Novels online

The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 179

179fury. 

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"hmm… … Did you say you came from the Roman Gate??”

Lee Hyun-wook and his party were 'polymorphed' into the appearance of dark elves and were being searched at the 'terminal' of the dark elf kingdom, a huge space lined with dozens of portal generators..

“Yes, that's right. There are five people in total..”

A dark elf was sitting behind the magic cage, looking at the pass they gave him and asking a question, and the second prince's guardian knight, Argenti Arcum, was answering on behalf of him..

Still, there was nothing wrong with the pass, and he just covered the pass as if he hadn't noticed Polymorph, but his eyes were still aggressive..

"greatness! How dare you guys think of visiting without prior contact? You have to get permission to visit at least a week in advance, but I don't know if you can use the gate.?”

“Oh, that's it……."

"And that’s in the same exhibition right now! You probably don't know that this is the liver going overboard, huh??”

“……I'm sorry for not being able to report in advance because I had to come in urgently..”

As it was wartime, the guard was on guard, and there were armed troops everywhere. If, by any chance, my cover was revealed, or even if I was detained due to procedural issues, I was bound to have quite a headache..

And, as if there was a clear hierarchy in this race as well, the terminal keeper crossed his arms arrogantly and began to spout bitterly..

"Hey Gatekeeper, when I ask this, shouldn't you tell me why? Do you enter and exit the terminal once or twice? Tsk tsk 一 After living in the human world for a long time, I guess my shamelessness is starting to resemble that of humans.?”

Then the guardian knight slightly leaned his head forward and whispered in a low voice..

“Hey, that's... … Do you know Soos Buppo??”

The terminal keeper's eyes widened reflexively, perhaps because it was the name of a person of quite high rank..

"huh? Oh, I know! Aren't you the manager of the 7th Forest? Haven't you gone to war with humans now??”

"Yes, he really likes the finest wine from Italy, the drink of mankind. He said he was going to hold a party after this battle, and that he should airlift some pretty precious wine in advance..”

As he said that, he pointed somewhere, and there was a small iron box lying there..

Then the terminal keeper stood up without realizing it and nodded repeatedly..

"Ah, that happened.!”

The reason he agreed so quickly was because a high-ranking official named Sous Bufo was famous for liking human food..

"Yes, that happened. Haha, sorry for the inconvenience..”

"If it is the order of the manager of the 7th Forest... … Wow, that's right, I wasted precious time without realizing it! Still, in today's times, if you are caught bringing in items from the human world, even you will be in trouble, so you should be careful.!”

In this way, Argenti Arcum was able to pass the inspection with plausible false reasons prepared in advance..

“Wow, dark elves are no different from humans. As soon as you mention the name of the superior, you get a free pass.……."

"I remembered getting tested at the guard station when I returned from vacation..”

Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo each left a comment..

They came out of the terminal, walked down a long passageway for a while, and soon came across a very large space called 'the plaza'..

"This is the center of our kingdom, and it leads to almost everywhere. If there is a problem and you have to escape, you have no choice but to pass through this place. And there will be a lot of expenses..”

2the prince explained.

There were a lot of dark elves coming and going there, and it felt like a transfer station in the city center..

And the thick roots, of which it was unclear whether they were rising from the ground or coming down from the ceiling, stood like a building, and it seemed as if they had actually dug into the building and used it as a building..

Glowing flowers bloomed from the ceiling, filling the entire underground space with soft white light... … If it weren't for the anxiety of being behind enemy lines, it would have been a mysterious scenery like a village of fairies in a fairy tale..

however…….

"Uh, that… … It's not a person?”

Suddenly, Park Jun-mo whispered in a surprised voice..

"huh?"

And indeed, there were people among the crowd of dark elves.

They looked miserable, with shaved heads and wearing nothing but rags, and they were walking in a single line with their hands bound by something that looked like green vines..

Seeing the dark elves guarding the area with weapons, it seemed like they were probably slaves..

‘They are probably citizens who were unable to escape from Berlin during the 3rd wave..’

Those who were unable to escape when the disaster occurred, and even when Berlin began to turn into a green hell due to their failure to prevent the disaster..

‘And they are probably being used as agricultural slaves..’

The Guardian's later guess was that the number was approximately 30,000 to 40,000..

However, there was no way to rescue them, so they had no choice but to live as slaves to the dark elves..

"Well, what is that… … You can't believe they're capturing humans and making them slaves.?"

Kim Se-hee asked with a sharp voice, and the two dark elves looked as if they had no shame..

“……I have nothing to say.”

And as if making an excuse, he explained that when the royal family ruled, the quality of life for them was higher than it is now, and that the hostages were treated with the utmost respect back then..

