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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 85

85fury. 

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Hyunwook Lee checked the system message that appeared before his eyes with the appearance of the dwarf..

[Hidden Quest]

- Encounter with a Dimensional Traveler - 1

You encountered a ‘Dwarf Wanderer’ who appeared from a dimensional rift..

He is in a state of panic because he has just taken his first steps into an unfamiliar world. Helping him will bring unexpected rewards..

* ‘Prerequisites’ are required to proceed with this quest..

‘Prerequisites required... … This is the beginning of some big quest.’

This type of quest was also called a ‘request quest.’ The system does not provide clear goals, but goals and rewards vary depending on the relationship with intelligent NPCs..

In other words, the content of the quest varied greatly depending on how the situation was led..

Lee Hyun-wook looked at the dwarf’s airship. It was small, with a total length of only about 3 meters, and looked unsightly, as if parts from an abandoned car had been welded together..

And there were several large claw marks on its surface, as if it had been torn by some kind of animal..

“……shit! there! Can you help me open this door? huh?”

Inside, an NPC named ‘Dwarf Wanderer’ shouted that..

Perhaps because he lacked strength, he was unable to open the dented door of the airship..

However, despite such earnest requests, the party was unable to do either this or that..

"Um, that… … Is it a monster??”

Go Jinhwa asked that. Others felt the same way..

At this time, there were not many NPCs that were friendly to humans, so this reaction was natural..

Lee Hyun-wook shrugged his shoulders and approached it..

"well. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem to be that much of a threat..”

"Wait! Well, the monsters that are that intelligent are the Black Orc or Red Drake races........"

She glossed over what she said, but it meant that those two races were very dangerous..

In other words, there was reasonable suspicion that it could be that dangerous..

"Do not worry. In case of emergency, the airship itself can explode..”

Lee Hyun-wook stretched out his left hand and applied ‘metal deformation’ to the dented part of the old airship..

Fitting device——!

Then the door of the brown, junk-like airship was torn open and the dwarf was thrown out..

He rolled around violently on the dirt floor and barely managed to get his bearings..

“Pfft—okay, that’s it.!”

Lee Hyun-wook looked at the dwarf’s appearance..

About 130cm tall, with a thick body, a large bulbous nose, a gray beard, and white tattoos on his face........

'Looking at its appearance, it is a Gray Mountain Dwarf, or Gray Dwarf for short..’

Just as there were more than one type of orc that I had seen so far, there were also many different types of dwarves..

‘And they are a tribe with specialized skills in architecture and shipbuilding..’

They were people who enjoyed and were proud of making items bigger than any other race..

However, if things go as planned, the gray dwarf will be the villain's helper..

‘The representative of the Gray Dwarf tribe was the Taisan Guild... … That's how it started?’

I was able to get a rough idea of ​​what kind of situation my past life had been like..

‘After they defeated Swallow, they received a certain quest and swallowed up the entire tribe..’

Afterwards, the Gray Dwarves produced various large-scale weapons according to the villain's request.…….

'It was truly a terrible weapon of mass destruction..’

And one of them was mounted on Laputa..

The cannon that blew away the Allied surface fleet that surrounded Laputa with one blow was the work of the Gray Mountain Dwarves, and the super-large airship 'Gate Sentinel' was also completed with their help..

However, since the Gray Mountain tribe was not originally an evil race, after learning the true nature of how the weapons they made were used, they decided to cut off communication with the villains..

Of course, the villains were not going to let such a useful asset leave them..

‘Meteor magic was dropped on a Gray Dwarf settlement and massacred it..’

It was a tribe that would go through such a miserable history, but now it was going to change from the very beginning..

“Phew—I don't know how he opened that door, but he has mysterious powers.!”

The dwarf wanderer approached Lee Hyun-wook, speaking so cheerfully..

"My name is Soiler Wirebeard, what is your name??”

"My name is Hyunwook Lee..”

Lee Hyun-wook intentionally showed respect by using polite language..

This race of dwarves were secretly proud, to the point of vanity..

In other words, it was better to be generous with respect and praise when seeking favor..

And when I heard his name, the 'information' that came to mind was updated..

- Dwarf Wanderer Soiler Wirebeard (LV)：49)

* The NPC is 'neutral' to you.

After several conversations like this, it seemed like he was recognized as an ‘NPC’ rather than a ‘monster’..

But that was then.

"Sergeant Lee Hyun-wook! Look over there.!”

Park Jun-mo shouted and pointed somewhere..

Wooooow——!

The dimensional rift where Soiler's airship came from was shaking as if it was about to burst..

Then Soiler's mouth opened..

"Oh my! Look at my mind! You forgot to close the dimension door.—!”

Soiler shouted and ran towards his airship..

It seemed like he noticed something strange and was about to take some action.…….

