Chapter 62

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Lee Hyun-wook and Park Jun-mo stood facing each other on the rooftop of the 1st barracks. Park Jun-mo was taking deep breaths, his face tense, as if preparing for something.

“Phew— I’m ready!”

As Park Jun-mo said this, Lee Hyun-wook raised his left arm.

Zzzz—

A solidification effect enveloped his hand, and a bluish aura began to seep out.

Crack—

It was electricity.

“Wow… Can you do that now?”

“Yeah, actually, this is my first time using it.”

This was a new skill he had obtained by swallowing a ring made of 'Heavenly Steel' called 'Small Lightning.'

He could now produce and release electricity from the solidified part of his body.

It wasn’t very powerful, but it seemed like it could be used as a kind of electric shock device.

“So, you’re going to use it on me for the first time…?”

Park Jun-mo asked with a somewhat anxious look. At that moment, Lee Hyun-wook grabbed his arm.

Crack—!

“Gah—!”

Park Jun-mo screamed and collapsed to the ground.

“Hey, stop being a wimp, how was it?”

Park Jun-mo was immune to electric damage, so he wouldn’t have taken any damage.

He got up, brushing off his pants with an embarrassed expression.

“Well, it didn’t hurt, but the feeling of the electricity passing through me is still a bit unpleasant.”

“Not that, did you see any system messages or anything?”

“…Ah! I’ll check right away!”

Park Jun-mo’s face turned blank as he seemed to be checking a system message that appeared before his eyes.

“Well, it definitely charged, but… the total amount is still the same.”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded and lowered his hand.

As expected, this level of current only resulted in a charge.

‘So, the answer is still lightning…’

Park Jun-mo had said that when he was struck by lightning, his ability values quadrupled instantly.

From this, it seemed that the mechanism for growth was not a steady, gradual increase like Lee Hyun-wook’s, but rather a significant boost that required very specific conditions.

“Are you really sure that I’ve become S-rank now?”

In response to Park Jun-mo’s cautious question, Lee Hyun-wook nodded.

“Yeah, but for now, we need to keep this a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Three days ago, when Lee Hyun-wook met Kang Se-yoon and Woo Seong-moon, he made a shocking announcement.

He revealed that due to his unprecedented success in the first-ever Wave strategy, he had achieved some kind of 'accomplishment,' and as a result, not only himself but also Park Jun-mo had awakened to the S-rank.

‘Somehow, it feels like I’m just lying more and more every day…’

Immediately after, those present agreed to keep the emergence of the new S-rank players a secret for the time being.

‘Well, that was the obvious choice.’

Publicly announcing the appearance of a new S-rank player in South Korea would be akin to revealing a significant military advantage.

This was because the forces that sought to curb the country’s growth might take action, and they might even try to eliminate the new S-rank players before they could rise to the top ranks.

So, for a while, the secret would be maintained to protect the two, and it was necessary to maximize Park Jun-mo’s growth during this time.

‘Hmm, I need to find a powerful lightning mage who can cast a lightning bolt…’

At that moment, something came to his mind.

“Oh, the Thunder God’s Mace…”

Right, the Thunder God’s Mace, that’s what it was.

“Huh? I didn’t hear that clearly.”

“Nothing, it’s nothing.”

Lee Hyun-wook smiled, and Park Jun-mo felt a vague sense of unease.

“Um… but it’s getting dark, shouldn’t we go down soon?”

At Park Jun-mo’s words, Lee Hyun-wook turned to look at the sky.

His gaze was drawn to a massive object floating in the western sky.

‘Laputa…’

It had been three days since it appeared, but it was still a grand and surreal sight.

The hemispherical base, about the size of half of Yeouido, with dozens of skyscrapers built on top, floating at an altitude of about 1.5 kilometers above Seoul.

The scene was filled with an indescribable sense of mystery.

At that moment, as the sun set in the west, its shadow covered the object.

“Wow…”

For a moment, darkness descended as if an eclipse had occurred, and at the same time, a variety of lights emitted from the surface of Laputa, illuminating the area.

This was the new night view of Seoul, a city that now housed a magical engineering city.

“Ah… This must be bestowing tremendous blessings on Seoul, just like the World Tree, right?”

Park Jun-mo marveled, his tongue almost falling out.

The ‘Chad Republic,’ which was once a barren wasteland, had developed brilliantly with the appearance of the World Tree.

Seoul, already one of the best cities, was expected to grow even more, and in just three days, an incredible investment boom was sweeping through the city.

In short, a massive amount of money was pouring into Seoul.

‘Well, it’s quite different from the Laputa I remember, but it will be beneficial…’

The Laputa Lee Hyun-wook remembered was a ‘fortress of demons’ floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, used as a research facility by a villainous mad scientist group.

Lee Hyun-wook had infiltrated Laputa at the time and remembered its interior to some extent.

