Novels online

The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 75

75fury. 

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Shanghai was once the most prosperous city in China..

It is the most densely populated area in the world with over 24 million people, and a huge city full of skyscrapers... … But now, that place has turned into a kingdom of black orcs..

3It was unable to block the tea wave and ended up being eroded - it was transformed into another world..

The result was a dramatic change in geography, from a warm, humid climate to a dry steppe climate. However, it was never an environment like the Mongolian desert seen on Earth..

It was a land of wild beasts, where rats the size of elephants and spiders the size of buffaloes appeared, and an incomprehensible land where all kinds of poisonous plants grew like reeds and lightning struck from time to time..

After the erosion, the Chinese government attempted restoration several times, but was ultimately unsuccessful. And for now, I'm basically just letting go and preparing for the moment they push out of Shanghai.…….

Now, that strange area is ruled by the world boss monster, Stonnox, the king of the Black Orcs..

Now, two cars were driving towards that place..

Ooh, ooh——

It was a car occupied by agents of the 59th Division of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China. They were a secret department unknown to the public, and their main mission was exchange with the Black Orc Kingdom in Shanghai, that is, diplomacy with monsters..

"Manager, I can see the Red Wood Wall ahead..”

At the driver's words, Section 59 and Wang Pyeong, who were riding in the passenger seat, raised their heads..

His eyes caught the sight of a 7-meter-tall red wooden fence surrounding the former Shanghai city..

That was the border of the ‘kingdom’ established by the Black Orcs..

“Write— Everyone, be nervous, because there is no such thing as law or recognition out there… … As their car approached, the huge door on one side of the fence began to slowly open..

coo coo coo coo coo coo coo——

“after… … Now, we enter the den of black devils..”

So they entered the Orc territory, and after that…….

"hmm......."

I've been waiting for someone in a hut for two hours..

No, although it is decorated like a hut, this was originally the first floor lobby of the 60-story building where Starbucks was located. The new rulers, the Black Orcs, had turned human buildings into nomadic huts..

“Ugh, I tried to hold back, but the stink bug is no joke, here……."

"Damn it, orcs don't even wash their lives??”

As humans also have unique smells for each race, the smells of other races felt particularly unpleasant..

"Hey, you all better shut up. Unless you want an ax stuck in your head..”

Their leader Wang Ping grinned as he said that. But that wasn't a joke, it was real.

He knew more about orcs than anyone else, as he had visited many times beyond the Redwood Great Wall..

“I'd rather challenge you to a duel than just bash your head in, but at your level, I'll definitely lose..”

Still, since all of these players were B-grade or higher, there was no way they would lose in a one-on-one match against a regular monster that was not a boss monster..

But here, I already knew that the orcs guarding the south gate of Hongmok Great Wall are monsters that are comparable to B-grade warrior players and sometimes even A-grade or higher..

"So, even if an argument breaks out, I will pretend not to notice, and even if I see blood, I will bury it without a word. You know the world shouldn't know that we came here in the first place.?”

It was quite a controversial issue for players from one country to visit the world of monsters..

Jeopuk- Jeobuk—

At that time, as heavy steps approached them, they closed their mouths without anyone taking the first step..

Soon, black monsters appeared through the tent surrounding them..

2m 60cm tall, thick muscular body that no human can possess, black skin, huge tusks, and red eyes.…….

The appearance of an evil spirit that only appears in legends seemed to have been recreated before their eyes..

gulp—

These players have fought countless bloody battles against all kinds of terrible monsters, but at this moment, I felt myself cringing..

Tongue——!

The black orc threw down a huge ax and placed it on the ground..

An item made of unusual material, the marble floor cracked just by putting it down..

The red eyes of the black orc—warlord Smakt—turned to Wang Ping..

"Wang Feng......."

A loud voice coming from a huge sound box, I felt like my skull was shaking just by standing in front of it..

"Commander Sumakt, it’s been a while..”

"Okay, I want to ask you something..”

This gets straight to the point. Wang Pyeong knew that these people had no small talk..

"Yes, you say it..”

"Did you say that you humans treat encounters with groups as a game and receive quests??”

It was a question that came out of nowhere..

"yes, that's right.”

“Maybe we're getting something similar..”

“……yes?”

“Not long ago, our shamans divined our path and the king approved of them.."

Wangpyeong tilted his head at the words he could hardly understand..

At that time, a black orc named Sumact threw something onto the desk..

bang—

That was a key. Brass-colored, with geometric patterns carved with great precision.…….

Wang Feng picked up the key..

- You have obtained the ‘Secondary Key’ of Ancient Heritage..

Ancient heritage, I had no idea what this meant..

At that time, Sumakt added a word..

“Laputa, you probably know that a flying island has appeared in a small land beyond the sea.?"

