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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 146

146fury. 

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In general, in games, it was natural for monsters with higher levels to have higher ‘vitality’..

There was a set number called HP (Health Point), and hunting was the way to reduce it..

In that respect, catching high-level monsters required more time and effort..

So, what kind of concept does vitality exist in this ‘real world’ that has been turned into a game??

‘In general, it can be analyzed by barrier thickness, level of outer armor protecting the core, and resilience..’

In other words, you had to offset all of them and inflict fatal wounds to kill the monster..

Furthermore, if the conditions were ‘perfectly’ met, it was possible to kill with ‘one blow’..

'……Even if it's a dragon.’

Currently, Aji Dahaka's neck barrier was severely damaged..

Perhaps the best opportunity to send it away in one fell swoop is now..

‘If there is a dragon slayer on top of this, the chances are tens of times higher..’

It is an anti-dragon power, and it cancels out the dragon's barrier by a certain amount..

If the 26.5m Orichalcon giant puts that force into a 40m long spear and throws it with all his might,.......

‘……A single strike is possible.’

Qua—ah—ang——!

A 40m long spear that crushes the atmosphere like a rocket and is launched with an explosion on its tail.—

‘This one room is all you need.’

Hyunwook Lee raised his left hand the moment the spear left Talos' hand. Focus all your attention to detect the metal projectile containing enormous kinetic energy and apply force as delicately as possible..

Hoo—woo—woo——!

‘Even if you touch it slightly incorrectly, the direction and speed can change significantly..’

At that time, Aji Dahaka noticed a large spear flying towards him..

「No way, that's…….」

It was not unusual for his eyes to turn into embarrassment for a moment..

「You, how——!」

Immediately after, a magic shield began to form in the direction it was flying from..

As many as four hemispherical shields blocked Geochang's path..

Whoosh—Whoosh—Whoosh—Whoosh——

But Geochang penetrated them as if tearing a piece of paper..

bang-! bang-! bang-! bang—!

'As expected, it is the power of a dragon slayer..’

A special power that nullifies the dragon's power to a certain extent, and the power of the Orihalcon giant, which is powerful in itself. The two powers are intertwined in a single spear and are shot into the nape of Aji Dahaka's neck..

‘This is the end.’

That blow, he will never be able to stop it.

T-billion——!

hit—

Sigh——the point of the great spear, Mowglei, burst out through the nape of the guy’s neck..

The scales fell off, and the guy's pupils got bigger..

Then blood starts to drip from the back of the head, and the life in the guy's eyes disappears..

「ka—ak——!」

A cruel death, no different from that of any other beast, bursts from the mouth of this great creature..

「Like this... … in vain…….」

With those words, the head and tail of the thing hanging in the air fell limply, following gravity..

- congratulations! Defeated ‘Azi Dahaka’, the incarnation of Angra Mainyu.!

As usual, the system message was the last moment of the strategy..

‘this… … It was a lot easier than I thought.’

This could honestly be attributed to the Mowglai brought by the dimension shifter—William Bernard..

If it weren't for that, even if we could have caught it, it would have caused enormous damage..

‘however… … There may be a necromancer around here, so be careful..’

Lee Hyun-wook scanned the area through Hugin's senses..

To him, the dragon's body was an irreplaceable treasure..

This would be an opportunity to create a 'Bone Dragon', so he might have been looking for an opportunity..

‘Honestly, I'm not ready to face the necromancer again yet..’

But fortunately, nothing I feared happened..

***

"......."

Meanwhile, the Slayers Alliance raised their heads like a group of meerkats and looked at Aji Dahaka's corpse and Lee Hyun-wook alternately with a mesmerized expression, and their expressions were full of despair..

In addition, all the media hosts who were broadcasting this scene could not keep their mouths shut..

It was the same with broadcasting..

- ah.......

- uh.......

The two MCs have been filling the audio with nothing but strange mumbles for quite some time..

- Uh, um.......

Retiring the highest-ranking creature called a dragon with just one blow was so unrealistic..

No one knew what explanation to give to this part, so they remained silent..

After a while, Tyrone Thompson opened his mouth with difficulty..

- ……It felt like a hunter, a hunter..

He closed his mouth for a moment as if gathering his thoughts, but then continued speaking..

