Steel Eating Player - A Player Who Eats Steel

From Lee Hyunwook's mouth flowed black smoke—by the time Yang Joo-seop noticed this anomaly, it was already too late.

Whoooosh—Hah—Ah—Ah—Ah—

A blaze of red flames engulfed Yang Joo-seop.

"Ah, ah! Shit, you bastard! Does this even make sense?"

In Yang Joo-seop's shout, more than pain, there was a sense of absurdity.

An utterly incomprehensible move; with just one hit, he was brought down to a groggy state.

Despite having faced numerous battles as a decent player…

"…This doesn't make sense!"

This time, he had completely failed to anticipate the kind of weapon his opponent would use.

As usual, a player's fighting style was determined by the 'traits' they possessed.

Simply put, paladins used swords and shields, and mages traditionally used wands or staffs to cast magic.

However, there were exceptions.

For instance, not all 'priests' were confined to 'healing'; some wielded swords and shields infused with holy power, standing on the front lines.

And among mage classes, there were snipers who didn't just wield staffs but used 'enchanted' bullets to utilize 'magic bullets.'

These were generally referred to as 'variant armaments.'

However, these variants had a 'degree,' and thus they generally fell within an anticipatable range.

"But shit, controlling iron beads and then suddenly spewing fire…"

In his fading consciousness, Yang Joo-seop couldn't help but think about this.

At that moment he effortlessly blocked the iron bead attack launched by Lee Hyunwook and proudly prepared for a counterattack—Lee Hyunwook opened his mouth, and a whirl of red flames poured out, engulfing everything in its path.

With that scene, Yang Joo-seop's resolve wavered.

'I thought I had the advantage, but it turned out to be a disadvantage…'

He had the trait of a 'tree sprite sage,' and he was confident that he could fend off hundreds if not thousands, of small iron fragments by conjuring dozens of 'stems.'

But… not 'fire.'

Until now, no matter what he did, he managed to avoid enemies using fire, the utmost weakness of the tree.

He couldn't have imagined being swept away by flames so fruitlessly.

'Shit… I thought that being a villain would at least promise a decent end…'

Being a villain wasn't exactly viewed positively.

But for some people, the message of becoming a villain and destroying the world might be more persuasive than becoming a hero to save it.

Especially for someone filled with hatred for the world, it was certainly the case.

Therefore, on the day Yang Joo-seop killed off his rejecting teammates one by one within the 'dungeon,' when a quest prompting him to become a villain appeared before him, he did not hesitate long before clicking 'accept.'

'It's not my fault, it's the whole world… they wronged me first…'

From a human perspective, a villain might be evil, but seen from a broader viewpoint, perhaps the villain embodied true justice? Perhaps kicking out humans who exploit and dominate this Earth was the real grand cause? Perhaps that was the purpose of this game…

Yang Joo-seop had proceeded with the 'villain quest' while harboring such repetitive thoughts.

But to meet such a vain end…

Then, he saw a light.

His eyes were open.

"Ugh! Uh- uh…"

He was not dead yet.

But… death was approaching before his eyes.

A man looking down at him, it was Lee Hyunwook.

"…Yang Joo-seop, your self-justification ends here."

"Wha, what? Uh-uhk!"

Yang Joo-seop couldn't help but harbor a question for a moment.

Self-justification?

'…How did he know what's inside my heart?'

But his dilemma couldn't find a solution.

Because an iron bead flew and pierced through his heart.

Lee Hyunwook raised his left hand, retrieving the iron bead.

"I caught Yang Joo-seop, the black tentacle, early on."

Yang Joo-seop, who would later rise to become an A-rank player and be called the black tentacle villain,

His growth was nipped in the bud before he could become more corrupt.

And naturally, Lee Hyunwook did not actually read Yang Joo-seop's mind.

He just guessed it, as he had seen so many villains tend to have such a mindset.

'Those kinds who justify their crimes against humanity with plausible rhetoric…'

Lee Hyunwook planned to dispose of such beings one by one like this, in the future.

And then…

[ You have obtained the '2nd key of the Akashic Armory' ]

Yang Joo-seop was supposed to receive this item from the monster 'Architect of Evil.'

'I can't use it right away but…'

Still, given that it was one of the core items of the villain quest, it was bound to play a decisive role someday.

Lee Hyunwook stored it deep within his belongings.

