The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 166
166fury.
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A sign of the end... … At some point, the story that the world was going crazy and that destruction was approaching was slowly spreading..
This was not a rumor floating around in the public eye, but a credible story claimed by player experts in influential media outlets..
- ……The game's worst crisis has arrived. Maybe our story will end with the so-called bad ending. How many big events have happened in the last few years? This should be seen as a flow rather than an individual incident..
On a TV broadcast screen, five or six famous players were talking with one MC in between..
- I also agree with what Dr. Donner said. Catastrophes have continued since the 4th wave, and will become more frequent in the future. In my opinion, there needs to be bipartisan cooperation between all countries and guilds. Now, we have to put aside the basics such as revealing the identity of this game and survive for now..
- Yes, in order to do that, I think that very powerful objects such as Yggdrasil and Laputa should be shared with the international player community, rather than monopolized by one or two people. therefore…….
Since the world became like a game, various disasters have occurred..
However, there have rarely been cases like today where explosions occurred in succession for so long a day..
‘Yeah, I was a bit perplexed too when Aji Dahaka showed up so early.…….'
Hyunwook Lee was currently sitting at Yggdrasil Airport, disguising himself as a Latino man through the Dark Elf's 'polymorph' magic..
People were gathered in front of the large TV installed in the departure hall..
"Damn it, how can this world come to this?……."
"That's right. Oh my, I wonder if the end is really coming now..”
The American news broadcast currently airing was warning of a global crisis by showing a series of recent big events... … Lee Hyun-wook appeared in most of those scenes..
That's because about seven out of ten cases were solved by Lee Hyun-wook..
‘I guess it's to some extent my fault that big events are happening one after another like now.…….'
But it was never his fault.
In the end, it was a disaster that would strike someday, but it was only brought forward because the previous disasters were prevented so well..
‘And all I have to do is prevent future disasters that will come like that..’
That was the goal I had from the moment I returned, and the finish line was now somewhat within sight..
At that time, an airport broadcast came on..
- We would like to inform all passengers taking flight AC1443 at 10:30 to Rome, Italy. Currently, a very large monster has appeared in the southern part of Umburia, a region near Rome, and a level 2 evacuation alert has been issued, so please be careful while traveling..
At that broadcast, nearby passengers began to murmur..
"That's the deal. Those giants in armor.”
"Ah, titan skirmishers, those??”
"yes that's right. What is that, is it suddenly appearing here and there? Yesterday, three A-rank players died while fighting them in France..”
As such, the biggest issue at the moment was by far.
The members of 'Guardian', led by Korea's number one ranked gravity wizard Lee Seong-yoon, must have secretly tried to block Titanomachia in advance, but ultimately failed..
Accordingly, scenes of giant-shaped monsters appearing one after another all over the world, especially in Europe, destroying buildings and tearing up roads were occurring..
In the midst of this terrible news, another sad news was spread around the world..
- A large group of monsters captured in the Berlin erosion area 'Green Hell'... … EU Gate Investigation Bureau “Estimated to be a group of ‘state-type’ monsters with intelligence, similar to the Black Orc Kingdom (1 report))
As the Dark Elf Kingdom, which had been shrouded in mystery until now, began to act openly, all of Europe had no choice but to enter a state of emergency..
‘As they say, it is like adding insult to injury..’
Even in 'Green Hell', the so-called 'Titan Gate' was occurring... … Last night, Team Leader Lee Kyo-Jun relayed intelligence that the Titan scouts who appeared there were caught in contact with the Dark Elves..
Based on that information, it could be interpreted that the two forces, the Titans and the Dark Elves, had begun collusion..
‘Titans, they like to be worshiped, so they are often taken advantage of by intelligent monsters or some player forces..’
Anyway, the person who made the match between those two was probably a villain force without even thinking about it.…….
‘I almost know what those kids are up to..’
Lee Hyun-wook had defeated all of their plans so far, but this time, he was trying to gradually gather a powerful army that could never be stopped..
‘Green Hell, in that terrible land, you can safely raise your army.…….'
What if, based on the alliance between the Titan Legion and the Dark Elf Legion, devil worshipers and Red Players join together to form an 'anti-human front'... … A truly great war would break out that could not be stopped by the actions of just one player..
‘and… … I recently heard that the Black Orc King Stonnox has gone missing..’
A week ago, the Chinese government conducted an air raid on the Shanghai Black Oak Kingdom..
Earlier, they attacked the Republic of Korea and suffered heavy damage and were weakened, so the Chinese government did not miss this opportunity and began to restore Shanghai..
However, the Chinese government's official announcement was that Stonox could not be found there..
‘Perhaps, he too would have moved to join that front line. There is no way the villain side would let such a powerful force go.…….'
Such ominous news continued one after another, and if this continued, it would be inevitable that Europe would be devastated..
- —Blue Sky Airlines will provide boarding instructions..
Blue Sky was the airline that Hyunwook Lee had to fly on..
