Overgeared

The S.A Group collected the food and culture of all the regions in the world and reflected it in Satisfy. Additionally, Satisfy’s food culture was so vast and wonderful that hundreds of unique ingredients existed only in Satisfy. It wasn’t uncommon for people who enjoyed gastronomy to play the game and say, ‘What new food shall I enjoy today?’ At this time, many people connected to Satisfy with expectations...

[Reinhardt’s Korean Restaurant]

Peak Sword, one of the 10 meritorious retainers, visited a Koran restaurant as usual.

“I really like perilla leaves.”

He used the chopsticks in a reverent manner. Peak Sword picked up a piece of pork belly, placed it on a perilla leaf, and asked the young man sitting at the same table as him, “Why do you think that is?”

“That...”

The ID of the young man sitting down facing Peak Sword was Dae Dokman. As a VVIP member of the Korean Patriotic Association, he originally enjoyed Satisfy as a leisurely activity. Then Peak Sword discovered that his gaming talent was high and turned him into a full-time gamer and Peak Sword’s apprentice.

Dae Dokman thought carefully and answered, “It is delicious to eat it raw or seasoned. It is good with kimchi, soy sauce, soybean paste, and... isn’t it because it is delicious no matter how you eat it?”

“Huhu, it is half the right answer.”

Peak Sword shook his head with a full mouth. His cheeks were puffed up due to the pork belly and white rice while his expression was bitter and he seemed to be lost in distant thoughts. “Gulp. Of course, perilla leaves are delicious. They are so delicious I can eat them for three meals every day without getting tired of it. However, I don’t just like perilla leaves for such a simple reason.”

Peak Sword’s eyes flashed sharply—it was like looking at a blade. “There is power in the leaves.”

“......?"

"The power to discern the DNA of Korean people!”

“...It can discern the DNA of Korean people?”

“Yes, only the people of South Korea feel that the leaves are delicious.”

“......?!”

“Liking perilla leaves proves that a person is of pure South Korean descent. How about it? Isn’t it truly mysterious and romantic?”

“That... Chairman-nim, there are people in South Korea who don’t like perilla leaves. What does that mean?”

“Perhaps there are foreigners among their ancestors.”

“I was told there is a local dish in Turkey that is soup with perilla leaves.”

“Turkey isn’t a brother country for nothing.”

“Indeed...! That’s it! I’m getting goosebumps at the thought!”

“In the future, let’s eat perilla leaves every day. Awaken the DNA of the Korean people that flows through your body while savoring the taste and aroma. Don’t forget that King Sejong and General Yi Sunshin are our ancestors!”

“Yes! I will keep that in mind!”

Someone else muttered, “...Is it necessary to report a business obstruction? Every time that man comes, many guests stop entering.”

“Leave it. The public security forces can’t do anything against the 10 meritorious retainers.”

It happened as a conversation between a priest and the resentful restaurant owner was occurring...

[King Grid is calling you.]

“......!”

Peak Sword had just brought warm white rice wrapped in a perilla leaf to his mouth when he abruptly stood up. It was a call from Grid! He was glad that he waited to be contacted after hearing that Grid returned to Reinhardt today.

“Chairman-nim?”

“God Grid is looking for me. He must want to see me quickly if he is even using the Knight Summoning skill... Huhu, it is truly God Grid.”

“God Grid, who is the lantern of humanity beyond the leaders of South Korea, is personally calling you...!”

“One of the few people that God Grid relies on is me, the chairman of the Korean Patriotic Association.”

“As expected of Chairman-nim! Your heart is majestic!”

“Please finish the meal alone. My reunion with my friend might last a long time.”

“Yes! Master!”

Dae Dokman watched as his master disappeared, leaving behind only remnants of light.

***

“God Grid! Were you looking for me?!”

They were both staying in Reinhardt. Grid could send a whisper telling Peak Sword to come over straight away. Why was it necessary to use the Knight Summoning skill?

‘How quickly did he want to see me...?’

Grid didn’t even look back at the joyfully smiling Peak Sword. “You came quickly. Grab a pickaxe.”

“Ah, yes, yes... Huh?”

Pickaxe? Wait, where was he? He thought it would be the royal palace or the smithy, but it was an unfamiliar place. It was a huge cave with a natural entrance. On one side were mountains of treasure.

“...A dragon’s lair?” Peak Sword confirmed that he had entered the lair of Fire Dragon Trauka and was terrified.

Grid still didn’t look back as he urged Peak Sword, “Quickly! There’s no time!”

“Eh? Uh, yes...”

Peak Sword pulled out his pickaxe and approached Grid. He found a red stone embedded deep in one side of the flat stone wall and was astonished.

“Fire stone?”

