The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 139
139fury.
================================
Hyunwook Lee was sitting across from Donalds Harris inside the Fridwen..
A bald white old man with a grumpy look all over his body.…….
Even in his past life, Lee Hyun-wook had only seen this man a couple of times..
So I didn't know exactly what kind of personality he was..
‘As far as I know, they harbored a deep distrust of humans and rarely communicated with the outside world..’
Like the saint, she is a hermit who stays in a secret study inside the World Tree and never goes outside... … I don't know why he came all the way to this far away place, but it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary..
Then he took something out of his pocket..
It was a cigarette, but it wasn't an ordinary cigarette..
"Is smoking allowed indoors??”
"Oh, it doesn't matter.”
“Would you like to smoke one too??”
“I am okay.”
Then he added that since it is made from the young leaves of the world tree, it actually gives a good buff..
I wonder if it makes sense to say that cigarettes are good for your health, but it is possible if it is a by-product of the World Tree..
Cheeeeee—
A small spark rose from the tip of his finger and lit the end of the cigarette..
Then a water ball formed in the other hand and froze into a cup..
Squeak—
Cold water fills up inside of it on its own..
At first glance, this may seem like a strange magic trick, but it is actually a deceptive ability..
‘4S-class elementalist who can use all dog spirits…….'
In other words, the powers of fire, water, earth, and wind can all be used. It's not just about performing a few magic tricks, it's about being able to reach the highest level in all aspects... … It really couldn't have been a fraudulent ability..
Immediately afterwards, a wind spirit emerged from his shoulder and began to rotate around their bodies..
Wooooow——
It rotated so fast that the airflow—and sound—was blocked. It was some kind of silence magic..
Then, without any unnecessary introduction, he got straight to the point..
"The war event has just ended, but would you believe it if another big event was coming to this land??”
He said something like a prophecy with a calm expression..
'big event?’
However, from Lee Hyun-wook’s memory, there were no major events for the time being..
Therefore, I had no choice but to doubt whether those words were true or not..
“……how do you know that?”
Before asking what the big event was, I was asked how I knew..
"When I say things like this, they usually just believe it, but not you.?”
“Is predicting events like that one of the abilities of the World Tree??”
Donald Harris drank cold water as if he were savoring it and then secretly expressed his cynicism..
"This is Won, it looks like you don’t believe me. yes?”
"That's not true, I'm just being as careful as possible..”
"If so, can I tell you in more detail??”
Hyunwook Lee nodded, and Donald Harris began to explain..
"Fruit: The World Tree periodically produces various fruits. Among them, there is a black fruit, and if you swallow it, you will see an event scheduled to be created within the World Tree's area. It's like a movie trailer.”
He eats the fruit once a month and has predicted the number of gates that will appear in the Republic of Chad..
And today was the day to harvest the fruit.…….
"I swallowed it this morning, and a rather unfamiliar scene unfolded before my eyes. No matter how I looked, it wasn't Chad, and when I looked for it, it was this land, Korea. Perhaps there is some connection between the sacred trees..”
"……So, what did you see??”
“A scene where a city center somewhere in this country turns gray and burns, and a being with huge wings passes by above it... … It's going to happen in the next 30 days, so you have to prepare now..”
He completely burned the cigarette butt, sent it flying in the wind, and opened his mouth..
"Like you and me, this blessing we hold is actually a debt to disaster..”
A blessing owes disaster... … It was by no means a common idea..
As has been the case so far, on the contrary, only by preventing disaster will blessings, or rewards, come..
Aren’t the World Tree, Laputa, and Shindan Tree all the result of conquering a massive disaster??
‘But if you think about it, eventually you will have to face another disaster someday..’
This is a game. And for a fun game, the conflict must be repeated and its scale must become larger. In that sense, if the total amount of existing ‘blessings’ is high… … The coming disaster had to be that big too..
That is the concept of ‘level design’, the balance of the game..
'Could it be that I got too ahead of myself and the difficulty level suddenly increased??’
Compared to my previous life, I feel so peaceful now..
Previously, we completely attacked the 4th wave and blocked erosion..
And destroyed the Black Orc army several years early..
‘The boss monster, Stonnox, is still alive, but it has been defeated in the event.…….'
In my previous life, problems that were solved years later ended too soon..
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and asked as if he understood what was being said..
“then… … Do you know what the big event is specifically about??”
Before answering, I took out another cigarette and asked. Is this a hobby of an old man who lives alone??
