Chapter 155
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Unexpected Omens - 1
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“...Hmm, facing gargoyles in this environment is not ideal.”
The speaker was Team Leader Lee Kyo-jun. Standing one step behind a red line drawn on the floor, he shone his flashlight on the ceiling. There, three-meter-tall monstrous statues hung like bats. A total of twelve gargoyle objects.
“And most importantly… the moment you step in here, a barrier forms, making escape impossible. Security of this level would cost at least tens of billions of won. They really spent some money.”
Most of that money likely came from lobbying, and a portion from the national treasury.
“For now, how about we wait for a proper tanker team to arrive? It would be a loss if you got hurt getting tangled up with those things in this cramped space.”
Lee Kyo-jun glanced at Lee Hyun-wook. Of course, it wasn't that he didn't trust Hyun-wook. But there was no need to take unnecessary risks in an environment that was far from advantageous.
Director Woo Seong-mun always urged him to prioritize Lee Hyun-wook's safety above all else. Well, it was unlikely anything would happen to him, but who knew what could happen?
‘Lee Hyun-wook… is the ultimate weapon, one that must not be lost, no matter what.’
Not long ago, Lee Kyo-jun had been worried that too much power was being concentrated in Lee Hyun-wook, but now he had no choice but to admit it. They couldn't do without him.
That was why Lee Kyo-jun didn't want Hyun-wook to handle such trivial matters himself.
But Lee Hyun-wook was already pulling over an AD-2 and preparing for battle.
“Team Leader Lee, we need to light the fire quickly before the rats abandon their burrows and scatter.”
“Ah, but there’s really no need to push yourself…”
“Don’t worry. I can take care of twelve gargoyles in an instant.”
With those words, he stepped inside the red line. And then…
- Warning! You have entered a 'Class 2 Magical Security Area'.
* This area is restricted to registered Players only.
And, as expected, Lee Hyun-wook’s mana pattern was flagged as a mismatch.
In that moment, the tunnel was bathed in red light, and a siren blared from somewhere.
*Wee-woo—wee-woo—wee-woo—!*
“Wait! Just in case, please go in with my team members—”
But it was already too late. A barrier formed behind Lee Hyun-wook, sealing the entrance.
The gargoyle statues on the ceiling began to stir, their red eyes glowing.
Bits of stone crumbled from their bodies as their joints cracked and turned.
- Class 2 Gargoyle (LV: 71)
*Kaaaaah—!*
The twelve stone beasts began to flick their stiff tongues at Lee Hyun-wook.
‘At this point, I can sweep away a whole mob of level 71s.’
Lee Hyun-wook summoned all four Mowglays from the subspace of the AD-2 behind him.
Then, he generated metal to connect two Mowglays by their hilts.
The two-ton originals were paired together, as were the replicas, creating two pairs of ‘double-bladed swords.’
“Uh… what is that?”
Outside the barrier, Team Leader Lee Kyo-jun asked with a puzzled expression.
“Hmm, shall we call it a Mowglay propeller?”
“Excuse me? A propeller? Ah, it does look like one…”
Two greatswords, perfectly symmetrical from top to bottom. Lee Hyun-wook imparted a spin to them.
*Whoom—whoom—whoom—whoom—whoom—!*
The immense weight, combined with centrifugal force, began to generate a powerful rotation, like the rotors of a helicopter. The violent whirlwind filled the tunnel, forcing even those standing outside the barrier to cover their heads with their arms and step back.
“Ugh!”
*Th-th-th-th-thrum—!*
It truly sounded as if two massive helicopters were taking off right in front of them.
Lee Hyun-wook advanced the ‘Mowglay propellers,’ which had a five-meter span, forward.
At the same time, the twelve gargoyles pushed off the ceiling and flew toward him.
‘There’s no way to dodge a five-meter rotating blade in this narrow space.’
The moment he extended his left hand, the Mowglay propellers swept through the gargoyles.
*Cra-cra-cra-cra-crash—!*
That was the end of it. With a single gesture, the twelve gargoyles were ground to pieces and scattered in all directions, leaving a messy pile of rubble on the floor, like a demolition site.
Team Leader Lee Kyo-jun, who had been unable to hide his worry earlier, could only wear an awkward expression.
“Huh… Well, I-I believed in you, of course, but I was just being cautious, you know.”
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook floated into the air and flew toward a section of the ceiling.
