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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Explosive Growth, and an Opportunity - 1
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Lee Hyun-wook stood facing the orc, sword and shield in hand.
"Corporal Lee Hyun-wook! The—the orc is too dangerous!"
Choi Seon-ah's worried voice echoed from behind him.
She had witnessed Lee Hyun-wook's incredible feats firsthand, but she still thought fighting an orc was too much for him.
And that was a reasonable assumption.
"N-no! We have to hold out inside the bus…"
But Lee Hyun-wook advanced toward the massive monster without a word.
Now that he had confronted it, there was no avoiding a fight.
'From this moment on, if I lose focus for even an instant, my head will be gone.'
All orcs were well-trained warriors, so even someone like Lee Hyun-wook couldn't afford to be careless.
'Fortunately, it hasn't noticed my ability yet.'
Otherwise, it wouldn't have done something as foolish as pulling the throwing axe from its shoulder and tossing it behind its back.
Lee Hyun-wook confirmed the axe's location before facing the orc.
The orc moved first.
Graaaah!
It charged, raising its battle-axe high above its head.
'A powerful downward strike!'
He used his 'Control' on the tip of the orc's raised battle-axe, pulling it backward.
The monster's body flinched, if only slightly.
Gr-uh!
Even a giant like an orc would momentarily lose its balance if a five-kilogram weight were suddenly attached to the end of its weapon.
Simultaneously, Lee Hyun-wook stepped to the right, moving out of its line of sight, and casually released the sword in his right hand.
He literally loosened his grip and let it go in mid-air.
Shhhk-
The pommel slipped from Lee Hyun-wook's grasp.
But the monster's eyes were still tracking Lee Hyun-wook's head, failing to notice the 'sword' moving close to the ground.
The next moment,
Thunk!
The 'sword' embedded itself in the orc's right thigh.
…Gruh?
The monster staggered, a look of confusion on its face.
It was only natural.
'Now.'
Lee Hyun-wook rushed forward and struck the orc's jaw with the edge of his shield.
Smack!
Then, he swung a 'Rigidified' fist at the staggering creature.
Cra-ack!
Lee Hyun-wook's right hook landed squarely on the back of its head.
Graaaah…
Even for an orc, three consecutive brain-rattling blows were too much to stay standing.
It stumbled and collapsed to its knees.
Despite being dazed, it showed the instincts of a seasoned warrior, raising its battle-axe to defend against the follow-up attack, but…
Thwack!
The sound of a watermelon splitting,
A throwing axe was lodged in the back of its head.
No matter how skilled a warrior, it couldn't block an attack from behind.
"See, you shouldn't leave dangerous things lying around."
He slowly lowered his raised hand.
"Uh…"
"Whoa, that was insane…"
"Those rumors about him were all true!"
Murmurs of admiration could be heard from inside the bus.
These were the same headquarters company soldiers who had been dismissing Lee Hyun-wook as an F-class just moments ago.
Shunk-
Lee Hyun-wook pulled the sword from the orc's thigh.
"No! Watch out!"
Someone shouted.
He turned to see another orc charging at him like a bull.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-
Just before impact, Lee Hyun-wook Rigidified both his arms.
'I can't block this with one hand!'
It was literally no different from a bull's charge.
He dropped his sword and gripped the shield with both hands.
He planted his right foot back, putting all his weight and Metal Control into the shield.
An instant later, a battle-axe crashed down on the shield.
KWA-ANG!
The clash of metal on metal.
A tremendous shock traveled up his wrists, jarring his shoulders and knees.
"...Kuh!"
His insides churned, and a wave of nausea washed over him.
But even in that moment, Lee Hyun-wook's senses didn't lose track of the 'sword' in freefall beneath his shield.
'—Go!'
At his command, it lifted its tip.
Shwi-iik!
The vertically launched sword slashed through the orc's groin.
Its hamstring must have been severed, as the orc collapsed to the ground.
Just like the one he had killed before, its face was a mask of utter bewilderment.
It was a look that said it had no idea where that sword had suddenly come from.
"Yeah, I get how you feel."
Keeping the sword out of the enemy's line of sight and using Control to launch a surprise attack—Lee Hyun-wook had named this technique 'Hidden Sword.'
'No one considers a sword that has left its wielder's hand a threat. And so, they push it out of their awareness and focus solely on the enemy before them.'
Hidden Sword was a technique that exploited that very prejudice.
And now, a single use of Hidden Sword had decided the battle.
Lee Hyun-wook raised his shield and smashed it into the orc's face.
