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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 217

217fury. 

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'……This is the end.’

Lee Hyun-wook thought so as he watched the flow of mana gushing out of the gun's muzzle..

And the moment I saw the human figure hanging at the end of the gun, Gordon Price, being torn to pieces and blown away, falling to the floor, that thought turned into conviction..

[Item information]

- Name: God Slayer (Master))

- Effect: This attack has the power of Godslaughter, so it ignores all defenses. It will disappear after firing just 5 bullets. (Current remaining count : 4)

This is the first 'Master' grade player-made item made from the mythic grade item 'Mystiltain'. It can only fire 5 shots, but only 1 shot was enough..

"Wow——”

Sparks were flying loudly all over the body of Gordon Price, who had received the blow squarely..

It wasn't electricity or anything, it was a strange phenomenon where the barrier melted and the energy burned out..

That means it is disappearing..

‘If something like that happens, you won't be able to survive even if the saint heals you..’

Lee Hyun-wook knew because he had seen his colleagues die like that several times in his past life..

“Hey, this is ridiculous! It can't end like this……."

He fell to the floor and writhed, but soon lost his human form and returned to the appearance of a demon lord - that is, with a tentacle-like appearance..

"No, it's all over now..”

As Lee Hyun-wook approached the guy, he pulled the God Slayer's pump one more time..

Since enough damage had already been done, it seemed like it would eventually disappear if left alone, but just in case, it was necessary to make sure to give it one more hit..

However, even though his body was falling apart and he sensed that he had lost, he did not stop spewing out evil at Lee Hyun-wook..

“Pfft—cha, don’t get me wrong, you didn’t win.!”

"......."

"In the end, everything happened as they wanted! The reason you defeated me is because they chose you and not me. As a result of a more successful experiment,……."

He forced a laugh and continued speaking..

"What you are performing at this moment is the final scenario of this dimension. Do you know what that means? In this experiment, all possible results have been obtained and the end of the experiment is imminent.!”

Lee Hyun-wook slowly became dissatisfied..

"So, is that unsightly whining the will of His Excellency the Demon King who wants to become a god??”

"Haha—I'm not making fun of you. Think carefully. What happens to the lab tools and materials when the experiment is over?!”

At those words, Hyunwook Lee realized what Gordon Price was trying to say..

‘I'm trying to say again that this world I tried to protect cannot avoid destruction..’

In other words, he was trying to curse Lee Hyun-wook as a will..

“—The ‘results’ of an experiment move on to bigger poems and experiments! However, the remaining ‘materials’ or ‘by-products’ are classified according to value and recycled or discarded.!”

"So, you, the 'result', are put into the second experiment like me, and the rest are classified into useful ones.……."

The tentacle's eyes looked somewhere. It was near Lee Hyun-wook's right, and there were friendly monster troops gathered there, including the Dark Elves led by the Second Prince and the Ancient Red Drakes led by Agaidika..

“……If the by-products are useful to some extent, they are recycled into monsters like those over there, or if not, they are discarded altogether. This is our destiny, humans. Ugh—”

Lee Hyun-wook’s eyebrows twitched at those words..

"......Are you saying the monster was once a player??”

One of the questions that could not be solved as much as the identity of this game was where the existence of monsters comes from..

Therefore, whenever players come into contact with intelligent monsters, the first thing they ask is ‘Where did you come from and why did you come here?’.

‘I have asked that question to intelligent monsters many times... … Strangely, every time that happened, he gave vague, predetermined answers as if he had become a robot..’

For example, they were making excuses such as saying that they had fled because their home world was destroyed or that they had crossed the dimension after receiving a revelation from God, and a warning system message came to mind that if they probed in detail, their favorability could decrease..

Therefore, we have not been able to find out any facts about monsters other than the obvious assumption that they are creatures based on human mythology and imagination..

"Ugh—does this sound like a lie? Or is it that you don't want to believe it? But in the end it is the truth you will witness.”

"You will end the world you were trying to protect with your own hands..”

Lee Hyun-wook thought there was no need to listen to that guy anymore..

‘If this is all an experiment, then Gordon Price is just a rat trapped in the laboratory..’

In other words, I wouldn't be able to get an answer from him..

‘I have to go to the end myself..’

And in the end, it had to be that way..

He aimed the 'God Slayer' at the guy..

And I pulled the trigger again.

Qua—ang——!

With that heavy drinking, his body turned to dust and scattered in all directions..

Whoa whoa——

This was the end of the enemy I had dealt with in two successive lives.…….

'ah…….'

Lee Hyun-wook momentarily felt an intense, unexplainable feeling of emptiness..

