A Player Who Eats Metal

Chapter 60: Saviors of Seoul

< Chapter 60. Saviors of Seoul – 3 >

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The players gathered at the ‘final assembly point' ahead of the last battle,

Though they were of various backgrounds, their goal was the same.

Prepare for the battle, target the Erosion Factors, and save Seoul.

However, even before the first step was completed, a significant problem arose.

"Damn it! A swarm of bugs is descending!”

They started flying much earlier than expected.

What's more, they were headed for the assembly point…

"How is this possible? How do they know we're here?"

Understandably, the assembly point was established outside their ‘detection zone'.

They were also being as quiet as possible, just in case they'd attract ‘aggro'.

It was inexplicable for them to suddenly fly this way… unless it wasn't a coincidence.

"Damn it, there's no time to ponder! Get ready, they're about to rush us!”

They hurriedly moved into the school— into the shelter— and took positions by the windows and the rooftop.

It would be insane to confront them out in the open, where the sky is wide.

So, as the players were frantically preparing…

Vrooooom—!

A loud noise accompanied by vibrations echoed from somewhere, and the players instinctively turned their heads.

In that place, a rather strange scene was unfolding.

The corpse of a monster shattered into pieces, a massive sword embedded in it, and Chu Gyoyong, fuming with anger, throwing punches at Lee Hyunwook, or at least trying to… It was a scene that wasn't easy to comprehend.

"…What's happening over there?"

Although it was impossible to hear what the two were saying to each other, their expressions were visible.

Chu Gyoyong seemed to be lost in a daze, while, in contrast, Lee Hyunwook maintained a calm expression.

However…

"Damn it, Chu Gyoyong, what is he up to, especially at a time like this?"

No one thought that Lee Hyunwook was the one at fault.

Given Chu Gyoyong's notoriously bad reputation, everyone naturally assumed that the ill-tempered man was picking another pointless fight. Above all, in such a tense situation, there was no room to be concerned about such trivial happenings.

"Damn it, stop paying attention to that and move quickly!”

However, to Kim Kang-seok's eyes, the scene looked different.

‘Lee Hyunwook, what was he thinking, getting involved in something like that…'

Judging by the situation, the massive ‘sword' wielded by Lee Hyunwook seemed to have collided with a magic drone and, unluckily, appeared to have crashed onto Chu Gyoyong. Yes, it certainly looked like an accidental mishap.

However, Kim Kang-seok knew well that Lee Hyunwook wouldn't make such a careless mistake.

Then, Lee Hyunwook began to approach him.

"Lee Hyunwook, that incident just now… it doesn't seem like a simple accident, does it?"

Kim Kang-seok asked directly, not hiding his suspicion, and Lee Hyunwook nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yes, that's correct."

Although the Ironclad Beetle swarm was gradually closing in, Kim Kang-seok kept his gaze on Lee Hyunwook.

‘… Even in this situation, he maintains such a calm expression. There's something more.'

Soon, Lee Hyunwook came closer and whispered.

"Chu Gyoyong might be connected to the terrorists who attacked our unit."

Kim Kang-seok couldn't help but be surprised.

"What? That's not something one can say lightly. Do you have any evidence?"

Hyunwook nodded.

"Indeed, I do. But… now doesn't seem like the time to explain."

It was such an important matter, but now was really not the time to delve into the details.

"Yes, we need to fend off that Ironclad Beetles first…"

The two quickly took refuge inside the school.

Before they knew it, the sound of their flapping wings grew much closer.

Whirr—rr—rr—rr—r!

"In about 2 minutes, they will reach here!"

In just 2 minutes, they were about to overrun the school.

Before long, all the players had lined up inside the school building, by the windows and on the rooftop.

And the mages were on standby to ‘infuse magic' into the magical barrier generators.

When a mage infused mana into a magical barrier, it could be repaired in real time.

Of course, if it broke faster than it could be repaired, it wouldn't last long.

"If that breaks, it's over. Pour all your mana in, and fend it off no matter what."

Their expressions were tense, like infantry taking cover in a bunker preparing for aerial bombardment.

Being ill-prepared, they were about to face a tough fight.

Whirr—rr—rr—rr—r!

The nauseating sound of their wings, as if shaking the whole world, grew deafeningly close.

At a glance, it seemed there were about ten times the number that the Steel Battalion had faced before.