- There was a target in front of me, but I didn't rush forward and just watched with bated breath. No hunter would make the mistake of being too quick to pull the trigger when a bear is in front of them..

- ah.......

- The moment he falls into a trap like a hunter... … Just one shot was put in clearly..

Previously, he assessed that Stillane could do nothing but avoid it..

I was embarrassed because I knew full well that I was drawing a conclusion that was contradictory to what I had thought back then..

- under… … I felt several times today that my insight is short. It's a shameful day in many ways..

- Tyrone Thompson, don't be too upset. Isn’t this an ending no one expected??

At that time, at the bottom of Laputa, Aji Dahaka's body disappeared as if it were being sucked into the light..

- Still Rain ends up taking the rewards from this big event. This is awesome, haha…….

It was the moment when Steele Lane took possession of the entire body of the Black Dragon..

- It's often called dragon material. Tyrone, how much is that black dragon worth??

- well. Honestly, I don't think there is a better answer than saying 'it cannot be determined'..

The value of the items made from the black dragon's skin, bones, hearts, etc. was beyond imagination..

- Even, Steelerain is considered to be at the forefront of magic engineering based on Laputa.?

- Yes. It's an item made by processing the world's best materials with the world's best technology.….

No one could have imagined the result.

***

The moment Aji Dahaka died, rewards appeared before the eyes of those who contributed to the strategy..

- congratulations! You have stopped Angra Mainyu's invasion.!

* The compensation is 'differentially paid' depending on the level of contribution..

- congratulations! Lucky rewards will be given! (2nd place)

1) Dragon's Treasury Key (7))

2) Dragon's Rare Ruins Entry Token (1 pc))

The system message flashed before Edward Woods' eyes..

But even as a dragon slayer, he couldn't figure out what it was..

'……Dragon's treasure trove, what is this??’

I also gave this key when I caught a subadult red dragon in London, but at that time, 7 boxes fell on that exact spot. It was probably the same concept, but seemed to be on a much larger scale..

at that time—

Ku—gu—gu—gu

A loud noise rang out from somewhere, and a fairly large earthquake occurred..

"Adjutant, what is this??”

Soon, a deputy who realized the situation rushed over and reported.,

"As a result of confirmation, it is said that 4 gates are closing..”

"Well, that alone wouldn't make this much noise.?”

"Oh, and… … A nearby mountain is collapsing..”

The only mountain around here is Paldal Mountain, which has an altitude of 145 meters above sea level, and as it was not affected by the battle, it did not collapse suddenly. In other words, it was a situation presumed to be a phenomenon related to this event..

at that time—

- (!) ‘Black Dragon’s Labyrinth’ has been created in the nearby area..

“……uh? Mi, what is a labyrinth??”

Everyone looked at Edward Woods with an absurd expression..

He was the only one who could provide an answer to this problem..

After much thought, he came up with an answer..

"hmm… … Perhaps you can receive compensation there..”

And seeing as how things like 'keys' and 'admission certificates' were paid out differently,,

The level or number of rewards that could be obtained seemed to vary depending on the number..

‘There are 7 keys given to me... … But I only got one hit.

That means Steele Lane would have gotten a lot more keys and tickets..

Sure enough, a much higher number appeared before Lee Hyun-wook’s eyes..

- congratulations! Lucky rewards will be given! (First place)

1) Dragon's Treasure Trove Keys (36))

2) Dragon's Rare Ruins Entry Token (3 copies))

‘I only got 4 keys in my past life, right??’

Although he killed himself, the total damage was not that high..

And that wasn't the only reward.

- congratulations! You have achieved a special achievement.

[Achievements List]

7) dragon slayer

- Condition: Kill the dragon with a direct method..

- Effect: Reduces all of the dragon's powers.. (-50%)

In this life, just like in the previous life, he captured Aji Dahaka and became a dragon slayer..

However, the dragon slayer option was not attached to the moglai that killed Aji Dahaka..

That's because the Mowglai already had the Dragon Slayer option attached..

‘It was an opportunity to add the Dragon Slayer option to other Mowglais.…….'

It was a very unfortunate situation..

‘……Well, there's no need to regret.’

This was an inevitable choice for a sure victory. I couldn't take the gamble of leaving a certain amount of life in front of the dragon and then striking the final blow with another weapon..

'At that moment, you don't know how he will escape, but chasing profit is arrogance..’

however…….