Hung——

late.

Something popped out of the crack..

Wow——!

that… … It was a huge crow.

It flapped and skidded and stopped with its claws digging into the floor..

Wow——!

Then, with a roar, it spread its wings, and its wingspan seemed to be well over twenty meters..

"Hey, what is that?!”

And four red eyes flashed and looked down at the group..

- Four-Eyed Raven of the Gray Mountains (LV)：61)

That wasn't the end.

Then two more came out, making a total of three standing side by side..

These monsters seemed to be chasing Soiler's airship..

It was the moment when the identity of the claw marks on that old airship was revealed..

quaddd——!

The three monsters approached menacingly and scratched the ground with their claws, causing the rocks to crumble..

"Uh, uhh……."

"What are you all doing? prepare for battle!”

61You had to be at the level of a B-level player to be able to face him. In other words, since they currently do not have a suitable tank, if they made a mistake, they could have died instantly the moment they were grazed by those claws..

"Everyone, don't move. They'll be faster than you think.”

Lee Hyun-wook reached out to the players in the Red Hall to calm them down, then looked at Park Jun-mo..

"Junmo Park……."

It was floating in his grasp..

"—shoot!”

At Lee Hyun-wook’s command, electric current spurted out from both of his hands..

P—G—G—G——!

And the entire bodies of those giant monsters were electrocuted, as if they were wrapped in blue thread..

“Ugh—!”

"Hold on just a little longer!”

Park Jun-mo's lightning attack was not yet enough to retire a level 57 monster..

But it was enough to tie it up.,

Meanwhile, a pale note was shot from Lee Hyun-wook's waist..

Puff—puff—puff——!

Lee Hyun-wook was the first to pierce their wings and lose their mobility. This was because if you blindly aim for the head from the beginning, your allies may suffer damage due to the mobility unique to flying monsters..

Wow——

They withstood the electric current attack and tried to fly somehow, but their wings flopped..

‘Okay, now you can aim accurately..’

Soon, Palenote spun around and pierced the eyes of the guy's head, one after another..

Thump—thump—thud—

that was the end.

"what… … Wow, what just happened……."

Red Hall's players, including Ko Jin-hwa, looked at Lee Hyun-wook with blank expressions. It seemed like a monster they couldn't handle, but he was defeated so easily..

Ko Jin-hwa was amazed once again..

‘This guy, there's really nothing he can't do.?’

Dealing with monsters face to face like this was a different matter from demonstrating ‘firepower’..

“……Oh my—look at my mind.!”

At that time, Soiler came out from inside the airship holding a remote control and pressed a button..

Whoa whoa…….

Then the 'crack' quickly subsided and soon disappeared completely..

"after… … It closes automatically, but I forgot I was being chased.……”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his palm..

"By the way, you didn’t have average skills after all! I was chased by those guys day and night for several days, and they ended it so easily! Hahaha! I am so lucky that you are the first person I meet in this strange land.!”

At that time, there was a change in my ‘relationship’ with Soiler..

- Dwarf Wanderer Soiler Wirebeard (LV)：49)

* The NPC is 'positive' towards you.

Perhaps because of the battle that had just taken place, it changed from 'neutral' to 'positive'..

‘then… … The appearance of those monsters just now is also part of this event..’

Since this phenomenon is a game, there would be a kind of 'script' for each event..

Perhaps fighting and winning the monsters instead of running away from them, and thus gaining Soiler's 'trust', would have had a positive impact on the route of this quest - goals and rewards..

In other words, it could be seen that the rewards that could be obtained had increased..

"Soiler, what brought you to this world? If there is anything I can help with, I will help..”

Lee Hyun-wook went one step further and asked deliberately and very kindly..

"Uh, what? No, it wasn't enough that you saved me, so is it true that you will help me so readily??”

"Yes, of course. Isn’t it fate that we met like this??”

Then Soiler's cheeks trembled as if he was moved..

‘In a past life, when they appeared, the entire Earth reacted with great caution..’

It had to be that way..

In fact, beings that are no different from monsters come rushing in and ask for land to settle down, but who would treat them with kindness? So at first, the majority opinion was to exclude dwarves..

‘However, in the end, the country that embraced the dwarves achieved tremendous technological advancement..’

In other words, Lee Hyun-wook quickly seized that incredible opportunity..

"Huh, this is really, if I were to tell you the situation I'm in, it's very complicated because I don't have much to say.……."

"it's okay. Please speak slowly.”

The story Soiler told after that was really complicated..

To summarize the story,

Their world was on the verge of destruction for some reason, so they planned a large-scale migration to another dimension, and they were in charge of exploring the colony in another dimension..

After finishing his story, he hesitated and confessed something he had been secretly harboring..