“Huh? Where are you going now?”
“…I think there’s something here.”
[Object Information]
- Name: Synesthetic Mirage Veil (Heroic)
- Effect: Disguises a certain space with a ‘synesthetic mirage.’
Lee Hyun-wook grabbed it.
*Tuk—*
‘The texture feels just like concrete, without any sense of incongruity. It’s like touching the ceiling.’
But even this sensation was a disguise. Lee Hyun-wook gripped a section and pulled. A soft tearing sound was heard. Then, like a snake shedding its skin, a part of the ceiling peeled away, revealing what had been hidden.
“…Huh, is that a door?”
A black veil was in Lee Hyun-wook’s hand, and a steel door was set into the ceiling.
“Yes, it seems the real vault is here.”
It too was protected by various security devices, but it didn't take long to break through.
*CRASH!*
Lee Hyun-wook tore off the 1.5-meter magical metal door and entered.
It was an attic-like space, with all sorts of items neatly stacked.
‘Right, this looks like Hwang Yeon-soo’s personal item stash for his slush fund.’
There were many valuable things, but he couldn't just take them.
He didn't know which of them might serve as crucial evidence.
“……Hmm?”
But one item in particular caught his eye.
“What’s that, another sword?”
It was a rusted greatsword, about 2.3 meters long, slightly larger than a Mowglay.
[Item Information]
- Name: A Completely Cooled Sword
- Effect: Can absorb heat to release ‘thermal energy.’
“This… seems like a potential item.”
Otherwise, there was no reason for such a junk-like item to be kept here.
Upon closer inspection, a sword of a similar design came to mind.
It was massive, impossible for an ordinary human to wield, with a crimson-black blade like magma, a demonic sword that could transform an area into a volcanic zone just by being slammed into the ground…
“Could it be… Surtr’s Sword, Laevateinn?”
In Norse mythology, the fire giant Surtr burns the entire world with a flaming sword during Ragnarok, and it was rumored that the name of that sword was ‘Laevateinn.’
‘I had no idea. It seems this passed through Hwang Yeon-soo’s hands.’
Later, it would wander from place to place before finally having its ‘potential unlocked’ by Inferno.
After that, the Necromancer would kill Inferno and claim the item.
‘I don't know how to unlock this sword's potential either, but it's probably related to fire.’
That would explain why no one else could unlock its potential until Inferno succeeded.
Lee Hyun-wook decided to take this greatsword, if nothing else, from the attic.
‘This is too important to be used merely as evidence.’
Afterward, inside a small magic safe in the back of the attic, he found a small USB drive.
When Lee Kyo-jun connected the USB to a laptop and checked its contents, he let out a smirk.
“Wow… that bastard Hwang Yeon-soo. He may have neglected his duties, but he was quite meticulous, wasn't he?”
The contents of the USB were nothing short of shocking. It contained detailed records of all sorts of corruption, enough to take down a significant number of influential figures in the country.
In other words, it was the crucial piece of evidence—the smoking gun.
“Ha— At this rate, this won’t be just a cleanup, it’ll be a full-blown flood.”
Lee Kyo-jun kept chuckling, looking somewhat thrilled.
With this, the justification for pruning the nation's rotten branches was secured.
Now, all that was left was to watch Woo Seong-mun’s blade dance.
***
The next morning, Lee Hyun-wook was sitting in the Order Tower, reading the news online.
- [Breaking] Yeonghui-dong ‘Panic Room’ Suspected to Involve Numerous Political, Business, and Player Figures
There was a common saying, ‘the country is turned upside down,’ which was often used when an incident occurred that was shocking and infuriating enough to capture the entire nation's attention.
This was one of those moments.
The dragon raid—the labyrinth conquest—the attempted assassination of Lee Hyun-wook—and now the Yeonghui-dong Gate…
It was a continuous stream of big issues that completely captivated the public's attention, and as the villains' true nature was revealed in the grand finale, the people's anger erupted into a storm.
With a directive already issued by the president, Woo Seong-mun mobilized all administrative power to round up every political, business, and Player suspect involved in the ‘Yeonghui-dong Gate’ incident.
- Public Scoffs at Claims of a ‘Purge’ in Yeonghui-dong Gate Affair, “Unforgivable”
Meanwhile, the fact that Lee Hyun-wook was the target of this conspiracy, and that he was the one who tracked them down and wiped them out in one fell swoop, naturally improved his public image.
