Overgeared Chapter 1206:
Chapter 1206
Toddle .
“ . . . . . . ”
Toddle .
‘Slow!’
The movement speed of the black tortoise, who had become smaller, was as slow as a tortoise . It was maddening for the high rankers who valued time more than gold but no one dared to complain . It was because the ones leading them were not only a god, but also Grid, the first ranked player .
‘It is a **** so it must have a deep meaning . ’
‘That’s right . There’s a reason why the black tortoise is walking slower than anyone else, even though it should be anxious . Isn’t there a saying that the more anxious you are, the more you crawl . ’
‘Grid knows this as well so he’s quiet . ’
‘The longest way around is the shortest way home?’
The high rankers were trying to convince themselves while Grid was looking at the new system . He was looking at the list of available skills that were less frequently used .
[1 . Unbreakable Justice - used in 15 out of the last 100 battles .
2 . Continuous Stab - used in 6 out of the last 100 battles .
3 . Spear Shot - used in 2 out of the last 100 battles . ]
‘My fights with ordinary monsters are also included in recent battles . ’
Only in this way could the ratio on the list be correct .
‘Passive skills are excluded . ’
If passive skills were included then Bow Mastery should also be on the list . Grid hadn’t shot a bow recently so Bow Mastery wasn’t put to use .
‘Unique skills are also excluded . . . ’
What skills have he used the least? Grid asked himself this and the first skill that came to mind was Granting an Ego . It was Granting an Ego that Grid had never used before . It was used in the National Competition but that was on a separate server . The next one that came up was the Restraint skill . A powerful wide-area crowd control skill, it was once a favorite of Grid but recently, he only used it in large-scale combat . It was because a number of opponents could be defeated without restraining them while the really powerful opponents had high resistance to abnormal states and the effectiveness of Restraint could be reduced .
However, both skills weren’t included in the list of skills that could be synthesized . Granting an Ego seemed to be excluded because it wasn’t a combat-related skill and Restraint was excluded because it had an impact on or influenced various fused sword dances .
“Hrmm . . . ”
Grid looked back on his recent battles . Unbreakable Justice had the advantage of being immediately activated in a wide area but the frequency of use had been further reduced since he obtained Drop, which applied the abnormal state ‘collapse . ’
The multi-hit Continuous Stab was used to break shields that ‘unconditionally absorb a certain number of attacks, regardless of damage . ’ Spear Shot was used for making variables by throwing or picking up a spear that had fallen to the ground and utilizing them .
‘They are used less often but except for Unbreakable Justice, everything had its place to be used . ’
Grid frowned . It was a flaw just because he didn’t like to use it . This logic of a perfect transcendent was different from reality . Grid thought that his less frequently used skills weren’t his shortcomings . Rather, they were a power .
‘In fact, if I can connect Unbreakable Justice with Drop then I can aim for a momentary explosion . ’
Drop dealt damage to all targets within range and induced a drop in defense . Then he could link Unbreakable Justice . This combo would boast a tremendous destructive power just looking at the coefficients . He simply refrained from using it because of the opportunity cost . Rather than linking Unbreakable Justice, it was better to connect the more powerful fused dances or the Undefeated King’s swordsmanship . Unbreakable Justice was only used when resources were really tight or skill cooldowns overlapped, making things difficult .
‘ . . . Ah . ’
Grid was crazily thinking up to this point, only to get enlightenment .
Unbreakable Justice, Continuous Stab, and Spear Spot were all skills ‘replaceable’ with something else . Grid had a wide area skill that was much more powerful than Unbreakable Justice and the fusion sword dances that included Link were much more powerful than Continuous Stab .
Spear Shot was throwing a spear? Grid could throw a spear without Spear Shot . No, he could pick up and throw all the weapons in the world, not just the spear . Of course, the attack power coefficient was that of a basic attack so the power would be reduced but the initial purpose of this technique was to create a variable, not for the power .
Unbreakable Justice, Continuous Stab, and Spear Shot were all ‘skills that weren’t necessary’ for the current Grid . In the past, it could be used as a secret technique when his resources limit was lower, there was a delay in the use of the sword dance, and there were fewer skills .
