Chapter 8

Chapter 8. A Rookie Drawing Attention (2)

A dim underground alley.

As Lee Gang-sik walked along the gloomy, damp path where the faintest trace of moonlight was the only source of illumination.

He was in quite a good mood.

And for good reason.

Although there were variables, such as this world not being completely identical to R.O.K.A and the difficulty having increased.

He had just confirmed that his knowledge still worked and that hidden pieces still remained.

“If I want to make the most of Bulgasari... I guess an infighter suits me best?”

And so, on his way back to the motel where he was staying.

Lee Gang-sik was completely absorbed in planning his future build for surviving in this world.

【Build】

A growth strategy that analyzes a character’s strengths and weaknesses.

Minimizing weaknesses while maximizing strengths.

The alpha and omega of role-playing games.

Pursuing a more optimized and efficient build was practically an instinct for Koreans.

And Lee Gang-sik, who had always enjoyed designing builds in the first place, became so engrossed that he temporarily forgot even his hunger.

“Metalization more or less covers close range, but it’ll be annoying if they just keep kiting me from a distance. I really should have at least one ranged attack method...”

For what it was worth, back when he was in the military, he had been a perfect marksman every time he fired.

He had even consistently taken first place in division-wide shooting competitions.

“After getting discharged, I thought all of that was useless.”

You really never knew how life would turn out.

There were several traits that assisted with shooting too, so he could pick those up when he had time.

Of course, there was a way to deal with enemies at range without increasing his own attack options.

But.

“Companions... are still too soon. Who the hell am I supposed to trust in this goddamn city?”

Thanks to his trait, he didn’t have to worry about dying from being stabbed in the back.

But becoming companions inevitably meant exposing each other’s abilities.

‘I haven’t even told Saetani about my abilities yet, so companions are out of the question.’

While thinking that, he had already arrived in front of the cheap motel where he had been staying.

“Phew, maybe I’ll fill my stomach and go straight to sleep today. Once it gets light tomorrow, I’ll look for a gun shop or something.”

Even if it wasn’t just for obtaining a new means of attack.

He had earned a decent amount of money from the request, so now he could buy materials to eat himself.

Special metals and precious metals had been too expensive for him to even consider before, but now...

Ah, if that was the plan, maybe I should’ve asked Saetani for a recommendation.

‘I might’ve gotten an employee(?) discount.’

Wasn’t there a gun shop specifically affiliated with Saetani?

With a faint self-deprecating chuckle, he reached for the doorknob of his room.

“...”

It was quiet.

Of course, it was the middle of the night, so silence was only natural.

But there was no sound from the runaway husband downstairs who was always arguing over the phone.

Not even the snoring of the alcoholic in the room next door.

It was as if the entire motel were empty.

“Haa... Overtime in the middle of the night.”

And unpaid at that.

Sighing, he let go of the doorknob.

“You weren’t capable of cleaning up your own request, so now you’re trying to put your spoon into a meal that’s already finished?”

He muttered quietly as he turned around.

“...”

“...Ahem.”

“...Phew.”

Standing there were the trio he had seen at Saetani that morning.

The hunters who had originally taken the delivery request.

‘Did they dress like that on purpose?’

All three wore identical gloomy black raincoats.

Their equipment was similar too, making them even harder to tell apart.

Looks like they coordinated their outfits because they were a team.

I’ll just call them Fatty, Skinny, and Nobita based on their builds.

“Hey, let’s not be so cold between seniors and juniors in the same line of work.”

“Why not let your seniors save a little face? We were rookies once too.”

“We’ll only take the delivery fee. You can keep the rest of the reward.”

The trio slowly approached me while making their proposal.

Seniors, juniors, rookies...

Their words sure sounded friendly.

“Bullshit.”

I clenched my fist and continued.

“If you wanted to be treated like seniors, maybe you should’ve put away the weapons you’re hiding behind your backs before talking?”

“⋯⋯!!”

“Damn it, he noticed. Get him!”

The moment I finished speaking, they charged.

Of course.

‘See? You can’t trust anyone in this goddamn city.’

Especially the kind who approach you first and act overly friendly.

Even hunters treat each other like this, so companions are out of the question!

“Just so we’re clear.”

I activated metalization on my tightly clenched fist.

Silver scales emerged as the fist hardened.

“You attacked me first, okay?”

I dodged Skinny’s monowire as he charged from the front, then struck Fatty as he slipped through the opening.

―BANG!!

A heavy metallic sound erupted as Fatty was knocked backward.

“Oh, you’re pretty tough. You survived that?”

“Ghk... What the hell is with this bastard’s strength...”

Fatty glared at me while breathing heavily.

Is he a defense-specialized type, just like he looks?

