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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 143

143fury. 

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Five gates opened in downtown Suwon and an army of monsters began pouring out..

Thump—thump—thump—thud—

A drum resting on the back of a huge elephant, its sound spreading far through the empty city center..

An army of darkness bearing the name of 'Angra Mainyu', the greatest evil god of Zoroastrianism... … And the boss monster that would appear in the final act of the series was a black dragon called 'Aji Dahaka'..

Dozens of drone cameras floating in the sky were filming the scene and transporting it around the world..

Meanwhile, the place with the second largest number of viewers after the Slayers official channel was.

- News that the Dragon Gate has finally opened—and it's a five-layered gate!!

- There has never been a quintuple gate before. As expected, the dragon is huge..

- And the first monster to appear in the first eruption was the Twin Head Ogre.!

- Yes, this is not good. I expect it will never be an easy fight..

At that time, something unusual was captured by the magic drone camera that illuminated the area in the distance..

The camera director on site sensed something strange and ordered the camera to focus on that point..

whiz—

As a result of zooming in, it is.......

- Uh, look over there! someone is floating in the sky!

A man was floating in the air, looking down at Angra Mainyu's army..

- Steele Rain—! he appeared!

- It couldn't have been a very quick appearance..

- How did you react so immediately??

It was Steele Rain's first move in a match that attracted the world's attention..

- Now, the first issue is who will first detect and respond to the Dragon Gate outbreak??

As the MC started the rhyme, today's guest commentator Tyrone Thompson shook his head..

- well. Everyone thinks that way, but surprisingly, I don't think it's that important..

He was ranked 5th in the US player rankings and was the head of strategy for Guild, the strongest guild in North America. In other words, his every word was evaluated as the best opinion in the player world..

- Oh, really? This is an unusual opinion, different from that of other experts. What is the reason??

- The dragon won't come out from the first 'eruption', so preemptive attack will be a waste of stamina..

- ah! So, even if you hit it first, it has nothing to do with the real goal of killing the dragon??

- Yes, the one who hits first may suffer losses before the dragon appears. Even if it's steel rain, it won't be able to kill that many troops quickly, and it will be a waste in the end..

but…….

- Uh, um, what is that again??

The moment Laputa appeared through the sky and dark clouds, all predictions and opinions became meaningless..

- .......

All the broadcasters who were highlighting this moment just looked dumbfounded.…….

- Three, oh my god, what else is happening... … Thompson, do you have any idea what's going on here??

In response to the MC's question, Tyrone Thompson opened his mouth and then closed it again. And shook her head.

- after… … I was foolish. As expected, Stillane, comes up with a method that goes beyond imagination..

His still serious voice was trembling slightly..

There was a strange feeling of excitement in it..

It was a scene that even the highest level players could not help but shudder at..

- So, do you expect that the appearance of Laputa will cause a huge surprise??

- If we can use that huge floating city, it will unleash firepower beyond what we know..

There are three factors that determine Lee Hyun-wook’s firepower..

First, the number of metals that can be moved at once is the ‘quantity’..

Second, is the level of functionality of the metal itself, that is, ‘quality’..

Third, there is a way to store and supply metal, that is, ‘supply’..

And of these, the third thing that could bring about the most dramatic change was distribution..

In that respect, the wide-area magic Link—Steel Rain using a portal or an airdrop device was useful. If you use 'gravity', which is the force of spontaneous falling, the amount of metal that can be used at one time increases significantly..

That's why he spared no expense in measuring airdrop devices and building things like war boxes..

'And Laputa is the best airdrop device that cannot be reproduced no matter how much money is spent..’

Hyunwook Lee began to sense Laputa coming down through the dark clouds and the metals within it..

Wooooow——

The steel fleet deployed around it, completely surrounding Laputa..

At that time, Talos' voice entered my ears..

「Master, all weapons are on standby.!」

“Okay, wait..”

Until now, Laputa itself had been protected and did not move above Seoul Station..

However, if the enemy is not targeting Laputa and a battle occurs in the streets adjacent to Seoul,.......

'……Laputa becomes the best weapon.’

In fact, it has a bomb load equivalent to that of an aircraft carrier flyer floating in the sky, no, even more..

That's it——!

As Laputa's huge shadow fell overhead, the Angra Mainyu army began to be on guard..

