by Park Saenal
As Mercedes moved through the garden toward the gate, the speed of her footsteps was slower than usual. There were tears in the eyes of the knights as they saw her off with their swords.
‘Sir Dia, Sir Lorex, and the other knights who passed on… Are you watching us from heaven?’
The Red Knights had the highest regards for Mercedes, the noble knight. There were many people who wanted to leave with her. However, their master was the emperor. They had learned from Mercedes that knights must be loyal to their master until the end.
It was a solemn atmosphere. In the garden, Mercedes faced a young soldier.
“This is an imperial command,” the soldier said. Then he read out the imperial letter, “Mercedes, I wish you luck.”
“Is that the end?”
“Yes, that’s right. Dear Captain Mercedes, I also wish you good luck.” The eyes of the young soldier were shining like a star as they stared at Mercedes.
“Thank you, Mr. Soldier. I wish you luck,” Mercedes responded with a smile that was more beautiful than the stars.
***
[Storm Demonic Energy Field- Weakened State (3)]
[-Summons a lightning storm with a radius of 200 meters.
-Field Effect 1-
A maximum of 11 lightning strikes will occur at least four times per second. The struck target will suffer 10,000 fixed damage, resulting in paralysis, stuns, burns, and other status conditions.
* Lightning bolts will fall randomly. In addition, the lightning bolt won’t distinguish between enemies and friends. It will be a threat to all except for the caster.
-Field Effect 2-
Strong winds will lighten the user’s body. Under the effect of the strong winds, the user’s movement speed will increase by 20%. On the other hand, everyone apart from the user will be unable to cope with the pressure of the strong wind and movement speed will drop by 20%.
-Field Effect 3-
The heavy winds will interrupt the visibility of all targets except the user, reducing the accuracy rate by 10%.
-Field Effect 4-
The sound of thunder in the ears will cause confusion. The skill and casting speed of everyone except the user is reduced by 10%.
-Field Effect 5-
Sealed due to the weakening. Will be opened in Weakened State (2).
-Field Effect 6-
Sealed due to the weakening. Will be opened in Weakened State (1).
-Field Effect 7-
Sealed due to the weakening. Will be opened when released from a weakened state.
Resources consumed when field is activated: 1,000 mana per second.
The time it takes to summon the field: 30 seconds.
* Activated immediately in places where the weather is already cloudy.
Skill Cooldown Time: 20 minutes.]
“…”
Field magic was one of the symbols of a boss monster. The field that the boss summoned created enormous pressure by strengthening the boss, weakening the players, or exerting aggression. This powerful force was now obtained by one player—Grid. It was more appropriate to say it was crazy than to say it was great. This was almost a collapse of the balance!
‘However, the mana consumption is very large.’
It was a magic that exerted all types of influence over a 200-meter radius. He couldn’t think of it as a waste of mana. Grid thought that if he used this field magic in conjunction with Blackening, it would be like giving himself wings. This was despite its weakened state.
‘What are the other sealed effects?’
It almost made up for missing the rare talent called Mercedes. This was the excitement of a game. Unlike reality where trying hard gave a reasonable reward, the world of games gave huge rewards as a player moved through new quests, raised their level, and overcame trials. Who wouldn’t love games?
Grid smiled as he comforted his past self, ‘Shin Youngwoo, the game isn’t a refuge for you. It’s hope.’
Thanks to the power he gained today, many things could be achieved in the future. Grid formed a fist and called out to Noe, “Let’s really go back now.”
It was good. He had accomplished his purpose and got more than he had expected. This was enough to appease the regret of having to give up Mercedes. Grid led the children along with Noe. If Grid were alone, he would be able to fly to Reinhardt in one month. However, it was impossible with dozens of young children. Their movement speed was as slow as a turtle’s.
‘What should I do with these children?’
Should he leave them at a village? But would these children be welcomed? Wouldn’t these innocent children, who were victims without knowing the reason, suffer new pains? Grid was more concerned for the children than for how long it would take to return to the Overgeared Kingdom.
‘It might be better to summon a knight.’
