The Player Who Eats Steel - Episode 97
97fury.
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Examining the gnome ruins, we found out that this secretive ancient race also enjoyed gambling..
Quite a few elements of the items they produced were 'random'..
For example, like the ‘food-random boxes’ piled up in the Laputa warehouse or the ‘random water temperature faucets’ in some shower rooms.,
It was a format that allowed you to experience the joy of going back and forth between winning the jackpot and hitting the jackpot depending on the probability..
‘And this is the representative object..’
If you insert this coin into it and turn the lever, one of the numerous 'material items' contained in the subspace of the outer dimension will randomly fall..
‘However, even if you are a technician race, you can enjoy Gacha, where the rewards are material items, as if it were a national game... … These guys are really perverts..’
But the truth is… … The person who enjoyed the perverted tastes of gnomes more than anyone else was Lee Hyun-wook himself. He attempted more 'draws' than most blacksmiths or alchemists..
I don't like gambling, but I couldn't help it because it was almost the only way to get rare metals that couldn't be obtained no matter how much money I had..
Bam bam— bam— bam— bam——!
……Like right now.
‘What is this, fanfare from the beginning?…….'
Soon, something fell into the bottom product outlet with a clattering sound. that… … It was a product packaged in a round capsule..
Lee Hyun-wook turned it and opened it, and the dwarves watching from the side were scared and ran away when they saw the true nature of the contents..
“Wow - that's it—!”
“Ma, ma, oh my god... … It's the heart of a star!”
-‘Obtained ‘Magnetar Crust Piece’.
Neutron stars are born when all stars burn out, and the most powerful of them all was 'Magnetar', and this item seemed to be inspired by that astronomical phenomenon. Of course, the actual ‘properties’ would be significantly different..
yes——!
If it were a magnetar, a neutron star, it would have emitted a powerful 'magnetic field' like a whip and disintegrated everything in the area into atoms, but this thing was frantically emitting dense 'mana'..
Lee Hyun-wook sensed the flow of mana and was once again amazed..
‘……Virtually infinite mana.’
Well, strictly speaking, it was a powerful condensation of a huge amount of mana, and it was a finite entity that would disappear after all of it was released..
However, the sun will also go out one day, but if we look at it from a mere human perspective, isn't it actually 'infinite energy'? This was the same concept as.
‘As far as I know, there's a small amount of this in the core that I swallowed during the 4th wave..’
In other words, it was possible to make five or six such incredible engines with just this small gemstone..
As expected, it was an item worthy of the nickname ‘Heart of the Star’..
"That, that! Well, I don't think you'll have anything to write about.……."
Before I knew it, the dwarves gathered around were swallowing their saliva. They looked like a bunch of puppies snooping around in front of their owner's table..
"No, I will eat… … No, I will use it.”
Then the dwarves showed their disappointment very openly..
“no… … I don't mean to disrespect you, but that rare ingredient needs to be handled by a real expert! Isn't that who we are??”
"Yes, if you leave it to us, we can make it into something really cool, so why not trust us? huh?”
"Oh, or just sell it to us! I don't have anything now, but I will pay for it even if I have to work all my life.……."
Hyunwook Lee avoided those short, thick grips and lifted the ‘Magnetar Crust Piece’ up to chest level..
"Sorry, no way..”
Then a shadow fell on their faces..
If it were any other metal, I could have invested in it to increase their favorability, but I could never give it to them. When Lee Hyun-wook put it in his pocket, the dwarves' eyes showed regret..
"Well, it's too early to be disappointed. There are still many coins. If something good comes out in the future, I will trust it and leave it to you.."
When Lee Hyun-wook lifted the plastic bag, 140 coins jingled inside it..
Then the dwarves' faces turned bright colors..
"Oh yes! It was a huge hit from the beginning, so it's very exciting.!”
Then a few more draws were made, but there was no fanfare..
‘Well, these are rare enough things.…….'
This is how treacherous people are, but now legendary metals such as mithril, adamant, orihalcon, and tiancheol are no longer spiritual..
Since I gained so much value from the beginning, I've lost the pleasure of gambling..
Lee Hyun-wook stopped drawing when there were 100 coins left..
"How would you like to receive this??”
Lee Hyun-wook gave 7 blocks of adamant to the dwarves..
"oh! Is that really true? Isn’t Adamant also quite expensive??”
"Can't you make that expensive thing more valuable??”
“Hahaha! That's right, great! It's been a while since I thought I'd show off my skills?”
