Overgeared

“......”

Realm of Domination—Piaro was drawn into Fenrir’s unique world and was in a major crisis. However, there wasn’t any danger in this enchantment. The serene desert landscape was desolate and lonely.

“An immortal being...”

There were countless humans who envied the eternal life of vampires. However, were vampires suitable for the times? Could they call their eternal life a blessing when they spent most of it alone in a coffin? Piaro recalled the thirsty-for-affection Noll and thought that vampires were a very needy race.

The wolf cub on the ground approached Piaro’s feet and rubbed his cheek against them. He seemed accustomed to being loved as he wagged his tail and pushed out his belly when he met Piaro’s eyes.

Piaro smiled and stroked the wolf’s soft belly. “You are Hachika.”

Woof! His head nodded. Hachika responded by fiercely wagging his tail and a shadow was cast over Piaro’s smiling face.

“I see... your master was someone who could share affection with you despite never receiving affection.”

The identity of the enchantment was to project the user’s mental image. This mental image was based on the mind. The more dangerous the mind, the more threatening it would be. On the other hand, Fenrir’s world expressed solitude and affection. Fenrir seemed to believe that the vision of Hachika in his mind symbolized dominance but this was rapport, not domination.

‘...Maybe this is the essence of the trait of domination.’

Only then could he understand Beriache’s expectations for Fenrir. Beriache, who wanted the unity and freedom of the clan, wouldn’t have wanted a tyrant to become the Blood King. 

Piaro took something out of his arms and planted it in the desert. It was one seed. The seed soon took root, potatoes opened, and blue stems grew upwards. It was one of three ways to escape a unique enchantment It was to cause a change in the foundation of the mind. Once a dainty potato flower bloomed in the desolate desert, a large crack started to occur in the enchantment. 

Hachika clung to Piaro’s ankle. He seemed to be shouting that he didn’t want to stay here alone but he was just an image, not real. Piaro stroked his head once and left the enchantment. He soon opened his eyes in reality and was able to witness the swirling Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle slam into Fenrir.

“Cough...! Cough!!”

Fenrir sat down due to the golden spears piercing both legs. He looked at the faces of the intruders surrounding him and asked Noll and Tiramet, “Did you turn that guy into the Blood King?”

Tiramet didn’t answer and Noll hurriedly asked, “What are you saying? What type of talent do we have to make a Blood King at will?”

“Then how is he already the Blood King?”

“Grid isn’t the Blood King. He is still a candidate.”

“What...? He ignored the power of domination despite not being a Blood King?”

Grid was his name. Fenrir stared at the first human to defeat him and quickly burst into tears.

“He is just a monster.”

Fenrir didn’t know much about the human world. Fenrir had heard Pagma’s name but he never met Pagma in person. Thus, he had no way of knowing that Grid resisted the power of domination because he was Pagma's Descendant. He misunderstood Grid as the strongest transcendent of this age with a status above him. This meant he was even more determined.

“...You must not become the Blood King.”

Fenrir denied Grid.

Flash!

“...!?”

Grid was flustered. The moment Fenrir reached into the air, light flashed from the middle of the ceiling like a sun. It was shocking to know there was something like the sun deep underground in a city of vampires who feared the sun. Grid and the knights frowned at the bright light. The Sun Sword was completely dominated by Fenrir’s power and slammed into Grid’s head.

“...Ugh.” Grid let out a groan and swayed.

“Oppa!”

The astonished Ruby hurriedly tried to use Heal but like the Sun Sword, all the lost weapons scattered throughout the room rushed at her to stop her. It was the power of domination. Fenrir had all the weapons dropped by intruders in this place under his control while leaving behind a secret weapon.

Fenrir determined Grid to be dead when he saw this person collapsing and looked at Braham. “The Blood King shouldn’t exist. Once the Blood King is born, Marie Rose will take revenge and the entire clan will be used as a tool of revenge.”

“......”

“The clan’s grudge? Revenge for the prosperity of the clan? Nonsense. It is my mother’s grudge and revenge is to honor her. Do you think it is right that we are used as tools of revenge just because we were born as her children?”

“......”

“The birth of the Blood King will drive the clan to hell. It will annihilate all of the clan except Marie Rose and the Blood King.” Fenrir’s gaze swept over Noll and Tiramet. He hadn’t reacted when he saw them on the side of the humans and now he spoke to them for the first time. “All of you have already overcome the Curse of Idleness. You don’t need a Blood King to take revenge. You must live normally in a world without the Blood King.”

“...Fenrir.”

Noll’s eyes filled with tears. He was thrilled to learn that the reason why Fenrir tried to prevent the birth of the Blood King was for his siblings. On the other hand, Braham scoffed. He showed his obvious scorn and opened his mouth. “That is bullshit. You just don’t want others to reign over you.”

“Nonsense.”

“You just want to live that worthless life.”

“Nonsense!”

“No, it is true. Do you think I don't know your nature? You are a meaningless existence, a despicable coward who dreams of eternal existence. You are just a despicable coward who lay in your coffin as an excuse not to fight for her.”

“Shut up!”

“Didn’t you come in contact with Marie Rose not long ago? Didn’t you rush out into the human world because you were afraid she would meet a companion and give birth to a new child, treating you as useless?”

“Shut up!” 

“In front of Marie Rose who can get rid of you at any time, you are just a terrified rat who can’t even utter a word. Now you are portraying yourself differently? You are a really despicable fellow.”

“You are the madman who harmed his own people!”