- congratulations! You have defeated the World Quest boss monster ‘Demon King’.!

The system message flashed before everyone's eyes..

Then, for a brief moment, there was a heavy silence.…….

Wow——!

Soon shouts began to erupt from all directions..

Wow——!

The players on this battlefield began to cheer..

No, the whole world would be cheering.

All kinds of magic exploded into the sky from far away..

Boom— boom—

It was like exploding firecrackers to express joy..

It has been quite a while since the fear of the destruction of this world spread. In the meantime, humanity has stopped all its activities and has been waiting for the outcome of this fight, and finally, humanity has won and all of its worries and worries have been washed away..

"Wow—we won.!”

“under… … I really didn't think I would win……."

“Okay, it's all done! I can rest well now?"

And they chanted the name of the one hero who made it all possible..

Steele Rain—! steel rain—!

He who once started out as the savior of Seoul has now become the savior of all mankind..

However, Lee Hyun-wook, or only he, could not feel any joy even in this poignant moment..

"......."

In fact, his mind became much more complicated than before dealing with the Demon King. And something felt empty in his heart... … This was an inexplicable emptiness that had been eating away at him ever since he killed Gordon Price..

He looked up at the sky with a blank face.

‘now I… … What should I do??’

Yes, the name of that emptiness was ‘loss of purpose’.

Now that I think about it, he has never lost his goal. Since starting his second life, he has been running fiercely without a single day of rest to change his failed past..

‘I fought tirelessly just for this moment.’

In the meantime, I didn't think or worry about anything else..

Of course, there were fundamental doubts - the reason for the regression, the identity of the game, etc. - but rather than worrying about what couldn't be solved, he focused all his attention on what he could do..

‘If you do that... … Because I thought I could do my best no matter what..’

It was the best, so to speak, victory and peace..

But if even all the goals he actively pursued in the first place were only part of this game... … And if the goal of the game is different from the best he wants,…….

‘Will I be able to fight for the best once again??’

No matter how much I thought about it, the answer was that it was impossible..

Isn't all his power based on this game??

In other words, the system was force majeure for the player..

And his worries came down to one question:.

‘Then why on earth did I regress??’

That was the first turning point in this long journey, but the answer was still not found..

As he was looking around for a while, lost in those thoughts, someone approached him from behind..

These were the players who had been with him until now..

Among them, Kim Se-hee came forward and asked:.

"Now it's really, really over.?”

However, Lee Hyun-wook could not readily answer..

"......."

Then Kim Se-hee, who was smiling, slowly turned expressionless as if she sensed something ominous..

"Uh, no way… … What else is there??”

Lee Hyun-wook shook his head..

“……It will end when it ends.”

But the problem was that I didn't know where it would end..

This disaster, this game must end.

But if it seems like the end is what the devil said,…….

If it's the end of this world, their end, our end.......

and then—

Goo-ooh-ooh-ooh———!

What a roar, it started to shake the sky…….

"Uh, this is… … It's not a precursor to?”

"Yes, I guess so..”

"Wow, then what else is going to happen??”

This was not a 'system message' visible only to the player's eyes, but a message floating in 'real space' so that even a certain number of civilians could see it, and it was a format in which huge letters were projected in the sky..

It appears at the turning point of a very important event..

And soon, letters began to appear on one side of the sky..

- congratulations! The world has reached its ‘ending’.

* Wait for the final choice of the final winner!

“……er, ending?”

Those words were enough to bring sighs from everyone's mouths..

It felt like encountering an old truth that everyone had been pursuing but had now forgotten... … I felt a strange sense of excitement but also some kind of fear..

“Wow, now this game is over?”

"So what happens to us now??”

"no way… … Will all abilities and monsters disappear??”

"Isn’t it a problem if it just ends like that??”

For players who had already adapted to the game for too long, it was embarrassing and their future seemed uncertain..

However, a slightly different system message appeared before Lee Hyun-wook’s eyes..

- congratulations! As the final winner of the world, you qualify for the 'ending' selection. Enter the soon-to-open 'Black Gate' to begin your final selection.

also.......

- (!) Main quest has been updated

‘Ah, the main quest.…….'

Gordon Price once said that the main quest is only given to players who appear to be successful experiments on one level..

Lee Hyun-wook confirmed the contents..

[main quest]

- Second chance at life, duty, destiny…….

1) Track down the 'Black Gate' that is open somewhere in this world. (Success by satisfying the upper conditions!)

2) Past Life—Defeat the 'Dimension Shifters' who will come from the first world. (success!)

3) Encounter the ‘Administrator’ who knows the truth of this world..

