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The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 96

96fury. 

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"These guys are basically the ones who just declared war and stuff like that.?”

Hope Guild Office, Kim Se-hee asked while watching the news bulletin.

"Uh, um……."

Park Cheol-soo, who made eye contact with her, scratched his head as if he was not sure about this issue, and Lee Hyun-wook, who was sitting on the sofa, answered instead..

"At least that never happened in the last war..”

"If it was the last war... … Oh, is it the war of restoration of Shanghai??”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded..

"Yes, China went all out and waged war against the Black Orc Kingdom. That period is divided into a total of four major wars, but neither side declared war, and all were surprise raids without notice..”

That was natural from the beginning. Humans also do not declare war when attacking monsters. In other words, it is natural that they do not recognize each other as countries, and they do not regard each other as subjects of 'humane' treatment..

"hmm… … But why did they declare war this time??”

……Well, Hyunwook Lee was also contemplating that point..

Meanwhile, in the TV news, an anchor and an expert were having a conversation..

- ……Should we say that it is currently the military power of the Black Orc Kingdom? Or should I say it's difficulty level? Anyway, it is said to be at a significant level. If it invades our country, is it possible to stop it??

- Well, it would probably only be possible to stop it by mobilizing not only all AMT forces but also all civilian guild forces..

- This means that it cannot be considered a fight against the monsters we know, and could really be at the level of an all-out war between countries.?

- Yes, didn't China already fail in the last 'war' to restore Shanghai? In fact, many people view it as a defeat rather than a failure. And from then on, it was already predicted that a large-scale war would break out again. The target is bitter, and strangely enough, this is the situation we have found ourselves in..

- But the reason for the declaration of war is ‘Laputa’.?

- That's right. The Orcs say that Laputa contains items belonging to the Black Orc 'ancestors', but it has not been revealed what they are. Until now, the government has kept quiet about Laputa.…….

‘Well, it's the black orc ancestor's weapon.…….'

At that point, Hyunwook Lee thought he should ask Talos..

A story like that wouldn't come out for nothing, there had to be something to it..

- But before the second wave, China was much more powerful than it is now, right? It is said that the military power was about 5 times that of our current country.…….

- Yes, there were a lot of players due to the large population, but we lost a lot of that power during the 2nd wave and the Shanghai Retrieval War..

- If so, there would be little chance of our country winning. hmm… … Is there any room for a diplomatic solution with the Black Orc Kingdom? For example, the item called the ancestral relic you want.…….

In this way, a not very hopeful story was bound to come out, and naturally, the entire Republic of Korea fell into shock and fear. The Korean stock market crashed overnight, and foreigners continued to flee..

'……Yeah, their primary goal is to create fear..’

That was one of the reasons behind this sudden declaration of war..

This situation happened several times in my past life, when villain forces used the Black Orc Kingdom to cause war in East Asia..

‘It's like North Korea firing missiles every now and then..’

If you create fear like that, an economic downturn will inevitably occur, and furthermore, chaos and infighting will occur, so it is easy for villains to exploit the gap and achieve their intended goals..

Now, what is important is what the ‘intended purpose’ is..

‘Clearly, they're up to something……."

But that evening, Woo Seong-moon received a call..

And the contents… … I expected it, but it was so absurd..

- A person has appeared in China claiming to have administrator authority for Laputa. That too… … He's a pretty famous ranker..

A Chinese faction claimed that the 'Chinese Laputa key possession theory' that had been circulating in China for some time was true..

- The Chinese guild contacted us 40 minutes ago and told us to hand over access to Laputa since they were the administrators of Laputa. haha… … Then, when the Black Orcs invade the Korean Peninsula, they will be able to stop them very easily..

He sounded absurd..

"okay. However, if the story spreads, it will cause trouble in many ways. Since we have not disclosed any information about Laputa, our people are bound to worry that China really has such authority, which will only increase their anxiety..”

It was obvious. If there are voices in China saying that China is the true owner of Laputa and that it should be brought to Korea by request, Korean public opinion will respond by urging the government to reveal the truth.—

- Yes, that's how it goes. But something a little strange... … The Chinese side also added a somewhat absurd request to meet and discuss if there was another Laputa manager in Korea..