They scattered in all directions and began preparing siege weapons. It's a pretty systematic move..

"Well, if you don't know anything about how my attack unfolds,……."

The monsters who first set foot in this world had no way of knowing the existence of Steel Rain..

“……You'll have to learn by getting hit a lot..”

Piiiiii——!

It all started with Mogley, three flashes of light that started at a low altitude and crossed the sky vertically..

The mass drop weapon, commonly known as the 'Staff of God', is actually only as powerful as the same weight of TNT. In other words, it can cause a large impact to a single point, but it is difficult to devastate a huge area..

And even if the ground was smashed to create a crater, the monsters within that range did not die..

This is because a simple shock wave alone cannot break the ‘barrier’ of high-ranking monsters..

However, if the target was only one target, the Twin Head Ogre, it would perform well..

- Evil God Cultist Twin Head Ogre (LV)：109)

The gigantic boss monster stared blankly at the flash of light piercing the dark clouds..

Since I had never seen anything like that before, I couldn't think of any response and was slow to act. Even though she felt a sense of crisis even belatedly, she moved her body, but she could not go faster than the speed of Mogley's fall..

bang--! bang--! bang——!

3The whole earth shook as the dog Mogley pierced through the three twin-headed ogres..

Kwa-ga-ga-ga——!

The asphalt road rose up like a carpet, turning into gravel and scattering, and the buildings on both sides collapsed. The impact caused even an elephant monster the size of a five-story building to fall to its knees..

In the first offensive, the formation of Angra Mainyu's legion was completely destroyed..

But that was just the beginning.

"From now on, deploy all your firepower.”

- Chik—The entire fleet brings fire to the invaders..

The moment I heard someone's voice in my ears, Laputa's outer magic circuit lit up..

yes——

Immediately afterwards, the lower part of Laputa was opened..

And black dots started pouring down from inside..

The same work was subsequently done throughout the steel fleet..

Hwi-i-i-i——!

It was an elongated cylindrical chunk of metal..

Hundreds, thousands… … From afar, it looked like a flock of crows descending..

Hwi-i-i-i——!

When they got somewhat close to the ground, Lee Hyun-wook raised his hand..

He scattered the metal cylinders that had fallen randomly over a wide area..

To be precise, they were evenly distributed over the heads of the Angra Mainyu army..

And when I fell a little further—

‘shredding—’

Go go go go go river——!

A loud sound rings out, and the cylinder is crushed. Their ‘wrapping paper’ had been removed..

Dozens of red iron beads burst out from inside one cylinder and scattered in all directions..

‘That's real.’

It was a 'fire trap' planted on Ganghwado Island and detonated at the feet of the Black Orc army..

[Item information]

- Name: Fire Trap (Advanced)

- Effect: Caution! When a large impact is applied to the center, a 'flame explosion' occurs..

Even if it is the same item, it becomes a completely different weapon depending on how it is used..

‘This time it was converted into a high explosive bomb..’

In other words, it has become possible to provide surprising power by surprise even if it is not planted on the ground..

To put it simply, it was a ‘carpet bombing.’.

burr burr burr burr burr burr burr burr burr burr burr burr——!

The fanfare of welcome to the guests of the other world rings loudly, and the whole world turns red..

***

Slayers executives, including Edward Woods, were traveling on a transport plane..

'……It's a step late, but that's it. Eventually I catch up..’

Yes, I was only one step late. This situation has nothing to do with the outcome..

Edward Woods remained calm and those around him also regained their composure..

As a leader who overcame numerous adversities, the atmosphere was often determined by his attitude..

"In my opinion, the dragon strategy is a triathlon, not a sprint..”

He looked at the camera and said something like that, and the PD kept nodding his head..

"ah! In a triathlon, it doesn't really matter who starts faster.?”

"That's right. All three disciplines must be fully understood and performed strategically..”

Winning a triathlon wasn't something that could be achieved simply by having good physical strength..

And Dragon Raid wasn't something that could be done just because it had firepower..

You had to understand every moment, devise the right strategy, and execute it accurately..

"he is… … Although it may have firepower, I'm actually a little worried about whether it's ready for what's next. A few days ago, Steel Rain said in his interview that he knew how to attack, but I don't know.……."

He still firmly believed that he would win in the end..

"Now, let me introduce it to you at this point. This is Nisha Cape, an Indian celebrity you all know well..”

