by Park Saenal
“I said I would serve you, not that crazy farmer! So why…?! Why did you let that crazy bastard…?!”
“I’m sorry.” Grid grinned and stroked Noll’s head.
‘Piaro isn’t a bad person, so don’t hate him. He is teaching you to farm because he wants us to coexist.’ Grid didn’t say these words.
It was a fact that Noll already knew. Yes, this was just Noll acting spoiled. He wanted his ‘brother’ to protect him. So, he was venting about the ‘brother’ who neglected him.
“…Bad person.” Noll was no longer shouting. He blushed as he was reminded of his mother’s hand. It was the kind, soft, and warm touch of his mother who watched anxiously as he slept in his coffin. Grid’s hand was different from Noll’s mother, but it wasn’t bad.
***
“What? What crazy nonsense are you talking now?”
It was a castle where hundreds of coffins were displayed as ornaments. Noll sat at a long table opposite Grid and faced him. Red juice flowed like blood flowed from the potato Noll was eating. No matter how much he ate, it was fake blood that didn’t make him feel full. Still, it was precious food for vampires in the seventh city.
“Are you a fool?” Noll’s face distorted as he wiped the juices off his mouth with a handkerchief. “We are vampires. Among them, we—direct descendants—are perfect creatures. We can’t be described using the standards of a human. Yet you dare…”
“You are perfect despite sleeping all the time?”
“…It is true that the Curse of Idleness made us incomplete, but I overcame the Curse of Idleness. One day, I will destroy the great demons and God Yatan who dared insult my mother.” Noll’s anger was real. “I am complete. It is an insult for me to use these trivial tools!”
Grid said he would make a weapon and armor for Noll, who then felt insulted by the suggestion. Tools were things that weak humans relied on. This was what Noll thought. It was also why the vampires that Grid met previously hadn’t been armed. Some vampires might use tools like a ‘sword’, but that was just for their amusement. Vampires were beasts who preyed on other creatures using their natural physical abilities and magic power.
However, Grid thought it was mistaken idea. “Tools are trivial? A person who almost lost his life to a trivial tool is saying this?”
“…!” Noll closed his mouth, remembering how he had almost died from Grid’s sword and the crazy farmer’s equipment. “T-That…” Noll tried to defend himself with a red face, but it was impossible. He realized he wasn’t perfect and that tools weren’t trivial.
“What if you had armor at that time? Do you think Piaro’s hand plow, my sword, and Jishuka’s arrows could have beaten you?”
“…”
“Being overgeared is important. It is a concept that makes the strong stronger, not just the weak.”
“…”
“Noll, don’t be stubborn. The world where vampires can rely on their natural abilities is over. Do you like heavy armor or light armor? Think about which armor is more comfortable for you to use and answer me.”
All the legends had fallen asleep, and 200 years had passed. The world welcomed new legends, and those who reigned during the gap between legends became weak again. The relationship between Grid and Noll represented this change. In the end, Noll lost his stubbornness and accepted reality. “…I would prefer armor like what you wear. Oh, it’s not that I want to look like you or something like that.”
“I understand. Your weapon will be a shield.” Grid’s voice was gentle and careful as he spoke to Noll. Grid’s feelings toward Noll were very complicated. After all, he was the person who killed Noll’s brothers. A vampire and human’s thoughts were different, so Noll didn’t resent Grid. Still, Grid felt sorry toward Noll.
“I’ll make you a strong armor.”
“Hmph, do whatever you want.”
The first preparations were beginning. Grid would set up a new smithy here and produce items for Noll. Then the ‘armed’ Noll would be copied and become the 4th heavenly king of the National Competition.
***
“The protagonist is a blessed person.”
They got overwhelming support from the audiences and readers.
“As long as the wishes of many people support the protagonist, the protagonist is bound to be strong.”
Of course, this wasn’t universal. The protagonist was sometimes weaker than everyone else. Why?
