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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Seoul Station, F-Rank and S-Rank - Part 4
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"L-Look over there! The dome is disappearing!"
The people gathered around Seoul Station—soldiers, Players, and reporters alike—let out a collective gasp.
Not even five minutes after the Fist King, Han Tae-san, had entered, the dome began to wash away as if by magic.
"...As expected of the Tiger of Indolence. He may be a lazy tiger, but when he rouses himself, he shakes the world!"
Reporters from nearby news outlets, broadcasting live from the scene, began to urgently report on the situation.
The name most frequently on their lips was, of course, the Fist King, Han Tae-san.
"But it is still too early to celebrate. The crucial question is how many of the civilians trapped inside Seoul Station can return safely. We will have to wait and see."
There was an overwhelming sense that the incident was resolved, but it couldn't be called good news just yet.
What mattered wasn't that the dome had vanished, but the safety of the people trapped within.
Therefore, any positive messages about the current situation had to be withheld.
But in the next moment, Seoul Station Plaza—and by extension, all of South Korea—could not help but erupt in joy.
"Oh! P-People are starting to come out!"
Immediately after the dome completely disappeared, a massive number of people began to walk out in an orderly fashion from Seoul Station's Exit 1, escorted by A.M.T soldiers.
The hell was finally over.
Dozens of cameras captured the scene exactly as it unfolded.
"Look over there! By some great fortune, it seems there are a great many survivors."
And strangely enough, they all looked perfectly fine. The paramedics, who had been waiting in anticipation of a bloody hellscape, also looked at each other in bewilderment.
And…
"…Yes? Is that true?"
The reporter asked this of someone on the other end of his earpiece, then turned back to the camera.
His expression was a mixture of emotions.
While it was stiff and serious… it also held a hint of ecstasy.
"Viewers… you may not believe this, but…"
He paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
"…Every single one of them. They're all alive!"
It was a statement that no one could easily believe.
"…I repeat! All the civilians who were trapped inside the Seoul Station Unlucky Event zone have returned to us in perfect health! The A.M.T's operation was a complete success! While the details are not yet known, it appears the A.M.T has accomplished something truly magnificent!"
With no knowledge of the internal situation, it had been estimated that at least several hundred had died.
But when the veil of the dome was lifted, the greatest of all plot twists was revealed.
"Truly, it seems a miracle has occurred!"
Yes, it was close to a miracle.
This news spread across the globe and began to be reported under headlines like 'The Miracle at Seoul Station'.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook was at the very front of the procession of citizens leaving Seoul Station.
While the image of the A.M.T escorting the citizens from the front and rear was quite a good look, he had taken the lead to get out early, knowing it would be a headache if he ran into Han Tae-san again.
However…
"Hello. We meet again."
said a woman leaning against one side of the stairs leading down to the station plaza.
It was the woman in the white suit, Yoo Hae-na.
She slid her purple sunglasses down slightly and flashed a smile.
As the head of the Seoul Conquest Division for the Cheonghwa Guild, the guild in charge of this area, she seemed to be on standby at the scene.
"…So it seems."
"I told you, didn't I? That we'd be seeing each other often, whether we liked it or not."
She smiled faintly.
"By the way, you were very lucky. To survive being trapped in there… I heard you're an F-Rank?"
"…"
"Ha, what's this…"
A corner of her mouth lifted into a sneer.
It was an undisguised mockery.
"…"
"How did I find out? I used that phone of yours, just like you told me to. But an F-Rank… I'm quite disappointed. I gave you my card thinking you were at least a C-Rank…"
"Yes. Today, and back then with the orcs, I was just incredibly lucky."
With that, Lee Hyun-wook walked past her.
"You still have my card, right? I'm sure you wouldn't have thrown it away… but perhaps my card is what's bringing you this good fortune. Who knows what kind of luck it might bring you in the future."
She insulted him while subtly hinting that he should contact her.
In doing so, she reminded herself that she was the one on top.
