by Park Saenal
However, after becoming Pagma’s Descendant, Grid had used Kill hundreds of times. Now he could stab with a greatsword. The continuously intersecting solid lines and dots? Compared to Piaro and Kraugel’s movements, they were trivial enough to make him yawn.
“G-Grid passed…!”
100 points in 39 seconds. Grid was like one with the sword as he obtained this score. Instructor Kaesul and the assistants’ mouths gaped open at the sight.
‘He has the makings of a knight!’
‘He was just acting as a Blue Falcon until now!’
They didn’t know why he was acting. Anyway, they had to admit it. Grid had the best qualities. On the other hand, Grid wasn’t feeling inspired at all. He had fought against countless strong enemies, so striking a scarecrow was just boring.
[You have set a new record in Patrian’s reserve forces training Swordsmanship Test!]
[The rare skill ‘Continuous Stab’ has been acquired.]
[Continuous Stab Lv. 1]
Quickly stab the target 5 times.
Every stab that hits will deal 100%, 120%, 150%, 190%, and 240% of your attack power respectively.
Mana Consumption: 300
Skill Cooldown Time: 3 minutes.
It was a multiple hits skill. It could be defended against or avoided, but it was useful against sluggish enemies, as it was a type of skill that contained explosive power.
‘Yes, it’s weaker than Kill.’
It was a good substitute skill for when Kill was on cooldown.
‘Good.’
In the past, he felt like it was hell. Now he was getting great rewards from the reservist training, so he wanted to dance with joy.
***
Shoot!
Grid and the reservists stood side by side with a target 10m in front of them. The archery test was about to begin.
‘This test is to get 50 points with 10 arrows.’
The target was divided into 10 points, 8 points, 6 points, 4 points and 2 points. Tension filled Grid’s face.
‘In the past, I couldn’t even hit the target with one arrow.’
To be honest, he wasn’t very confident. In the absence of Bow Mastery, the hit rate of the arrows was proportional to agility.
‘But.’
He had watched Jishuka shoot for more than a year. He’d made hundreds of bows for Jishuka and the soldiers of Reidan.
‘I’m not a complete newbie to archery.’
Believe in himself.
‘10 meters. It is only 10 meters away. I can focus enough.’
Every time he made a bow and tested the performance, the target distance was 100 meters. Grid took a deep breath and watched the center of the round target. He was aiming for 10 points.
‘I will be sure to acquire a rare skill!’
He felt hope as the distance to the target was too short. He could do it if he concentrated.
“Hmm?”
Grid was trying to reproduce Jishuka’s posture when he frowned. It was because the quality of the training arrows for the test was very low.
‘Did beginner level 3 or lower blacksmiths make this?’
The shaft was twisted and the weight balance was off.
‘Anyway, the reservist training environment is disappointing in reality and the game.’
The shaft should be leveled and the balance between the arrowhead and shaft adjusted. The weight of the arrowheads should also be balanced. An unbalanced arrow wouldn’t fly far, no matter how hard they were shot.
‘A material with a heavy weight can cover it to some extent, but this arrow is made from the worst material.’
The legendary blacksmith, Grid. As Pagma’s Descendant, he had made over 100,000 arrows. He might’ve lost the Legendary Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship skill, but his eye for arrows hadn’t disappeared.
‘I can win, even without the power of items.’
Determination flashed in Grid’s eyes.
“Grid, what is it?”
Instructor Kaesul’s attitude towards Grid had toned down. He didn’t call Grid ‘Blue Falcon’ or curse at him. Grid unabashedly demanded, “The arrows I’ve received are in a very bad state. Can I have a look at the ones in your hands?”
“What?”
Instructor Kaesul was very embarrassed.
“Look. The structure of the arrow is so simple that anyone can easily make it, but it doesn’t just depend on the arrow when being fired. A novice who doesn’t know anything touching them, of course the arrows will be bad. If the arrows are a problem, I will give you new arrows.”
Instructor Kaesul gave a signal. Then an assistant brought new arrows to Grid. But the state of the arrows were just as bad.
‘It might be different if I had the Bow Mastery skill.’
Grid was determined and asked again.
“Let me handle the arrows myself.”
“Geez, he isn’t a blacksmith.”
“It seems he’s become arrogant just because he gained some skills.”
The assistants complained. They were dissatisfied with Grid, who was slowing down their schedule. However, the response of Instructor Kaesul was surprisingly favorable.
“I understand. If you can, then try it.”
The reason why Instructor Kaesul felt contempt towards Grid before wasn’t just because he was incompetent. Grid didn’t try to overcome his incompetence and had an attitude of hating everything.
Now Grid was overflowing with enthusiasm. The instructor didn’t want to pour cold water on that positive change.
“Thank you.”
Grid left the group of reservists. While the other reservists did the test, Grid started to repair the arrows.
‘I would prefer to cut the shaft thinly and make it flatter.’
Grid currently had 0 dexterity. He wasn’t able to exert his full ability just by relying on experience and theory alone.
‘I could break the shaft. Forget my greed and focus on the balance.’
