Chapter 55

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One hour ago……

"……What? Are you serious? The World Boss is appearing right now?"

Kang Seoyoon couldn't help but be shocked.

An 'All-Server Announcement' about the appearance of the World Boss monster was displayed in the sky of Wave Zone. Naturally, the news was first received here, outside the Wave Zone.

"Yes, that's right! It happened just about two minutes ago."

"No, that has never happened before! Is the information reliable?"

"Reports from different areas within the Erosion Zone have come in simultaneously."

Reports from various parts of the Wave Zone, stating that the all-server announcement was seen in the sky, were pouring in.

If that was the case, the possibility of it being a manipulation or a scam was almost zero.

"Unbelievable. What is this……"

The terrifying World Boss monster always appeared around the fourth day of the Wave.

But now, it was only the second day.

In other words, it was appearing twice as early.

However, it would be foolish to assume that this was all there was to it based on a few precedents.

This game had always blindsided the players……

"Damn! Immediately locate the appearance point of the World Boss monster and issue an evacuation order!"

"—Yes, sir!"

"If that thing appears, shelters and everything else will be useless! It will just break through, so you need to get out of the area! If you're even a little late, tens of thousands of people could die every hour! Hurry up!"

Kang Seoyoon immediately mobilized all personnel to send warning messages into the Wave Zone.

'What on earth is happening in there!'

There was no way to confirm the situation in detail except through mana communication, which only added to her frustration.

However, just five minutes later……

"Sir—Chief!"

"What? What's happened now?"

"Just now, that World Boss monster……"

"Ah! It finally appeared? Damn, where is it?"

Kang Seoyoon jumped up from her seat and asked.

However, the emergency communication officer shook his head.

"No, that's not it…… It's just been reported that it has been defeated."

Defeated……

Kang Seoyoon tilted her head, thinking she might have heard wrong.

"……What? What did you just say?"

"I know it's hard to believe…… but reports are coming in that the all-server announcement in the sky of the Wave Zone was updated after just five minutes. Yes, it says the World Boss monster has been defeated."

Kang Seoyoon couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. It was already hard to believe that the World Boss monster appeared on the second day, but the idea that it was defeated in just five minutes……

That was impossible.

Was the World Boss monster some kind of wild boar that could suddenly appear and be defeated in an instant?

'Either someone is deliberately pulling a scam, or I'm dreaming……'

Even an S-rank player who had experienced everything, from battles to survival, couldn't understand this situation.

However, not long after, another unbelievable piece of news came in.

"Chief—Chief!"

"……."

What is it this time……

She didn't even bother to answer, just turned her head.

She was prepared to not be surprised by any news that came in.

But she couldn't help but stand up again.

"Just now…… the second erosion factor has been cleared!"

Unbelievable……

"What—! Where? Who did it?"

It was hard to believe due to the repeated shocks, but she shouted, hoping it was true.

"It was the Steel Platoon again! They also took care of the World Boss monster!"

At that moment, Kang Seoyoon smiled with a mix of relief and disbelief.

The sudden appearance of hope was more surreal than overwhelming.

'No, the Steel Platoon…… What are they, really?'

She was now thoroughly puzzled.

This organization, which she had never heard of before, had saved half of Seoul.

Is this even possible?

Kang Seoyoon ordered a more accurate confirmation and then sank into her chair.

She sipped the coffee she had made an hour ago, which had turned cold.

At that moment, a commotion was heard from the entrance.

"Oh, what now……"

Kang Seoyoon turned her head to see men in black suits trying to enter.

"Who are you? Hey, you can't just come in here!"

"Move aside, we are government agents."

"This is a government facility, what are you doing…… Show us your entry permits!"

These so-called government agents were even armed with machine guns.

But the player guards didn't back down from just a few guns and blocked their way.

"Oh, you can let them in. They're acquaintances."

At Kang Seoyoon's words, the guards stepped aside.

A middle-aged man with a slender build emerged from among the black-suited agents.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get permission to enter, but it didn't come through, so I just came in."

Despite wearing glasses, his sharp eyes and tiger-like eyebrows gave him a presence that made anyone who met his gaze instinctively shrink back.

