Chapter 87

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AMT-affiliated players are considered to be of a 'lower level' compared to those in civilian guilds.

This was a general perception that played a role when dividing the hierarchy of players.

However, this only applied when considering 'rank'; once they became officers, they received better treatment than most mid-sized guilds, and in the case of special units, there were even many 'rankers' among them.

AMT was precisely such a place.

They were an elite player force specialized in anti-terror operations, receiving salaries and benefits that rivaled those of major guilds. As a result, they had a great sense of pride and were popular among the public.

Today, they were deployed to the scene of a fire at the Gangdong District alchemy research complex.

This could only be interpreted as a bad omen.

It implied that the incident was not a simple accident but a 'terrorist attack.'

— Breaking news! At 14:55, five minutes ago, it has been reported that the operation vehicles of , known as the top anti-terror player force in the country, have arrived at the fire scene of the alchemy research institute in Gangdong. According to police sources, there are numerous unidentified assailants inside the fire scene...

All media outlets were reporting the severity of the incident based on their movements.

Soon, the police made an official announcement with grim news.

The site had been occupied by an unidentified terrorist group,

and currently, hundreds of employees were being held hostage.

Thus, South Korea was once again thrown into chaos.

However, beneath, in the underground, a certain presence was stirring...

The real threat had yet to be noticed by anyone.

***

“...Look! It’s the Cobra Squad!”

“It’s really them! They’re here!”

At the terrorist attack site of the Gangdong District alchemy research complex,

cries of excitement were heard as the players armed and ready disembarked from an armored truck.

The Cobra Squad was a team within specialized in 'sniping,' led by a team leader who was an A-rank sniper player. They had resolved numerous major incidents both domestically and internationally.

Click! Click! Click! Click!

As the Cobra Squad appeared, the journalists immediately raised their cameras.

“—Articles featuring their photos have a high click rate, so this is a scene we can't miss. Cobra Squad! We believe in you!”

“I hope for a good outcome this time as well!”

Some journalists even sent heartfelt encouragement.

In this way, they were players who had joined the ranks of South Korea’s 'heroes.'

However, their faces, hidden behind face masks, were deeply furrowed.

“Damn... Why does this shit have to happen on a nice day?”

“Yeah, tell me about it. In this day and age, who the hell is staging a hostage situation...”

The reason was that the main objective of this operation was 'rescue.'

Even for them, a hostage situation was a headache.

“Damn, they’re even armed with assault rifles.”

Ordinary firearms were not a threat to players but were extremely dangerous to civilians.

And no matter how good a skill was, it couldn’t turn the gun pointed at a hostage’s head.

Thus, in most cases, 'negotiation' was the only option, which could make the operation drag on for a long time.

“Damn... I can already see the headache coming.”

They gathered inside the command center, and the team leader, Oh Sung-hoon, a lieutenant colonel, entered.

He was an A-rank mage player with extensive experience in anti-terror operations.

“Alright, everyone is in place, so let’s start the briefing.”

Despite having resolved dozens of anti-terror incidents, Oh Sung-hoon’s expression was dark.

And his first words were more pessimistic than ever.

“...The situation is worse than expected.”

As he operated the remote, the projector turned on, and a screen appeared behind him.

It was a photo taken by a drone camera, showing the inside of the windows where the terrorists, wearing masks, were armed with AK-47 assault rifles.

“The number of terrorists identified so far is 18, armed with assault rifles and explosives. And... it’s reported that some of the hostages are wearing bomb vests with mana circuits.”

At this, the entire team’s faces hardened.

“Damn... Mana circuit bombs...!”

Mana circuit bombs were designed to detonate when the caster’s life was cut off.

If such a device existed, the most crucial method in anti-terror operations, 'sniping,' would be impossible.

In other words, there was practically no 'forceful' way to rescue the hostages.

“Shit, these are some serious bad guys. Do we know their identity?”

“...We have no information yet, and it’s unclear how they infiltrated.”

“Damn... Then what do they want? Shouldn’t we just give in at this point?”

When faced with such a difficult situation, negotiation was the best option.

“Currently, they have no specific demands and are only repeating that they will kill everyone if we try anything.”

An unknown terrorist group holding hostages without a clear motive...

This was a moment when the possibility of negotiation was being crushed.

“So, their goal isn’t money, then?”

“Right, it seems they are buying time to extract some technology from the research facility.”

The situation was vague, and sighs could be heard from all around.

“So, for now, we will focus on continuing negotiations to understand their intentions. Meanwhile, the 2nd team of elemental mages will deploy elementals inside the building to gather information.”

Ultimately, for now, all they could do was 'monitor.'

Two hours passed without any action, and the media began to express doubts about the police’s inaction, which was a natural reaction.

— ...It is reported that 298 hostages are being held in the B building of the research institute, and the police authorities are attempting to negotiate with the terrorists. However, after more than two hours, there has been no significant progress in the negotiations, and the safety of the hostages has not been confirmed.

Furthermore, despite the deployment of , which successfully carried out two previous anti-terror operations, there has been no significant development, and the prospects for resolving the issue are...

“Shit, if civilians are going to be turned into pieces of meat, why are they telling us to go in?”

“Hey, Sergeant, the main tank needs to stay calm. You shouldn’t get excited.”

“Damn, will a mana shield appear for the hostages if I stay calm?”

