Chapter 83

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Today, people who are called heroes are not uncommon. They are the top-tier ‘rankers’ among players, possessing outstanding skills. Like the heroes in myths and legends, they accomplish extraordinary feats single-handedly. However, Go Junchul did not highly regard such individuals. "They can prevent local crises, but they cannot lead the world's order." For example, Woo Sungmoon in South Korea, Gordon Price in the United States, and Aishima Aki in Japan—there are those who manipulate entire nations even if they do not show their efforts publicly. And these are the ‘heavyweights’ who form the core of this world. They set the stage, make the rules, and run the game. Heroes merely... play their part on top of it. "But this guy..." Go Junchul looked at Lee Hyunwook. Known as the savior of Seoul, a grade F ‘control’ type player, he had undoubtedly achieved feats worthy of the title 'hero.' Therefore, Go Junchul thought he was a new 'piece' that Woo Sungmoon had acquired. However, after a few words with him, his perception changed completely. Government secret agent, operator of Hugin, manager of Laputa, grade S player... The impressive titles kept coming. "Indeed, he has already established a significant position within the South Korean government." Go Junchul could intuitively sense that this young man was becoming a heavyweight. "Perhaps he will become the core of this country, succeeding Woo Sungmoon." This thought was not excessive. Woo Sungmoon could not remain at the core of the government forever, and the South Korean player community was closely watching who would succeed him. And now, such a talent had appeared. When he reached this conclusion, Go Junchul's instincts were shouting. "For the future of our village, we cannot let this man slip away." Go Junchul lifted his head and met Lee Hyunwook's eyes. "Can you add a line to your many nicknames, 'Savior of Red Hole'?" Go Junchul extended his hand. "Yes, of course." Lee Hyunwook shook his hand. He hid his expression but was inwardly elated. "Yes, it worked. It was indeed a successful conversation." This man, Go Junchul, was a figure with significant influence in the underground world. "And he is also a mediator in the underground world, who knows the right way." In other words, this alliance would bring tremendous benefits. "And the adamantite mine in this dungeon will also provide an opportunity for a monopoly." Adamantite, one of the legendary metals, is extremely rare. Even after killing dozens of elite monsters, you might only get one or two pieces. Therefore, it sells for 130-150,000 won per 10 grams. If it's a dormant 'mine,' its value is incalculable. "If that happens, I can rain down adamantite... and..." The power of 'Steel Rain' varies depending on the material, even if the weight is the same. Anyway, that's a problem to deal with after handling this matter. "But... I need something. Can you help me get it?" "Sure, just name it. There's nothing I can't get here!" As a heavyweight in the Incheon black market, Go Junchul could obtain almost anything. "Ah, but before that, I need a person." And Lee Hyunwook planned to naturally achieve his first goal. "Great, it's like a windfall." ***

Red Hole Village, the population here is exactly 1,345 people. And they all had to leave the real world for various reasons. Persecution by black mages, false accusations, being hunted by assassins hired by large guilds—this place was a new home for those who were inevitably pushed out of the country of Korea. Therefore, the news of an outsider entering the village was a very sensitive issue, and the atmosphere of the village was cold as it closely watched the presence of the stranger. In particular, young men were gathered in a corner of the village square, preparing for battle. "Damn, that bastard! I don't know what he's up to, but something feels off!" Among them were those who had been captured by Lee Hyunwook, and their necks were red from the metal restraints he had used. "But, knowing how to remove the black vines, does that make sense?" They remembered the words the stranger had said when he faced Go Jin-hwa's cavalry. "How does he know that... and how is it even possible?" "I don't know, maybe he's talking to the village chief right now..." For the past eight months, they had been at war with the black vines, but with no success. So, it was unbelievable that someone had come to solve this problem. However, when the stranger's identity was revealed, everyone was greatly surprised. "What, what? That person... Lee Hyunwook, the savior of Seoul—? Is that true?" "Huh— Huh— It's true! I just saw him at the village chief's house! It's certain!" "Wow, unbelievable..." They occasionally ventured outside the gate to the black market, so they could intermittently receive news from the outside world. The biggest news recently was the 'Fourth Wave.' In other words, they couldn't help but know the name Lee Hyunwook. "Wow..." And they had, at times, felt their hearts warm hearing the heroic tales. The underdog hero who stopped the hellish events in the real world... Therefore, the cold atmosphere began to thaw. "Hey! Hey! Come to think of it, the ability he used on us, wasn't it the metal manipulation ability?" "Ah, right! Now I remember, that was it!" Even those who had been captured by Lee Hyunwook clapped in admiration. "Ah, I should have recognized it when he disassembled and reassembled nine pistols in the blink of an eye!" "Wow... Now that I think about it, wow, what a cool scene, right?" The image of 'Savior of Seoul' was so strong that it made them forget the pain of their red, swollen necks. Their thoughts began to lean towards the idea that Lee Hyunwook could accomplish something. At that moment, two young men standing in a corner simultaneously snorted. "Ha, bullshit... What hero, that guy is probably a fraud." "Yeah, anyone who falls for that is a fool." These two, strangely, looked exactly the same. Not twins, but identical from head to toe. "Hey, Yeo Sangmin, why are you suddenly so excited?" Yeo Sangmin, called by that name, was a 21-year-old 'man' who snorted. "Hey, I know better than you. I'm grade F, after all." "Yeah, you guys, do you know more about grade F than I do?" The two Yeo Sangmins spoke in turn, and the surrounding people's expressions hardened. "This guy, he's at it again... Every time the topic of grade F comes up, he goes ballistic..." "Tsk tsk, that's a sickness, man! What good does it do to clench your teeth and deny it?" Their reactions showed that Yeo Sangmin's attitude was not new. He always reacted this way whenever he heard about the grade F hero Lee Hyunwook. "Just wait, Lee Hyunwook or whatever, he'll be exposed as a fraud soon!" The two Yeo Sangmins snorted and turned away. "That guy, he's smart, but he's so emotional..." "How miserable must he be, being grade F, to act like that?" ***