Anyway, they said it would smell good, but the smoke's unique burnt smell seemed unavoidable..
"after—"
Immediately after, the words that came out of his mouth were thicker than cigarette smoke..
“……An adult dragon named 'Azi Dahaka' will appear along with Angra Mainyu's army.."
At that point, Lee Hyun-wook took a slow breath..
‘Dragon, that's an adult too…….'
As of now, the dragon has only appeared once..
But it was a sub-adult that had just left the hatchling stage..
Therefore, the appearance of the adult dragon was the worst disaster..
However, while Lee Hyun-wook was surprised, he also had a strange sense of anticipation..
‘……Aji Dahaka, this is the one I caught..’
The Black Dragon and its troops appear in Suwon a few years later.…….
All the players in this land had to come forward and raid..
And, Lee Hyun-wook killed the guy by putting a mogley in his head..
Of course, dropping a Mowlay from a low altitude did not mean it could be killed instantly..
To make that possible, we had to cut down the dragon's mana shield, which wasn't easy..
'Anyway, since I caught him once, can I say it was a blessing in disguise??’
Lee Hyun-wook found out how to attack the level 199 giant boss monster... … knew very well.
At that time, Donald Harris smiled and tilted his upper body..
"And if you're going to deal with that disaster, I think I can support you..”
The manager of the World Tree provides support.…….
Until now, I had used the power of the World Tree indirectly through the saint..
However, if Donald Harris himself touches it... … It would be on a different level..
However, Lee Hyun-wook was not very pleased with those words..
‘But why are you so willing to help??’
As far as he knew, Donald Harris was not the type of person to do goodwill to anyone so easily..
In my past life, when Lee Hyun-wook was a guardian, I remembered going to him and asking for help..
Wasn't he the person who was initially rejected as a dark-hearted bastard, including the Guardian??
‘In the end, he was right…….'
Anyway, it was clear that I wasn't the type of person to help without any other reason..
just as expected…….
"Of course, there is one condition..”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded as if he had been waiting..
"There's a dragon on my world tree, Yggdrasil, and he's Nidhogg.……."
Nidhogg, in Norse mythology, was a dragon who lived by gnawing on the roots of Yggdrasil..
By now, Donald Harris would be locking him up so he wouldn't get out..
However, in the future, the Dark Elf Legion releases Nidhogg shortly after occupying the Republic of Chad..
And that guy devours Donald Harris, who remained on the World Tree until the end and fought against it..
"For now, I am suppressing it with the power of the World Tree, but more and more power is needed..”
“……That's what's limiting the growth of the world tree.?”
"Okay, so I need to get rid of him as soon as possible, but I can also prepare for retirement.?”
It was a world tree that expanded explosively right after its birth, but at some point its growth stopped..
The world was assessing that it would be the complete world tree, but that didn't seem to be the case..
"If you kill Aji Dahaka and become a dragon slayer, then you will be helping me..”
Once you catch a dragon, you will receive the ‘achievement’ of becoming a dragon slayer..
And the weapon that killed the dragon also has the 'option' of dragon slayer..
From then on, hunting dragons became much easier..
"How about not only preventing the upcoming big event, but also becoming a dragon slayer??”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded without hesitation..
"Since we can't move the whole country, we have no choice but to hold it together..”
"It's fun, isn't it? Judging by the fact that his expression hasn't changed at all, it's not like he's bragging. Pretty reliable.”
How could this man, who trusted no one and acted alone until the last moment, say such a thing?…….
‘Did you think of me favorably??’
No matter how much I thought about it, it was surprising in many ways..
But apart from that uncomfortable feeling, Lee Hyun-wook was planning to take what he could from this conversation..
“Oh, but I also have one condition..”
"hmm? Speaking of conditions, what other conditions are needed here??”
"Sorry, I haven't accepted the deal yet.”
Then Donald Harris laughed as if it was absurd..
"I said I would provide support directly, but are you saying you want to make a deal??”
As for the support of the World Tree manager, it was definitely not a loss, although the extent has not been discussed yet..
But to ask for more here was nothing more than a foolish act..
however.......
"that is… … Honestly, I'm confident I can do it without Mr. Harris' support..”
By saying that there was nothing to regret, he was implying that he was confident in overturning the transaction itself..
‘Regardless of who had the bigger hand in the first place, the one who traded first is more disappointed..’
Those words brought a slight smile to Donald Harris' face..
“Okay, what are the conditions??”
