The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 173
173fury.
===========================
Dresden, Germany, the elegant city center with Baroque architecture was now empty..
Because that place was chosen as the stage for the second act, ‘The Great Battle’..
What filled the city with only a sense of silence was the sound of the earth spreading from the plain in the distance..
Thump 1 Thump 1 Thump 1
Amidst high tremors, a man stood in front of a camera and raised his voice on the roof of a building..
"yes I am currently in Dresden, Germany, the venue for the second act.!”
He turned his head and pointed somewhere..
From this rooftop, you could clearly see beyond downtown Dresden to green pastures in the distance..
"Dozens of titans have gathered in the plains about 4km away from here, and they are still gathering! The EPU explains that the number has reached a maximum of 155.!”
He shook his head as if he was fed up..
"Well, until now... … Titans that used to move in groups of 3 or 4 have come together to form a true army. Accordingly, raid experts……."
at that time—
"一uh!”
The cameraman suddenly screamed and instinctively lifted the camera focus. The reason is
Hung 1
Because something was flying from the sky..
"Hey, what is that?!”
Then the reporter also reflexively turned his head.,
Soon, after witnessing it, he muttered quietly..
"Oh, it's a missile.?”
A huge stick-shaped object falling from the sky... … It crashed into the building right next to it..
Kwaang——!
"一Collok! Okay, suddenly something flew in.!”
Covering his breathing apparatus with his jacket, he looked at the building next door through the hazy dust and noticed a huge iron pillar stuck in the center of it..
that… … It was a window, not a pillar..
Approximately 20m long…….
The moment they confirmed it, the reporter and cameraman had no choice but to completely forget about the live news broadcast..
"Me, crazy! Ti, it's the Titan's Spear! How did they know we were here and attack us?!”
Then, the huge windows flew down like a rainstorm and began to destroy all the buildings in the area..
shed--! shed--! bang——!
The entire building collapsed in one blow..
Without any explosion, a concrete building is dismantled like a sand castle using only mass and acceleration..
That wasn't a javelin, it was like a bombing..
I don't know why this suddenly happened, but it seemed like something was offending the Titans..
"Damn it, Bill, come this way.!”
Still, the reporter was a wizard player, and he immediately threw down the microphone and took out a wand. What he cast was a short-distance teleportation spell..
Ugh one
Their bodies instantly warped to a place about a hundred meters away, and the broadcast connection was cut off for an instant..
“Bill, over there, over there! Hurry and take a picture there!”
"Wait a minute, the connection... … Oh, it's done!”
"Dear viewers, we are safe! and look over there!”
The camera moved violently at his hand gesture and then focused on the north, near the four-lane road..
The road crossed a wide plain, and at the edge of the plain was a hill.…….
Thump 1 Thump 1 Thump 1
From there, giant heads wearing helmets were rising one by one, soon numbering dozens..
Thump 1 Thump 1 Thump 1
Titan hoplites, all armed with spears, shields, and armor, were advancing, forming a shield wall with their shoulders touching each other..
And perhaps because the sunlight was shining toward the west and casting long shadows, I felt the illusion that the entire medieval castle was moving..
"......Bo, can you see it? Well, they're all titan hoplites, and now, for some reason, they're advancing on Dresden.!"
And soon, I could see what they were throwing their javelins at..
Doo doo doo doo doo——
Large transport helicopters named NH90 appeared in a line from the southern sky..
Hung 1 Hung 1
A 20m long spear flew towards them, and the first two generations were unable to dodge it..
Tongue——!
A large transport helicopter was skewered like a skewer and flew all the way to the southern part of downtown Dresden before landing on the ground..
At that time
Kwaaahahahahahah——!!
This time, multiple teleports fell from the sky and countless players came running out from them..
There was no need to think deeply about who they were. They were the most famous group of players today..
"omg ! That person……."
At the head of the group, a large man wearing a lion skin strolled forward with a black club slung over his shoulder..
Looking at the scene, the reporter shouted.
"……Everyone, this is ‘Omega Team’! They have arrived here, in Dresden! So, the greatest forces of both the Titans and Humans have gathered in one place.!”