'......huh? what does this mean?’

At that point, Lee Hyun-wook was able to sense their purpose..

‘After all, what they're after is extortion.?’

Like this, the reason the Laputa manager was pressured by creating a situation where he had no choice but to show up was to identify a target for assassination..

Of course, Lee Hyun-wook had no intention of responding to that scenario..

"There's no way what you're saying is true, so there must be another purpose..”

- Yes. I won't be swayed by something that clearly shows my true intentions..

Yes, there is a saying, ‘don’t feed an asshole’. The answer was not to react to the absurd political maneuver that was causing such noise..

‘If you take that bait and draw the world's attention, things get complicated..’

Woo Seong-moon then said that he was monitoring the area around Shanghai with a military satellite, and that there was no movement of the main Black Orc forces yet..

‘After all, the declaration of war was just plain fear-mongering..’

Therefore, while the government prepared for possible infiltration, it focused on the fact that this incident was a 'show' with a different purpose..

but…….

'……However, this does not mean that the Black Orc invasion was a lie..’

In fact, a few years later, the Black Orc army invades the Korean Peninsula..

The ragged fleet that decorated the sky and sea simultaneously struck and occupied the west coast, then installed a 'totem' that caused erosion, ultimately leading to Jeju Island becoming a colony of black oaks..

‘But this time the timing will be brought forward..’

Since Lee Hyun-wook defeated all of the villains' plans, there was a high possibility that they would pull out the Black Orc card a little early..

‘The way to deal with them is... … It's powerful firepower.’

We needed a deterrent that would prevent anything from invading this land, and a destructive power that would make us come to our senses so that we could never harbor ambitions again..

For example, a big gun that will blow up the fleet before it lands.…….

At that time, I received a call from Yeo Sang-min, who was waiting at Laputa..

- excuse me… … It is said that this dwarf man succeeded in communicating with the people of his hometown. I think I need to get ready to move soon..

The technicians who will build that powerful gun will arrive soon..

***

[Hidden Quest]

- Encounter with a Dimensional Traveler - 3

You have named the colony of the Gray Mountain Dwarves.

They are scheduled to appear through 'Crack' in 8 days.

At that moment, prepare for unexpected ‘accidents’.

* Quest Reward: Paid differentially depending on performance.

And today was the 8th day..

Soon a portal opens in the sky, and the dwarf race appears..

‘And in that… … The wyvern will fall as well..’

Therefore, Laputa was now in full swing preparing for the ‘siege war’..

"Now, Team 3, move to the railing outside B43.!”

"Here, the ice wizards gather around the center.!”

Not long ago, a new department called 'New City Planning Department' was created within the Special Secret Police Bureau, and it was led by them, and the secret department team that was involved in stopping Abaddon's summons provided support..

There were a total of about 100 players mobilized in that way..

"Hey, install a magic turret on tower 8 as well.!”

They were installing anti-aircraft weapons throughout Laputa to deal with powerful flying monsters called wyverns.,

Among them, there was a weapon of the 'craftsman' level who completely wiped out the iron armored insects on Mt. Cheongryong during the wave..

‘However, lightning attacks are not very effective against wyverns..’

Lee Hyun-wook thought so as he looked at the scene..

In the first place, Wyverns were a species that flew at high altitudes and were highly likely to be struck by lightning, so of course their body structure was designed to repel lightning, and they were bound to have considerable resistance to electricity..

So what is the best way to subdue a wyvern??

Lee Hyun-wook knew the answer very well..

"Yeo Sang-min, bring all the boxes from the Republic of Chad.”

"Oh, I want to install it here.?”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded..

Then, in the distance, from within the Order Tower, another Yeo Sang-min jumped out, boarded the Friedwen of the airship port, and drove it this way..

Wooooow——

"Um, how do we get it to land here??”

"No, don't land, just move a little to the left..”

Then, as if through voice recognition, Friedwen immediately moved..

