Episode 142 [Suwon, Black Dragon Hunting – 1]
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Lee Hyun-wook’s sudden press conference Naturally, it caused a huge stir.
– [Breaking News] Do you know the key method of defeating Steele Rain Dragon? The truth is…
First of all, unprecedented attention was focused on what his ‘sure strategy’ was.
Those weren’t considered empty words. The performance he has shown so far was the basis for this.
However, Edward Woods’ [Slayers] side directly denied it.
– Slayer spokesperson says “Steelrain’s claims are not credible at all” and refuses to cooperate
– A more reliable attack method than Dragon Slayer? Is there really any basis for this?
All kinds of media were talking about it all day long, and it became a bigger and bigger issue.
– Who will win the fierce competition for command of the dragon attack operation, Steelaine VS Dragon Slayer?
As a result, the competition between the two sides intensified, and sparks began to fly in all directions even before the dragon appeared.
There were some who began to take a keener interest in this interesting fight…
‘As expected, the gamblers are slowly smelling the scent and gathering.’
Various betting platforms around the world began to put this issue on the main page.
The competitive landscape between famous players was more exciting than anything else.
And the fact that ‘Steel Rain’ and ‘Dragon Slayer’ are engaged in a media war over dragons… it
was clear that it was bound to be a huge event that would attract money from all over the world.
‘This… maybe I can make some money?’
Lee Hyun-wook also planned to have Park Cheol-soo bet a considerable amount of money.
If things continued like this, this noisy situation might bring unexpected benefits.
But as if Lee Hyun-wook wasn’t the only one who had such thoughts, the situation began to get bigger and bigger.
***
“…I still remember that day vividly.”
Dragon Slayer Edward Woods was sitting in the study of a hotel suite. He looked into space with a somewhat melancholy expression, and four cameras were operating around him.
“Three years ago, a giant fire-breathing monster appeared in London…” “
—This was the first appearance of an unprecedented dragon.”
“Yes, it was a catastrophe like no other.”
He exchanged lines with the male producer sitting across from him as if he had just joined in.
“This is your second time encountering a dragon. “It’s a really bad relationship.”
“No, I don’t think it’s bad luck, I think it’s fate. This is the path I will take.”
This was a promotional broadcast being filmed ahead of the dragon attack.
After a while, the filming ended, and the PD smiled brightly and handed out business cards to the guild members.
“Then, starting tomorrow, I will come to film the preparation process for the Slaize Guild!”
From those words, I could tell that it wasn’t just a promotional broadcast.
This big event was planned to be turned into an entire reality program.
“I will support the Slayers!”
“Destroy Stilene!”
As soon as the cameramen left the hotel room, Amanda Anderson approached with a worried expression.
“Boss, is this okay? “If it’s broadcast live… won’t our team’s strength be exposed?”
Edward Woods grinned at this. His smile was full of leisure.
“That’s right, I discussed it well with the platform representative so that we can cut off appropriately at key moments.”
“Ah, but… I’m honestly worried because battle scenes are rarely broadcast live.”
The battle scenes with monsters were usually so brutal that they could not be aired on national broadcasts. Although some Internet platforms received permission to provide services, major guilds were reluctant to broadcast the service.
This is because the risk of exposure to electricity was greater than the promotional effect that could be achieved through broadcasting.
In other words, Edward Woods had bet a lot on this match to the point of taking such a risk.
“Steelrain’s unexplained provocation… Honestly, on the one hand, I’m worried, but it turned out to be a good thing.”
He took a sip of coffee with a relaxed expression and looked out the window at Laputa.
“Steelane has shown great performance so far…”
He said that and turned his head to look around at his teammates.
“Today . If you were to pick the strongest player of , there are many people who are much better than him, but the most famous player today… and the player who is the most controversial is definitely Steele Lane, right?”
There was something sharp in his eyes.
“If we can definitely beat him in this raid, our guild’s reputation will skyrocket.”
[Slayers] is one of the best guilds in the UK, but it doesn’t have much of a global reputation. However, an opportunity to upgrade through a method that only they can do called Dragon Raid came. As a master, I couldn’t help but seize this opportunity. ‘
First
. Capturing the adult dragon and defeating the giant named Steele Rain…’ A
truly big event that will never come again has been held for the Slayers.
***
Laputa’s Order Tower Hyun-wook Lee, Se-hee Kim, Jun-mo Park, and Jeong-jun Lee were sitting on the sofa in front of the big TV.
– . ..The [Slayers] Guild has announced that it will broadcast the process of conquering dragons live on an internet platform, which is garnering public attention! They are also planning to produce a documentary on the process in the future…. “What
? Live broadcast or documentary? “Are you trying to turn this situation into a TV show?”
