Novels online

The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 156

156fury. 

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"So, hmm—maybe a dark elf… … you don't know?”

The Dark Elf Legion's conquest of Europe... … It was one of the big events that would happen in the future..

However, the current dark elves were weak. Therefore, it was a time when he was quietly secluded in the encroached area of ​​Berlin while maintaining secret friendly relations with those in power in Germany..

At this time, the German authorities hid their existence in return for receiving valuable magic material items from the Dark Elves, which was a trick to control a large group of monsters without causing bloodshed. While watching previous cases where the Red Drakes or the Black Orc Kingdom shook a country, I tried not to follow in their footsteps..

Later, it became clear that such thoughts were nothing more than arrogance. The Dark Elves' army, which had developed without any damage for several years, swallowed Europe in one bite.…….

But all that would happen years later..

‘But what the hell… … Why is the dark elf army moving already??’

Earlier, Donald Harris said that the movements of the Dark Elf Legion were detected in his European intelligence network. Upon further investigation, they discovered that the target was the Republic of Chad and that a large-scale intercontinental portal magic was being prepared..

It was obvious who was carrying out such a grand conspiracy..

'......As expected, the villains are collaborating and controlling the dark elves..’

But the question was still not resolved. The Dark Elf Legion has not yet finished preparing for war, so what is their intention in starting a war now??

If it were not perfect and presented itself as a threat to the world, it would end up being attacked—the current Dark Elf Kingdom is weaker than the Black Orc Kingdom..

Messenger from Donald Harris—After Vedrpolnir returned, Lee Hyun-wook was troubled..

‘Clearly, there was a clear reason for the bold move. what is that?’

But the answer was found surprisingly quickly..

- ……Ah, this is the site of the gate incident in Vienna, Austria.!

Order Tower, breaking news came out on TV. It was about a raid taking place somewhere in the world. Lee Hyun-wook was just listening to the sound, lost in worry..

- Hey, do you see over there? A huge monster appeared from the first eruption.!

News like this was a regular occurrence happening all over the world..

Therefore, as a Korean watching the news, it was likely to pass by without much emotion..

It will just feel like an incident or accident taking place in a far away country..

Thump—thud—

However, Lee Hyun-wook frowned as he looked at the giant figure filling the screen..

‘That can't be right…….'

It was a giant, about 12 meters tall, about the fifth floor of a building. One thing that was unusual about it was that it was dressed like a Greek soldier's uniform. He was wearing a Corinthian bronze helmet with a red collar, wore a red cloak, and was holding a spear and shield..

At that time, the giant threw the iron bar somewhere and—

bang--! bang--! bang——!

Three Gothic-style buildings were pierced and collapsed in succession..

It was not even a boss monster, but rather an ordinary monster with overwhelming destructive power..

As far as Lee Hyun-wook knew, there was only one monster of that type..

‘That… … They're titan scouts.?’

Titan Skirmisher, it wasn't a regular monster that appeared at any time.,

It could be seen as a foreshadowing of a catastrophe that would occur in the future..

They appear all over the world, and then the Named Titans appear in Europe..

In other words, it could be said that that guy is also a being that should not appear at this time..

‘then… … It has been brought forward to.’

Perhaps because of Lee Hyun-wook's previous performance, the Angra Mainyu Corps—Aji Dahaka—had also appeared several years earlier. And even that was resolved cleanly.…….

'……The next scenario is about to begin..’

And it could be assumed that the villains noticed that and wanted to take advantage of it..

When the Titanomachy begins, all the world's power will be focused on that event, so the plan was to advance the Dark Elf Army into the Republic of Chad at that point..

‘therefore… … This is a golden opportunity to take over the Republic of Chad.?’

From the villain's perspective, the biggest obstacles would have been two things..

The first of them was Lee Hyun-wook, who foiled their plans several times..

And the second is Donald Harris, the 'Manager of the World Tree', and Emilia Müller, the 'saint', two tycoons from the Republic of Chad who have traditionally been the top priority targets for elimination by villains..

Eliminating Lee Hyun-wook repeatedly failed, and instead only provided nutrients for Lee Hyun-wook's growth. And this time, they are targeting the Republic of Chad..

They have to deal with one of the two, but then their future plans will be completed..

'But I can't leave it like that…….'

Lee Hyun-wook quickly realized their plan and planned to respond preemptively..

‘Bold strategies are usually gambles. That gamble, I'll make it go away…….'

***

Hyunwook Lee offered to help in the war effort to Donald Harris, and he gladly welcomed him..