That may not be completely false, the Dark Elf Kingdom was trying to take a friendly path with humanity, so at that time, they were closer to hostages than slaves..

However, due to the villain's interference, the 'Great General' took over power and everything went wrong..

“……For now, let's move on..”

“Big, it’s this way..”

Lee Hyun-wook did not give a damn about such things. Because he had watched humanity become even more miserable throughout his life..

Before we knew it, the crowds gradually decreased, the ceiling lowered, and the light began to dim. It meant we were heading to the outskirts..

"From here on, it is a residential area. My friends will be waiting for us.”

"But they must be really trustworthy.?”

Kim Se-hee asked. She seemed to harbor her distrust after seeing her human slave moments ago. Then she frowned as if the 2 prince was also offended by her..

“These are people who would give up their lives for me. And I, too, would give up my life for them..”

"Hmm, usually people get betrayed in relationships like that... … Is it because it’s a twist??”

How long did they walk like that? Lee Hyun-wook sensed that there were footsteps following them..

I didn't know if it was the enemy or not, but since I was in the middle of enemy territory, I had no choice but to pay close attention..

Two Palenotes began to tremble at his waist..

and then…….

“Prince, here you are..”

In an alley, people wearing robes were making hand gestures..

***

“……For now, I would like to say that it would be suicidal to storm into the ‘Romance of Power’ where the General is staying..”

A female dark elf said this while holding out a tea cup to the group..

Her name was Lilium Fide, and it was said that she was once an official in the Royal Ministry of Internal Affairs and a friend of the Second Prince..

And the 'loyalist' dark elves here, including her, reacted negatively after hearing about Lee Hyun-wook's group's plan..

"There now, virtually all of the forces left to defend the kingdom are gathered. This is because the General is controlling the 'Vine Guard' through his throne. Our defenses are more thorough than ever. In fact, it will be more difficult to break through than in normal times..”

The second prince also nodded as if he agreed with Lilium Fide's words..

"Yes, even if all the troops were sent to the battlefield, they would tenaciously protect that area... … Loyalist forces seeking restoration of royal authority may not have been completely eliminated yet.……."

Lee Hyun-wook was aiming for the moment when the house was empty, but the security of the key target had become more thorough..

‘Yeah, I kind of expected this too..’

Lee Hyun-wook didn't tell them, but he was using the Fly Eye to look around the Dark Elf Kingdom..

And no matter how many troops escaped, they came to the conclusion that the center was more thoroughly defended than expected..

Lee Hyun-wook was troubled..

‘No matter how secretly I can infiltrate, this is enemy territory. And the trickiest thing of all is that green waves are growing on ceilings, walls, and floors everywhere..’

The 'Green Wave', the wave of man-eating vines that Hyunwook Lee faced in Yggdrasil City, was a city created by such things..

In other words, if you make a little mistake, there is a possibility that you will be caught in vain. It was like a flying insect flying dangerously through a spider web..

‘So, in case something goes wrong, what to do next... … We must improve the situation so that we can infiltrate as secretly as possible..’

In other words, a very shocking opportunity was needed to bring out as much as possible the troops guarding the 'Room of Power'..

that…….

“Rebellion……."

"一Yes?”

Everyone looked at Lee Hyun-wook’s words..

"If a rebellion breaks out within the castle, wouldn't some of the troops in the throne room move outside to suppress it??”

Lilium Fide nodded to Lee Hyun-wook's question, but that did not mean she gave a positive answer..

“……Ah, I know what you mean. However, many of the loyalists who advocated for the restoration of the monarchy are now in prison. Well, you can shake things up in a coup d'état style, but that's not enough to bring out the troops in the throne room. A bigger disruption would be needed, but that's not possible right now..”

Lee Hyun-wook shook his head..

"No, not the loyalist dark elves... … What if you wake up with quite a few troops? For example, thousands of people..”

"Um, no way… … Are you trying to take advantage of humans??”

The second prince asked if he noticed something, and Lee Hyun-wook nodded..

"The human prisoners held here, quite a few of them, would be able to fight if they had weapons..”

Because, quite a few of them were probably captured while fighting against the Dark Elves. And even after that, there will be people who have experienced ‘awakening’… At least there would be hundreds of combat players..

And Lee Hyun-wook had hundreds of player-only weapons, and he could even summon multiple subordinates with the iron golem's core..

That's why we were able to properly cause a rebellion..

"If you liberate them and cause an uproar, could the soldiers guarding the throne room be mobilized??”

Lilium Fide thought about those words for a moment and shook her head..

"under… … That's absolutely impossible.”

She pointed out the window, toward the ceiling..

About ten meters above, near the ceiling, I could see plant stems wriggling like wiring or pipes built into a building..

That was the ‘Green Wave’.