1It was said that in order to track down the Black Gate, you had to collect unidentified black fragments, but after clearing the world quest, it was resolved as the 'higher condition' was met..

And number 3 was originally blocked as ■■■, but was finally opened..

'Um, the manager.…….'

And soon—

support support——

With such a bubbling sound, a dark black gate began to open above the nearby ruins..

“Uh, isn't that Black Gate??”

Then the players became nervous again and began to raise their weapons..

That's right, whenever the Black Gate occurred, it was because a dimension shifter came over..

‘Yes, the Black Gate is a door that leads to another dimension..’

In other words, it leads to a place other than Earth..

‘In other words, this is where the manager is..’

I heard earlier that after becoming the winner in the first dimension, Gordon Price cleared the main quest and then entered the Black Gate and met them..

‘They are the administrators, they are the ones who created this game.’

And this time it was Lee Hyun-wook’s turn..

He glanced briefly at his colleagues..

They were also looking at Hyunwook Lee. And they would know it too. That the ‘final winner’ who will decide the ‘ending’ floating in the sky is Lee Hyun-wook..

“Then I will come back.”

Lee Hyun-wook imprinted God Slayer on his left wrist and walked into the Black Gate with one hundred Moglei bags stuck on the floor floating in the air..

***

Lee Hyun-wook was walking in an infinitely wide black space..

‘Where is this place? Is it really space??’

It was a space worth thinking about..

No, it actually looked like that..

The Milky Way was flowing far away in an indecipherable place, and various nebulae were surrounding it like a painting in the background.…….

He must have been standing in the middle of space.

Soon, voices rang out from all directions..

「Welcome, the final winner of one world.—」

「And a being beyond mortal limits—」

Strangely, the voice rang from all directions at the same time, so I couldn't tell where it was coming from, but the moment I heard that voice, I felt a pressure that felt like my whole body was being distorted..

Just listening to it made my fingertips and toes tingle, my head and chest rang, and I felt dizzy and nauseous..

This was an overwhelming force that I had never felt before..

The pressure was shifting back and forth, as if Lee Hyun-wook was being controlled to some extent so that he would not be crushed to death..

He walked forward, barely able to bear the pain pounding his entire body..

Soon, somewhere far away in outer space, a shimmer appeared, and shapes began to quickly combine... … Because it was so large that it was difficult to see at a glance, it was impossible to see it directly and recognize it, but it was something that resembled a human shape..

They surrounded Lee Hyun-wook and looked down at him..

'Could that be the manager… … So, is this what the gods look like??’

Lee Hyun-wook looked at them with his head raised, but slowly turned his head, feeling dizzy from the unbearable pressure..

「You passed all the trials we gave you..」

「He solved all the trials perfectly, better than any other human in the multiverse, and eventually defeated the Demon King, the final trial. His accomplishments were truly amazing.—」

The moment Lee Hyun-wook heard that word, he unconsciously muttered “experiment” to himself. The two meanings are similar but subtly different..

Meanwhile, for some reason, anger began to flow out through the powerful pressure..

"......Ordeal, what is this ordeal for??”

Those were the first words Lee Hyun-wook spoke..

It contained not the slightest reverence or respect for those administrators—absolute beings. And his expression was also showing blatant repulsion..

'What kind of shit situation is this?.’

It had to be that way..

Hasn't he been fighting for the well-being of the human world throughout his two lives? So the game... … No matter what the purpose of the prank that had killed countless people was, even if it meant great luck to him who won the game, he could not accept it obediently..

But to them, was it just a cute anthology??

「Haha—as expected, he’s bold.—」

「That ordeal can be said to be a task that leads you humans to a better existence.—」

「—You humans have been primitive beings until now, but now you are on your way to becoming higher-dimensional beings that can fit in with us..」

「However, not everyone can be reborn as a high-dimensional being, so through trials, those qualified to perform are selected..」

At that moment, a ray of light fell from space and hit Hyunwook Lee..

Go—oh—oh—oh——!

The moment he bathed in that light, Lee Hyun-wook felt that the status of the absolutes that had oppressed him was fading away..

In other words, his status had grown even further..

- congratulations! You have been recognized by the Absolutes. As a reward, I became a vessel capable of embracing divinity as a ‘quasi-transcendent’..

this is… … In the end, it seemed like things were going according to the scenario predicted by Gordon Price..

「And for you, there will be a second trial.」

「You must not neglect growth and improve your status, so you must attack other 'worlds' and absorb the power of those worlds..」

'......Even this is the same.’

Lee Hyun-wook raised his head and glared at the Absolutes..

"If so, then... … Does this mean I have to walk the same path as the devil??”