In this way, they seemed to feel pleasure in handling the mineral rather than in possessing it..
In other words, there would be no need to feel guilty no matter how much you did..
'Okay, if I want to treat you well from now on, I need to make you feel good like this every now and then.…….'
Meanwhile, team leader Kyo-Jun Lee and other employees led the dwarves to the 'upper city center', a residential area..
There were a lot of residential-commercial buildings lined up there, and according to a preliminary survey, as many as 1,456 households could move in..
There, the first residents came in..
"Well, then, we will interview these dwarves, find out their personal information, and assign roles according to their tendencies and abilities..”
Team leader Lee Kyo-jun approached and said,.
"Yes, I'm sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you could take care of that. It's hard for me to pay attention to that part.."
That's why a large number of 'employees' were needed, and now the foundation has been established to some extent..
In other words, even without him, the employees would share their roles and run this huge facility called Laputa..
Immediately after, Lee Hyun-wook returned to the Order Tower..
And immediately swallowed.
gulp—
- (Unknown time) left until metal absorption.
‘also… … I'm going to have to take a long break to digest this.…….'
But there was still one thing to do.
"Talos, are you listening to me??”
- Yes, master! Do you need anything??
Soon Talos' voice came into my ears. In this way, the AI, Talos, could be summoned anywhere and anytime within Laputa..
"Well, is there a place where items from other races are stored??”
A few days ago, the Black Orc Kingdom declared war on Korea and explained the reason, saying that the relics of their 'ancestors' were in Laputa. And to get it back, they would invade Korea..
'First, we need to check if such a thing really exists..’
Laputa was so vast that it was still full of unknowns..
「ah… … I think you're probably saying.」
"Okay, where is it??”
「Yes, this is floor B43 of lower research area.」
Hyunwook Lee went down there under the guidance of Talos..
Most floors of Laputa were still unopened and neglected. It was the same on the B43 floor. Naturally, there were no people at all, and the atmosphere was gloomy, as if we were on an abandoned spaceship..
Soon, I encountered a museum-like space in the center of the B43 floor..
As Lee Hyun-wook entered, the crystal tiles on the ceiling began to shine..
yes——
The space that was revealed was pure white and quite spacious..
"hmm… … Talos, is this the museum??”
「Yes that's right! Gnomes have fought many wars throughout history, and the loot they gained from each time is stored here..」
"So, the looted items were stored away.?”
「Haha—not necessarily, there may be some tributes.!」
However, it was more like an exhibition hall than a museum. Several items were hung inside clear glass, but there was no explanation for them. As a museum, isn’t it necessary to provide relevant information??
‘Anyway, here… … These are all items of a considerable standard..’
This entire space was plastered with items of at least hero grade. And among them, what Lee Hyun-wook saw was also mixed..
'Wait a minute, this is... … That's right?”
It was a longbow with a dark red color..
「ah! do you know?」
As you know, it is a holy relic of a race called the Dark Elves, and the Dark Elf general shot it and caused a super-large airship to crash..
In other words, it was a fearsome bow that was no different from a tactical weapon..
‘This is what was originally here?’
3Dark elf, ruler of the Chawave region... … It was probably a yet unknown race..
Today, Berlin's eroded areas are known simply as green hells overrun with man-eating creatures..
However, it turned out that the dark elf army was expanding underground, and that it was a secret known only to some vested interests in Germany..
‘Yes, the villains passed this on to the dark elves.?’
In the past life, they owned Laputa, so it seems like they used it to make some kind of deal with those monster forces..
And perhaps, as a result of that deal, the dark elves, who had maintained neutrality, sided with the villains and took part in the war to conquer Europe..
‘In other words, that opportunity, to some extent, came to me..’
Lee Hyun-wook next faced a huge axe..
It was so big that its total length was probably around 5m..
'……This is it.’
The legacy of the Black Orc ancestors, it was clear that this was what it meant..
Hyunwook Lee placed his hand on the transparent glass screen..
- The item is currently in 'sealed' status..
* Special conditions are required to release the seal..
"hmm… … Talos, can’t we get this out now??”
「That's right. Because it was such a valuable item, the gnome who designed this space installed a quite complicated locking device..」
“……what is that?”
「For each item, there is a 'soul stone' that can be obtained from the body of the 'leader' of the corresponding race. That's the key. However, as mentioned earlier, the soul stones that the gnomes had won in the past were all lost when Laputa was attacked by an unidentified enemy and the 5th Realm faction escaped..」
"Really, this is shit.……."
