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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Preparing to Face the Wave - 2
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Lee Hyun-wook took the phone from Captain Gwak Yong-jun.
"Sir! Corporal Lee Hyun-wook speaking!"
A booming voice erupted from the other end of the line.
- Hey! Ha, in all my years, I've never seen a guy like you!
It might have sounded like a curse at first, but the voice was clearly elated.
And for good reason.
'Judging by his tone, he must have won a lot.'
There was a game popular among high-ranking Players.
It was an illegal gambling ring known as the 'Gate Game.'
Whenever a gate appeared, they would 'bet' on various outcomes.
Which raid team would have the highest contribution, what kind of boss monster would appear, and so on...
And this time, the commander had probably won a hefty sum off his rival.
- ...Hahaha! What, a hundred percent contribution? Hahaha! My god, what the hell were those Cheonghwa Guild kids even doing in there after failing three times? Hahaha!
He was rambling on and on to a mere soldier.
Regardless, it meant he was thrilled, which was a very good sign.
- Ahem, ahem, right! Your name is Lee Hyun-wook, you said?
"Yes, that's correct."
- Incredible! Truly incredible! I never imagined you'd pull it off so flawlessly!
"I didn't do it alone, sir. It was a joint effort with eight other soldiers."
- Of course! I'll make sure none of you feel left out. I'll reward you beyond your wildest imaginations, so don't you worry! It'll be several times more than all the reward points you've earned in your entire military career combined!
"Thank you, Commander!"
It went without saying, but someone of the A.M.T. Seoul Operations Commander's rank had immense authority in all matters.
That was why he could transfer ownership of an item like Failnaught, a Hero-grade item, at his own discretion.
'Right, this man may grind his soldiers to the bone, but his rewards are just as bold as his methods.'
- And I'd like to hear the full story over a good meal with all of you sometime. How does that sound?
"Of course, sir."
- Good. For now, get some rest. I'll tell them to excuse you from duty for a few days!
"Yes! Understood! Sir!"
And with that, the call ended.
"...I-Is it over?"
"Yes."
Captain Gwak Yong-jun was drenched in a cold sweat.
It wasn't every day that a mere captain received a call from a three-star general.
Turning his head, he saw Yoo Hae-na still standing there, staring intently at Lee Hyun-wook.
It seemed she still had much to say; the proud woman had waited patiently throughout his phone call.
"Is there something else?"
"...Well, I d-did lose, so if you need a favor later, just ask."
Her cheeks were flushed, but she tried to maintain her haughty demeanor.
She had lost, and she was angry about it, but she was trying desperately to save face.
"Or... would you like to join Cheonghwa? I can get you a good position on one of the raid teams."
On the other hand, she was still trying her best to get him to work under her.
But at those words, Seo Eun-ha glared at her and spoke up.
"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing? Are you openly trying to poach A.M.T. personnel?"
"...I was suggesting he join after he's discharged. What's the problem?"
"Wh-What did you say?"
"He's an enlisted soldier, not someone who joined the A.M.T. by choice. He was drafted. Who are you, an officer, to stand in his way? Are soldiers your pets or something?"
"..."
Honestly, it was a perfectly valid point, so Seo Eun-ha couldn't say a word.
Moreover, Yoo Hae-na was using formal language, which was unusual for her.
That meant she was extremely displeased.
"..."
Of course, Seo Eun-ha had no intention of backing down either and glared back at Yoo Hae-na.
An invisible, ultra-low frequency seemed to vibrate between the two women.
"Ahem."
Finally, Lee Hyun-wook cleared his throat and intervened.
"...I'm sorry, but I have no intention of joining the Cheonghwa Guild, at least for now."
"Why not? What's wrong with Cheonghwa?"
"After going in today, well..."
Lee Hyun-wook gave an awkward smile, as if he found it difficult to say.
"Why? What did you see?"
"...The skill level wasn't as high as I expected."
"..."
"And I wasn't going to mention this, but one of your snipers broke off to attempt a 'steal.' Haha... For the best guild in the country, I have to say I'm quite disappointed in many ways."
She opened and closed her mouth, hesitating.
The contribution of her ambitiously assembled raid team was zero percent.