Grid picked up a stone that was three times smaller than the arrowhead. Then he tore a few branches and tied it to the back of the arrowhead.
‘Good.’
The arrows, which were so light they couldn’t go against wind resistance, now had a moderate weight. Grid smiled with delight and pulled some of the feathers behind the shaft. It was an extreme measure to balance the left and right side of the shaft.
‘It’s crude, but better than before.’
A notification window popped up as Grid tried to improve the curve of the shaft.
[The options of the ‘Reserve Troops’ Arrow’ has changed.]
[Reserve Troops’ Arrow]
Attack Power: 1~2 Accuracy: +2
Someone saw what was wrong with the arrow and fixed it.
The workmanship is poor, but the performance of the arrows has improved. It will fly quite far when fired well.
Weight: 0.01
“Now it purely depends on my abilities.”
Grid spoke to an assistant and took deep breaths on the shooting range.
Kkirik!
He remained tense, but there was no hesitation in his actions. The bowstring was drawn back.
‘Remember when I test the performance of my bows.’
He followed the posture of an expert archer. It was a posture he had seen from Jishuka since the days of the Malacus raid. He would be able to hit a target 10 meters away.
‘Now!’
Grid stopped breathing and aimed the arrow tip. At that moment, the arrow burst out with a cheerful sound and flew away. It fell in a parabola and succeeded in penetrating the target. It was 6 points. He was aiming for the center, but it deviated to the right.
‘Then.’
Grid aimed more to the left of the first shot. But he failed to read the wind direction in his rush. The direction of the wind changed and the arrows fell down. It was another 6 points. His opportunity to acquire a rare skill was flying away.
The Grid in the past would’ve cursed with irritation.
But.
‘It’s still okay.’
Grid was calm. The reservist training included sparring, so the level of the participants needed to be similar. In other words, the power of the 50 reservists currently participating in the training were around level 20 like Grid. It would be difficult for them to hit the targets with all 10 arrows.
‘The record will be for the level 20 reservists in the past. It’s still possible.’
He couldn’t give up. This time, Grid raised his concentration to the maximum, read the wind direction, and fired the arrow.
Puok!
10 points. There was no difficulty after he got it once.
Puk puk puk!
Grid completely grabbed the feeling and got 10 points eight times in a row. The result.
“Grid has 92 points!”
[You have set a new record in Patrian’s reserve forces training Archery Test!]
Chapter 368
Chapter 368
“G-Grid has 92 points!?”
[You have set a new record in Patrian’s reserve forces training Archery Test!]
[Your understanding of archery, the bow, and arrows is higher than your ability.]
[An ability correction will be applied to the hidden compensation.]
[The normal skill ‘Bow Mastery’ has been acquired.]
[Bow Mastery]
Beginner: Lv.1
You can handle all types of bows.
When equipped with a bow, attack power and hit rate will increase by 4%, and the probability of a critical hit will increase in proportion to agility.
Current Critical Hit Probability Increase: 0%.
‘Bow Mastery!’
An archer had been described many times as a class that exerted a unique physical attack power. The reason? It was thanks to the Bow Mastery skill. Bow Mastery had the highest attack and accuracy rate of all masteries, and was the source of an archer’s power.
‘I never thought I would get Bow Mastery.’
Grid was strong at a distance because he had Pagma’s Swordsmanship, Transcend, and Transcended Link, as well as Magic Missile. But that was a story when he had enough mana. The skill cooldown time was also a problem.
‘On the other hand, a bow guarantees steady attacks if there are enough arrows.’
Grid referred to Piaro’s stats distribution when increasing his agility. For him, Bow Mastery was a very good passive skill.
‘If I can get Weapons Mastery as well…’
The foundation for further strengthening would be completed. Grid’s body shivered as he thought about it.
***
The stats of the level 23 Grid were a mess, but the level of the reserve troops participating in the training were only level 20. Grid was at the top of the rankings and won in the sparring. He completely overpowered his opponent.
“The top graduate, Grid!”
Clap clap clap!
The training graduation ceremony. Instructor Kaesul called out his name and the assistants and reservists clapped. Grid had shown enough during the training to be respected by everyone.
‘Not Pagma’s Descendant…’
‘Shin Youngwoo’ was the one acknowledged. He was beyond thrilled by his own growth. Grid smiled and walked up to the stage. Then…
[You have taken the top position in the training of Patrian’s reserve forces!]
[You have obtained the first prize ‘Senior Reserve Forces Citation’.]
[Senior Reserve Forces Citation]
You have become the role model for the Patrian reservists.
I want to thank you for your enthusiasm during training.
-Earl Ashur-
“???”
Surely that wasn’t it? Grid was expecting more from the compensation, so confusion filled his face. Instructor Kaesul smiled at him and said.
“It is an honor to receive a citation from Earl Ashur, lord of Patrian, and a great magician of the continent. It is an heirloom that can be passed on to your descendants.”
“This nonsense… There isn’t a separate compensation?”
The moment that Grid asked this question.
[Mission success!]
[You have cleared the 31st island.]
[You have acquired 600 challenger points for the mission success.]
[Your level has returned to normal.]