- congratulations! By satisfying special conditions, a mysterious power is imbued with Moglei..

'......huh?'

Lee Hyun-wook tilted his head. He suddenly met a special condition, what is it??

[Item information]

- Name: Mowglai (Hero))

- effect

1) Mass Liberation (1~5): Releases sealed ‘mass’ and grants ‘strong bone’ to the user..

2) Shockwave: Generates a powerful shock wave. This destructive power is proportional to mass release number 1.

3) Mana Explosive Sword: The blade is given the 'power of a typhoon', causing a 'gust of wind' on the next strike..

4) Space Cutter: A very sharp blade of wind shoots out and cuts a large area..

5) Dragon Slayer (2): With the power to kill dragons, it 'greatly' ignores the dragon's power. Additionally, 'Dragon Sword' is granted, improving all abilities (+30%) and forming a superior 'mental barrier'..

Lastly, number 5, we were able to confirm that the Dragon Slayer had been strengthened to ‘Level 2’..

‘What, Dragon Slayer also stacks??’

Anyway, after looking at the content, it changed from 'partly' ignoring the dragon's power to 'largely' ignoring it..

Subsequently, tremendous additional effects such as 'Dragon Power' and 'Mental Barrier' were given. This was awesome.

'……This way, it will be much easier to catch Nidhogg.?’

As promised to Donald Harris, the manager of the World Tree, I had to help him hunt 'Nidhogg' some time later..

I expected it to be a difficult strategy since he is also an adult dragon, but it seemed like it would be much easier this way..

‘And it means you can make 3-stack Dragon Slayer Moglai.?’

What other options will be available in the future? … I honestly couldn't help but look forward to that..

Ku—gu—gu—gu——!

Meanwhile, a huge tremor began to emanate from Paldal Mountain in the distance..

'I knew it…….'

As Lee Hyun-wook remembered, the ‘Black Dragon’s Labyrinth—Rare Ruins’ was being created there..

4After blocking the car wave, a blessing called ‘Laputa’ appeared. When the invasion of the Black Orc army was stopped, 'Shindansu' was born. So what will be given after stopping the invasion of Angra Mainyu Legion??

First of all, it is formed on Mt. Paldal, a large-scale dungeon formed in the real world..

‘And the real reward lies in the last room of the labyrinth..’

As a kind of linked event, the real rewards could be obtained within that labyrinth..

Hyunwook Lee lifted up the Mana Messenger..

“Ah — Park Jun-mo, you also got the key to the dragon's treasure trove.?”

- Yes, that's right! I got 2!

"You have to go get your reward too, so come down to earth now..”

Lee Hyun-wook took Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee to Paldalsan Mountain..

But before them, the Slayers Alliance arrived..

"Oh, why are you blocking the road??”

As Park Jun-mo said, they quickly occupied and blockaded the Paldalsan area..

"Maybe they realized there was a reward there and wanted to take advantage..”

But of course, Lee Hyun-wook's entrance could not be blocked..

Lee Hyun-wook naturally walked between them..

Sharp gazes flew in from here and there..

At that time, Edward Woods appeared in front of him..

Wooooow——

Two people faced each other under a parade of broadcasting drones that covered the sky..

"......."

In a moment of silence, in the mysterious silence, only the sound of mountain birds chirping was heard..

Jeopuk- Jeobuk—

Edward Woods walked towards him..

“……It was great.”

He held out his hand, and Lee Hyun-wook held his hand..

It was quite an emotional fight, but it seemed like they wanted to end it like a gentleman..

"Now, let’s go check the rewards..”

***

It is said that after the earthquake lasted for about ten minutes, a huge lava cave was created on Mt. Paldal..

This miraculous phenomenon was quite familiar to today's mankind..

“—It is said that there is an entrance leading down to the underground at the top of the mountain.!”

The Slayers Guild scout team that explored the entire mountain reported, and everyone moved in that direction..

There really was a strangely shaped rock at the top of the mountain, and there was an entrance leading down to the underground..

"Now, just in case something goes wrong, let's go down one by one, starting with the tanker..”

- caution! You have entered the entrance to the Black Dragon Labyrinth..

Like a lava cave like Manjanggul Cave on Jeju Island, there was a long, wide, and high passageway..

I walked in for about 5 minutes, but didn't find anything special. …….

"—Stop, there's something ahead.”

