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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 219

219fury. 

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“……what? What do you mean by bug??”

Lee Hyun-wook felt dizzy..

"Well, if it's not a bug, should I say mutation??”

She scratched her chin, thought about it, and then said:.

"As you already know, this experiment is targeting Earth in multiple dimensions, right? So, should we assume that there are several flasks of some kind? And at the end of each experiment, our managers identify samples that were meaningful in that experiment… … In other words, some of the data accumulated by the player is transferred and applied to the player in another dimension, and in your past life, you were one of the samples classified as such..”

This was something I could understand to some extent because I had heard it from Gordon Price before..

After one experiment is completed, the data obtained from that experiment is transferred to another experiment, and the remaining by-products are recycled into monsters, etc..

In other words, the current Lee Hyun-wook was also updated through countless experiments..

"However, of course, the sample application process deletes the memory and only updates the potential, but strangely enough, you... … Due to an unknown bug, my entire memory was lost..”

It just happened because of a system error…….

That was the reason Lee Hyun-wook returned..

"The administrators discovered such a major bug quite late, right? Well, it's probably about time you go over to Africa and knock them all down.……."

“Anyway, at that time, I was surprised by your ridiculous performance and belatedly analyzed your nervous system in detail, and I found that your ‘mana incorporation’ had developed tremendously.?”

She was laughing out loud, wondering what was funny..

"That was even close to the experimental results we hoped for. Haha—inventions are born from unexpected mistakes and evolution begins with mutations, but who would have expected something like that to happen in this grand experiment? It's so fun, haha—”

In other words, there was no meaning to Lee Hyun-wook’s return..

There was no intention or assistance from anyone..

It just happened as a random ‘problem’… … It was a ‘variable’.

“Hmm, I guess knowing the whole truth made me a little sick.?”

“……On the contrary, I feel nauseous..”

"Haha—yes, I knew it would be you too..”

This time, Lee Hyun-wook took a step closer..

"Yes, I know it's a shitty situation. so… … Why are you explaining this to me??”

That was the key to this situation..

Even if this woman is from an alien race called Managers who regard humans as lab rats, there could be people among them who think differently..

For example, just as humans once discriminated against races with different skin colors, but as time goes by, awareness of human rights awakens and they further consider animal rights.…….

If that were the case, this woman would be humanity's last ally..

But was that an expectation too high??

Her smile was still distorted somehow..

“What is that... … I'm trying to steal you, a good test subject, from this stupid and incompetent laboratory. This is good for you too, so look forward to it..

In other words, this woman does not have any noble cause, but is at best an industrial spy.…….

‘I guess I shouldn't have high expectations..’

Lee Hyun-wook felt his appetite becoming bitter..

"Now, if you’re done with all your questions… … Let's see, I think there's about ten minutes left, so I'll say what I have to say.?”

She suddenly extended her hand to Lee Hyun-wook..

"Hold my hand, achieve my will together, and become members of a new society... … No, we will become real gods together..”

Lee Hyun-wook looked down at his hand and was lost in thought..

'Everything depends on this moment. You must choose well.’

Now I had to prioritize ‘survival’ over ‘victory’..

And Lee Hyun-wook had to worry not about his own survival, but about the survival of his colleagues and, by extension, humanity. As always, he nurtured his dream of humanity's victory rather than his personal feelings of revenge, and that destiny was still valid..

‘In other words, everyone has to find a way to live..’

But is there really such a way??

He turned his head and looked at the players surrounding him..

Se-hee Kim, Jun-mo Park, Eun-ha Seo, Seong-moon Woo, Emilia Müller, etc... … They were looking at Lee Hyun-wook with expressions of shock and concern..

‘All this girl needs is me.’

They couldn't just throw it away and grab that hand..

"......So, what happens to them and the rest of humanity??”

At that question, her expression moved slightly..

And Lee Hyun-wook caught that small change in facial expression..

Having experienced countless fights and psychological warfare, I learned to see through the meaning of such nonverbal behavior..

What's in it... … It was none other than ‘annoying’.

“what… … Don't worry I'll save you all.”

So I knew right away that it wasn't true..