Whirr—rr—rr—rr—r!

Their shadows cast a darkness over the world, and the players couldn't help but tremble in fear.

"Damn, this is insane… Maybe we shouldn't have engaged…"

"Shh, don't say such things."

There was no one who was confident that they could withstand the assault when they attacked.

Kim Kang-seok was no exception.

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His mind was twisted in turmoil.

‘We're lacking in power. Honestly, I'm not sure if we can hold on.'

The An-Yang duo, one of the major forces, hadn't arrived.

And if what Lee Hyunwook said was true, they would have to exclude Chu Gyoyong, another force.

So they were significantly lacking firepower.

And lacking firepower against such a swarm meant…

In a moment, they could be wiped out as if swept away by raging floodwaters.

Just then, Lee Hyunwook unexpectedly said,

"Commander, in my opinion… this is actually an opportunity."

Kim Kang-seok couldn't help but look puzzled.

He himself, as a commander, was contemplating how to overcome this situation.

…A way to survive this moment.

But Lee Hyunwook was talking about an opportunity.

Lee Hyunwook continued,

"…For some reason, the Ironclad Beetles arrived a bit early. Though we were caught off guard, if we reverse the situation, it means that they too were hastily launched without being ready."

Which means…

"Now's our chance to strike back."

Not defense, but offense…

"Hmm…"

He had a point. However, Kim Kang-seok couldn't clearly picture it.

Because it was unclear how they could break through the insect swarm and reach the Erosion Factor.

‘Even the strongest tank wouldn't last a few minutes if surrounded by that Ironclad Beetle swarm.'

The only way to penetrate was to prevent them from coming close with overwhelming, continuous firepower… With the current forces, it was hard to even defend, let alone breakthrough.

That's why Kim Kang-seok couldn't hide his skepticism.

"Is that really possible? The only weapon we have that can penetrate that swarm and reach the Erosion Factor are Chu Gyoyong's monsters. But if, like you said, he's…"

Lee Hyunwook shook his head.

"No, we don't need Chu Gyoyong."

"Huh?"

Then he said something completely unexpected.

"…I can break through."

* * *

Whirr—rr—rr—rr—r!

In an instant, as the Ironclad Beetles, at least in the thousands, enveloped the elementary school shelter,

Whooosh—

It felt as if the entire school was engulfed by a black tidal wave.

They swarmed all over the school, scratching and biting at the magical barrier with their claws and jaws,

From inside the barrier, from the rooftops and windows, various magics were fired, pushing them back.

Boom—m! Boom—m! Boom—m!

Every time the magic erupted, a massive number of them plummeted, but their places were immediately filled by others, maintaining an unbroken, massive black curtain.

So far, the battle was evenly matched, but soon there would be a disparity.

Whirr—rr—rr—rr—r!

Amidst the intense defense, Lee Hyunwook and Kim Se-hee were somewhere entirely different.

They were in a commercial building a bit away from the school, on the third floor.

Choi Jung-chul and Kim Kang-seok had approved Lee Hyunwook's "breakthrough" plan,

And they were separated to execute that strategy.

"That… we might hold on for now, but eventually, it seems we will be pushed back."

Kim Se-hee's assessment was accurate.

Even at this moment, Ironclad Beetles were endlessly pouring out from the gate.

On the other hand, the players' mana was quickly depleting, and even with the continuous consumption of mana recovery potions, the ‘overcooling' had clear limits.

In short, if this standoff continued, our side would eventually crumble.

‘And the buff applied by Chu Gyoyong is still active.'

While the others might not know, many of the Ironclad Beetles were strengthened due to Chu Gyoyong's skill.

Of course, the players coming here would gather from elsewhere to prepare a counterattack…

‘But the villains would be prepared with another strategy.'

They weren't fools.

They would do everything to prevent the players from grouping.

‘Even so, we can't kill them…’

But without a solid reason to reveal to everyone, they couldn't act on that.

The most they could do in this situation was to monitor Chu Gyoyong, who had lost his power.

The hint Kim Kang-seok received that Chu Gyoyong might be a ‘terrorist’ was for that very reason.

"Now, let's start. Our real plan isn't just to hold on, right?"

Kim Se-hee let out a long sigh at Lee Hyunwook's words.

"But really… is this even possible?"

