The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 1
Player who eats steel - Branch Manager
1. The return of an F-level player - 1
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Everyone has genius.
However, most people will never discover that genius..
But how would your life change if you realized your genius only at the end of your life??
Will this late-arriving joy make life happier??
‘······no, no.’
Regarding that, Lee Hyun-wook could definitely say that.
‘On the contrary, it is an excruciating pain..’
In his experience, late discovery of talent was like opening ‘Pandora’s box.’ With indescribable helplessness and regret, we are bound to a cycle of pain where only hope and torture exist..
‘Once I realized my abilities, I couldn't change anything..’
Lee Hyun-wook was lying on the skyscraper covered in blood..
Around him, his colleagues were rolling around as cold corpses, and it seemed like the only one alive and breathing was Lee Hyun-wook..
At that time, five or six figures slowly descended from the sky and surrounded Hyeonwook..
‘Villain)’
Although they were human players, they sold their souls to the devil and led the invasion of Earth..
One of them approached and opened his mouth..
“Seoul's last hero, the Iron Emperor, has rusted and collapsed..”
Steel Great Emperor, that was what this world called Lee Hyun-wook..
‘It's a bit childish, but it was nice to be recognized even if it was belated.······.’
Soon, the shoe's feet arrived in front of Hyunwook's eyes..
He moved his eyes with difficulty and looked at the person. The tall man with pomaded hair was Gordon Price, the head of the global company 'Blue Tree'..
“Go, Gordon, you traitorous bastard······.”
Gordon, the man who possessed the greatest wealth on earth and was once the biggest supporter of heroes, was revealed to be a 'villain' when many heroes had already disappeared due to the 'dark beast' he wielded..
And from that moment on, the fall of mankind began..
“Hyunwook, I must admit now, you were a very difficult opponent..”
He said so and stretched out his arms to the sky..
“The sight of thousands of swords and spears rising up at the same time and pouring down like heavy rain following your fingertips... It is true that the power of the awakened Iron Great Emperor was honestly difficult for even us to handle..”
He slowly lowered his arms and smiled gentlemanly..
“So, I really wanted to tell you this someday..”
He put his face close to Lee Hyun-wook’s ear and whispered softly..
“······Thank you so much for not being able to use that amazing ability properly..”
he grinned.
I can't believe I'm being thanked by the guy who wiped out humanity.······.
Anger boiled up inside. But she couldn't move her body. Because she was irreparably injured.
That's it-
He ground his teeth in unbearable anger. So much so that my gums become hollow······.
The talent I realized late was the worst..
But on the contrary, it was a great fortune for the enemies..
‘If I had figured out how to use this ability a little sooner... would it have made a difference??’
It was a vague regret.
About 12 years ago, Hyunwook Lee awakened as a 'player' and gained the ability to control 300g of metal..
Of course, 300g was only enough to move a dagger at most..
However, like all abilities, I believed that it would gradually grow and the 'amount' and 'way' that could be controlled would increase..
However, for 10 years, Lee Hyun-wook's abilities have not changed at all..
The reason was simple. Because I didn't know how to develop my abilities..
I practiced moving metal thousands of times a day and even slept in a room made of steel. So he tried countless ways..
But, it was all useless..
‘But I never would have thought that swallowing steel would have been the answer..’
Absorbs steel by ‘eating’ it. It was two years ago that I realized this extraordinary method..
Immediately after, Lee Hyun-wook persistently swallowed the steel..
Since it took time to digest, it was not possible to eat indefinitely, but it swallowed steel even while sleeping, and the weight of the metal it could control slowly but surely increased..
Now able to control 4,145 kg, he can throw a truck like a toy, shake and tear down a building, and move thousands of steel weapons to create a storm..
Thus, he earned the title ‘Steel Emperor’..
But that was all there was to it..
No matter how great the potential was, it was impossible to catch up with those who were already far ahead..
“Hyunwook, if you had been given a little more time, wouldn't you have lifted the entire building we were standing on and dropped it like a giant meteorite? Hahaha... It must be quite disappointing for you.?”
Gordon softly sarcastic······.
‘Yes, it's a shame! It's so sad!’
If we had realized at least 3, or even 2 years earlier, we would have eaten and digested dozens of times more steel and moved hundreds or thousands of tons of steel. Then maybe things really would have been different.
“Look over there. Your city, Seoul, is collapsing.”
Gordon grabbed his head and turned it somewhere..
Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku-
With a loud roar, the buildings of Yeouido began to sink. A cloudy dust storm rose there, rolling in like waves and covering the red waters of the Han River, which was filled with corpses..
The cries and screams that echoed throughout the city intertwined and rang out in a bizarre ensemble. The orchestra from hell crawled into Hyunwook’s ears..
I had a headache.
thud······.
A large city where as many as 10 million people lived and breathed is dying horribly before our eyes..