When Kim Se-hee heard the news, she raised her voice and showed an expression of displeasure.
“Isn’t that a sign that they want to shame this boss and brag about it to the whole world?”
To be honest, Lee Hyun-wook understood to some extent what was happening out there like that. The
[Slayers] guild founded by Edward Woods had its spiritual origins in hunting down adult dragons in London. The guild was formed by those who survived that time gathering together and using the fame and wealth they gained at that time. So….
In other words, for them, this dragon hunt would be a monumental event that would remain in the guild’s history. It
was a natural desire to use this event to raise the value of the guild’s name.
However, they broadcasted the situation in which our country was being trampled. I can’t help but feel a little sad that they will use it….
“Those bastards talk about solidarity, but in the end, they are looking out for their own interests, right?”
“I mean! I don’t know if it’s a documentary made for the record, but what kind of battle are you talking about live?”
Lee Jeong-jun and Kim Se-hee poured out one word of evil towards the Slayers Guild.
However, it was an undeniable fact that this disaster was already being consumed as entertainment. Perhaps the
entire city would be blown up and many people would inevitably die, but
even so, many people would die. They will watch the process while eating popcorn or chicken in front of the TV.
‘Whether the viewers are crying or feeling joy… most of them are enjoying it instinctively.’
This phenomenon is not just a problem of today, but is a natural human instinct.
Even in the era before games began, what was the perspective on a war taking place in a distant country? It was
quite an interesting look at who would win and how. There were absolutely not many of them.
It’s quite an inconvenient fact, but disasters that are not felt can be easily turned into entertainment. ”
No, you were hypocrites to think of making a show after talking about solidarity a few days ago!”
Anyway, if they were going to truly create a show over there, Hyunwook Lee was planning to decorate the show properly.
“…that show is going to be a huge success.”
Everyone sitting in front of the TV turned their heads at Lee Hyun-wook’s words.
“huh?”
“yes?”
Everyone looked like they were asking what that meant.
“And at the climax… we will be standing.”
He stood up and clapped his hands.
“Now, let’s start preparing again, step by step, for the perfect surprise show.”
Then everyone stood up and began their respective tasks.
It was preparation to achieve the perfect strategy planned by Lee Hyun-wook.
‘It looks like you unintentionally crushed the Dragon Slayer’s pride?’
Edward Woods He was a good hero, but his pride in being a dragon slayer was too strong.
In the first place, his current identity was established the moment he captured the subadult red dragon…
‘You won’t turn him into a villain just because I touch it, right?’
Lee Hyun-wook planned to steal the entire show from Dragon Slayer.
***
Seven more days have passed since then.
In the meantime, the [Slayers] guild attracted attention by broadcasting from time to time.
– [Slayers] Strategy Team Interview Episode 2, Welsh Barrier Armand Anderson is scheduled to appear
– [Slayers] The whole world’s attention is focused on the announcement of the introduction of ‘Dragon Weapon’ through the broadcast.
Public opinion has become more favorable to the Slayers than to Steele Rain.
In addition, the trend of betting sites began to predict the Slayers’ advantage.
To put it simply, it was the beginning of a kind of watering down.
‘Okay, focus more in that direction….’
This was good news for Lee Hyun-wook, who was betting on himself.
Around that time, Hyunwook Lee also received a proposal to produce a broadcast of the strategy process.
The representative of a domestic internet broadcasting platform came to us and offered a contract with good terms.
They have convinced us that if they decide to promote it, they can easily make tens of billions of dollars.
But Lee Hyeon-wook flatly refused.
‘What a dragon… Even if you concentrate all your attention, you shouldn’t do anything that will make you tired.’
Then, there was talk that Steele Rain was blocking the filming because there was something wrong with it.
Perhaps the internet broadcasting company that rejected the offer spread malicious rumors.
– Slayers VS Steele Rain The world’s choice is increasingly towards the Slayers…
Looking at such news articles, Lee Hyun-wook hoped that the incline would become even steeper.
Two days later, the Slayers Alliance established a forward base in southern Suwon and began stationing there.
Lee Hyun-wook and his men were still waiting in Laputa.
‘There is no information on exactly when the Dragon Gate will open.’
According to Donald Harris’ prediction, it was said to be within 30 days from that time.
‘Today is the 21st day from that day, so the gate will open soon.’
Even though the Slayers did not have such information, they moved in a timely manner like veteran players.
By using the experience so far as big data, I had an intuition that I had reached a certain critical point.