The very next day, Hyunwook Lee decided to go to the Republic of Chad and immediately prepared to leave..

There, he planned to discuss future measures with Donald Harris and Emilia Müller..

‘actually… … It will be persuasion rather than discussion..’

A plan to deal with this situation was organized in Lee Hyun-wook's head..

To get it going, we desperately needed the help of Donald Harris..

Perhaps the most difficult thing would be to persuade the stubborn hermit..

‘But I've shown you something, so you'll believe it..’

「Master, Pridwen's launch is ready.!」

At that time, in response to Talos' report, Lee Hyun-wook left the Order Tower and went to the airship port..

"Boss, we are ready too..”

As expected, Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee were scheduled to join this trip as well..

"But why are you taking such a dangerous item??”

Sehee Kim pointed toward Friedwen’s lamp door. There was a box with a sticker on it, and it was none other than the spirit bomb 'City Cleaner'..

"But on the day when it explodes, even the boss can't control it..”

The moment it opens, it pulls in all the stones, dirt, and metal in the area and disintegrates them. It was a dangerous material that could cause an unprecedentedly large-scale accident if done incorrectly..

"That's right, but I have some important work to do when I get to Yggdrasil..”

Last night, while making plans for the future, I thought of a way to use that scary thing..

After a while—

「Master, a portal is starting to form in the sky nearby.!」

"Yes, Donald Harris himself came to get us..”

About 20 meters above the roof of the Order Tower, a huge two-way portal opened..

Soon, the white falcon 'Vedrpolnir', a member of Donald Harris' family, appeared there..

Beep---!

It spun around in the sky and started crying loudly..

It seemed like he was signaling Hyunwook Lee to come in quickly..

"Now, let's leave quickly..”

Lee Hyun-wook was the first to get on the Fridwen, followed by Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee. And as always, Yeo Sang-min's alter ego was sitting in the cockpit..

"Well then, let's go!”

Wooooow——

Prydwen took off and slowly began to increase altitude, and above her head, beyond the portal opened in the sky, the white divine tree 'Yggdrasil' was seen swaying. It was a strange feeling, as if observing distant trees through a telescope hole..

“Wow, just looking through the portal, that tree is huge.!”

Park Jun-mo looked at the scene with a blank expression, as if he was riding an amusement ride..

"I really didn't know that I would go to 'Yggdrasil' myself..”

Yggdrasil was the safest city and the most beautiful city today, and it was the best tourist destination where you could receive various 'blessings' just by staying there..

“Wow—that’s right.!”

At that time, Park Jun-mo got up thinking as if he remembered something..

“……Well, now that I think about it, I don't have a passport. Doesn't this mean I'm entering the country illegally??”

Kim Se-hee clicked his tongue at those words..

"Hey, Donald Harris came to pick us up, so who cares??”

"ah… … is it? But what if I get lost??”

Those words seemed sincere, and Lee Hyun-wook and Kim Se-hee shook their heads at the same time..

"Now, 10 seconds later, you will pass through the portal.!”

Before we knew it, Fridwen's ship was approaching the Wight Hall, and at that moment, Vedrpolnir, who had been flying ahead, turned around and fired what looked like a blue bead towards Fridwen. When it reached the bow, a translucent film enveloped the entire hull..

yes—!

"uh … … What did you just do??”

"Probably a 'cloaking' spell..”

Lee Hyun-wook answered Kim Se-hee’s question..

"Oh, we hid ourselves?”

"Yes. There's no need to expose it..”

Of course, it was never a good idea to let the world know that Steelein had visited Yggdrasil. If the world's attention is focused, unnecessary noise will occur and cause fatigue, and more than anything, it will be valuable strategic information to someone..

"—Pass through the portal!”

The moment I passed through the Whyte Hall, the scenery on the ground changed in an instant..

“and……."

The first thing that caught my eye was Yggdrasil, a sacred tree hundreds of meters tall..

"Bird, it's a lot bigger than I thought..”

The white trunk, thicker than most skyscrapers, stretched out endlessly, even breaking through the clouds, and spreading its magnificent, green branches across the bright blue sky. Thus, when viewed from a distance, it gave the illusion that there was a forest above the clouds..

“Huh—it looks like they covered a city with a dome..”

Several kilometers of branches completely blocked the sky, so not a single ray of sunlight came through. It may sound frustrating to say it this way, but the leaves of the World Tree gave off a faint glow, so ironically, the 'shade' was covered in light..