When he gestured, someone came in front of the camera and said hello..

"hello. Although it was confidential until now, I also participated in the Slayers Alliance..”

She was an S-rank support player and the world's best buffer, Nisha Cape..

Her appearance became quite an issue and spread all over the internet..

And the embargo on the press release that the Slase Alliance had distributed to media outlets early on was lifted..

Roughly speaking, the Dragon Slayer's 'secret strategy' was beginning to be revealed one by one..

“Nisha will do a really great job in this attack operation..”

"Yes, I will work hard..”

“Raid is never alone... … It's not something you can do recklessly..”

Edward Woods planned to quell 'Dragon Fear' with the 'mental barrier' she provided..

In other words, her ability was the irreplaceable key to this attack..

‘As long as there is no mental barrier like this, Steele Lane will collapse from the moment the dragon appears..’

He remembered the London Dragon incident..

‘The moment I faced it, I felt like a rabbit.…….'

It was a fundamental fear that could not be endured with mental strength alone..

However, if it is an adult black dragon, it will emit much stronger dragon fear.,

Steele Lane was destined to lose its shine and exit immediately after the dragon appeared..

'......When Stillane starts to get pushed back and is on the verge of death, I save him..’

It would have been a pretty good directing where the main character appeared to save his rival, who was running wild and reckless, when he was in danger..

When I thought about that, the corners of my mouth went up without me realizing it..

"Arriving soon!”

Soon, transport planes landed one after another on the empty eight-lane road..

At that time, a guild member came running and shouted..

"—Boss, I can't get any closer than this.!”

I knew that without even having to say it..

Ku—gu—gu—gu—gu.......

5This was because the middle gate area was completely engulfed in fire..

As Lee Hyun-wook warned earlier, it was a situation where no one dared to approach..

and…….

bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! bang!

Cannons protruding from all over Laputa were firing indiscriminately at the ground..

It was a scene as if a huge battleship was firing its guns with the momentum to destroy an uninhabited island..

A huge aerial fortress that moves with infinite power, and an aerial fortress that can be operated aggressively... … Isn't it even said that it contains the source of cutting-edge magical engineering technologies??

gulp—

Indeed, who wouldn’t covet that??

Honestly, it was a moment when I felt envious of Steele Rain..

And the Slayer Alliance could only stare blankly at the scene for a while. As Lee Hyun-wook warned, he could not enter that battlefield, so he raised his head like a dog chasing a chicken..

"Shit, they're not keeping us from coming on purpose.?”

"So the arrogant attitude of wanting to eat it all by myself was triggered again.?”

As such complaints erupted from everywhere, Edward Woods winked at his adjutant..

The deputy then ran over to stop them and get them away from the camera microphone..

This was because there was a risk that the quality would be lowered if such a voice were included in a live broadcast..

And about ten minutes later, the battlefield changed once again..

"That boss... … According to observations, almost all monsters have already been subdued..”

1Steelein completely wiped out the enormous army that emerged from the eruption..

"......."

That was right then..

"uh?”

"Pfft!"

Suddenly, multiple players were simultaneously groaning and frowning..

"You, you feel this too?”

"Ugh, suddenly my heart feels tight.……."

Edward Woods noticed something strange and quickly found his deputy..

"Adjutant, please show me the live video from the gate right now.!”

Sure enough, the open gate at the right end of the five gates was expanding........

Qua—ah—ah—ah—ah——!

There, tremendous wind pressure erupted and the buildings in the area were swept away like sand castles..

At the same time, a huge amount of mana exploded, and the mana concentration in the area increased significantly..

"What, what… … Breathing suddenly became more difficult.?”

I felt a pressure pressing down on my heart, as if I was in deep water..

In the midst of such embarrassment, Edward Woods walked in and opened his mouth..

“……That, what you are feeling, is the power of the dragon..”

Dragon, the name has finally appeared.

"her… … How on earth am I supposed to fight like this??”

"Iknow, right! I can't use my power like this!”

Questions were flying in from all over, it was a planned line, in other words, it was directed..

And Edward Woods smiled and gave the expected answer..

"That's all I prepared........"

But his words were cut off again this time..

bang!

A nearby high-rise building was shattered as if it had been hit by something..

The fragments rained down on the players like hail..

"Damn, what happened all of a sudden?!”

"Watch out for your head!”

