Chapter 48

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“...I really beg you. Yes, I'll contact you again.”

Kang Seoyoon, ranked 4th among Korean players, finished a call with someone.

At that moment, the news on the wall-mounted TV caught her attention.

- ...Criticism of the government and guilds for failing to come up with a solution is growing, and the future of South Korea, which had risen to become one of the best player nations, is becoming uncertain.

“Rise? It’s just that the countries above us sank, making us relatively rise...”

It was true that South Korea was considered one of the strongest player nations in the modern era.

However, the reason for this was not that the players in this country were all exceptional, but rather that the initially strong nations—such as the United States, Germany, and China—were swept away by the Wave one after another.

Thus, South Korea's international standing rose, but...

‘...This time, it’s our turn.’

Perhaps this country was also destined to sink.

- Oh! My son is in there! Please, save him!

The news began to show people gathered somewhere, protesting.

A middle-aged woman was crying and begging for her family trapped in the Wave Zone to be rescued, and young players, driven by a sense of justice, were causing a commotion, ready to break into the Wave Zone.

“Ha, talking about breaking in is really a foolish thing to say, but someone has to step up, and it should be the more capable ones, not them...”

She felt bitter and turned off the TV.

Then she opened the door and went outside.

Immediately, a noisy commotion enveloped her.

“—Line 3, communication connected. Yes! This is the White Tiger Guild!”

“New information! A corpse golem is wandering in Dongjak District!”

“What? Then that means there’s a death mage nearby, right?”

Various voices were mixed in the vast space, where dozens of staff members were busily moving around.

This place was a situation room set up underground.

The current response, of course, was to the 4th Wave.

Not the ‘post-measures’ for it, but focusing on the present moment.

In other words, it was a ‘Control Tower’ set up to prevent the ‘Seoul Erosion.’

And the highest responsible person, the ‘Head Player,’ was Kang Seoyoon.

Usually, a high-ranking official from the government would handle such matters...

But this time, for various reasons, she was given the responsibility.

“Mage 13, connected with a player of unknown origin. Recording the conversation.”

“Mage 44, communicating with Lee Cheolhee, a B-rank player located in Dalim 2-dong.”

“Communication with Mage 51 was cut off... It seems they were attacked.”

The main task of this ‘Control Tower’ was ‘communication’ with players inside the Wave Zone.

To persuade and gather the players inside and handle them to find the erosion factor.

The decision-makers of the Control Tower agreed that this was the best they could do from the outside.

Currently, 35 senior mages were mobilized to communicate with players inside the Wave Zone.

“Emergency Communication Officer, how many have you been able to contact?”

At Kang Seoyoon’s question, the man sitting at the highest position turned his head.

“Ah, there are a few places so far. But the response is...”

“Ha... Why, even if we offer them legendary items, they won’t step up?”

“Yes, well, they don’t want to die. If there were a clear and strong focal point, people would believe in it and gather, but... they’re all just waiting to see what happens.”

“Hmm, they don’t want to take the lead, I see...”

Indeed, the Wave was different from a gate and a dimension.

It was an incomprehensible hurricane that had never been overcome even once.

Who would want to go into it?

Therefore, a ‘focal point’ was needed.

Someone trustworthy to follow...

‘...If that’s the case, those who covet items and cash will start to gather quietly.’

The problem was that she hadn’t found anyone capable enough to be that focal point yet.

Why was there not even one such person in the vast land of Seoul?

“Oh! But... there is one place that gave a positive response. They were already systematically responding to the situation even before we informed them.”

Kang Seoyoon’s eyes lit up.

A force that had taken early action in the Wave Zone, where there was no hope or dream—just who could it be?

“Oh! Where is it? A guild? What’s the leader’s rank? How many people are gathered?”

She bombarded him with questions.

However, for some reason, the Emergency Communication Officer’s expression was tinged with bitterness.

“But that... it’s AMT. The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Anti-Demon Brigade, located on Namsan, has formed a special operation team and started a mission to find the erosion factor this morning.”

“Oh...”

She had hoped, but it wasn’t a particularly pleasing piece of news.

‘Of all things, AMT...’

Especially the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Anti-Demon Brigade, which was not a special forces unit but a unit centered around soldiers.

In her judgment, they wouldn’t be a particularly useful force.

At that moment, someone approached her from behind.

A middle-aged man in a white suit.

“Eh? President Ki, what’s going on here?”

Ki Baekjun, the leader of the third-ranked guild ‘Taesan’ in South Korea and ranked 10th among South Korean players.

“I came here to deliver some positive news in person.”

“Really?”

“Coincidentally, one of our guild’s main raid teams was tackling a gate that opened in Heukseok-dong.”

“Oh?”

“An hour ago, we received a report that they had completed the raid and decided to proceed with the search for the erosion factor after a brief rest. It’s a fairly skilled team with one A-rank and three B-rank players.”

Kang Seoyoon nodded repeatedly with a hopeful expression, and Ki Baekjun smiled.

“With them at the center... I think it would be good to gather the players.”

***

“...It won’t take long.”

Just before entering the tunnel, Lee Hyunwook said confidently.

However, An Minta, who was accompanying him, honestly expected a long battle. Because once they entered the dark tunnel, they would likely face a ‘boss monster’ with a high probability.

‘Whatever comes out, it will definitely be a formidable opponent.’

It was hard to imagine quickly defeating a boss monster of the ‘Wave,’ which was not just a regular gate.

Of course, he believed that Lee Hyunwook would somehow manage it...

‘But it’s natural that it will take a considerable amount of time.’

An Minta thought so.

But...

“Crazy...”

Now, he was speechless with amazement.

The subject of his amazement was, once again, Lee Hyunwook.

‘Even if it’s a boss monster...!’

The reason was that the boss monster turned into a bloody pulp with just a few gestures from him.

Moreover...

‘It took about 10 minutes... Is that even possible?’

Yes, it was 10 minutes ago.

While they were advancing through the tunnel, they encountered a subway car blocking their path. At that moment, Lee Hyunwook said that it seemed the boss monster had made its nest inside.

And indeed, it was crouched inside.

Keeeee—!

The boss monster’s name was ‘Hell Rat Mutant.’ According to An Minta’s memory, it had two heads, six snake-like tentacles on its back, and was the size of a bear.

Its bizarre appearance left everyone momentarily speechless.

But Lee Hyunwook, as always, spoke calmly.

“Tsk— You’ve chosen a really bad place to nest.”

And, as always, he slowly raised his left hand.

Yes, that was the beginning.

Lee Hyunwook inserted hundreds of metal balls into the subway car and triggered a series of ‘shattering’ effects.

Pah—bah—bah—bah—bah—!

The metal fragments ricocheted around the narrow subway car, mercilessly stabbing the boss monster.

Naturally, the boss monster tried to escape, but something strange happened.

‘The metal pillars inside the subway car moved like snakes and began to bind the boss monster!’

An Minta saw it clearly. The stainless steel handles inside the subway car—those frames—bent and twisted, binding the boss monster’s body like chains...

An Minta didn’t know, but this was Lee Hyunwook’s recently awakened ‘metal deformation’ ability.

He deformed the solid stainless steel to instantly bind the creature.

However, that wasn’t enough to completely stop the creature’s movements.

With just one thrash, the bindings snapped.

But Lee Hyunwook, who knew this, didn’t stop.

Kah—!

He immediately moved the four Living Armors to block the rear door, preventing the creature from escaping.

Then he ordered the mages to cast ‘ice spells