Euphemina could use Mass Teleport and take all the children with her at once. Grid was about to make a decision when he heard Noe’s excited voice in his ears.
“That is a flower, nyong.”
“Abu!”
“That is a mountain, nyong.”
“Ada!”
“That is the sky, nyong.”
“Bubu! Ba!”
“Nyahahat! The best demonic beast of hell Noe is your teacher, nyang!”
“No…e!! No..uh!”
“Nyang!”
The children had been trapped in the magic tower for as long as they could remember, while Noe had spent a lot of time in the pet inventory. Now the children’s faces were full of happiness as they received freedom and saw the picturesque scenery. In the end…
‘Let’s walk a bit more.’
Grid didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere and summoned Randy and the Overgeared Skeletons instead.
“Abu!”
Clack! Clack clack!
“Adad!”
“Hello. I am Randy.”
Claack! Clack!
Hell’s best demonic beast, the strongest doppelganger, two skeletons, little children who didn’t know anything, and the ‘strongest player’—this unusual party crossed the river and passed through the forest. Anyone who saw them would feel it was absurd. Additionally, the party…
“You! Give me your money! Keok!”
It was incredibly powerful. In the process of walking, Grid destroyed more than 10 groups of bandits and at least 1,000 monsters, giving a good amount of experience to the Overgeared Skeletons. However, a crisis soon arrived for everybody. People who always won were rare in this world.
Kiyaaaaaaah!
“Dammit! Why is the medusa here?”
They encountered a field boss monster as soon as they entered the Lamia Forest. It was a boss with a level in the low 300’s—a weak field boss that Grid could hunt alone. The problem was the children. They could die just by having their gazes meet the medusa’s eyes. Grid encouraged the medusa to focus on him, but the children didn’t cooperate.
“Ahh! Kyao!”
“Kyaak~~!”
The bizarre appearance of the medusa’s snake hair was horrifying to the children who didn’t know the world. The children screamed, and the medusa’ eyes turned straight toward them.
“No…!”
Were these children’s lives were going to end after only a short life of suffering? Grid felt desperate.
Puk!
A number of arrows flew from the side and successively pierced the medusa’s head. It was done with an archery skill reminiscent of Jishuka. Grid’s and the medusa’s gazes headed in the direction of the arrows. They saw a knight. Armed with old leather armor instead of red armor, she put away the bow and pulled out an axe.
The medusa was hit in the neck with the thrown axe and the knight rushed toward it. Two swords flashed in a fast and powerful manner. The medusa’s heart was pierced, and its head was separated from its body. Then the medusa turned to grey.
“You…”
“Wandering knight Mercedes greets the Overgeared King.”
The two people
were reunited.
Chapter 809
Chapter 809
“What?”
Why was Mercedes here when she should be the hero of the empire? Grid suspected his eyes and doubted his ears. “Wandering knight? You left the empire?”
It was impossible. Even if Mercedes wanted it, the empire wouldn’t have let her go. Wouldn’t the emperor be a fool not to keep a legendary hero? Grid knew this, but he couldn’t help having expectations. In the first place, Mercedes had a serious nature and didn’t know how to joke.
“…Is this real?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I really left. To be precise, I got kicked out. Can Your Majesty take me?”
“Ha..!” A smile crossed Grid’s face. He didn’t even have time to feel suspicious about Mercedes being ‘kicked out.’ Grid felt so happy that his head was refreshed. Then he acted rashly.
“I’m happy! I’m really happy, Mercedes! Of course, you’re welcome!” Grid hugged Mercedes’ slender body as hard as possible. Mercedes was embarrassed, but Grid didn’t care. He felt like he would miss her and hugged her desperately. “Haha! I’m so happy! I never thought this day would come!”
If there was a game that classified cards from the F class to the SSS class, Mercedes was undoubtedly an SSS card, and this was before she became a legend. At present, Grid didn’t even dare deduce her value. Now that she had come to serve him, he was happy enough to tear up. He imagined Khan smiling at him in the sky.