「……Great, but every time a new leader is elected for each race, a soul stone is created in the leader's body, so you can get it again.!」
At that explanation, Lee Hyun-wook smiled..
‘……It's a bit too far-fetched.?’
So, in order to get these powerful items, you had to attack the head of each race that appears after the wave - the boss monster - and steal the 'soul stone'..
Otherwise, like the villain in his previous life, he could receive something in exchange for handing it over... … It was designed to take one of the two routes..
“……Well, I'll have to think about this later..”
We would also encounter those races in the near future..
And then, these would become powerful bargaining chips..
***
Lee Hyun-wook left the work to the ‘employees’ and took a break. To be precise, the body's furnace was turned on to its maximum capacity - all efforts were made to absorb it..
However, even after two full days, there was no sign of absorption, and the pain continued as if my body was being cured..
- (Unknown time) left until metal absorption.
but… … It took several days to absorb, but this one was several times that much..
‘……It doesn't have to be like this for a week.?’
Anyway, after this period, satisfactory results are achieved..
‘hold on just a little longer.’
Meanwhile, various news came in..
First of all, there were still no unusual trends in the Black Orc Kingdom. It was under 24-hour surveillance by military satellite, but no troop movements were identified..
And the Chinese guild, which claimed to have administrator authority over Laputa, was persistently pressuring the Korean government..
- China's Hongdo side says Korea is illegally occupying Laputa.
- Chinese public opinion boils with anger: “Laputa belongs to China in the first place”!”
However, government decision-makers such as Woo Seong-moon had already decided to stick to the 'ban on feeding sick people' and did not respond in any way..
Inevitably, opinions poured in that the Korean government was not taking any action because it was dishonest.…….
Soon after, a video was released showing several large transport planes with the mark entering Laputa's dome - a barrier..
This was indirect proof of Laputa’s administrator authority..
‘Yes, it is better to prove quietly than to confront loudly..’
Then international public opinion took a sharp turn..
- The Korean government's quiet proof... … Is this a fraud by a Chinese guild??
- Now it's 'Hongdo's' turn to prove itself, attracting the world's attention!
Even so, as China had a bad image in the international community, it began to be seen as an unreasonable claim this time as well..
But that night… … I received a call from Team Leader Kyojun Lee..
- ……The Hongdo Guild has made another unknown request..
There was a hint of concern in his voice..
"yes?”
- Well, they actually said they had a very specific item name. So, they said they received a quest to become Laputa's 'employees' and asked to meet them, saying they could be of great help in utilizing Laputa..
At that point, Lee Hyun-wook also could not consistently ignore it. If you mention an item name that starts with "Ancient Legacy—" it means it's not just bragging, it means it's holding something..
And the auxiliary key, at that point, a memory came to Lee Hyun-wook's mind..
‘I guess I'll have to call them to Korea.…….'
He turned off the internal furnace..
***
36 hours later, Incheon International Airport arrival hall,
click! click! click! click!
Three players from a Chinese guild stand in the photo line..
Over the past few days, those claiming to be administrators of Laputa had stepped foot on Korean soil. It was even an invitation from the Korean government..
In that regard, the world once again suspected that the Korean government, which does not have the authority to manage Laputa, was attempting to negotiate with the Hongdo Guild..
In response, the Korean government categorically stated, “This invitation is not a meeting with that purpose,” and the Hongdo Guild made no comment..
"The reason you came to Korea today is probably related to Laputa! Are you still claiming administrator privileges for Laputa??”
And to the reporter's question,—
“……After today, there will be good news.”
He just answered vaguely..
After getting into the prepared car, they cast a 'silence' spell..
"Phew, that's crazy... … Hey, have the assassins arrived??”
The person who asked that question was Hong Dao's assistant master, Sao Jun. He is an assassin player ranked 21st in the Chinese player rankings, and was known to be the holder of the key containing 'Laputa administrator authority'.,
"Yes, waiting to be 'summoned' in the southern part of this land..”
And the big man who answers like this... … wasn't human.
"As expected, they are very thorough, just like the guys who assassinated my uncle.?”
Even as Xiaojun said that, he felt a little nervous..
“……Human, noisy.”
Surprisingly, the large man was a black orc shaman disguised as a human..
‘No, these kids are so cruel with every word they say.?’