- Lee Hyun-wook, Not Just Hunting Monsters but Also Eradicating the Nation's Cancerous Elements?
- Savior, Bipartisan Support Pours in for Lee Hyun-wook's Actions, Which Can Only Be Described as Such
It had reached a point where jokes about Lee Hyun-wook being the next presidential candidate were filling the internet.
Given this public sentiment, it seemed unlikely that anything would put the brakes on Woo Seong-mun's crusade.
‘But strangely, some of the individuals with lesser charges aren’t being mentioned at all.’
Among the names on the ‘list’ Lee Hyun-wook knew, some had escaped Woo Seong-mun’s sword.
‘It seems… Director Woo has tamed them to use as his hunting dogs.’
They were undoubtedly individuals who had committed unforgivable crimes, but it was impossible to eliminate all of them at once. It was more strategic to persuade a few of them to become ‘informants.’ They would willingly bring him evidence he had yet to secure.
Of course, once the political situation stabilized, they were fated to be cast aside.
‘Use them boldly and eliminate them boldly. That’s Woo Seong-mun’s style.’
Just then, the door to the Order Tower opened, and Seo Eun-ha and Kim Se-hee walked in.
“This place is really huge. Phew, that was a long walk…”
“And there are still areas that haven't been opened yet.”
“Oh, really? In real estate terms, how much would this even be worth?”
It seemed Kim Se-hee had been giving Seo Eun-ha a tour of Laputa.
Seo Eun-ha was pushing a baby stroller, and inside it was a giant blue egg—a dragon’s egg. She carefully parked the stroller to one side.
“Lee Hyun-wook, do you know when this egg will hatch?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure. For now, you need to keep a close eye on it.”
“I know, that’s why I’m carrying it around like this.”
To be honest, even Lee Hyun-wook didn't know much about dragon hatching. In his past life, the Russian Dragon Knight who owned that egg was not someone he had a close relationship with.
‘But I think I heard it hatched about a month after he got it?’
Even that wasn't precise information. A dragon is most vulnerable right after hatching, so no information about it was ever released to the public.
“In any case, the most important thing is that you have to stay next to that egg at all times.”
“Hey, how many times are you going to say that? I feel like a hen sitting on an egg.”
“Hmm, there are better ways to put it, you don’t have to be so…”
“Hey, do you have any idea how much more restrictive this feels than being in the military?”
A portion of the raid company commanded by Seo Eun-ha was scheduled to be absorbed into <Black Swan>.
In other words, just as in his past life, Seo Eun-ha was joining Lee Hyun-wook's team.
“Well, anyway— I look forward to working with you.”
If she grew with his support and the dragon hatched, she would become…
‘…even greater than in my past life, the ultimate tanker.’
***
The next day, Lee Hyun-wook received a call from the blacksmiths and was heading somewhere.
「Master, we have arrived.」
The auto-lift Lee Hyun-wook was riding in came to a stop, and the door in front of him opened.
*Pshhh—*
A vast space was revealed before him. It was the ‘Main Dock’ on the first basement level of Laputa.
This was the largest single space in Laputa, a hangar that connected directly to the ‘Airship Port’ when the ceiling above opened, capable of storing dozens of airships.
But right now, something entirely different filled the wide space.
It was… the corpse of a seventy-meter-long black dragon. Two of them, in fact.
In one corner, the Gray Dwarves and Player blacksmiths were gathered.
“No, using that part like that is a waste—you lazy-minded dwarf!”
“Argh—these humans just run their mouths without knowing anything!”
They seemed to be debating how to handle the massive materials. To avoid interrupting their constructive discussion, Lee Hyun-wook carefully walked inside.
Meanwhile, Kang Hee-seol was circling the dragons, looking them over.
“Hey—you! Didn’t I tell you not to go near the mouth?”
At Kang Jeong-du’s shout, Kang Hee-seol, who had been examining Azhi Dahaka’s head, took a step back.
It was because the ‘Breath Sac’ inside the dragon’s body still contained a potent acidic breath that was slowly leaking out, making it quite dangerous. A fence had been erected around it with ‘Keep Out’ signs, and several layers of magic barriers were in place.
“Ah! You think I don’t know that? I’m wearing all my safety gear, so stop worrying!”
“This brat, acting all high and mighty just because she’s learned how to swing a hammer?”
