Chapter 68

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A helicopter landed on a vast lawn that seemed to have been leveled on the mid-slope of Bukaksan Mountain.

The ones who disembarked were Woo Seong-moon and his aides.

Soon, agents wearing sunglasses ran out to greet them.

"Team Leader Lee, has the Saint arrived?"

The man with glasses, Lee Gyoo-jun, who was called Team Leader Lee, nodded.

"Yes, but... she is still drunk."

"Damn, I should have known... She flew all the way here to save the world's largest city, and she's still drunk..."

"And the rowdy behavior of the Holy Knights who came with her is... quite a headache."

The Saint's personal Holy Knights were notoriously arrogant.

'Since the death of the first captain, Nicholas Steele, the entire organization has rapidly deteriorated.'

Woo Seong-moon clicked his tongue, recalling Nicholas, who knew the value of honor more than anyone.

'He was one of the few people I truly trusted...'

As long as he was around, the White Tree Guard was respected by all.

However, as his position was filled by unworthy individuals, the organization lost its honor.

Woo Seong-moon was worried that the same might happen to this country someday.

"In an era where people are the greatest power, it's an age where we can't even trust people."

He had long been aware of this issue, having cultivated talent for a long time.

Today, character and effort did not necessarily correlate with ability.

It was just a matter of awakening by chance and being given random traits...

'This is also an era where one can become the best with just good luck...'

While feeling this absurdity, one face came to mind.

'Lee Hyun-wook...'

Until recently, he was a lowly F-rank player. However, he didn't bow to the immense constraints given to him and created his own opportunities, eventually rising to the top.

'Yes, he is a true talent.'

Woo Seong-moon had no intention of letting Lee Hyun-wook slip away.

***

– ...The sky over Seoul has turned red again. In the Dobong area, an unknown mana fluctuation is suspected to be the cause, and the government's 'Anomaly Analysis Team' is investigating the cause.

Lee Hyun-wook was checking the 'airdrop device' loaded in the truck's cargo area while listening to the radio with one ear.

'Hmm, if I put steel balls in here, it could be useful in many ways...'

The large rectangular box mostly contained an 'alternate space creation device,' but there was a multi-purpose storage space at the bottom.

Lee Hyun-wook poured a large number of steel balls into it.

Fifty-five in one, a total of 110 for two airdrop devices.

– Following that, the heroes who ended the Fourth Wave, the Iron Company and their commander, Private Lee Hyun-wook, are also being deployed in this operation. While the details are classified, ...

"Hey! They're talking about us again."

At that point, the Iron Company members waiting outside the truck reacted and chatted.

"Isn't it getting old seeing us on the news now?"

"No matter how many times we appear, doesn't your heart still race?"

"Well, it's all about Private Lee Hyun-wook anyway, so what's the point..."

Not just the Iron Company, but the entire 1st Battalion was lined up on an eight-lane road.

However, in this situation, the Iron Company could do very little. They were merely setting up a 'blockade' on the southern side of Bukhansan Mountain, connected to Dobongsan Mountain, in case of an emergency.

Still, because the interest in the heroes of the Fourth Wave had not waned, they were unnecessarily featured in the news. Lee Hyun-wook found this quite annoying.

'Why is the Iron Company's movement on the news? Anyway, fame is not always good.'

Lee Hyun-wook got out of the truck's cargo area and looked up at the northern sky.

About 40 minutes ago, a red energy pillar had risen somewhere in Seoul.

Immediately after it reached the sky, a red cloud formed, and now it had transformed into a giant ring, churning as if to engulf Seoul.

Goo—oo—oo—oo—oo——

An unpleasant sound is also echoing.

'One can't approach the demon's domain without a decent holy barrier.'

Dobongsan Mountain, the summoning site of the demon, was turning into a 'demon's domain.' According to government information, approaching it would result in life force being drained by powerful 'hell magic.'

