Chapter 8

8. Leopard and Water Buffalo - 3

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Squish!

The leg kick landed. It was already the eighth time.

“Grr...”

In the end, Yi Wonseok lost his balance and staggered.

At that very moment, Yi Hyunwook rushed in.

He moved like flowing water, circling behind Yi Wonseok in the blink of an eye, grabbed his waist, and toppled him forward.

“Back Mount!”

Someone shouted.

It was a position where one straddles the opponent’s back, immobilizing their lower body. In this position, there was no risk of being caught by the ‘Barbarian’s’ powerful grip.

To borrow Cheon Myungho’s analogy, it was like a leopard climbing onto the back of a rampaging water buffalo, minimizing the risk of being gored by its horns while positioning itself to strike at the buffalo’s throat.

“Grrr!”

But the water buffalo was not yet dead.

He thrashed his body as if kicking with his hind legs, trying to shake off the leopard.

However...

“The hunt is already over.”

Cheon Myungho’s single sentence doused the scene with cold water.

“Huh? Senior, how can you say that just by looking?”

Sergeant Kang Seongchun, as well as Oh Sangguk and Gwak Jincheol, couldn’t understand at all. Yi Wonseok, the ‘Barbarian,’ was so strong that he seemed about to flip over and get up at any moment.

“To be honest, we still need to keep watching. He might flip the position and start pounding back.”

But Cheon Myungho shook his head calmly.

“That guy’s build is really like a water buffalo. He knows how to thrash around but not how to protect his vital points. In contrast, that guy is like a real leopard, watching his prey’s vital points and preparing to sink his teeth in.”

“Vital points...”

In the next moment, Yi Hyunwook’s arms moved like snakes, wrapping around Yi Wonseok’s neck.

“Gah!”

Yi Wonseok, startled, moved convulsively, but his reaction was slow.

“Choke!”

The Rear Naked Choke, a technique that compresses the carotid arteries with both arms to cut off blood flow to the brain, was executed perfectly.

“Look, the leopard has finally sunk its teeth into the neck.”

“...Huh?”

“It’s instantaneous. Like a predator’s fangs severing the prey’s windpipe...”

Yi Wonseok, struggling, tried to pry off Yi Hyunwook’s arms, but they were abnormally solid, and his grip wouldn’t loosen.

This was also due to ‘Hardening.’

Hardening alone can increase grip strength by nearly three times. Yi Hyunwook’s steel-like arms interlocked, locking in place like a padlock.

Yi Hyunwook applied all his strength to the ‘grip.’

‘With my ability added, it won’t come loose at all.’

The good thing about Hardening was that he could use his ‘ability’ on his metal-like body. Yi Hyunwook focused 2,558g of force on his steel-like fingers to increase his grip strength.

Creak! Creak! Creak!

The sound of metal scraping was heard.

Thud! Thud!

All Yi Wonseok could do was scratch at Yi Hyunwook’s clothes with his fingernails in a futile resistance.

“Cough! Cough...”

As 5 seconds, 6 seconds, 7 seconds... passed,

Yi Wonseok’s body went limp,

And then,

Thud—

His thick arm fell to the ground weakly.

“...Ah!”

The movements of the two players stopped simultaneously.

“Haha! That’s what I mean by a real ‘level’ difference.”

As Cheon Myungho’s voice rang out, Yi Hyunwook got up.

He wasn’t even breathing heavily, and his face was as calm as if he had just stretched. In contrast, Yi Wonseok was stiff and motionless.

The fallen and the standing...

Thus, the winner and loser were immediately clear,

“Unbelievable, this is...”

Gwak Jincheol could only shake his head in denial.

He didn’t want to believe it.

But Yi Hyunwook’s appearance right now was truly...

‘...a leopard!’

It felt like a leopard that had hunted a water buffalo twice its size and placed its forepaws on it.

And as the leopard’s eyes shifted to the spectators,

“...”

Silence,

The training ground became as quiet as a library.

Thud— Thud—

As Yi Hyunwook descended from the combat box, the spectators parted to either side.

At the end stood a man in a combat uniform, the Black Tiger Unit’s Lieutenant—Cheon Myungho.

He smiled faintly and looked at Yi Hyunwook.

“Soldier, what’s your name?”

Yi Hyunwook looked at his face and confirmed the name tag on his combat uniform.

‘Lieutenant Cheon Myungho? Why is he here now?’

This person was also someone Yi Hyunwook knew well.

‘He’s the one who will soon recruit Sergeant Choi Youngjun and train him to be the best.’

He had heard that Cheon Myungho had made three visits to recruit Choi Youngjun for the Black Tiger Unit.

This seemed to be the first visit, and he had happened to witness this combat training.

“I am Private First Class Yi Hyunwook of the 1st Company.”

Cheon Myungho extended his hand for a handshake.

“I am Lieutenant Cheon Myungho, the Raid Tactics Instructor of the Black Tiger Unit. The combat just now was quite impressive.”

Then he took out a business card from his inner pocket.

“Now that you’re a Private First Class, you might be thinking about your career after discharge. Are you interested in ‘Special Operations Raid’?”

Gasps of amazement erupted from all around.