But if Lee Hyun-wook were to actually contact her, she would feel a brief moment of satisfaction, play with him a little, and then discard him mercilessly.
Making him painfully aware of the overwhelming gap between them…
Lee Hyun-wook knew that this was the spider-like woman's cruel hobby.
"Well, it's a shame you're an F-Rank, but you're still a decent fighter. Call me if you're interested."
With those final words, Yoo Hae-na turned and walked away.
And she secretly sneered.
*'There's no way he won't be tempted.'*
She recalled the moment Lee Hyun-wook had refused her card.
It had been so infuriating.
That's why she wanted to make him submit all the more.
*'An F-Rank of all people… What kind of nerve did he have to refuse my card?'*
That was why, upon seeing him by chance just now, an unknown fire had ignited in her chest again, prompting her to deliberately mention the card and entice him to take the bait.
*'The moment you can't resist the temptation of Cheonghwa, I'll make you realize just how different our positions are. So hurry up and take the bait…'*
Her greatest weapon was the two characters engraved on her business card: Cheonghwa (靑火).
Today, that name signified 'power,' 'honor,' and 'money'.
Cheonghwa was a world every Player dreamed of entering, and it was also her fortress. The moment anyone stepped into Cheonghwa, no matter who they were, they had no choice but to kneel at her feet.
In other words, Yoo Hae-na possessed the power to grasp and sway the desires of almost every Player.
However, that rule did not apply to everyone.
"Hey! Yoo Hae-na!"
A booming voice echoed in Yoo Hae-na's head.
*'Han Tae-san…'*
He was an exception, even within the fortress of Cheonghwa.
An S-Rank Player…
They were beings who transcended all rules.
"I rushed right over and did the job, just like I promised! We're having dinner tonight, right?"
"…No."
"Huh? Why! Don't tell me you're breaking your promise again?"
She put the sunglasses she had briefly taken off back on.
"We can eat later… I have to receive the report on this incident and file it now."
Unlike her usual elegant and relaxed tone, her voice was very stiff.
And her eyes betrayed a sense of caution.
This was because he was someone she could not control.
"Huh? What kind of guild princess files her own reports? Hey, I came all this way because you asked. The least you could do is buy me a meal, right?"
"We agreed I wouldn't ask about ownership of the Unlucky Event rewards. Be satisfied with that for now, won't you?"
An Unlucky Event was highly likely to yield a Hero-grade item, and it was a given that such an item would go to Han Tae-san. There was no need to even confirm it.
But…
"…Ah, that?"
Han Tae-san scratched his head with an awkward expression.
"…Hey, I wasn't number one."
At his words, Yoo Hae-na tilted her head.
"What do you mean? Didn't you kill the boss monster?"
"I did, that's right… but something's not adding up… I mean, I beat the boss monster to a pulp, but, tch, some guy got a stab in before I did."
"…"
"When it was all over, I was in second place…"
"…"
In other words, the Hero-grade item had gone to another Player.
…But who on earth could have surpassed Han Tae-san to get it?
*'Is there someone that capable among the A.M.T rescue team, or the Players below level 15?'*
Yoo Hae-na put her sunglasses back on.
And turned away.
"Anyway, fine. I'll see you later."
"Hey, are you really not buying me dinner?"
"I'm really busy today, so call me some other time."
"Fine! Then you definitely have to treat me next time!"
As Yoo Hae-na walked away from Han Tae-san, she inwardly clicked her tongue.
*'That guy… second place? What the hell does that mean? If this gets out, it's going to be a joke…'*
The S-Rank from the Cheonghwa Guild, who had made a grand entrance to save the citizens of Seoul Station,
That image was about to be ruined.
And about thirty minutes later…
"…Just now, what did you say?"
Yoo Hae-na heard the surprising news while reviewing the interim report on the incident.
"Yes? Which part should I repeat?"
Noticing that Yoo Hae-na's reaction was not her usual self, the investigation team leader asked nervously.