When Lee Hyun-wook remained silent, she opened her mouth again..

"If you help us, if not the entire human race, then at least a few of your friends, of course we can help you lead a comfortable life, and it's not difficult, so don't fret..”

But Lee Hyun-wook shook his head..

"I honestly don't believe it. You said that system control will be released after 10 minutes, right? I think we need to escape from here, am I right??”

"That's right.”

"It seems like if the managers find out about this situation, they could kill us all as punishment. Can they prevent that??”

"Um, well, it's possible, well……."

But at that moment, her eyes escaped Lee Hyun-wook's gaze and stared into space. She could clearly feel the inner thoughts contained in that small gesture, whether it was a common habit of intelligent beings..

"……Of course, you're lying.."

Yeah, that's a subtle behavior from liars..

"—what?”

At that moment, outright hostility began to appear in her eyes..

"hmm… … Hey, I think Lee Hyun-wook is a little mistaken.……."

She took a step closer and looked up at Hyunwook Lee..

"I'm trying to steal it because I need you, but I desperately need your help and cooperation, so it's not like I'm willing to do business with you... … So, please don't be mistaken and act arrogantly..”

"......."

"And why am I so kind in answering all your questions... … It's just that it's much easier if you come with us on your own..”

"......."

"You act as a kind of airtight container for the completed sample, and if you break it, the contents will be slightly damaged, but you can pick it up, analyze it again, and reproduce it. It might be a bit of a hassle, but that's all..”

Lee Hyun-wook sighed..

“……In the end, they were all the same piece of trash..”

“what?”

"I don't know where your race came from, but I'm sure they're trash that shouldn't be interacted with..”

Lee Hyun-wook had strange expectations before this woman’s appearance. Still, since there was a twist, he thought that unexpected hope might come..

But in the end, I was swayed by another desire of an alien race that was playing with humanity... … It was a situation where there was no choice but to be swayed like a toy in the face of an infinitely large power..

‘Now, if you blindly follow this guy, you will end up being used as nothing more than a consumable and thrown away..’

Meanwhile, my colleagues here now... … They would all die or be recycled into monsters..

'yes, that will happen.’

Hyunwook Lee was able to predict such a future just from a short conversation with this woman..

He has been fighting to the death against numerous enemies on numerous battlefields for a long time, and has learned how to filter out not only the blades hidden in the arms of his enemies, but also the evil plots hidden behind their facial expressions..

This woman can never be an ally.

However, it was not an opponent that could be defeated even if it was turned into an enemy.…….

‘……In that case, it would be better not to give that evil race what it wants. that's best.’

The big picture that has been drawn so cool-headedly all started with possibility..

However, he thought that in a situation like the present where he would lose no matter what move he made, it would be better to choose to overthrow the game..

In other words, it is mutual destruction..

that's best.

Lee Hyun-wook looked at her hand gesture asking for a handshake, and eventually shook his head. Then he glared at her and slowly opened her mouth..

“……You should never become gods.”

Then she dropped her hand..

“under… … Don't be too emotional, why are you acting like you? Paint the big picture like you've been doing all this time.!”

Lee Hyun-wook chuckled..

"Hey, did I say the reason I was born was a bug??”

He said and raised his head..

"That would mean that you do not yet fully understand and control mana, and perhaps even more so now than I do... … You might not know.”

While saying that, I slowly closed my eyes..

"what? Damn it, I don't have time, so speak so I can understand! Otherwise I'll just break your head off and take your fragmented data.!”

“……Would you be happy as a researcher if I quickly realized the true power of mana??”

He slowly turned his head and sensed the 'mana' scattered everywhere, one by one..

"huh?"

Lee Hyun-wook had been experiencing rapid growth since the 'player potential restriction' in the system was lifted a little while ago..

As a result, it was possible to detect not only the mana inherent in all objects except metal, but also the 'red shackles' holding that mana, and that seemed to be the 'system'..

And, crucially, Nicole—I sensed the mana line hanging above this manager’s head. It continued into the sky far away, leading to a huge object..

It was invisible, but it was metal..

'……It's an aircraft.’

At that moment, a pale note flew out of Lee Hyun-wook's waist..