And the area just below the trunk of Yggdrasil—near the exposed roots—was a no-access zone with a white barrier, and the only building there was the world's largest sanctuary, the 'Saint's Dome', where the saint, Emilia Müller, resides..

Next, the skyscrapers of the planned city center were neatly lined up around the area, and magic research institutes, often called 'magic towers', towered above the building height limit and were shining like lighthouses. Looking further ahead, I saw that not black smoke was coming out of the chimneys of various factories in the suburban area, but rather a mysterious ray of light..

This is the world's last born city and the most magical city.…….

“……am.”

Everyone was mesmerized and mesmerized by the truly unrealistic and idealistic appearance of the city..

At that time, the white falcon 'Vedrpolnir' flew over the window of Fridwen's cockpit..

bang! bang!

Then he peed at the window rather nervously and opened his beak..

"—What are they doing? You don't plan on keeping this old man flying.?”

After saying that, he turned around and flew back towards the shadow of the World Tree..

"The landlord doesn't seem very friendly, so I'll follow along quickly..”

Yeo Sang-min said that and took off at Friedwen, soon falling into the shadows..

"wow… … I feel like a little bird.”

As we approached Yggdrasil, this huge airship felt infinitely small..

As Park Jun-mo puts it, it felt like I was a bird and flying to the tree..

“Now—it looks like we're about to land, so hold on tight everyone..”

After flying for about 3 more minutes, Vedrpolnir landed on a broad branch..

The branch was as wide as a runway and appeared to be being used as some kind of airship port..

Wooooow——

As Prydwen landed on the branch, a large gate at the end of the 'trunk' opened..

From there came an old man, Donald Harris, wearing a white shirt and jeans..

And behind him stood the head of Saint Dom, Saint Emilia Müller..

Like this, the three people the villain wants to kill the most have gathered in one place..

***

"......We must strike first."

Donald Harris, who was pouring tea at Lee Hyun-wook's words, raised his head..

He tilted his head as if he had heard wrong..

"Uh, well, I just said preemptive strike.?”

asked Emilia Müller, who was buried in the sofa, scratching her messy blonde hair..

When I met her after a long time, she was hiccupping as always while drunk..

Still, I was just thankful that he showed up with a sober mind during important events..

"Hiccup—I guess I’m not sober… … That sounds a little strange..”

Thump—Donald Harris sets down an unknown tea on a wooden table..

- Mana recovery speed increases slightly by absorbing unknown power.. (+10%)

It was an amazing item that increased mana recovery speed just by smelling the scent..

"If you're talking about a preemptive strike, you mean striking the green hell of Berlin.?”

"Yes, isn't that the stronghold of the dark elves? It catches you off guard..”

"Well, do you have the strength to do that? You know that it's so deep underground that it's impossible to strike first like you did with Shanghai.?”

"It might be difficult for me alone, but if Mr. Harris and I work together, we can do it..”

At those words, a faint expression of displeasure spread over Donald Harris' face..

‘Donald Harris is, as expected, extremely reluctant to leave Yggdrasil..’

Just like Hyunwook Lee experienced, Donald Harris must have experienced countless conspiracies and threats targeting Yggdrasil, and that is why he became extremely reluctant to go outside. If he is away, Yggdrasil's defenses will be greatly weakened..

In other words, I was always worried that someone would steal this treasure called Yggdrasil..

He savored the tea for a while without answering, then looked into space and opened his mouth..

"Well, don't you think that if I'm away, there's a high possibility that someone will take advantage of that gap? There are so many villains in this world, so give them a chance..”

"Yes, I am taking that into consideration as well. In that respect……."

Lee Hyun-wook paused for a moment, and the two people stared at Lee Hyun-wook..

“……We appease the ‘Water Spirit King’ in Lake Chad..”

Donald Harris' eyebrows twitched at those words..

On the other hand, Emilia Müller had an unintelligible expression..

"What now—the Water Spirit King? what is that?”

As Yggdrasil was born here and a 'mana ecosystem' was created in the area, spirits migrated across dimensions. And right next to Yggdrasil, in Lake Chad, powerful water spirits settled, and among them, there was even a being called the ‘Spirit King’..

"……How do you know that grumpy guy??”

The existence of the Spirit King was not well known to the world..

"That's right, just as Mr. Harris sees things that others cannot see, such as upcoming disasters, through the World Tree, I also see many things through Laputa..”

Donald Harris still looked disapproving, but nodded..

“……But that might be a bit of a problem, since I lost him and Chuck..”

Lee Hyun-wook didn't know exactly, but from what he heard at first glance, it was Donald Harris, an S-class elementalist, and the elemental king... … Ironically, the two never had a good relationship..