Crack!
One hit crushed its nose.
Crack!
A second sent teeth flying.
CR-ACK!
The third was the end.
"Whew, that's two…"
Lee Hyun-wook picked up his sword and scanned his surroundings.
Orc scouts moved in groups of three. There had to be one more somewhere.
But…
"Kyaaah!"
A woman's scream came from somewhere. Lee Hyun-wook sprinted behind the bus.
"Corporal Lee Hyun-wook! Over there!"
Choi Seon-ah, leaning out a window, pointed somewhere.
An orc was leaping over the guardrail and running into the forest.
And slung over its shoulder was a female soldier.
She was limp, likely unconscious.
Lee Hyun-wook used his ability to pull on the metal battle-axe strapped to its back, but it wasn't nearly enough to stop it.
"Damn it!"
This was also unexpected.
It was a good thing that Lee Hyun-wook had stepped in and saved two people, but because of that, one of the orcs had changed tactics and kidnapped the female soldier.
'I can't just stand by and watch.'
In an unexpected situation, the most important thing is a cool-headed judgment,
And the decisiveness to act on it.
Clang!
Lee Hyun-wook dropped his shield to the ground and gripped his sword in a reverse hold.
"Hoo…"
He took a deep breath, drew the sword back behind him,
Hwung-
And threw it with all his might.
In truth, throwing a weapon at the back of a running orc was an insane thing to do.
The hostage slung over its shoulder could get hit.
'But I'm different.'
The sword, having left Lee Hyun-wook's hand, flew in an unnatural way.
Instead of arcing and falling in a parabola, it pursued the orc's back like a guided missile.
It was impossibly accurate.
Thwip-
The sword pierced the orc's neck.
The giant body collapsed into the bushes.
***
After dealing with the three orcs, he remained vigilant, but there was no further movement.
As expected of 'scouts,' they seemed to be operating separately from the main force.
'The kidnapping attempt was probably because they were scouts, too.'
Orcs were not a race to avoid a fight, and they certainly weren't one to show their backs.
However, as scouts, they seemed to prioritize searching, reconnaissance, and reporting back to the main force over combat.
Lee Hyun-wook searched the orc corpses.
Along with three mana stones, he found a decent item.
- You have acquired 'Orb of Earth (Grade 3).'
It was a higher grade than the 'Orb' he had bought from the PX military item shop yesterday.
"A Grade 3 Orb of Earth… should be worth around four million won?"
Generally, item ownership belongs to the organization with the rights to clear the dungeon.
Like a guild or the A.M.T.
However, in cases like this, where clearing rights haven't been established or when an item is obtained by fighting back against a monster attack outside a 'Red Ground,' ownership is granted to the first person who acquires it.
In other words, this item belonged to Lee Hyun-wook. He had earned a considerable amount of money from this brief incident.
It was then.
Vroooom-
Two black SUVs drove up the mountain road and stopped right next to the bus.
"What's this?"
The second lieutenant in charge scowled and approached them.
"Who goes there! This is a military road, not a public one. You can't just drive up here!"
The rear door of the first SUV opened, and someone stepped out.
It was a woman.
But even at a glance, her appearance was anything but ordinary.
"W-what the…"
Dreadlocks, purple-lensed sunglasses, a gray pinstripe suit…
If that were all, she might just be considered to have a unique style, but seeing the palm-sized spider crawling on her shoulder and neck…
Skitter! Skitter!
That impression would change drastically.
She ignored the second lieutenant blocking her path and walked past him.
"...Huh?"
While the lieutenant hesitated in confusion, a man who got out of the passenger seat offered him a business card.
"We're from the Cheonghwa Guild."
"...Ah, I see."
Thus, the ones who arrived before the 2nd Battalion's five-minute standby squad were a 'Raid Team' from the Cheonghwa Guild, who happened to be passing nearby.
If Lee Hyun-wook hadn't intervened, they would have likely arrived after two people had died and finished things up.
The woman stopped in front of Lee Hyun-wook.
"You, there."
She called out to him, taking off her sunglasses.
"Yes?"
But the moment Lee Hyun-wook saw her face, he couldn't help but frown.
'...What is this woman doing here?'
It was because he knew her.
And it was a face he didn't want to remember.
This woman, who practically radiated self-love, was Catherine Yoo, the second daughter of South Korea's strongest private guild,
'Yoo Hae-na…'
That might be her name now, but not in the future.
'After losing the succession battle within the Cheonghwa Guild, she joins Blue Tree.'