With a deeply doubtful expression, Kim Se-hee asked.

"Yes, it should be possible."

Lee Hyunwook said, glancing at a tablet PC.

A video was playing on its screen.

It showed scenes transmitted in real-time through a camera mounted on a mana drone,

It was Cheongryong Mountain, which had become a wasteland after being hit by the ‘Semi Armageddon'.

However…

Whirr—rr—rr—rr—r!

The surface of Cheongryong Mountain was teeming with a tremendous number of Ironclad Beetles.

It looked like a swarm of flies buzzing over a rotting corpse.

Kim Se-hee looked down after seeing the screen.

No matter how much she looked at the footage, she couldn't spot the ‘Erosion Factor'.

That meant, even if they managed to reach there, there was a high likelihood of wandering around inside the insect-infested mountain and dying.

"…Honestly, in my opinion, this seems like madness."

In response to her candid words, Lee Hyunwook chuckled and nodded his head.

"You're right. But depending on the situation, a crazy move can turn out to be a brilliant one. Now, please hand it over."

At Lee Hyunwook's confident words, Kim Se-hee let out another sigh and extended both her hands.

Wooong—

Then, on her palm, a wind spirit with the face of a young girl appeared.

As expected, it had a somewhat sullen expression, full of displeasure.

"Heo, ya, Haneul-ya… As I mentioned earlier, stick to this person and support him, okay?"

The spirit's name was Haneul, which was surprisingly cute.

Perhaps it was a name given when they were on good terms.

However, Haneul yawned with a drowsy expression.

"Hey! Please… This is a crucial moment, let's not embarrass each other, okay?"

When Kim Se-hee showed a hint of annoyance, Haneul flew towards Lee Hyunwook as if fleeing and perched on his shoulder.

Then, she winked at Lee Hyunwook and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Ah, seriously…"

Kim Se-hee laughed in exasperation.

Because Haneul always showed her a completely different finger.

"Why do you always fight with such a sweet spirit?"

When Lee Hyunwook said that, both Kim Se-hee and Haneul sighed simultaneously.

"…Do we have time for jokes like that right now? Anyway! The time Haneul can be active away from me, her spirit master, is probably around a maximum of 15 minutes. I'm not entirely sure."

"That's more than enough."

It was an unbelievable statement to say that he would end this disaster within 15 minutes, but coming from him it was strangely believable.

"…I know you're the type not to be complacent, but please, don't let your guard down."

"Don't worry. There's no time to explain, but I have a plan."

Lee Hyunwook and Kim Se-hee headed to the building's rooftop.

There, a massive beast was crouching.

Beeeep—

The Great Condor, one of Kim Kang-seok's summons, was a monstrous bird with a wingspan reaching a staggering 12 meters.

Lee Hyunwook, with his Moglery wrapped in cloth floating in mid-air, mounted the creature.

At that moment, the bird flapped its wings.

Whoooosh—

With just a single movement, it ascended about five meters.

"Then, see you in 15 minutes."

To Lee Hyunwook's words, Kim Se-hee softly uttered, "Please…"

As the Great Condor began to move its wings,

It shot up into the sky in an instant and disappeared beyond the clouds.

Kim Se-hee watched this with a bitter expression.

"How can someone be like that…"

He makes decisions that seem recklessly brave, carrying them out with some unwavering conviction.

And every time, he prevented sacrifices and achieved victory.

She believed that it could be the same this time… but she couldn't help feeling anxious.

"Please…"

* * *

Meanwhile, there were reporters mixed in with the crowd at the school.

Through their mana messenger, they relayed news to their media outlets that the school, the assembly point, was under attack.

This news was instantly reported as breaking news, and it spread worldwide.

―We have just received news! Players who had gathered in one location to tackle the last Erosion Factor are said to be on the brink of annihilation! The site includes the Steel Battalion…

A world once filled with hope began to talk of despair once again.

Kang Seo-yoon clicked her tongue as she watched the news.

"…Brink of annihilation? Damn, what do they know, making assumptions and reporting nonsense!"

Of course, it was evident that the situation was dire.

From what Kang Seo-yoon had heard, it was very bleak.

However, Choi Jung-chul had said that there was a plan, and it would be executed.

But still…

"General Choi Jung-chul still hasn't told us the details of that plan, has he?"

At the emergency communication officer's question, Kang Seo-yoon nodded.