Lee Hyun-wook took out the item he obtained during the 4th wave from his pocket..
[Item information]
- Name: Seed of Mystiltein (Unknown))
- no effect
That was ‘Mistilteinn’, a weapon of god killing..
Although it is still in the seed stage, like mistletoe, it was able to grow as a parasite on sourwood..
"Can I borrow the power of the World Tree??”
Although I obtained the Divine Dansu, it would have been better to use the power of Yggdrasil as nourishment..
***
After finishing the conversation, the two people came out of the Fridwen and stood in front of the new tree..
yes——
As I approached, the 'Paljuryeong' I had kept in my bosom reacted..
- The new tree ‘Sindansu’ is taking root.. (31%)
* The currently available ‘Master Permissions’ are as follows:.
1) Deployment of sacred shield (radius of 3 km))
2) Strengthening the Blessing of Life (60 minutes))
‘It's in the process of being rooted, so it looks like not all features are activated yet..’
At that time, Donald Harris placed his hand on the Shindansu..
"I was looking up the belief in Shindansu and the sacred tree, and I came across it. It appears in the founding myth of this country.?”
"Yes, that's right. But from Mr. Harris’s perspective, is it clearly weaker than the World Tree??”
"hmm… … The power of the World Tree is weaker than when it first appeared, but it is still a sacred tree. It will be a blessing beyond whatever you expect. But there will be more enemies.……."
He said that and walked over to Hresvelg, the huge bird crouching behind him..
And then he took something out of the huge leather pouch stuffed around the guy's neck..
“what is that?”
A wood carving of a bird was attached to the end of a long wooden stick..
‘Sotdae?’
At that time, the wind spirits appeared and floated it high in the sky before slamming it down to the ground..
Suddenly—!
The moment the pole hit the floor, a bright light burst out..
yes——
- ‘Guardian Spirit’s Yard’ will be activated in the area. (Remaining time: 15 days)
"Now, for the next 15 days, access to monsters and dark players will be blocked..”
It blocked the possibility of those who were wary of sacred trees trying to target them in the early stages..
"I want you to know that this sotdae is a very precious gift that can only be made once or twice a year..”
That wasn't the end of his gift..
"And this, if you install this, it will help you in many ways..”
He held out a transparent glass box..
There was something in it... … It was none other than a beehive..
[object information]
- Name: Shinmok Beehive
- Effect: When ‘installing’ the object, the following effects are applied:.
1) Habitat Defense: A group attack is carried out when an ‘hostile’ approaches within a certain radius (3 km)..
2) Holy Honey Production: Generates honey containing divine power at certain intervals (1 day)..
* This object can only be installed on ‘Shinmok’.
Should I say this is some kind of security system??
Lee Hyun-wook installed the object in the thickest part of the branches of Shindansu..
"As you probably already know, there is a shield function among the Divine Tree's master powers, so make use of that as well..”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and selected dome deployment from the previous ‘master authority’ menu..
Wooooow——
A translucent dome spread from Udumji in Sindansu, covering a 3km radius around it..
"Okay, in the next few months this island will be the most expensive island in the world.?"
Within a few days, the power of Shindansu would cover the entire Ganghwa Island and turn it into a mana ecosystem. Accordingly, fresh mana permeates throughout the island, rare herbs bloom, and the water turns into holy water..
‘When the time comes to utilize this power properly... … You will be able to subdue the necromancer..’
Of course, the villain side also noticed the appearance of the second sacred tree and also properly confirmed the presence of the saint..
‘Of course, they will do their best to prepare something in response..’
and… … The one who prepares well will be the final winner..
***
Reinforcements from the Republic of Chad opened the 'World Bridge' and returned.
Lee Hyun-wook returned to Laputa after entrusting Shindansu's security to team leader Lee Kyo-jun..
Hyunwook Lee sat down at the order tower and began processing the backlog of work..
First of all, the quest content was updated when the dimension shifter William Bernard was killed..
[main quest]
- Second chance at life, duty, destiny…….
1) Track down the 'Black Gate' that is open somewhere in the world..
2) Past Life—Defeat the 'Dimension Shifters' who will come from the first world.. (1/3)
3) Encounter ‘■■■’ who knows the truth of this world..
‘3It's 1 in 1... … That means you have to catch a total of 3 people.?’
Among the future villains, William Bernard was the easiest opponent..
But other than that, all the names that immediately came to mind were difficult..
And especially…….