But the reward didn't end there.

[ A quest has arrived! ]

"Quest…"

A quest was a very special direction given by the system.

[Hidden Quest]

[ Bearer of light, become the dawn of the world! ]

-You have thwarted the schemes of the 'villain', the traitor of mankind.

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-You now have the opportunity to become the 'guardian', a protector of humanity.

-This quest will guide you to become the light of the world.

[ Will you accept the quest? (Y/N) ]

"Guardian…"

The opposite of the villains who threaten humanity is the guardians who protect humanity (Guardian).

He was given the opportunity to become a member of that organization.

'But not yet. Getting involved with the guardians now will be tiring.'

The reason was similar to not wanting to stay with AMT.

Involving oneself with an organization inevitably hinders many benefits one can obtain by moving independently.

"I refuse."

[ Are you sure you want to refuse? (Y/N) ]

-Choose carefully! There may not be another opportunity!

Guardians, they were undoubtedly individuals who could be of help.

People who united their strengths for humanity – to stand against the villains, many heroes who were destined to become Lee Hyunwook's comrades in the future were currently or would soon be part of the guardians.

'But not all guardians are allies. Rather… they could be the worst enemies.'

The worst enemy.

To understand this point, one first needs to have a good understanding of the villains.

The race called villains was broadly categorized into two types.

It was common for individuals to receive quests defined by the system and become villains, just like Yang Joo-seop whom he just killed, but there were also players who decided to become the axis of evil on their own, unrelated to that.

For instance…

'Gordon Price…'

The leader of the villain alliance, Gordon Price belonged to the latter category.

A person close to pure evil, not determined by the system…

He became the leader of the villains even without ever receiving a villain quest.

And he was even…

"…humanity's worst traitor."

He was part of the 'Guardians', the protectors of humanity.

Thus, while the system and the game provided a certain board to play on, it was the players who played with that board.

In his past life, he (Gordon) had dominated this board.

But Lee Hyunwook believed this round would be different.

* * *

The 'rescue team' borrowed from the two combat companies stood in front of exit 1 of Seoul Station.

It consisted of 18 people, all below level 15, led by Lieutenant Lee Hee-min.

"Damn it, why am I doing this, shit, no matter how I look at it, it seems like a suicide mission…."

Hee-min murmured like that and shook his head before tapping his bulletproof helmet sharply.

"Phew, it's okay, nothing will happen…."

At his words, the faces of the soldiers standing behind him darkened.

He sighed deeply and stretched his hand towards the dome.

Then a system message popped up.

[ You are at an eligible level to enter ]

So far, it seemed positive, but

[ Warning! This area is a . Once entered, you cannot exit unless specific conditions are met ]

Soon, a harsh phrase appeared in front of him.

Swallowing hard,

Hee-min turned his head and looked over the rescue forces.

All of them had faces like inexperienced kids.

Shit – he murmured like that and opened his mouth.

"….Okay, everyone! We're entering! The inside is extremely dangerous! We don't even know what kind of gate has opened, so everyone, stay alert!"

And so, the entry began.

[ Warning! You have entered ]

Past the message, the spacious area of Seoul Station's 2nd-floor reception area unfolded in front of the rescue team's eyes.

"..."

But it felt entirely different from what they usually knew.

The place, always bustling with a crowd of numerous people, was now eerily quiet, giving the illusion as if time had stopped.

"…..I don't see a single corpse."

Something was strange.

They had entered expecting to find many victims already, but strangely, there were no traces of slaughter to be found.

Could it be considered fortunate?…. On one hand, the tension grew as their initial expectations were off from the start.

Thud- thud-

"….Alright, Park Junmo, Choi Tae-yong, move to the right."

Min-tae An ordered like that.

He was acting as the temporary squad leader, fulfilling the role of the deputy commander of the rescue team.

And soon, it caught his eye.

"Lieutenant, look over there."

A huge crack shimmering in purple was open in the center of the reception area.

It was the source of all this chaos… the gate.

"But, there's something around the gate."

Something huge was scattered around the gate in pieces.

As they approached closer, its outline became clear.

It looked like a monstrous creature with multiple legs attached…

"Ah! It's, it's a spider! A really big spider!"

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One of the female soldiers from the 2nd company shouted, stepping back.

Because of that, others also were startled and lowered their posture.

