Chapter 178
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Berlin, Dark Elf Kingdom - 2
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Humans, the species known as *Homo sapiens*, are often called “social animals.” Throughout their long history, they gradually formed larger groups, eventually creating an international society.
This was all driven by necessity. Things that were impossible for an individual to achieve could be accomplished by uniting with family, tribe, nation, and the world. The greatest factor among these was the need for a joint response to external invasions.
In other words, confronting threats that an individual could not bear alone—that was the decisive reason for the formation of the massive collective known as “humanity.”
However, in the early 21st century, today, a new existence emerged that shattered this theory: the “Player.” They single-handedly accomplished what would have required the full force of many.
Because of this, the prevailing opinion among sociologists was that this “game” phenomenon would inevitably lead to the decline of the state's function and the gradual collapse of the cooperative international community.
And that was, in fact, happening.
Much like the feudal system of medieval Europe, the world’s power was being divided among powerful Players.
The majority of them had lost a common goal, acting for their own benefit and often exploiting global crises.
“—This is the scene at the Otris Mountain assembly point! Countless famous Players are currently gathering!”
That was why it was such an unusual event for this era—for the world's greatest powers to gather in one place, with the entire world cheering them on with one heart and mind.
“This can be called a truly remarkable phenomenon! Never before has a war event prompted so many Players to participate voluntarily! Especially when the rewards are unclear and the risk of losing one’s life is so high!”
In a small village 22 kilometers from Otris Mountain, an operations briefing room for the Player group had been set up.
“Many are saying that this phenomenon is the result of Steel Rain’s leadership, which has exerted a world-changing influence!”
However, Lee Hyun-wook did not believe his contribution was 100% responsible. As greater catastrophes loomed, the limits of the “individual” were bound to be revealed again, and the need for unity would naturally increase.
In other words, even if it weren't for him, humanity would unite again against a common enemy. The same had happened in his past life.
‘But no matter what, there are always selfish people.’
Being selfish meant prioritizing one's own goals over the common objective, and such people created noise.
‘Even here, there are plenty of that type.’
Walking toward the operations briefing room with Emilia Müller, Lee Hyun-wook used the senses of Hugin, perched on his shoulder, to listen to the conversation coming from beyond the thick iron door.
“That’s why, even in a situation like this, we need to elect a commander through a rational process for proper control! I mean, are you saying we should make him the leader just because he got some attention on a TV show? Do you think this is some middle school classroom?”
“...You shouldn't see it that way! It's not about following him because he's a good speaker; it's about what he's shown us, isn't it?”
“Ha! You mean that giant sword he drops from the sky, right? I admit, that's impressive. But so what? If having a good weapon means you should be in command, then a tank commander should have led the entire army in World War II, right?”
It seemed that those who had arrived before Lee Hyun-wook were arguing over who should be the commander.
‘No matter how much support I have from the world, it's all useless if I can't command those who hold military power.’
*Clank—*
The argument stopped the moment Lee Hyun-wook opened the door and entered.
“...”
In the wide, chairless space, the world's most famous Players stood scattered about.
It was a disorderly scene, as if they were at a standing party.
Still, everyone's gaze naturally fell on Lee Hyun-wook at once, so there was no need for a podium or a microphone.
Lee Hyun-wook remained silent for a moment, looking them over.
Had so many giants ever gathered in one place before?
It was a spectacle he hadn't witnessed even in his past life.
His eyes met with familiar faces like General Choi Jeong-cheol, Kang Seo-yoon, and the Anyang duo, and he gave a slight nod.
Kang Seo-yoon’s face was flushed; it seemed she had been in the thick of the argument before he arrived.
“First, I would like to thank the representatives of each guild and nation who have gathered at the location I announced.”
That was right. This was the assembly point Lee Hyun-wook had designated.
“In that case… may I dare to assume that everyone here will lend their strength to my operation?”
Lee Hyun-wook’s goal was to control the army, so he came on strong from the start, but he expected resistance.
