Overgeared

Among the single sword dances, Transcend required a very wide range of actions. Momentum and dignified behavior was required in order to depict a transcendent being, but this was hard to express while widening his strides. In addition, it needed to be accompanied by exaggerated gestures.

This was why Grid didn’t favor Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle. If it was Linked Kill Pinnacle, the sword dance was convenient to use because the sword dance naturally linked the stabs and slashes of Link and Kill. However, Transcended Link Kill was designed to maximize the power of Transcend and it was accompanied by an inevitable delay. The more pressing the battle, the more difficult it was to find the timing of use. However, the story was different if he borrowed the power of Divinity.

“Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle!”

The four fused sword dances unfolded sequentially without any delay. Their power threatened Garam, who had already activated the power of the red phoenix and was pushing his resilience to the limit.

“You...! Cough! Cough!!”

Garam easily blocked the first Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle, barely managed to escape the second Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle, and was blown away by the third Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle. He immediately activated the blue dragon’s power, hitting Grid again and coughing up red blood.

Chill. Garam got goosebumps. He couldn’t see why he was late to handle the second Transcended Link Kill Pinnacle when he so easily blocked the first one. His right hand holding the sword was trembling frantically. He felt a lot of pain in his abdomen and when he scanned his left hand, he saw a lot of blood.

‘Can my recovery keep up?’

Everyone saw him being hurt deeply and driven on the defensive by a human. It was the biggest shame of his life. The history of this day should be erased.

“Cough, cough! Kuaaaaaah!!!” Garam roared like a wild beast as he nervously struck at the God Hands rotating around him in a dizzying manner. The currents around his body spread through the area as he dropped a move that would turn the area into a pile of ashes. It was intended to obliterate all humans who witnessed his humiliation.

However, his intentions were for naught. It was because the players did their best to protect the people of Kars. Dozens of people’s lives were saved when battle gears and magic were used to prevent a single lightning strike. This caused Garam’s face to distort like a demon.

“Trivial—cough! You!!” In the midst of this extreme wrath, Garam was calm. He recalled the load that occurred when the power of the sacred creatures was used simultaneously and first activated the energy of the blue dragon. Then he waited and raised the power of the red phoenix to the limit as Grid blew away the attack made of intangible winds.

It was intended to maximize the recovery power of the red phoenix in his body. Grid maintained a constant distance from Garam and summoned the Storm of the Fire God. It was a storm of intense flames that engulfed the area. Garam sensed the aura of the red phoenix from the storm and burst out laughing.

“Hahat! Kuhahahat! You’re really ridiculously stupid!”

The reason why the flames of the red phoenix never goes out was because they had a strong vitality.Yes, vitality. This meant that it was a beneficial power according to its use. This was very tasty prey for Garam, who activated the aura of the red phoenix.

‘I’ll eat it!’

Garam took a deep breath. He planned to absorb all the red phoenix flames summoned by Grid and use them as his vitality. However...

‘What?’ 

The nature of the flames sucked deep into his lungs was different. No, the purity was different. The pure red phoenix flames contained a strong willpower. The willpower showed a terrible killing intent toward Garam.

‘Red phoenix...! Is it the red phoenix?!’

Garam stared at the pillars of fire and then glanced back at Grid. The presence of the red phoenix preparing for resurrection was strengthening. Garam’s Red Phoenix Breath was being assimilated into its essence. Garam realized that the red phoenix was rejecting him. He could no longer fully use the aura of the red phoenix until the red phoenix was fully sealed.

A painful burst of shock caused Garam’s eyes to shake. Garam’s lungs that swallowed the flames were torn apart.

“Ugh...!” Garam cursed and held his breath.

The moment he exhaled, his blood burned and his heart felt like it was exploding. Finally...

[The target is under the influence of the Storm of the Fire God and his recovery attempt has failed.] 

[The effect of Rage of the Fire God has cursed the target with 15,000 fixed damage and reversed the healing effect.]

Grid’s face became rosy as he checked the notification windows. Unlike Garam who failed in recovery, Grid saw hope as he recovered from his wounds by drinking a potion.

‘Garam has noticed the effects of Storm of the Fire God. He won’t be active during the storm.’

He could buy time by maintaining a distance from the storm while ensuring that Garam couldn’t leave the storm. The mana consumed in exchange for maintaining the Storm of the Fire God wasn’t a problem. Grid had the Ring of Absurdity and the inherent ability of Storm of the Fire God itself had the effect of increasing the healing effect of allies by 20%, including the ‘caster.’