He turned his head to look directly at the camera and added one word:.
"I think the great battle will begin now.!”
***
However, no battle took place.
Until now, 'Omega Team' had made a bold preemptive attack as soon as a group of titans was seen, but now they had no choice but to face off from a distance..
That was inevitable because as many as 88 titan hoplites were standing shoulder to shoulder, using a shield wall like a castle wall..
It was called ‘Deus Phalanx’ and could be interpreted as a shield phalanx of God..
And even now, from time to time, portals are opened and three or four more are joining in, and their power is growing..
At that time, Omega Team's operation tent.…….
“……It would be a barbarian thing to hit that thing..”
The person who said this was a man named Brian Thiel from England, the nominal leader of Team Omega..
He was an 'analyst' type player, and although he did not directly participate in the battle, he was the person who devised all the strategies and strategies so far..
"hmm… … In the first place, breaking the 'Phalanx' requires a fairly skilled strategy, but if you refer to the performance of the Roman 'Legion' who broke it... … Disable shields, flank, or the easiest way is to drag them into uneven terrain..”
Even with his explanation, the four members of the Omega team looked perplexed..
Since they were all called the strongest players in different countries, they all had huge pride and were unable to get along with each other..
Still, like veterans, it was fortunate that we got along well without any communication..
"Hey, don't mumble things that seem like they're from Wikipedia, just come up with a plan and get it.”
The person who found fault like that was Alexander Chekhov, a man lying on a cot wearing a lion skin..
Jeokjeok 一
He popped a chocolate bar into his mouth and chewed it whole..
213As he was a man of about 10 inches tall, he ate a huge amount of calories before and after battle, so he was constantly eating something even during strategy meetings..
"Well, we need to be a little careful this time. It's a war event..”
"Well, if you think too long about how to eat it, that Steele bastard might suddenly fly in and steal it. That guy specializes in that. Who is he? DS was also distracted and lost the black dragon.?”
As such, their goal was to attack and at the same time keep Steel Lane in check..
"Haha, there's nothing you can do if that guy comes anyway. That ‘Deus Phalanx’ has its own incredibly thick defense shield, so no matter what the man throws at it, it won’t break through. So it is virtually impossible to attack the side... … Ah, this is only visible to my eyes as an analytics player..”
“……No, that means we also have nothing to do.?”
This time, Connor O'Neill, a young white man known as the sandcastle's master, intervened..
As expected, he seemed tired of building sand structures in his hands and then tearing them down over and over again..
“Ha, it's been a bit boring since yesterday, really.……."
For this energetic and rebellious young man who had become one of the best in the world even though he was only 20 years old, these strategy meetings just felt boring..
Brian Till suppressed a sigh as he watched such complacent attitudes..
"So, what I’m saying is… … It means you have to be careful. In the first place, there's no way a big event of this scale, and it's a war event, can be attacked just by attacking, right? You are the one who knows that best, right??”
"Oh, wait a minute. Then there is no need for us to go to the plains where they are encamped and fight them, and we can just lure them to a city like this.?"
This time, Nia Wilson, a black woman wearing a baseball cap, asked that question..
She twirled a pistol in her grasp..
"So, no matter how giant they are, they won't be able to create a defense like that because there are so many obstacles in the city. I have a lot of places to climb and take cover, so it's easy to shoot.."
Nisha Kaif, India's S-rank buffer sitting next to her, nodded in agreement with her words..
But Brian Thiel shook his head..
"Didn't we all see the war quest, that system message before we came here??”
[war quest]
- Titanomachia Act 2 ‘The Grand Tournament’’
At this moment, the titans began to gather in one place..
If their shields are stacked in one place, an unstoppable advance will begin..
Completely demoralize them before they can fully rally.!
1) ‘Secure more than 1 hour of ‘Victory Flag’ within 72 hours (in progress))
2) Defeat the boss monster ‘Crios’ (in progress))
* Compensation: Differential payments depending on war ‘achievements’
- caution! When objective '1' is failed, the morale of the 'Titans' soars and their combat power increases significantly..