The upper part was a highly developed city, a kind of ‘residential area.’

The truly important facilities were likely located in the hemispherical base, which was underground.

‘Back then, I didn’t have the access to enter.’

According to the official announcement of the Laputa investigation results released yesterday, it was still impossible to enter Laputa’s interior.

‘I have a pretty good idea why we can’t enter…’

He clutched a key in his pocket.

– Name: Master Key of Ancient Heritage

– Effect: Unknown

It was clear that this key was related to that place.

‘Back then, I didn’t know, but the villains probably obtained it as a reward for successfully completing the Seoul infiltration quest.’

And this time, Seoul, or rather, Lee Hyun-wook, had obtained it.

***

Lee Hyun-wook constantly pondered his future plans.

‘Now that we’ve successfully blocked the 4th Wave, I need to prepare for the next one.’

The most concerning thing was the villains’ next move.

When he interfered with Unlucky at Seoul Station, their movements had already changed significantly.

Now that they had failed to complete the 4th Wave… a significant variable would soon emerge.

‘If the infiltration had proceeded as planned, their next target would have been the assassination of the Holy Maiden.’

The Holy Maiden, a nickname for S-rank Priest Emilia Mueller, rarely left the largest sanctuary in the Chad Republic, the ‘Saint Dome.’

However, she had entered Korea to lead the purification of Seoul and was assassinated.

This was one of the greatest achievements for the villains, who specialized in dark powers, and the Seoul infiltration was essentially carried out to kill her.

Now that the Holy Maiden would not leave the Saint Dome, her assassination was impossible.

‘So, the villains will… probably lie low for a while.’

The villains’ greatest weapon was their secrecy.

The mysterious destructive power that came from no one knowing their true identities… they wouldn’t want to lose that, and after this failure, they would be on edge, trying to cover their tracks and avoid drawing attention for a while.

‘But that won’t last long. I need to grow as much as possible before they start moving again.’

He needed to build a force and gather items for the next confrontation.

To prepare for this, he planned to go on leave the next day.

‘I can’t really do much while I’m in the unit.’

It was natural that leave and vacations would be restricted in the current situation, but as the savior of Seoul and now an S-rank player, Lee Hyun-wook easily obtained permission.

That afternoon, Lee Hyun-wook went to the PX to convert his reward points into cash.

As usual, he was about to buy a few orbs and pay when someone approached him.

“What are you buying so much of?”

It was Kim Se-hee.

“Ah, Sergeant Kim, it’s been three days?”

“Yes, it has. This is the first time I’ve seen you clean and not covered in blood and sweat.”

“Well, clean or not, it’s still a combat uniform.”

“I’ve heard that even a combat uniform looks good if you apply lotion well.”

She knew how to compliment herself, and Lee Hyun-wook chuckled.

“Ah, you know that? Knowing that makes it a bit awkward…”

“It’s a joke. Hmm, but I have something to say, can we sit down for a moment?”

As they sat down, the surrounding gazes turned to them.

A few days ago, Kim Se-hee, known as the goddess of the 2nd Battalion, would have been the center of attention, but now, the aura of the Steel Battalion’s commander, Lee Hyun-wook, was much stronger.

Both officers and soldiers whispered and glanced at Lee Hyun-wook.

In this small unit, it was already tiring, so going out into society with a known face would be even more exhausting.

“Um….”

But for some reason, Kim Se-hee scratched her cheek and hesitated.

“I, I’m about to be discharged.”

Upon reflection, Kim Se-hee was a senior sergeant.

“You still have a couple of months left before discharge, right? I have something I want to ask you.”

What she wanted to ask, she was deliberately taking her time.

“Do you… plan to stay in AMT? Or are you joining a guild?”

Lee Hyun-wook had received numerous offers but had not yet made a clear decision.

“Why are you asking about such a sensitive topic? Did someone ask you to scout for me?”

“No! I just… wanted to gather some information.”

Lee Hyun-wook understood her meaning.

‘Kim Se-hee, you’re thinking about where to go, aren’t you?’

Originally, after the 4th Wave, she would have been selected for the Black Tiger Unit and become a non-commissioned officer.

But this time, Lee Hyun-wook, a significant variable, had influenced the process, and she seemed to want to follow a similar path.

So, she was asking in a somewhat overt manner…

‘This is a bit unexpected.’

Given her personality, Kim Se-hee didn’t seem like someone who would seize opportunities, but the extraordinary achievements Lee Hyun-wook had shown made it natural for people to follow him.

Even the soldiers of the Steel Battalion often expressed their hope that the unit would continue.

‘Well, it’s a good thing. There’s no need to keep such talent in the military…’

Lee Hyun-wook chuckled and replied.

“So, Sergeant Kim, do you want to continue working with me?”

When he asked this, Kim Se-hee’s lips neither curled up nor down.

But it was the answer she wanted.