‘It is a waste of a skill slot . . . the system did an objective evaluation . ’
Grid never obtained anything easily . Unbreakable Justice, Continuous Stab, and Spear Shot were all skills he got after struggling so he was deeply attached to them . Now was the time to abandon his attachment to them .
[* You can create one new skill by synthesizing three skills . ]
A system that occurred during transcendence . The new skill described here that could be used by transcendents would boast a high level of utility .
‘Let’s accept but after this battle . ’
It was a risk to throw away existing skills to get a new one in the current situation . Unless the new skill was very simple, it would be difficult for Grid to adapt immediately . Since the final battle was upcoming, it was much wiser to hone his original skills .
“Nyahahat! It is like hell, like hell!”
“ . . . . . . ”
Grid thought back . He thought about the battle with the yangbans not long ago . What did he do well, what did he do wrong, what were his shortcomings, and what were his advantages? This was a habit . If he skipped it even once then he would be anxious and his hands would tremble .
“It is like hell, nyang!”
“Please be quiet . ”
The excited Noe continued making noise and the Grid threw him a fish . It wasn’t funny when the **** he summoned was hindering his concentration .
‘I understand why he is excited . ’
Grid, who had fixed his eyes on the gaze of the walking black tortoise, finally looked around at the surrounding landscape . Now it was **** as Noe expressed . The brilliant scenery of the splendid civilization that showed off its wealth was now ruined . All the people had disappeared from the vibrant streets and it was horrifyingly cruel . Noe was a beast from **** so it was natural that he felt like he had returned home .
. . . Although it was funny that a demonic beast from **** loved fish from the sea .
Grid stepped through the rubble of the collapsed building and ash was scattered .
“ . . . . . . ”
Grid’s heart ached . Many of the innocent civilians who died without escaping the sudden disaster were among them . There were even children .
‘It’s all my fault . ’
The reason Braham devastated the city with a terrible disaster was for Grid . Braham only used the best magic because Grid asked him to open the way ahead . Yes, the person who created this **** was Grid himself .
‘ . . . I’m sorry . ’
Brush off his boiling guilt with an apology . Distinguish between games and reality . The selfish defensive mechanism worked .
Usually, Grid respected and cared for NPCs like they were humans but he made exceptions in some cases . It was if the target was an ‘enemy’ or ‘other . ’ In this case, Grid recognized NPCs as non-human chunks of graphics and didn’t think deeply about their death . He tried to shake it off easily . It was why he had been able to kill so many enemies so far . Someone would say he was an insane, creepy guy, but Grid was confident .
‘If I don’t do this then I’ll go crazy . ’
From the beginning, he was a selfish person who only valued his people . Don’t take on more of a burden than was necessary .
“ . . . ?”
Grid, who was trying to harden his mind, stopped in place . It was because he felt a lot of movement from within a safe building . Grid reflexively used Quick Movements and Blacksmith’s Rage as he moved in the direction he felt it from . Then he found it . Women, men, children, adults, and the elderly—there were thousands of people .
“H-Hik!”
“ . . . Who are you?”
The dumbfounded Grid asked and one terrified person responded cautiously . “W-We are inhabitants of Chiaotzu . ”
“ . . . !”
“Hey, you look like you’re from a foreign country . Do you know what is going on here?”
“We were just living as usual when our bodies suddenly floated up and our location changed . ”
“Everyone was flustered and tried to exchange stories when stars fell from the sky and the city collapsed . Then a monster appeared, night came and we were forced to hide here . . . ”
Grid’s heart was pounding . He noticed Braham’s favor .
‘Braham, you . . . you knew I would feel guilt . ’
Did he rescue the civilians using Mass Teleport? Even from the legendary great magic Meteor?
“Dammit . ”
Sticks of the Overgeared Kingdom had once explained it . Mass Teleport was divided into three main types . First, there was the Mass Teleport that moved the caster and the targets around the caster in a group . It was the commonly known Mass Teleport . It was also the favorite of Sticks .
Second, there was the Mass Teleport that moved targets within a range specified by the caster as a group . It was much more difficult than the typical Mass Teleport . It was said that the only man who could complete this magic formula was the legendary great magician .