“…” Mercedes’ face turned extremely red. Grid’s smile was as bright as the sun, his chest was hard, and she felt his hot breath against her ear. Mercedes was grateful to Grid for saving her from a crisis as well as healing the wounds of the old heroes… Yes, Grid stirred Mercedes’ heart. Mercedes clearly realized that she had been longing for Grid.
“I…” Abandoning resistance, she spoke in a trembling voice as she rested her face against Grid’s chest, “Can I stay with you?”
This was Grid’s answer, “Always, always stay with me.”
It was like this. Mercedes’ confession entered his ears, “I have lived for 27 years as a swordsman and a knight.”
“I know.”
“So, I don’t know the role of a woman.”
“Huh? Really? I see.”
“But I will do my best.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“As Your Majesty’s knight and mis…”
“Mis?”
“Mis…!”
Mistress! Mercedes hadn’t experienced a first love and couldn’t say the unfamiliar word. She couldn’t say ‘as Your Majesty’s knight and mistress.’ The words turned around and around in her head. Grid cocked his head in confusion. “Mis-mis-mis?”
Was it something like true true true? (similar in Korean)
“Well, it’s okay. In any case, I welcome you once again.” Grid was so intoxicated with joy at obtaining Mercedes that he ignored his trivial curiosity. Anyone watching them now would become so frustrated that they would collapse.
***
[The level of the Overgeared Skeleton (1) has risen!]
[The level of the Overgeared Skeleton (2) has risen!]
Grid had an unexpected harvest as he walked with the children. It was the growth of the Overgeared Skeletons. In the process of moving from Titan to the border, Grid faced all sorts of monsters. There were many low-level monsters suitable for the Overgeared Skeletons.
“Really cute.” With her eyes shining like lanterns, Mercedes looked like a naive girl. She couldn’t keep her eyes off the Overgeared Skeletons. That’s right. She wasn’t calling Noe or the children rescued from the magic tower cute. Instead, Mercedes had a great fascination with the Overgeared Skeletons.
‘Her taste is truly…’ Grid clicked his tongue, but the Overgeared Skeletons had a different look from ordinary skeletons. Their faces and eyes were bigger. So, it was true that they looked cute at first glance. In that case, Mercedes’ taste couldn’t be called strange.
Clack! Clack clack!
Mercedes patted their heads, and the eyes of the Overgeared Skeletons curved like crescent moons. They liked Mercedes too. Mercedes admired them. “This is the first time I’ve seen undead expressing emotions.”
“There aren’t skeletons like these kids in the empire?”
“They can’t be found anywhere on the continent. These children have a sense of empathy that’s almost life-like. They’re very special children.”
“Hrmm.”
It’s true that they were special kids. They could raise their levels, equip items, and even learn skills. It was difficult to see them as simply summoned undead. They were more like pets. However…
‘They are weak.’
Grid looked at the status windows of the level 70 Overgeared Skeletons.
[Overgeared Skeleton (1)]
[Lv. 70
Health: 1,045/1,045 Mana: 3/3
Strength: 127
Stamina: 100
Agility: 127
Intelligence: 1
Remaining Stat Points: 0
Items Worn:
Weapon: Sturdy Long Sword
Secondary Weapon: Silver Thread.
Armor: Dependable Armor
Exclusive Skills: Silver Thread Shooting, Silver Thread Avoidance, Beginner Mining Technique Lv. 6, Beginner Sword Mastery Lv. 2, Beginner Petrification Resistance, Beginner Physical Resistance, Beginner Magic Resistance, Strike, Bite, Skull Headbutt]
[Overgeared Skeleton (2)]
[Lv. 70
Health: 1,045/1,045
Mana: 525/525
Strength: 25
Stamina: 100
Agility: 55
Intelligence: 175
Remaining Stat Points: 0
Items Worn:
Weapon: Sharp Dagger
Secondary Weapon: Good Shield
Armor: Dependable Armor
Exclusive Skills: Silver Thread Avoidance, Beginner Mining Technique Lv. 6, Beginner Mental Focus Lv. 1, Beginner Petrification Resistance, Beginner Magic Resistance, Beginner Instantaneous Acceleration, Strike, Bite, Skull Headbutt.]
