Overgeared Chapter 788:
Chapter 788
The Overgeared Kingdom was the strongest player force in the game and a threat to anyone . It was a basic thing to target them . There were countless people trying to keep the Overgeared Kingdom in check . But Grid wasn’t aware of this fact . He overlooked the fate of the strong . He didn’t properly defend his kingdom during the National Competition and allowed the enemy to enter .
Grid thought that Khan’s sad end was the result of his own stupidity . Khan was the victim of his ignorance .
After Khan’s death, Grid became obsessed with wisdom . If he had been a bit wiser, Khan’s end wouldn’t have been so lonely . Therefore, Grid challenged being reborn as a wise man . The accumulation of knowledge was slow because of his innate intelligence, but Grid believed that by repeatedly thinking 'infinite' times, he could use his own merits and patience to become a wise man . No, he decided not to believe, but to put it in action .
This was the result . Grid was thinking nonstop . He lacked intelligence compared to others, so he had to think many times more than others . He continued and continued to think whenever facing a situation . His head was constantly working .
Why did he summon only Piaro when he was attacked by the Red Knights and Immortal? It was because Agnus couldn’t be seen . As a result, Grid thought that the Red Knights and Immortal members attacking him might be bait . If he caught the bait and summoned all his knights, his kingdom would be weakened and the empty house could be destroyed . That’s why he first summoned Piaro .
It was this same context that Grid used to judge that Mercedes’ aide should be handled . The reason why Grid was concerned about the aide wasn’t because he was smart, but because he was thinking .
Grid was exhausted . It was different from when he chose without worrying, acted emotionally, and depended on others . The energy consumption of this mindset was enormous .
Sururuk .
Kasim disappeared into the darkness .
“Sigh . ”
Grid leaned his exhausted body against the carriage . It was like he had just raided a powerful boss monster . Piaro measured his condition and bowed deeply .
"You went through a lot of trouble . ”
Piaro was proud of Grid . Rather than being frustrated by Khan’s death, Grid honored Khan by looking at himself . Grid had done well when facing the emperor . Piaro had this type of belief .
Grid asked the smiling Piaro, “Was I right to handle the aide?”
Grid had witnessed the discipline of the Red Knights . They were shaken by Piaro’s appearance, but immediately executed Mercedes’ orders . They doubted Asmophel’s story, but didn’t resist Mercedes’ judgment . Grid believed that the Red Knights in this place wouldn’t talk about Piaro and Asmophel . But the aide was unknown . It was difficult to judge what type of person the aide was when he protected the horses in the distance . That’s why Grid ordered Kasim to handle him .
Piaro nodded . “Mercedes will decide on her own . She will sort out the trustworthy and untrustworthy knights and aides . ”
"You trust her . ”
“She’s an incredibly smart girl . ”
That’s why she was his seed .
"And she grew to my expectations . She will later become a new pillar of the empire . ”
In fact, Piaro was very surprised when he was called by Grid and met Mercedes . He hadn’t thought she was alive . It was natural . Didn’t the brainwashed Asmophel destroy all of the Red Knights in the past? Asmophel wouldn’t leave anyone to hit him in the back . It was difficult to expect that Mercedes, a seed of Piaro, would’ve survived .
But Asmophel saved Mercedes . The reason . . .
‘In his subconscious, he was afraid for the empire . ’
Asmophel was reluctant to kill talent even in his brainwashed days . That was Mercedes . Piaro looked up at the night sky .
"I have become greedier because of your words . ” Grid declared, “I’m going to make Mercedes mine . ”
Grid faced an unprecedented pressure when competing with Mercedes . He felt like she was reading all his actions . At first, he thought it was just her excellent skills, but looking back, it wasn’t . It was clear that she ‘predicted’ his behavior .
‘A scam . ’ Grid asserted .
Mercedes was in the same class as Piaro . A wall that normal players could never cross . A transcendent named NPC . Grid wanted to make her his own person . Piaro thought the same . When he exchanged blows with Mercedes, he thought the only way to overthrow her was Fated to Perish .
‘Once more time passes . . . ’
She would grow to a level of rejecting Fated to Perish . Piaro’s greed grew .
“That’s right, Your Majesty . She must be gathered by Your Majesty . ”
“Um . ”
Grid nodded . He swallowed down the question of whether Piaro yearned for the empire and his country . He trusted Piaro .
“Let’s return to Reinhardt . ”
Grid thought that it was highly unlikely the empire was behind this raid . It was highly likely the empress was the mastermind . But the issue was too big to judge for himself . He had to quickly meet Lauel . Grid immediately climbed into the carriage .
‘I’m tired . ’
This one day in the empire was like a year . Grid sat on the seat and his eyes moved towards the window . Asmophel entered his gaze . Asmophel was walking on the right side of the carriage with a pained expression .
‘His guilt has gone beyond his heart and imprinted in his soul . ’
Salvation would be difficult . Piaro might’ve forgiven him, but the dead Red Knights and their families couldn’t . As Grid predicted, Asmophel was willing to end his life the moment he got revenge on the empress .
‘ . . . Wait . ’ Grid made a sad expression only to come up with something . ‘Did all the Red Knights really die?’
The rebels who followed the traitor Piaro . This was the evaluation of the previous generation of Red Knights . Grid heard that ‘most’ of the Red Knights were executed . Yes, most of them . It wasn’t all of them . Some were still surviving as fugitives .