Third, there was the Mass Teleport where the caster moved specific targets in groups . It was the ultimate magic that embodied ideas . It was said to be habitually used by the top 10 great demons . They specified ‘demons who follow me’ and teleported them over to the target to be attacked . Among the mixed-race people, only Braham and Marie Rose could use this type of ultimate Mass Teleport and it was said to be an area that could never be reached by humans . Sticks had explained it when warning of the dangers of Marie Rose but Grid hadn’t expected it would be a foreshadowing for this moment .
“You should get away from here . It will soon be swept up by a bigger disaster . ”
Grid didn’t have to persuade them . Drops of black liquid protruded from the black tortoise’s mouth and wrapped around the inhabitants’ bodies .
“Oh my!”
“Huh?!”
The clothes and belongings of the residents in the black droplets turned to ashes and disappeared . Fortunately, the droplets were black so their nakedness couldn’t be seen . The droplets carrying the residents floated in the sky .
“Uwah . . . ”
The residents weren’t scared . Rather, they felt an unknown tranquility and leaned comfortably against the droplet .
『 I . . . Protect you . . . 』
The vague voice of the black tortoise echoed through the minds of the Chiaotzu residents . The memories of the old gods engraved into their genes loomed vaguely .
“B-Black tortoise . . . ”
The residents instinctively recognized the black tortoise’s identity and their eyes turned red . They reached out to the black tortoise but it was too late . The droplets carrying them flew higher and transported them to the outskirts of Chiaotzu .
『 Thank you . . . 』
“No, it wasn’t me . It was my friend . ”
Grid smiled proudly at the black tortoise and started walking again . The black tortoise guided Grid and the rankers to the palace . The scenery of the palace was no different from the city center . Much of it was crumbling . Blood from the dead soldiers dyed it red .
“Uhh . . . ”
The high rankers walking behind Grid shrank back . They were terrified when they recalled the indifference of the yangbans who fought Grid . Could they help? They wondered if they were doing something they would regret for the rest of their lives . They thought about it before soon stopping .
The main reason they followed Grid was to repay his grace but it was also for their individual rights . From the time they received Dodam’s hostility, they were judged to have failed the Call of the Heavens quest . This meant they would suffer a penalty of losing four levels .
It was disgusting . They had to make up for it . They wanted revenge .
‘You guys used us as victims first . ’
‘They became hostile just because we were bystanders, those yangban **** . ’
The more they thought about it, the more hateful it became . It happened when the high rankers became resolved once again .
『 Here . 』
The only safe little palace in the ruins of the castle . The party arrived in front of the building made of an unknown material, just like the white building, and there was suddenly a cold air .
Subsequently . . .
『 I don’t want to . . . ! I don’t want to!!! 』
Another black tortoise screamed . Then different notification windows appeared in front of Grid and the high rankers .
[★Hidden Quest★ Protect the Black Tortoise has occurred!]
[The cooperative quest ‘Revenge’ will occur!]
Something soared up through the ceiling of the palace that was still intact . A beautiful and mysterious bead—it was the Black Tortoise Jewel that held the black tortoise .
“Where are you going?”
Grid used his buff skills and flew up when he saw the yangbans pursuing the Black Tortoise Jewel . He had already won against three yangbans and was full of confidence . At least, until he faced someone with the same presence as Garam .
“Haha, what? How are you all safe?”
A cheerful voice was heard . Grid’s body was slammed into the ground . Grid was struggling to shake off the shock of the strong impact to his head . He raised his head in a laborious manner and saw a yangban called Maru standing with crossed arms .
“That silver-haired demonkin was protecting you? At the expense of himself?”
“What . . . ?”
“ . . . ?”
Grid’s eyes became demonic and the noisy Maru was startled . Grid stuck in the ground was pulling fire . No, it was a bow . A bow that burned with flames . The Red Phoenix Bow, which was reproduced with the item duplication skill, responded to the Red Phoenix’s 9th Heart with a momentum greater than ever before .
“Fly Up!”
“Kuek . . . !”
The yangbans guarding the Black Tortoise Jewel and facing Grid groaned, unable to bear the falling rain of fire .