Given her pride, she wouldn’t have been able to say directly that she wanted to be by Lee Hyun-wook’s side…

“Ah? Yes! Of course! We worked well together in the Steel Battalion, didn’t we?”

“Actually, I think I worked better with Han-nee…”

Kim Se-hee’s expression crumpled.

“Ha— Calm down. I also like working with someone like you, Sergeant Kim.”

“Ahaha… That’s a great honor.”

“Good, it’s a good thing. I have a guild to introduce you to.”

Kim Se-hee feigned surprise.

“Huh? A guild? I thought you would stay in AMT…”

When Lee Hyun-wook said he would stay in AMT, she had asked in a hurry, thinking she would stay too.

“Let’s not talk about the details here….”

Lee Hyun-wook stood up.

“Limited movement in Seoul has been allowed since today, so let’s go on leave together tomorrow.”

“…What?”

“Commander will approve it if I ask. I already have his permission.”

With the rapid progression of events, Kim Se-hee looked flustered.

“Ah, but… if we go on leave together, won’t it look… strange?”

Lee Hyun-wook tilted his head at her question.

“What? No, it’s not just the two of us.”

“Ah….”

***

The next day, Lee Hyun-wook, Kim Se-hee, and Park Jun-mo were given special leave.

They chartered a bus and got off at Singil Station instead of Seoul Station.

Although limited movement had been allowed since yesterday, the streets were not just deserted but completely empty.

The government announced that almost all monsters in the city had been eliminated, but it was still dangerous.

“Um, where are we…?”

In front of the Hope Guild, Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo looked somewhat dazed.

“This is our first destination today. We have a few more places to visit.”

Park Chul-soo, fortunately, lived outside of Seoul, so he had avoided the disaster of the Wave.

And luckily, the Hope Guild’s office had suffered no damage.

When they entered, …

“Yes, just sign here, and here….”

“Those who have finished the contract, please bring it to me!”

“Next, this way, please!”

The situation was much busier than the last time he visited.

Park Chul-soo and his staff were handling over a dozen players.

And then…

“Oh, Hyun-wook!”

It was Lee Jung-joon, with whom he had formed a bond during the 4th Wave.

When he called out, everyone in the office turned their heads.

“Wow! Hello!”

“Wow! The heroes of the Steel Battalion and Seoul, it’s great to see you again!”

Everyone greeted them, and it was natural to be happy after fighting together for four days.

Lee Jung-joon hurried over and extended his hand, which Lee Hyun-wook shook.

“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, I’m no longer unemployed.”

On the first day of the Wave, Lee Jung-joon and his comrades had been kicked out of their guild for disobeying the guild master’s orders and rescuing citizens at the Changchungdong Community Center.

Lee Hyun-wook had introduced them to the Hope Guild, and they had decided to join based solely on his name.

“No, thank you. It’s a small guild, but I’m grateful that you joined so readily.”

“Haha— Who would judge based on appearance when someone is looking out for you?”

Thus, the Hope Guild was experiencing unprecedented prosperity.

“Hey, Hyun-wook….”

Park Chul-soo was half in a daze.

“What, what’s going on? Am I dreaming?”

That morning, after hearing on TV that the hero of the 4th Wave, the Steel Battalion, was Lee Hyun-wook, no less, 18 players had appeared, chanting his name and asking to join.

They were far superior in quality to the existing Hope Guild members.

“Hyun-wook, you’re really pulling me from hell to heaven….”

Park Chul-soo was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

“See, I told you to trust me.”

“Thank you so much. And, as you said, the stocks are soaring, hahaha….”

Manufacturing, holy weapons, magical engineering—

The stocks Lee Hyun-wook had recommended were hitting new highs every day.

They were all beneficiaries of the 4th Wave.

But Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo were still bewildered.

“Um, what is this place…?”

Kim Se-hee had followed Lee Hyun-wook when he said he would introduce a guild.

But the Hope Guild… she had never heard of it, and it looked quite small and unimpressive.

She couldn’t help but feel a bit bewildered.

“Sergeant Kim, you want to work with me, right?”

At Lee Hyun-wook’s serious question, Kim Se-hee nodded.

“Well, yeah.”

“This is the guild I’m building.”

“…What?”

She was amazed at how he had been building a guild while achieving such feats.

“It’s small now, but a lot of money will be invested soon, and there will be plenty of good opportunities.”

She knew where the money would come from without him saying it.

As the greatest contributor to the Wave, Lee Hyun-wook would receive a massive reward.

“So… will you help lead this guild, Sergeant Kim?”

“Lead? What, what do you mean…?”

“Just do what you did in the unit, like shouting orders.”

As expected, Kim Se-hee’s face crumpled, unable to hide her emotions.

“Anyway, you don’t take jokes well. You trusted me to come here, so I’m trusting you to take on the guild’s strategy and operations