“ah······.”
Lee Hyun-wook just let out a small sigh. there was nothing he could do.
“Hyunwook, thank you for your hard work. But honestly······.”
Gordon sneered and sneered..
“······It was so bad.”
Gordon turned around after saying those words. At the same time, someone came striding up and lifted a huge wood carving hammer. The guy’s left foot stepped on Hyunwook’s chest. he couldn't escape.
Soon a hammer fell on his head..
Kwa-jik!
that was the end.
The miserable life of having a genius ability but not being able to use it properly has come to an end..
***
For a split second, Lee Hyun-wook was immersed in darkness..
The next moment, I saw a light somewhere in the distance.
He stuck his head there..
“······omg!”
He let out a rough breath and opened his eyes. At the same time, I reflexively smoothed his hair..
“uh?”
The head that should have been torn to pieces... was still attached perfectly..
‘It must have been exactly right?’
A powerful blow that crushed his head, Lee Hyun-wook felt it..
No matter how much I thought about it, the damage was not something that could be easily recovered. No, he should have recovered and died instantly in his sleep..
‘What happened? Could it be that he fell into the afterlife??’
He thought about that and looked around..
But this place was quite familiar..
I rubbed my eyes and looked again, and here was······.
“crazy······.”
It was the dormitory where he served in the military..
“Why?······.”
If you fell into the afterlife, you must have fallen into hell..
At that time, the door opened and someone came in. He was a raven-haired private in a black combat uniform..
“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook, are you awake? It's time for dinner.”
Lee Hyun-wook jumped up from the bed..
“What is it... Joo, Jun-mo? You're right, Junmo Park.?”
“Private, Park Jun-mo! yes? what does that mean now?”
This guy was the successor to the squad that died while fighting a monster during his military service..
“Uh... Yes! Of course it's me!”
Are you really going to fall into the afterlife and be greeted by acquaintances who went before you??
But this guy was just as foolish as he was back then..
What can I say, like······
Like returning to the past.
“······uh?”
rattle!
Lee Hyun-wook hurriedly opened the casket and looked at himself in the mirror inside..
‘Crazy, what the hell is going on??’
The face reflected in the mirror was definitely younger. It was the face of someone in his early twenties..
I was confused.
“Corporal Lee Hyun-wook? Are you okay? complexion······.”
“······It's not okay.”
How did this happen??
After reporting that he couldn't eat dinner because he didn't feel well, Lee Hyun-wook returned to the dormitory and sat down..
And while holding my short hair, I tried to understand the current situation..
“after······. You have to think calmly.”
But no matter what I thought, I had no choice but to accept what I see now..
“I returned to the past, to be exact... 8 years ago, when I was 22..”
Soon, a 'system message' that only the 'player' could see appeared in one corner of his field of vision..
- Current controllable 'metal' weight: 300g
As expected, it was still only 300g..
‘And based on past lives, this information will not change for the next 6 years..’
During those six years, his life was miserable. He will be discharged as a sergeant seven months from now. And, with the stigma of being an F-level player, he gets a job as a contract worker for the ‘Hunter Guild’..
It was a hard-won job, but in reality, he was just an extra who supported famous heroes. Extras who are equally fighting for their lives but no one gives them any attention or support.······.
‘However, after realizing how to grow my abilities, I was able to stand side by side with the heroes..’
but······.
“······Now I know how to change all that?”
There was no need to wait until then..
He opened the casket and took out a small paper clip..
‘Eat metal, absorb metal, manipulate metal.’
It's a simple but extraordinary method that goes beyond common sense..
I put the clip in my mouth..
When it touched my tongue and teeth, the unique bitter taste of iron caught my attention..
I felt nauseous..
In the past, the body had not yet adapted to this unfamiliar sensation, so it instinctively rejected this abnormal behavior..
However, reason from the future forced that eccentricity..
gulp-
OK······.
- congratulations! I realized how to grow my abilities.
- (00:09:59) left until metal absorption.
The countdown began before his eyes..
Then, when all that time disappears······.
- Steerable Metal Weight: 301g
changed.
weight.
Although it was only 1g, the weight of metal that could be handled increased..
I remembered the first time I saw this message. It was both disappointing and thrilling that the terrible puzzle that had bound him for his entire life could be solved so easily..
“after······.”
He held his breath and closed his eyes. And slowly raised both his hands.
yes-
The heterogeneous sensations transmitted to the fingertips... tickling, tingling, coldness, heat, these mysterious feelings meant that they were connected to some 'object' far away..
When he opened his eyes,
on his palm,
Dozens of clips were floating and rotating..
“Yes, in this life······.”
As he stretched his left hand forward, the clips flying in the air gathered neatly onto his palm..
“······I'll be a real genius.”
Genius, who was supposed to be asleep, woke up rather early..
And the impact was truly enormous..
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