– [Breaking News] The Slayers’ Alliance is deploying all attack forces to the southern part of Gyeonggi Province (step 1).
In line with the atmosphere, an emergency evacuation order was issued early on throughout Korea.
All residents of southern Gyeonggi Province, which was predicted to become a battlefield, had no choice but to flee to the south.
And tens of thousands of AMT troops surrounded the southern Gyeonggi area and set up a blocking line.
Slayers’ broadcast also cast a dark light on the tragedy coming to Korea rather than promoting themselves. A scene was broadcast where Edward Woods climbed a building and looked down on the evacuation route of Koreans.
– …This is truly a tragedy. We must end this disaster as soon as possible.
The anticipation that seemed like a big festival just a few days ago changed into intense tension overnight. In keeping with the atmosphere, the sky also became gloomy, creating dark lighting.
Rumbling——
The city center of southern Gyeonggi Province came to a cold standstill.
However, the world of broadcasting around the world was still running hot.
And 36 hours later, an incident finally began in the Suwon area.
– caution! The invasion of the ‘Angra Mainyu Legion’ is scheduled to begin in the area!
A warning system message appeared before the eyes of all players in the area…
This drew everyone’s attention to Suwon and all players moved to Suwon.
***
Like a harbinger of disaster, the Korean Peninsula was still covered in dark clouds.
– Well, I think we’ll be talking about this topic all day again today.
– Yes. You never know when the dragon will appear, so you’re always on standby.
– Hahaha— That’s right. I can’t sleep these days because of this.
The famous American player current affairs program [Kill the Monster] was also focusing on this incident.
Tyrone Thompson, currently ranked 5th in the U.S. player rankings, came out and gave commentary himself.
– If you look behind you, the troops of the Slayers Union in the Suwon area are moving.
On the large screen behind them, a map of Suwon and the layout of the Slayers Union appeared.
– Of the 1,561 people in total, more than 80% are B-grade or higher players, which is an incredible level of power. And most of them are scouting the Suwon area and trying to find the gate first.
At that moment, the screen flipped over and a picture of Stillane appeared.
– But… Where on earth is Steele’s power? It hasn’t been seen for several days.
– Well, guessing as to the reason, I think they gave up on the initial search in the first place. Since the Slaize Alliance had far more troops, the initial response was virtually abandoned.
As such speculation emerged on a famous broadcast, criticism of Stillane intensified.
I couldn’t help but feel disgusted because he didn’t make any significant gestures in this exciting show.
Should we say that it is similar to being booed if you make a passive move in a boxing match?
Meanwhile, the place that attracted the most viewers was by far the official broadcast of the Slayers Guild.
– [LIVE] Slayers Dragon Strategy OFFICIAL (VIEW：11194551)
This is because it was the only channel where you could see the dragon strategy scene most vividly.
Now, Edward Woods himself appeared on the screen, boosting viewership ratings.
He was standing on the roof of a building and looking out over downtown Suwon.
“I—DS, if you’re not busy, let me ask you a question.”
DS—Dragon Slayer nodded to the off-screen PD’s question.
“The dragon that will appear this time is a black dragon. What kind of dragon will it have?”
This was a question written in the script to emphasize the appearance of a dragon expert.
“Well, according to what is known, the types of dragons vary depending on their color. The London dragon I killed was called ‘Red’ and had the power of flame.
And the Black Dragon, as expected…”
He paused for a moment and was about to explain when a shout came from somewhere.
“—It’s open!”
As of now, the only thing that could be opened was… the gate, of course.
As a result, the camera turned and focused on the direction from which the voice was heard.
A man opened the rooftop door and came running in, panting.
“The crab gates huh — 5 of them opened at the same time in one place!”
A whopping 5 multiple gates… Has anything like that existed in history other than the Wave?
At that news, the entire Slayers Guild felt tense and waited for the command.
“Boss, please check this.”
Next, Edward Woods’ deputy brought a tablet PC.
The screen was connected to a camera on a Mana drone several kilometers away.
Soon the broadcast screen also switched to the perspective of the drone camera.
Woowoowoo——
Somewhere in the southern city center of Suwon, five gates were open, spaced about 500 meters apart.
Those five blazing purple shimmers… A lot of something is pouring out from inside them.
The ones that appeared first were as many as six Twin Head Ogres.
Next, elephants the size of buildings came out in a row, with black furry gnolls riding on them.
After that, red-skinned trolls wearing iron armor appeared in line.
This was only the opening, but it was so spectacular that it made you forget about the main dish, the dragon.
“…Those are Angra Mainyu’s legions.”
When Edward Woods looked up from the screen and looked up, the camera captured him again.