"…Well, what can we do? He probably doesn't have the time to explain every detail to us."

"Yes, and there's nothing that would change even if we heard it."

"Sigh…"

Playing a command role from the outside clearly had its limits.

Now, they had no choice but to trust the players gathered there.

"All we can do now is trust… trust that they will save Seoul."

Indeed, once this ordeal was over, it wouldn't be inappropriate to call them not just heroes, but saviors.

On one side of the same space, Director Woo Sung-moon and Lieutenant Cheon Myung-ho sat.

Their expressions had become quite troubled since hearing the news of the attack on the gathering point.

"Lieutenant Cheon, do you think that friend you mentioned will pull something off this time too?"

At Woo Sung-moon's question, Cheon Myung-ho thought of Lee Hyunwook.

He had watched him a few times since he began to rise to prominence.

And each time, Lee Hyunwook surprised him, offering a new perspective.

"…Every time I've observed him, he exceeded my expectations."

"So, as for this time, what do you expect?"

"Haha, I expect he will surpass them by a much larger margin than usual."

No matter how highly he was rated, resolving this current situation wouldn't be easy.

"However, if he survives, regardless of the outcome… he's a talent we absolutely cannot lose."

Woo Sung-moon, nodding, said, "If this issue is resolved well, there's so much South Korea stands to gain…"

Laputa, the city of magical engineering,

And the saviors of Seoul…

* * *

It wasn't long before the entire school was on the verge of collapse.

It felt as if a giant was shaking the school in its grasp nonstop.

"…We can't hold on any longer!"

Such cries weren't coming from just one place.

"Damn it, they just keep coming!"

From all around, cries of desperation echoed one after another.

While they tried to maintain it by injecting mana into the magic defense barrier, its limit had been reached.

Crrr—ack——!

Ultimately, one of the magical barriers was breached.

And then…

Wha—aa—aa—aa—aa——!

An immense number of armored bugs flooded in through the gap.

"Damn it, they're coming in through the corridors!"

"Run to the other side—!"

Players who were guarding that vicinity ran down the corridor in panic. However, they couldn't avoid the black swarm of bugs that filled the corridor, charging like a train through a tunnel.

"Ahhaaa——!”

About ten of them were instantly overwhelmed and torn to shreds in the blink of an eye.

Wha—aa—aa—aa—aa——!

The bugs surged through the corridors, devouring everything in their path.

Then, at the bend in the corridor, a woman clad in luminous armor appeared.

It was Seo Eunha.

"Block it with an ice wall!"

She shouted, raising her shield.

Shi—ing—ing—ing——!

Light emanated from her shield, pushing back the incoming armored bugs. The next moment, a series of ice spells flew out, sealing off the entire corridor.

However, these creatures were capable of melting even magical barriers.

Crrick—! Crrick—!

The mere ice wall started to crack almost instantly.

"Damn, once isn't enough!"

The mages mustered all their mana to cast about ten ice spells,

creating a wall of ice several meters thick.

It seemed like it would hold for a while, but it was evident that it wouldn't last long.

"Sigh… There were 18 of us in there…"

Someone said.

Not a single one among them had survived.

"Damn it! How much longer do we have to hold on like this?”

A player asked Seo Eunha in an accusatory tone.

But she had no words to offer.

"We're finished now. I'm really out of mana."

"Look! If the mages overuse their skills any more, they’ll collapse!”

Seo Eunha wordlessly raised her shield and sword.

There was no other way.

They could only continue fighting.

But then…

"He's going in!!!”

Someone shouted, and everyone turned their heads.

The one who had shouted was An Min-tae.

"…Private An Min-tae, going? Who, where?"

Seo Eunha asked, and An Min-tae raised his sword pointing outside the window.

Everyone looked in that direction.

Because thousands of armored bugs were blocking the sky like a curtain of darkness, the view wasn't clear.

But between those bugs, a glimpse of the blue sky could be seen.

And on the southern edge of that sky, a solitary silhouette was visible.

"Huh? It looks like a bird…"

A player from a civilian guild remarked.

Yes, it looked like a giant bird.

An Min-tae pointed at it with a faint smile.

"That's not just a bird…"

At that moment, a shadow detached from the giant bird and started to descend toward Cheongryong Mountain.

"…It's the Steel Battalion itself."