“The protagonist also suffers through trials. It is a fate that can’t be avoided. Then the protagonist will become stronger after the trials.
At the S.A Group’s New York branch, a man who was participating in the US representatives selection was talking to the other candidates. His name was Zibal.
“I have overcome the pain of my last trial.”
He was the strong ranker who had once represented the United States, but he received the stigma of a punching bag after losing to Kraugel and Grid. Zibal declared, “I am the protagonist.”
He had fallen to hell from the best place. Zibal was like a monk walking the path of penance. He endured the ridicule and contempt of the people and endeavored to overcome his limitations. Nobody could ignore him. People might not want to acknowledge him, but they had to respect him.
However, one person downplayed ZIbal.
“No, I will be the new protagonist.” It was Haster.
The appearance of an unexpected character shocked many people.
“Get out of the way, Zibal. I have to experiment with my strength.”
Haster thought it was natural that he couldn’t beat Grid at the present time. However, Hurent…?
Haster was someone who had beaten Kraugel. So, Haster felt there was something wrong. He needed to figure out what was wrong and fix it immediately. Then this person interfered, “Haster? Weren’t you a pro golfer?”
“Pro gamer!!”
It was the punching bag Zibal.
[The selection will start soon. All candidates please enter.]
Unlike in other countries, this was a rare scene where many high rankers could be seen. Hundreds of strong players, including Zibal and Haster, were entering the preliminary elimination rounds.
Chapter 919
“What made you decide to naturalize?”
When Jair arrived in Australia, he answered questions from reporters. “I wanted to participate in the National Competition.”
Jair was ranked 1,071 on the overall rankings. He took pride in his skills and wanted to be a star like the high rankers. However, the United States was too big. The country was overloaded with strong and capable individuals, and Jair became weak in comparison. He didn’t even get elected as a representative. The ‘abundance’ of the United States had taken away Jair’s chance.
***
“Zibal? It has been a while.”
At the New York area selection round, hundreds of participants on stage were focused on Zibal. There were a variety of responses from the people. Those who recalled that Zibal had led the United States in the 1st and 2nd National Competitions welcomed him. Meanwhile, those who were disappointed that Zibal took the path of a hermit after facing several defeats frowned. Some people laughed or mocked him openly.
“Shouldn’t you retire after being called a punching bag? Why did you crawl back?”
“Don’t take away other people’s opportunities.”
There were even those who seemed hostile. Zibal humbly accepted all of it. He knew their hostility came from affection and expectations.
‘They are those who waited for me.’
Yes, the United States had been waiting. Zibal had been defeated by Russia’s Kraugel and South Korea’s Grid, but it hadn’t changed the fact that he was still one of the best talents in the United States. The American people had hoped he would play an active role again. They had wished the United States would once again be honored as the number one country in the 3rd National Competition. However, Zibal hadn’t responded to the people’s expectations. He had disappeared without a trace and turne
d away from the 3rd National Competition. Consequently, the United States lost its first place ranking.
The people felt as much betrayal as they had felt hope. As such, Zibal understood that they felt betrayed by him.
“In any case, we have Kraugel. We don’t need you!” A young ranker, who looked in his teens, cried out desperately. He was a boy who once dreamt of seeing America’s ‘captain’, Zibal. Yet the boy’s expectations had been betrayed, and he resented the monster from the east, Grid, for trampling on the United States.
“Hrmm.” Zibal had already made a speech in the waiting room. He wasn’t kind enough to repeat the words to the candidates who used the other waiting rooms. After all, he just had to show his strength.
The first selection event was PvE. Zibal summoned the ‘Two-Headed Steel Chariot’ and smiled at the boy after trampling on the small creatures.
“The protagonist becomes stronger after overcoming ordeals. Kid, haven’t you seen it many times in movies?”