“no way……."

"That's the key to get in there.”

and.......

- (!) Quest has arrived.

'uh, quest?’

[Hidden Quest]

- The path of the ancient civilization's 'followers'…….

You have a special opportunity to come into contact with a hint of ancient heritage.

That special item will take you back to old glory.

However, you must choose one of two paths: be loyal to the 'successor' of the ancient legacy and gain 'employee' authority, or kill the 'successor' of the ancient legacy and rob the 'right of succession'..

* Would you like to accept the quest? (Y/N)

In context, it was clear that this was Laputa, above Seoul, and a quest related to that place..

‘Why is this here... … Oh, no way!’

Black Orcs, including Sumakt, are intelligent monsters, so they could be considered 'NPCs' in game terms. In other words, Wang Feng interpreted that the Black Orc is now giving him a quest..

"A few days ago, dwarves, as they are called, opened a 'door' and appeared in our land..”

Dwarf, Wang Feng had heard the name of that race several times..

‘According to intelligence reports, small groups of dwarves have appeared in Russia and Australia..’

One by one, monsters with intelligence comparable to humans were appearing all over the world..

“When we killed them, the key came out and at that moment the shamans received some kind of 'divination'. We will regain our ancestors, who were robbed by the builders of Laputa a long time ago.……."

In other words, at the same time as the appearance of Laputa, the dwarf race began to appear, and the black orcs also began to move as they were given a certain 'goal'..

If this is a tangle of simultaneous, special phenomena,…….

‘……It means that some major event is starting..’

Wang Feng sensed that this series of events was part of one huge flow..

"Um, but Sumact… … Why are you handing this over to us??”

"What we ask of you is very simple. Laputa, we're hitting that place together..”

Playing together, what kind of nonsense is this all of a sudden?.......

Wang Feng looked at Sumakt, trying hard to hide his surprise..

"......."

His red eyes didn't move at all..

'At least it can't be a joke.’

This cruel race doesn't know how to tell jokes.……

"hmm… … Well, I don't think we have a good reason for that.……."

Laputa appeared on Korean soil. Therefore, it was naturally owned by Korea..

Hitting that place... … Needless to say, it meant war..

"Oh, really? Laputa, don’t you want to own that island??”

"......."

"There's no way you wouldn't like it, if you said that you would be lying..”

Sumakt smiled, showing his teeth for the first time..

"Wang Feng, let's be honest, that huge island is a treasure that you all humans want to have.?”

"Especially, if it were your kingdom that dreamed of becoming the best in the world but then fell, it would be even more mouth-watering.……."

Wang Feng reluctantly nodded..

‘As expected, these black orcs are very wicked..’

The world knew that they were barbaric and ignorant, but that was a lie..

No, it certainly was like that at first. A fighting race that knew nothing but battle and conquest.…….

However, as the intelligence was designed to be high in the first place, it was rapidly absorbing human knowledge..

‘And they have fought with us many times and understand our situation very well..’

As Sumakt said, China was at a dead end, if not downfall..

1Immediately after the tea wave swept through California, the United States faltered and China took over..

However, within a few years, a second wave occurred in Shanghai, shaking the whole of China..

But losing Shanghai was just the beginning.…….

‘We waged an all-out war for three years to restore Shanghai. But it was a huge failure…….'

As a result, China lost 4 S-grade players, 25 A-grade players, and 2,355 other players, and the Suzhou region was plundered, leading to a rapid decline in national power..

Meanwhile, several countries, including Korea, emerged rapidly..

But not long ago, a wave opened in Seoul..

‘at that time… … Our government knowingly or unknowingly brought joy..’

If Korea resists the wave, its neighboring countries will benefit..

'……However, Korea perfectly blocked the wave..’

Thus, an unprecedented reward called ‘Laputa’ was given to that land..

‘Laputa, or magic engineering… … It is an important industry that will determine future hegemony..’

Until now, the items that ‘dropped’ from dungeons were the most important assets. However, comparable ‘manufactured items’ were gradually appearing..

In other words, that field will become a core industry of the future, and Korea will be at the forefront in all aspects, including economy, defense, and diplomacy, while China will follow the path of decline........

While Wang Feng was thinking like that, Sumakt's loud voice came into his head..

"The secret of your interactions with us will be guarded fiercely, so you don't have to worry..”

The secret private organization of the public security organization to which Wang Feng belongs, 'Dark Star', was aiming to take over the government, and one of the methods was to form a secret relationship with the Black Orcs, who were no less than their greatest enemies..

And Smakt also knew that fact, so he made a semi-coercive offer to Wang Feng..

"Wang Feng, as you say, it is a game. This is your chance to seize the opportunity and become a winner..”

Wang Feng had a hunch..

Soon, there will be an inevitable war.…….

