The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 63
63fury.
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The three people's next destination was the blacksmith alley in Mullae-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu..
It is one subway stop away from Singil Station, but the subway is currently out of operation..
As there is no place more daunting to defeat monsters than an underground tunnel, it seemed likely that it would be closed for the next few weeks.
They eventually went on foot, and when they almost reached…….
"Uh, look, I guess there's still a monster..”
Park Jun-mo said that while pointing somewhere..
Fully armed AMT troops were lined up in front of a shopping mall..
It appears to be a unit dispatched from a foreign country to subdue Seoul, and there were clear signs of having fought a battle just recently..
There were blood stains everywhere in the alley and corpses, presumed to be zombies, were strewn about..
"Damn, the underground passage is so narrow it's hard to get in!”
“Well, let's throw in a few fire spells first.!”
“I've tried it a few times already, but it doesn't seem to work.!”
And the sweep operation was still in progress, so they were busy moving around..
As such, Seoul was still in a dangerous state..
“3Even though thousands of people were deployed throughout the work to catch the monster, it seems like it's not over yet..”
"I guess it's because so many gates are open. I heard that over a hundred were opened..”
"hmm… … The situation is still like this. I wonder if it is okay to allow passage..”
Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee talked about various things, but Lee Hyun-wook could not participate in the conversation..
'I'm going crazy.......'
Because the pain was so great that it was difficult to breathe, pressing down on my whole body..
- An 'etheric engine' is forming in the heart. (42%)
* May be accompanied by extreme pain!
I was out of breath, as if my heart would stop at any moment..
But the good news is that the creation speed was faster than expected..
‘It's about half done now, so I just have to hold on for another 30 minutes..’
While he was enduring the pain, he suddenly entered the blacksmith alley.,
Soon we arrived in front of the most shabby building, the workshop of master craftsman Kang Jeong-du..
"Elder, I am here..”
"—Oh my, hero, have you arrived?!”
Kang Jeong-du took off his reading glasses and rushed out..
"You need to prepare for moving, but my request is going to make you very busy..”
"Haha—my housekeeping is ugly anyway, so I don’t really have anything to take care of..”
"Now you can go to a good place and get some good living..”
Lee Hyun-wook hired Kang Jeong-du and Kang Hee-seol as the ‘exclusive blacksmiths’ of the Hope Guild..
And they promised to provide a new residence and workshop nearby..
Although Kang Jeong-du felt burdened, he did not refuse..
I wouldn't want my granddaughter to grow up in a small, old workshop..
“No problem, it’s all thanks to General Lee. I won't forget this grace.”
Lee Hyun-wook suppressed the pain and smiled..
"How is the item I requested going??”
"Yes, of course! I'm not that expert in magic engineering, but the product came out well.!”
That's what he said, but Kang Jeong-du must have been learning magic engineering skills for quite some time..
“Hehehe— Didn’t an island appear in the sky over Seoul thanks to General Lee’s activities this time? Whether it's Laputa or Lapida, the island provides all kinds of buffs, so the work flows very smoothly..”
"Ah, that's right. That's a good thing.”
"Yes, just wait a moment and I will bring it out..”
With the advent of Laputa, there were a lot of 'buffs' related to production capacity in this area..
As a result, this blacksmith alley was showing more explosive productivity than ever before.,
In a few years, this place could become the center of the world's item-making industry..
After a while, Kang Jeong-du came out of the warehouse and pulled a truck..
"Now, it's this guy..”
On it was a huge square object—a black box made of steel..
There were a lot of circuits engraved on the surface, giving it an engineering feel..
Let Kang Jeong-du turn on the operating switch.—
Wooooow——!
On its surface, circuits glowed blue, and its massive body instantly rose into the air..
However, no physical propulsion devices such as propellers or air outlets were visible..
"This guy has a 'flight stone' inside it, so when mana is supplied, it rises like this..”
Yes. It was only possible to fly using magical powers..
The 'Airship', a magical engineering aircraft, floated with the power of flying stones..
"Wow, but what is this??”
"Oh, where do I use this??”
Park Jun-mo and Kim Se-hee asked at the same time..
Lee Hyun-wook responded to this..
"Well, to put it simply, it is an ‘automated airdrop device’..”
"Public… … What are you dropping from??”
"That's it, supply the weapons for me..”
"……ah!”
Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo clapped their hands at the same time as if they finally understood..
Lee Hyun-wook's combat power increases exponentially the more metal weapons he can handle..
You could tell that just by looking at his special move, ‘Steel Rain’..
But I couldn't carry them all and I couldn't open the 'portal' at every moment..
‘Opening a portal in the sky is actually a very inefficient method..’
