A Player Who Eats Metal

Chapter 56: Last Erosion Factor

< Chapter 56: Last Erosion Factor – 2 >

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The Steel Battalion was stationed in the Government's <No. 2 Armory>, a top-secret location.

The space, which was five times larger than the regional armory, seemed to span 3700m2 and had a ceiling height of over 10 meters.

‘It feels… like a massive warehouse store in North America.’

Interestingly, there was not a single opening in this space. No doors, windows, not even ventilation systems.

The walls were made of thick concrete, overlaid with a magical barrier.

The air circulation within was managed by magic, creating a truly airtight chamber.

"Can I… really use these?"

Kim Se-hee asked, showing two daggers.

At first glance, they were significantly more exquisite than the weapons she had used before.

The bluish blades, about 30cm long, shined and looked sharp enough to slice flesh upon the slightest touch.

Both of these daggers were ‘Expert' grade ‘Player Crafted Items'.

For comparison, regular items had a progression from Normal→Rare→Hero→Legend→Mythical, a total of 5 grades. Crafted items went from Normal→High-grade→Expert→Artisan→Master, also 5 grades.

In a direct comparison, these were equivalent to ‘Hero' grade items.

‘But they're not completely on par with the Hero grade in every aspect.'

Surprisingly, their cost might be similar to or even lower than ‘Rare' items.

Because these ‘Player Crafted Items' didn't come with ‘inherent skills'.

Though there were ways to infuse skills into crafted items, it required senior blacksmiths and high-ranking wizards to work intensively together from the design phase for over six months, making it quite uneconomical.

Still, their value was in the hundreds of millions per item, not something an AMT soldier should normally have.

"It feels… like borrowing a luxury bag to go hiking," Kim Se-hee expressed her discomfort using such expensive weapons.

"Private Kim, why are you hesitating as if they don't suit you?"

At Lee Hyunwook's remark, Kim Se-hee made a face.

"What doesn't suit? Maybe if I laugh greedily, it might suit?"

"Well, it'd be best if you laughed secretly when turning around."

"But remember, you'll have to return it later, so don't get too excited."

"Ah, yes—"

Lee Hyunwook scanned the Armory.

The Steel Battalion soldiers were spread out, collecting items.

"There are high-grade shields here, tankers, take one each!"

"Wow, look at this…"

"I never thought I'd see the day I'd use an adamantium-tipped arrow."

The entire Steel Battalion was arming themselves with powerful items they had never even seen before.

It felt like they were shopping, even forgetting they were preparing for battle.

Of course, once this situation ended, they would have to return all the items.

‘And then… we'll receive rewards beyond these items.'

Once the wave was over, the value of the entire Steel Battalion would skyrocket.

Lee Hyunwook lingered near where rings and bracelets were kept.

He swallowed up a few rings crafted from Orichalcon.

Of course… this was not embezzlement.

‘I'm not pocketing them secretly, this is just part of my remuneration for saving Seoul.'

After his usual self-justification, he looked for the next item to absorb.

‘Ah, this is…'

What caught his eye was a ring.

[Item Information]

-Name: Tiny Flash (Rare)

-Effect: Releases an electric current when mana is infused. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)

A blue gem-like substance was embedded in a ring made of adamantium.

‘It's Cheoncheol (Heavenly Metal).'

It was a magical metal with the capability to produce electric currents.

It was also an expensive special material, comparable in value to Orichalcon. Though it might be slightly less versatile, it was much rarer.

‘Yes, this too has quite a useful ability.'

Gulp—

[Warning! Multiple ‘metals' are already being absorbed. Absorption delay has significantly increased.]

The absorption time for the ‘Dwarf-made Great Mountain Engine' was marked as ‘Unknown'.

Furthermore, he had swallowed the raw Orichalcon obtained from a nearby zombie troll along with the refined ones crafted into rings. His stomach was literally saturated.

‘But if I use the furnace properly, I can digest them quickly.'

Metal digestion doesn't proceed in the order consumed, but rather simultaneously.

Thus, items that take less time to absorb are completed first.

Then, someone approached Lee Hyunwook.

"Excuse me, Commander of the Steel Battalion?"

They were the managers residing in this <No. 2 Armory>, in other words, government agents.

‘Hopefully, they didn't see what I did.'

Without any exterior signs of worry or surprise, Lee Hyunwook naturally crossed his arms and nodded.

"…Yes?"

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to offer some advice."