“Wow...”

“Unbelievable, is this real?”

Special Operations Raid referred to high-difficulty special missions among those involving monsters.

In simple terms, it was a special forces unit under the AMT, known to the public for assassinating boss monsters and infiltrating and destroying dungeons, but the detailed missions were state secrets.

“Is he... receiving a scouting offer from the Black Tiger Unit? Is that right?”

“He, he’s an F-rank, right? How can this be real?”

The spectators all sighed in disbelief.

They had just witnessed the unbelievable scene of an F-rank defeating a D-rank, but even so, the idea that an F-rank, whom they considered far below them, could receive a love call from the Black Tiger Unit was too hard to believe.

“Sorry, but I’m an F-rank player.”

Yi Hyunwook said this and did not take the business card. But Cheon Myungho, undeterred, pushed the card forward.

“To me, you’re a warrior before you’re an F-rank.”

Warrior,

Yi Hyunwook knew that the grandiose word that came out of Cheon Myungho’s mouth was not just empty flattery.

The Black Tiger Unit values individual judgment and combat sense more than player abilities when selecting agents.

Even S-rank players would be excluded from operations if they lacked teamwork.

‘Ironically, that’s why the Black Tiger Unit is strong.’

The uniqueness of a team composed of C-rank players clearing an A-rank dungeon was the Black Tiger Unit.

In other words, fighting in the Black Tiger Unit as a place that cultivates true ‘specialists’ means being an elite warrior.

‘No matter how high a player’s rank, it’s a place you can’t join just because you want to. You have to be chosen to belong... and it’s also a place that will lead the most significant operation in the history of the Republic of Korea’s AMT in the future.’

In short, it was a place of honor.

But Yi Hyunwook had no intention of staying in the military.

‘The military is inevitably closed off.’

Staying in a closed environment wouldn’t allow him to fight against the villain group. Without the freedom to act, he would be held back at crucial moments.

“...Private First Class Yi Hyunwook, are you going to keep holding this?”

At Cheon Myungho’s urging, Yi Hyunwook took the business card.

“Thank you for your kind words. I’ll think about it.”

Yi Hyunwook saluted and passed by him, leaving the training ground without any lingering thoughts.

Lieutenant Cheon Myungho watched him go with a faint smile, sighing regretfully.

“An F-rank, a tragic genius... just right.”

As Yi Hyunwook disappeared, the spectators began to murmur again.

And in the midst of it, a wisp of gray smoke rose. Its source was, of course, Gwak Jincheol’s mouth.

He felt as if he had been hit, not just once but at least a couple more times.

“Sergeant Oh, what... what is this?”

“...”

Gwak Jincheol’s question went unanswered by Oh Sangguk.

“...Sergeant Oh Sangguk?”

Oh Sangguk, without a word, looked at Yi Wonseok, who was slumped against the wall, blinking. He was looking directly at Yi Wonseok’s eyes, which were filled with fear and sobs. Though he seemed to have regained consciousness, he was still trembling and making strange sounds, unable to distinguish reality.

At that moment, he felt a chill.

“Shit...”

If he had been in Yi Wonseok’s place, could he have... won?

He swallowed hard.

“Jincheol, I don’t know either. I don’t know what happened, what this is...”

He couldn’t say anything more.

Meanwhile, nearby were the support squad, 5th Platoon members.

Specifically, Ahn Mintae and Park Junmo.

“Hey, Junmo, is this a dream? Right?”

Ahn Mintae was also in a daze.

“I’ve been wondering if this isn’t a dream since my early morning shift yesterday.”

“Wow, so that means...”

Ahn Mintae, who was a squad senior to Yi Hyunwook, had been close to him but didn’t really trust him.

He saw Yi Hyunwook more as a friendly senior than someone he could rely on in battle. This thought hadn’t changed in the past year.

“Really, really...”

But this person had seemed strange for a few days, and this morning, he had reportedly achieved something incredible.

At the time, he thought it was just a coincidence.

But now, he couldn’t deny it.

“...Really, he’s changed.”

A person had changed overnight.

Completely.

***

The appearance of a gate within the base,

The combat training observed by a Black Tiger Unit officer,

The two events that occurred in a single day were enough to shake this small society. The fact that the protagonist was the same person, and even an F-rank player, made the impact even more significant.

“...Thank you for your hard work.”

While walking down the corridor, Yi Hyunwook realized he was receiving more salutes than usual.

The private who had just saluted and passed by was a 2nd Platoon private who would have ignored him in the past, but now bowed his head after a moment’s hesitation.

The numerous gazes and whispers were quite bothersome.

‘The situation has escalated more than I expected.’

He didn’t intend to hide the fact that he had changed, but too much fuss would be troublesome.

‘But there’s no need to put on the brakes.’

Since things had come to this, Yi Hyunwook thought he should change everything around him more quickly. The attention meant he could make changes more easily.

And as he entered the barracks,

“Private First Class Yi Hyunwook.”

Someone approached him.

It was his squad junior, Ahn Mintae.

His expression was different from when he had questioned the reason for the conflict with Gwak Jincheol. Then, he had been full of defiance, but now, his face showed a sense of reverence.

