Overgeared

A continent ruled by four kingdoms. The reason why the situation on the East Continent was unchanged for so long was simple. The resources and talents of the four kingdoms were too plentiful. It was no wonder since only four kingdoms shared a land that was the same size as the West Continent. Since all four kingdoms made steady progress and were vigilant against each other, it was difficult to change the structure of power.  

“...!”

At the Cho Kingdom’s capital, Kars...

The soldiers of the outer gates, who were thoroughly vigilant as soldiers of the Cho Kingdom, knelt in amazement. Step. Step. The sound of a god’s footsteps got closer. The soldiers bowed so their foreheads touched the ground and the people who belatedly realized the situation also bowed.

“...”

Once a god crossed the gates, a red curtain was laid around the area. There wasn’t the smallest breath from the street that had been crowded just a moment ago. The yangban Garam—as usual, he came unannounced and paralyzed the nation’s capital. The soldiers and the people prayed.

May God bless us and bring us luck in the future.

It was just unfortunate.

Step. Step. Step.

Garam didn’t respond to the public’s prayers. No, he didn’t even see them. Garam’s transcendent vision only gazed at the entrance of the palace in the distance.

‘I’ll show you that you’re just dogs.’

One of the Hwan Kingdom’s unwritten rules was to not harm the royal family of the four kingdoms. They had considerable influence on the people and it was important to maintain their honor and fear toward the Five Seniors and the yangbans. However, today Garam was trying to break the unwritten rule. They were the ones who crossed the line first.

‘Impertinent guys.’

Garam’s finely combed hair fluttered. Today, he didn’t have it in a topknot. He didn’t reveal his left ear that had been cut off by Grid.

...Grid! Grid!! Grid!!!

He knew the fact that this force that was protecting that bastard was insignificant but he couldn’t forgive the Cho king. Garam’s footsteps became faster and faster when his eyes lit up. A column of fire shot up from behind the walls that surrounded the palace. The momentum was so great that the clouds evaporated and the blue sky glowed.

“...?”

Garam couldn’t understand the situation. At first, he denied the precursor to the ‘impossible.’ However, it was only for a moment. He soon accepted the situation. 

“You can’t go forward anymore.”

It had never happened since he became a subject of faith. The soldiers and people of the Cho Kingdom, who had never stood in Garam’s way, now gathered closely to block him. They even raised their heads and gazed into his eyes.

“Hah...”

Garam watched the foolish people stepping on his shadow and burst out laughing.

“The more inferior you are, the more faithful you are to your instincts.”

Garam knew the source of the unpleasant warmth that started to spread throughout the Cho Kingdom once the column of fire soared. It was the aura of the red phoenix who originally defended the land. This guy who had been struggling for a long time was starting again.

“Stop walking!”

As Garam continued to walk forward, the soldiers raised their voices and pulled out their weapons. The sword and spears that had been used as a tool for worshipping the yangbans were now aimed at Garam. This meant that the instincts engraved in the genes and souls of the Cho Kingdom’s people had blossomed.

The warmth that spread from the red phoenix reminded them of the forgotten god. The one their ancestors served. The people of the Cho Kingdom felt the existence of the guardian god who had protected them and realized that Garam was their enemy.

“Kukukuk, you are all the same...”

Garam didn’t hide his anger. He felt that some of the faith poured toward him had vanished. He dared to reveal his true self to the people of the Cho Kingdom who turned their backs to him.

“Now the reason for your existence has disappeared. I will punish you and you will perish.”

The words of a god were final. Garam would soon become a god and he had no intention of going back on his words. Garam took immediate action and flames sparked in front of him. It was the application of the red phoenix aura.

‘The power of the old god that you are thinking about will destroy you...’

Garam thought this as he made a brutal smile and shot the flames in front of him. All the soldiers and people in the path of the flames were pushed out like a tsunami and burned to death with horrific screams. Dozens of houses and buildings on the street were swept away by the explosion, causing more casualties.

Kars transformed into hell. In the midst of the roaring flames, Garam shouted at the people of the Cho Kingdom, “Humans! Trivial, little things! Do you know who the peace and happiness you have enjoyed comes from? It is me! Me, Garam! You lived because I didn’t destroy you despite having the power the entire time!”

“Ugh...”

Some people choked while others couldn’t stand it and started to vomit. The disgusting reality of the beings always believed to be gods couldn’t be easily accepted by the residents of the Cho Kingdom.

“Isn’t that bastard completely crazy?”

The players gritted their teeth. For the past few days, they had lived with the people of the Cho Kingdom and had been told stories of the yangbans. People smiled and said he could live because there were great gods called the FIve Seniors and the yangbans. Thus, they imagined a merciful god. However, reality was completely different. It was an awful arrogance and self-righteousness. This wasn’t a god, it was more similar to a great demon.

“The existence of a god is like this?” someone spoke from the middle of the crowd—it was Hera. She had never witnessed a miracle that could be described as a god’s mercy, thus she could speak with a slightly different perspective.

