Steel-Eating Player Chapter 16

16. Explosive growth, and opportunity – 1

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Lee Hyun-wook stood facing the orc with his sword and shield in hand.

“······Corporal Lee Hyun-wook! Oh orcs are so dangerous!”

Choi Seon-ah’s worried voice rang from behind.

She had watched Lee Hyun-wook’s amazing performance from the sidelines, but she still thought it was impossible to deal with an orc.

And that was a natural decision.

“Oh, no! “You have to endure on the bus…”

However, Lee Hyun-wook walked towards the large monster without answering.

Since we had already faced each other, we couldn’t avoid the fight.

‘If I lose sight of it from this moment on, my throat will fly away.’

All orcs were well-trained warriors, so even Hyun-wook Lee could never be caught off guard.

‘Fortunately, he hasn’t noticed my ability yet.’

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so foolish as to pull the throwing ax out of my shoulder and throw it behind my back.

Lee Hyun-wook checked the position of the ax and faced the orc.

Orc moved first.

Aaaa!

It charged, raising its battle ax over its head.

‘It’s an attack that strikes with power!’

He used ‘control’ on the tip of the orc’s raised battle ax and pulled it backwards.

Then his body seemed to flinch, albeit slightly.

G-uh!

Even if it was a large object like an orc, if a 5 kg weight was suddenly hung at the end of the weapon, it would inevitably lose its balance in an instant.

At the same time, Lee Hyun-wook took a step to the right, went out of the guy’s field of vision, and naturally let go of the sword he was holding in his right hand.

Literally, I let go of my grip and threw it into the air.

S-ruk-

Pommel slipped out of Lee Hyun-wook’s grasp.

However, its eyes were still following Lee Hyun-wook’s head and could not find the ‘sword’ moving close to the ground.

The next moment,

I was hooked!

The ‘sword’ was stuck in the guy’s right thigh.

······ Huh?

The guy stumbled and made a puzzled expression.

It has to be.

‘Now is the time.’

Lee Hyun-wook rushed forward and hit the orc in the chin with the edge of his shield.

puck!

He then swung a ‘hard body’ fist at the guy who was taking a step back.

Oops-billion!

Lee Hyun-wook’s right hook was placed precisely on the back of the guy’s head.

Oh no…

No matter how Orc he was, he couldn’t stand on his own two feet when the goal-breaking damage exploded three times in a row.

The guy stumbled and collapsed.

Even though he was in such a groggy state, he showed the appearance of a seasoned warrior by raising his battle ax and trying to defend against follow-up attacks…

B-Billion!

The sound of a watermelon cracking.

A throwing ax was lodged in the back of the guy’s head.

Even the most seasoned warriors could not block the attack from behind.

“So, if you leave a dangerous item anywhere, it will be used?”

He slowly lowered his raised hand.

“uh······.”

“Wow, it’s amazing…”

“That guy, all those rumors were true!”

A voice of admiration could be heard from inside the bus.

They were the soldiers of the headquarters company who had just ignored Lee Hyeon-wook as an F-class.

Phew –

Lee Hyun-wook pulled the sword from the orc’s thigh.

“no! Careful!”

I heard someone’s cry.

When I turned around, an orc was running like a bull.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-

Just before colliding with the guy, Lee Hyun-wook put his arms in rigid form.

‘I can’t stop this with one hand!’

It’s literally like a bull’s charge.

He dropped his sword and grabbed the shield with both hands.

I put my right foot back and put all my weight and metal control on the shield.

Immediately afterwards, a battle ax fell on the shield.

Kwa-ang!

Metal colliding with metal.

A tremendous impact flowed through my wrist and shook my shoulders and knees.

“·······Ku!”

The intestines were shaken, and nausea rose in an instant.

However, even at that moment, Lee Hyun-wook’s senses did not miss the ‘sword’ falling freely under the shield.

‘-good!’

It lifted its head according to Lee Hyun-wook’s will.

Char-evil!

The sword fired vertically cut into the orc’s crotch.

The orc slumped down as if the tendon in his thigh had been cut.

Just like the guy he killed just before, his face was full of bewilderment.

The expression on his face was that he had no idea where that sword had suddenly come from.

“Yes, I understand how you feel.”

Lee Hyun-wook named this the ‘Hidden Sword’, which involves putting the sword out of the enemy’s field of vision and then moving it with control to make a surprise attack.

‘No one considers a sword that has left the enemy’s hand to be threatening. And that’s why we push it out of awareness and focus only on the enemy in front of us.’

Hidden Sword was a move that dug into that prejudice.

Even now, the match was decided with a single shot of that hidden sword.

