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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 123

123fury. 

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“Ugh—how do you feel? It's so awesome?"

After the test was over, Kang Hee-seol asked that question with a proud expression..

"Hey, speak quickly! Honestly, I was really surprised.?”

Yes, I had no choice but to admit Hyunwook Lee in this part. No, he couldn't hide his admiration..

"Yeah, by far the best thing I've ever seen... … No, it's probably the best manufactured item in history.."

Hearing those words, Kang Hee-seol clenched his fist..

"Wow, I guess I was just a talented person.!”

Lee Hyun-wook had been investing almost everything in the development of magic engineering for several months now..

However, the speed of development was much faster than Lee Hyun-wook’s expectations..

Just now, I felt certain while testing the orbital drop device made from the core of the solar chariot..

'……I never thought it would have already reached this level.’

I had no doubt about the abilities of the two blacksmiths, Kang Jeong-du and Kang Hee-seol..

However, since Lee Hyun-wook generously gave it nutrients, it is growing rapidly..

In addition, the synergy of the ‘Laputa’ and ‘Grey Dwarf’ races was added.…….

‘In a little while, even Laputa will be copied.

That may be an exaggeration, but Lee Hyun-wook was that excited right now..

"Guys, that thing is expensive so handle it carefully.!”

At the place where Kang Xi-seol's shout reached, the area where the blacksmiths had landed was covered with a waterproof cloth..

In fact, the 'core of the solar carriage' that drives that huge mechanical device is perpetually powered, so it can be kept afloat in the sky. However, since it was a ‘prototype’, there was a risk that the remaining parts would be damaged..

'I guess I'll have to take out a large airship and carry that..’

It seemed like a fairly large airframe would be needed to store a 15㎥ cube..

And that wasn't all the blacksmiths had prepared..

Kang Jeong-du brought a steel box with a bloody warning message attached to its surface..

"Mr. Lee, the ‘explosive metal window’ you mentioned has been completed. Would you like to see it??”

- explosive warning (!)

"Yes, let's try it right now..”

Clap—

Inside was an iron bar about 50 cm long..

[Item information]

- Name: Fire Spear (common)

- Effect: Causes a 'flame explosion' when infusing mana.

"Since this explosion effect is actually a one-time use item, we made it a normal grade..”

This area was transformed into a 'Sanctuary of Fire' and with the addition of the 'Tower of Eternal Fire', flame magic enchantments became easier. In other words, it was possible to mass-produce this type of 'explosive metal weapon'..

Hyunwook Lee slowly lifted it into the air and threw it towards the vacant lot that was being used as a weapons testing site..

The moment it flies like a normal spear and gets stuck—Lee Hyun-wook gave it mana..

Then the entire window becomes red-hot, and for an instant it flashes with yellow light..

Pu—huh——!

An explosion occurred as if a grenade had landed..

Now that it's just one shot, its destructive power seems so-so..

‘But if you drop hundreds or thousands of rounds... … It becomes what is commonly called carpet bombardment..’

Lee Hyun-wook nodded with satisfaction..

"great. Please take as many pictures of this as possible..”

"Yes, I think we can currently produce about 50 units per day..”

"And if you don't have enough workers, don't overwork yourself and hire more employees..”

"Yes, we do. Other than that, do you have any further instructions??”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded and took out an AD-1 and took out two items..

"Oh, and… … Can I apply this orb to this item??”

One of them was none other than ‘Mjolnir’..

"Huh— this! Isn’t this a legendary level item??”

Even the best blacksmith, Kang Jeong-du, could not hide his surprise at the appearance of a legendary weapon..

Even the other one was a legendary item, and that was…….

[Item information]

- Name: Fragment of the Sun (Legendary))

- Effect: Grants the ‘Power of Helios’ to the item..

“omg—!”

Previously, the ‘Salamander’s Orb (Hero)’ was given to Mowlay to gain powerful skills..

However, if you give a legendary orb to Mjolnir, which is legendary,…….

‘I have no idea what kind of monster this will be..’

***

War is coming. That's self-evident..

But there was no way to avoid the war.