‘As expected, if you use Yeo Sangmin, there is no delay in processing your work..’

In this way, Yeo Sang-min’s presence significantly increases work efficiency..

‘By the way, I'll have to tell you soon how to improve that guy's abilities..’

Yeo Sang-min also had an extra-level growth mechanism in which the number of his 'alter ego' increased by one every time he ate a specific item. Although the item was originally rare, it could be obtained on the black market..

Clap—

Hyunwook Lee pulled down four iron boxes from Pridwen..

And inside, there was something that looked like a tree or vine, and a brilliant light flowed out as if to prove that it was by no means an ordinary object..

"wow……."

That was… … This time too... … It was also a vine of the world tree..

‘Anyway, the World Tree is really a scam..’

It was not for nothing that the Republic of Chad lived off of one of the world's trees..

‘In that respect, Laputa will be just as good if raised well.?’

As this floating city of Laputa is also a ‘super level object,’ the more it is developed, the more great benefits will come—the Gray Mountain Dwarf tribe that will move in here today will be the first step..

"Hey, how did you get these precious items? This doesn't seem to be distributed well even on the black market.……."

Naturally, this was airlifted by Emilia Müller, and was later processed for a special purpose at the Gangjeongdu workshop..

The manufactured items that were created that way were…….

[Item information]

- Name: World Tree Hook (Skilled))

- Effect: If you hang the 'hook' at the end of the vine somewhere and give it mana, you can very easily pull it in with mystical power..

This would be the ‘weapon’ of conversion against the wyvern..

And after a while…….

“good! We're ready to open the dimension door.!”

Soiler shouted from the central square of Laputa's 'Upper City Center'..

Behind him was the old airship he had been riding in, and its bumper had some kind of sharp mechanical device attached to it..

According to Soiler's words, that was the device that opened the dimensional door..

"How can I start right now??”

Lee Hyun-wook nodded in response to Soiler’s question..

"Yes, I'm ready, let's invite the family..”

Then, team leader Lee Kyo-jun, who was standing next to him, ordered the troops scattered throughout Laputa to prepare for battle through Mana Messenger..

"Hahaha! I never thought such a happy day would come—!”

Soiler cheered and pressed the button on the remote control..

Then, a beam of light emitted from the pointed part of the device, reached about 100 meters in the air, and began to come together like a ball. After a while... the space at that point is crumpled like a thin plastic film..

Go—oh—oh—oh——!

Just like that, a purple gate opened in the sky above Laputa..

grunt—

Behind me, someone swallowed dry saliva. The members of the Bihyeongrang team were all seasoned elites, but this time they seemed nervous..

but… … The appearance of ‘Wyvern’ was predicted. If I had any idea what kind of creature it was, I couldn't help but feel nervous..

Each individual is level 85 or higher and they are very picky predators that travel in packs... … Once they appeared, it would take more than a month to subdue them, and a no-flight order would be issued in the area..

"after… … Please, let it end without incident.……."

If we can't properly subdue it here... … . They knew it could mean scattering disaster down there in Seoul..

That was the part they were afraid of..

At that time, the purple gate began to wriggle..

“—comes out!”

Hung—!

The first thing that appeared was a grey-brown old airship, and it was enormous, appearing to be thirty times larger than the one Soiler came on..

rattle—

“Hahaha! It came out! That's our mothership!”

After that, various types of airships came out in droves and increased their altitude towards the sky. But are they not good at driving? Are they bumping into each other in the air like bumper cars??

"Hahaha! Anyway, I'm excited and jumping around—!”

But Soiler was still smiling brightly..

perhaps… … It seemed to happen quite often..

‘I think these are technicians you can trust.…….'

Soon, a total of 12 airships lined up in the sky, and the lid of the last one among them opened and someone stuck out their head..

"Soiler— We're out now, close the door now!”

"Oh, right—come to my senses........"

but—

ke—eh—eh—eh——!

'Yeah, I thought I'd be late like last time..’

This was also an event, and battle was inevitable..

In the end, in the blink of an eye, five wyverns lined up and escaped..

"Oh my! It's late again, oh no—!”