The Overgeared Skeletons gained five stat points every time they leveled up. Unlike ordinary undead, they could grow, wear equipment items, and had high learning abilities. However, they had the limitations of a skeleton. The Overgeared Skeletons were so fragile that they would blow away with the wind or when striking the White Phosphorus Tree with an axe.
Grid had invested points into their stamina, but their survival ability was still weak. In particular, they were vulnerable to explosions and didn’t demonstrate a visible defense capability. It had gotten to the point where Grid built armor for them to increase their defense.
‘However, they show a high resistance to slashes and stabs…’
To be precise, their evasion rate was high. Stabs or slashes couldn’t strike the bones of the Overgeared Skeletons directly, entering crevices or gaps instead. Therefore, attacks would be judged as having missed their targets. Still, this only happened when they were lucky.
While Grid was regretting the weakness of the Overgeared Skeletons, Mercedes said, “The fundamental problem is that these children don’t know how to fight.”
She first pointed to Overgeared Skeleton One. “This kid has a very good strength to agility ratio. Therefore, his movements are agile and his attacks are sharp, but his intelligence is too low. He doesn’t know how to correctly take advantage of his physical ability.”
“Hasn’t he gained Sword Mastery?”
“His intelligence is so low that it is hard to apply the techniques.”
“Ah…”
The problem was the one point in intelligence.
‘I also need to invest points in intelligence,’ Grid realized and was reminded of Jude. ‘Is he doing well?’
There were many people with talent in the Overgeared Kingdom. Now that Jude didn’t have to defend Winston, Grid could send someone else. He thought that he should bring J
ude to his side sooner or later. Then Mercedes’ voice entered his ears, “This kid is clever, but his physical abilities are very low. He uses his skills properly, but there isn’t a big effect.”
This was the evaluation for the Overgeared Skeleton Two. Grid spoke the truth, “In the first place, he’s a candidate to become a magician.”
However, he hadn’t learned any magic. Additionally, Grid wasn’t good at making magic battle gear. As such, Overgeared Skeleton Two couldn’t exert his true strength at the present time. The moment Grid thought this…
Awooooo! The sound of wolves rang out from the sky. Grid moved his gaze to the sky and saw direwolves flapping large bat wings. They were level 200 monsters. The Overgeared Skeletons wouldn’t be able to deal with them. Mercedes moved forward with a sword in both hands, piercing through the gaps in the sharp teeth of the descending direwolves.
This was a fast and clean swordsmanship that Grid wanted to learn. It seemed that the Overgeared Skeletons were the same. Overgeared Skeleton One watched Mercedes with wide eyes and suddenly tried to hit Overgeared Skeleton Two. Overgeared Skeleton Two was turned upside down and Overgeared Skeleton One stole his dagger. He wanted to use two swords like Mercedes.
“Interesting.” Mercedes’ clear eyes shone like a lake. She held her double swords and nodded at Overgeared Skeleton One. “Okay. I will teach you simple swordsmanship.”
This was the moment that the Overgeared Skeletons gained a great mentor. Mercedes started to teach the Overgeared Skeletons basic movements that could be followed, and the Overgeared Skeletons used this whenever they encountered low-level monsters.
[The level of the Overgeared Skeleton (1) has risen!]
[The level of the Overgeared Skeleton (2) has risen!]
[The Overgeared Skeletons (1) and Overgeared Skeletons (2) have acquired the skill ‘Vaintz Swordsmanship.’]
“Wow…”
The growth rate of the Overgeared Skeletons had become noticeably faster. In particular, the jump in Overgeared Skeleton One development was huge. Every time his intelligence increased with a level-up, his attack rate and evasion rate increased significantly. The weakness of his low durability wasn’t overcome, but the number of times his arms and legs broke had decreased.
“It’s rewarding to teach these children.” Mercedes gently patted the skulls of the Overgeared Skeletons. For some reason, Grid felt a desire to have his head patted by her.