Hyunwook Lee raised his shield and struck the orc in the face.

Sigh!

My nose is crushed and swollen in one hit

!

Teeth erupted in two chambers.

Oops!

It ended with three rooms.

“Two like this…”

Hyunwook Lee picked up his sword and looked around.

Orc skirmishers move in groups of three. There must be one more somewhere.

however······.

“-Kyaa!”

A woman’s scream was heard from somewhere. Hyunwook Lee ran to the back of the bus.

“Corporal Lee Hyeon-wook! It’s over there!”

Choi Seon-ah leaned out of the window and pointed somewhere.

An orc was running over the guardrail and into the forest.

And a female soldier was hanging from his shoulder.

The limp one was probably fainting.

Lee Hyun-wook used his ability to pull the metal battle ax strapped to the guy’s back, but there was no way he could stop the guy.

“shit!”

This too was unexpected.

It was a good thing that Lee Hyun-wook stepped forward and saved two people, but that was why one orc changed his course and kidnapped the female soldier.

‘I can’t win with my eyes open.’

The most important thing in an unexpected situation

is cool-headed judgment and the determination to put it into action.

Empty!

Lee Hyun-wook put his shield down on the floor and held his sword in reverse.

“after······.”

Then, after taking a breath, he pulled the sword behind his back and

threw

it with all his might.

In fact, throwing a weapon at the back of a running orc is really crazy.

The hostage hanging from your shoulder might hit you.

‘But I am different.’

The sword that left Lee Hyun-wook’s hand flew in an unnatural way.

Instead of falling in a parabola, it chased the orc’s back like a guided missile.

It was so accurate.

Fu-uuk-

The sword pierced the orc’s neck.

The large figure collapsed onto the grass.

***

After dealing with the three orcs, I looked around the area, but there was no significant movement.

As expected, it seemed that they were moving away from the main force as they were ‘skirmishers’.

‘The kidnapping attempt was probably made because he was a skirmisher.’

Orcs were not a race to avoid battle, and even less a race to show their backs.

However, because they were scouts, they seemed to consider search, reconnaissance, and reporting to the main unit more important than combat.

Hyunwook Lee searched for orc corpses.

Along with 3 mana stones, a good item came out.

– Obtained ‘Earth Orb (Level 3)’.

It was a higher grade than the ‘Orb’ I purchased at the PX military item store yesterday.

“If it’s a level 3 Orb of Earth… would you like to pay around 4 million won?”

In general, item ownership is in the organization that has the authority to clear the dungeon.

Guilds, AMT, etc.

However, as now, if the right to attack has not yet been determined, or if the item is obtained after being attacked by a monster outside the ‘Red Ground’ and counterattacking it, the first acquirer is given the right to own it.

In other words, this item belonged to Lee Hyun-wook. It was like making a lot of money with a brief happening.

It was then.

Wooooow –

Two black SUVs came up from the bottom of the mountain and stopped right next to the bus.

“what is this?”

The first lieutenant frowned and approached him.

“Who is there! This road is a military road, not a regular road. “You can’t come up without permission!”

The back door of the first SUV opened and someone got out.

It was a woman.

However, at first glance, the appearance was not unusual.

“What is it…”

Dreadlocks, purple lens sunglasses, gray striped suit set…

If you just look at it that far, you’ll think it’s just an unusual style, but if you see a spider the size of your palm crawling around on her shoulders and the back of her neck… it’s

crazy! Ki-Rit!

It seemed that the impression would change drastically.

She passed by, ignoring the so-called who stood in her way.

“······uh?”

While the second lieutenant was hesitating, as if embarrassed, a man got off the passenger seat and handed out a business card.

“This is the Cheonghwa Guild.”

“······Oh, is that so?”

Like this, it was the ‘Raid Team’ belonging to the Cheonghwa Guild that arrived earlier than the 2nd Battalion’s 5th minute group, which was passing nearby just in time.

If Lee Hyun-wook had not intervened, they would have arrived and ended the situation only after the two people were dead.

The woman stopped in front of Lee Hyun-wook.

“You there.”

She called out to Lee Hyun-wook and took off her sunglasses.

“yes?”

However, Lee Hyun-wook could not prevent his frown from frowning the moment he checked her features.

‘······Why is this woman here?’

Because it was a familiar face.

It was also a face I didn’t want to recall.

This woman, who seemed to be overflowing with narcissism at first glance, was Catherine Yu, the second daughter of Korea’s strongest private guild [Blue Fire] and an A-level player.

‘It’s harmful…’

It may be called that now, but not in the future.

‘After being pushed out in a succession battle within the Cheonghwa Guild, he joins the Blue Tree.’

