The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 17
17. Explosive growth and opportunity - 2
==============================
Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha got out of the driver's seat and was wearing a beige coat and jeans..
Even though it was a weekday, it seemed like he was probably on vacation since he wasn't wearing combat uniform..
“loyalty!”
Ensign Seontapja saluted her and briefly reported on the current situation.,
After looking at the orc corpses scattered everywhere, she approached Lee Hyun-wook and Yoo Hae-na..
Then Yoo Hae-na laughed and laughed..
“Oh, who is this? You’re the knight commander’s third daughter, right? You've grown a lot?”
I pretended to know that, but I was wrong. she was the second daughter.
“······I am the attack platoon leader of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Port Horse Brigade..”
Anyway, despite that pretense of knowledge, Seo Eun-ha responded in a very dry, business-like manner, and Yoo Hae-na's expression also became cold. She even felt a sense of sadness that didn't suit her.······.
It seems that the bad relationship between the two has been going on for quite some time..
“What captain? Hmm, if our Seo Eun-ha is anything like that, it would be a shame to rot in AMT..”
“······.”
“Great. Would you like Seo Eun-ha to just accept this business card? Since you're still young, it's a good time to start over..”
Yoo Hae-na waved the business card that Lee Hyun-wook did not receive..
‘Come to think of it, Seo Eun-ha was also one of Yoo Hae-na's obsessions..’
At first, she tried to conquer her, but when she couldn't hold her in the end, she had the bizarre intention of destroying her, so she set her sights on Seo Eun-ha..
And in the end, that desire comes true.
“The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Port Horse Brigade was given the authority to attack the gate that occurred in this vicinity. Unauthorized armed players must not be present in the current location, i.e. 'Red Ground'. Please leave.”
“Oh, you guys have already run in and taken it? Is it fast? however······.”
Yoo Hae-na smiled sarcastically and pointed toward her SUV..
“······We don't care anyway.”
People who appeared to be members of her team were leaning out of the car..
“Something like the Orc Gate is not suitable for our level. I posted this because a request for emergency assistance came in while I was passing by. It was on a humanitarian level..”
“······.”
“I came here with such good intentions, but everyone is treating me coldly... That's how I feel.?”
it was true.
The strategy team that Yoo Hae-na belonged to was the highest level of talent within the Cheonghwa guild, and they had to reach at least Troll Gate to step forward..
“Then, please understand. Please take the car out of our operation area..”
“Ah, I understand! But wait a minute······.”
Yoo Hae-na's gaze shifted to Lee Hyun-wook..
“······There, Corporal Lee Hyun-wook.?”
Seo Eun-ha looked at Yoo Hae-na and Lee Hyun-wook alternately with cold eyes..
Yoo Hae-na came very close to Lee Hyun-wook..
“Since my area is in charge of this area, I think we'll probably be able to meet each other when a large dungeon opens. If I make a good first impression, I think we'll get along well together. Don't regret it later.”
Saying that, he put his business card into the front pocket of Lee Hyun-wook’s combat uniform..
“If you want to think carefully and contact them... well, do it. Because I don't discriminate against people as much as I do at first glance..”
Yoo Hae-na turned around after saying those words and got into the SUV..
As the Cheonghwa Guild SUV departed, Seo Eun-ha looked at Lee Hyun-wook..
But for some reason, her expression changed to one of strange irritation..
Given the circumstances, it seemed like it was because of Yu Hae-na..
“Lee Hyun-wook... You, it's your vacation.?”
“Yes that's right.”
“······.”
a few seconds of silence······.
She nodded without saying anything and turned away..
‘No matter how I look at it, I think I have something to say.······.’
Lee Hyun-wook knew Seo Eun-ha’s style well..
When he hesitated for a moment after asking for a formal hello with such a complicated expression, it meant that he had something to say but ended up hesitating..
‘I think about it a few times and then one day I end up saying it..’
Like this, she was a timid person on the inside..
A short time later, the AMT military police investigation team arrived and began investigating the monster attack scene..
It took about 30 minutes, and only after that was we able to truly start our vacation..
***
Two hours later than scheduled, Lee Hyun-wook and Choi Seon-ah arrived at Seoul Station..
“Deputy Commander, see you next time..”
“huh? Corporal Lee Hyeon-wook doesn’t want to take the train? I thought we would ride together because it was in the same direction..”