"Please, go ahead."

From the way they weren’t giving him suspicious glances, it seemed they hadn't noticed his actions so far.

"Well… the soldiers are currently equipping new items. I'd advise against using items with attached skills. There's a significant risk of accidents when using unfamiliar skills, especially when a large force is concentrated. It's very dangerous."

"Yes, I understand your point. Thank you for your counsel."

When a large force operates as one, individual skills can become obstacles.

Lee Hyunwook was aware of this and had already instructed them to be cautious about choosing weapons with skills.

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"Ah, and we have something for you. Park, bring that thing over please."

Following the manager's instruction, a subordinate came over with a long metal case.

Clank—

Inside was a long glass tube, and within the tube was some kind of branch.

"Please have a feel. It's made of specially coated magic glass, so you don't have to worry about it breaking."

Lee Hyunwook lifted the metal case entirely using his metal control ability and placed his hand on it.

[You have acquired ‘Leaf of the World Tree (Special)']

[Item Information]

-Name: Leaf of the World Tree (Special)

-Effects:

-Emits a sacred light when monsters of the darkness approach. (Passive)

-Provides a ‘Sanctuary' effect within a 500m radius. (Passive)

‘This is…'

He couldn't help but be surprised.

"This… is an item from the Chad World Tree, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's correct. It's a very special item, with only 15 of them in the country."

"The most expensive specialty of Chad Republic sold at 400 billion each…"

"Haha, right. With it, they earn about 20 trillion a year."

This game had turned the world into hell.

Yet, some lands were blessed instead.

The Chad Republic was a prime example of such land.

Three years ago, the ‘World Tree', a divine tree, emerged at the heart of the African continent, in Lake Chad.

‘Thus, the Chad Republic, which was once the poorest country in Africa, became one of the most important places on Earth.'

Due to the infinite life force emanating from the World Tree, the desert transformed into lush forests and grasslands. The stable mana covered the region, and ‘Magic Towers', research facilities for wizards, sprung up everywhere.

Based on these benefits, they were also emerging as a hub for advanced ‘magic engineering'.

"Commander, is there anything else you might need?"

"Yes, I have one more request."

"Say the word. You're the ones saving Seoul after all."

"Then, do you have a weapon capable of using lightning magic?"

"Hmm… We do have something quite powerful."

As expected from the government's Armory, items flowed out upon request, at least when you had the authorization for it.

Soon, two staff members wheeled in something.

Again, it was a metal case, an incredibly large metal case.

"This is a support weapon called ‘Thunder God's Hammer'."

It resembled an anti-tank weapon, but where one might expect a cannon, there was a spear instead.

However, seeing that the spear was firmly fixed, it didn't seem to be a ‘projectile'.

Lee Hyunwook placed his hand on it.

[Item Information]

-Name: Thunder God's Hammer (Artisan)

-Effect: Upon infusing with mana, it emits a powerful electric shock for 1 minute. (Cooldown: 10 minutes)

"It's an artisan-grade crafted item, modified from a hero-grade spear called ‘Blessing of Indra'. How do you find it? It's a bit heavy, but you can mount it on a vehicle and use it like a magic tank."

He said with pride, and Lee Hyunwook nodded in agreement.

"Yes, this is precisely the weapon I was hoping for. Thank you."

In this way, the firepower of the Steel Battalion significantly increased across the board.

‘We've been incredibly fortunate to obtain it just before the final battle.'

* * *

After completing all the tasks, Lee Hyunwook exited through the portal and found himself in the living room of an ordinary house.

No one would have guessed that a portal leading to the government's Armory would be located in such a single-family home.

In the garden of the house, members of the 3rd Assault Unit from the Brigade Headquarters were gathered.

"Ah, is the battalion commander setting off now?"

Their commander, Lieutenant Go Jin-han, asked.

He didn’t address him merely as a soldier but rather acknowledged his title as the battalion commander.

Perhaps it was due to Lee Hyunwook inadvertently showing off his abilities during their first meeting.

‘It's good. I won’t get tired dealing with the officers.'

As long as they continued in this manner, Lee Hyunwook intended to treat them with the respect they deserved as officers.

"Yes, I think we should move. Can you get ready?"

"Okay—"

"And would it be alright if I took command of this operation?"

At that, Go Jin-han chuckled and nodded.

"Well, we originally came to support the Steel Battalion, and I've seen firsthand the incredible capabilities of this battalion commander. I have no reservations, but… that guy over there is a bit sensitive about these things."