[Blue Tree] is the world’s greatest company, headed by villain leader Gordon Price. And it was also the core of the villain organization.

In other words, this woman is a player who will become a ‘villain’ in the future.

She raised her index finger toward Lee Hyun-wook’s chest.

It was to check the periodic table of names of combat uniforms.

“My name is Lee Hyun-wook. Rank is… Corporal? Am I right? Because I don’t know the military rank very well.”

“······.”

Hyunwook Lee did not answer.

It was unpleasant.

It wasn’t because of her arrogant attitude, but the very presence of this woman was unpleasant.

‘Is it because she’s the woman who killed Seo Eun-ha…’

Seo Eun-ha threw herself to protect Lee Hyun-wook…

She was swept away by a swarm of ‘man-eating devils’ controlled by this woman, Yoo Hae-na.

Lee Hyeon-wook recalled that scene and involuntarily frowned.

She looked at Lee Hyun-wook’s face and continued talking with a smile.

“Are you embarrassed? i know.”

I think I misread the expression…

“I saw it all, you turning three orcs like that. “Your skills are useful.”

Anyway, Yoo Hae-na’s ability was to control bugs. Instead of ordinary insects, he controls millions of ‘demonic insects’ cultivated through magic.

He probably heard the ‘public emergency rescue signal’ and then launched a flying bug to check what was happening here.

“I’m late to introduce myself, but my name is Catherine Yu, head of the Cheonghwa Guild’s Seoul Strategy Department. I only saw it briefly, but the way you fight. “It was interesting.”

The second daughter of the Cheonghwa Guild viewed it favorably… This was a situation that would have made an ordinary AMT soldier drool, but to Lee Hyun-wook, it was an irritating situation.

She took out a business card from her purse with her index and middle fingers and held it out gracefully, twisting her wrist.

“Is there a grade?”

However, Lee Hyun-wook was well aware of this woman’s evil psychology.

Rather than really admiring Lee Hyun-wook’s skills and wanting to recruit her, she was a person who enjoyed reminding herself of her authority and position by handing out business cards to people she thought were insignificant.

‘But I know another side of this woman well. A very childish back view.’

As the second daughter of a large guild, she grew up being treated like a princess her whole life, and even after becoming a player, she received the best treatment.

Until now, she had obtained everything she wanted, and most people would have bowed their heads just by saying one word from her.

‘Anyone who touches her pride becomes the object of her challenge.’

Brothers who were always superior to her,

S-rank players with unattainable power,

and even low-level players who refused to hand out business cards, which was a petty hobby of hers.

‘I try to conquer anything that catches my eye.’

Yes, it was her strange desire that could be called ‘conquest’ rather than a challenge.

‘In other words, in order to properly use this woman who has not yet become a villain…’

Lee Hyun-wook did not even look at the business card due to thorough calculation.

“······.”

Then Yoo Hae-na’s expression gradually hardened.

Her elegant fingertips trembled slightly as she lost her way.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know why I need to tell you my personal information.”

“······Hmm, a phone call will probably find out anyway. Please tell me.”

“Then use that phone.”

Lee Hyun-wook said that and turned around.

At that moment, Yoo Hae-na’s left eyebrow twitched twice.

My self-esteem must have been hurt.

“You’re more interesting than you look… aren’t you?”

One corner of her mouth went up.

As expected, that strange desire for conquest must rise.

An ideal desire to somehow hold it in my hand and place it under my feet.

‘Because it was like that in my previous life.’

The reason Lee Hyun-wook knew this woman’s psychology well was because he had experienced it in his past life.

At the time when Lee Hyun-wook had just realized how to grow his abilities, he belonged to a small guild.

At that time, by chance, I ran into Yoo Hae-na, and she blatantly ignored Lee Hyun-wook’s guild and guild master, and then elegantly held out a business card with the word ‘Cheonghwa’ written on it.

Lee Hyun-wook did not receive the business card.

Furthermore, he ignored her and passed by.

‘After that, I suffered a lot. This woman made all kinds of fuss to recruit me somehow. Even until I kill myself with my own hands…’

Lee Hyun-wook’s teeth trembled when he remembered that time.

“hey. Do you accept business cards? “It would be difficult to get a business card of this value.”

“it’s okay.”

“······.”

At that time, a truck came down from the direction of the unit.

It was a 5-minute waiting period that did not live up to its name.

And a white car followed behind him…

‘Why is that woman again…?’

Unfortunately, the driver was sad.

‘Why does it always appear after I’ve taken care of all the monsters? That’s why it happens to be where Yoo Hae-na is…’

Now he was even questioning him.