Yeo Sangmin was a non-growth characteristic... a grade F player. All he could do was create one 'clone.' And what he could achieve with that unique ability was... "Nothing, except that he can dig twice as fast when farming, damn it." But then, stories about the grade F hero began to spread throughout the world. Lee Hyunwook, the hero who saved Seoul during the Fourth Wave... Yeo Sangmin was not particularly pleased to hear that someone of his own grade had accomplished such a feat. How should he put it? When a friend who was in the same situation suddenly became successful, it felt more like wanting to deny it rather than being happy... "What? A grade F saved Seoul and now he's coming to save us, wow, what a load of crap..." When he arrived home, his 14-year-old younger brother jumped out of bed. "Bro! Did you hear? The man who came to the village today is— " "—I know!" "What, why are you so angry?" Yeo Sangmin's sharp reply made his younger brother, Yeo Sangjun, look bewildered. "Hey! Don't be fooled by such nonsense! How could a grade F save Seoul?" "But, they said he achieved it— " "—Even if he did, how could he stop a wave? It's all a scam by the government, I told you!" Even if he had really performed a great feat, he would have been grade S, not F. It's common for the government or guilds to hide the existence of grade S players for a while before giving them a grand debut. He believed that. "No, bro! Dad said the potential of players is infinite... There was a blacksmith among Dad's friends who wielded a greatsword and killed orcs, maybe there's something different about it?" Yeo Sangmin's expression darkened even more at this. "Dad used to say such nonsense all the time." His father had been driven out of the real world and came to this place, but he never lost hope. He always praised the power of players and called them heroes. The reason was that his father had served real heroes, grade S players, when he was in the real world. "Damn, thinking about it now, it was almost like a fanaticism!" Growing up listening to stories about 'heroes' from such a father, Yeo Sangmin also used to think of players as vague, heroic figures. When Yeo Sangmin awakened as a player, his father was very happy. However, when he first successfully hunted, but did not gain any experience points... "At that moment, Dad's stiff expression..." He could not forget that scene. His father, though he did not show it, must have been disappointed that his son was grade F. "Hey, Yeo Sangjun, do you know? Dad never talked about it after it was revealed that I was grade F. Grade F means he realized his son had no potential..." "..." "And maybe Dad, being a player with no potential, couldn't come back either?" "No, bro! Even if you're angry, you shouldn't say things like that—!" ...The legends of players he had heard countless times as a child were all lies. After realizing that potential was not something everyone had, he could only see the world in a harsh light. Thump—thump— At that moment, a knock came. "Hey! Yeo Sangmin! Are you home?" The person who came to see him was Oh Dal-sung, one of the village's executives and the chief's closest aide. "Yeo Sangmin, the chief is looking for you right now." "What? Why? I haven't done anything wrong." The chief, Go Junchul, only called people personally to scold them. "No, to be precise, a guest is looking for you." "Huh? A guest...?" "Haven't you heard? Lee Hyunwook, the savior of Seoul, is in our village." "..." "But, hmm, I don't understand why such a great person would need you." ***

Rumble— Rumble— A strange sound accompanied the slow approach of a black, writhing mass from the distance. The vine cluster burrowed through the ground, absorbing all the moisture, and eventually emerged to crush everything in its path. Eventually, it would cover the entire land. "...Damn, those things devoured the western forest in just one week." Go Jin-hwa pointed to something. But... there was nothing there. Only the dust raised by the Swallow was visible. "...It was quite a large forest." As she said, it had been a lush landscape just a week ago. "And now... it's heading towards the central reservoir." The central reservoir, this massive water source, was the last remaining water supply for Red Hole Village. "If it consumes this too, we will really have to leave this land. We can buy water from outside, but the land will be completely dead, making it uninhabitable." The extreme change in the ecosystem... it was not a problem that could be solved with money. "Don't worry. The last reservoir will be safe, and soon the land will be restored." "Yes, I believe you." "But, have the items I asked for arrived?" "Hmm... Ah! They're just arriving." Five carts were approaching along the makeshift road. "But, what exactly is the 'Red Moon Herb' for?" The Red Moon Herb, a common and perhaps useless herb that grows in the grassland dungeon, had no health recovery effect and only had a geothermal effect. No one knew that it would be the key to stopping the Swallow, a great disaster. "Think of it as a kind of herbicide to eliminate those things." "Herbicide? Really? Such a common weed?" Go Jin-hwa, clutching a handful of Red Moon Herb, looked disbelieving. "Just like how even the strongest fire can be extinguished by pouring common water on it, it's about absolute compatibility." In nature, every existence has a 'property.' Some are harmonious, while