Lee Hyun-wook said goodbye to Choi Seon-ah as if he felt sorry for her..
“Oh, I have someone to meet in Seoul, so I guess I'll have to go down later..”
“Yes, then there is nothing we can do about it. See you when I get back. hi!”
“Yes, please enter carefully..”
Lee Hyun-wook had no intention of going to Suwon, his address..
A long time ago, after losing my parents, I went to live with a relative, and it was a time when only bad memories remained..
In other words, they were people who did not need to be recorded in his future..
Lee Hyun-wook was the first to buy civilian clothes and change into them..
It was a blazer and slacks that were somewhat heavy rather than comfortable clothes, but it was meant to be formal in front of the 'person I was meeting separately', as told to Choi Sun..
Next, I took the subway to Yeongdeungpo Station. I checked my watch and it was already past 11 o'clock. A lot of time was wasted as all kinds of unexpected events occurred..
“If we want things to go according to plan, we need to move as quickly as possible..”
The first thing to do, of course, was to find a metal to absorb, a metal of good quality..
He soon arrived at a place called ‘Blacksmith Alley’ in Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu..
This was the site of 'Steel Alley' in the past, and after the game started, 'blacksmith' players gathered one by one to start the 'magic material engineering' and 'item production' business..
As time passed, its scale gradually grew, and a few years ago, the 'Blacksmith's Guild' was launched and worked for the interests of blacksmiths, and was emerging as one of the major axes of the player world in its own way.······.
‘It's a good combination, but it's a bundle of corruption that only benefits some blacksmiths with vested interests..’
Lee Hyun-wook knew very well that the Blacksmith's Guild was a typically rotten organization..
‘And I know truly talented people who are unable to demonstrate their abilities because they are weighed down by those evils..’
Jang-gang! jang-gang!
From the entrance to the alley, the sound of forging metal being hammered and stretched could be heard..
Lee Hyun-wook entered the ‘union office’ at the entrance to the alley..
It was because of such a ridiculous procedure that in order to deal with a blacksmith, you had to go through a union - that is, pay a fee..
“welcome.”
The employee greeted me awkwardly while sitting in front of the computer..
Even when Lee Hyun-wook got closer, he didn't even raise his head..
It was a scene that showed the level of the union's level of service while semi-forcibly forcing them to use the union's counter..
“hello.”
“Uh, yeah, what brings you here??”
“wait a minute······.”
Hyunwook Lee pretended to look for a business card in his wallet, then took out other business cards one by one..
Tuk-tuk-tuk-
Business card of Warrant Officer Myeong-ho Cheon, tactical instructor of the Black Tiger Unit,
Cheonghwa Guild Seoul Strategy Manager Catherine Yu’s business card,
And I even received a business card from battalion commander Kim Kang-sik, telling me to contact him if I had any problems while I was on vacation.,
When those three bright names were placed on the desk,······.
“······.”
The employee's expression changed completely..
‘uh? What is this person?’
he thought.
If a man holding a business card like this tries to confidently hand over his business card from the moment he appears, what that means is clear..
‘······This guy is pretty big.!’
It was a pretty natural way of thinking to come to that conclusion..
The employee stood up from his chair and smiled visibly..
“Oh my... how did I leave my business card behind?.”
“Hahaha, it's okay, boss. Now, please sit comfortably over here..”
What is the importance of business cards? The employee very politely pointed to a sofa on one side of the office..
“Sir, if you tell us what you are looking for, we will show you a selection of high quality items..”
“Well, I came to look for people, not things..”
“ah! Are you looking for a dedicated blacksmith? Then, may I recommend a craftsman who is just right for the purpose of your item??”
Weapons that penetrate the monster's barrier and cut through bone and flesh, combat players' equipment items always needed repair, and that was the blacksmith player's job..
In particular, top-tier players did not entrust their expensive equipment to just anyone, and often had a 'dedicated blacksmith' to professionally manage their items..
“No, I'm looking for someone else..”
“Ah... is that so??”
The employee had a shocked expression..
This is because the power of the union lies in the authority to recommend blacksmiths to new customers, which means that more opportunities go to blacksmiths who serve as the core power of the union..
“By any chance, what is your father-in-law’s name??”
“This is master craftsman Kang Jeong-du..”
“······.”
The employee's expression became even more determined..
‘Probably because the name was excluded from the recommendation list..’