Considering that there were more than 30 wizards mobilized for that one shot, it was a significant loss..
In that respect, this type of air-dropping device was bound to be quite useful if developed properly..
The method of making dozens of these things, putting them in a hangar, and then calling them in case of emergency—that was the method that Lee Hyun-wook used in his past life, and the time had come to implement it..
Of course, since the prototype had just been released, it still took some time before it could be deployed in practice..
"However, it appears to be less than 2m wide and tall, so it doesn't contain many weapons.?”
When Kim Se-hee asked, Kang Jeong-du laughed..
"Although this thing is a bit small at first glance, it is equipped with a small sub-space and can store up to 30 items.."
"aha—”
"Haha, he's a lot more talented than he looks..”
Lee Hyun-wook looked around at its surface. As expected, it was neat and clean..
"By the way, sir, what is the maximum operating time of this??”
At that question, Kang Jeong-du showed hesitation for the first time..
"Actually, it didn't solve it. I don't have enough mana battery to last this long........"
As expected, like all cutting-edge technologies, the problem was the battery..
At that time, Lee Hyun-wook took something out of his pocket..
“So how much do you think it will increase if you install this??”
It was a small red mechanical device..
Kang Jeong-du held it, looked at the system message that appeared before his eyes, and opened his mouth wide..
"Ah, no this is……."
"Is this a good product??”
"Huh, it's not okay, this is... … There is no technician of this caliber in the country..”
That was Chu Kyo-yong's Black Orc, the 'Mana Heart' embedded near its heart..
It is a collection of advanced technologies whose price is currently difficult to estimate.,
It was probably a custom-made item from the Institute of Magic Engineering in the Republic of Chad..
"hmm… … If you install one or two of these, it will fly for about 50 minutes when fully charged. Of course, since it has its own mana production ability, it can fly again if it goes down and recovers..”
But Lee Hyun-wook had no choice but to be disappointed..
'Still, it’s 50 minutes… … It's still far behind the equipment I used..’
I couldn't help it. The airdrop device he used was a technology of the future.…….
As disappointment appeared on Lee Hyun-wook's face, Kang Jeong-doo began to pull out other items..
"Ah, look at my mind, look at these little guys over here..”
Kang Jeong-du took out something that looked like marbles from a box, and they all flew up and glowed at the same time..
Wing—wing—wing—wing—
“It has a similar talent to Mana Drone, but is much smaller in size..”
As expected, it seemed to be an ultra-small reconnaissance drone flying with the power of a ‘flight stone’..
"I had some flight stones left, so I made some. It's small and quiet, so it'll be great for secretly watching for something. And you can even remotely 'self-destruct' it..”
"Self-destruct, that's pretty cool.”
"Yes, I think it could be helpful for the Steel Company's special operations. haha……."
However, Kang Jeong-du's explanation that followed did not reach Lee Hyun-wook's ears..
- An 'etheric engine' is forming in the heart. (62%)
* May be accompanied by extreme pain!
“—Pfft.”
This was because the pain in my heart became even more intense..
Lee Hyun-wook ended up collapsing..
"uh! Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook—!”
Park Jun-mo helped him up, but he couldn't get up..
‘Shit, isn't this really heart stopping??’
He desperately felt his heart being twisted..
And I could see that some kind of strong energy was surging from within..
'mana…….'
Yes, his heart started producing massive amounts of mana..
But at that moment, something strange started to happen..
Above - this - this - this——!
In the workshop, magical engineering items that had been stopped suddenly started working all at once..
"How is this... … I haven't installed the battery yet.……."
After hearing Kang Jeong-du's voice sound like he was extremely surprised, Lee Hyun-wook lost consciousness..
***
- This morning, there was a briefing that the Seoul subjugation operation was nearing its end, but a large number of monsters were still being discovered throughout Seoul.…….
A man's voice was heard from somewhere..
- ……Accordingly, opinions are emerging one after another throughout the player community that the saint's 'blessing' is necessary. As the head of the saint, she can cast a wide range of blessing magic, but she is extremely reluctant to reveal her identity after receiving an assassination threat two years ago. Will the saint actually move for Seoul?…….
It sounded like TV news..
Lee Hyun-wook opened his eyes..
My whole body was in a cold sweat..
‘This is Kang Jeong-du’s room.…….'
And a lot of system messages appeared before my eyes..
- congratulations! New ‘skills’ are given by satisfying special conditions..
[Skill information]
- Name: Ether Engine
- Grade: D
- effect
1) Mana Heart: Mana total increases. (+50,000) Increases mana recovery. (+500%)
2) Mana Transfer: ‘Mana’ can be granted to the player or a ‘controllable target’.
