

“Damn! What's happening now!”

An Min-tae said this, lowered his stance, and raised his shield to protect the squad members.

The distance to the guard post was far, but a stray bullet could still reach them.

– Click! Squeak! This is the guard post...

The emergency radio from the guard post soon sounded, but there was no need to listen to its content.

Lee Hyun-wook ignored it and gave another order to Choi Tae-yong.

“Choi Tae-yong, confirm exactly what kind of monster is coming out of the gate.”

“Yes! It's... uh, undead, seems to be zombies.”

“Then the guard post forces alone can't handle it.”

“Damn, what do we do?”

“...You three go.”

His words left the three of them stunned.

“Yes? Isn't the 5th Squad going to respond immediately?”

Lee Hyun-wook shook his head.

“The 5th Squad doesn't have the power to handle undead, that is, 'divine power.'”

Undead were quite difficult to deal with.

They were naturally resilient and, in many cases, could even come back to life.

Therefore, the only surefire method to deal with them was one.

“However, you three are equipped with divine weapons.”

“Oh...”

In the original timeline, these three would not only lack the ability to solve problems but would also be wiped out early on.

‘But now, things are different.’

Their levels, skills, weapons, and mindset were all different.

In fact, at this point, no one else could properly handle this situation except for them.

“Why us three? Where are you going, Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook?”

At An Min-tae's question, Lee Hyun-wook turned his head.

Below the opposite ridge, buildings lined up.

The barracks... where the entire battalion was stationed.

“Most likely... there's more than one gate.”

“...Yes? No, how is that possible?”

“It's impossible! You're saying there are two gates in the base?”

No, it's not two gates.

‘It's a Wave.’

One of the most hellish events in this game, a Wave...

Lee Hyun-wook swallowed the words.

Soon, a purple glow appeared near the drill field close to the barracks, catching his eye.

‘As expected...’

The second gate.

And from there, white figures were pouring out.

‘Those are skeletons.’

The number was unbelievable for a first wave.

At a glance, there were at least 80.

However, that wasn't the end.

‘During a Wave, gates open without a limit, pouring out monsters endlessly.’

Skeletons would continue to pour out without end, and if not controlled properly in the early stages, they could number in the hundreds or thousands. It would truly be a horde.

And the direction they were marching in... was, of course, the barracks.

“Oh... right! There really is a gate over there!”

Choi Tae-yong confirmed this clearly through his night vision.

“Now you understand. The 5th Squad can't go to the guard post. But if we don't block the first wave... they'll descend into the city below. We must stop that at all costs.”

“This is insane...”

“So you three need to go. I'll head to the barracks to block the gate there and bring reinforcements to the guard post. Can you hold out until then?”

Lee Hyun-wook said this, making eye contact with each of the three.

Now, their eyes were filled with something other than fear.

It was a kind of spirit.

A fighting spirit and confidence built through several successes.

“Understood. Don't worry about us, go quickly. If we don't, we'll really all die.”

An Min-tae slung his shield on his back and turned, followed by Choi Tae-yong and Park Jun-mo.

They ran down the mountain path toward the guard post.

‘Right, that's correct. They all died...’

Then, Lee Hyun-wook also moved.

***

“-Ugh!”

Seo Eun-ha fell onto the asphalt.

The impact from her back spread through her spine and throughout her body.

But before she could feel the pain, she quickly got up.

At that moment—

Swish!

Something flew by, slashing the ground.

It was a black whip.

It slithered like a snake into the darkness of the 1st barracks.

“Haha...”

Soon, red eyes approached from the darkness, and their owner revealed himself.

A tall man in a black suit...

He was already covered in blood.

The blood of the 5th Squad.

“To meet the second daughter of the Holy Knight Commander so soon? And in such an unprotected state, and so incredibly beautiful? Haha...”

“...”

“I can't let this opportunity pass. I'll play with you all night, so don't be too embarrassed, and I hope you enjoy it too.”

His pale face, blood-covered mouth, and a bright red tongue flicked out.

Seo Eun-ha took a deep breath and slowly stepped back.

‘What is happening here?’

Seo Eun-ha realized that the attack by the stranger was not the only problem.

In her field of vision, to the left, a purple glow was rising from one side of the drill field.

‘A gate...’

And from there, a crowd... no, a horde of skeletons was walking out.

‘How can so many monsters appear in the first wave?’

There were already about 120.

To her knowledge, this was impossible.

Most importantly, the stranger threatening her was not a monster.

‘...a player.’

Players were human weapons, and thus could also harm humans.

There were not a few who used their formidable power to commit crimes.

Some even formed terrorist groups.

But this man, who appeared with the gate and attacked AMT, was...

“...Who are you?”

“Haha, don't be so impatient. You'll find out slowly tonight.”

Seo Eun-ha tried to find a way out of this situation.

‘First, I need to somehow get my weapon out.’

But if she turned her back and ran, her neck would be cut.

Moreover, her survival was not the only thing at stake.

The many soldiers in those barracks...

‘The 5th Squad is wiped out, so initial response is impossible.’

Of course, mysterious gunfire echoed from somewhere, and the barracks lights turned on.

The entire force would be waking up and arming themselves.

But it was too late.

Crunch, crunch—

The skeletons pouring out of the drill field had already reached near the barracks.

If they entered, a one-sided massacre would occur before anyone could arm themselves.

“Damn...”

“Yeah, yeah, you're so flustered, huh? Your heart is racing, and your body is getting hot, right?”

At that moment, the man lunged, swinging his whip.

Swish!

Seo Eun-ha lowered her stance, dodged the whip, and moved into the man's body.

She grabbed his arms.

“-Ugh!”

But he was much stronger than expected.

She tried to throw him but failed.

“Ooh! You're quite aggressive! I love this style, the thrill of breaking you down! Hahaha!”

The man, sensing the difference in strength, smirked down at Seo Eun-ha.

But she didn't give up.

She tripped him with a leg sweep, and finally managed to throw him.

Thud!

His body hit the asphalt with a heavy thud, but at the same time, his right fingernails flew toward Seo Eun-ha's ankle.

She let go of his arms and quickly stepped back.

If she had been a bit slower, her ankle would have been severed.

Sizzle...

However, smoke was rising from the part of his arm where she had grabbed him.

The Holy Light had dealt effective damage.

This meant that the man's power was based on 'darkness.'

“...So, you are indeed the next Holy Knight Commander? Well, I can't hug you tonight, but... tying you up will do, right?”

The man got up, chuckling, and his sharp teeth were visible.

‘Those fangs...’

What should she call him? He seemed almost like a monster, especially after seeing him suck blood, he felt like an undead, specifically a vampire.

‘If that's true... if I had a weapon, I could handle him, damn it.’

But there was no time to regret.

Right now, winning or losing wasn't the most important thing.

She had to survive somehow.

But... she couldn't think of a way.

‘For now, I'll focus on dodging the next attack. That's the best I can do.’

At that moment—

Rat-tat-tat!

Gunfire echoed from somewhere,

“Ow! Damn!”

The vampire cried out in pain and stepped back.

‘Who is it?’

Behind Seo Eun-ha, someone was aiming and shooting from the ridge, approaching.

“Ugh! Damn! What the hell is this!”

Though not a critical hit, the pain of flesh being torn was the same, so the man had no choice but to cover his head with both hands and step back.

Rat-tat! Rat-tat!

This time, shots were aimed at his knees.

Bullets hit his knees and shins, making him stagger.

Soon, the shooter approached right behind Seo Eun-ha.

“Squad Leader, are you okay?”

It was Lee