Even though Xiaojun is a person of considerable skill, he cringed without realizing it. This was also due to the fact that the unit this Black Orc shaman belonged to was the infamous ‘killing squad’..
Once the monsters set their sights on their target, they could never survive..
‘My uncle probably died at the hands of this bastard too.…….'
His uncle, Deng Chao, an S-rank elementalist who was once ranked 4th in the Chinese player rankings, was also torn to pieces by ..
So on the one hand, I was relieved..
This operation today, even if forced, would succeed..
"Uh, well… … Anyway, since I have this key, I can identify the real administrator. Then, if I pretend to shake hands and tie him up with a rope, he won't be able to do anything.…….'
He said and stroked the rope-shaped tattoo on his wrist..
Then, item information appeared before my eyes..
[Item information]
- Name: Gleipnir
- Effect: When infusing mana, a specific target is trapped. (The trapped subject cannot untie the rope on his own for 10 minutes..)
It was a black orc's spell, with items tattooed on the body, but since it was a skill not yet known to the public, there was no fear of being discovered..
“……You know what to do after that, right? Instead of making a hasty move first and letting them notice, you should wait for my signal..”
Despite Xiaojun's repeated words, the Black Orc did not respond..
"……Um, yeah, we fit together well, don't we?”
In this way, after receiving an invitation from the Korean government, they openly prepared for assassination. This was nothing short of diplomatic madness..
But Xiaojun didn't care about that..
Because he was a ‘villain’.
Regardless of whether I became porridge or rice, whether the country was turned upside down or my past life exploded, my only goal was to obtain Laputa's master key..
Before they knew it, the car they were in entered downtown Seoul..
But, following their car, a crow was flying..
whiz—
It was no ordinary crow.
"look at these……."
Lee Hyun-wook followed Hongdo Guild’s car with the eyes of ‘Hugin’..
And something was identified in his 'Insight Lens'.
The target was a large man in the back seat..
Above his head, a line of text floated.
- Black Orc Shaman (LV. 71)
‘under? polymorphrani…….'
Polymorph, a technology that changes one's appearance, is an incredibly difficult magic that only a dragon can use at will..
‘Yes, the power of the Orc King Snotox.?’
The famous boss monster was the best shaman.
'This means that the noble king of the orcs himself took action.?’
But you couldn't fool the 'Eye of Horus'.
Immediately after, Lee Hyun-wook took something out of his pocket..
It was a mana messenger connected one-to-one with Saint Emilia Müller..
***
A little later, a business room in a hotel in Seoul,
The Hongdo guild members were sitting there waiting for someone..
The Korean government said that the manager of Laputa belonged to a private guild and that the meeting location was chosen to be a hotel rather than a government facility..
“……Hmm, it's already been 10 minutes since the appointed time.?”
"That's right. These kids have no manners whatsoever..”
"after… … It's okay, it's all... … It's going to be fun?”
The Hongdo Guild players looked at each other and laughed..
At that time, the door opened.
"Ah—you’re coming in now.?”
And the person they expected appeared right there. I knew it!’
He was none other than Seoul's savior, Lee Hyun-wook..
Then, something trembled inside Xiaojun's inner pocket..
And then a system message appeared before my eyes..
- Encountered Laputa's 'Master'!
He was able to identify the Master of Laputa in this way because he received a certain quest the moment he received this 'auxiliary key' from Amseong..
‘As expected, he was the manager of Laputa..’
In fact, this was what the villain side had already expected..
But since there have been so many failures recently, this time it was necessary to make sure of everything..
'Today, without making a single mistake, we clear the biggest obstacle.!’
Xiaojun smiled as he stood up..
"ah! hello! Isn’t this someone really famous??”
And he prepared to infuse mana into his right wrist..
When entering here, all items were returned to the subspace storage box. However, as expected, this ‘tattoo’ was not discovered..
And the orc shaman also stood up..
He widened his eyes and glared at Lee Hyun-wook..
And as I said before, I waited for the ‘handshake’ moment..
“Haha—I already figured it out. A message appeared in front of me saying that I could become a worker if I got permission from Laputa's master..”
"......."
"Oh, did I talk too much? Now that I think about it, it's understandable that you feel bad. First of all, I apologize for causing a fuss earlier.."
Xiaojun held out his hand to Hyunwook Lee with a kind smile on his face..
however… … What Hyunwook Lee extended was not a hand..
Clap—
It was a shotgun.
Qua—ang——!
……Gleipnir, there was no time to take it out..
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