And just as he predicted, a bald man raised his hand. His name was Melvin Arts, a Dutch Player.
“Ahem, I think that’s a bit of a leap.”
Lee Hyun-wook looked at him as if to ask what he meant.
“Just because you broadcast the coordinates for this place, it’s absurd to assume we’ll all fall under your command.”
He let out a smirk as if finding the idea ridiculous, his tone sharp. Then he subtly met someone's eyes, and in that instant, Lee Hyun-wook used Hugin's eyes to observe that person.
‘Alain Gidam. A lot of Futur members are here, I see.’
<Futur>, a meeting of European guild masters who argued that the world should be rebuilt with Players at its center.
“We have come to stand against this disaster and are willing to fight in the final battle. In other words, we weren't invited by you; we gathered here naturally out of a noble spirit.”
At that, cries of ‘Hear, hear’ came from various corners.
“Of course, we are aware of the power of your low-altitude drop, and we know it's the key weapon in this operation—”
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook raised his hand, cutting him off.
“But I think I need to announce this first.”
“Yes?”
“I can no longer use the Mjolnir drop recklessly. So, I don't think you should count on that power.”
At those words, the high-ranking figures began to murmur.
The 100-ton Mjolnir drop that had annihilated Titan's Deus Phalanx in a single blow… a significant number of them had come here trusting in that overwhelming weapon.
But now, he was saying it couldn't be used…
Just then, a mage Player from ROK AMT stepped forward and infused mana into a cube-shaped item. A hologram emerged from the cube.
It appeared to be some kind of video…
“Earlier, you witnessed a Dark Elf spy hiding among us. That's why everyone here had to be screened by a high-level Analyst Player. In any case, those bastards are very cunning.”
As he spoke, the hologram screen continued to change, now showing surveillance footage of the Dark Elf army's encampment.
“And they must have witnessed my Mjolnir drop. If they weren't prepared for that attack… they wouldn't have deployed their forces so openly in the plains like that.”
He pointed at the hologram as he spoke… something could be seen falling from the sky, beyond the clouds.
“So, I tried it once with a different weapon.”
*Clang—!*
With that sound, an object falling at the speed of sound was caught in a green magic spell and came to a dead stop in mid-air.
“Huh?”
“What was that?”
The screen then zoomed in, showing a large spear. It was wrapped tightly in some kind of purple chains.
“...Is that an item-disabling net?”
“Can it be spread out that wide?”
An item-disabling net was a suppression skill that temporarily sealed any weapon it touched. When extracted and imbued into an item, it became the ‘Grade 3 Ability Restraint Chains’ that were essential for air travel.
Anything caught in it would have all its abilities nullified. Mjolnir's mass would be sealed, causing the physically impossible phenomenon of its kinetic energy evaporating in an instant.
“That skill seems to be manifested through a specific item. And I’m sure similar items have been prepared near the four ‘Victory Flags’ we must conquer.”
Thus, Lee Hyun-wook revealed his own critical problem.
It was entirely intentional…
‘This will weed out those who are only half-committed.’
Not every big shot in this room was a necessary component. He needed to filter out the dissonant notes that would ruin his symphony, and this was the bait.
Just then—
“Hmm, in that case, a frontal assault is practically impossible.”
A man said.
‘Just as I thought. Alain Gidam, finally making his move.’
Lee Hyun-wook knew he was the mastermind behind the Omega Team and a leader of Futur, an extremist organization in Europe.
Though not a Villain, he was one of those with a dark heart, an obstacle to Lee Hyun-wook's plan.
‘I need to filter out guys like him to make the operation run smoother.’
Sure enough, as soon as Lee Hyun-wook exposed a weakness, he had appeared, slinking in like a wolf that had smelled blood.
“I am Alain Gidam, Vice Master of the <Grand Finette> Guild. I am also the Director of Foreign Cooperation for the EPU.”
