Chapter 35

35. Rain Falling Over the Waves - 2

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Seo Eun-ha felt a strange sense of alienation the moment Lee Hyun-wook appeared.

‘...Was he always like this?’

When Lee Hyun-wook first left an impression on Seo Eun-ha, the emotion she felt was 'doubt.' She thought it was presumptuous for a mere F-class soldier to receive such opportunities and evaluations.

But a lot had happened since then, and now...

‘...It’s reassuring, very reassuring.’

Yes, she had to admit it.

She could sense something from Lee Hyun-wook.

The moment he appeared, it felt as if a reliable ally had arrived.

Then, one of the swords he had levitated in the air was extended towards Seo Eun-ha.

"It might not be as good as what the squad leader usually uses, but it’s a weapon imbued with holy power."

Seo Eun-ha took it.

"The skeletons from the gate are heading towards the barracks."

"Yeah, I saw them."

"Go and secure weapons and save the soldiers, squad leader."

At that moment, the vampire who had stepped back began to walk towards them.

Thud, thud.

The dozen bullets embedded in the vampire's body wriggled out like worms and fell to the ground.

"What the hell is this guy... Suddenly showing up and having the nerve to hold a strategy meeting in front of me—gah!"

But he couldn't finish his sentence.

A metal ball flew from somewhere, shattering the vampire's shin that had been torn apart by bullets.

"Ahh! Damn it! I'll really kill—kill you! Aaaah!"

But since it was just a regular metal ball, the vampire would quickly recover and stand up.

"Don't worry about me, go quickly. Many lives are at stake, more than mine."

"...Alright. Be careful."

Seo Eun-ha glanced at Lee Hyun-wook and nodded.

She knew it was the most rational thing to do, as Lee Hyun-wook had suggested.

But to leave the opponent, who had been a challenge even for her, a B-class paladin, to an F-class soldier... Normally, it would be like asking him to buy time with his life.

'But if it's Lee Hyun-wook...'

Seo Eun-ha decided to trust him this time and ran towards the barracks.

"Hey! Where are you going! Hey! Hey!"

The vampire called out desperately to Seo Eun-ha, but Lee Hyun-wook blocked his path.

"Hey, you bastard! You made me lose her! How much I wanted to... Ugh... "

The vampire, extremely agitated, roared loudly but suddenly stopped.

He wiped his face and began to breathe slowly.

"Alright, alright, I can't help it, but playing hide and seek might be fun..."

He chuckled to himself.

He seemed to be far from his right mind.

After all, a sane person wouldn't do something as crazy as drinking human blood.

"By the way, your ability is quite unique and... well, weird. Is it something like telekinesis?"

"..."

"But what can you do? No matter how much you hit me with that, it won't work, right? That weapon you gave to that woman, it's imbued with holy power, isn't it? Idiot, why did you give her that? Tsk tsk..."

The vampire coiled his whip and attached it to his waist.

Then he spread his hands.

Sharp claws sprouted from his fingertips.

"Without that sword you had earlier, you can't do anything to me. You'll just be torn apart one-sidedly. Got it? How about calling for help now?"

"..."

"Hmm? Then, from now on—"

The vampire grinned and started to approach Lee Hyun-wook.

"Feel this, the thrilling helplessness of being slowly torn apart by an existence you can't possibly bring down, no matter how much you resist..."

At that moment.

Clang!

The sound of breaking glass echoed from somewhere.

It was the window of the 5th dormitory on the second floor of the 1st barracks, behind Lee Hyun-wook.

And something started pouring out from there.

Whizz, whizz, whizz, whizz, whizz.

They were numerous metal balls.

But they were different from the ones Lee Hyun-wook had used just now.

"Wh-What, no way?"

Feeling the power, the vampire stopped, looking flustered.

Indeed, all 13 metal balls were imbued with holy power.

"I have a lot of weapons. Bringing out a new one isn't cheating, right?"

Over the past few days, Lee Hyun-wook's arsenal had grown significantly.

Of course, the 30 metal stakes and the other KG19 couldn't be brought out now.

They were all stored in the battalion's armory in the barracks' basement.

However, these metal balls, which were not classified as weapons, could be kept personally.

They started flying towards Lee Hyun-wook and began to rotate around him.

The vampire involuntarily took a step back.

To him, the metal balls seemed to emit a sickly blue light.

It felt like 'will-o'-the-wisp' or 'foxfire,' an eerie sensation.

It was a kind of instinctive warning, suggesting that touching them could lead to annihilation.

"Where did all these things come from?"

Holy power was not a common force.

It was a special power that could only be granted through very meticulous methods. Therefore, it was rare to see them in such large numbers, which left the vampire flustered.

"I'll purify your filthy mind from now on."

With those words, the 13 metal balls scattered in all directions.

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish.