The muscular giant, Sergeant Kim Dong-hun, glanced over hesitantly.

"…Yes? Are you talking about me?"

"You said you had something to discuss with the battalion commander, right? Hahaha—"

"Ah, yes? No, seriously…"

As Lee Hyunwook tried to decipher the situation, looking at Kim Dong-hun,

For some reason, Kim Dong-hun quickly averted his eyes to the ground with his ears burning up.

‘What's going on…'

"…Anyway, we'll prepare to set off."

As Lee Hyunwook headed for the main gate of the house, Go Jin-han discreetly approached him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how are you so powerful despite being F-rank?"

"Ah… I achieved a few accomplishments."

"Oh, accomplishments? I mean, you did defeat two Erosion Factors and even took down a World Boss monster…"

As expected, the lie about achievements worked, although by now it was somewhat true.

[Achievement List]

[Purifier]

-Condition: Destroy an object declaring a Zone of Death.

-Effect: Form resistance against darkness (Level 1), Increase in total mana (+200), Increase in holy power (+20%)

[World Boss Monster Slayer]

-Condition: Hunt a World Boss Monster.

-Effect: Increase in all abilities (+5%)

After defeating the Chimera, he gained his second achievement..

They were particularly beneficial achievements. The increase in all abilities also encompassed his ‘metal control ability'.

[Current controllable ‘metal' weight: 91,958g]

-Enhanced Sensation (+30%) is applied.

-Sturdy Bones (+10%) is applied.

-World Boss Monster Slayer (+5%) is applied.

‘Good… I'll soon reach 100kg.'

However, Go Jin-han still seemed to have many questions.

"And how did you find the Erosion Factors? Haven't we failed to stop the waves so far because we couldn't find it? Yet, you somehow find one every day. How do you do that?"

"It's simple. You just have to dig deep into places with many monsters."

Go Jin-han tilted his head at that response.

"Isn't that… the very basics of Gate exploration?"

If it were just that simple, the response to the 1st to 3rd waves wouldn't have been such a dismal failure. Wave Zones always appear in vast urban areas accompanied by countless Gates.

It led to the fact that seeking Factors by following Gates could easily lead to wasted efforts. It was an inefficient method.

Lee Hyunwook elaborated further.

"It's not just about chasing monster tails; you have to track event elements. The Black Magic Society consisted of various races, and they didn't kill people but kidnapped them all. It meant they were planning something special."

"Ah…"

That sounded quite plausible, and Go Jin-han nodded. Still, his expression didn't look entirely satisfied.

Honestly, at this point, beating around the bush had its limits.

* * *

―When a Gate appears, evacuate to the nearest shelter!

This was the most crucial sentence that every citizen of South Korea was familiar with.

In today's unpredictable times, where monsters could emerge anywhere and anytime, there was no place safer than a ‘shelter'.

Thanks to the exceptional ‘magic barrier', it could withstand the attacks of monsters for an extended period.

And if you waited just a bit, player rescue teams would arrive to neutralize all threats.

Furthermore, considering its population and area, South Korea had the highest number of shelters.

In other words, this land was considered the safest in the world. It was the belief held by the people living on this land.

However…

At this very moment, one of the shelters in this land was tragically collapsing.

Right after the general announcement appeared, from inside Cheongryong Mountain, a ‘black mist' descended as if it was flooding out.

And in an instant, it engulfed a primary school shelter located at the foot of the mountain.

As it approached closer, the identities of the entities in the shelter became apparent.

It wasn't a black mist.

It was…

Wha—ee—ee—ee—ing—!

…Insects, as large as a human head, in countless numbers.

Wha—ee—ee—ee—ing—!

The disgusting sound of their wings filled the entire world.

Within that noise, even the voices of people couldn't be heard.

Wha—ee—ee—ee—ing—!

They began to cling to the windows, revealing their horrific appearance.

Heads as large as a clenched human fist, bending at right angles here and there…

Legs sharp as a sickle and teeth resembling saws, they were a horde of monstrous flies.

"My, my God…"

The creatures clung on, and in just a few seconds, the magical protective barrier was breached.

Next, the school building began to melt down entirely.

The concrete turned to dust and crumbled, and the steel reinforcements seemed to wilt and vanish.

"…We, we need to get out of here!"

Someone cried out like that.

People scattered in all directions, rushing towards various exits.