He introduced himself out of the blue, not looking at Lee Hyun-wook but scanning the others as he walked forward. His intention was clear: he was going to make this stage his own.
“Now, let’s take a look at what I’ve prepared.”
He confidently took out a hologram generator and activated it. His data was filled with graphs.
“This is a comparison of the enemy's strength versus our own, prepared by our guild’s analysis team. The red graph on the left is the enemy's strength, calculated from their numbers and average level, and the one on the right is the estimated total strength of us, the Players.”
It was rather complex data, but its meaning was simple.
The left graph was much higher than the right one.
“...The conclusion is that our chance of victory is a mere 7.8%. Of course, this is for a frontal assault, but since we are facing a siege, a frontal assault is exactly what we have to do.”
Whispers spread that the <Grand Finette> Guild's analysis had the highest accuracy rate in the world. And from Lee Hyun-wook's perspective, in a simple comparison, their numbers were correct.
Alain Gidam turned his head to look at Lee Hyun-wook.
“Do you have any grounds to overturn these statistics? What I mean is, do you have another hidden weapon? If not, the thousands of Players who joined this fight, swayed by your words, may face a meaningless death.”
His words were laced with sarcasm.
After all, Lee Hyun-wook had always pulled a new card from his sleeve.
And this time, he was betting that there wouldn't be one.
But Lee Hyun-wook nodded as if it were obvious.
“Yes, of course I do.”
“...Ah, you do?”
“That’s why I’m going for a frontal attack.”
He seemed slightly flustered but soon smirked.
“Ha, then you can tell us what it is, can’t you?”
He seemed to know that Lee Hyun-wook wouldn't reveal his plans prematurely. He intended to persistently pick at that point to chip away at Lee Hyun-wook's influence.
“...”
When Lee Hyun-wook didn't answer, his sneer deepened.
“We're all in the same boat now, aren't we? I remember the words you said at the end of your grand speech in Dresden. Something about joining forces. So it's only right that you trust us and open up about everything. Isn't that what a true alliance, a true team, is all about?”
As he finished, a cynical smile touched Lee Hyun-wook's lips.
“If you don't like that I don't trust you…”
Lee Hyun-wook looked straight at Alain Gidam.
“...then spare me the long speech, and please, get out.”
In that moment, the room went ice-cold.
This was, after all, a gathering of some weight, wasn't it?
But to be told to ‘get out’… they wondered if they had misheard.
“What, what did you just…”
“Did you expect me to engage in a gentlemanly debate?”
Lee Hyun-wook scoffed and strode toward him. Alain Gidam unconsciously took a step back.
“This moment is too important and too urgent for that. So if you don't like it, stop trying to sabotage my plan, take your cronies, and get out now. This is my camp.”
It was a completely unexpected reaction, and Alain Gidam's expression froze. No one could have possibly seen this coming, and that included Lee Hyun-wook's closest allies.
“...”
They too looked around, expressions of bewilderment on their faces.
Until now, while Steel Rain had shown overwhelming power on the battlefield, he had always maintained his decorum in official settings.
That was why Alain Gidam had planned to pick him apart, point by point, and logically corner him. He had intended to sway the guild masters who held real power to their side and take the lead in this battle.
But he never imagined he would be insulted like this to his face.
“H-How can you use such crude language in a place like this… Ha! You treat people who came to fight alongside you like this, and you want to be the commander of this crucial battle?”
Lee Hyun-wook wasn't the type to bluff like this either. But he was too busy fighting the enemy to have any patience for the pointless games of those with ulterior motives.
“...Let me be clear.”
Lee Hyun-wook's expression was cold yet serene.
“I asked for your participation. And as a precondition, I asked you to trust me. But that doesn't mean I said I would trust all of you.”
He was calmly stating that he didn't trust them.
“This isn't a sport. Revealing the information I have isn't a fair rule; it's a stupid move. Especially when enemies might be hiding among us.”
“...”
“So stop trying to poke holes in my plan and get out.”