They surrounded the vampire and then shot at him at high speed.

"Ugh!"

The vampire leaped backward acrobatically, avoiding the metal balls with incredible agility.

"Damn!"

However, it was impossible to keep dodging 13 objects that could adjust their trajectories in real-time.

Crack!

"Ah!"

Finally, one of the metal balls struck the vampire's mouth.

Several teeth fell out, and blood gushed out.

"Ugh..."

From that moment, the vampire changed his strategy.

He gave up on dodging and crouched, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

Then he started to catch the flying metal balls...

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!

With quick hand movements, he caught five in each hand and stopped the last one with his foot.

It was a movement close to a miracle.

"Hey, you bastard! Haha! The game is over!"

He tightly clenched all the metal balls in his hands, preventing Lee Hyun-wook from controlling them.

Sizzle...

Smoke rose from the vampire's hands as his skin melted.

He gritted his teeth and endured the pain.

"You shouldn't have grabbed them so carelessly."

"Don't act tough, you bastard! What can you do to me with just this kind of holy power?"

True, it wasn't very powerful. It was a mass-produced item, transferred from another source using a blacksmith's enchantment technique, not directly granted by a high-ranking priest.

However...

"Hmm, that's not what I meant."

"What? Then what?"

"If you don't like the game, let's end it and play with fireworks instead."

"What the hell—"

"Shatter."

Crack!

Inside the vampire's hands, some of the metal balls exploded.

The shock caused both of his hands, including his forearms, to be completely torn off.

"..."

The vampire momentarily froze, then slowly opened his mouth after confirming his severed arms.

"Ah—!"

Whoosh!

At that moment, a silver light shot from Lee Hyun-wook's waist.

Pale Note,

Its target was the vampire's left eye.

Thud!

"Ah, ugh..."

The vampire seemed to be in a daze, unable to even think about dodging the attack.

Lee Hyun-wook then drew the Sword of Clouds.

- The weapon is imbued with 'Aura (Saint).'

Using the newly acquired skill, he infused the Sword of Clouds with holy power.

He quickly approached and swung at the vampire's wobbling legs.

Swish!

The vampire's right ankle was severed, and he fell forward.

"So, how does it feel? A bit more sacred?"

"Ugh..."

"By the way, I have a question. Hyung Tae, why are you here?"

"..."

The vampire, Hyeong Tae, was sobbing, his body battered and bruised.

'Of course, I wouldn't forget your faces.'

Lee Hyun-wook thought as he looked down at the vampire.

Hyeong Tae was one of the 'Five Butchers,' a group of villains known for their 'assassination squad.'

'They slaughter players who venture into the dungeon, earning the 'Butcher' achievement and receiving special powers through villain quests.'

These powers were abilities of monsters like vampires, which ordinary players couldn't possess.

'But they weren't supposed to be here today.'

It was unexpected.

Originally, only two of the Five Butchers were supposed to come here.

Lee Hyun-wook in his previous life might not have known, but he remembered that Hyeong Tae had been slaughtering civilians elsewhere to turn them into undead.

'By killing Jeong Ju-seop with the black tentacles at Seoul Station, the others started to take different actions.'

They must have been desperately searching for the 'key' they obtained at that time.

However, this was still within Lee Hyun-wook's expectations.

'Of course, I can't completely distance myself from them and grow.'

Even if the villains' surveillance network narrowed, there was no need to distance himself from them.

On the contrary, he needed to stay close, right under their noses.

'Only then can I snatch their luck and make it my own...'

By worsening them, Lee Hyun-wook himself grows.

And this formula still applied.

Whoosh!

Something flew towards Lee Hyun-wook's hand.

It was Hyeong Tae's severed finger, specifically the ring on it.

- You have obtained 'Mana Tank (Grade 3).'

"Exactly like this."

This was a quite expensive item.

As the name suggests, this small ring could store a massive amount of mana and release it in real-time. Since a higher total mana was always a good stat, not just for mages but for most players, they usually equipped a mana tank.

Thus, it was a highly versatile item with high trading volume and a high selling price.

'Grade 3... At least 10 billion.'

Of course, to Lee Hyun-wook, it was just a snack.

Swallow.

Digesting this would increase his total mana as if he had swallowed several tons of mana stones.

By consuming the villains' plans one by one, he grows stronger.

That was Lee Hyun-wook's plan.

"K-Kill me... Please..."

Without hesitation, Lee Hyun-wook cut off Hyeong Tae's airway.

***

Gunfire echoed sporadically throughout Namsan.

The most chaotic place was undoubtedly near the guard post.

Two gun barrels were spewing fire into the darkness.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

Under that assault, over a dozen figures wavered and fell.

"Alright, reloading!"

But they rose again and started to approach.

Even after taking dozens of bullets and being severely damaged...

"They won't die!"

"Ah! We're out of bullets!"