And on top of that, they'd resorted to something as shameful as a steal. She was at a loss for words...
Finally, her face and neck flushed red, and she spun around.
"...Whatever you do, don't be a fool and stay in the military."
Seo Eun-ha shot her a death glare at that, but Yoo Hae-na paid her no mind.
"A bet's a bet. Think of something reasonable and contact me at the number on my business card."
With those final words, she turned away sharply, clearly irritated.
'Right. Don't worry, I'll make sure to collect on that bet.'
A few items came to Lee Hyun-wook's mind.
***
Inside the truck returning to base, none of the Special Raid Squad members were dozing off, despite their exhaustion.
They were listening to a very interesting story from Lee Hyun-wook.
It was about his phone call with the commander, who had promised them a reward beyond their wildest imaginations.
"Oh!"
"A-Awesome..."
Hearing the story, the corners of everyone's mouths began to twitch upwards.
"I can't believe I'm getting a reward from the commander in my lifetime, hahaha..."
As Lee Hyun-wook had experienced several times before, A.M.T. rewards were given in the form of reward points or items.
In short, it was a kind of performance bonus.
"We'll never get another chance like this. What should we ask for to make it a legendary reward?"
"Should I finally get a full set of armor? I couldn't even dream of affording it before, but isn't this the perfect chance?"
As they excitedly let their imaginations run wild, Lee Hyun-wook interjected.
"Hold on, there's an item I want to recommend to all of you."
Everyone turned to look at him with expectant expressions.
"Oh! What is it?"
By now, they were convinced that good things would just fall into their laps if they simply listened to Lee Hyun-wook.
"This time, you must... get a weapon imbued with holy power as your reward."
But the moment they heard that, none of them could hide their confusion.
Holy power...
"...Uh, yes? Why is that?"
"Holy power... isn't it useless for anyone but our healer, Min-wook?"
As Choi Tae-yong said, holy power was an attribute with no versatility whatsoever.
In other words, unless you were a Priest or a Paladin, classes whose skill efficiency was directly affected by holy power, it was practically useless.
'How should I explain this...?'
He couldn't tell them it would be necessary for the Fourth Wave.
He would have to come up with another plausible excuse...
"Has anyone heard the news about the large-scale undead gate that opened in Siberia, Russia?"
"Hmm... I haven't."
"Right, I just happened to hear about it. Apparently, a massive undead gate opened in Siberia, but it was discovered so late that a huge number of undead have already spread across the entire region."
Gates that opened in remote places like Siberia or the Amazon couldn't be dealt with immediately, and sometimes they were discovered long after dozens of outbreaks had already occurred.
"Oh... then the demand for holy weapons, which are already rare, is going to skyrocket, isn't it?"
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"Exactly. I have some very secret information from an unrevealable source that Russia's number one guild, , is preparing for a large-scale crusade. So, it'll be more profitable to get a holy weapon as a reward now and sell it later to buy the weapon you really want."
It was a blatant lie, but with a few details added in, they seemed to believe him.
"Hmm... but where do you hear news like that?"
Ahn Min-tae asked, tilting his head.
"I told you I can't reveal the source. Why, is it wrong for me to know these things?"
"No, that's not what I meant. I was just really curious. Ah! Wait, I saw you earlier with the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild. Maybe... That's it, that's it!"
Ahn Min-tae had found a plausible explanation on his own.
Indeed, to them, the sight of the second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild, an A-rank Player no less, showing interest in an A.M.T. soldier was strange and unprecedented.
It was only natural for them to assume the two had some kind of connection.
"It's not like that. You don't need to know."
"Then, don't tell me... like the Company Commander, are you also joining the Cheonghwa Guild after you're discharged, Corporal Lee?"
"I told you no."
"But then why did that woman... Ahem, understood."
At Lee Hyun-wook's glare, Ahn Min-tae obediently nodded.
"Anyway, just do as I say. Holy weapons."
"Yes, understood!"
"Thank you for the great information!"
The time was coming when 'holy power' would become more effective than anything else.
With this, the survival rate of these guys—and furthermore, their potential to excel—had increased.
***
"...S-Success!"
Someone burst through the door of Barracks 2.