Should we say that they cause mutual rejection, like the same poles of a magnet??

And since the purpose of the spirits migrating to Lake Chad was to benefit from the enormous source of mana called Yggdrasil, they would cling to the roots of Yggdrasil and absorb mana whenever they had the chance, but Donald Harris's personality would not allow that to happen..

It is said that Donald Harris was unable to show condescension and ended up in a bloody situation with the spirits of Lake Chad. In other words, rather than having a relationship where you could entrust the living room to someone, they were closer to being enemies..

"Mr. Harris, you can't make everyone your enemy just because you're not in control..”

"......."

"The Spirit King of Lake Chad is a neutral monster, aka NPC, so he can be controlled, right? And if you feel uncomfortable… … Let me try to persuade you..”

At those words, Donald Harris snorted..

“Huh—you're going to convince that bastard? Are you talking about meeting that bandit leader? That's not going to make sense because he's a single-minded and self-willed guy.?”

Yes, since two single-minded people looked at each other and growled, they had no choice but to antagonize.…….

‘However, since single-minded people have clear needs, they are easier to persuade..’

First of all, the 'Spirit King' was a boss monster that could be raided and an NPC that could cooperate, and Lee Hyun-wook remembered some of the 'cooperation routes'..

‘And in such a Spirit King scenario, there is a key NPC called the Spirit King's daughter..’

It was an obvious character who disguised himself as a human out of curiosity, came out to the human world, fell in love with humans, and became a bridge between spirits and humans..

If you find her and build up her affection, there will be many advantages.…….

‘Not only do you not know where they are right now, it takes a long time to build relationships..’

Therefore, it seemed like I had no choice but to go with the somewhat difficult alternative..

"Mr. Harris, wouldn't the Spirit King of Lake Chad be able to stop the army attacking this place for quite some time? Even if what they want is a little excessive, maintaining a long-term alliance in a peaceful manner will be positive for the existence of Yggdrasil..”

Hyunwook Lee also persuaded Donald Harris by citing several other reasons..

In the end, Donald Harris, the most important thing to this single-minded person was Yggdrasil itself..

Therefore, when we appealed the importance of 'preemptive strike' in waging war, they eventually agreed..

“Ha—yeah, I guess you're right. If we make a surprise attack before they finish preparing for war... … It could definitely lower the war-fighting capacity.……."

Donald Harris, who had been admitting that, suddenly shook his head again..

"But there is one problem: there is no way to contact those spirits... … Not anymore.”

"yes?”

"The last time I met it, it was stealing mana from the roots of the World Tree, so I kicked it out rather harshly... … Well, it hasn't come out to the material world since then.?”

Lee Hyun-wook calmly nodded as if he had already expected this much..

"In that case, we have no choice but to go there in person..”

But once again, Donald Harris made negative remarks..

"No, that's not possible. That, the spirit world is a place that humans cannot enter without permission..”

He scratched his chin, feeling a little embarrassed, and then continued talking..

“……The spirit world is a space separate from the material world where ordinary living beings live, so it is a strange space where one cannot find direction with ordinary senses. So, you need guidance from an enemy grade A or higher spirit to avoid getting lost.……."

"From what you say, there's a reason why Mr. Harris isn't the one.?”

"Yes, as much as I kicked those children out, they also completely blocked my access, so I can't enter their spirit world using my mana pattern..”

It was a common 'ban'..

"Since I can't go in myself, I need a guide spirit of Grade A or so.……."

‘Kim Se-hee is also an elementalist, but Hani has not yet reached Grade A..’

To get to A rank, the player had to be level 85 or higher..

It was difficult to find a trustworthy elementalist of that level..

‘But, there is one way..’

There was something Lee Hyun-wook prepared for this very moment.

'……Use a city vacuum cleaner.’

The land spirit colony contained within it, if they were normalized, would have been Class A..

‘Tame them and make them your guide..’

But tearing it open was, as I've said many times before, the worst kind of craziness..

Because it is forcibly locked up in a spirit prison, the moment it is opened, it goes crazy and breaks down all the stones, dirt, and metal in the area, eventually becoming exhausted and disappearing. And it was safe to say that there was virtually no place in the human world without stones, dirt, and metal..

‘But there is only one place.’

That's it... … This was inside the world tree..

A huge building made entirely of wood…….

‘Inside, there's nothing you can do even if you take them out..’

In this place, we could have a sincere conversation because their behavior didn't get through to us..

And if conversation doesn't work, you can tame them in the traditional way, by force..