Chapter 24: Seoul Station, F-rank and S-rank

Chapter 24: Seoul Station, F-rank and S-rank

< Chapter 24: Seoul Station, F-rank and S-rank – 3 >

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20 minutes before a player with no level appeared, inside Seoul Station...

[ The boss monster will appear. (00:08:12) ]

“Even if the ‘boss monster’ that appears this time also has a metallic shell like those spiders... my ability might not work.”

Lee Hyunwook had anticipated early on that his power might be rendered useless.

“Ah, you mean...”

“I won’t be able to destroy the spider monster’s shell.”

“...”

He didn’t bother explaining why.

“Just because it’s metal doesn’t mean I can destroy anything.”

Whether protected by magic or divine power, or if it was an item of rare or higher value, or a powerful monster’s skin with a certain level of strength,

There were metals that were beyond Lee Hyunwook’s control in various cases.

‘Of course, if I improve my metal-controlling ability, I can overcome that limit, but not yet.’

Therefore, he must not let his guard down and must continue to expand his ability.

“But, what should we do? We can damage their shells with magic, but it seems impossible to break their shells with our current attack power...”

The security team leader asked with a worried look, but Lee Hyunwook calmly replied.

“Well, we’ll have to tie them up and peel off the shell.”

“Huh? Tie them? How can we tie up such a monster...”

“I’ll explain the plan now.”

As there wasn’t much time left, Lee Hyunwook explained succinctly,

“Ha...”

When his explanation was over, the players couldn’t hide their grim expressions.

“I don’t know if that’s possible, but it seems like the best method.”

“And currently, it’s the only method. Everyone, please prepare in your positions.”

With only 5 minutes left, the players dispersed to their positions.

“A raid is not about overpowering with strength.”

“Raid” was a term in MMORPG games to describe attacking bosses or dungeons, but after the world changed to be game-like, it became a technical term for “large monster tactics.”

By the design of this game, players constantly faced stronger enemies than themselves. Most monsters were stronger than players of equivalent level and, more importantly, there were more of them.

Of course, if you invested a lot of money to armor yourself with incredible items, you could overpower them, but the reality was that most players couldn’t prepare that much.

“Therefore, we have to use every method available.”

Lee Hyunwook had performed the role of a “strategy leader” in his previous life.

The strategy meant advancing beyond the gate, capturing the “dungeon”, and defeating the “boss monster.”

Lee Hyunwook remembered all the numerous knowledge, or “strategies”, he had learned and realized.

“The real weakness of this thing is electricity.”

[ The boss monster will appear. (00:00:00) ]

Soon, the numbers that had been looming in front of him reached 0.

At that moment...

[ The boss monster ‘Venomous Armored Spider (Queen)’ has appeared ]

Zzzzzz...

Along with the system message, the gate began to emit a light of a different dimension from before. Soon, something massive that popped out from somewhere obscured the light beam, forming a huge shadow.

“Gasp! It, it’s here!”

This time, it was a spider again.

However, this time, it was the ‘queen’.

Chirping-eeeeee—

The queen spider was about 1.5 times larger than the Venomous Armor Spider that appeared in the first and second batches.

It was so large that the highest part of it seemed to reach the third-floor terrace.

“It’s not just the size, the paralytic gas must be at least three or four times stronger.”

With a sense of caution, Lee Hyunwook reached out with his left hand to sense the shell of the creature.

It is a metal that cannot be controlled.

“There’s no choice but to stick to the plan...”

Lee Hyunwook stood up.

And he drew the “Sword of the Cloud.”

[ The ‘Mist’ skill of ‘Sword of the Cloud’ is available ]

He pointed the tip of the sword towards the creature and activated the skill.

Whoo-oo-oo-oo-oo—

An enormous amount of mist began to pour out from the tip of the sword.

Unlike the Kobold time which had omnidirectional dispersion, this time it sprayed in a semi-circular shape facing forward.

At the same time, he utilized his metal control ability.

“Everyone get up...”

The target was a pile of Venomous Armor Spider metal shell pieces that had been previously stacked to one side – thousands of pieces, each the size of a fingernail, and he made them all float in the air.

“Disperse, and advance!”

Whoosh-ssh-ssh-ssh-ssh—

They penetrated through the mist, absorbing moisture as they went, forming a large mass, and started flying like a swarm of insects.

Chirping-eeeeee—

At their movement, the creature began to react.

Soon it would realize that prey was nearby.

“Whoa, the water ball is ready!”

“Shoot it right away!”

Two mages raised their staffs.

A round-shaped water materialized at the end of them.

It was one of the most basic skills, the “Water Ball.”

“-Fire!”

Boom! Boom!

Each 300L water ball exploded on the creature’s back, like water balloons bursting.

Water bombs, wet metal fragments...

At that moment, Lee Hyunwook turned his head.

Park Junmo was standing there.

“Yes! I am ready!”

Park Junmo stepped forward with his wand, taking a deep breath.

‘The critical role... I can do it!’

Lee Hyunwook had instructed Park Junmo to play the ‘critical’ role again.

F-rank, private, only pathetic modifiers... but now it was different.

“Everyone, please move back as far as possible!”

With confidence, Park Junmo shouted as he swung his wand.

“Eeeeh...”

[ Dischargeable current amount (100%) ]

Usually, he used it divided into four parts, but not this time.