“Ah… Ahh…” The forgotten light of envy filled the boy’s eyes as he looked up at the chariot. All those who laughed or mocked Zibal were silent. Then the second monster wave appeared. The high-speed flying monsters surrounded Zibal. Their sharp claws aimed at Zibal, who seemed to be in a crisis because the chariot only showed its power on the ground.
Zibal just laughed at the monsters and summoned his second ride, “White Accelerator.”
It was a white lion with large wings. Zibal abandoned the chariot and flew into the sky. He used a huge trident and was able to penetrate through all the monsters. It happened in an instant. Zibal shouted, “The United States will win. I will make it so. I am different from the other losers who abandoned their country! I have overcome my ordeal and returned! I am the true protagonist!”
Zibal’s cry was enough to stimulate the black flame dragon Lauel, who was watching in the distance. Certainly, Zibal was much stronger than he had been two years ago. He was unique even in the United States, which had humbled numerous strong people. Zibal was comparable to Kraugel of last year.
‘Maybe this year…’
‘The combined power of Kraugel and Zibal can beat Grid…!’
The American rankers, who still shrank back from the Grid they witnessed last year, started to feel hopeful.
“Victory will be made by me, not you. If you’re done then get out of the way.”
Step, step. A man pushed his way onto the stage. The young rankers didn’t recognize him, but those older than 20 were amazed and shocked.
“Haster!! It’s Haster?”
The emperor of FPS games—Haster was the mythical pro gamer who created the golden age for America. He was comparable to the Korean FaXer and Lim Xhan. The person who retired from the game world with the release of Satisfy was appearing here…? The emergence of the unexpected figure shocked people.
‘What is with all the fuss?’ The younger generation who didn’t know him felt doubts. Then Haster showed off the power of his unique class, Red Sage. The 1st and 2nd wave monsters were blocked by ice barriers and burned by flames. It wasn’t as exciting as Zibal’s display, but it was neat workmanship without any flaws.
‘Pretty good.’
Skull and Zephyr watched Zibal and Haster quietly.
‘However, that is all.’
Skull, 10th on the overall rankings, and Zephyr, 20th on the overall rankings—they had played for the United States in every national competition and knew the harsh reality.
‘They shouldn’t feel elated just by catching a few monsters.’
‘They can never beat that monster.’
The monster was Grid. They had met Grid or seen him for three consecutive years and knew how steep Grid’s growth curve was. It was a strength that extended beyond the concept of stats and skills. Rather, it felt like an evolution of a species itself.
‘Grid has already surpassed the limits of a player a long time ago.’
‘He is someone who has faced a dragon, not just these petty monsters. In order for us to win against South Korea, the United States needs a transcendent who is beyond the limits like Grid.’
Did they believe this transcendent person was Kraugel? Well, let’s see? Most people didn’t know it, but Skull and Zephyr clearly saw the difference between Grid and Kraugel. At last year’s PvP finals, Grid hadn’t used all his power, but he had broken Kraugel. The person who people had called the ‘sky above the sky’ for several years had been like a child in front of Grid.
‘We should give up on the 1st place spot.’
Nothing would change even if Zibal and Haster came back. The presence of Grid meant the United States would forever remain in second place. Skull and Zephyr smiled bitterly as the gloomy reality filled their minds.
[The second test will begin.]
A new system message popped up, and a boss monster appeared. It was an earl grade direct descendant vampire—a monster known to be monopolized by the Overgeared Kingdom.
“I want food.” The pale vampire revealed his sharp fangs as a bloody magic power swirled around him and took control of the stage. It was the manifestation of Blood Field, which weakened all players.
“Let’s move.” Skull and Zephyr rushed forward. In order to get a high score in a boss raid, they had to accumulate damage on the boss or pull the boss’ aggro to survive. Skull and Zephyr had no plans to be eliminated in the selection rounds. However, they couldn’t help freezing in place, while the other contestants stepped back or ran into them. The sky was suddenly filled with darkness and thunder. The thunder in the sky split apart.
“What?”