- ……10Passengers taking flight AC1443 to Rome, Italy, departing at 30:30, please proceed to boarding gate 4..
He stood up and slightly turned his head..
Two black men were sitting in the lobby chairs, about two seats away from the back. They also looked at Lee Hyun-wook and slowly stood up..
"But they… … You really won't do anything else and just follow along, right? Still, I think it's a monster, so it's a little annoying..”
A Latina woman wearing glasses who was sitting next to Hyunwook Lee said..
She was none other than Kim Se-hee, and as expected, she had received the dark elf's polymorph magic..
And next to him, Junmo Park, who looked like a Latino boy as expected, was yawning and packing up his luggage..
"I've been persuading you step by step over the past few days... … Above all, they will not want to miss this unique opportunity. No matter how monsters they are, they are kids with a clear sense of purpose..”
As a result of a long conversation with Clypheus Griseo, the second prince of the Dark Elves, over the past three days, Lee Hyun-wook was able to come up with a unified sense of purpose..
'Currently occupying the Dark Elf Kingdom. Killing the general's forces.......'
If that were to happen, the Dark Elf Kingdom would become a powerful army that would fight for Lee Hyun-wook..
‘In this way, once again, they completely ruin their grand plan..’
And Rome, Italy was the first destination in the plan to recapture the Dark Elf Kingdom..
‘There, there is only one way to secretly infiltrate the dark elf kingdom..’
The 'Green Hell', an area of erosion in Berlin, was a tropical rainforest covered with all kinds of man-eating plants, as its fearsome nickname suggests, and penetrating through it was more difficult than crossing the Amazon on foot..
That was the reason why the identity of the Dark Elf Kingdom was not revealed to the public for a very long time.…….
‘and… … The man-eating plants under the forest elementalist's power even act as alarms, making secret infiltration virtually impossible..’
However, according to the Second Prince, there was a portal leading directly to the Dark Elf Kingdom in Rome, Italy..
It is a so-called 'inlet', and it is said that such places are being prepared all over the world to infiltrate all aspects of human society..
In other words, it meant that many spies were being planted, something that even Lee Hyun-wook did not know about..
'Well, with this level of polymorph magic, it would be natural for it to go undetected........'
Even in my past life, I had heard that dark elves were capable of polymorph magic, but I had no idea it was to this extent..
Lee Hyun-wook touched his face and presented the fake passport to the immigration officer..
His current identity was Marco Germano, a 34-year-old man of Italian nationality..
"hmm… … Marco Germano, you are going to your hometown..”
"Yes, that's right.”
The immigration officer wiggled his eyebrows and looked around at the fake passport..
"Well, I hope you have a comfortable trip..”
Empty one
It was a perfect disguise that allowed him to obtain a departure stamp without difficulty..
Next, I stood in front of the security checkpoint, where there were a lot of armed airport security guards..
- Player (LV：43)
- Player (LV：49)
Since we had to check the player whose body itself was a weapon, the level of the airport staff had to be at a high level..
"Well, we will keep your items safe until you arrive in Rome. Before that, we will check whether the 'Restraint Chain' is properly filled in for the items you are leaving, so please place all items on the search bar..”
Lee Hyun-wook placed an iron sword on the search table. Of course, it wasn't his main weapon.
However, it was tied up with a purple chain and sold out..
[Item information]
- Name: Level 3 Ability Restraint Chain (Special)
- Effect: When mana is given, 1 item is 'sealed'. (A 'dedicated key' is required to unlock.)
As explained, it was an item that could seal the effect of the item..
Of course, it was not impossible to forcibly cut this off, but it could be seen as a minimum device for safe flight..
But honestly, doing this did not incapacitate the player, whose body itself is a weapon, so in many ways, the player-only aircraft was considered the most dangerous means of transportation, as it could crash with just one passenger's disturbance..
However, the moment I passed through the security checkpoint, I heard a commotion from the front..
"No, fuck—does this even make sense?!”
A woman was screaming at an airport employee, and passengers standing around her were also protesting in sharp voices..
“……Ha, what now? No, where is the notification like this right before boarding?!”
The airline employee, who seemed to have a decent position, repeatedly bowed his head..
"No, no matter what the circumstances are, you should tell me about this in advance. Shouldn't you cancel this flight and book another flight? We're all busy people, so we treat them this way.?”
When I listened closely, it seemed like there was an unexpected guest on the plane... … The problem was that the customer was a ‘red player’.
"I'm really going crazy... … What kind of airline transports prisoners on passenger planes??”
“……Sorry, sorry!”
"Does this make sense? This really feels like an international topic! I'll report it to the media as soon as I get off, so take care of it.!”
It was natural for such a strong rejection to occur..
No matter how subdued, staying tens of thousands of feet in the sky with a Red Player whose body itself is a murder weapon... … It was a terrible experience that no one would want to go through..
However, not all passengers wanted to use another aircraft..
They were all players, and even though they protested, they were quite immune to fear..
“……What's going on??”
Kim Se-hee, who followed Lee Hyun-wook through the security checkpoint, asked with a puzzled expression..