"I… … So, that… … Will my tribe be able to settle in your world??”

And the moment I heard it—

[Hidden Quest]

- Encounter with a Dimensional Traveler - 2

Soiler, a dwarf wanderer, is seeking a new home for his people..

And I'd like to entrust you with the handling of this grand project that will determine the fate of the species..

As Soiler views you favorably, the reward will be much greater.,

‘Additional compensation’ will be paid depending on the ‘satisfaction’ with the settlement..

* Compensation: Paid differentially depending on performance.

In this way, the ‘request quest’ was linked to the next step through conversation with the NPC..

Lee Hyun-wook held out his hand to Soiler, who was hesitantly waiting for an answer..

"Soiler, you don't have to worry about the settlement. There is a very nice place.”

"Huh—is that really true??”

"Yes, I will introduce you soon..”

"no! How can things work out this way?—!”

At those words, Soiler held Lee Hyun-wook's hand and jumped with joy..

Yeah, there was a place they might like.

And it was also a place where dwarves had plenty of jobs, without worrying about losing their jobs..

***

"oh… … Isn’t this an airship made with gnome technology?!”

Soiler could not hide his admiration as he ascended Pridwen..

"Yes, probably..”

"Oooh— ooh— Where on earth did you get this? Can I take a look??"

"of course. But don't touch anything.”

It was clear that a dwarf would not be able to overcome his curiosity and would touch various things..

Then, problems could arise, so Lee Hyun-wook asked for special caution..

“Ugh—this guy is especially cool among gnome works.!”

Gnomes were commonly known as a race that was the teacher of dwarves..

However, if you ask the dwarves, they say they have never actually seen a gnome..

They just discovered the gnome ruins and learned advanced technology..

After a while, as Freedwen reached the vicinity of Redhall Village, loud cheers were heard from somewhere..

and——!

In the village square, more than a thousand residents came out and waved..

They chanted Lee Hyun-wook’s name and shouted out their gratitude..

Lee Hyun-wook landed Friedwen near him, and soon Go Jun-cheol came striding towards him..

"I confirmed that the Swallows are retreating, but as you said, they will all die.?”

"Yes, I'm sure it will happen..”

When Go Jun-cheol heard those words, he smiled. Then he grabbed Lee Hyun-wook’s hand..

"Hyunwook Lee, are you really… … You became the savior of Red Hall.……."

It was the first time he showed emotion..

And a while later, Lee Hyun-wook was sitting at Go Jun-cheol's house. Now that he had dealt with Swallow as promised, it was time to discuss compensation, but there was a few more things to discuss..

"Um, dwarf.……."

First of all, Dwarf and Soiler decided to stay here for a while..

And after the situation was somewhat settled, I planned to take him to Laputa..

"Yeah, I've heard about something like that coming up recently, but I never thought it would show up here.?”

It seemed like another dwarf tribe had already appeared in another region when there was such a rumor going around..

‘After all, I wasn't the first to encounter it..’

This was one of the major events held during this period..

But in the beginning, the majority will be exclusive towards them.,

Hyunwook Lee would benefit from this event more than anyone else..

"And there's one more thing. You may have seen a rocky mountain collapse a little while ago..”

"Yeah, I guess they found a dwarf there.?’’

"Dwarves weren't the only thing found there. I found something very valuable.”

Lee Hyun-wook’s words caught Go Jun-cheol’s eyes..

“……Found an Adamant Mine.”

"Ah, an adamant mine… … Is that really true??”

Even Go Jun-cheol, who had gone through all the hardships before birth, looked as if he was in a daze at the news..

I don't know how much reserves there are, but it means that a huge amount of money has been mined..

"By the way, you will know that I am also credited with discovering this adamant mine..”

"Anyway, it’s an undeniable fact… … You will receive the compensation you deserve..”

It was a blatant demand for compensation, but Go Jun-cheol actually liked this attitude much more..

‘Yes, it is right to receive what you receive without leaving anything out..’

From the beginning, Go Jun-cheol thought that people who act without consequences would actually turn their backs..

I was sure because I had never seen one or two people like that in my life..

Therefore, it is clear that things come and go, and I preferred trust that builds as the process continues..

In that respect, there were many things I liked about a man named Lee Hyun-wook.…….

however… … I couldn't help but be shocked by Lee Hyun-wook's next words..

"Give me exclusive rights to develop and distribute adamant mines..”

Go Jun-cheol, who heard those words, could not answer even after ten seconds had passed..

"......."

That couldn't have been too much of a request..

"No need to worry. It's worth the price of adamant..”

But price wasn't the issue.

Adamantra had the power to have such enormous resources and be able to determine their utilization. It can exert a certain power, as if it were a kind of resource diplomacy, and it was asking for the right to do so.…….