Even though you know the storm is coming, it's like you end up getting swept away.…….

So, who is the person with the biggest concerns in Korea at the moment??

It was definitely Woo Seong-moon, head of the National Gate Response Strategy Office..

He was currently looking at downtown Seoul from the backseat of a moving car..

Skyscrapers that have already overcome numerous crises and are standing tall brilliantly…….

The strength of this country seemed to come out in the solidity of that forest of buildings..

but…….

‘There will be a big wave soon. If we don't welcome it properly, this country will sink like a ferry boat..'

At this moment, the legions of Black Orcs are gathering in the Black Orc Kingdom of Shanghai..

‘The number of black oaks measured this morning is... … There are already over 10,000.’

Even the number of ‘wyverns’, which appear to be intended to carry such enormous troops, reaches 391..

Has there ever been such a large number of monsters gathered in one place in history??

There was no doubt that the Black Orc Kingdom had become stronger than during the last ‘Shanghai Restoration War’..

‘If they land on this land, Korea may face a second era of colonial rule..’

Meanwhile, this fact was witnessed through most artificial satellites and was already known to the public..

- [Breaking News] Shanghai Orc Kingdom war preparations captured (2 reports))

- Black Orc Kingdom's military movements captured about two months after the declaration of war 'Why now??’

- Public anxiety deepens due to the 'visibility' of a war with the Black Orc Kingdom that even China could not win... … Countermeasures?

- Gate Response Experts: “It’s not happening, we may not be the target”.”

The fear of war was once again brewing in this country..

‘This will be a disaster beyond the 4th wave. We must muster all the strength we can..’

Woo Seong-moon was busy even before this commotion arose. He maintained contact with his allies and requested a joint response, and also asked the civilian guilds to do their best in the event of an emergency..

Then they all said that if war broke out, they would do their best to help... … First of all, that's what I said..

But strangely enough, no one could believe it..

"Although they are said to be allies on face value, they all have dark intentions,.......'

In the past, there was a time when humanity was united in a human mission to respond to national gates..

However, humanity has completely adapted to this hellish era... … Selfish politics has begun again.

All countries that offered to send troops in the event of war all mentioned 'Laputa'..

To put it simply, it was a blatant plan to obtain permission to use Laputa in return for sending troops..

'……It's not that I don't understand, but it's disgusting..’

Laputa, a transcendent object, is something that can shake up the international situation, so it is natural that it is coveted..

However, the South Korean government has not yet made any decisions and no war has broken out. However, the way they gather together and discuss things like ‘joint operation of Laputa’… … It was insulting.

In other words, the moment they borrowed the power of their allies, Laputa had no choice but to be taken hostage. Furthermore, if a war actually breaks out and the Republic of Korea's national power is weakened, they will try to extort much more..

‘And if a war breaks out, private guilds will all be busy fending for themselves.…….'

4When the tea wave broke out, the foundation was already revealed. In an age where individuals have too much power, solidarity fades dramatically. This was also a new social problem.

As his last hope, Woo Seong-moon met trustworthy and powerful players one after another..

Among them was Lee Seong-yoon, the country's No. 1 person who had not set foot on the Korean Peninsula in the past year..

The 'Zmunnarae Attack Team 1' commanded by him is evaluated as having more strength than a normal AMT division..

So, on the day I met him, I naturally asked him to join me in the coming war..

But the answer that came back was…….

"hmm… … Director, I'm sorry, but I can't stop this 'quest' now..”

his voice was firm.

What quest could be more important than the existence of one's country?…….

Woo Seong-moon could not criticize Lee Seong-yoon's indifferent attitude..

‘I know. How important is the work that Seongyoon Lee and his group do?…….'

For the past three years, he has been working on a quest by targeting high-ranking gates around the world..

The reason was, grandiosely, to prevent the worst ‘event’ called ‘the end of humanity’..

"Don’t you know this well, Mr. Manager? The final event of this game will ultimately be the ‘apocalypse’. And now our team has succeeded in discovering one of them..”

He went on to say that even a little distraction could make or break the quest..

"Hmm, Titanomachiara.……."