‘Necromancer… … If he comes, that's a different story..’
Even in the current battle with the necromancer, he was defeated..
But if the necromancer comes 8 years later…….
‘……Definitely lose.’
However, the 'trigger' for the appearance of the dimension shifter was an encounter with the current William Bernard..
‘no way… … Just meeting each other doesn't mean that dimensional movement begins.?’
I thought perhaps it was fortunate that I did not encounter the necromancer directly during this battle. And unless you are fully prepared, it is better not to clash with the necromancer..
And from what William Bernard said when he appeared, one thing kept ringing in my head:.
‘The words he muttered over and over again, Transcendence Quest... … What on earth is that??’
That's why they come over here…….
I had no clue right now..
But there would come a moment in the future when the veil would be lifted..
‘For that time, we must constantly increase our strength to move forward..’
And the easiest way to increase strength was, of course, a good item..
Just—
When Lee Hyun-wook snapped his fingers, a metal box flew out of nowhere..
What was inside was none other than the skull of William Bernard..
‘This feels like robbing a grave.?’
Lee Hyun-wook checked the items on the guy’s body one by one..
- Obtained Black Drake Leather Armor (Skilled).
- Obtained the Adamant Full Plate Armor Set (Skilled).
- Acquired the treasured sword of the Dark Elf assassin leader: Red Shadow (Hero)..
Every time you touch, skill or hero grade items appear one after another..
‘As expected, there are a lot of useful things?’
And finally, I found a legendary item..
- You have obtained Draupnir (Legendary).
'This was mine too…….'
In his previous life, it seemed like this bastard took most of the things he had..
This bracelet, Draupnir, is one of the treasures of Odin, the highest god of Norse mythology, and was said to be replicated eight times every nine days. However, in this game it was set to slightly different abilities..
[Item information]
- Name: Draupnir (Legendary))
- effect
1) Creation: A total of 8 pieces of 100-200g of ‘random magic metal’ are created every 9 days..
2) Storage: A total of 81 generated magic metals can be stored in its own subspace..
In this way, it was changed from replicating the golden bracelet to producing magic metal..
‘Because gold is of no use in this game..’
The function of this item was focused on the productive aspect rather than combat..
‘To me, it was kind of a snack bag.…….'
In my past life, there was no easy way to obtain quality metal other than the function of this bracelet..
At that time, because I grew up late, I had no choice but to rely on the support of the Guardian..
So even though this bracelet is metal, I didn't dare to swallow it because it was a waste..
‘But this life is different.’
gulp—
He boldly swallowed ‘Draupnir’.
Lee Hyun-wook was also curious about what kind of skills he would develop if he ate this..
At that time, the Mana Messenger rang..
- Sir, I recognized what you asked for. It is said that the currently available flight seats are approximately 2 tons..
This voice was Kang Jeong-du.
- By the way, what did you say you were using this for? Because I didn't get it from the employee..
"I wish they could make the Iron Golem or Living Armor fly.”
- .......
At those words, silence followed for a moment. It seemed like a pretty far-fetched idea..
At that time, a ball-shaped Talos speaker came down from above..
「(°><°) Can I finally fly??」
I thought this guy said he wanted to fly someday..
- Well, it won't be easy. You need a lot of flight stones, and mana supply is also a problem.…….
In recent years, Kang Jeong-doo had been learning air craft manufacturing techniques while interacting with the Gray Dwarves..
However, making Living Armor fly seemed to be in a completely different context..
- By the way, please tell me for what purpose you need the flight function and I will adjust the level..
“Flying monster... … So, soon, I have to catch something flying..”
- Oh, that wyvern you hunted last time? Are you trying to catch something like that??
"This time we'll catch something a little bigger than that..”
- okay. Then, I will experiment with this and that with my employees and then get back to you..
After ending his communication with Kang Jeong-du, Lee Hyun-wook stood up..
There was still one more thing to take care of..
“Now, finally... … Should we check out the Geoshin Disease Research Institute??”
After winning the war against the Black Orc Legion, Ed On merged with Laputa..
The huge airship became a building and clung to Laputa's right side..
"Talos, you can enter the Colossus Lab.?”
「oh! I haven't turned on the power yet, but I can do it right away.!」
After a while, when I got there, I discovered something amazing..
"......uh?"
And the moment he witnessed it, Talos was even more excited than Lee Hyun-wook..
「Q(°0°)Q Oooooh——Well, I never even dreamed it would be here.!」
Comments