"Based on that, if we look at the current situation,……."
He slightly lifted the operation tent..
Then, far away, beyond the horizon, I saw a red ray of light rising from the sky..
It was an unidentified phenomenon that started yesterday when 'Titanomachia: Giant Slalom' was held..
"That light shows the location of goal number one, Victor Flag..”
In fact, as a result of aerial observation, there was a flag planted on the runway of 'Dresden Airport', about 7km away from here..
"It is said that if we secure more than 1 hour of it within 72 hours, we will receive a huge buff limited to this event. Ah, now there are 64 hours left..”
"If it's the other way around... … They're getting buffs.?”
"Yes, that's right. That has to be prevented somehow. I think this event was designed that way too..”
Alexander Chekhov, who was hearing those words, jumped up from his cot..
“Haha, shit, the situation is so complicated... … So what. What are we going to do, huh? Just a little bit simpler”
It was then.
Boo 1 woo 1 woo 1!
Why did the trumpet sound loudly?.
However, it was definitely not an ordinary trumpet. It was a sound box much louder than most speakers in a concert hall, shaking the entire city center of Dresden loudly..
"Oh, what a surprise.!”
"What does this mean again??”
“……It's ominous. Let's go out there..”
As they came out of the operations tent, an EPU official came running and held out a tablet PC..
“Team 1 Omega, please check this out.!”
The tablet PC was, as expected, linked to a magic drone, and a screen was displayed showing the Titan troops standing several kilometers away..
But then two titans broke away from the group and were walking towards me.?
One of them was dressed very differently from the others, and the red collar on its Corinthian helmet was especially large and flashy..
in other words.......
"I think that guy is probably the boss monster Krios... … It seems like the intention is to meet with the commanders..
Gyeol (會戰) refers to an old-fashioned battle method in which two camps clash with all their might in one area..
And before such a battle, a meeting between commanders from both sides would take place..
“……Why do you want to meet me??”
"Probably not a good story.”
***
A short time later, the commanders of both camps faced each other on the plain north of Dresden..
1.8The scene where the representative of the human side of m is standing face to face with the representative of the titan side who is about 19m tall was somewhat unsettling, because it seemed like they would rush in and trample if the conversation did not go well..
And now, the world's attention was focused on this scene..
There were dozens of magic drones floating in the skies above humanity, half of which were from various broadcasting media..
With the eyes of the whole world on him, Brian Thiel, who became the representative of humanity, walked forward..
As he was not a combat player, his legs were shaking with instinctive fear as he looked up at the titan who was 10 times bigger than him, but he took a deep breath and greeted him politely..
"......Hello, my name is Brian Thiel and I am representing humanity.."
However, the golden-bearded titan, Crios, was furious, ready to pounce and trample at any moment..
「……Do bugs have names too??」
As expected, he had expected that a normal conversation would not be possible..
"……If you come out like that, it looks like your friends have been bitten by our bugs quite a bit..”
「How dare you guys insult the titan race, and I want to stomp them to death right away.…….」
Krios growled and threatened, baring his teeth, and Brian Till took a step back without realizing it, but he had no intention of backing down..
Because literally the entire human race was watching this scene right now..
"Well, wasn't that the invasion from there? … … Ha, I'm tired of talking like this with monsters who don't even know who they are, now.……."
He said the last words quietly and shook his head..
「A lowly race like you is not allowed any territory. This land will now be ours, and you will become our food..」
“Yes, yes, then why did you ask to see each other separately??”
「You guys said you were ‘hunting’ us Titans... … I'm trying to show you how nonsense it is and the gap between you and us..」
"Um, that's it……."
「Before the two camps compete, each side puts up one fighter and engages in a one-on-one duel..」
At that moment, a system message appeared before Brian Thiel's eyes..
- The Titan race 'Crios Legion' proposed a 1-on-1 duel. (Y/N)
* caution! When rejected, the morale of your Titan units improves..
‘ah… … Is it a sub event??’
he thought for a moment.