Although it was a very urgent situation, Edward Woods had a calm expression and cheers erupted in the broadcast chat window.
He slowly pulled down his spear… the Dragon Spear, which he was carrying on his back.
He then turned around with a solemn expression and looked back at the executives of the Slayers Alliance.
“Everyone, the time has come. The dragon capture operation begins now—”
But his voice was cut off by a woman’s sharp voice.
“—He arrived first!”
It was truly the worst NG.
NG completely ruined this wonderful scene…
But the noise didn’t stop there.
“Stilane he has arrived on the scene!”
At that moment, a scene was created that made one believe that the broadcast screen had stopped.
Edward Woods, who was alone on the screen, did not move and no one spoke.
The heavy silence commonly known as the sudden cold atmosphere filled the screen.
‘How did it happen so quickly? ….’
It appeared overwhelmingly quickly, as if they already knew where the gate would appear.
As a result, their first plan to break Steelaine’s momentum by rushing in from the beginning was in vain. The Slayers knew that fact. There was a heavy silence among the executives for a moment.
“………”
After a while of silence, Edward Woods looked at the camera without thinking.
Everyone in the world was watching this situation. And it was a scene that will remain for a long time. If he showed any sign of embarrassment here, he would become a laughingstock of the world.
”
It wasn’t unexpected. “This is the home ground of Korea Steel Rain.”
He smiled leisurely. The team had enough agility to respond to NG.
“Now! What you must remember is that the target is a dragon.”
“Ah, then you didn’t rush it on purpose?”
The PD asked and he didn’t answer. He simply smiled once again.
“Anyway, the dragon won’t come out during the first eruption. And no matter how much Steel Rain rains steel rain, it won’t be able to deal with the first eruption that quickly. And rather…” He turned his head and looked at downtown Suwon
. I frowned slightly.
“…I’m worried that I might get angry if I step forward too hastily. “We also need to move quickly.”
It seemed as if he was rather worried about his competitor, Steele Lane.
But then another scene occurred.
“I… I received a message through Boss Mana Messenger.”
Edward Woods’ lieutenant approached hesitantly, holding the Mana Messenger.
“Huh? “To whom?”
“That, that…”
There wasn’t a single mention, but everyone watching this broadcast knew.
Steele had contacted the Dragon Slayer.
“…….”
I didn’t know what this meant, but since it was being broadcast, I had no choice but to answer it.
Also, it was very strange that he talked quietly on the phone alone without being broadcast.
– Chic— This is Lee Hyun-wook.
Thus, his voice was heard throughout the Slayers’ broadcast.
– I will warn you in advance just in case.
“…….”
– I hope you stay away from the gate area for a while.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
– I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to get caught up in my attacks.
“Well… we know Steele’s firepower well, but I don’t know. “I don’t know if it will work this time.”
Steel Rain That was great, but it wasn’t enough to kill a Twin Head Ogre or a Gray Troll.
However, it was not possible to detonate landmines by laying a lot of mines like in the previous case of Ganghwa Island.
“You’re probably trying to drop the Mowglai from low altitude, but honestly…”
– I warned him clearly. Well then good luck.
And so the Mana Messenger communication ended.
One-sided notice… They suddenly broke in, completely ruined the wonderful painting, and disappeared.
In the end, Edward Woods’ eyebrows twitched twice.
Just then—
“—Our northern mana detector caught something strange!”
Another NG started.
“It appears that an incredibly large mana craft is flying above the clouds!”
Above the clouds Now that I think about it, the sky is completely covered with dark clouds.
“…Huh? Could it be that the Black Dragon has already appeared?”
When one of the executives asked, Edward Woods shook his head.
“That’s probably not true, isn’t it Hyunwook Lee’s steel fleet? Ha—was this it?”
But…
“…no, neither. Something much bigger is coming.”
At those words, everyone held their breath and looked up at the northern sky.
After a while….
Go—oh—oh—oh——
What appeared through the thick dark clouds like blackout curtains was none other than…
“That’s ridiculous…”
It was the floating city of Laputa.
Oh—oh—oh—oh——
That heavy object appeared above the city center in the visible area, covered with dark clouds.
Around it, the steel fleet was floating steadily, adjusting its speed.
It felt like I was seeing an aircraft carrier and an aircraft carrier squadron of frigates surrounding it.
At that moment, people all over the world realized.
The famous Laputa always floats in the sky.
In other words, it is a being that can fly more freely than anything else.
I just wasn’t aware of it because it hadn’t moved even once…
The purpose of the first long-distance flight of a transcendental object…
was to hunt the Aji Dahaka Black Dragon.