As Lee Hyun-wook repeated his demand to leave, Alain Gidam’s face turned red and blotchy. But he couldn't retort.
Yes, demanding that ‘key strategies’ be revealed in a gathering of an unspecified group might seem fair on the surface, but it was a naive thing to say.
Those who understood this began to nod one by one.
“But if you trust me and remain here…”
Lee Hyun-wook turned his head to look at the others.
“...I, who have never once failed, promise you this. If you fight trusting me, whatever you desire, you will grasp it at the end of this battle. If you want to see the end, you'll see the end. If you want peace, you'll have peace. If you want items, you'll get items. If you want money, you'll have money.”
For the first time, he boasted, raising his voice.
‘Even if they don't like my attitude, they can't help but believe in the achievements I've built. And having come this far, they'll want to invest in the side with the highest probability of success, and that's me.’
This would filter out the completely rotten apples like Alain Gidam while allowing him to keep the necessary forces.
As Lee Hyun-wook thought this, his eyes met with a tall Asian man standing in the corner. He was leaning against the wall, watching Lee Hyun-wook with an intrigued expression.
He was the gravity mage, Lee Seong-yoon.
The staff he held caught Lee Hyun-wook's eye.
[Item Information]
- Name: Power of Hecatoncheires (Special)
- Effect: Summons a Meteor upon infusion of a large amount of mana (1,000). (Cooldown: 72 hours)
‘Even if Mjolnir is useless, that will work.’
That was why he needed him for this battle.
Immediately, Lee Hyun-wook sent him a private message.
The content was as follows:
- (...) If you are willing to trust me, Mr. Lee Seong-yoon, I would ask you to save your ‘Hecatoncheires’ until I contact you separately. (You may wonder how I know about that item, but I will explain later.)
If it ended there, Lee Seong-yoon would only be left with questions and might not be inclined to accept Lee Hyun-wook's request.
‘But I know Lee Seong-yoon's greatest desire.’
He had fought alongside Lee Seong-yoon for a good three years in his past life.
During that time, he had heard all his innermost thoughts.
‘So if I target that, he'll definitely come around.’
- ...And if you trust me, I know who murdered Nicholas Steel, the former leader of the White Tree Guard, and I will tell you.
Do not speak of this to anyone.
Our common enemy is hiding nearby.
Nicholas Steel, the person Saintess Emilia Müller trusted most and the holy knight who was the protector of the Saint Dome.
He was also the first chairman of the Guardian and a man who was practically a father figure and spiritual guide to Lee Seong-yoon.
Lee Seong-yoon had been investigating his death for a long time but had found no evidence… Later, when Gordon Price was revealed as a traitor, it came to light that he had driven Nicholas Steel and numerous other Guardian members to their deaths.
‘I can't reveal this right now. The current Gordon Price is highly trusted within the Guardian.’
So he planned to slowly tighten the noose around the man's neck.
***
Shortly after Lee Hyun-wook's bold declaration, about half of the Player forces broke away and set up a separate camp far away.
As expected, most of them were Alain Gidam and the Futur faction.
And they began a malicious media campaign.
- [Exclusive] Masters of 6 Major Guilds Unanimously Criticize Steel Rain's Strategy: "No Chance of Victory, We Must Prevent a Senseless Slaughter"
But the world was too captivated by the brilliant aura of the name Steel Rain to be swayed by such words.
Then came the news that the Dark Elf and Black Orc legions had joined the Titan forces and reinforced their defenses.
The next day…
“...Sergeant Ahn Min-tae, are we really advancing tonight?”
“Yeah, didn't you hear? Hey! Move it, move it!”
Even for a scheduled battle, they couldn't help but worry, and anxious complaints erupted here and there.
This reaction was even more pronounced among the civilian guild members.
“Hah— I saw the footage from the mana drones. Breaking through that place looks impossible. It’s a true iron fortress.”
As the besieging side, they had to capture four points known as ‘Victory Flags.’ But observation of those points revealed… massive fortresses had risen from the ground.