Craftsman Kang Jeong-doo was a person who did not obey the grand structure of the union..
That's why he fell out of favor with the union, and now he's in the cold..
‘But he is one of the most skilled blacksmiths..’
The employee hesitated before opening his mouth..
“Hey, boss, he's not performing well, so I'm going to hire him as a more capable person.······.”
“No, please be sure to ask me to be the master craftsman Kang Jeong-du..”
“······.”
“Did you not hear me??”
“Hahaha... If you really want to, I understand..”
As expected, the employee tried to exclude Kang Jeong-du..
If it weren't for the business card operation, I probably would have been shut out at this point..
After a while, the inner door opened and an old man with white hair appeared..
‘Artisan Kang Jeong-du, I have heard his name many times, but this is my first time seeing him in person..’
Although he passes away just four years later, he is a true craftsman who will create amazing items until then..
‘If you do well, you can have everything he makes..’
Lee Hyun-wook's heart trembled just by seeing that great man in person..
“Oh my boss, I heard you were looking for this old man. It's called Gangjeongdu..”
An old man with white hair bowed his back at a right angle..
“Old man, if you don’t mind, can I go to your workshop and talk to him directly??”
“······Well, this old man's place is quite shabby..”
“it's okay.”
The employee's expression hardened once more..
There was no way I would like the idea of going to the blacksmith's workshop, which was on the 'blacklist', rather than the union's office. However, since they had already misunderstood that he was a big-time customer, they did not seem to dare to stop him..
Lee Hyun-wook went into the most corner of the blacksmith alley, into a shabby building..
The workshop, with its rusty shutter half-open, contained only a small anvil, a cooking pot, and a rusty workbench..
“This is so shabby that I am not worthy of recognition. It's okay if you just go to see the sights..”
“No, it's a place where you can feel the elder's career..”
“I'm so glad you said that..”
The living quarters were shabby, but the things hanging inside were not..
Hyunwook Lee discovered an incredible item right from the entrance..
It was a black window.
‘That's a javelin made with an orihalcon tip..’
In the future, it was one of the javelin weapons used by Salzburg's 'Dragon Knights'..
‘I don't think the barrier collapse effect has been applied yet, but it will be completed in about a year..’
gulp-
I couldn't help but drool..
But I didn't dare get it right away..
Even Gangjeong's craftsman would have known the price, and Lee Hyun-wook did not have the money yet to ask for it..
‘Even if Master Kang gave up everything, he did not give up that one thing easily..’
Lee Hyun-wook heard that just before Kang Jeong-du died, the Austrian hero Dragon Knight personally came to him and said that he would absolutely drive that spear into the heart of the dragon 'Tarasque' that appeared on the European continent, and that he only got it after half a day of persuasion..
And in the end, that spear becomes ‘Dragon Slayer’.
‘Huh... First of all, I have to eat my subject, metal with magical properties..’
You will grow no matter what metal you eat, but as I have reminded you several times, you have to find and eat high-quality metal - especially metal that contains magic..
In that case, not only does the metal control increase, but also 'skill' and 'resistance' to certain magic are created, and when the level reaches its extreme, it reaches 'immunity'..
For example, if you keep eating metal enchanted with fire properties, you will not get burned even if you are engulfed in fire..
‘We need poison immunity right now..’
A precursor to the 4th wave of events that will occur in two days.,
This was because ‘poison immunity’ was desperately needed for that very moment..
“Boss, I don't work alone. I have an assistant. I'd like to say hello..”
“Haha, good.”
“Hey, Hee-seol.!”
A man in his seventies had a good voice..
At his call, footsteps were heard from inside the workshop, from the room..
“why!”
A voice comparable to that of my grandfather, but it was a high-pitched female voice..
“I was practicing enchantment right now.!”
The door inside the workshop opened, and a short-haired girl with a lot of soot on her face came out..
‘Kang Hee-seol, you’re still young..’
I roughly calculated her age and found that she was probably in her first or second year of high school..
‘Kang Jeong-du will die 4 years from now..’
It wasn't due to any chronic disease, and since it was a natural death due to old age, there was no way for Lee Hyun-wook to stop it..
‘But that woman, Snow White Kang Hee-seol, will grow up. And she later worked with seven dwarven craftsmen to create the first master-level item..’
There is something called a ‘family system’ in this game..
Simply put, ‘family history’ is also reflected in player abilities..