That’s right—the effect of mana recovery potions also increased while maintaining the Storm of the Fire God. Based on the potion recovery, the cooldown, and the mana cost, Grid would be able to maintain the Storm of the Fire God for at least 40 minutes. Those 40 minutes would be hell for Garam.

[The scholars and academics [1] of the Cho Kingdom are accelerating the resurrection of the red phoenix.]

[The time remaining to resurrect the red phoenix is significantly reduced.]

[The time remaining to the resurrection of the red phoenix is 54 minutes.]

‘I can do it. I can hold on.’

As always, Grid wasn’t alone. All the people of the Cho Kingdom, including the Cho king, had the same aspirations as Grid and were doing their best to revive the red phoenix. Hundreds of players were also helping him.

‘Garam, the path you’ve walked is wrong.’

This is the way I’m walking. The difference between you and myself, who is helped by so many people, proves it.

The moment that Grid gained courage...

“Daring to make that expression...” Garam’s eyes widened as he glanced between Grid blocking his path and the pillars of fire soaring behind Grid. Steam rose around Garam’s body. The power of the black tortoise, who presided over water and death, started to quench the heat of the Storm of the Fire God.

“...!?”

Grid saw the power of the black tortoise and his expression stiffened. He quickly raised his sword as Garam appeared in front of his nose and attacked. The soft sword swept over Grid’s cheek. “I am a god. You can’t restrain me with anything but death.”

The flames split from side to side and looked like the wings of the red phoenix. Looking at Garam’s appearance, who could deny that he wasn’t a god? The soft sword passed by Grid’s cheeks and penetrated his left collarbone.

“Kkuk...!”

The aura of the black tortoise was a poison that corroded objects and withered life. The durability of all of Grid’s armor, including Valhalla, was greatly damaged by Garam’s blow. The dark energy ejected from the spinning Garam as he recovered his sword struck Grid and blew him away.

Grid looked like a mess as he crashed into the ground and rolled several times. His pained face was covered with sweat and the blood flowing down from his mouth made him suspect he was poisoned. Garam’s mouth curved up because he didn’t know Khan’s will made Grid completely resistant to poison.

“Today, I will become perfect.”

Grid was really qualified to be a god. If Garam succeeded in getting rid of Grid and prevented the resurrection of the red phoenix, he would prove that he was a real god. Spit. Garam spat the blood in his mouth and raised his sword again. He denied that he felt a bit of fear a little while ago. He prepared to become perfect by slashing the neck of Grid, who witnessed him in a terrible state.

“Come to think of it, you are a necessary existence for me, Grid.”

Be the sacrifice to make me complete. That is who you are.

Garam made a deep smile and lowered his sword. At the same time, Grid’s body surrounded by flames split into several copies. It was Belial’s power of Queen’s Distortion activated in combination with the flames of willpower. It was a great technique that dazzled the eyes and minds of others.

Garam’s soft sword swung faster than the eye, drawing a circle to cut down all of Grid’s clones. However, they weren’t cut due to Berith’s Automatic Transformation. Grid was spared a fatal blow thanks to the metal shield that was automatically generated in real time, reducing Garam’s damage.

“You’re really tenacious.” Garam had regained his composure at the thought of victory. Now his expression once again changed. Grid’s attitude of enduring to the end without giving up offended him. “You can never beat me. Why don’t you give up? Do you really think you can beat me?”

“...Not even once.”

“...?”

“I never thought that I could beat you.”

“Then why...”

Garam was intrigued by Grid’s honest confession and paused for a moment to listen. He suddenly felt something strange. The blood flowing from Grid’s mouth was red.

‘He wasn’t affected by the black tortoise’s poison?’

How could he resist the poison of a god who presided over death? He was truly sinister. Dragging this out longer wasn’t good. This guy still had strength remaining. Garam felt anxiety.

“Keen Insight.” At this moment, Grid contemplated Garam’s state.

“...!?”

There was an unpleasant feeling like every detail was being dug out. Garam felt like this for the first time in his life and instinctively changed the trajectory of his sword. However, the change was one of the future paths that Keen Insight had read. A move that integrated attack and defense—one of Garam’s secret techniques was smashed by Grid’s blow that carried Mercedes’ power.

[1] Two different words are used, both mean scholar but the first one is more referring to an educated person who doesn’t covet riches and cherishes loyalty and principles. The second means those who learn and acquire knowledge from others, records, or experiences