"yes? Manager, what did you say??”

As Woo Seong-moon mumbled, team leader Lee Gyo-jun turned his head from the front passenger seat..

"no, nothing.”

The invasion of Titanomachia giants will begin one day.

That was the final prophecy of the 'Prophet' player who died 3 years ago..

Several top players, including Lee Seong-yoon, were secretly fighting to prevent that day..

But before that happened, this country was about to be trampled by the Black Orc Kingdom..

"under......."

Woo Seong-moon felt uncharacteristically impatient..

No matter how much I thought about it, there was a significant lack of power..

It was then.

"Director, this is news from Laputa. Lee Hyun-wook… … They say they’re finally back."

Just hearing that news made Woo Seong-moon feel like some of the pain in his heart was relieved..

Finally, the most reliable and powerful firepower at the moment is back..

"And he says he is urgently looking for the manager now..”

"Um, why??”

"I think I have something to tell you about the upcoming war..”

Woo Seong-moon felt relieved once again. As expected, Lee Hyun-wook did not forget the war..

‘And maybe he was preparing better than anyone else..’

Woo Seong-moon had expectations whether he knew it or not..

"Team leader, I’m going to Laputa right now..”

***

From the moment Lee Hyun-wook returned, the situation began to change rapidly..

First, the sky began to turn somewhat yellow, like a sign of the apocalypse..

It was not a familiar pollution phenomenon such as yellow dust or fine dust..

4It was similar to how the sky in Seoul turned purple during the Tea Wave..

- [Breaking News] The phenomenon of the sky turning yellow across the Korean Peninsula, presumed to be a war cloud event (1 report))

- The start of the War Cloud event... … Is war inevitable??

It was a phenomenon commonly called a ‘war cloud event’ and was a preview just before a war event..

At this point, the production capabilities of all manufacturing players will improve and an experience increase event will begin. This could be interpreted as the system itself urging us to prepare for the coming war..

The Ministry of National Defense took the phenomenon seriously and placed all AMT units on 'defensive readiness'. In addition, a player mobilization order was issued, and even private guilds stopped all strategy activities and began preparations for war..

Because the enemy has not yet moved, no national evacuation order has been issued..

However, virtually all functions of the Republic of Korea came to a complete halt..

Seoul, the huge city center was once again immersed in silence..

And now, a helicopter flies between the buildings..

Doo doo doo doo——

"Team leader, how many black orcs have gathered now??”

Inside the helicopter, in response to Woo Seong-moon's question, team leader Lee Gyo-jun held out a tablet PC..

- 13,551

- 511

Currently, there are 13,551 Black Orc soldiers and 511 Wyverns... … continues to increase.

"And if you look at the next picture, they say they are preparing a lot of 'totems'..”

“……Um, I see? What is this?”

"It can't simply be a totem for religious reasons, and it's obvious that it contains magic. It is said that Black Orcs were often seen installing such totems during the Shanghai Restoration War..”

Perhaps, the moment they hit the Korean peninsula, all kinds of strange spells would spread..

However, another disturbing news arrived..

"I… … Manager, you should take a look at this too..”

Team leader Kyojun Lee presented another tablet PC. What a video it was.

Don't press the play button—

- Hello, dear subscribers! do you know where this is?

"This man is Chinese ranker Liu Yuan, who is also a famous internet broadcaster in China..”

Woo Seong-moon looked at Lee Kyo-jun with an expression asking why he was showing such frivolous things..

"Great, but the place in the video... … It is a collection of black oaks in Shanghai..”

Only then did Woo Seong-moon open his eyes wide and look at the background behind the man in the video..

There were really half-collapsed buildings, and I saw a wyvern flying between them..

And the orcs' cries were heard loudly here and there..

- I'm sure you're all surprised as to why and how I could be here, right? Me too!

"That man says he went there at the invitation of the Orc Kingdom. He also said that a Chinese public broadcasting station would soon arrive and report Black Oak's position. Although it is information that has not yet been confirmed... … Looking at you standing there, it doesn't look like you're talking nonsense.."