For example, if the father was awakened as a wizard player, there was a high possibility that his children would acquire wizard-related characteristics when awakened later..
It was an example of this that Seo Eun-ha, the second daughter of General Seo Baek-jin, the leader of the Holy Knights of the Army, was a Holy Knight player, and Kang Hee-seol, as the granddaughter of Kang Jeong-du, also awakened to the characteristics of a blacksmith..
“huh? who is this guy?”
“You mean uncle, you are the boss.!”
“ah! Sonnom~”
“This bitch, cow, cow, son-bastard! The way I speak is real!”
“No, my grandfather always······.”
“This! When will you grow up??”
Lee Hyun-wook chuckled..
‘As expected, he is very immature. There will be no need to grow up in the future..’
In particular, Lee Hyun-wook also knew very well that he learned such rude speaking habits from his grandfather, Kang Jeong-du..
‘Kang Jeong-doo, although he looks evil on the outside, he is a stubborn and strong old man..’
How dare you fight with the blacksmith's guild??
“Haha, it's okay. I think your granddaughter is also a blacksmith player..”
“It seems fate happened that way..”
“Since this is a family business, I can trust you even more..”
At Lee Hyun-wook’s words, Kang Jeong-doo showed an expression of confusion..
“Oh my, I'll do my best.”
Purchased as much magic metal enchanted with ‘poison’ properties from Lee Hyun-wook’s Kang Jeong-du’s workshop..
It weighed a whopping 11kg and the price alone was 22 million won..
In addition, I purchased a dagger made of useful magic metal and 20 iron beads..
In particular, this 3cm diameter iron ball was made of mithril-tungsten alloy, and had a reasonable weight and decent anti-magic power, so it would effectively collapse the monster's 'barrier'..
And the iron ball was, above all, an easy metal to control, because the center of gravity was located in the center, so there was little need to pay attention to balance..
‘At 2.9 million won for 20 magic metal beads, I bought it quite cheaply..’
In this way, AMT soldiers were able to purchase and bring in their own personal weapons..
‘I'm glad I've been saving regularly at this time of year..’
Since AMTs are professional soldiers, they receive a salary equal to that of an office worker every month, but as soldiers usually do, they are confined to the unit and have little time to spend money..
Therefore, his bank account currently contained about 38 million won..
“Thank you, boss.!”
Kang Jeong-du, who had earned several months worth of income with just one transaction, was excited, and Kang Hee-seol was also wiping the saliva from the corner of his mouth with a dumbfounded expression..
“and! 20 million won! Awesome... Grandpa, today is chicken and pizza.······”
“Hey, that snout- hmm, keep your mouth still.!”
That tomboyish image would not change even as I got older..
“The item is very good. I will be coming here often to trade, so please stay healthy..”
“Oh my, of course.”
“See you later, granddaughter..”
“yes yes! I hope we can see each other more often! Hi-Hi!”
“Oh my, this······.”
The person I liked meeting often was Lee Hyun-wook..
In this way, a quality metal supply source was secured..
***
Lee Hyun-wook stayed at a nearby motel..
“after······.”
And now, he was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room with a nervous expression..
In front of him, there was a pile of metal 'enchanted' with 'poison properties' purchased from Kang Jeong-du..
When ordering, I asked for it to be cut into pieces the size of a finger, so the whole thing was large enough to be swallowed in one bite..
I picked one of them up and swallowed it..
gulp-
- (00:19:59) left until metal absorption.
Normally it would have taken the same amount of time as above, but now it was different..
Lee Hyun-wook gave strength to Danjeon..
Ooh-uh-
Then I felt a sound from deep inside my body..
What can I say, it felt like a huge machine was starting up..
A newly created organ by absorbing the Devil's Medal (Inferno),
‘The body's 'furnace' was in operation..
- Your body's furnace kicks in and metal absorption efficiency skyrockets.. (+250%)
Rather than simply digesting metal, it literally melts and absorbs it..
but······.
- caution! Accompanied by severe pain!
- caution! Accompanied by severe pain!
- caution! Accompanied by severe pain!
“······Pfft!”
Pain that feels like the whole body is on fire.
Lee Hyun-wook gritted his teeth as he endured the pain..
I felt like I was going crazy, but I had to endure it..
If so······.
‘11kg of metal, all absorbed within today!’
······Tomorrow's Lee Hyun-wook would wake up three times more powerful than now..
Comments