The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 68
68fury.
=========================
A helicopter landed on a large lawn that appears to have been leveled halfway up Mt. Bukaksan..
It was Woo Seong-moon and his aides who got off there..
Soon, agents wearing sunglasses rushed out to greet them..
“Team Leader Lee, has the saint arrived??”
Lee Kyo-jun, the bespectacled man called Team Leader Lee, nodded..
"Yes, but… … I'm still drunk.”
"Damn, that's right……."
You have to fly all the way to a remote area to save the world's largest city, but you're drunk.…….."
"And the behavior of the paladins who came with her was a bit... … They say it's a pain in the ass..”
It was already famous that the Holy Knights, the saint's personal guard, were extremely arrogant..
‘After the death of the first leader, Nicholas Steele, the entire organization rapidly became miserable..’
Woo Seong-moon clicked his tongue, remembering Nicholas, who knew honor more than anyone else..
‘He was one of the few people I could truly trust.……."
Until he was around, the wight tree guard was recognized by everyone..
However, as his vacancy was filled by pathetic people, the entire organization lost its reputation..
Woo Seong-moon was worried that something like that would happen to this country someday..
"It's an era where people are the greatest power, but it's also an era where people can't be trusted..”
He had been training talent for a long time and was keenly aware of this problem..
Today, character and effort are not proportional to ability..
Awakenings that occur simply by chance and characteristics that are given randomly…….
‘It's also an extraordinary era where you can become the best just by being lucky.…….'
While Woo Seong-moon was feeling the absurdity, a face came to mind..
‘Hyunwook Lee…….'
He was the lowest grade F player until not long ago. However, he did not give in to the enormous limitations given to him and created opportunities for himself, and before he knew it, he was heading towards the top..
‘Yes, he is a real talent..’
Woo Seong-moon had no intention of losing sight of Lee Hyun-wook..
***
- .......The Seoul sky turned red this time. While it is presumed that the cause is an unexplained mana wave in the Dobongsan area of Dobong-gu, the government's 'abnormal phenomenon analysis team' has begun to investigate the cause..
Lee Hyun-wook was listening to the radio with one ear while checking the 'air drop device' in the truck's luggage compartment..
‘Hmm, I think it would be good to use it in many ways if you add iron beads to it.?’
A large rectangular box, most of the inside was occupied by a 'sub-space creation device', but there was a multi-purpose storage space at the bottom..
Lee Hyun-wook poured a lot of iron beads into it..
A total of 55 units could be equipped in one, and a total of 110 units could be equipped in two airdrop devices..
- Next, there is news that the heroes who put an end to the 4th wave, Steel Company, and their commander, Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, will also be deployed in this operation. I cannot provide details as they are confidential.…….
“……oh! Our story comes again.”
At that point, the Steel Company members waiting outside the truck reacted and started making noise..
“Now, aren’t you tired of watching what’s on the news??”
"No matter what, doesn’t your heart pound every time it comes out??”
"Anyway, it's all about Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, so what?……."
Not only the Steel Company but all the troops of the 1st Battalion were lined up on an eight-lane road..
But in truth, there was little the Steel Company could do in this situation. They were simply setting up a 'blockade' on the south side of Bukhansan Mountain, which connects to Dobongsan Mountain, in preparation for an emergency..
However, because interest in the heroes of the 4th wave had not yet died down, they added unnecessary details to the news. Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but be bothered by that point..
'Why is the Steel Company moving on the news? Anyway, fame is not good in many ways..’
Lee Hyun-wook got out of the truck bed and looked up at the northern sky..
About 40 minutes ago, a red pillar of energy erupted somewhere in Seoul..
Immediately after it reached the sky, red clouds formed.,
Now it has turned into a huge ring and is shaking as if it will engulf Seoul..
Go-oh-oh-oh-oh——
It even makes unpleasant noises.
‘You can't approach that devil's territory unless you're covered with a decent divine defense shield..’
Dobong Mountain, the place where the devil was summoned, was now being transformed into the ‘Devil’s Territory’. The information released by the government was that if you get close to it, your vitality will be eaten away by powerful ‘hell magic’..
Of course, if you make a plan and prepare for the attack, you will be able to enter somehow... … Rather than worrying about such methods, the saint's 'Holy Field' was the most reasonable choice..
In the end, it was unstoppable for the saint to come to this land..
"Oh, by the way, didn’t Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook say that he would soon be deployed to another operation??”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded to Choi Tae-yong’s question..
"Okay, so I guess I'll have to go soon..”
"By the way, why did you call me from where??”
As Choi Taeyong cautiously asked, Ahn Mintae, who was next to him, let out a sigh..
"Dude, you're not telling me because it's confidential.!”
“Ah, um… … Still, I thought you would share it with us.……."
"What are we going to do between us? This bastard is now trying to match Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook.?”