3) Mana Connection: Mana transfer can be 'synchronized' with the target's magic circuit..
* When you meet hidden conditions, your skill level improves..
Lee Hyun-wook slowly looked at the contents..
The heart was remodeled by absorbing infinite power at the level of a nuclear power plant..
And as I absorbed the legendary level, the aspect couldn't help but be truly amazing..
‘As of now, my total mana amount has increased significantly by swallowing the mana heart I got from the black orc a few days ago, but this... … I don't think I really need to worry about mana anymore.?’
- mana : 59,441/59,441
To put it bluntly, I did not know that infinite metal shredding and infinite metal deformation were possible..
‘If I had encountered an ironclad insect in this state, I would have blown it up and wiped it out.…….'
But what was important was not the total amount of mana..
2Skill number 1 and skill number 3 were actually key..
'The idea is to produce mana from the heart and supply mana to objects that can be controlled.…….'
Lee Hyun-wook remembered an unusual scene that occurred right before he fainted..
Hextech items that worked out of nowhere…….
At that moment, Hyunwook Lee seemed to feel a certain ‘connection’ with them..
‘So, this means I can recharge the mana batteries of my hextech equipment, right? Moreover, as magic engineering develops in the future, various items will be developed, and if you use them freely,…….'
This is crazy.
He thought so and jumped up..
"ah! Lord, wake up?”
The owner of water... … Of course, it was Kang Hee-seol who said that ridiculous title..
She was sticking her head out of the sliding door..
"I… … How long have you been lying down??”
"Um, 15 minutes? 16 minutes? That's about it..”
I didn't think I passed out that long..
“Would you like a glass of water? There is also Yoplait.”
“……Yoplait?”
"Yes, I would like Yoplait.?”
“No, that's kind of weird.……."
Kang Hee-seol was definitely not normal when he offered Yoplait to someone who woke up after fainting..
By the way, not only Kang Jeong-du but also Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo were nowhere to be seen..
"Hee-seol, where has everyone gone??”
“After the water owner fainted, I went to get the healer. But it doesn't seem necessary.?”
"ah……."
When I opened the door, it was immediately a workshop..
And in the middle of it all, there was an aerial drop device..
Lee Hyun-wook raised his left hand toward it..
OK…….
Woooooo——! it really works.
And slowly rose into the air.
- ‘‘Mana transfer’ begins in ‘Air Drop Device (Prototype)’.
* Mana loss per second : 50
Just by floating that thing, a whopping 50 mana is lost per second..
However, a greater amount of mana is recovered in real time..
‘In other words, it is infinite power..’
Originally, I thought that in order to use it properly, I would have to work on developing a mana battery for at least a few months... … It seemed like there was no need for that anymore..
At that time, someone ran into the workshop..
"what… … It's okay?”
It was Kim Se-hee. She was holding a health recovery potion in both her hands..
"under… … I went to the AMT unit there earlier to call a healer, but it was crazy there too. So, I borrowed some stamina recovery potion. Now— drink this..”
“Thanks, it's okay..”
"I'm not okay, why am I suddenly falling down! I trusted someone and bet my future on it, but what should I do if someone suddenly dies?!”
“haha……."
"You don't have a serious chronic illness, right? I heard you collapsed last time too..”
Now that I think about it, I fainted when I absorbed the ‘Devil’s Medal (Legion)’.
I thought if I picked this up and ate it, I could end up in big trouble at a critical moment..
“are you okay. I'm not dying.”
“under......."
at that time—
Ta—da—da—dang——!
"What is this? It's not a gunshot.?”
Kim Se-hee nodded to Lee Hyun-wook’s question..
"that is… … There's some trouble outside..”
"By any chance, is it the AMT from earlier??”
The AMT troops I saw on the way here seemed to have reached a crisis with their clearing operation..
"yes that's right. The AMTs in the alley there were still unable to enter the underground parking lot. They even said 4 tankers were dragged into the underground parking lot... … Ha, it's still crazy..”
Kim Se-hee made a bitter expression..
“……What kind of monsters are you dealing with, that's why they all got caught??”
“Well, I took a quick look, and there was something that looked like a long red vine.……."
At that point, Lee Hyun-wook tilted his head..
‘If it's a red vine that can drag a person in, it can only be in the devil's grasp... … Did that appear in the 4th wave? I don't think so
Lee Hyun-wook felt a strange sense of strangeness..
“……Let's take a look.”
"yes? Are we? I don't even have a weapon.”
"Weapons are everywhere here..”
Well, this was the blacksmith shop..