For a hunter, at least it seems he didn’t skimp on equipment.

“Die!”

“That doesn’t look very nutritious.”

I dodged Skinny’s monowire aiming for my side again and retreated a couple of steps.

‘These bastards work pretty well together.’

They’re quite sharp at exploiting openings.

Their coordination flows naturally even without exchanging signals.

The two of them alternate between offense and defense...

“Hm?”

Two of them?

There were definitely three. Where did Nobita run off―

“...!!”

―BOOM!

A dull impact and scorching heat slammed into my entire body.

The force sent me crashing through the door of my room.

“Good! Direct hit!”

“Keep pushing!”

“Keep firing!!”

Looks like Nobita, who had disappeared, was their ranged damage dealer.

I decide that I need countermeasures against ranged attacks, and you immediately teach me through practical experience?

What a fucking considerate game.

―Bang! BOOM! BOOM!

Grenades kept flying in, turning not only the room I had stayed in but the entire motel into a wreck.

At most, it was a two-story cheap motel that felt like something from a highway rest stop.

‘Still, I’d grown a little attached to it after staying here for the past month.’

It was a good place that accepted even unidentified guests without complaint!

Though it was an unmanned motel where all you had to do was pay.

“Tss, that hurts.”

I rose from the debris and flames of what had once been my room, feeling dull, stinging pain throughout my body.

My right hand in particular was throbbing, so I looked at it.

“Damn it, why does rebar break so easily? Is this defective or something?”

The rebar inside the wall had snapped, and its pointed end had pierced straight through my right hand.

Bulgasari’s effect prevented death from ‘physical attacks.’

Which meant...

Things that weren’t physical attacks, such as diseases or elemental damage, still affected me normally.

Catching a cold after falling into water, or being caught in the aftershock of an explosion.

Since my life depended on it, I had tested this endlessly over the past month.

‘Still, I’m normally wrapped in the spiritual creature’s power all the time, so it wasn’t much of a problem.’

This was already my third fight today.

Looks like my hunger had climbed again in the meantime, weakening the power surrounding my body.

Was that why the fist I metalized earlier didn’t hit with its full force either?

“I was wondering how some E-rank nobody managed to withstand it after I even shattered Jeogwi’s sickle.”

I’d been too busy thinking about my build and forgot to eat something along the way.

“It’s all those bastards’ fault. Who gives overtime to someone just as they’re about to clock out?”

The moment I thought that.

Memories of the countless nights I worked overtime as a new employee overlapped with the present, and rage surged up.

―Crack. Crunch. CRUNCH!

I pulled the piece of rebar out of my right hand.

Then I cleared away the debris and chewed down every exposed piece of rebar around me.

[You have consumed crude material.]

[Your body will be strengthened using the consumed material.]

[You can no longer gain proficiency from this material.]

[Your hunger has decreased.]

Ignoring the notification in my head.

I burst straight out of the flames.

“What?!”

“How?!”

Maybe they had let their guard down after their ambush succeeded.

The trio was visibly shocked by the unexpected sight.

I charged at full speed toward Nobita, who was standing farthest back.

“How are you still moving after taking a grenade directly...!”

“You know―”

I brought down my properly metalized fist with all my strength.

“―out of the three of you, I always hated Nobita the most!!”

You bastard who can’t do anything without Doraemon!

―CRUNCH!

With the sound of soft flesh being crushed, Nobita’s head disappeared.

“?!”

“You...!”

Fatty and Skinny hurriedly turned toward me.

However.

“Too late!”

I kicked off the ground again, spun my body, and swung my leg with all the momentum behind it.

―BANG!

Skinny took the metalized side kick directly.

“Ghk...!”

His waist bent like a bow before snapping with a crunch.

Skinny unintentionally became a human shield, allowing Fatty to survive.

“Hurk...!”

“Phew...”

Fatty trembled as he raised his guard.

Looks like Skinny kept him from taking a direct hit.

But even the aftershock left clear cracks across his arms.

Yeah, that makes sense.

“Hey, Senior. What’s with that look?”

I loosened my neck and shoulders as I approached Fatty.

“Don’t tell me you never imagined the tables could be turned on you? Did you think I’d obviously be exhausted, so you could take me easily with an ambush?”

Fatty staggered backward away from me as I approached.

“Gather information on your target and prepare thoroughly based on that information.”

“Ugh...”

“Isn’t that the basic rule for hunters? You wasted an entire year.”

With the collapsed debris leaving him nowhere else to retreat, he immediately threw himself flat on the ground.

“I-I’m sorry!! I just got blinded by a little money...”

“...”

“I-if you spare me, I’ll never appear before you again! Please, have mercy―”

“―Hey, what are you doing?”