Fenrir reached out his hand. The Sun Sword, plugged into Grid, was sucked into his hand. Fenrir suffered severe burns to his hands. Still, he held the Sun Sword without hesitation as he slashed it at Braham’s neck. The only person who blocked him was Grid. Fenrir recoiled with shock when Grid, who he was certain had died, showed up alive. “H-How are you alive?”

Grid had been wounded more than Fenrir. It was impossible for him to be alive after being stabbed with the sword. Grid scratched his head and answered. “I’m overgeared.”

It was an answer without any lies. Grid had a legendary class and entered the immortal state for five seconds. The moment the immortal duration ended, he recovered 20% of his health using the Protagonist of Two Eras title and his life was spared. In addition, Valhalla and Lantier’s cloak had defense in the realm of a legendary level and he couldn’t be killed by a ‘mere sword with 1,000 attack power’ falling from the air. That’s why the other knights apart from Ruby didn’t make a fuss. 

“G-Grid, I’m not sure.”

Noll was biting his nails with a tearful expression. He loved his siblings because of the trait of ‘kindness,’ which had grown stronger since overcoming the Curse of Idleness. He didn’t want Fenrir’s death. Even if Fenrir was obsessed with his life out of simple selfishness as Braham said, Noll wanted to protect Fenrir because Fenrir was poor. 

However, Grid didn’t hesitate. “What are you not sure about? I have to kill him.”

A direct descendant vampire was an immortal being who could be resurrected unless the soul was extinguished. Tiramet was the representative example. He might not be resurrected as a complete being like a great demon but he could be an imperfect pet.

Grid decided that Fenrir should be sealed once in order for Fenrir to get a new start. The limitation of monsters was that they couldn’t take potions. Fenrir’s health was still at the bottom unlike Grid who took a potion to recover from the sword falling from the ceiling. His incredible resilience meant his health would recover if he had a bit more time, but the time was too short.

“Cough...!”

Grid used Blacksmith's Rage and Quick Movements again after their cooldown ended and lightly dodged the Sun Sword. He linked the two fusion and three fusion sword dances, turning Fenrir to grey ash. However, like the other direct descendant vampires, Fenrir’s soul didn’t dissipate and instead permeated the cloak he had been wearing. Ruby tried to stop it but Grid restrained her.

[You have sealed Vampire Marquis ‘Fenrir’!]

[Fenrir’s strength is engraved on the Rune of Darkness.]

[Fenrir’s Strength]

[Type: Passive

Show the undefeated spirit of struggle.

If you are fighting an opponent who has a higher level than you for more than a minute, the damage and defense reduction effects caused by the level difference will be ignored.]

[Your level has risen!]

[Your level has risen!]

[The blessing of Archangel Sariel has occurred! The item drop rate will increase by 500%!]

[’Fenrir’s Cloak’ has been acquired.]

[A ‘High-grade Vampire Ring’ has been acquired.]

[’Strange Magic Power Stone’ has been acquired.]

[The ‘Sun Sword’ has been acquired.]

[10 ‘Elixirs’ have been acquired.]

[7 blessed weapon enhancement scrolls have been acquired.]

[15 blessed armor enhancement scrolls have been acquired.]

[The title ‘Blood King Candidate’ has been promoted to ‘Blood King.’]

[All vampires except ‘Marie Rose’ will be submissive to you in the future!]

[Blood King]

[Type: Passive

★ Blood magic will bloom when conditions are met.

The blood magic will be according to your personality.

★ Can free direct descendant vampires if the conditions are met. 

* Liberated vampires are free from the Curse of Idleness.]

‘All vampires will be submissive to me?’

Grid was lost for words by the unimaginable effect.

“Your Majesty.”

Tiramet knelt in front of Grid. Then an exclamation point appeared over Tiramet’s name and Grid clicked on it. The result was amazing.

[Tiramet’s soul has been freed from his constraints!]

A light flashed from Tiramet's Belt that Grid was wearing and a blue soul slipped out, permeating Tiramet’s body. It was the moment when Tiramet’s identity returned to being a NPC, not a pet.

“Wow...” Grid confirmed that Tiramet had recovered his strength and clicked his tongue.

Noll didn’t know the situation and was hugging Grid in a thrilled manner. “You sealed Fenrir to save him afterwards!”

“T-That’s right.”

In fact, he wanted to resurrect Fenrir as a pet. He never dreamed they could be fully resurrected as NPCs. Nevertheless, Grid didn’t bother explaining and Noll jumped around while saying Grid’s plan was really great.

Grid asked Braham, “Did you know this when you asked me to be the Blood King?”

Braham had told Grid that he had no intention of seeking revenge. Yet he insisted on hunting Fenrir using the angel’s blessing as an excuse. This meant that Grid would become Blood King. It had been a bit questionable but at this moment, the question was resolved. Perhaps Braham wanted to give his brothers freedom from the start.

Braham was cynical. “It's a coincidence. I didn't care about them.”

He was serious. Braham was only concerned about Grid. Braham was wary of Marie Rose’s children in the future. If Grid was still a Blood King Candidate when Marie Rose gave birth to a child then Grid would be targeted by Marie Rose’s children, who dreamed of becoming the Blood King.

However, as long as Grid became the Blood King, Marie Rose’s children couldn’t hurt Grid. Even Marie Rose was the same. That’s right. Braham had no idea that Marie Rose was interested in Grid.

At the same time, the S.A Group...

“I think it is better to create multiple PVE-focused events than PvP...”

“Definitely... there is no other way if we want to make the participants feel less deprived.”

The executives, who were sitting in the conference room and watching Grid, exchanged views. They were blinded by the sight of Grid, who had been crowned Blood King.