"You just said… an A.M.T soldier… played the biggest role in this incident?"
"Yes, his identity hasn't been confirmed yet, but it's what all the trapped citizens are saying in unison."
"Was he one of the rescue team members sent in later?"
"Well, it's not certain yet, but according to a station security guard who was on site, he was a soldier who was at Seoul Station from the very beginning."
"Don't tell me…"
It wasn't confirmed, but for some reason, Yoo Hae-na felt like she knew who that soldier was.
A soldier who was 'trapped,' not sent in as part of the rescue force…
Lee Hyun-wook's face came to mind.
*'What? He was… lucky?'*
Looking back, even that strange composure of his had been grating.
As far as she knew, that was not an expression an F-Rank could possess.
*'If it really is him…'*
That expression, which had hinted at a strange sense of ease, seemed truly designed to infuriate her.
Her feelings grew a little more complicated.
***
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook was facing his battalion commander.
Kim Kang-seok looked at Lee Hyun-wook with a stern expression.
"There's a lot I want to hear from you."
It was only natural.
"What on earth happened in there, how was all of this possible…"
Experts from all over the world had unanimously predicted that there would be numerous casualties.
Honestly, Kim Kang-seok couldn't help but agree with that opinion.
*'To be honest… I thought it would be a success if we could save even just half of them.'*
He had made every effort not to let go of even the smallest sliver of hope.
If he, the operation commander, lost hope, the direction of the operation would falter…
*'But…'*
…an anomaly occurred in every respect.
No, it was more than an anomaly; it was a miracle.
Everyone survived, and Lee Hyun-wook's performance seemed to be more than just simple resourcefulness.
It had now gone beyond expectation to the point of suspicion.
*'Lee Hyun-wook, what is he really?'*
Kim Kang-seok had trusted Lee Hyun-wook.
His extraordinary side…
But this incident was not something that could be accomplished with that alone.
Therefore, he felt suspicious.
And Kim Kang-seok knew, to some extent, that 'suspicion' was the first step toward 'wonder'.
*'This feeling, it's not the first time.'*
He was one of the first Players.
But the world of Players was not one where being the first meant you would be the best.
He had watched countless times as late-blooming Players surpassed him.
*'Han Tae-san, Ki Baek-jun, Seo Eun-ha, and probably Choi Young-jun in the future…'*
When they first appeared, the world's first impression was invariably 'suspicion'.
But as they proved themselves again and again, the world's gaze changed to 'trust' and 'admiration'.
Perhaps Lee Hyun-wook was also in the midst of such a process.
Not just becoming a capable officer, but the process of becoming a hero…
*'But he's an F-Rank…'*
Those mentioned before grew continuously.
But Lee Hyun-wook has clear limits.
Eventually, he would clash with fate and be broken.
Kim Kang-seok suppressed his bitterness and looked at Lee Hyun-wook.
"Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, there are many things I want to ask, but before that… there is someone you must meet."
Kim Kang-seok turned his head somewhere.
It was toward Seoul Station Plaza.
"Everyone, clear this area! A teleport gate is opening!"
An officer shouted as he cleared a wide space, and next to him, a warrant officer of the mage class wearing a headset looked up at the sky and began to yell.
"…Ready! Three! Two! One! Opening!"
At that moment, a brilliant blue pillar of light shot down from the sky.
Kzzzzzz—
It was a large-scale teleportation.
Every eye in Seoul Station Plaza was drawn to it.
And from within the light, a group of A.M.T soldiers walked out.
At their center stood the commander of the 3rd Anti-Monster Brigade, General Choi Jeong-cheol.
Kim Kang-seok stood up and straightened his uniform.
He then turned back to Lee Hyun-wook and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"…The brigade commander wishes to see you."
There was a palpable tension in Kim Kang-seok's voice.
But an entirely different thought was circling in Lee Hyun-wook's mind.
*'A one-star reward has fallen from the sky.'*