Oh Sang-guk and Gwak Jin-cheol, who were watching TV, frowned and turned their heads.
"Ah, shit! You scared me... What is it?"
"It's about those guys who left last night! They say the raid was a success!"
The Special Raid Squad, composed only of those level 18 and below.
Sixteen hours had passed since they had left the company.
"So what? The Cheonghwa Guild must have gone in fully prepared. Isn't that obvious?"
Oh Sang-guk said dismissively.
"That's not it!"
"Then what is it, you punk!"
"O-Our company's guys... their c-contribution was... a h-hundred percent!"
"...Huh?"
Oh Sang-guk and Gwak Jin-cheol frowned at each other.
Killing just one monster inside a dungeon would yield a contribution percentage in the decimals.
But for one side to have 100% contribution was realistically impossible.
It was truly an unbelievable feat.
"B-Bull... shit..."
But now, when they pictured Lee Hyun-wook's face... it somehow seemed possible.
So, without much denial, they forced themselves to turn back to the TV.
But there was no way the TV's content could register in their minds.
'How on earth could that happen?'
The two men stared blankly, their legs beginning to shake in unison.
This story was being discussed all over the company.
In the counseling room, five soldiers were sitting and talking.
"Wow... Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, at this rate, isn't he basically better than Sergeant Choi Young-jun?"
"Hey, come on! That's going too far. Have you not seen Sergeant Choi Young-jun fight?"
"Of course I have. He just sliced his way out even when surrounded by four orcs. Hmm, but aside from personal combat prowess, what about his leadership ability? Isn't he the best in that regard?"
"Hmm, you think? Well, it's true that not just anyone can lead a raid..."
He was even being put on the same level as Choi Young-jun, who was considered the strongest soldier in the battalion.
"...Anyway, Sergeant Choi Young-jun is coming back from leave soon. He's going to be so baffled when he hears what's been going on."
"Huh? Why?"
"It'll be funny enough hearing that Corporal Lee Hyun-wook suddenly changed, but what will he think when he hears he was sent on a raid mission that he himself has never even done?"
"Ah..."
And it wasn't just the 1st Company that was reacting this way.
"Whoa! He's *that* guy? The man who led the closure of the kobold gate!"
It was also a hot topic among the female soldiers of the 2nd Company gathered at the PX.
"Hey, that's not all. He's the same guy the brigade commander who teleported in was looking for during the Unlucky event at Seoul Station... It's crazy, seriously."
"Heh, he sounds cool. I should get his number if I run into him at the PX!"
"Hey, I thought you didn't even look at guys below C-rank?"
"Hehe, I think I'm suddenly having a change of heart."
He had practically become a celebrity.
***
While he was becoming the subject of gossip, Lee Hyun-wook and the other eight were given 48 hours of combat leave.
Of course, that didn't mean they just lazed around.
After exactly six hours of sleep, they all gathered at the training grounds.
And following Lee Hyun-wook's instructions, they trained according to their respective roles.
"Phew... I never knew training could be this fun and rewarding."
"Now I really understand why this training is necessary and what I need to improve on."
Notably, six of the eight members of the Special Raid Squad were from the 5th Squad.
As a result, the 5th Squad's morale soared to unprecedented heights.
"Corporal Ahn Min-tae, you can go one-on-one with an orc now, can't you?"
"Well, honestly, I think I could hold out even if three or four orcs came at me."
Ahn Min-tae's level was already 20, placing him in the upper-middle ranks among the corporals of the 1st Company.
A five-level increase in just three days...
It was more than just encouraging; it was explosive growth.
"Kuh! You're a real tanker now."
"So what was I before, a fake tanker?"
"Well, honestly, didn't you kind of give off that vibe?"
"Oh... Choi Tae-yong, I take it you don't want to stand behind me in the next battle?"
"Ah, just kidding!"
And then came the next day.
During the morning formation, the company commander himself came out to announce a special event.
"Uh, today, there will be a special rank-up evaluation. Anyone who wants to be evaluated should register at the administration office. Of course, you all know this only applies to those who have gained 5 or more levels since the last evaluation, right?"
At the battalion commander's request, A.M.T. 'Player Rank Examiners' had come to the base.