“Ah, I’m talking about the gods of Satisfy.”

Hera felt the stiff atmosphere and laughed. Even so, there were dark shadows over the faces of the players. She thought of the world message from a while ago. It was a message from an unknown person discussing a god’s qualifications. It was an obvious declaration of war toward the gods.

‘Did Grid find out the reality of the gods?’

The gods of Satisfy. No, the gods here on the East Continent were likely to be completely different from the gods they had believed in and relied on. Grid couldn’t tolerate them. Explosions were occurring non-stop. The beautiful and magnificent Kars was being destroyed by the gods they believed in.

“...”

The eyes of the players were frantically trembling as they became witnesses to the apocalypse. They were deeply anxious as they saw a dark future through Garam’s presence. A number of people sat there feeling dizzy from the fact that the Cho Kingdom could be wiped out in the near future.

“Dammit... this fu*king game.”

During the time when Great Demon Berith destroyed the Rotemon Kingdom, people could still feel hope because of the presence of the gods. They were able to endure because they believed that the gods would show up and help before the evil and malicious great demon destroyed humanity. Now they thought it might be a vain belief. Garam was proving that gods unconditionally couldn’t be relied on in Satisfy.

“...The end. This is the end of the game.”

Why? Why did Chairman Lim Cheolho create Satisfy if it wasn’t to satisfy the players’ hopes and dreams?

“Ah...!”

The confused players suddenly had wide eyes. It was because a mother and daughter in the area were on the verge of being attacked by flying fireballs.

“No!” Hera was the first to rush over but other players rescued them before her. This was the difference between a warrior class and a doctor class.

“Are you crazy? A doctor wants to face the flames?” 

“Leave the rescue of the people to us and focus on healing them.”

The players gave Hera stern advice and scattered in all directions after entrusting the mother and daughter to her. The entire city might not be able to be saved but they wanted to help the people in front of them. They learned how beautiful and wonderful it was to help others after watching the videos of various rankers.

“This way! Ugh!”

“Shit!”

It was just that every action came at a cost. They needed the ability to overcome the crisis when saving someone from a crisis. The players failed several times. There were those who couldn’t overcome the heat while trying to save a person covered in fire and some died from a stone falling while trying to save people from the rubble of a building. It was practically impossible for hundreds of players to save tens of thousands of people in the midst of a disaster.

Garam’s creepy voice penetrated the ears of those who had fallen, “Unworthy people, you will die here today.”

The waves of flames centerd around Garam burned more violently and stretched out. The sea of fire that engulfed Kars started to swell. It was like the Red Sea had been turned into fire.

“Ah... Uwahh...”

The players and people of the Cho Kingdom were desperate. Not a single person felt hope. Hera was the same. She closed her eyes tightly as she hugged the injured mother and daughter she had given medicine to.

‘They’re all going to die.’

Even Kentrick would’ve noticed it by now and escaped...

Hera’s skin gradually warmed up.

“Unworthy people? Why are you disregarding those who live with their faith?” someone’s voice echoed from the sky.

The voice was heavy enough to suppress the incessant roaring of the flames.

“P-Perhaps?”

Hera and hundreds of players turned their attention to the sky. The remnants of lightning could be seen. Subsequently...

“200,000 Army Crushing Sword.”

A mighty willpower spread out and extinguished the sea of fire engulfing the city.

“Ah...”

Hera’s eyes shook. She saw the fragile human who vomited blood in exchange for the destruction of the sea of fire created by a god. He fell to the ground, black-gold hands supporting his drooping shoulders.

“Divinity.”

He became a god to stand up against a god.

“Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle.”

“Griddddd!”

It was like a conflict between stars. The world became turbulent when Garam blocked a series of meteor-like attacks from Grid.

“N-No!”

The players screamed with regret. The moment that Grid finished the actions of his sword dance, he would be struck by Garam’s soft sword and fall. However, their expectations were wrong. Grid’s sword dance wasn’t over yet. “Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle!”

“...!?”

“Transcended Link Kill Pin—ugh!”

“Cough!”

Garam, who wanted to hold out against Grid’s onslaught, gradually fell into a defensive position and finally flew away. His bloodshot eyes were only chasing Grid as he pierced through a few burned houses and barely stopped.

“You! Yoou!”

The energy of the blue dragon spread out and Garam shot forward toward Grid while covered in lightning. Once again, Hera and the players realized what their role was. 

“We have to evacuate the people!”

“Okay! Let's go to the palace!”

Their hopes and dreams could be achieved on their own. There was no need to rely on others from the beginning. The players learned from Grid and lost their anxiety about the future. Satisfy’s ending was set? No, they could change it. Chairman Lim Cheolho must’ve known this.

“Hurry!”

Hera and the players placed the injured people on their backs and ran with all their strength. Some of the forces following Garam blocked their way but the players somehow cut them down. Like Grid, they were doing the best they could.