「Haha—no, it won't be quite the same..」

「You will conquer a dimension conquered by villains..」

「By your standards, that place is tainted by evil, so it may suit the barbaric and shallow values ​​you pursue of encouraging good and punishing evil, but as you walk the path of transcendence, your thoughts will soon change..」

That meant that there were countless other dimensions, and that trials or experiments were being conducted there as well..

And for consideration or whatever, it seems like they are 'matching' Lee Hyun-wook to conquer the world that has the opposite tendency... … Naturally, Lee Hyun-wook was not happy at all..

“……Even if it's a dimension conquered by villains, it's ultimately Earth and they're humans like me.?”

No matter how evil people rule, the Earth is Earth and humanity is humanity. Not everyone living there could be evil..

And even if that were the case, committing massacres and causing destruction couldn't have been his preference..

「you are chosen by us.」

"Pfft!"

At that one word, Lee Hyun-wook flinched again..

Because the level has become more intense..

「you can't reject our choice.」

Then, the pressure went up a notch, and Lee Hyun-wook was unable to withstand it and stumbled back........

「You have no choice but to follow our will..」

As the level rose to another level, he eventually knelt down..

「And we can make it happen.」

"Ugh—"

And he ended up vomiting blood..

"Ugh— Ugh—"

He placed his hands on the floor and took a breath..

"after......."

He slowly got up, suppressing the pain that felt like his insides were being torn apart. But suddenly a thought occurred to me.

"But when I think about it, it’s a bit strange.……."

He raised his head stiffly..

"me… … Why did you regress??”

「what?」

「you are chosen.」

The answer was vague in some places..

"So, I'm asking why you chose it. I'm so annoying and rebellious. Did you choose me without even knowing it??”

「You must do as we wish..」

「Otherwise it cannot exist.」

“What is this, it’s not even ARS……."

He grabbed the Mowglai that was floating on his back, lifted it into the air, and aimed it. Now it was all a matter of judgment..

"I don't like it, so kill me or not, do whatever you want..”

Then the answer didn't come back right away..

Lee Hyun-wook snorted and said,.

“Did you not know that I would have this kind of personality, so you made me regress and win? huh?”

「.......」

"......Then you too, are not absolute.?”

At that moment, there was cold silence..

「you… … Ooh, you can't resist us.」

But for some reason, isn't that voice stuttering somewhere??

'……What, are you really embarrassed??’

That was not an attitude worthy of the Absolute... … It is full of the so-called human feeling..

At that moment, Hyunwook Lee did not know what kind of intuition he had, but he gave Mogley control over the metal and sent it toward the shapes of the Absolutes..

however—

「Didn't they know that we gave them that power in the first place??」

Hung—

The Mowlay that was being shot into the distance turned into powder in the air and disappeared..

and—

Phage support——!

Lee Hyun-wook’s body began to spark sparks. That's the evaporation of barriers and status... … In other words, it was a process of extinction..

「Tsk, that's stupid, you're a defective product so delete it.」

‘Yeah, this is still better.’

he thought so.

‘It is better to die like this than to follow the will of those unknown, non-godlike things..’

It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either..

But then

Cheeeeee…….

The spark that engulfed his body suddenly went out..

and

「huh?」

「Hey, what is this? hey! Why is this like this??」

「That seems to be a problem with the system.!」

「what? What at this moment—recover it now!」

This was the voice of the Absolute, who had exuded solemnity just now... … It was an extremely ordinary, human conversation..

In the end, it means that they are not gods or anything..

Lee Hyun-wook burst out laughing at this absurd situation..

“……In the end, was it all a play??”

He slowly raised his left hand, gray smoke flowing from the wrist imprint..

What was hidden inside was the God Slayer..

He aimed it at the ceiling, at the image of the Absolute in the universe, and pulled boldly..

Qua—ang——!

Percussion—but the bullets didn't go far.

coo coo coo coo coo coo coo——

Immediately after, I felt debris pouring down from the ceiling and mana gushing out in all directions..

And sparks flew loudly all over the world, and the space background surrounding all directions began to flicker and go out..

“..huh?”

I don't know where this place is, but at least it didn't seem to be space, and given the circumstances, it seemed to be a mirage space created by magic..

「This crazy, the system is turned off, but how is that baby moving?」

「Ah, it looks like the main server was hacked.!」

and then—

- Why don't you get out of that shitty place??

A voice flew into Lee Hyun-wook’s ears..

"......."

Lee Hyun-wook turned his head in the direction where the voice was heard..

Go—oh—oh—oh——

The Black Gate was opening again nearby..

- Now, I'll tell you the truth, back out, back to your world.