The participants were confused by this turn of events and cried out.
“A-Avoid it!”
A giant descended through a gap in the sky. It was close to five meters tall, and its white coating was reminiscent of a white dragon’s scales. Someone muttered, “Gundam…?”
The emergence of something beyond the vampire earl wasn’t in the participants’ event information. The confused people scattered everywhere, including Haster.
‘What is that monster?’
Mental Protection, the passive skill of the Red Sage, was being threatened by the descent of this giant enemy. Haster’s legs were shaking, and he couldn’t move. Haster bet that most participants were likely to be in a ‘fear’ or ‘confused’ state. What was the identity of the giant that threatened hundreds of rankers just by appearing? Except for one person, all of those present were overwhelmed.
“Come on, Raiders.”
“…!”
The pressure was lifted the moment the giant appeared on the stage. Haster’s legs stopped trembling while the other participants regained their freedom from the abnormal conditions. Zibal was boarding the giant.
[Synchronizing with Raiders.]
…
…
[Synchronization successful!]
[Raiders is operating!]
[The maximum mana is low!]
[The maximum time you can activate Raiders is 21 seconds.]
“I…”
[Blue Sky Rider]
It was the growth type unique class that Zibal managed to obtain after meeting the 4th imperial prince Edan and carrying out the class quest.
“I am the protagonist.”
The presence of an artifact class item, Raiders, was enough to place Zibal as the protagonist as he claimed. The parthenon pillars fired and blew away one of the vampire earl’s arms.
‘Maybe…!’ Delight filled the faces of Skull and Zephyr.
‘Is this the Zibal that I knew?’ Haster’s eyes shook.
Additionally…
‘The Saharan Empire…?’ Lauel witnessed the symbol of the empire engraved on one side of Raiders’ chest.
Now, they had a common idea, regardless of individual circumstances. The winner of this year’s PvP event would be Zibal, and the United States would rise to the top again.
Simultaneously, in South Korea…
[Overgeared King Grid declares
his non-participation in the 4th Satisfy National Competition.]
The breaking news from various media outlets caused a buzz among the people. The real-time search queries of the portal sites became filled with Grid, Shin Youngwoo, Overgeared King, and so on in less than one minute.
Ttang! Ttang! Ttang!
“Good.”
Grid ignored the flood of requests for interviews and hammered an armor that closely resembled Valhalla of Infinite Affection. He was mentally and physically tired from working for a long time, but Grid forgot his fatigue once he confirmed the results.
[You have created a myth rated item!]
[* When myth rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +20 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +1,000.]
[Your reputation points has exceeded 200,000. It is recommended that you use the Reputation Store.]
[The blacksmith god Hexetia has praised you.]
[God Hexetia has given you a benefit.]
[Your dexterity has risen by 100.]
“Placing armor on this noble body… I don’t like it but I will try it on now.” Noll couldn’t hide the joy of being with Grid for three days. His eyes lit up and he immediately wore the armor.
Grid nodded as he confirmed that Noll wearing the armor looked exactly like him. “It is like watching my childhood self.”
Noll was like the star in a night sky while Grid was a pig’s poop. The gap in appearance between the two people was this huge. Grid had no conscience when he said Noll reminded him of his childhood. However, Noll was pleased instead of offended.
Chapter 920
‘It works better than I thought.’
Grid had the Minerals Strengthening skill. As the name suggested, it was a skill that could enhance the performance of minerals. It was a good skill just based on the description. However, its actual utility was low.
The weight of the materials which could be put into the ‘strengthening frame’ was limited to 30 grams, and it took 30 days to complete the strengthening. Grid had been strengthening blue orichalcum for the past seven years, but the weight of the strengthened blue orichalcum that he had secured was only around 2.5 kilograms. He needed 4 kilograms to make an average one-handed sword. Therefore, Grid couldn’t get enough minerals to make a sword despite his seven years of investment. It was a skill that was virtually obsolete.