“Kak!”

It got stuck in Nicole's neck..

"Holy shit—it's 'Avatar'! you can't kill me!”

However, Lee Hyun-wook gave metal control to the air. Then, with a thud sound, something invisible connected to Nicole began to descend towards the ground... … There, the true body of Nicole would be there..

"uh?”

She was startled and muttered something into the air. The voice was covered by some kind of silence spell, but strangely enough, Lee Hyun-wook could hear it..

- This bastard started acting crazy! Damn it, restore my system right now, turn my security to max—!

And although the language she spoke was not from Earth, Lee Hyun-wook did not understand it verbally, but seemed to have read her intention by interfering with her nervous system and permanent mana..

In other words, he was beginning to realize a kind of mind control ability..

‘Because my potential has been unlocked..’

And regarding Lee Hyun-wook, all the managers unanimously said that he was the most successful test subject, and in the case of Nicole, they even said that he was close to god..

In other words, if it weren't for the shackles of the system, it would mean that the ability to handle 'mana' was better than any other manager.—

‘They don't know what I see.’

Lee Hyeon-wook immediately picked up the Mogleys scattered everywhere and shot them towards the sky at high speed..

Thump—— Thump——

It was so fast that it was incomparable to the metal control he had shown so far, and it was as if he had been shot with a Gauss gun..

bang--! bang——!

Then, Moglei began to fall into something floating in the air... … Soon it began to come into view..

Ku—gu—gu—gu.......

A circular aircraft, as large as Laputa, began to fall towards the ground..

But, is it still not perfect??

"Holy shit, a lab rat dare bite its owner?”

Nicole, the moment the manager spits out evil words and extends his hand towards Hyunwook Lee.—

yes— —

- (!) ‘Emergency control’ begins with administrator master privileges!

* In this environment, only the ‘administrator’ can control mana..

The moment such a thing rose in the sky, sparks flew out near the heads of all players, including Lee Hyun-wook..

Phage support— —

"Pfft!”

“Ugh!”

They followed Lee Hyun-wook and tried to attack the manager, but lost their abilities and fell to the floor in great pain..

And it was the same for Lee Hyun-wook..

"Pfft!"

In his eyes, he saw numerous red shackles clinging to blue particles—mana. It looked as if a virus had entered the body and was infecting the cells..

In other words, the system started working and controlling mana..

and…….

puck-! puck—!

"Oh, no!”

With just one wave of her hand, the woman made the players' heads pop like balloons..

The hand was directed to Lee Hyun-wook..

Lee Hyun-wook paused as if he had been pointed at a gun..

“……So, you should have listened carefully when I gave you the opportunity. If you do this, you will have no choice but to break your head and collect the scattered data, which is a hassle..”

But Lee Hyun-wook did not give up. He worked hard to strengthen his whole body, expand his senses, and loosen the shackles of the mana-bound system..

Perhaps because she felt that strange vibration, she sneered..

"Ha, it's no use... … Do you think we did such a sloppy experiment? Ha- it was an experiment to create a god, you can't even imagine how much effort was put into safety measures- evil!”

At that moment, something struck her lower body, causing her small body to spin in the air and land on the dirt..

A moghley had hit her like a truck. And then it crashed into a circular aircraft that was falling in the distance..

Next, Hyunwook Lee raised his left hand and aimed it..

Going away—!

Then the surface of the aircraft was torn apart, and the inside began to be revealed..

Nicole's expression darkened as her actual body was inside..

"Pff—how…? … City, control of the system......."

In this way, Lee Hyun-wook regained some of his strength..

‘Yes, it works.’

Before he knew it, he was able to break the power of the system..

Now, if I just unlocked my potential a little more, I could really smash the system and find freedom..

“Ugh— — "

He tried his best to move his mana while maximizing all his senses..

But at that time, Nicole, whose lower body had been cut off, crawled over with a groan and stretched out her hand towards Hyunwook Lee..

"Nah, it's late, you rat! I said there was a way to everything?”

She grabbed the hand that was outstretched towards Lee Hyun-wook..

”Pfft, enter master command, force delete—!”

With a sound, his entire body was shattered and his vision went dark..