He squeezed out the entire maximum capacity at once, shaping it into a round form.

As he kicked the ground a few times to close the distance as if warming up, he lightly threw a left hook.

Bweo-eo-eong!

Could that sound really come from a single punch...

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-

With a noise comparable to a sonic boom, a phenomenon where the air bursts out breaking the sound barrier, everything breakable inside the dome shattered.

Even the steel beads that Lee Hyunwook had been controlling were swept away by the blast before they could reach the queen spider, losing control.

They probably got stuck somewhere on one side of the wall like darts.

“Cr, crazy...”

The queen spider was also sent flying, hitting a distant wall.

The armor shell, which was supposedly unbreakable, fell off like fragments.

Even four of its legs were severed, bouncing off here and there.

Everyone was stunned by the overwhelming scene, their mouths agape as they stumbled backward.

Kkikigigi...

The queen spider shrieked as if spitting out its last breath.

“Oh, what... It seems to have quite a physical defense, huh? Wow, is it still alive?”

He seemed to be making such a remark after leaving the boss monster, virtually designed as a ‘hard counter’ to physical attacks, in a near-death state with just one punch.

Jeobuk- Jeobuk-

He leisurely shadow-boxed in the air as he walked towards the queen spider.

Then...

Pook!

Something fell from the sky, piercing deep into the flesh beneath the peeled shell of the queen spider.

“...Huh? What’s that skewer? Whose is it?”

It was a sword – the Sword of the Clouds.

Chyuk-uk-

Given the insect’s body structure, once the ‘exoskeleton’ breaks, the interior is incredibly fragile.

Meaning, it could be torn apart much easier than expected.

Chyuk-uk-

Lee Hyunwook focused all his emotions on the tip of the sword and thrust it into the creature’s body.

Then...

[ Unknown energy is being charged in the Sword of the Clouds (24%) ]

‘It worked.’

The sword of the cloud began to absorb the blood.

It was a sign that it had accurately pierced the heart.

“Huh? Hey, is it you? Didn’t I tell you to move away?”

“......”

He stared at Lee Hyunwook like that.

“That means, don’t touch it in the first place, so stay away. It’s obstructive.”

Lee Hyunwook moved back without a word but kept moving the tip of the sword, tearing the heart.

‘It’s done, I am the one who stabbed the heart after all.’

Thump-thump- thump-thump-

Soon Han Taesan started beating the Spider Queen like a sandbag along with a brutal sound.

Thump-thump- thump-thump-

With each hit, the shell burst, the legs were cut off, and the intestines splattered out.

“Wow......”

“That, that is the power of an S-rank player......”

After not much time, a message appeared in front of everyone.

[ You have defeated the boss monster Poisonous Armor Spider (Queen)! ]

“Ha, it’s over......”

Relieved yet somewhat empty.

[ Congratulations! You survived the <Unlucky Event>! ]

The enemy they were so anxious and prepared for,

Despite responding as planned, it was a formidable enemy,

To be dealt with so easily...

[ Lucky rewards will be given to those who survived the terrible misfortune! ]

The ‘ranking’ is determined according to the event contribution rate, and the rewards will be distributed differentially.

Like this, the Unlucky Event brings the worst situation, but special rewards are given to those who survive in it.

Most of them were things that could not be obtained from ordinary gates.

But...

“Huh? Shit, what is this?”

Wiping the splattered blood on his face, Han Taesan expressed dissatisfaction with a voice.

Because a ridiculous message appeared in front of him.

[ Congratulations! You are given the reward of luck. (2nd place) ]

“Why am I not 1st? I am the one who killed the boss monster!”

He began to look at each player one by one, turning his head.

Lee Hyunwook quickly dodged the spot and put something in his pocket.

[ Congratulations! You are given the reward of luck. (1st place) ]

Yes.

The first place was Lee Hyunwook.

‘Phew, it was a success.’

No matter how many minor monsters he killed, if he hadn’t inflicted effective damage to the boss monster, which gives the most ‘contribution’, the first place would have unquestionably gone to Han Taesan.

‘The final judgment of stabbing the heart was valid.’

Holding onto something in his pocket, he looked at the message appearing in front of him.

[ You have acquired ‘Mana Nan Mak Liru’s Secret Armor (Hero)’ ]

‘This is that item.’

He took it out only when he went up to the welcome room on the 3rd floor.

Although it was called armor... it was a thin black necklace.

However, befitting the name secret armor, when worn and infused with mana, a thin armor is created above the skin, an item that was very convenient for carrying and storage and also had high defensive power. (Tl: Black Panther!?)

An armor that wasn’t heavy or cumbersome and could be taken off at any time,

It was definitely a suitable armor for a melee fighter player like Han Taesan.

‘Moreover, there was one more function. It was a one-slot storage space, wasn’t it?’

Another secret hidden in this armor was that it could hide one item.

‘Han Taesan used it quite efficiently as if it was a secret weapon.’

Han Taesan, who was punching with the gauntlet on, would suddenly swing something like ‘Mjölnir’ that he took out, or take out something like a mana bomb and throw it, it was a feature with relatively high utility,

‘And even... It’s an armor that can grow.’

Armor of the hero rank that could level up,

There could be nothing better than this except for legendary-grade armor.

And naturally, Lee Hyunwook...

Gulp-

Swallowed it.

He intended to absorb all its great features without leaving any behind.