At some point, a T-shaped crossroads appeared..

"Hmm, that's a huge ominous door. That's two too……."

As Edward Woods said, there were huge stone gates blocking the road on both the left and right sides..

"I'll go check it out and then come back..”

Edward Woods' adjutant said this and approached the door, placing his hands in turn..

"—It is said that the entrance to the labyrinth is on the left, and the entrance to the treasure trove is on the right.!”

As he shouted, Edward Woods turned to look at Hyunwook Lee..

"Steele Rain, the labyrinth must be a kind of hidden stage.?”

"Yes, I think so too..”

"Then, how to conquer that labyrinth... … Would you like to join us??”

Just as he did before the attack on Dragon, Edward Woods offered solidarity..

But the core was different then. At that time, if he had asked Lee Hyun-wook to come under him,.......

“……And as the leader of the strategy team, I will leave it to Steele Rain..”

This time, he bowed his pride and offered to come under his wing, asking for a kind of reconciliation..

Watching Lee Hyun-wook successfully capture the dragon, he must have been quite surprised. As much as he prides himself on being a dragon slayer, is he sending a respec to Lee Hyun-wook, who has done a good job in that field??

‘This may be sincere, but it's going to be annoying no matter what..’

The ‘true reward’ of this event was sleeping inside..

And no one knows how to get it except Lee Hyun-wook..

But there was absolutely no need to make an unnecessary companion..

"Um, sorry... … I'm going to try a separate strategy..”

When Lee Hyun-wook politely declined, Edward Woods' face hardened slightly..

“……You really want to go all the way alone..”

"Well, you're not alone. I also have my own team.”

"Ha—shouldn’t we reach some level of agreement now??”

He showed his displeasure and walked out first. Lee Hyun-wook followed him..

"Do you want to compete to see who will conquer that labyrinth first??”

"That's not it. It's just a little uncomfortable. Because I'm shyer than I look.”

He sneered and looked back at Hyunwook Lee..

"Steelein, our troops are here. You can try the strategy right now.”

It was quite a threat, but Lee Hyun-wook did not respond..

But Lee Hyun-wook clearly knew what would happen if they tried to attack him first..

‘The moment you reach the last door, you'll have no choice but to come back..’

To break through the final gate, an F-ranked player was needed..

It was only when I reached the final gate that I was able to get a hint as to who he was..

‘But I already know very well who he is..’

And at this point, we had already investigated where he was..

“……Well then, let’s check the treasure trove first..”

Edward Woods said with an expression of displeasure..

Immediately after, several Slayers Guild members opened the stone door on the right..

thud——

- congratulations! You have discovered the treasure trove of the black dragon Azi Dahaka.!

"wow……."

Did they say that the dragon in legend likes shiny things??

As if with that as a motif, gold and silver treasures were everywhere..

“Wow—I bit into this and it’s real gold.?”

However, the players' reaction was very indifferent..

"Well, if I get a piece of gold, what can I use it for??”

The real reward they wanted was, of course, ‘items’..

And as we went a little deeper, a very foreign landscape appeared..

"Hey, there's a box full of it.!”

Large wooden and iron boxes were piled up in a row in a dark space..

Rather than a treasure trove, it felt more like a huge logistics warehouse..

"Guys, it may seem a bit flimsy, but this is the real reward..”

Edward Woods shouted as if declaring, and then explained:.

"Some of you may have gotten the key earlier. The key can open all chests here without restrictions, but the key expires immediately after use. This means that only 1 chest can be opened per key..”

Then he turned his head and looked at Hyunwook Lee..

"......It seems like the rewards are being given out randomly. This often happens.”

The sound of dry swallowing was heard here and there..

"Wow, then there's a chance we can get the top prize too.?”

"after… … Honestly, this is completely random, right? I trust my luck.”

There were a few people who achieved only 1 key by contributing very little..

For them, it was an opportunity to obtain a legendary item that was not even in the market..

"Well, then shouldn't we decide who opens it first??”

Edward Woods spoke, and Kim Se-hee, who was standing next to Lee Hyun-wook, stepped forward and asked a question..

"Wait a minute, isn't the person with the highest contribution the top decision maker??”

No matter how random it may be, the order was quite a sensitive issue as it was advantageous to draw first..