***

Finding the hidden stage was the most valuable opportunity during a dungeon attack..

‘Most items of legendary level or higher appear in hidden stages..’

However, finding the hidden stage was incredibly difficult, and the reason was very simple..

This was because the size of the dungeon, the world beyond the gate, was larger than expected..

'This is a C-level dungeon, on average, about the size of Jeju Island..’

Therefore, finding the ‘hidden stage’ within it was no different from finding a needle in the sand..

‘But like a puzzle, there are hints everywhere..’

However, Hyunwook Lee was well aware of the mechanics of the ‘puzzles’ encountered within the dungeon..

He had his team search for the orc body. The fact that the hidden quest appeared immediately after wiping them out can be interpreted as the quest activation ‘trigger’ being activated at that very moment..

Within.......

"Team Leader Lee, I found something unusual here.!”

Jeongjun Lee discovered something. He approached Lee Hyun-wook and held it out..

"Hmm, it looks like a watch, but what is it used for??”

- Obtained an unknown mechanical device (special).

[Item information]

- Name: Unknown

- Effect: Unknown

There was something like a mechanical device embedded in a circular metal frame the size of a palm..

At that moment, Lee Hyun-wook felt a sense of déjà vu..

‘This… … I saw something exactly like this somewhere..’

Lee Hyun-wook had seen items like this several times, so he knew how to use them right away..

He lifted it towards the sun.

yes——

Then, like a prism, the sunlight passed through and was widely dispersed, casting a shadow on the floor..

- congratulations! You have found the ‘hint’ of the hidden stage..

The shadow was a map of sorts, and the path to the hidden stage seemed to be depicted in quite detail..

“Oh, how did you figure it out so quickly??”

The person who was so impressed was an unexpected person: Park Mu-han, the team leader of the Cheonghwa Guild strategy team..

After witnessing Lee Hyun-wook's skills, he began to behave more obediently than expected..

Then, they set out with the hope of a joint attack. To put it simply, I wanted to travel together..

‘……If you suddenly do this, you may have other intentions, so be careful..’

And that was probably Lee Hyun-wook's intention to observe his abilities from up close..

‘That must have been one of the things Hae-na Hae-na ordered... … In this situation, it actually worked out well..’

While Lee Hyun-wook is searching the 'Hidden Stage', he will be in trouble if the Cheonghwa Guild attacks the dungeon. Therefore, Lee Hyun-wook readily accepted Park Mu-han's proposal for a cooperative strategy..

'Since it's impossible to hide power anymore anyway, all you have to do is show a few moves..’

So the two guilds crossed the desert together..

Wooooow——

Lee Hyun-wook kept only one airdrop device and placed the rest in the trailer..

In the first place, operating 12 units was impossible no matter how many ‘ether engines’ there were..

Each airdrop device consumes 50 mana per second. That's why I couldn't spare a few minutes, but I just wrote all 12... … To be honest, it was meant to discourage the Cheonghwa Guild strategy team..

‘Well, it seems like the intention worked..’

How long has it been since we moved like that?…….

"There's something up there on the dunes! It's a triangular sculpture.!”

On the map I saw a while ago, there was a triangle mark near the entrance to the ruins..

‘In other words, there is an entrance to the ruins nearby..’

Lee Hyun-wook immediately launched ‘Hugin’ and searched the surroundings thoroughly..

'……There's something at the bottom of the sand.’

In the middle of the flat desert, I felt a huge lump of metal..

‘If it was a metal lump of this size, I might have found it without taking the hidden quest........'

Lee Hyun-wook moved Living Armor to dig into the sand nearby..

And soon, they succeeded in unearthing a circular iron gate measuring 4 meters in diameter..

- You have contacted the hidden stage ‘Nome A3 Ruins North Gate’..

* To open the gate, you need 3 'marks'.

However, there were restrictions on entry..

It's a sign.......

"Team Leader Lee, there are three grooves here... … I think the item I got earlier will be included.?"

As Jeongjun Lee said, there were three circular grooves next to the door..

Hyunwook Lee placed a mechanical device containing a map in one of the grooves..

Clap—

Then, it clicked together exactly and the circular iron door moved slightly counterclockwise..

"however… … I need 2 more to open the door, where can I get them??”

Yes, you need to get two more of these 'marks' to enter the hidden stage..

Everyone looked embarrassed at this..

"Well, since I just killed an orc... … Don't we have to fight again??"

"haha… … It's going to be a difficult journey. Maybe I need to catch a boss monster.”

But Lee Hyun-wook had completely different thoughts..

'Wait a minute... … Isn’t this a place you saw once? A3 Historic sites?…….'

It was only then that Lee Hyun-wook realized the identity of the ‘déjà vu’ he had been feeling for a while..