In truth, Kang Hee-seol had already reached the highest level among the blacksmiths. She was destined to be chosen by the seven Dwarf Masters and become an ‘Elder Smith’ someday, so her potential was extraordinary. Most of the high-performance items recently produced were her creations.
“—Oh, the moneybags is here!”
Upon spotting Lee Hyun-wook, her eyes lit up, and she ran over. She then began to chatter excitedly about how she wanted to use the precious materials, starting her own little presentation.
“…I think it would be best to use the dragon teeth to make ‘Dragon Tooth Warriors’.”
Dragon Tooth Warriors… that part couldn't help but pique Lee Hyun-wook’s interest.
Soldiers born from the teeth of a dragon would become the strongest of familiars.
‘They’d certainly be useful, but if I run into the Necromancer, I could lose control of them.’
By definition, Dragon Tooth Warriors were close to ‘undead,’ as they used the bodies of the dead as material. This meant that no matter how firmly he established his master authority, there was a high risk of them being stolen by a Necromancer.
However…
“But regular Dragon Tooth Warriors are no fun, so I’ve been looking at the equipment in the <Colossus Research Lab> lately, and—I think I can fuse them with the cores of Iron Golems to create mechanical soldiers suitable for you. What do you think?”
At that, Lee Hyun-wook’s eyes gleamed.
“…Is that possible?”
“Well, we’ll have to try it to find out, right?”
“Alright, I’d like you to research that.”
“Oh—yesss! I’ll do my best!”
Kang Hee-seol swung her hammer around excitedly.
Next, there was something he needed to ask of Kang Jeong-du.
“Director Kang, could you first make some armor from Azhi Dahaka’s hide?”
“Yes, I was just examining which parts of the hide would be most suitable.”
Of course, Lee Hyun-wook had a formidable unique defense skill called ‘Body Hardening.’
‘Still, it can't compare to armor made from a dragon.’
And wearing dragon armor over Body Hardening would double his defense.
“Also, please don’t touch the Dragon Hearts for now, if possible.”
“Yes, it is not the way of a craftsman to tamper with an item beyond his scope for the sake of experimentation.”
Edward Woods had barely managed to use the heart of an adolescent dragon as a magic shield.
‘That’s because he only saw the Dragon Heart as a massive mana generator.’
Honestly, at a glance, it just looked like an overwhelmingly powerful mass of magic.
But that was because Players couldn't interpret the ‘Dragon Tongue.’
Once he acquired that knowledge, the uses for a Dragon Heart would become truly endless.
‘For example, a magic jukebox that spits out top-tier spells like a vending machine…’
He had no way of interpreting the Dragon Tongue yet, but he was confident he would find one soon.
That night…
「Master, the creation of a portal has been detected in the nearby sky!」
At Talos’s urgent report, Lee Hyun-wook hurried to the roof of the Order Tower.
In the western sky, amidst the gray clouds hanging in the blackness, a light flashed.
Lee Hyun-wook quickly sent Huginn up and spotted a bird flying toward him.
- Vedrfolnir (LV: 112)
‘That’s… the hawk that lives on the World Tree… in other words, a familiar of Donald Harris.’
*Whoosh—*
It seemed a message had arrived from Donald Harris.
‘It’s about time to prepare for the Nidhogg hunt.’
As promised to Donald Harris, it was time to hunt Nidhogg in the roots of the World Tree.
‘With three Dragon Slayers and dragon gear, it won’t be difficult.’
Soon, the white hawk, Vedrfolnir, landed on the railing right in front of Lee Hyun-wook.
But then, the creature spoke in Donald Harris’s voice.
“Steelrain, have you been well? I trust you know who I am?”
“Mr. Harris, you came in person?”
“No, not in person. This creature is relaying my voice.”
However, the news he brought was unexpected.
“Steelrain, things have gotten complicated…”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“It seems… the Republic of Chad is about to be invaded.”
Lee Hyun-wook’s eyebrows twitched. In his memory, no such thing had ever happened.
“So we are preparing for war, and we’ll have to postpone the Nidhogg raid.”
“Who on earth is attacking the Republic of Chad?”
“Well, about that, hmm—have you ever heard of Dark Elves? I suppose you wouldn’t have.”
The third wave—the green hell of the encroached zone in Berlin… It seemed the ‘Dark Elf Legion,’ which should have been building its forces underground there, had held its campaign ceremony earlier than expected.