And usually, a priority selection of rewards—aka ‘seed rights’—is given depending on the level of contribution after the attack. In other words, according to Kim Se-hee's argument, Lee Hyun-wook should have been selected first according to the custom..

Edward Woods's adjutant asked a question..

"......Um, I don't remember we had a contract like that, what are you talking about??"

"yes?”

"That only applies to a ‘joint attack’ that started with a contract signed by mutual agreement..”

This time, it was argued that there was no relevant issue because ‘unlimited competition’ was held without such procedures..

"what is that……."

"Team Leader Kim, it’s okay..”

"……Ha, I understand..”

It's quite unfair, but if you think about it, what they said was valid..

"Do you need anything grand when deciding something like this? How about we just draw lots??”

It was Amanda Anderson who said that, and Edward Woods also nodded..

"Stillane, do you agree that I am not bad??”

Lee Hyun-wook also nodded, and soon the drawing of lots was prepared in front of everyone..

But then, the sound of a conversation flowed into Lee Hyun-wook’s ears..

- Hey Rick, it's possible to switch with a lottery spell.?

He hacked all nearby Mana Messengers and was preparing for any unexpected situation..

But just then, I caught a voice whispering something suspicious..

‘These guys are trying to rig the lottery.?’

After secretly casting a spell inside the lottery container, it seemed like he was planning to replace the entire contents..

‘When I draw, I plan to change it to a lot that only has a certain number..’

Edward Woods may not have intended this manipulation, but he couldn't help but be offended..

‘Well, it doesn't matter. No, it actually went well..’

Lee Hyun-wook obediently drew lots without any protest..

As a result, the number he picked was a whopping 17th place..

I was 17th out of 18 people with the key, second to last.

And Edward Woods…….

"Um, second place..”

2etc., so I thought it was probably adjusted appropriately so as not to cause misunderstanding among others..

"……Stillane, are you okay??”

He asked for confirmation. Honestly, this was a pretty sensitive issue..

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's move on quickly..”

He really didn't care at all. He was actually thinking that it was good..

Soon the unknown wizard player who took first place stepped forward..

"after......."

gulp—

His eyes fell on the largest box in the right corner, but he didn't dare look past it..

He knew right away that he had to hand it over to Edward Woods, who was second in line..

Clap—

He chose a box of appropriate size and opened it..

“oh......."

Inside was a set of top-quality ailment recovery potions..

If it were sold on the market, it would cost hundreds of millions of won..

"Okay, now I'll pick it..”

Now it was Edward Woods' turn for the second time..

He pretended to think and chose the largest box..

Clap——

The lock turned with a heavy sound, the lid of the box opened, and brilliant light came out..

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh——

"Oh, what is it??”

In response to the unusual reaction, the Slayers guild members looked at the scene with expectant expressions..

But what came out of it was something that fell short of expectations..

"uh… … It's like some kind of gem.”

It was adamant, about 11 kg..

“hmm......."

It was clear that it was a significant and expensive item, but it was also clear that it was far from the first prize..

He then picked the box quite carefully and used the remaining six keys in succession..

Clap—

"......."

However, only material items that could be called ‘miscellaneous items’ popped up..

Clap—

In the end, the expression on Edward Woods' face darkened considerably as he chose 'slam' in all cases..

"......."

The others looked at him, but inside he looked hopeful..

If there was no first place winner so far, it was because there was a good chance that he would be selected.,

So, the random box drawing that could be called gacha continued..

But strangely, jaw-dropping items rarely came out..

"Hey, it's all just like that.?”

"I feel completely scammed by this.……."

And finally, it was number 17, Hyunwook Lee’s turn..

however.......

“……Oh, you don't have enough boxes? Only 5 left!”

There were only 5 boxes left, which was far short considering Lee Hyun-wook had 36 keys..

"Could that be possible? It means that the system gave more than the compensation.?”

"Oh, it's probably stuck in a corner somewhere. Now, let's all take a good look.!”

But then…….

uh! There's a door on the floor here!”

The moment someone shouted that, everyone looked dumbfounded..

"uh? A door?……."

"What kind of door is it??”

Just as he said, there was a door leading down to the basement in the corner of the room..

However, it was hidden by a box and was not visible until the end..

At that time, Lee Hyun-wook went in front of him and said.

“……Apparently, the treasure trove was double..”

The real treasure was scheduled to be revealed from now on..