"hmm… … Thanks to you, but you know that's a big ask.?”

At that time, Lee Hyun-wook took out one more card..

"Yes, I will help these villagers get to the surface instead..”

Go Jun-cheol’s eyebrows twitched at this..

"This is not a safe place, is it? You probably didn't come here because you wanted to, so I'll help you. Let the children born in Red Hall become citizens of the Republic of Korea again and live with their legitimate rights..”

Lee Hyun-wook smiled brightly..

'……We figured out that we wanted it in this short amount of time.?’

Hyunwook Lee seemed to know exactly what Red Hall wanted from the beginning..

And that wasn't the end of Lee Hyun-wook's card..

"And we will prepare a place for Red Hall residents in Laputa..”

"......hmm?"

"Just by recklessly bringing them up, there is no way they will be safe or have a way to make a living. however… … It would be different in Laputa..”

At that point, Go Jun-cheol was so dumbfounded that he ended up laughing. It wasn't a laugh. This was because this man's 'deal' was so heavy, and he felt his heart being swayed by just a few words..

"You really have a lot and you wield it so horribly.?”

In other words, it keeps coming at you in a way that you can't refuse..

‘Yes, this is an unstable world. I can't live here forever. I have to go up.’

Plus, it's not just any other place, it's the right to reside in the magic engineering city floating in the sky above Seoul.......

“Ha— really… … I can't stand it……."

"Well then, can I take this to mean that you will accept my offer??”

Go Jun-cheol nodded..

What was important to him now was the future of the village children rather than money or power..

"Okay, may I ask what you plan to do if you swallow this mine whole? It's not just about making money, it definitely seems like there's a bigger purpose... … Could you give me some advice for someone on your ship? As a paying passenger, you should know where this ship is going.?”

"yes it is simple.”

Lee Hyun-wook took out an iron bead from his pocket..

And through 'metal transformation', it was made into a sharp 'point'..

“……I will make weapons.”

"Oh, Mugira.……."

"You see, my power is to manipulate steel..”

And adamant was the strongest steel—metal.

Go Jun-cheol just saw a cross-section of 'Steel Rain', which he had only heard about through rumors..

But those were all weapons made from dungeon steel..

‘Ha—a steel monument made of adamant... … Most tanks wouldn't have the talent to withstand it..’

He realized that this S-rank player sitting in front of him had just entered the 'beginning stage'..

"And since you are S-rank, you will gradually increase your level one way or another.?”

"yes, that's right.”

In other words, it will continue to become stronger in the future.…….

And almost everything in this world is made of metal..

If you have the ability to shake, knead, and explode them at will,…….

‘It might be my great luck that this man came to visit me..’

***

Lee Hyun-wook was promised ‘evidence’ that would blow up the Taesan Guild from Go Jun-cheol..

It will take some time to collect and organize the evidence, but…….

'……In other words, it's just a matter of time..’

And before leaving the black market, I asked one more favor..

The goal was to collect as many items as possible - 'ancient coins from the underground kingdom' - of unknown purpose that were probably being dropped from various places..

‘It is currently considered a worthless miscellaneous item, but its value will increase significantly after the dwarves appear..’

Because it was one of the most valuable currencies in the world of dwarves..

Commonly speaking, it was aboard the coin 'coin'..

And for the first time, Red Hall resident Yeo Min-sang was brought in through ‘Laputa Full-time Employee Hiring’..

While Lee Hyun-wook was taking him towards the Hope Guild, he received a phone call..

- Hey there, water lord! It's really awesome!

That was Kang Hee-seol.

"huh?"

- Well, did we just finish something? But wow—that’s awesome.!

No, what on earth did you create to make such a fuss? … I was secretly looking forward to it..

- You know that robot you brought me earlier??

"Oh, I'm talking about the Ruins Guardian.?”

- Yeah, something like that.!

I stopped the ‘Bronze Sentinel (Alpha)’ from Gnome Ruins A3 and brought it to Kang Jeong-du..

It seemed like they were doing various research based on that, but this time it seemed like they were making something out of it..

- Well, my grandfather made a shotgun using the crystals embedded in the robot's shoulder.!

‘Well, if it's crystal.......'

Lee Hyun-wook remembered. The scene where flames spew out from the shoulders of the 4m tall giant and melt all of the living armor... … However, with that, he created a personal weapon, a ‘shotgun’..

'Wait, you make a shotgun out of that? is that possible?’

- And then I used that 'hammer'... … I have great skills!

Hammer, here the hammer seemed to mean ‘Hephaestus hammer’.

In other words, it seemed like he had witnessed the true value of that potential item..

- What on earth is that hammer?! Please give me one too! yes—?

So, it seemed like a masterpiece had already been born..

Lee Hyun-wook went straight to Kang Jeong-du’s workshop..