“The biggest reason they can't revolt is because there are plants everywhere in this kingdom that can be controlled by the power of the 'Seat of Power'."

In other words, the moment a revolt broke out, plants flew in like tentacles from the ceiling and walls and arrested them all..

"But what if… … If there is fire?”

Hyunwook Lee presented another alternative..

Fire, it was a substance that could never be found here in the Dark Elf Kingdom..

This is because the fire could spread out of control as the entire area was made up of plants. Therefore, the dark elves did not even burn fire, and the lights were replaced by plants emitting their own light..

Hyunwook Lee continued by explaining.

"If the rebels took fire, wouldn't the Green Wave instinctively retreat? Of course, it would be a problem if the forest elementalist came forward and forced the movement, but... … Most of the forest elementalists would have gone to war, while the rest would be guarding the throne room. That is, to make them go out..”

The Green Wave that Lee Hyun-wook witnessed earlier was controlled by the boss monster Flos Ruber, who is called the manager of the forest..

Therefore, it displayed a powerful force that could not be stopped by most fire magic..

However, if this was a self-growing green wave, ordinary fire would have been enough to limit its activity..

However, as Lee Hyun-wook repeatedly raised counterarguments, Lilium Pide looked a little disgruntled..

2As a close friend and loyalist to the prince, he is helping with this plan, but the idea of ​​hostility toward humans and rebellion does not seem to be well received..

"under… … Of course, everything is prepared for fire. Our city isn't that shabby..”

She went on to explain that everywhere in this underground city, water-retaining plants twisted their roots to act as a kind of sprinkler..

Then he looked at the second prince and showed a frustrated expression, an expression that asked if he could really trust these people..

“ah… … But I think we can solve that.!”

The person who said that was a young dark elf sitting in the corner..

He raised his hand with an innocent expression, but contrary to his foolish appearance,…….

- Dark Elf Elite Elementalist (LV)：61)

However, he was classified as 'Elite' among 'Forest Elementalists', who are considered the most elite among Dark Elves..

In other words, if this guy raises its level further, it will become an ‘elite monster’..

The second prince also stepped in to help..

“Yes, if we get a few forest elementalists together, we can control the fire plants in the slave quarters so that they don't spit out water in case of a fire. Lilium, how many forest elementalists can we recruit??”

When the second prince joined in, she blushed, cleared her throat, and opened her mouth..

"that is… … As this human said earlier, most of them have been conscripted and there is very little in the kingdom. The ones that come to mind right now are about five or six........"

"Okay, that's enough. I also have some expertise in forest elemental arts, so if I join in, I will be able to control the 'water line' and spread the fire. And if a fire breaks out, it will definitely be taken seriously and the troops in the throne room will be dispatched.……."

He turned his head and looked at Hyunwook Lee..

"If we pull out the troops in the throne room as you said, you will enter wearing that magic helmet... … Can you assassinate the general??”

Lee Hyun-wook lifted the teacup in front of him and nodded as if it was obvious..

"Well, I feel like I want to blow up the throne room with all my troops, but if I do that, I could destroy the throne room as well.?”

“……I beg your pardon? Isn't it too much of a joke to blow up the entire throne room??”

This time, as expected, Lilium Fide came forward to find fault..

“I wonder if you know how important this is to us. this is no joke!”

Lee Hyun-wook took a sip of tea without reacting much..

However, the second prince stepped forward and gave Lilium Fide a reprimand..

"Stop, Lilium Fide, I hope you have a little more self-respect. From what I observed, this person doesn't tend to joke, and that wasn't even a joke just now.."

“……yes? So, are you really saying that this person has the power to destroy the throne room in one blow??”

The second prince nodded to that question..

"Because it's true, if we want our city back safe, we have to follow this man's words..”

"......."

"Keeping that in mind, I would like you to reconfirm all the details for the rebellion..”

"Yes, I understand.”

And so the so-called Operation Planet of the Apes began..

***

In fact, life is despair. In the first place, happiness is just a utopia, and chasing it is a series of pain..

This was an obvious nihilism that any human living a difficult life would have harbored at least once, but it was the truth for the humans living in the 'slave colony' of the Dark Elf Kingdom..

Somewhere there, in a damp, yellow-lit cave, humans in rags were sitting around a crude table, chatting..

A little while ago, it was meal time, so we chatted after the meal..

But today I wasn't in a particularly good mood..

“Man, I really can't stand it anymore! After the war broke out, the workload became too extreme.!”

A skinny man grabbed his head and shouted:.

“……At this rate, I'm going to die.!”

Among human slaves, 'players' were suffering from particularly extreme labor..

They were taken to a dark elf orchard and worked to supply mana to the fruit..