So, it meant that the Black Orc Kingdom had now invited media representatives from human society..

- Guys, do you see over there? and… … There must be well over 100,000 orcs gathered here! And soon, one of the leading figures of the Black Orc Kingdom will be on that podium! Hahaha! From my perspective, this looks like the worst event of all time. to be honest… … It must be fun?

"Huh, indeed……."

This was an astonishing situation in many ways. Ahead of the war, the monster side's position is being conveyed through human media... … When did the world become so bizarre??

“……The end has finally come.”

It was a scene that he could not easily understand..

And then, the helicopter arrived at its destination, Laputa..

The one who greeted them was the huge bronze giant, Talos..

Thump—thud—

「(^_^) Welcome! The Master is waiting.」

To have such a monster welcome guests... … Visitors to Laputa didn't seem to be able to make a fuss..

They were guided to the Order Tower, where they encountered Lee Hyun-wook..

"Director Woo, I was planning to visit you, but thank you for coming all the way here yourself..”

After Hyunwook Lee said that, he turned his head and looked at the sky outside the window..

"Anyway, it's faster than I thought. Now that the war cloud event has started, the war will begin soon.?”

Lee Kyo-Jun answered that question..

"Satellite observation shows that the gathering procession is still continuing, so there is at least four days left..”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded and floated a metal pen in the air..

"Four days……."

He seemed to think for a moment, then opened his mouth..

"……However, their invasion campaign has probably already begun. No, it's been quite a while..”

"Do you remember the first air raid? They disguised themselves as polymorphs and tried to assassinate me. As I recall, at that time, a number of orcs were summoned through some strange spell. In other words, in one way or another, they have already infiltrated various parts of the Korean Peninsula... … They'll be preparing for the start of the war.."

Even though it was a small country surrounded by sea on three sides, it could not stop the smuggling of foreigners..

However, if a large organization tries to infiltrate using strange magic, how can you stop it??

"So this war... … It starts after you have as many advantageous moves as you can over there..”

But all of that was something Woo Seong-moon was also aware of..

"hmm… … I guess that's not why you asked to meet with me about this war.?”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded and put down the coffee cup he was holding on the table..

"This war is already unavoidable, and the enemy's situation is much better. We can't fight like this..”

It was an undeniable fact.

"Yes… … Even if we win, there is a high possibility that our country will suffer enormous damage and fall..”

China's national power also weakened after the war with the Black Orcs. Even though it was just an ‘attack’.

"Yes, we need to somehow change the situation to our advantage before the war begins..”

At Lee Hyun-wook’s words, Woo Seong-moon and Lee Kyo-jun could not hide their puzzled expressions..

If that were possible, we should try it right now..

"So what I mean is, as I said before, let's strike first..”

"yes? no way… … Magic missiles, has something like that been developed??”

However, only a few weeks had passed since that conversation, and unexpectedly, the Black Orcs' preparations for war were much faster. Realistically, there was no time to develop new missiles or anything like that..

Sure enough, Lee Hyun-wook shook his head..

"Unfortunately that's not the case.”

Woo Seong-moon, who had been hopeful for a moment, quenched his appetite..

At that time, Hyunwook Lee shook his head and began to quickly rotate the ballpoint pen in his hand..

Whoosh—whoosh—

"However, the troop concentration area has overwhelming firepower that can wipe out everything gathered there..”

It was Lee Hyun-wook who spoke with confidence and a strong tone. However, no matter how much the two thought about it, they could not think of a way to inflict effective damage on the enemy's main forces after taking the risk of crossing the West Sea..

It was impossible to wipe out that huge army even if there were 10 ‘Archmage’ General Choi Jeong-cheol..

And even if there were 10 people, there's no way they would allow infiltration without being stupid.?

"In conclusion, instead of the magic missile I mentioned last time,……."

As Lee Hyun-wook said that, he released the metal control from the ballpoint pen raised above his head..

pong—

A free-falling ballpoint pen, the metal chunks fall into the stainless steel cup and splatter coffee in all directions..

“……I'll fall on their heads.”

He was the overwhelming firepower itself..