The very first day that he met Grid on Cork Island—the minerals that grew there were the fire stones that appeared whenever Hell Gao emerged. He was worried that the terrible Hell Gao would be resurrected here. Grid shook his head. “It is a fire stone, but it isn’t an ordinary fire stone. It is a fire stone with the dragon’s breath.”

“The breath of the fire dragon?”

“In a nutshell, it is a breath. This will be the material of my new sword.”

Of course, Grid had the Red Phoenix’s Breath. The weapons made from the Red Phoenix’s Breath also emitted fire. However, the Red Phoenix’s Breath gave additional effects such as healing allies with divine power. It was obviously inferior to a dragon’s breath when viewed from an aggressive standpoint.

“A sword that shoots a breath!”

Peak Sword was thrilled when he heard it and laughed.

Kaaang!Kaaang! How long had it been since they mined together? They stood side by side and recalled the first time they met each other. The battle against Hell Gao and the war against the Gauss Army swept through their minds.

‘Together...’

‘...We’ve been through so much.’

They had always been a strength for each other. It wasn’t important who had given more help to the other person. It was great and fun to be with this person—just like right now.

[The level of Mining has increased!]

[The level of Mining has increased!]

Who could experience mining a fire stone in a dragon’s lair? The fire stone gradually revealed its beautiful appearance and Grid and Peak Sword’s mining technique developed rapidly. The two extremely focused men felt joy. However, this joy was short-lived. A cold reality was waiting for them.

“There are 40 seconds left.”

“......!”

They were so focused that they forgot the passage of time. Grid woke up from his thoughts after hearing Braham’s voice that didn’t match the atmosphere. Grid accelerated the speed of his pickaxe while Peak Sword sensibly noticed the situation.

Then Peak Sword warned, “I think the stone will be damaged if we rush.”

Mining wasn’t a skill that uses speed. It had to be mined without damaging the mineral as much as possible in order to obtain a high-grade mineral. Even the same minerals had different grades so Peak Sword wanted to be careful. It wasn’t a mineral that could be obtained twice. It was naturally the same for Grid. However, there was no time.

“We need time to wipe out our traces before Trauka arrives. He will track us to the ends of hell if we leave even a trace of dirt behind. There are 20 seconds left,” Braham explained, making Grid even more anxious. Braham himself could easily avoid Trauka’s tracking. He could change the nature of his magic power itself to deceive Trauka, even if residual traces of his magic power were left here.

However, Grid and Peak Sword were different. Even Braham couldn’t change the magic power of others in such a short time. The traces of the two men must be erased.

‘Shit...!’

Now, approximately one-third of the fire stone could be seen. He had to decide if he could mine it in 20 seconds.

‘It is better to be greedy then to not get it!’

Grid was gripped by evil feelings and raised the pickaxe high. Then he hesitated again as he was about to lower it. If a quarter of the stone was damaged, it would be evaluated as inferior.

“15 seconds.”

“Gasp!”

Yes, he couldn’t hesitate. Grid regained his mind and was about to lower the pickaxe.

“Wait!” Peak Sword grabbed Grid’s raised arm. Peak Sword had been forced to acquire the mining skill and he had trained in it for a long time so his skill level was much higher than that of Grid’s. “Leave it to me!”

Peak Sword used the pickaxe as a lever to make a very small gap between the stone and the wall and then Peak Sword reached his hand into this gap.

“What...?! Peak Sword!” Grid frowned involuntarily.

The sound of Peak Sword’s hand breaking from the extreme pressure rang through the cave in an eerie manner.

“I...! Trust me!”

Peak Sword’s face was pale as he gave more strength to his broken hand. Grid had experienced the pain of fractures several times so he felt all the hair on his body rising. Peak Sword continued to take on a pain similar to stubbing his little toe. It was creepy imagining how much pain Peak Sword would be in.

“Peak Sword!”

“Five seconds.”

“Just a bit...! Just a bit more!”

Blood flowed from the lip that Peak Sword was biting.

“Three seconds.”

“A bit more... more!”

Peak Sword’s entire body was trembling. His legs weakened and it seemed like he was on the verge of falling down. However, Peak Sword didn’t release the strength in his fingertips. The hands that were about to turn to powder pushed deeper into the gap in the wall to push out the fire stone.

“One second.”

At the end of the time limit, the red stone burst out. Grid supported Peak Sword, whose hand was completely broken and called the God Hand to catch the stone.

“Leave.”

Braham released the image world, got rid of all their traces, and put his hands on Grid and Peak Sword’s shoulders. Mass Teleport was only used after confirming that the God Hand had picked up the fire stone and returned to Grid. Braham had grasped the intelligence of the elemental kings and his warning echoed in the empty space.

“Don’t comment on what you’ve seen today. I will destroy Talima the moment you ignore my warning.”

-……

The elemental kings nodded repeatedly at the empty air.