Of course, if one prepared and set out to conquer it, there would be a way to enter... However, the most reasonable choice would be the Saint's 'Holy Field.'

Ultimately, it was inevitable that the Saint would come to this land.

"Hey, wasn't Private Lee Hyun-wook supposed to be deployed on another mission soon?"

In response to Choi Tae-yong's question, Lee Hyun-wook nodded.

"Yes, so I think I'll have to go soon."

"By the way, where did they call you for, and for what reason?"

When Choi Tae-yong asked cautiously, Ahn Min-tae sighed.

"Man, it's a secret, so he can't tell us, right!"

"Ah, well... I thought he would share it with us..."

"Us? This guy is trying to match Private Lee Hyun-wook now?"

"Ah, really! That's not what I meant..."

The fact that Lee Hyun-wook was assigned to the Saint's security detail was, of course, a secret.

The Saint, who had already arrived, was reportedly moving to a secret location.

It was likely one of the 'sanctuaries' where she could safely cast 'Holy Field,' and the most secure sanctuary in Seoul was the 'Bukaksan Grand Sanctuary.'

Located where the Blue House could be seen, it was actually connected to the Blue House's underground bunker.

The Saint would call Lee Hyun-wook after she arrived and the surroundings were secured.

'Even if I'm needed, I'm still an external force...'

Lee Hyun-wook couldn't be fully briefed on the security details.

'And... there's something I need to take care of before they call me.'

Lee Hyun-wook took something out of his pocket.

It was a golden card.

– Name: Trait Blossom 2nd Stage (Special)

– Effect: Randomly blossoms a new skill or enhances an existing skill.

This was the result of fusing two 'Trait Blossom' items to upgrade them to the 2nd Stage.

'Now, which skill should I enhance with this...'

Since this event was a variable, Lee Hyun-wook was more cautious than ever.

'After all, this time... I'll invest in Body Reinforcement.'

He had considered enhancing 'Breath Room' first several times. If the rank of Breath Room increased, the internal furnace would expand, accelerating growth, which would be beneficial in the long run.

'However, if I only look to the future, I might trip over a stone.'

In his previous life, his greatest weakness was defense, and it was a problem even in his final moments. When he couldn't withstand a sniper shot from somewhere and fell into a critical state, everything ended.

Of course, this life was different from the start. He had already surpassed his previous life's defense.

But...

'Okita Kaito, he will definitely appear. I'm not strong enough to withstand his attack yet.'

Lee Hyun-wook could predict that the Sword Saint, who assassinated the Saint, would play the role of the assassin.

'In his previous life, he stabbed the Saint in the heart...'

That's why Lee Hyun-wook boldly invested in Body Reinforcement with the 'Trait Blossom 2nd Stage.'

– Congratulations! The 'Body Reinforcement' skill has been greatly enhanced using Trait Blossom (2nd Stage)!

– Name: Indomitable Body Reinforcement (剛體化)

– Rank: B

– Effect: Consumes 20 mana to temporarily 'reinforce' a part of the body.

1 [Mana Shield (Double Layered)]

2 [Secret Engraving (2)]

3 [Unknown]

* Consuming a certain amount of 'high-purity magic metal' will improve the skill rank.

It jumped two stages from D to B.

The maximum rank a skill can reach through normal means is A, so now Body Reinforcement was at a considerable level.

Lee Hyun-wook activated 'Body Reinforcement' on his left hand and slowly felt the changes.

The denser metallic skin and the tougher double-layered mana shield...

'At this level, it's like wearing adamant armor with a high-level magic protection shield.'

To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, it was like becoming a walking tank.

Additionally, the number of 'Secret Engravings' on the second skill increased to two.

"Right, I should test that too."

Lee Hyun-wook climbed back into the truck's cargo area and placed his right hand on the airdrop device.

Sssss——

Then, the massive machine turned into smoke and melted away...

– Engraved.

The airdrop device, being an item, was applied without exception.