Normally, 'rank-up evaluations' were only held during the 'regular evaluation period' once every six months, but if a Player showed explosive growth, the unit commander could request an evaluation at their discretion.
And this time, it was clearly a visit for the 'Special Raid Squad members.'
"We'll do our best!"
"We'll be sure to rank up!"
The six squad members went off to their rank-up evaluation, brimming with confidence.
And about two hours later...
*Clank!*
The barracks door flew open, and the squad members half-ran inside, drenched in sweat.
"..."
Their faces were filled with a kind of ecstasy.
You could tell the results without them even having to say a word.
"...Corporal Lee Hyun-wook! I'm a D-rank now too! Hahaha!"
"And me, me too!"
"All of us ranked up to D-rank!"
As a result of the evaluation, the four members of the 5th Squad who participated went from E-rank to D-rank.
"Right, good work, everyone."
"Honestly, isn't this all thanks to you, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook?"
"If you think so, then keep up the good work."
"Of course! We pledge our loyalty!"
"Alright, don't overdo it. You're being loud."
And so, rumors began to circulate that the support squad was going to be 'reorganized.'
It was only natural.
It was already an established fact that they were stronger than the 2nd Platoon's combat squads, the 3rd and 4th Squads.
There were even heated debates that if Lee Hyun-wook were leading them, they might even be stronger than the 1st Squad.
And Lee Hyun-wook was confident he could make that happen.
Furthermore, their growth didn't end there.
Having achieved growth in their abilities, it was now time to experience material growth.
- *Whoosh!* Ah, announcement from the administration office. All members of the Special Raid Squad who participated in the Red Gate raid yesterday, please proceed to the battalion armory immediately. I repeat...
At the announcement, the squad members all raised their heads at once.
"...Isn't that just a fancy way of saying we've got a delivery?"
"Oh, I think so! And the sender is none other than the Commander, right?"
With excited hearts, they rushed down towards the armory.
"Sir! Thank you for your hard work."
"Oh, hey guys, what in the world... is all this?"
The armory manager, First Lieutenant Oh Jeong-tae, looked dumbfounded.
A whole shipment of weapons had arrived, addressed from none other than the A.M.T. Seoul Operations Commander.
In all his time on duty, nothing like this had ever happened.
"They're the reward items we received."
"...Huh? You're telling me you received a reward from the Commander?"
"Yes, that's right!"
Oh Jeong-tae also knew they were the lowest-ranked soldiers, which made his expression all the more puzzled.
It seemed he was so isolated here, practically left behind, that he was almost completely out of the loop on battalion news.
They opened their respective boxes to check their reward items.
Each had requested an item imbued with holy power, tailored to the weapon they primarily used.
"Maybe it's the holy power, but it seems to shine brighter somehow."
"That's just your imagination."
Of course, it did react to the power of darkness by emitting light.
"Oh, but Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, why do you have two boxes?"
That was because the reward item he had requested from the brigade commander had also arrived.
He first opened the reward box from the brigade commander.
Inside were two one-handed swords.
Both appeared to be the same model, with blades about 70cm long, resembling the Roman gladius.
He drew one of them.
*Shing—*
[Item Information]
- Name: KG19 (Advanced)
- Effect: Imbued with holy power.
It wasn't an item obtained from a dungeon, but one manufactured in an A.M.T. armory.
If regular items were divided into five tiers—Normal-Rare-Hero-Legendary-Myth—
then manufactured items were divided into five tiers: Basic-Advanced-Expert-Master-Artisan.
This weapon was of the Advanced tier; it was light and well-balanced.
'This should be useful for a while.'
Next, it was time to open the second box, the reward from the commander.
"-Ugh! Why is this so heavy?"
Choi Tae-yong said as he brought the box over.
But with a flick of Lee Hyun-wook's finger, the box levitated into the air and flew before him.
"Whoa..."
With another flick of his finger, the box opened with a *clank*.
The others' eyes widened.
"Wow, wh-why are there so many?"
"But what... what are these even used for?"
Inside, specially ordered and crafted in preparation for the coming hell, was a large quantity of something.
It was...
"Are these... stakes?"
Silver iron stakes, filled with holy power. There were a whopping thirty of them inside.
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