"Oh really! Isn't that what you mean?……."
The fact that Lee Hyun-wook was in charge of the saint's protection operation was, of course, confidential..
It is said that the saint, who has already arrived in this land, is currently moving somewhere secretly..
It's probably one of the 'sanctuaries' that is the safest place for her to cast 'Holy Field'.,
The safest sanctuary in Seoul was, of course, the Bukaksan Mountain Sanctuary..
The place overlooking the Blue House was actually connected to the Blue House underground bunker..
Only after the saint arrived there and cleared up the surrounding area would she call Lee Hyun-wook..
‘No matter how much you need me, I am still an outside worker.…….'
I couldn't reveal everything about security to Lee Hyun-wook..
‘and… … There's something I need to take care of before they make the call..’
Lee Hyun-wook took something out of his chest..
It was a golden card.
[Item information]
- Name: Characteristic flowering stage 2 (special)
- Effect: Randomly develops new skills or strengthens skills you already have.
This was upgraded to ‘Level 2’ by fusing two ‘Characteristic Bloom’ items..
‘Now what kind of skill should I raise with this?…….'
Since this incident occurred entirely as a ‘variable,’ Lee Hyun-wook made his judgment more carefully than ever..
‘As expected, this time… … Invest in strengthening.’
To be honest, I wondered several times whether it would be better to strengthen the ‘breath room’ first. If the level of the breath room increased, the body's furnace would expand and the growth rate would accelerate, which was beneficial in the long run..
‘But if you look too far into the future, you may end up stuck..’
In his previous life, his greatest weakness was his defense, and even at the last moment, that was a problem. The moment he couldn't withstand the sniping that came from somewhere and fell into the grog, everything ended.…….
Of course, this life was different from the very beginning. It had already surpassed the defense power of my previous life..
but.......
‘Okita Kaito, he will definitely show up. It's still not enough to withstand his blows..’
Lee Hyun-wook was able to predict that the assassin of the Sword Saint would act as a ‘shooter’ for the assassination of the saint..
‘Even in his past life, he drove a knife into the heart of a saint.…….'
That's why Lee Hyun-wook boldly invested in strengthening the 'characteristic flowering stage 2'..
- congratulations! The ‘Strong Body’ skill is greatly strengthened by using the trait Bloom (Level 2).!
[Skill information]
- Name: Indomitable strong body)
- Grade: B
- Effect: Temporarily 'strengthens' part of the body by consuming mana (20).
1 [Manashield (double structure))]
2 [secret engraving (2)]
3 [unknown]
* ‘If you swallow a certain amount of 'high hardness magic metal', your skill level will improve..
It rose two levels at once from D grade to B grade..
The maximum skill that can be raised through normal methods is A grade.,
In other words, rigidity had now reached a significant level..
Hyunwook Lee slowly felt a change in his senses after applying 'Strong Body' to his left hand..
Metal skin with tighter density and tougher mana shield with ‘double structure’…….
'This is equivalent to wearing armor made of adamant with a high-level magic shield..
To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, it was like a walking armored vehicle..
And the number of the second skill ‘Secret Engraving’ has also increased to 2..
"That's right, now that I think about it, I need to test that too..”
Lee Hyun-wook got on the truck bed again and placed his right hand on the 'air drop device'..
Ssssssssssssssssss——
Then, the huge piece of machinery melted and turned into smoke........
- It's engraved.
Air drop devices, these huge objects are ultimately items, so they were applied without exception..
As a result, a rather large square tattoo was engraved on Lee Hyun-wook's right wrist..
‘It works too. This would be awesome…….'
The reason this is encouraging is because there are 30 weapons stored inside this airdrop device..
Lee Hyun-wook took out the 'Spear of Achilles' from his left hand and imprinted the remaining air drop device..
So a total of 60 weapons—and a total of 100 iron balls in the bottom compartment.,
Hundreds of different weapons were stored on both wrists..
‘Okay, so we have some sort of inventory..’
As a result, it has the defense power of an armored vehicle and the firepower of a fighter-bomber in a single body..
‘As expected, the choice to increase rigidity was not a bad choice..’
At that time, a shout was heard from outside the truck..
"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook! Lieutenant Seo Eun-ha is looking for you..”
Meanwhile, Seo Eun-ha also participated in this operation..
The reason was that since she was a high-level paladin, she could exert a synergy effect with the saint, but that was only a superficial reason..
In fact, it was because she spent two years as a Holy Knight trainee at Saint Dom immediately after her awakening and developed quite a friendship with the saint—Emilia Müller..
In other words, calling Seo Eun-ha had a greater diplomatic purpose..
Lee Hyun-wook went to the end of the 1st Battalion's long line of vehicles on the road and met Seo Eun-ha..
She sat on the bed of the truck and looked up at Lee Hyun-wook, wearing gray armor..