‘This is a hidden stage that I conquered in my previous life. This… … It is a theme-sharing hidden map..’

This ‘Hidden Stage’ map was not usually connected to just one dungeon..

There were cases where multiple dungeons with similar themes shared a single hidden stage..

‘It's the same hidden stage I found in the dungeon where I got the Anvil of Hephaestus..’

The ‘Hammer of Hephaestus’ appears in this dungeon. And later, when Lee Hyun-wook was conquering the dungeon where 'Hephaestus' Anvil' appears, it was at that time that he discovered this 'Hidden Stage'. So, the dungeons related to Hephaestus' items were sharing this hidden stage..

In other words, it meant that it was a dungeon that Lee Hyun-wook had already conquered once..

‘Such a coincidence... … very good.’

He looked slowly at the door..

A huge circular iron door, tightly locked with eight hinges..

Ig reached for the hinge of one of them..

and—

'shredding!’

Gang——!

The hinges were crushed and the thick iron door shook..

At the same time, a red message appeared before everyone's eyes..

- warning! If you enter in the wrong way, you may be punished.!

"Now, just a moment! Is this okay? If you carelessly ignore the system warning message,……."

Park Moo-han sensed that the system message was unusual and set out to dissuade Lee Hyun-wook..

Gang——!

However, Lee Hyun-wook ignored Park Mu-han's words and began to break the hinges one by one..

Gang——!

Faced with such reckless behavior, Park Mu-han had no choice but to lose face and slowly back away..

“This team leader! No matter how great you are, this is an action that will get you in real trouble.……."

Park Mu-han was able to intuit this through numerous strategies. This troublesome element of ‘puzzle’ did not exist for no reason. If you try the wrong method, you will face punishment that you cannot easily bear..

But Lee Hyun-wook, whether he knew it or not, was recklessly tearing off the hinges.…….

Gang——!

Soon, the last hinge was torn off..

Then he raised both his hands, and a heavy iron gate rose into the air..

Ku—gu—gu—gu——!

The door to the ruins opened like that—a cold wind burst out from the deep darkness..

Whoa whoa——

- caution! The ruins were opened in the wrong way.!

* Punishment (ancient sentinel group) is granted!

"Damn it, run away!”

Park Moo-han shouted that to his teammates..

"Uh oh—”

Then, all of the Cheonghwa guild members panicked and hid behind the trailer. It was clear that something uncontrollable had happened because it was a B-grade, tier 1 player, not anyone else, who was embarrassed..

"What, what? What's starting?”

At that reaction, even the Hope Guild members were embarrassed and took a step back..

However, Lee Hyun-wook was still standing tall in front of the entrance to the historic site..

'The punishment of this dungeon is... … The founder of magic engineering, machines appear like a gnome dungeon..’

Ki-ri-ri-ri-ri——!

Soon, strange sounds ringing from deep in the darkness.,

Ki-ri-ri-ri-li——!

It was the sound of something huge crawling on the floor..

And soon they reached the place where sunlight reached, and their true identity was revealed..

Ki-ri-ri-ri-li——!

They were scorpions made of steel—a swarm of probably thousands of scorpions..

‘And the machine... … It's metal.’

Lee Hyun-wook raised his left hand toward that place..

"shredding—!"

Bub-bub-bub-bub-bub-bub-bung——!

The things named Punishment began to explode as if melting as soon as they came to the ground..

The fragments flew in all directions and piled up like white seashells on the red sand..

Bub-bub-bub-bub-bub-bub-bung——!

Park Moo-han and the Cheonghwa guild members who were hiding behind the trailer stared blankly at that scene. that

How many minutes have passed like this?…….

"You are now safe. Let's go in.”

So, the punishment ended so vainly..

“ah……."

Park Muhan looked at the scene with a blank expression..

Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook entered the hole with 12 Living Armor units in front..

- You have entered the Gnome Ruins (A3)..

Then, I remembered my past life - when I conquered this hidden stage..

‘If you defeat the guardian guarding the center of the ruins, there are two doors behind it..’

Here, ‘guardian’ was a concept similar to the boss monster of a historical site..

‘But at that time, only one door could be opened..’

And beyond that door, there was a ‘legendary grade’ item..

‘That's why I was so curious about the other door that couldn't be opened. Is it possibly a myth level?…….'

Therefore, the dungeon was left open instead of closed, and I tried to open the door through various methods for several months, but no matter what method I tried, I could not open the door..

Hyunwook Lee touched the ‘Master Key of Ancient Heritage’ in his inner pocket..

'This is the key to get there.’

Otherwise, there is no way the hidden quest would have been triggered..

Lee Hyun-wook felt his heart beat for the first time in a long time at the thought of witnessing a secret that he could not even unlock in his previous life..