While listening to the news bulletin from the vehicle radio, the members of the Cobra Squad gritted their teeth.

“Damn... Just when our value was skyrocketing, this shit happens?”

As the journalists’ reactions indicated, the 'Cobra Squad' was currently enjoying immense popularity.

They had risen to the ranks of heroes by resolving three previous operations brilliantly.

If they handled this one well, their stock would soar to unprecedented heights.

Conversely, if they failed, their stock could plummet overnight.

“Damn, the timing is really off, isn’t it?”

They weren’t celebrities, but they couldn’t ignore the reputation that spread in society.

Because that reputation determined their 'value.'

As government employees, successful players could negotiate their value with the state.

In other words, performance equaled money.

“I was planning to increase my value a bit more over the next six months and then become the guild’s raid leader...”

“Hey, do you think the team leader will let you go? You’ll have to stay for at least two more years.”

At that moment, a loud noise began to come from somewhere.

Thud, thud, thud, thud—

“...What’s that sound? Is it a helicopter?”

The team leader, Oh Sung-hoon, who was looking at the operation board inside the command center, asked, and one of the administrative officers lifted the tent flap at the entrance of the command center.

About 50 meters away, a helicopter was landing on an open field.

“...Wasn’t there no news of anyone coming?”

If someone was arriving by helicopter, it must be a high-ranking official.

As the person in charge of this operation, Oh Sung-hoon felt an instinctive discomfort.

At that moment, his adjutant belatedly reported the news.

“Sir, we just received an emergency order from the higher-ups!”

“It says to cooperate with the reinforcements arriving soon to carry out the operation.”

At this, Oh Sung-hoon frowned.

“...What? We don’t lack manpower. Why are reinforcements being sent? Who ordered this?”

“Um... The director called directly and said it was an order from the Blue House.”

“T-The Blue House...”

Here, the Blue House referred not to the president but to the direct presidential office.

Direct involvement from that office was highly unusual.

‘Is there really something in the research facility’s basement?’

Thus, Oh Sung-hoon harbored such suspicions.

“So, did they not tell you who the great reinforcements they’re sending are?”

On the other hand, he was also curious about who the great person sent by the Blue House was.

“It’s... an AMT soldier, a corporal named Lee Hyun-wook.”

***

Inside the helicopter heading to the scene, Lee Hyun-wook listened to the current situation from Team Leader Lee Gyo-jun.

“...The terrorists are using ‘mana circuit bombs,’ making the hostage rescue difficult. Also, after checking the CCTV, there are no signs of external infiltration, leading to suspicions of portal use.”

However, he already knew all of this.

And he also knew the hidden facts that even they did not know.

‘The terrorists who occupied the research facility are not external intruders but internal rebels.’

The alchemy research complex was operated by a research foundation established by the second-largest conglomerate.

There, they were developing technology to maximize the efficiency of ‘mana stones’ as an energy source.

‘However, that was just a facade. In reality, it was a secret facility for blood magic research.’

Blood magic (血魔法), a type of black magic that uses blood as a medium.

‘The business began after obtaining the drink of the gods from Greek mythology...’

Thus, they aimed to achieve the mundane desires and goals of mortals, such as ‘immortality’ and ‘evolution.’ In an era where magic to realize mysteries actually exists, it was plausible to believe that such things were possible.

‘Therefore, those with money but limited lifespans invested generously.’

With the substantial support of such individuals, they conducted all kinds of experiments, breaking taboos.

Among the experiments, there was research on ‘objects’ containing the power of ‘demons.’

‘...As time passed, the researchers one by one fell to the temptation of the demons.’

Thus, a cult of demon worshippers was formed, and they were the ones who instigated this incident today.

At that moment, the helicopter landed on the open field.

“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, we have arrived. This might be your last mission as an AMT soldier, right?”

Lee Hyun-wook still had some time left in his ‘mandatory service period.’ Thanks to Woo Sung-moon’s protection, he was practically acting as a civilian, but officially, he was still an AMT soldier. That’s why he was still wearing AMT combat gear.

Lee Hyun-wook got out of the helicopter with his face covered by a mask.

This was to prevent the news of his arrival from leaking to the journalists.

At that moment, someone walked out of the command center. He was wearing an AMT black combat uniform and had the rank of lieutenant colonel.

“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, I am the team leader, Oh Sung-hoon. Although you are a soldier, you are practically no longer a soldier and are destined to become a great figure, so I will have to treat you with some formality, right?”

He said this with a somewhat sarcastic tone and extended his hand.

“...I don’t mind. Please do as you please.”

Lee Hyun-wook said this and shook hands with the lieutenant colonel as a corporal.

He no longer needed to bow to military officers.

Lee Hyun-wook followed Oh Sung-hoon into the command center.

“Indeed, the savior of Seoul is different. Participating in the operation through connections with the Blue House...”

In fact, Lee Hyun-wook had planned to step forward after some time, but unexpectedly, Woo Sung-moon contacted him first and asked him to resolve this hostage situation.

It was because Lee Hyun-wook’s ‘metal control’ could neutralize the terrorists’ ‘firearms’...

‘The fact that Woo Sung-moon asked me personally... means he has also noticed something.’

It seemed that Woo Sung-moon had some idea about the disaster brewing here.

However, he couldn’t prevent the disaster