"Hyunwook Lee, they sent a car from there. Slowly prepare to leave.”
A black SUV was seen in the opposite lane. It was a vehicle sent by Woo Seong-moon..
"I'm already ready.”
"Oh yeah? Then just wait a moment. Wearing armor is a bit tiring.……."
When Seo Eun-ha finished preparing, the two reported to Kim Kang-seok and approached the SUV..
Then, she suddenly asked.
"Lee Hyun-wook, have you ever seen a saint in person... … Of course not?”
"Yes that's right.”
That was true. Lee Hyun-wook had never seen his saint in person even in his past life..
This is because the saint was assassinated while he was still unable to shake off the stigma of being classified as F..
However, I could not help but get tired of hearing the story about the saint..
"I told you in advance... … This person is not normal. It can be a bit of a pain in many ways..”
Lee Hyun-wook also heard of the saint’s notoriety..
When you think of a saint, you usually think of nobility, purity, and righteousness, but that's just a stereotype associated with religion, especially in fantasy..
Emilia Müller, an S-class priest, was nicknamed a saint because of her divine abilities, regardless of her religion or personality..
‘In the first place, the saint was just a nickname, and in reality, she was closer to an inquisitor.…….'
Even the way her abilities grew was bizarre..
'Causing pain to dark-type beings... … I heard that.’
In some ways, it was a growth in ability that was no different from a curse..
This is why the Republic of Chad is particularly merciless towards players who have mastered dark skills, and the saint even tortures and punishes them directly..
‘So, there's no way a person's personality is good in all aspects.…….'
However, even if she was such a vicious woman, she was one of the most necessary weapons for humanity..
***
The location of the Great Holy Place in South Korea was a state secret..
It was only known to be somewhere in Seoul, but few people knew its exact location. The reason was that the Great Sanctuary served as both a kind of ‘safe house’ and a ‘secret ward’..
There was even a theory that if the Blue House was attacked, people would take refuge here rather than in the underground bunker of the Blue House, and if an important national figure or ranked player was seriously injured, they would be moved here..
‘I've been carried a few times too.…….'
The recovery spell that received the best ‘Sanctuary buff’ in Korea saves even dying people..
Wooooow——
The SUV went up the military road on Mt. Bukak..
For a while, the scenery was unremarkable, with only a dense forest of trees visible..
But the moment you pass a certain point—
- passed.
That system message instantly changed the scene before my eyes..
In an instant, a wide area spread out before my eyes, and a huge white building appeared in the center..
‘Bukaksan Mountain Great Sanctuary, it’s been a while.’
The exterior really looked like nothing special, just a square block of white concrete..
Since it was a hidden place from the beginning, it was designed for efficiency itself, with no emphasis on appearance..
And there are countless ‘black agents’ hiding in the trees that cover that building.,
Dozens of ‘Mana Drones’ flew in the sky—monitoring all areas of the area..
And the paladins wearing white armor seen here and there were the ‘Wight Tree Guards’..
Upon arriving at the entrance of the building, a short man wearing glasses greeted Lee Hyun-wook and Seo Eun-ha..
"……welcome. My name is Kyo-jun Lee, team leader..”
Since he introduced himself but did not reveal his affiliation, it seemed like he was an agent of a secret department..
"As you both know, you are not allowed to have any communication devices from here on out..”
Since Lee Hyun-wook and Seo Eun-ha were not complete insiders, they had to undergo a formal body search..
"And you two cannot come within 50 meters of the saint, Emilia Müller. Please keep in mind that if you approach incorrectly, you may be subdued or, depending on the situation, killed without warning..”
The only mission of these two is to defend the building itself against possible attacks.,
Emilia Müller is surrounded by her personal guard, the Wight Tree Guard—among them, 12 high-ranking paladins..
No one other than him was allowed to come near her..
At that time, another agent standing next to Lee Kyo-jun placed his hand on the 'ear microphone' and turned his head this way..
"That team leader… … I'm telling you to take Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook to the VIP room on the 3rd basement floor..”
Lee Kyo-jun’s eyebrows twitched at those words..
"what? VIP room, who ordered that??"
“that is… … This is what the saint herself requested..”
“A saint, why on earth……."
Lee Kyo-jun could not hide his absurd expression..
And it was the same for Lee Hyun-wook..
‘The saint me... … why?’
Even Seo Eun-ha looked like she couldn't understand..
“Lee Hyun-wook, why is the saint calling you??”
"I do not know.”
Seo Eun-ha raised her head after thinking deeply..
"Lee Hyun-wook, whatever happens, be careful. Like I said, you're crazy.……."
After receiving some harsh advice from Seo Eun-ha, Lee Hyun-wook was led by three agents and headed to the VIP room on the 4th basement floor.,
After passing through a long corridor with heavy security and multiple shields, I came across a huge iron door..