"Looks like we ended up having a Red Player on our plane..”
“……Oh, that's okay.?”
Kim Se-hee also made an absurd expression..
"Well, of course you shouldn't, but there are always exceptions. There's probably a reason why this crazy thing happens..”
After a while, an airline employee approached Lee Hyun-wook and his group and began to explain the situation..
“……We're sorry, but due to unavoidable circumstances, our aircraft has been assigned to transport prisoners. So, we will refund 50% of the fare and if you wish, we can book another flight for you..”
"yes, it's okay.”
"and… … There is no need to worry about safety issues. A convoy of as many as eight high-level players will be on board..”
***
After a while, when the group sat in business class, the economy class at the back became noisy..
"under… … Really, I'm out of luck……."
"Get out there and die, you criminals.!”
When I turned my head and looked in that direction, three Red Players appeared, escorted by fully armed players, but they all had their heads down and did not show their faces..
When Lee Hyun-wook looked through the Insight Lens, the two men in front were not very high at level 43 and level 24, respectively..
however…….
‘What is that woman?…….'
The problem was the small woman who came in last..
Clutter 一 Clutter 一
The woman sat in the last seat, wearing a particularly large number of restraints, and immediately began to doze off..
- Player (LV：81)
A whopping level 81…….
The four prisoner escorts sitting on either side of him were levels 41 to 59 at most..
Of course, since all measures have been taken, there is virtually no chance of the prisoner escaping.…….
‘I think I know who that girl is..’
The woman's face I saw at first glance... … It looks quite familiar to Lee Hyun-wook..
‘Also called rabies, in Korean, rabid dogs.…….'
True to her nickname, she is a berserker among warriors, and until recently, she must have been a special agent for the Italian government..
However, at a secret meeting of influential figures in the Italian government, he committed a shocking act by massacring them all and then disappearing... … . Her future investigation reveals that she is a spy planted by the Italian player mafia organization 'Nuovo Ordine'..
Looking at the current situation, it appears that he was recently captured in the Republic of Chad and is being transported to Italy..
‘However, if I remember correctly, that woman regained her freedom and committed numerous terrorist acts..’
And even... … Escape by hijacking the plane..
'Ha—was it really this time? Damn, is there such an unlucky coincidence?…….'
No matter how good his memory was, Lee Hyun-wook couldn't even remember such a personal incident..
'Well then, you might know why this plane suddenly found itself escorting prisoners.…….'
The private plane that the Italian government had planned to send to escort her was unable to depart due to mafia operations..
As it continued to be delayed like that, it could be assumed that they eventually chose to transport it to Italy using a private aircraft..
‘In Italy today, the mafia is at its strongest since the mid-20th century..’
As in other countries, as the government's public power gradually weakened, mafia organizations disguised as guilds grew in power..
‘Anyway, it's really annoying if it's like this.…….'
Lee Hyun-wook sighed without realizing it..
In fact, the easiest way to get to Italy was to borrow the power of Yggdrasil and open the ultra-long-distance portal 'Wight Hall'..
However, if I opened it up to the sky, there was a very high possibility that someone would notice it, so I was trying to take the skyway using a disguised identity..
'If you do this, there is a high chance that your identity will be revealed.…….'
Soon, takeoff began with the in-flight announcement, and the seat belt lights came on..
Hyunwook Lee closed his eyes and stretched his senses towards the economy class..
He then hacked the mana messenger of one of the convoys and overheard the sound there..
- Hey, crazy bitch, Jana.?
This was the voice of one of the eight convoy officers sitting in the back seat..
- Hehehe, there was no way I could sleep because my little heart was pounding at the thought of escaping.?
- Marvin, if you don't shut up, the moment I release these restraints, I will kill you first..
This sharp voice was Ray Biz..
- Do you think that restraint will be released? ......Ugh...don't stare at me too much, if you look at me like that... … You really don't want to let go?
At that point, Lee Hyun-wook tilted his head..
'wait for a sec… … What I really don't want to do is... … It means they are planning to release it..’
It was obvious what context that conversation was taking place in..
Even those convoy officers were bribed with the mafia’s black money..
‘then… … He did not hastily board a private plane to avoid the mafia's actions, but deliberately boarded it to secure hostages during the escape process..’
- Hey, but you know what??
- ……Don't bother me, it's a chewy.
- No, listen. We've prepared a nice gift for you in the cargo hold over there. huh? It's a cone hat for our sweet little bitch, you know what I mean?
- no way…….
- Yeah, the one you used when you killed all the government pigs... … Big, Quinet, you foolishly dropped that while escaping from Italy.?
Quinae, a legendary helmet known as the helmet of Hades in Greek mythology........
When you use it, you become invisible, and the effect lasts for up to 15 minutes..
- ……How did you get that??
- Would I have brought that? Your boss must have paid the head of the organization a lot of money, right?.
At this point, Lee Hyun-wook changed his mind..
‘Good thing I booked this flight.…….'
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