"No, that's not it. I'm in better shape than that.?”
"You don't have to worry.”
Hyunwook Lee said that and picked up a bead-shaped machine from the box on the workbench..
- ‘Obtained ‘Flying Eye (Prototype)’.
‘According to Master Kang Jeong-du, this is some kind of mana drone and self-destruct device, probably.?’
Just before I fainted, I briefly remembered what Kang Jeong-doo had explained..
- You can synchronize with the item through ‘Mana Connection’..
‘Synchronize……'
Hyunwook Lee started synchronizing..
Then 'Flying Eye' came to mind, and a completely different scene unfolded before his eyes..
Wing—wing—
Surprisingly, that was the camera perspective of 'Flying Eye'.
‘This is like having a wizard's vision linked to a magic drone..’
It was a bit dizzy because you were moving so fast, but you were able to control it to some extent.
I thought it could be useful..
***
About thirty AMT troops were lined up in front of the underground parking lot of an eight-story commercial building..
"after......."
They were struggling with an unidentified tree vine growing from an underground parking lot..
There was a lull for a moment now, but I couldn't let my guard down because the vines were popping up periodically..
And no matter how much they were cut or burned, they continued to spread endlessly..
“Damn it, it's too late now……."
About 40 minutes ago, two kids were dragged into there..
They tried several times to save those guys..
But instead, 5 more tanks were dragged in.…….
In the end, they gave up on self-rescue and requested support from the 'Strategy Platoon'..
"Platoon commander, someone is coming! ah! Wearing AMT combat uniform!”
However, they were too small a number to be called reinforcements, just 3 people..
And he didn't seem to be armed. …….
"huh? It's not reinforcements, it's that woman from earlier, a sergeant.?”
“Bitter, he came next to me while I was out of his mind and whined about asking for a potion, then what??”
They were Lee Hyun-wook, Kim Se-hee, and Park Jun-mo..
The first thing Lee Hyun-wook did was look at the vines scattered at the entrance to the underground parking lot, and he realized that the sense of strangeness he felt was not wrong..
'This is definitely the devil's hand.’
This wasn't a monster that occurred during the 4th wave..
‘It doesn't even appear as a monster out of the gate like this. It appears like a kind of trap in the dungeon. In other words, it means that someone took it out on purpose.…….'
I sensed that a conspiracy was brewing beneath Lee Hyun-wook..
“—there!”
At that time, someone shouted that.
A female officer with the rank of lieutenant came this way..
Her name was Lee Tae-kyung, probably the commander of this platoon, the platoon leader..
"What are you! Have you seen it now??”
Well, I was fighting a life-or-death battle, so I felt uncomfortable because it would seem like I was just watching..
"Loyalty - Sorry, but do you have any information about that monster??”
“……what?”
There was no way to see the devil's grip in person unless you were part of the 'strategy team' entering the dungeon..
Therefore, there was a high possibility that they were making a fuss without clearly understanding how to respond..
"That's a plant-type monster called Devil's Grasp. The regeneration speed is extremely fast, so cutting off the protruding tentacles is useless. The thick inner stem and core must be removed..”
However, it did not seem like a situation where Lee Hyun-wook's advice would work..
"What is he saying now... … . Hey, don’t you see this? How are you going to get in there? I don't think we've tried it?”
There were already several attempts to enter, but they seemed to have failed..
“Hu— If you came here to salt, please go back quickly, please… … I thought a few people died here and thoughtlessly……."
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head..
"Those people aren't dead yet.”
"what—?”
"The Demon's Grasp sucks the bodily fluids of living creatures, but only feeds on cold blood. So they inject paralyzing poison and wait for their body temperature to drop. They will probably be eaten sometime tonight..”
As Lee Hyun-wook recited one after another, embarrassment spread across Lee Tae-kyung’s face..
"On what basis?……."
Lee Hyun-wook did not answer, but passed by Lee Tae-kyung and got a little closer..
"If you don't mind, can we try entering??”
Then Lee Tae-kyung’s face distorted once again..
“Don't brag without any basis, start with your affiliation, you bastard.—”
At those words, Lee Hyun-wook turned his head and saluted..
"sorry. We belong to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Port Horse Brigade, and I am Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, 5th division commander of the 1st company of the unit.."
The moment she heard those words, her eyebrows twitched..
1st Battalion, 3rd Port Horse Brigade… … Because I've heard so many stories about them lately..
"Ah, then the unit that survived the wave… … uh? no way……."
Lee Hyun-wook added a word to this:.
"Even though he is a soldier, not long ago... … He was the commander of a unit called the Steel Company..”
Then, the gaze pouring towards him was bound to change noticeably..
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