"Well, here it is. No weapons can be brought in, so please take them all out..”
As soon as Lee Hyun-wook took out his weapon, a thick protective door opened..
Clap——
It was a fairly large room, with a sofa placed in the middle..
Woo Seong-moon was sitting there, and for some reason his face was full of shadows..
And across from him, a short woman with blonde hair was sitting..
‘That woman is Emilia Müller, a saint..’
She was discovered by Lee Hyun-wook... … He started shaking her hand happily..
"Yo— hi—!”
……It was a somewhat absurd first impression..
Meanwhile, Woo Seong-moon looked shocked..
I could understand why.
They spent a huge amount of money to invite a saint, but her condition seemed to be worse than expected. She felt as if she had received a defective product..
There was even a strong smell of alcohol coming from her..
"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook, because the President of St. Dom earnestly requested that he be called a hero of Seoul..”
"Yes, yes, that's right, I called you..”
"So, what… … What are you trying to say, Governor? There's no time, so do it quickly..”
Woo Seong-moon asked that in words that were almost like a sigh..
However, Emilia did not even listen to what he said and instead looked at Lee Hyun-wook with her chin resting, and it was only too late that she opened her mouth..
“……Mr. Wu, don’t worry. Hehe—I don’t eat it carelessly..”
For a moment, silence continued..
"Mr. Wu, I have something I want to talk about with this person... … This has nothing to do with this matter. I thought it would be a little personal—well, a little, like, secret..”
Woo Seong-moon shook his head at her seemingly gibberish words..
"President, no matter what... … it can't be.”
All kinds of thoughts were going through Woo Seong-moon’s mind..
Just now, while talking about security operations, Lee Hyun-wook was briefly mentioned..
But just then, the saint’s eyes changed..
She seemed very interested in Lee Hyun-wook's explanation that he saved Seoul twice and could operate 'Hugin', and she insisted on calling him..
And now we will talk alone... … I was a little worried that they might have noticed that I had awakened to S rank and were trying to take me away to the Republic of Chad..
"Oh really… … Hiccup! I'm starting to feel bad, should I just go back home?......."
A threat that is no different from a child's complaint... … Woo Seong-moon eventually stood up from his seat..
A glimpse of anger flashed across his face. He looked at the knight standing behind Emilia..
"Peter, we are out of time. Please take care of me.”
The knight named Peter nodded at those words..
However, Emilia shook her head..
“No, Peter, hiccup—you're out for a moment..”
Peter was startled..
"yes? That's a no-no! How can I leave you?!”
"Hiccup—Please, don't make me irritated..”
In an instant, a snowball fight between the two began..
"......."
The winner was Emilia.
Peter frowned and turned away as if he had no choice..
So everyone left..
She was silent for a moment, then slowly opened her mouth..
"silence……."
Something bloomed from her grasp and spread everywhere..
It was a magic that blocks sound..
"Hiccup—hiccup—"
"......."
"Your name is Lee Hyun-wook, right? The savior of Seoul... … I got it twice too.?”
Lee Hyun-wook smiled awkwardly..
But inside I tried to analyze the situation..
'……The atmosphere suddenly changed.’
This woman seemed to be missing something just now, but now she felt completely fine..
Especially the eyes, they looked like dynamic eyes and became clear in an instant..
‘Are you really pretending to be a fool? why…….'
Lee Hyun-wook realized that he was faced with a history he didn't know about..
"And I heard that you can get Hugin, a legendary grade extra-sensory item..”
"yes, that's right.”
“If you are Hugin, your senses will explode and you can perceive almost everything around you, right??”
“……Not everything, but I see much better than usual..”
She seemed to be thirsty and gulped down the water on the table..
"The person I trusted the most said that Mr. Woo had the best eye for people. But just now, while explaining the security operation, he emphasized that you are a capable person. And above all, if we could save Seoul twice... … I don't feel like I'm in the same company as people I don't like........"
People I trusted, people I hated... … Those were difficult words, as if he was still sober..
"......I would like to ask you one favor. I hope you don't reject me.”
Lee Hyun-wook looked at her without saying a word..
"When I use 'Holy Field', which purifies the entire Seoul, I become defenseless for 30 minutes.."
"yes, i know.”
"If someone is trying to assassinate me, that's when they'll do it. then you......."
Emilia craned her head and spoke in a whisper..
“……We want you to keep a close eye on the Wight Guard..”
Lee Hyun-wook’s eyes turned to something different..
"That means... … Are you saying there is a traitor inside??”
She nodded slowly..
How did he know that? Lee Hyun-wook made eye contact with Emilia with a calm expression..
But at what she said next, Lee Hyun-wook couldn't help but flinch..
“……Have you ever heard of a villain??”
As far as Lee Hyun-wook knew, this woman was not a guardian..
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