“What?”

I was so dumbfounded that a laugh escaped me.

“Don’t give me that ‘little money’ crap. You weren’t even interested in the money I had.”

“What do you mean...”

“If money was your goal, you wouldn’t have fired grenades at me right away, and you wouldn’t have ‘deliberately’ lost the delivery in the first place. Right?”

“...!!”

That brief fight had confirmed it for me.

It was simply that ‘I’ was a terrible matchup for them.

These three had excellent coordination and a textbook division of roles.

One frontline damage tank, one secondary damage dealer focused entirely on firepower, and one ranged support.

If Nobita, the ranged support, doubled as a hacker, it was practically the most reliable standard composition.

At the very least, they were good enough to go around handing out business cards and calling themselves hunters.

‘Maybe not Jeogwi, but they could’ve handled someone like Kang Geum-man, who was mostly just flashy, without much trouble.’

And I’m supposed to believe guys like these lost the delivery in some childish scuffle between ordinary gang members, without Jeogwi even personally getting involved?

Nonsense.

“Was it a double contract or something? Who’s really backing you? Were you confident you could deal with it if the Association found out?”

“...”

“No, forget it. You don’t have to tell me. If they’re the sort to order dirty work like this, it’s obvious enough.”

I took another step closer and continued.

“Inrang, right?”

Fatty flinched at my words.

That reaction alone was answer enough.

A lot of things had changed, but some things never changed.

【Inrang Corporation】

Or Inrang Corp.

One of the megacorporations that, together with the various Families, dominated Neo Seoul and the entire country.

The Families might have stronger individuals...

But backed by overwhelming capital and technological power, Inrang was an existence that never fell behind them.

And.

‘It was also one of the major masterminds of this game.’

If the Families were insufferable traditionalists who at least pretended to be refined on the surface.

Then Inrang was literally a pack of wolves wearing human skins.

If something benefited their company, there was no dirty deed they wouldn’t commit.

Whenever something shady happened in this city, nine times out of ten, they were behind it.

“But there’s no way they’d react this quickly to some minor matter in a lower district.”

It simply wouldn’t be profitable.

Like that joke about how Bill Gates would gain more by continuing on his way than stopping to pick up a hundred-dollar bill off the ground.

“Then was it one of their pawns acting independently? The investor who contacted Jeogwi must’ve been that guy.”

Come to think of it, Maria said that Silver Fang had recently been trying to distribute unidentified drugs too.

Back when I played the game, Inrang never bothered with such ‘pocket-change’ business.

This is worth looking into.

“H-how...? At this rate, it sounds like I told you everything...!”

“Just tell yourself you picked the wrong opponent. That way, whether you die like this or some other way, you’ll feel less wronged about dying anyway.”

“What kind of bull―”

―CRUNCH!

Fatty’s body collapsed after losing his head.

I had no more business with puppets who merely moved as they were told.

“Hm? What’s this?”

As I shook my hand off, something rattled.

Looking closer, I saw some crude metal-like substance wrapped around my right hand.

“I don’t use knuckles... Ah, wait, is this my blood?”

The blood that had flowed from the wound where the rebar pierced me.

It had hardened together with my hand when I metalized it.

Right, blood is part of the body too, isn’t it?

Then that means I can metalize my blood as well.

“Yeah, if I had to do unpaid overtime at night, I should at least get a bonus like this.”

That saves me the trouble of researching it separately.

Saving time is one of the greatest rewards for a people obsessed with doing everything quickly.

I finished shaking off my hand, then extracted only the data chips from the remains of the dead men and tucked them into my clothes.

“More importantly, what the hell is this mess?”

All the scrap metal I’d painstakingly collected was buried under ashes.

The motel room I had paid for well into the future had been completely destroyed.

I hadn’t even gotten to wash off the sweat and dust, and now I was covered in someone else’s blood too.

“At least I always carry the cash I saved up with me.”

I almost became penniless overnight.

Thankfully, the backpack containing my freshly earned envelopes of money was safe too.

“Every time I start getting attached to somewhere, this happens.”

I brushed the soot and dust off my backpack.

Then, avoiding the sirens that could be heard approaching from far away.

I ran back the way I had come.

I Became an Immortal Who Chews on Steel

Author |

Mwiu

Publisher |

Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.

Managing Editor |

Editorial Department

Published by |

Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. - Dream Books

Address |

Rooms 806-810, Kolon Science Valley I, 187-10 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul

ISBN |

G720:N+A063-20261006118

Blog |

blog.naver.com/dreambookss

Twitter (X) |

@dreambookss

Submissions |

fansycnc@samyangcnc.com

No part of this book may be used in any form or by any means without the written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. - Dream Books.