"Huh, but that thing…"

Only Min-tae An tilted his head, raising his shield and taking a couple of steps forward.

There was no movement, and green smoke was slowly seeping from the cracks.

"…It seems like it's already dead."

That was when it happened.

"Who is there?"

A voice came from above the staircase on the third floor.

"Huh? Ah! We are the AMT rescue team!"

Lee Hee-min responded, and someone on the third floor revealed themselves, gesturing for them to come up.

The rescue team ascended the stairs in two rows, being vigilant of their surroundings.

Hee-min, who led the way up, met with a man wearing a blue uniform, the security team leader of Seoul Station.

"You said you are the rescue team?"

"Yes, that's right. We are the AMT rescue team."

"Ah, we are the Seoul Station security team 2."

The two shook hands.

"Hmm…. But, I hate to say this, but how did you come to the rescue when you can't even get out?"

"Even though we can't leave, shouldn't we protect the civilian survivors as much as possible for the remaining 5 hours and 20 minutes? That is the mission we have been entrusted with when we entered this place."

Is that really the best course of action…?

The security team leader nodded with a bitter expression.

Lee Hee-min turned his head to check on the survivors gathered near the food court.

"But it seems there are no civilian casualties… fortunately. What happened?"

"Ah, it's thanks to someone from your AMT team. We have been following their instructions."

"…Yes?"

At the words of the security team leader, Lee Hee-min furrowed his brow and asked again.

It was because there was a name that immediately came to mind if it was an AMT member present here.

"By any chance, what is that person's name?"

"Um, they were a corporal, their name was… uh…"

The security team leader scratched his head, seemingly unable to remember well.

"Ah! Is it perhaps Corporal Lee Hyunwook?"

The one who asked that was none other than Park Junmo.

At that moment, Lee Hee-min turned his head sharply, his veins bulging in his neck.

"Hey you bastard, stay put! Who are you to butt in?"

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

"The private doesn't know his place, really…"

At Lee Hee-min's over-sensitive reaction, the security team leader nodded his head with a tense expression on his face.

"…Hmm, anyway, that is the correct name."

"What the heck, no, what did that soldier do? It's ridiculous to have followed such a guy's orders… God damn it, he's F-rank, that's what."

With the harsh words pouring out unrestrained, the security team leader's face turned cold.

"…."

Lee Hee-min felt that he had made a rash outburst without any context, even by his standards.

He awkwardly lowered his head.

"…Well, anyway, from now on, I will be in command. That guy Lee Hyunwook is just a low-ranking soldier in our unit. He doesn't have the ability to get the people here out safely because he is F-rank."

Lee Hee-min had completely forgotten the order he had heard from the battalion commander when he was assigned the mission – to actively take into account Lee Hyunwook's opinions.

'How dare an F-rank even think about being an officer….'

Inside his mind, resentment towards Lee Hyunwook, which had been accumulating for several days, was boiling furiously.

His mind had been boiling with hatred accumulated over several days towards Lee Hyunwook.

"Hmm, F-rank… really? He didn't seem like that at all."

"Huh? Then do you think I, the person in charge of the rescue team, would lie? He is indeed F-rank, that's that."

"Then, squad leader, what is your rank? The entrance restriction here is level 15."

The security team leader sent a doubtful glance.

"Ah, it just so happens that I'm exactly level 15, but I am C-rank tier 3."

While E and D ranks have a single tier, from C-rank onwards, a 'tier' system is added to the ranking.

It is divided into a total of 5 stages, from tier 5 to tier 1.

This implied that from C-rank onwards, the ranks were useful enough to be divided into very fine details.

"Hmm, in that case, I am C-class tier 1, so why should I follow the orders of the squad leader?"

"…Huh? No, then why on earth did you follow the orders of that F-rank brat?"

"No, that's what I mean, you really can't understand words well, haha…."

The security team leader looked at Lee Hee-min with a sarcastic smile.

However, irritation soon appeared on his face.

"Ah- this is driving me crazy, this is the rescue team when eight hundred lives are at stake…."

At the security team leader's blatant expression of emotion, Lee Hee-min's face also turned red.

He was quite impulsive, but even so, he wasn't devoid of discernment to the point of getting angry here.

If he had a major conflict with the security team leader now, he would have to deal with a lot more.

His anger usually erupted when it was unnecessary to hold it back.