“...I have just one question. What’s your secret?”

“Huh?”

“The secret to changing so much overnight. I still can’t believe it.”

Ahn Mintae’s serious question made the entire 5th Platoon look at Yi Hyunwook. It seemed everyone was curious, not just Ahn Mintae.

‘They have to be curious. Seeing someone in the same position completely change, they must want to do the same.’

And it was, in fact, possible.

Yi Hyunwook could tell them the method.

“See for yourself. Just train every day. Do 100 pull-ups and a 3km run every day.”

“...”

His answer left everyone with a dubious expression. Some even looked as if they had been deceived.

Yi Hyunwook chuckled and continued.

“What I mean is, don’t confine yourself within the artificial limits of ranks.”

“So, you’re saying that ranks don’t matter now?”

Ahn Mintae tilted his head in confusion.

“Ahn Mintae, what did you see at the training ground today?”

“Ah...”

At this, Ahn Mintae nodded vigorously, as if he had been hit.

He had clearly seen an F-rank player knock out and knock unconscious a D-rank player, yet he had still asked if ranks were absolute.

“Everyone in the 5th Platoon thinks they will lose to anyone because they are F-rank.”

The 5th Platoon, known as the support squad, is considered the weakest players in the company.

The reason is simple.

Like Yi Hyunwook and Park Junmo, who are F-rank and believed to have no potential for growth, or those who, despite having a ‘level growth trait,’ are excluded from combat due to low combat efficiency and have almost no opportunity to level up...

“But think about it. These ranks are not set by this mysterious game. They are just labels we’ve given ourselves.”

Ahn Mintae nodded again, as if he had realized something, looking up at the sky.

“Now that I think about it...”

One day, the world suddenly became a ‘game.’

The reason and purpose of this transcendent game are still unknown to humanity.

We are merely adapting to this mysterious game and creating our own ‘rules.’

“...As Private First Class Yi Hyunwook said, many things can be seen as a kind of ‘social institution.’”

The game only assigns random traits to players without specifying their quality. In other words, ‘player ranks’ are artificial rules created by humans, a kind of ‘caste system.’

Though it is now accepted as a rational standard,

‘A few years later, the discovery of F-rank players will reveal the fatal flaw in this caste system.’

That’s why Yi Hyunwook opposed the player rank system. It creates a kind of stigma.

“And Park Junmo, you.”

“Private Park Junmo! Yes, sir!”

“Last night, you almost died. You know that, right?”

“Uh...”

Park Junmo recalled the goblin, his pathetic response, and Yi Hyunwook’s greatsword...

“Yes, that’s right. If it weren’t for Private First Class Yi Hyunwook, I...”

He bowed his head dejectedly.

“What’s your secret? Just don’t be lazy with your training and conditioning, even as a support squad member. You won’t change overnight, and you won’t even be able to save your own life.”

Ahn Mintae nodded in agreement, as if struck by his words.

“...That’s right. Even Sergeant Kim Hojong was evacuated, and when I was a private, Sergeant Park Ho-min, the squad leader, died in a cobalt ambush. The casualty rate in the support squad, which is considered relatively safe, is higher than you think.”

‘Indeed, my words carry more weight now that I’ve proven myself.’

A few days ago, they might have dismissed his serious words as nonsense with a smirk.

But this was not just a simple piece of advice. It was a kind of ‘hint.’

‘Because something will happen tomorrow evening.’

Yi Hyunwook’s serious speech was all because of that event.

Tomorrow, the first ‘operation’ after the regression will begin. A gate will open in the 1st Battalion’s area, and an emergency mobilization order will be issued.

During this operation, a major incident will occur in the rear, where the support squad is, which is considered relatively safe.

‘The support squad will also have to fight for their lives.’

But at that time, the support squad was not prepared.

As a result, five were seriously injured, and one died. Even Yi Hyunwook had a 7cm gash on his thigh.

‘This time, even with me here, someone might still be seriously injured.’

But if the squad members just pull themselves together a bit...

‘...This crisis can be turned into a great opportunity.’

This was Yi Hyunwook’s judgment, and the significance of his serious speech.

At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes.

– Metal absorption complete. (Mana Stone)

* Controllable metal weight increased: 91g

* Total mana increased: 11

– Controllable metal weight: 3,099g

By absorbing the mana stone obtained from the goblin, he had increased his controllable metal weight and total mana significantly.

‘With this, I can move ten daggers at once.’

***

The next morning,

Following what he had heard from the company commander, Yi Hyunwook went to the battalion armory to receive the ‘special reward’ from the battalion commander.

“Reporting, sir. I’m here to receive the item reward.”

“Oh, you’re here! Our F-rank hero, Private First Class Yi Hyunwook!”

Captain Oh Jeongtae, who managed the battalion armory, greeted Yi Hyunwook with an exaggerated voice.

“Wow, I heard about what you did this morning! You were lucky, congratulations!”

“Yes, I was quite lucky.”

“Yeah, yeah, just being alive is lucky, but to also capture a goblin shaman, that’s a jackpot!”

He chuckled, but it wasn’t a mocking laugh. He was genuinely happy for him.