Just like that, monsters with gray bodies and a wingspan of over 30 meters spread their wings in the sky of Laputa. As they passed through the gate, they looked around, as if they were not used to the suddenly changed scenery..

- Gray Wyvern (LV). 89)

Then he exposed his sharp teeth and let out a cackling sound..

At that time, Lee Hyun-wook raised his left hand..

Then, the 'World Tree's hooks' curled up behind his back began to reach up toward the sky. Because the hook at the end was 'metal', Lee Hyun-wook was able to control it..

Whoosh—! Whoosh—!Whoosh—!Whoosh—!

And in an instant, the wyverns' wings began to wrap around..

The power of the World Tree—their wings folded in an instant..

Okay—!

And when I gave it mana and pulled it, it seemed to hold on for a moment like a huge fish caught on a fishing line, but soon it started to come along..

‘Wyvern is a powerful monster. But if it falls on the floor—’

thud——!

Those giant monsters fell to the ground in vain..

"—Now! Focus all your attacks!”

Their greatest advantage, mobility, is lost..

In other words, it becomes very easy prey..

"Team leader Kim, act quickly! This is all experience!”

“……uh, ah! all right!”

At Lee Hyun-wook's words, Kim Se-hee summoned dozens of wind blades..

As he said, this situation was an opportunity to level up that would never come again..

***

After a while, an old-looking airship landed all over Laputa..

"and! Soiler, is this really our new home??”

"okay! Didn't I find it well??”

"Oh my, I didn't find it well. Isn't this Laputa, the greatest masterpiece created by the gnomes?!"

“Hahaha! Yes, that's right! We are blessed!”

Hundreds of Gray Mountain Dwarfs could not help but be amazed. I was so excited and jumping around like a Soiler who came here for the first time..

About an hour later, the dwarves began to pack up their belongings. As a race of excellent engineers, they possessed all kinds of strange items..

But Lee Hyun-wook was looking for something inside..

'……I finally found it.’

Among the dwarven equipment rusted like junk, there was only one piece of metal equipment that maintained a very brilliant shine..

At first glance, it was an item made with gnome technology..

‘……Finally, it has come?’

As Lee Hyun-wook approached him, Soiler approached and smiled..

"Ugh—are you wondering what this is??”

"Yeah, it looks like some kind of slot machine..”

It was truly a slot machine with a coin slot and lever..

"This is something our species loves more than anything else, and it is our property! It's entertainment! It's a great thing that can also be used as a food source.!”

Lee Hyun-wook stood in front of him, not listening to his explanation..

And then he put a plastic bag down on the floor..

There was a lot of metal in it..

Jangle— Jangle—

And the moment the contents are revealed—

“omg—!”

The eyes of the dwarves around him all turned..

"Ah, ah, no… … that—!”

It was none other than the ‘Ancient Coin of the Underground Kingdom’..

"Oh, that's ridiculous! So many ancient coins?!”

Lee Hyun-wook asked Go Jun-cheol to collect all of this. Now the time has come for its value to be revealed, but it is still considered a 'miscellaneous item' with an unclear use, so it was easy to purchase..

A total of 141 were collected like that..

"Are these the conditions for moving this machine??”

Soiler nodded with a blank face..

"okay… … That's a coin that can operate , but how did you get so many of those precious things??”

This slot machine-shaped item was a fraudulent item that would later become a must-have for the world's most prestigious blacksmith guilds..

Because, if you spin this, material items appear randomly..

‘And with extreme odds, something ridiculous may come out..’

Adamantina orihalcon,

Such expensive legendary metals cannot even be used as business cards.…….

Damn—

He put in the first coin.

Then it started to shine.

“Phew—yeah, I'm sure you'll be lucky.!”

Gradually!

When Lee Hyun-wook turned the lever, the slot machine spun smoothly..

And the moment it stops,

Bam— blah— bam— bam— bam—!

A somewhat childish but cheerful fanfare sounded..

“—crazy!”

With extreme swear words from the dwarves watching from the side,…….

And Lee Hyun-wook swallowed his saliva without even realizing it..