And just then, a familiar face appeared among the civilians at the food court.

It was Staff Sergeant Choi Seon-ah, the deputy platoon leader.

"Eh? Squad leader?"

"Hey! Seon-ah! Where have you been and what have you been doing…."

Lee Hee-min revealed his teeth, gritting them with irritation as expected.

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"Where is that bastard Lee Hyunwook now? Tell him to come out quickly!"

"Ah, about that…"

"He went downstairs for a quick reconnaissance."

It was the security team leader, not Choi Seon-ah, who spoke.

"What? Reconnaissance alone… Does that even make sense?"

"Ha…"

Sighing, the security team leader opened his mouth.

"Why do you want to interrogate so much? Are we under surveillance while trapped here?"

"Isn't it not an interrogation but a confirmation as the leader of the rescue team?"

Eventually, sparks flew between them and voices were raised, and the civilians gathered near the food court had no choice but to wear even more anxious expressions as they watched the situation.

That was when…

"…Everyone, be quiet."

A voice restraining the two people,

It was Lee Hyunwook.

Lee Hee-min turned his head sharply.

Lee Hyunwook was coming up the stairs.

"What? Hey, you bastard! Why are you wandering around on your own…"

"Be quiet, I said."

"What? This crazy bastard dares to tell me to be quiet…"

At that moment, something flew out at a very fast speed from the grip of Lee Hyunwook's hand.

Whizz-

"…Huh!"

It stood still right in front of Lee Hee-min's mouth.

Hum-

It was a steel bead the size of a finger joint.

If it had stopped just a bit later, it would have been a situation where all his teeth might have been shattered.

"… ."

Lee Hee-min stepped back awkwardly, with a considerably surprised expression.

And he stared at Lee Hyunwook with wide eyes.

Rather than anger, it was a somewhat aggrieved expression, as if feeling how could he do that.

"Shush-"

"…"

"Everyone, keep your mouths shut and look over there."

Lee Hyunwook slowly raised his right hand and pointed to somewhere below the terrace.

It was the gate.

Go-o-o-o-o

But the gate was fluctuating.

It was a distinctly different sight compared to a while ago.

"It's a sign of the second eruption."

Everyone swallowed their dry saliva.

Slowly, the second battle was about to begin.

Lee Hyunwook approached Lee Hee-min closely and looked directly into his eyes.

"Lieutenant, you almost put all the survivors here in danger a moment ago."

"…"

"Lieutenant, here, inside the Unlucky Event area. As you advised me and the squad members during the last operation, please control your voice to not be too loud."

Lee Hee-min couldn't say anything.

It was something he had said himself at some point.

He wasn't unaware that he had acted recklessly, unbecoming of a commander, and above all…

He had just been completely overpowered by Lee Hyunwook's momentum.

"I unintentionally gave a threatening signal, but I hope you understand given the circumstances."

"…"

With that, Lee Hyunwook signaled to the security team leader and An Min-tae.

The two approached Lee Hyunwook.

"The second eruption will start soon. We need to prepare for battle."

The two nodded their heads.

Just like that, very naturally, Lee Hyunwook began commanding everyone here.

People naturally lent their ears to his voice and followed his opinions.

Lee Hee-min could only blankly watch this scene.

"Team leader, for your information, I found another gate on the lower floor. It's a double gate."

"…Damn."

"Don't worry too much about this and don't inform the others. It will only increase the chaos."

"Yes, understood."

At that moment, as An Min-tae signaled somewhere, Park Junmo brought over a duffel bag.

"We brought your weapons, Corporal Lee Hyunwook."

Inside it contained tactical vests, an enchanted M9 dagger, the Sword of Clouds, along with Staff Sergeant Choi Seon-ah's armament.

Lee Hyunwook put on the tactical gear and sheathed the Sword of Clouds on his back.

"Let's begin."

At the security team leader's signal, 6 security officers and 3 civilian players began to move.

As An Min-tae gave the signal, the rescue team forces smoothly took their positions.

"Everyone, the lives of hundreds are in our hands."

Finally, at Lee Hyunwook's gesture, everyone raised their weapons.

"…"

But then, everyone's gaze naturally focused on one point.

Lee Hyunwook was raising both his hands up to waist height…

Woo-woo-woo-woong-

Above both his palms,

20 steel beads levitated and began to rotate like a whirlwind—in a spiral shape.