No matter how you think about it, a one-on-one fight with a titan was crazy..
It's about the Omega team that can do that... … The risk was too great because even on the other side, instead of an ordinary titan, a much stronger person would appear as a great warrior..
‘Of course, you can reject this.’
Since it was a side quest, it was okay to ignore it..
‘But it will affect the situation…….'
Even so, I couldn't watch with my eyes open as the 'Deus Phalanx', which was difficult to deal with, was strengthened even further..
That would be a fatal strategic failure.…….
‘Still, if it's Alexander Chekhov... … As long as the boss monster, Krios, does not appear directly, you will be able to fight him one-on-one..'
Isn't he the one wearing the ??
1In 1 vs. 1, it could be seen as the best..
‘I guess I'll have to trust that foul-tempered warrior for once.……
***
“一Well, that sounds fun..”
As expected, Alexander Chekhov happily complied and swallowed another chocolate bar..
"then… … The duel starts in about 18 minutes..”
"huh? What, you already agreed to the duel without even asking my opinion??”
"I knew you would respond right away. And I believe in your victory.”
"You're being damn good, did you think I'd be impressed if you said that??”
But his mustache was chewing, and he had a very triumphant expression..
And on the rumor that an event called a 'duel' had occurred, reporters flocked to ask questions, and Alexander Chekhov stood in front of them despite Brian Thiel's dissuasion..
And this time too…….
“……Hey, Steele Rain!”
Mentioning his name intensified the rivalry between Team Omega and Steele Lane..
"Yesterday I requested that, and as expected… … He didn't give me any answer.?”
He chuckled and shook his head..
“……Tsk, tsk, I found out that he was just another guy trying to be popular! I assure you, you are not a real man.!”
He then patted his chest..
"Now, on behalf of humanity, I am going to have a one-on-one duel with the Titan's Great Warrior.!”
Then cheers erupted from all directions. His popularity has been skyrocketing lately..
In the midst of such a catastrophe, the public wanted a leader with strong charisma..
"But where are you and what are you doing now? You're not showing up at such an important moment... … I'm so disappointed. I hope you keep acting like a fake hero like that.!”
With those words, he carried his weapon, ‘Hercules’ olive tree club’, on his shoulder and walked towards the duel venue..
***
After a while… … With the eyes of the entire world focused on them, two beings were glaring at each other on the plains north of Dresden..
On the human side stood Alexander Chekhov, a whopping 213cm tall..
But no matter how much he was, he was only an infinitely small being in front of the Titans..
Thump, thump, thump
At that time, a titan broke away from the group and came towards us..
16.9M’s overwhelming physique… … And unlike other titan hoplites, this guy was wearing black hard leather armor, and judging from the scales sticking out, it seemed to be the leather of a black drake..
And he was holding a mace, which was only about 5 meters long..
"oh… … Does it look a little different from the guys you've dealt with so far? But whatever, if you hit him properly, he'll be lying on the floor anyway..”
Alexander Chekhov was very courageous.
That's because no titan has ever been able to withstand the bat he swung..
"hey! Did you know that the pleasure of breaking the watermelons of lumps like you is quite exhilarating??”
He even went so far as to provoke the Titans' great warrior..
「.......」
"oh… … Seems like you're quite the quiet type, then you won't be able to leave a will.."
He said that and took a deep breath..
Go, oh, oh, oh, oh——
Then, a huge amount of energy flowed from his entire body and began to focus on his feet..
Kwaang——!
Immediately, as if exploding, it hit the floor and shot out..
But one
Tsk one tsk——!
"Pfft!”
His body, which was shooting out like a bullet, stopped when it was caught by something in the air, and he tilted his head and looked down at his feet..
And then he realized that his feet were tied with some sort of purple chain..
- caution! You are afflicted with the ‘Prisoner of Tartarus’ rage.!
* The action radius is limited for a certain period of time (5 minutes)..
“Uh, what... … use magic?”
This was a completely unexpected situation.
He kicked the floor with all his might, but he was still bound by the chains and could not go beyond a certain radius..