In other words, this woman was a Player who would become a 'Villain' in the future.
She raised her index finger toward Lee Hyun-wook's chest.
She was checking the name tag on his combat uniform.
"Name, Lee Hyun-wook. Rank… Corporal? Is that right? I'm not too familiar with military ranks."
"…"
Lee Hyun-wook didn't answer.
He was displeased.
Not because of her arrogant attitude, but because her very existence was unpleasant.
'Is it because she's the woman who killed Seo Eun-ha…?'
Seo Eun-ha, who had thrown herself in front of him to protect him…
She had been swarmed by the 'Man-Eating Demon Bugs' controlled by this woman, Yoo Hae-na.
Remembering that scene, Lee Hyun-wook scowled involuntarily.
She looked at his face, let out a small laugh, and continued.
"You're flustered, aren't you? I know."
It seemed she had completely misread his expression…
"I saw everything, you know. You, turning those three orcs into that. You're quite skilled."
Anyway, Yoo Hae-na's ability was bug control. Not ordinary bugs, but magically cultivated 'Demon Bugs,' which she could control by the millions.
She had probably heard the 'Public Emergency Distress Signal' and sent out flying bugs to see what was happening here.
"My apologies for the late introduction. I'm Catherine Yoo, head of the Cheonghwa Guild's Seoul Attack Division. I only saw a glimpse, but your fighting style… it was interesting."
Being noticed by the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild… A normal A.M.T soldier would be drooling at the opportunity, but for Lee Hyun-wook, it was just an irritating situation.
She took a business card from her wallet with her index and middle fingers, then offered it with an elegant flick of her wrist.
"May I ask your class?"
But Lee Hyun-wook knew this woman's wicked psychology all too well.
She wasn't genuinely impressed by his skills and trying to recruit him; rather, she was the type of person who enjoyed handing out her card to those she deemed insignificant, reminding them of her authority and status.
'But I know another side of her. A very childish side.'
A woman who had been treated like a princess her whole life as the second daughter of a massive guild, and who continued to receive the best treatment after becoming a Player.
She had obtained everything she ever wanted, and a single word from her was enough to make most people bow their heads.
'Anyone who wounds that pride of hers becomes a target for her to challenge.'
Like her siblings, who were always superior to her,
Or the S-class Players whose power she could never reach,
And even, in a petty way, the low-class Players who refused her distasteful hobby of handing out business cards.
'She tries to conquer anything that displeases her.'
Yes, it was a strange desire that could be called 'conquest' rather than a challenge.
'In other words, to make proper use of this woman before she becomes a Villain…'
Lee Hyun-wook, with careful calculation, didn't even glance at the business card.
"…"
At that, Yoo Hae-na's expression slowly hardened.
The fingertips of her elegant, outstretched hand trembled slightly.
"I'm sorry, but I don't see why I should have to give you my personal information."
"...Hmm, I could find out with a single phone call anyway. Just tell me."
"Then please, make that call."
Lee Hyun-wook said, turning away.
In that instant, Yoo Hae-na's left eyebrow twitched twice.
Her pride must have been quite wounded.
"You're more… interesting than you look, aren't you?"
One corner of her mouth curled up.
As expected, that strange desire for conquest was surely bubbling up.
The strange desire to get her hands on him and place him beneath her feet, no matter what.
'It was the same in my past life.'
The reason Lee Hyun-wook knew her psychology so well was because he had experienced it in his past life.
Back when he had just started to understand how to grow his abilities, Lee Hyun-wook had belonged to a small guild.
He happened to cross paths with Yoo Hae-na then, and she had openly disrespected his guild and guild master before elegantly offering him a business card with the word 'Cheonghwa' on it, just like now.
Lee Hyun-wook hadn't taken the card.
Furthermore, he had ignored her and walked right past.
'After that, she harassed me relentlessly. This woman caused all sorts of trouble trying to recruit me. Right up until I killed her with my own hands…'
Lee Hyun-wook shuddered at the memory.
"Excuse me. You should at least take the card. A business card of this value is hard to come by, you know."
"I'm fine."
"…"
Just then, a truck came down from the direction of the base.
An arrival belying its name, it was the five-minute standby squad.
And following behind it was a white sedan…
'What, why is that woman here again…?'
Of all people, the driver was Seo Eun-ha.
'Why does she always show up after I've dealt with all the monsters? And of all places, right where Yoo Hae-na is…'
It was getting to the point where even he was starting to wonder.