The two female guards of the 2nd Company had no choice but to step back.

The guard post leader also lowered his bow.

"Everyone, inside, inside!"

Saying this was the guard post officer, Sergeant Choi Seon-ah.

She was a support player, providing buffs from the rear.

"But if we hide here, won't they go down to the city?"

"We have to protect ourselves first! The 5-minute squad will be here soon!"

Choi Seon-ah's judgment was rational. With only four people, it was an impossible situation to handle.

However, she felt something was wrong.

The 5-minute squad... They should have arrived a long time ago.

She went inside the guard post and tried to contact the command center again through the 'hotline.'

"Command center! Command center! This is the main gate guard post! This is the main gate guard post! Respond! Respond! Ah..."

But there was no response from the command center.

"Why isn't anyone coming?"

"..."

They didn't know, but the command center was in chaos.

Ugh...

Some thirty 'residents of hell' had already reached the guard post.

They were slow but unstoppable disasters.

"Guard post officer! Zombies are entering the camp!"

However, there was no way they could stop them.

At that moment.

Zing!

A flash of light from somewhere sent three 'residents of hell' flying far away.

"Is... Is the 5-minute squad here?"

But there was no sign of the vehicle the 5-minute squad would have arrived in.

Only three faint lights, like flashlights, were approaching.

Thud!

The lead soldier, holding a shield, fearlessly charged and rammed into the lead zombie.

Then, he swung his one-handed sword left and right, precisely slicing the zombie's neck.

"Ah..."

An arrow shot from somewhere behind him, slowly but surely, felling a zombie.

Then, a lightning spell shot out, sending a couple of zombies flying.

"Three... Three people?"

Yes, the reinforcements were only three people.

But they steadily cut down the somewhat slow and stupid 'residents of the other world,' completely 'retiring' even the ones that wouldn't die easily, as they approached the guard post.

"Platoon leader! Are you okay?"

Choi Seon-ah recognized the voice as Private First Class Ahn Min-tae of the 1st Company, 5-minute squad.

"Y-You, how... Where did you come from?"

"We'll hold the front, so please provide support from the back!"

"Ah, got it!"

Ahn Min-tae raised his shield and moved forward again.

Choi Seon-ah immediately cast 'Haste' and 'Power Up' on Ahn Min-tae.

"Ah! Oh... Suddenly, I'm full of strength!"

With Ahn Min-tae at the center, the three 5-minute squad members had the power to completely fell the zombies. With the support fire from the guards, they cleared about twenty in just a few minutes.

"Guys, we can do it! We did it, just the four of us!"

"Phew... I wish Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook could see this!"

At that moment, strangely, they felt a sense of exhilaration.

They were scared and tense, but the confidence that they could do it was stronger.

They had defeated a horde of over sixty enemies before.

With a holy weapon, mindless zombies were no match.

Meanwhile, Choi Seon-ah watched the scene in amazement.

"Wh-What..."

The 1st Company, 5-minute squad, were her assigned squad.

They were the soldiers she knew best.

But recently, after Lee Hyun-wook's overwhelming development, his subordinates were also growing at an incomprehensible speed, or rather, evolving.

'Is this... even possible?'

Everything was strange, but...

'If this continues, we can stop them.'

It was incredibly fortunate.

She clutched her trembling thighs.

She felt like she might collapse at any moment, but she bit her lip and held on.

'I'm not a child anymore. I'm a soldier.'

She took a deep breath, checked her mana and skill cooldowns, and assessed the battle situation, casting buffs on the most appropriate players.

Her buffs could increase a player's abilities by up to 20%.

Zing, zing, zing.

With the buff, Choi Tae-yong's firing speed increased dramatically.

Choi Seon-ah was also doing her part.

But...

"Ha- What is this? I didn't expect this at all!"

A strange voice came from somewhere.

Choi Seon-ah looked up in the direction of the voice.

On top of the guard post building, a stranger was sitting.

A slender woman in a black suit.

But her eyes...

'...Red?'

Somehow, she didn't feel human, Choi Seon-ah thought.

And strangely, when their eyes met, she felt her body stiffen.

"Who... are you?"

At that moment, the woman jumped down.

And...

Swish!

She swung her hand, slicing a guard's neck.

The guard fell.

A pool of blood formed on the ground.

"..."

It was too fast for Choi Seon-ah to do anything but stare blankly.

"Ah?"

By the time she realized the next target of those claws was herself, it was too late.

But in a split second, someone blocked her.

Zing!

"Ugh!"

It was Ahn Min-tae. He blocked the woman's claws with his shield and even pushed her back with force.

"Everyone! Retreat inside!"

Ahn Min-tae shouted and swung his sword, causing the mysterious woman to step back with a smirk.

But, despite only scratching the shield, smoke rose from the woman's fingers.

Sizzle...

"H