‘Maybe I can give Asmophel a chance to atone?’
Grid didn’t delay . He immediately gave an order to Asmophel, “Asmophel, travel through the continent and find the survivors of the Red Knights . ”
“Huh? W-What . . . ?”
Surprise and fear . Asmophel’s face turned grey from the unexpected command .
Grid stared into his wavering gaze and explained, "I will absorb the previous generation of the Red Knights . It isn’t impossible to absorb them . Isn’t that right?”
"You want to gather the survivors of the old Red Knights?”
“Yes . ”
"Is it really appropriate for me to be the one to find them? Why are you leaving it to me instead of Piaro…?”
Asmophel stopped talking . He grasped Grid’s intent but he didn’t dare say the word ‘atonement . ’ He bowed his head with a dark expression .
“Piaro forgave you . ”
“ . . . ”
“Won’t the others be the same? They will all feel like Piaro . ”
“ . . . ”
"Find them . Then talk to them . ”
Asmophel could only think that the command to ‘find the old Red Knights’ was purely out of concern for himself . It was also a chance to bring the ‘power of the previous generation’ to the kingdom . It was an example that showed Grid’s mindset of thinking about his precious people, which was the greatest driving force behind the Overgeared Kingdom .
“Always be happy . ”
“ . . . ”
“This is the dying wish I received from Khan . Let us try to be happy together . ”
“ . . . I will keep that in mind . ”
Asmophel stopped walking and bowed deeply . He didn’t raise his head until the carriage that Grid was in had disappeared from view .
Piaro cheered for Asmophel on his journey of atonement .
‘Have strength . ’
Please come back with old friends .
***
[Hwan Kingdom’s Resident (1)]
★ Hidden Quest ★
You have to meet the minimal qualifications to challenge the Chiyou test .
First, go beyond the level of an ordinary person .
Quest Clear Condition (1): Don’t die until you reach level 400 .
* Every time you gain 20 levels without dying while the quest is ongoing, you will gain a large number of additional stats .
* If you die, you will lose all the additional stats you have acquired . The lost stats can’t be restored .
* If you die, the quest clear conditions will change to number two .
Quest Clear Condition (2): The number of deaths must be less than 5 until you achieve level 400 (Number of Deaths: 2/5) .
* This is the last chance . If you fail to complete the second clear conditions, you will completely lose your qualification to challenge the Chiyou test .
In the past, Veradin visited the East Continent and completely focused on the yangbans of the Hwan Kingdom . He anticipated that he could benefit from the greatest power on the East Continent . As a result, he was the first player to visit the Hwan Kingdom and received the hidden quest to become a ‘yangban . ’
It was because he gave off a good impression to the yangbans . At that time, Veradin was level 290 . He tried hard to go over level 300 without dying and secured a tremendous amount of stats as a result . But it was all blown away . He touched the Overgeared Kingdom and died two times already .
“Maybe . . . ”
Veradin gulped with a pale complexion . Grid’s words ‘the first time’ constantly revolved in his head . Grid really would try to find and kill Veradin many times .
“ . . . In the meantime, I will hide . ”
Veradin always believed he was better than others . For a person who manipulated other people, Grid and his items that violated common sense caused him to feel a new shock and horror . He didn’t want to face Grid anytime soon . It was the first time that Veradin feared another person .
'I can’t believe I’m feeling like this towards an ordinary person . . . !’
Kwaduduk!
Anger filled Veradin’s body . He suddenly had a question . It was about the reaction of the Red Knights to the farmer summoned by Grid .
‘Why did they look so shocked?'
The necromancers were in the rear of the battlefield . They were too far away so Veradin couldn’t hear the conversation . This was bad .
'There is something . Something . . . . ’
Maybe the key to breaking the current crisis was the farmer? Veradin looked at new possibilities .
At the same time, the outskirts of Titan .
Chaeeeng!
Mercedes’ sword blocked a dagger flying through the darkness . Sky belatedly realized that his neck would’ve been pierced if Mercedes hadn’t acted and hurriedly raised his shield . Mercedes looked into the darkness .
"Tell the Overgeared King I know what he’s concerned about . Please let me handle it . ”
- . . . Understood .
“ . . . ?”
A chill went down Sky’s spine as a gloomy voice was heard from the darkness .
‘What? Why was I on the brink of being assassinated?’
Mercedes said to the frightened Sky, "As of today, you are dismissed . ”
“Yes . . . ?”
"You can never set foot in the imperial palace again . ”
“W-What is this . . . ?!”
What the **** was this all of a sudden? It happened when Sky was confused and going to ask for an explanation .
[You have lost your qualifications for the second class ‘First Knight’s Aide . ’]
[All Red Knights quests currently in progress will be destroyed . ]
[You are denied entry to the imperial palace . ]
[The 7 points of affinity built up with Mercedes have been reset to 0 . ]
“Eh . . . ? Eh eh?”
Sky trembled from the unbelievable reality . He was worried that Mercedes had noticed the darkness inside him . After a while, he was left alone . Sky reflected on this incident and realized that Grid was behind it . He had to think about the circumstances .
“You . . . ! You son of a bitch!”
Sky felt extreme anger at Grid because he could no longer fulfill his goal of making Mercedes his slave . But after a moment .
“C-Crazy . . . ”
Sky started to feel fear instead of anger . He feared Grid’s transcendent power that could destroy one person’s life so easily . The presence of the new and matured king was too great to compare to the previous one