Thus, a somewhat large rectangular tattoo appeared on Lee Hyun-wook's right wrist.

'As expected, it works. This is going to be great...'

The reason this was encouraging was that the airdrop device contained 30 weapons.

Lee Hyun-wook pulled out 'Achilles' Spear' with his other hand, the left, and engraved the remaining airdrop device.

Thus, a total of 60 weapons—plus the 100 steel balls in the lower storage space—were stored in his wrists, totaling several hundred diverse weapons.

'Good, it's like having an inventory.'

With this, he now possessed tank-level defense and bomber-level firepower.

'Investing in Body Reinforcement was a good choice.'

At that moment, a shout came from outside the truck.

"Private Lee Hyun-wook! Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha is looking for you."

Meanwhile, Seo Eun-ha was also participating in this operation.

The reason was that, as a high-level Holy Knight, she could synergize with the Saint, but that was the surface reason.

In reality, she had spent two years as a Holy Knight trainee at Saint Dome after her awakening and had formed a considerable friendship with the Saint, Emilia Mueller.

In other words, calling Seo Eun-ha had a more diplomatic purpose.

Lee Hyun-wook went to the end of the long line of 1st Battalion vehicles and met Seo Eun-ha.

She was sitting on the truck's cargo area, putting on a gray armor, and looked up at Lee Hyun-wook.

"Lee Hyun-wook, they sent a car for you. Start getting ready to leave."

On the opposite lane, a black SUV was visible, sent by Woo Seong-moon.

"I'm already ready."

"Ah, really? Then wait a bit. Putting on armor is—quite tiring..."

When Seo Eun-ha was ready, the two reported to Kim Gang-seok and approached the SUV.

In the middle of this, she suddenly asked,

"Lee Hyun-wook, have you ever... seen the Saint directly? Of course not, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

It was true. Lee Hyun-wook had never seen the Saint in his previous life.

The Saint was assassinated when he was still an F-rank player, unable to shake off the stigma.

However, he couldn't help but hear stories about the Saint repeatedly afterward.

"Let me tell you in advance... she's not normal. She might be a bit of a headache in many ways."

Lee Hyun-wook had heard about the Saint's notorious reputation.

When one thinks of a Saint, one usually imagines a pure, virtuous, and righteous figure, but that's a stereotype associated with religion—especially in fantasy.

Emilia Mueller, an S-rank Priest, is called the Saint solely because of her divine abilities, regardless of religion or personality.

'After all, the Saint is just a nickname, and she is more like an inquisitor...'

Moreover, her method of ability growth is bizarre.

'I heard that it involves inflicting pain on dark-aligned beings...'

In a way, it was a cursed method of ability growth.

The Chad Republic is particularly ruthless towards players who learn dark-aligned skills, and the Saint personally tortures and executes them for this reason.

'So, it's impossible for her to have a good personality in every aspect...'

But even such a wicked woman is one of the necessary weapons for humanity.

***

The location of the Grand Sanctuary of the Republic of Korea is a state secret.

It is only known to be somewhere in Seoul, and almost no one knows its exact location. The reason is that the Grand Sanctuary serves as both a 'safe house' and a 'secret ward.'

There is a theory that, in the event of an attack on the Blue House, one would not evacuate to the Blue House's underground bunker but to this place. If a national VIP or a high-ranking player is seriously injured, they are moved here.

'I've been brought here a few times...'

The highest-level 'Holy Domain' buff in the Republic of Korea can revive someone on the brink of death.

Woo Woo Woo Woo——

The SUV ascended the military road of Bukaksan Mountain.

For a while, the scenery was nothing special, just a dense forest.

But at a certain point—

– You have passed through.

The landscape changed instantly.

Suddenly, a vast area spread out before them, and at its center stood a massive white building.

'Grand Sanctuary of Bukaksan, it's been a while.'

The exterior was just a simple white concrete block.

Since it was a hidden location, the design was purely efficient, without much emphasis on appearance.