Of course, not Kang Seoyoon.

She looked at the man with a disapproving expression.

"……Director, what's going on? Didn't you delegate full authority to me in this situation?"

U Seongmun, the director of a presidential agency and an A-rank player ranked 9th among Korean players, was one of the most powerful figures in South Korea.

"News of the successful clearance of the second erosion factor. I came to bring that news."

"Hmm, I just received that information and haven't even shared it internally yet. How did you know so quickly? Ha ha……"

Well, even if she had been given authority, these people wouldn't have just sat around and not gathered information.

Some of the experts inside were likely connected to them.

"Anyway, you left Seoul, but what brings you here? We're busy."

Her overt sarcasm was clear. As an S-rank player, Kang Seoyoon could afford to ignore such titles.

"Leaving it, that's a bit harsh. We were just preparing for the aftermath of the erosion."

"Ah, really? If there were VIPs inside, would you still have prepared for the 'aftermath'?"

The 10km radius around Seoul Station included the Blue House. However, the president and other key figures were out for an external event, which allowed them to avoid the Wave.

U Seongmun nodded as if it were obvious.

"Of course. The Blue House's shelter is very sturdy. If the VIPs were inside, they would have given the same orders and survived the five days. That's the most realistic approach. The government is not blind."

Kang Seoyoon sighed and nodded.

Perhaps that was indeed the case.

These people were neither fools nor cold-blooded.

They just thought too realistically and sometimes avoided miracles.

"However, the unrealistic event that just happened…… Yes, a variable has occurred, which is why I'm here."

In simpler terms, since there was a chance to block the Wave, they wanted to get involved.

Kang Seoyoon didn't like this point, but it was good news that they wanted to help.

"Okay, go on."

"Steel Platoon…… I have a message to deliver to them. Can you connect me?"

Kang Seoyoon shook her head.

"Ha…… I'd like to hear those brilliant guys' voices too, but I'm sorry, I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's not that I'm refusing, but they won't accept the communication."

Kang Seoyoon was in contact with Kim Gangseok, the commander of the 1st Battalion of the 3rd Antimagic Brigade, but she couldn't establish a direct connection with Lee Hyunwook, the commander of the Steel Platoon.

They had strongly demanded to operate independently without external pressure.

It was a bold stance, but since they were achieving incredible results, she couldn't interfere.

"Is that so? But this time, they will accept it."

U Seongmun said confidently.

Kang Seoyoon frowned, wondering what his basis was.

U Seongmun smiled and continued.

"I plan to provide the Steel Platoon's commander, Lee Hyunwook, with tremendous support."

He seemed to have very detailed information about the Steel Platoon, even knowing Lee Hyunwook's name.

Next to U Seongmun stood a man in an AMT combat suit.

'Chun Myeongho……'

He was an officer in the Black Tiger Unit and a Black Agent of the AMT Secret Intelligence Department.

Though not widely known, he was one of the best assassination-type players.

"So, what kind of tremendous support? You can't just put something in from the outside……"

"I plan to tell them the location and access rights to a portal that leads to the government's arsenal in the Wave Zone."

Kang Seoyoon was genuinely surprised to hear this.

Indeed, the fastest way to strengthen a player's power was through 'items'.

"Damn, if you had come out like this earlier, it would have been great. You're hoarding and wasting it, you know?"

U Seongmun spread his arms in a gesture of protest.

"Ha ha…… What good is having weapons if there's no one to wield them?"

The government had decided that a hero had appeared to save Seoul.

***

As the sun began to set, a convoy of vehicles entered the playground of O Elementary School.

The citizens in the shelter gathered at the windows to watch the scene.

"……They're here!"

"There are four buses! They must have saved almost everyone!"

"Ha…… Thank goodness, really……"

Lee Jungjun and his group, who had remained, came out to guard the area,

and over a hundred people who got off the buses safely entered the shelter.

At that moment, some people began to cry, their tension finally released.

"Whew…… We're alive……"

"Mom, don't cry…… Ahh—"

The school was soon filled with