[The skills Spear Shot, Continuous Stab, and Bow Mastery have been acquired.]
Shaaaaah-
The fortified city of Patrien, Instructor Kaesul, the assistants, and the reservists. The perfect reproduction of the 31st island scattered like a mirage. Grid was left alone. He changed his mind about tearing up Earl Ashur’s citation and throwing it away.
“…It isn’t bad to keep it as a memento.”
It was the first award he received in his life. His personal feelings towards Earl Ashur had already been resolved to a certain extent, so Grid placed the citation on one side of his inventory.
***
Reidan went through a big change while Grid was away.
First of all, the monsters around the yellow mithril mine dried up. It was thanks to the great success of the knights who raised their level in Winston and returned. Reidan was now able to extract the yellow mithril in earnest. The yellow mithril caused a remarkable growth in the alchemy technology of Reidan, thanks to the fairy dust. It finally reached a level where alchemy could be combined with blacksmithing.
Secondly, the magical talents of the ‘Ul Clan’ that Grid rescued from the empire had blossomed from the steady education. Reidan now had 930 magicians. Among them was Princess Hwarin of the Ul Clan, whose ability was unrivalled. The unique rated passive skill, ‘party’s magic power increased by 30%’ was a treasure for the magicians.
Thirdly, the farming area of Reidan extended to the Altes Mountains. This would increase food production by three times.
Lauel was confused, ‘There is a limited number of farmers, so how has Piaro developed agriculture to this degree? Surely he didn’t do all that work alone?’
Lauel wasn’t yet aware that Aura Master Hurent and Pet Master Nyangmong were being held by Piaro.
Fourthly, a Rebecca Temple started to be built under Pope Damian’s authority. The Rebecca Temple would give a big blessing to the city and foster healers, so the population of Reidan would increase dramatically.
Fifthly, the Rebecca’s Daughters candidates brought by Damian were incorporated into Reidan. Piaro trained them to become the best farmers in the future. No, they were going to be the paladin unit.
Lauel was worried about the fifth point.
“Is this too excessive?”
Rebecca’s Daughters were the absolute force of the Rebecca Church. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that without Rebecca’s Daughters, there would be no Rebecca Church. The Rebecca Church wouldn’t be convinced by Damian’s compassion for the candidates.
“You might get kicked out of the pope position before you can finish your term. Your tenure needs to last in order to help Grid.”
The power of the pope was mighty. It was best to aim for remaining pope for the rest of his life. However, Damian might lose his position just because of a few girls. Lauel felt like he was stupid.
But Damian was stubborn.
“The reason I became pope was because I hoped a second Isabel, Rin and Luna wouldn’t be born. You can’t imagine it. The pain of the young girls who are stuck in a facility, undergoing constant brainwashing and hard training… Being used as a weapon for all their lives, it isn’t possible for me to tell you how harsh it is.”
“Hrmm.”
Lauel was someone who would use and slaughter players to achieve his goal. He couldn’t understand Damian, who empathized with NPCs. But he tried to understand. Grid was close to NPCs like Irene, and had a child called Lord.
Lauel had a duty to take into account Damian’s heart.
“…To be honest, I still don’t understand you and Grid. However, I respect it. I will find a way to solidify your position that w
ill be shaken by this incident.”
Damian’s nervous face relaxed.
“Thank you!”
‘Contact with the vampire cities has been disconnected and the work I have to worry about is growing.’ Lauel’s dark circles thickened.
***
All the islands in the 30’s reproduced the challenger’s past trials. Situations where the challenger died a lot or failed a quest many times appeared sequentially. The rankers were armed with excellent talents and skills. For those who didn’t play an easy game, the islands in the 30’s were a disaster.
But Grid was different. The trials that Grid suffered in the past, he could now easily overcome.
[You have entered the 40th island.]
[This is a save point. Do you want to save your position?]
[You have been registered. When you enter the Behen Archipelago later on, you will start from the 40th island.]
“That is amazing. It’s really wonderful.”
Sticks kept praising Grid. He wasn’t able to overcome his trials, and he was impressed by the fact that Grid grew in real time.
“What’s the big deal about catching orcs and goblins?”
Grid responded with a smile and checked the time.
‘I should rest for a while.’
A total of one month had passed since he entered the Behen Archipelago. It took longer than expected, so Grid needed to manage his stamina. After six hours of game connection, he adjusted his condition by logging out, eating, and exercising.
***
‘The harvest that I obtained from the islands in the 30’s is great.’
Apart from Spear Shot, Continuous Strike, and Bow Mastery, he gained 7 strength and stamina, as well as 5 agility and intelligence.
The rewards earned from the quest were cumulative, demonstrating the effect of two elixirs. What were the rewards waiting for him on the remaining islands?
Behen Archipelago. There was no place more appropriate for growth.
‘It would be good to use it as a training place for the guild members before it is cleansed.’
The Tzedakah Guild, Yura, and Peak Sword were skilled enough to reach the 20th island. If they could collect a few elixirs with the challenger points, Overgeared would become even stronger.
Ttiring~
Shin Youngwoo was thinking about this when a message arrived on his phone.