Moreover, countless 'Black Agents' were hidden in the forest surrounding the building,

and dozens of 'Mana Drones' were flying in the sky, monitoring the entire area.

The white-armored Holy Knights visible here and there were the 'White Tree Guard.'

Upon arriving at the entrance of the building, a short man with glasses greeted Lee Hyun-wook and Seo Eun-ha.

"Welcome. I'm Team Leader Lee Gyoo-jun."

From his introduction without revealing his affiliation, he seemed to be an agent from a secret department.

"As you know, no communication devices are allowed from here on."

Since Lee Hyun-wook and Seo Eun-ha were not fully trusted insiders, they had to undergo a formal body search.

"Also, neither of you can approach the Saint, Emilia Mueller, within 50 meters. If you mistakenly approach, you will be restrained or, depending on the situation, killed without warning, so please keep that in mind."

Their task was to defend the building itself in case of an unexpected attack,

and Emilia Mueller's immediate surroundings were guarded by her personal White Tree Guard, specifically 12 high-ranking Holy Knights.

No one else was allowed to approach her.

At that moment, another agent standing next to Lee Gyoo-jun touched his earpiece and turned to them.

"Team Leader... they want to take Private Lee Hyun-wook to the VIP room on the third basement floor."

Lee Gyoo-jun's eyebrows twitched.

"What? A VIP room? Who ordered that?"

"That... the Saint requested it directly."

"The Saint, why...?"

Lee Gyoo-jun couldn't hide his astonishment.

And Lee Hyun-wook felt the same way.

'Why is the Saint... calling me?'

Even Seo Eun-ha looked puzzled.

"Lee Hyun-wook, why is the Saint calling you?"

"I don't know."

Seo Eun-ha pondered for a moment and then looked up.

"Lee Hyun-wook, whatever it is, be careful. As I said, she's not in her right mind..."

With Seo Eun-ha's stern advice, Lee Hyun-wook was led to the VIP room on the fourth basement floor by three agents.

After passing through a long corridor with strict security and multiple protective barriers, they arrived at a massive iron door.

"Here we are. No weapons are allowed, so please remove them all."

As Lee Hyun-wook removed his weapons, the thick protective door opened.

Clank——

The room was quite spacious, with a single sofa in the center.

Woo Seong-moon was sitting there, his face shadowed.

Across from him, a petite woman with blonde hair was seated.

'That woman is Emilia Mueller, the Saint.'

When she noticed Lee Hyun-wook, she started waving her hand enthusiastically.

"Hey—hello—!"

It was a rather absurd first impression.

Meanwhile, Woo Seong-moon looked flabbergasted.

It was understandable.

They had spent a fortune to invite the Saint, but her condition seemed more serious than expected. It felt like receiving a defective product.

Moreover, a strong smell of alcohol emanated from her.

"Private Lee Hyun-wook, the Chancellor of Saint Dome earnestly requested to meet the hero of Seoul."

"Yeah, that's right, I called you."

"So, what exactly... do you want to say, Chancellor? We don't have much time, so please hurry."

Woo Seong-moon asked almost with a sigh.

But Emilia ignored his words, resting her chin and staring at Lee Hyun-wook before finally speaking.

"Mr. Woo, don't worry. Hic— I won't eat you."

There was a moment of silence.

"Mr. Woo, I have something I want to talk about with this person... It's unrelated to this mission. It's a bit personal—um, a bit, what should I say, a secret conversation."

Woo Seong-moon shook his head at her rambling.

"Chancellor, no matter what... that's not possible."

Woo Seong-moon's mind was racing.

Just a moment ago, they were discussing the security operation, and he briefly mentioned Lee Hyun-wook.

At that point, the Saint's expression changed.

She seemed quite interested when he explained that Lee Hyun-wook had saved Seoul twice and could operate 'Hugin.'

Then she insisted on calling him.

Now she wanted to have a private conversation...