And the Titan stood outside that radius and raised the corner of his mouth..
"Damn it, I can't hit you like this.!”
Meanwhile, the Titan raised his right hand and stretched it towards the sky, and a blue light began to flow from his grasp..
At first glance, it looked ominous.…….
- caution! ‘Gaia’s feet’ appear in the area.!
With such a system message, something began to appear in the sky above our heads..
"crazy……."
that… … It was a huge foot, hundreds of meters long..
In an instant, the entire area was covered with shadows, which was an indicator of the extent of the destruction..
Go, oh, oh, oh, oh——
Looking up at that nonsense, Alexander Chekhov momentarily turned his head and looked at Brian Till standing far behind him..
Up until now, the things he kept saying about his strategy were very annoying, but at moments like this, I found myself seeking his wisdom without realizing it..
however… … I realized that his expression was also twisted in embarrassment..
"ah……."
Perhaps it originated from a very minor misunderstanding..
All titans are of the ‘warrior’ class.…….
Because all the titans I've seen so far have been like that.…….
The moment he turns his head forward again...
A huge foot struck down, crushing him..
Kwaa aa aaang——!
"......."
Woo one ooh one ooh one ooh…….
"......."
Immediately after that, there was only terrible silence at the scene. None of the players gathered there could speak, and there was only silence here and there..
and… … Human beings all over the world who will be watching through the broadcast will also have received an indescribable shock and fallen into deep despair once again..
In other words, it was the moment when humanity's hopes were trampled..
But then, someone turned their head and said.
“Uh, steel rain.!”
The moment the name was heard, everyone turned their heads. And all the cameras rolled together.
"一What?”
Only then did they realize that a white airship was approaching their heads..
"Damn it, why are you crawling out now?!”
At that time, a player belonging to the Omega team shouted that.
"What have you been doing up until now, and are you here now? Is it because you want to see what happens to us?!”
Perhaps he was feeling angry at what had happened to Aleksand Chekhov and was trying to shift the blame to him..
In addition, cries of criticism came from all over the place..
Until now, Team Omega had fought the Titans head-on, but public opinion had formed that Steelaine was secretly avoiding them..
"Why are you always so selfish?!”
But then, someone's voice was heard from behind the person who shouted that..
“……I am sorry for being late.”
"uh?”
There, Steele Lane stood..
"I was trying to accumulate something.……."
He said that and started walking forward..
At his movement, everyone split to both sides..
And the world began to become strangely excited once again..
Stillane, then… … perhaps…….
The place where his steps stopped was in front of Brian Till..
"Brian Thiel, I heard you're in charge here..”
“……Yes that's right.”
"Well then, I have one request for you..”
"yes?”
"Prepare your entire army to advance immediately and wait for my orders..”
Brian Till looked like he couldn't understand what was said so unexpectedly..
And the Omega team members standing around him also had their expressions scrunched up..
That's because Steelein's comment just now was largely an order to themselves..
"now… … What are you talking about??”
"I'm explaining a strategy that can win this war..”
“……Are you planning to duel that titan on Alexander Chekhov's behalf??”
But Steele Raine lowered his head and took a step forward..
"why should i do that?”
"yes?”
“1You probably didn't choose it because you admired the honor of one-on-one combat. And against those man-eating monsters..”
"Oh, no, of course not. If you don't approve that subquest, the entire Titan army will be strengthened..”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded at those words..
"I will shake up and weaken those titan units properly, so do as I say and prepare for battle..”
“no, what is that……."
Then he moved forward again and slowly raised his left hand..
The famous gesture had everyone holding their breath..
“……I'm not going to go out there with the badge of being the representative of humanity and make a joke out of negotiating with them and setting the rules..”
“Ah, no that's it……."
"Even if it is more violent instead... … I will choose to break the rules and eradicate you..”
At that moment, Brian Thiel saw.
Where Lee Hyun-wook's left hand is pointing, that high sky, a single light floating near a low altitude........
And there, a handful of straight lines were drawn vertically, and the moment that line touched the ground.
yes——
The plains where the titans stood were erased from the map..
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