It wasn't an easy death, but it was a terrible task that forced you to lose your life very painfully and slowly, like sucking away blood..

"Hehehe. I really just want to die.!”

And this man was half out of his mind from the pain..

Eventually, other men coaxed him to sleep and took him to a squalid room where they laid him down..

An old man watching the scene sighed..

As the oldest person in this crypt, he served as their spiritual leader. But even his face was filled with shadows from some point on..

"Now I feel like I just want to die.”

"yes? Grandpa, don't say that. You advised me to always have hope and that humanity has always found the answer.!”

A boy held out a dried, twisted fruit to an old man..

But the old man threw up his hand..

"Haha, how many years ago was that??”

"Uh, that's it……."

"It's been so long. This bondage too… … Slowly, having hope in itself starts to become funny, like reminiscing about my youth when I chased empty dreams. And it seems like I have no pride left in humanity anymore..”

It's already been 6 years since I was captured here in the underground city of the Dark Elf Kingdom... … They were too old now to have any hope..

"But it was said not too long ago that the dark elf forces had completely escaped... … Could it be that the rescue operation has finally begun??”

This time the young woman asked that question..

she was holding a newborn baby.

"I still want to believe. Uh, I guess I can go outside someday. And for my daughter, I will definitely let her enjoy the sunshine..”

Perhaps it was the guilt she felt for the child she gave birth to in this dungeon, but she couldn't seem to give up hope..

but the others were not.

“No, I'm sorry... … As I listened to the guards talking about the last harvest, it seemed like they were being conquered in reverse..”

“What, what? then… … Not just here in Berlin, but all of Germany is falling apart.?”

"No, it's all over Europe. Maybe the whole world... … As the old man said, what about pride in humanity? We are doomed..”

Those words brought sarcasm and groans from all over the place..

It was terrible to be trapped here, but what made the pain even more painful was the news that all of humanity was being violated..

It was like being a prisoner of war and being told that your country was being invaded..

In other words, it was the most despairing news..

"Damn you little bastards……."

In the end, one man let out an angry cry. He was seething with anger as he had recently seen his friend being executed..

"Damn it, even if I die, I will definitely kill at least one guy, or at least two guys.!”

"Hey, calm down, your voice is too loud. And keep in mind that if the guards listen, we too will be punished..”

"Fuck, how long are you all going to live like this? You're going to die anyway, isn't it better to die fighting? Still, we are players! Why not fight properly once??”

however…….

That one, that one, that one.

Footsteps were heard in the darkness on one side, and people closed their mouths and turned their eyes in that direction..

That one, that one, that one.

But I wasn't that nervous.

This was a very deep place in the slave colony, so patrols by guards were rare. That was the reason why they talked freely here..

however…….

“omg!”

They stood up in shock..

"Uh, uh… … Go, guard.?”

There, the dark elf stood..

“Uh, why are you here?……."

And the dark elf here must be a cruel prison guard. If you just heard that gossip... … These people were practically dead..

And in today's atmosphere, they could have been summarily executed in this place, especially the woman holding her young daughter, turning pale and trembling..

"Oh, no… … please……."

But there was no anger on the dark elf's face..

Rather, strangely enough, he looked at each person with a look of joy on his face.…….

“Hey, this is the human habitation zone, right??”

I asked that question, and everyone couldn't help but make blank expressions..

What kind of question is this??

"......."

A fairly long silence followed, and the young man who was the first to come to his senses nodded repeatedly..

“……Uh, uh, yeah! Yes, guard.!”

Then the dark elf raised his head, looked at the ceiling, and shouted..

"Yes, that's right! Come down now!"

Kkudduddud——

A sound rang overhead and people raised their heads one by one... … The green wave forming the ceiling wriggles open, and I wonder if someone is coming down from there.?

chin 1

A total of 6 dark elves came down from the ceiling..

And one of them walked forward and stood in front of the young man..

"I'd like to meet the leader here.”

For a moment, there was silence..

This time, as expected, the young man answered..

"Oh, the leader... … There's no way a slave would have something like that, right? haha! We are very aware that creating private organizations is prohibited, and we always keep that in mind.!”

At that question, the dark elf looked at the dark elf standing behind him..

"Can you please de-polymorph me for a moment??”

"Um, it'll take 15 minutes to reapply, is that okay??”

"I feel like I have no choice but to explain the situation to these people..”

Wow 1

At that moment, black light flickered on the dark elf's face.…….

“……Uh, you're human.?”

The face changed into that of a human, an Asian man..

"I just unintentionally overheard your conversation. So, I don't know if it will be a little comforting to hear this........"

Then he came over, put his hand on the young man's shoulder, and opened his mouth quietly..

“……On behalf of humanity, I have come to save you..”