But they couldn't escape the clutches of that dreadful swarm of insects.

"Ah— Save, save me— Cough—”

The swarm of insects swooped down, lifting people into the air.

"Arghhhhh—!”

It was as if they were caught in a rough torrent, being tugged and torn apart in mid-air.

It didn't take long. Just as if they were melting, not a shred of flesh remained.

A single person became a feast for hundreds of insects in an instant.

The fortunate 44 survivors, managed to board a bus and break through the swarm, setting off.

"—Hold on tight!”

And now, they were heading north along the long-stretched Gwanak Road.

"Damn it, they're following us!”

But they couldn't shake off the swarm of insects.

Whirr—whirr—whirr—whirr—!

With every turn of their heads, the ominous cloud was engulfing the city, inching closer little by little.

Whirr—whirr—whirr—whirr—!

The black smoke from the explosion seeped in between the buildings as if engulfing them, with a fierce speed.

"Damn it—! Step on it harder!"

Someone yelled.

But the bus was already at its top speed.

"It's over… It's all over…"

The people on the bus trembled with an indescribable fear.

They felt helpless and had nothing to hope for.

"Sniff— sniff—"

One by one, tears began to fall.

17-year-old Min Hye-yeon was no exception. Holding her younger sibling close, all she could do was cry.

Crying was the only thing left to do.

Then someone tapped her shoulder.

"…Hey, are you crying?"

In a voice filled with mischief, she looked up.

It was her neighbor's older brother, Lee Yoon-taek.

He had his usual mischievous smirk on.

…She couldn't comprehend it.

"…What?"

"Why are you crying? It'll be okay, seriously!"

Having been neighbors since childhood, she was aware of his inherently optimistic nature, but…

"What are you doing?! Do you really think this is the time for jokes?"

"It's okay, you… You can survive."

Lee Yoon-taek said with a bitter smile.

Then, he patted the head of her younger brother and quickly turned away.

Behind him, the rest of the players began to rise to their feet.

They had looks of determination as if they had made up their minds.

"Team leader… it's time to go."

At Lee Yoon-taek's words, a man with a drooping beard nodded firmly.

He then moved to the front of the bus and spoke to the driver.

"Sir, please let us off here."

People were taken aback.

"What are you talking about right now? We can't!"

"Please don't do this!"

People tried to stop them in a panic, but the man with the beard remained adamant.

"If we continue like this, we'll all… die. Stop now!"

"So, you're saying only you will die? Absolutely not!"

"If we buy some time, you all can make it to the next shelter."

A brief silence followed his words.

Everyone knew that it was the only way.

"There's no other way. Trust us."

"It's not that we don't trust you, but right now…"

Just then—

Screeeech!

The bus came to a sudden stop.

Simultaneously, the bus's front door opened.

"—Sir, what are you doing? You can't!"

People tried to stop them, but the players quickly jumped out.

"Thank you… thank you…"

The driver whom people referred to as ‘Sir' buried his head in the steering wheel, muttering those words over and over.

"—Let's go! Now!"

The bus took off again, leaving the seven martyrs behind.

People turned their heads, looking at their retreating figures.

They fired off flame and ice magic, momentarily pushing back the dark, writhing mass.

But it was only for a fleeting moment.

"Oh, no…"

"Please—!"

Amidst the people's groans, Min Hyesun involuntarily turned away, and what met her eyes was…

"Oh…"

The scene where the seven were lifted into the sky, disappearing into the black mass.

"Don't look, you mustn't…"

She hugged her younger sibling's head, sobbing.

However, their noble sacrifice seemed vain.

Wha—ai—ai—ai—aing——!

The swarm of bugs began catching up to the bus in no time.

The sacrifice of the seven,

Only bought them a few more minutes of life.

"Idiots… acting all brave…"

Min Hyesun muttered, disheartened.

"They lied… in the end, we… we're all going to die."

She even felt resentment.

Then it happened.

"…Huh? What's that?"

The one who shouted was the driver, the pastor.

Vroom—ang——!

With the honk of a horn, a convoy of vehicles was rushing towards the front of the bus.

Some among them recognized the identity of the convoy.

Because they had heard the rumors.

The AMT Battalion, known for moving in a convoy of trucks, hunting monsters, and destroying the erosion factors…

"The Steel Battalion…"

They had arrived at the site of the last erosion factor.

And it was the moment the sacrifice of the previous seven was not in vain.