A literal siege environment had been created.
And what's more, these were mountain fortresses at an altitude of 600 to 700 meters.
“I saw it too. But to not have Mjolnir…”
“I know, right? I was counting on that one thing… Steel Rain said he has a way, but it’s so frustrating not knowing what it is.”
And these fortresses were not mere stone walls. They were protected by powerful magic barriers, reached heights of up to 45 meters, and some even had magma oozing down their sides.
They were impregnable fortresses, a wailing wall that could never be overcome.
*Whoooooosh—*
Towards that place, hundreds of transport aircraft and an even greater number of armored vehicles and trucks were moving in an endless procession.
And the ROK AMT was at the vanguard.
“Hmm, the battle is about to begin… If they find out Steel Rain isn't here, all hell will really break loose.”
The one who said this was the short-statured soldier, Choi Jeong-cheol.
That was right. As the Player forces advanced for the siege, Steel Rain was not among them.
But this fact was unknown to anyone except for Lee Hyun-wook's closest confidants, like Choi Jeong-cheol and Kim Kang-seok.
“...Battalion Commander, what do you think? What on earth was Hyun-wook thinking, ordering us to charge head-on like this?”
“I don't know either, sir. But I trust him.”
Even they had no idea what Lee Hyun-wook was preparing. He had simply told them to wait for the right moment and feign an attack, then disappeared since early dawn…
“Right, who can we trust if not that kid? I'm excited to see what kind of surprise he has in store for us this time!”
***
“*Cough— Hack—*”
At that moment, in Rome, Italy, a groan echoed from a wine bar in the city center that had been frozen since the Titanomachy.
“Who… who are you…”
A Dark Elf, slammed onto a shattered oak barrel, asked into the empty air. Then, the air shimmered…
*Woong—*
A man materialized from it. He tucked the black helmet he had just removed under his arm and spoke to someone.
“...Is this guy the Terminal access officer?”
“What? How do you know who I am…”
Just then, the sound of footsteps on the stairs was heard, and several shadows descended into the underground wine cellar. But…
“Gasp! Y-You— How are you still alive?”
Clypeus Griseo, the second prince of the Dark Elf kingdom, recently overthrown in a coup, was there.
“Flos Ruber didn't kill me; he imprisoned me.”
“Damn it, that fool finally made a mistake!”
The second prince approached silently and placed his hand on the ‘access officer’s’ face. A light emanated from his palm… but nothing happened. However, when he then placed his palm on Lee Hyun-wook's face and emitted the light—
*Whoooooosh—*
His face transformed into a completely different form.
Following him, Kim Se-hee and Park Jun-mo also ‘Polymorphed’ into the bodies of other fallen Dark Elves nearby.
“...These long ears are quite annoying.”
Lee Hyun-wook said, touching his Polymorphed face.
The ‘access officer,’ who had been watching, shrieked.
“—You bastard, what are you planning to do with my face?”
Lee Hyun-wook silently raised his left hand. Mjolnir shot from his back and demolished one of the walls.
*BOOM—!*
Behind the wall, a giant sphere was hidden.
It was a gate leading to the Dark Elf kingdom’s ‘Terminal.’
Lee Hyun-wook stood before it and looked at the second prince.
“Now, I’m going to help you reclaim your ‘throne.’”
“...Yes, the time has truly come.”
“But don't forget what you have to do right after.”
Throne. It had a double meaning.
First, it meant the right to rule the Dark Elf kingdom.
And second, it meant command over the king's army.
What Lee Hyun-wook was referring to was the second meaning.
‘The strongest force in the Dark Elf army is the <Vanguard>.’
It was the Dark Elf emperor's personal guard, Dark Elves whose brains had been completely replaced by parasitic plants implanted in their heads, allowing them to be controlled through a specific mana pattern.
And the thing that could transmit that mana pattern was the emperor's ‘throne.’ In other words, if they could just seize it…
‘We can turn the tide of this war in an instant.’