I caught a glimpse of a huge black shape beyond the building whose upper floor had been blown away..

Those were the wings of the film..

Hung—— Hung——

With each flap of its wings, the half-crushed building lowered little by little, as if it were being torn apart..

Soon, it rose into the sky, and two red eyes appeared in the high sky..

With dark clouds and hazy dust in the background, it looked like two supernovae floating in space..

"omg—”

On the one hand, at first glance, you could feel the brilliance of a huge ruby ​​gem. But if you look closely… … You experience the indescribable power contained within and fall into instinctive fear..

In the end, when I unconsciously lower my gaze, only then do I see the elegant body of that being..

Yes, a body with smooth, hard scales that goes well with the word beautiful... … . It was 70 meters long from head to tail, and with its wings spread it would have been three times taller than that..

A gigantic being whose every part is carved from a material known as intimidation and fear........

Go—oh—oh—oh——

The black dragon, Aji Dahaka, has finally appeared..

It looked down at the ground and slowly opened its mouth..

「Nasty people… … Jim is determined to reduce you to ashes..」

The voice was not a voice. she couldn't say it sounded like that.

But it was ‘recognized’ in my head..

and.......

K-ah-ah-ah——!

The moment that existence roars—

"Ugh, wow— wow—”

"Ugh, uhhh......."

"Wow——”

Moans and screams rang out from everywhere..

A warning system message appeared in their eyes..

- caution! Exposed to Dragon Fear.

* I feel an unbearable fear.

* All abilities are greatly reduced. (-40%)

He was exposed to the dragon fear that appeared with a roar and fell into the fear..

Just then, Edward Woods' card was ready—Nisha Cape made her move..

widely—

She struck the floor with her staff and chanted a spell..

Go-oh-oh-oh-oh——

Then a golden shield symbol appeared above the players' heads..

It was a 'mental barrier' spell that could withstand dragon fear..

"her......."

Soon, the players who had overcome their peers sighed and came to their senses..

They looked at Edward Woods with dumbfounded expressions..

"......."

He was still standing there with a calm expression..

Dragon Slayer, thanks to that title, he was able to maintain an upright posture..

With everyone's eyes on him, he grabbed his spear and walked forward..

"now… … Stillane can't do anything. In other words, it's our turn!"

Then, the moment when the red spear is raised towards the sky and the most dramatic advance is ordered.—

“I, I… … DS, things are a bit……."

This time too, an NG that cut off the pulse occurred at a dramatic moment..

Edward Woods' eyebrows twitched violently..

But this time, it was none other than the PD who made the NG..

"that is… … Take a look at this.”

He handed the tablet PC to Edward Woods with a half-fazed expression..

"......."

After checking the screen, Edward Woods turned his head and looked somewhere..

In the sky, on the other side of Aji Dahaka, there was still a dot floating in the sky..

"steel rain……."

According to Edwards Woods' words, he should have been trembling in fear, limping over the dragon pier..

But he was still floating in the sky, facing the black dragon..

And a Mowglai slowly approached him..

His left hand stretched forward and the sword slowly laid horizontally, aiming at the black dragon..

Even when facing the absolute being, the black dragon, I felt the will to fight back without any hesitation.,

That means he also predicted and responded to Dragon Fear..

And that too, so perfectly..

“……Why is Stillane so fine? Surely he knows all the strategies??"

The PD asked without realizing it, as if he had forgotten about the broadcast..

"......."

It didn't take long to realize that was the wrong question..

"Oh, that's it……."

“PD, let’s just stop broadcasting..”

Edward Woods still had a calm face, but his voice was somehow sharp..

And his gaze was not towards the black dragon, but towards Steele Lane..

“……yes?”

"Broadcast, let's stop here..”

"Well, that's……."

"Come on, let's turn off the broadcast..”

"I really have to do it right from now on..”

In the end, Sleaze's official broadcast channel was shut down..

Immediately afterwards, Edwards Wood called his team together..

"The strategy that Steelein has is effective, even if you don't know what happened..”

His voice became even colder..

“……Anyway, Steele Lane does not have a decisive weapon..”

I don't know how much I prepared for the strategy, but there was one thing I could never prepare for..

He took out his red spear.

It was the same spear that killed the adult red dragon in London..

“……As long as I have the Dragon Slayer title and weapon, the outcome will not change..”