Chapter 185
Yubadakan was one of the most developed cities in the Harken Kingdom.
Due to the enormous capital and the ability of competent politicians, the population exceeded 70,000. There were many hunting grounds, so there was a high floating population. The city markets were always crowded. Thanks to that, the economic growth was constant.
The owner of this rich city who would gather more than 1.5 million gold each month? It was a user, not an NPC. The user was Zibal.
"Kukukul! You looked down on Grid, so aren't you funny now?"
Yubadakan Castle.
Asuka, the 12th executive of the Snake Guild, sneered. “You laughed when Black Teddy and I were defeated by him, but what about you? It was very fun watching your drake be beaten by a cat! Kukuku!"
Immediately after the Pope Drevigo raid. Asuka was a member of the Tzedakah Guild at the time and fought Grid with Black Teddy, Box and Toban, and was badly defeated. Due to that incident, Zibal kept making fun of her.
But what now? Grid wasn't an existence that could be ignored. Zibal was also hurt by him. Asuka felt good. It was like 10 years was taken off of her. Asuka couldn't stop laughing.
“How do you feel being beaten by someone you ignored? Huh?"
“Asuka, act more moderately…"
The moment that Box tried to restrain Asuka.
"I'm sorry." Zibal respectfully apologized to Asuka. "I underestimated Grid. I'm really sorry for making fun of you."
Asuka wasn't a narrow-minded person. She was satisfied with Zibal acknowledging his error and bowing to her in front of the 13 executives.
“Well, okay. I will be generous and understand your ignorance."
“Thank you."
In the end, the atmosphere calmed down. However, the expressions of the executives still wasn't good.
"Master. Public opinion about you has been the worst since the National Competition."
“You are the face of the Snake Guild. Your reputation falling means that the reputation of the guild falls. For the moment, you should focus on recovering your image."
"No, I would rather you get your third advancement class. It's imperative that you narrow the gap with Kraugel and Grid."
“Did I hear that you failed to invite Hurent and Lauel? It's a top priority to replace them with other talented people."
“Contact Katz. He changed after being defeated by Bondre a few months ago, so wouldn't he have definitely grown?"
“We need to boost the morale of the guild after they saw the strength of the Tzedakah Guild… The guild members depend not on us executives, but the guild master."
The executives discussed Zibal's future route. They came up with ideas about what the guild master needed to do for the guild. But Zibal wasn't able to concentrate on the meeting.
'Grid…'
The First National Competition ended yesterday. Zibal was going to perform brilliantly while millions of people were watching. If he had succeeded, the reputation of the Snake Guild would naturally increase and their forces would expand rapidly.
But that plan was in vain due to Grid. The most brilliant performer in the National Competition was Grid, not Zibal. People's attention were focused on the Tzedakah Guild, not the Snake Guild. The Tzedakah Guild was now going to grow at a tremendous pace.
'The number of users migrating to Bairan is skyrocketing…'
Some of them were the talents that he wanted. Yes, like Lauel.
'This can't continue.'
First of all, he needed to swallow the power of the Harken Kingdom, making it the base of his ambition to conquer the entire continent. Money, talent and military power. At first, he planned to collect the talents using money and that would pave the way for his military power.
However, he realized something in the National Competition. It took more than money to collect people.
The reason.
'…Items.'
Grid's black greatsword and blue greatsword that cut down the best rankers like cream cheese. Chris was defeated by Regas' knuckles. Pon's red spear that pushed Regas to the point of death.
The enormous power of these four items couldn't leave Zibal's mind. He was full of a desire to have them. It was a desire that all users felt, not just him. Indeed, didn't Lauel go to Grid after seeing his items? He wondered if all the talents would be taken away by Grid at this time.
One of the executives mentioned an interesting story to Zibal.
"Should we contact Panmir?"
The 1st ranked blacksmith, Panmir. He was originally a person that guilds actually sought after, but he was overshadowed by the emergence of Pagma's Descendant.
"I've found Panmir's location. He is staying in the city of dwarves."
"Dwarves…?"
Dwarves were innate blacksmiths. They produced countless blacksmiths with outstanding talent. They were so arrogant that they ignored human blacksmiths. Then how could Panmir stay in the city of dwarves?
The executives speculated.
“Panmir might be recognized by the dwarves and performing a hidden class change quest."
"Hoh…?"
A small number of dwarves were able to give life to items. And the species itself was capable of dealing well with gunpowder. Pagma might be the overall better blacksmith, but they surpassed Pagma in certain areas. What if Panmir inherited the talent of the dwarves?
‘The only rival of Grid will be born.'
They had to invite him. Zibal decided and immediately got up.
"I will go and see Panmir."
After that. Zibal succeeded in inviting Panmir, and the Snake Guild grew rapidly with his help.
***
The Yatan Church's Third Temple.
The Yatan servants gathered at the temple in the destroyed Bonkost Principality. Yura was also there.
“Finally, the successor of Priest Malacus has been decided."
Since the Tzedakah Guild and Grid killed Malacus… The Yatan Church had gradually weakened because they couldn't proceed with their religious rituals. Now a new priest was selected.
'Level 420…?'
Yura was astonished as she confirmed the newly elected priest. It was because the level of the new priest was 100 higher than Malacus.
‘A fourth advancement NPC…'
It was the same as the Second Servant and the Third Servant. Neberius's successor in the future was expected to be in the same class. Yura was curious about the identity of the First Servant.
'How strong is the existence who reigns above all of them?'
She had never met the First Servant. Grid said that he needed to receive God Yatan's blessing for his quest, but she hadn't been able to figure out how to help. The Second Servant, Likaos, ordered her.
"Eighth Servant. You are still too weak to show the grandeur of God Yatan. Embark on the Path of Penance and grow."
[The quest 'Path of Penance ' has been created.]
[Path of Penance]
Difficulty Level: SS
Meet the First Servant unharmed.
Quest Clear Conditions: ??
Quest Failure: ??
The description was too poor for a quest of the highest difficulty. She already had a headache.
'This will be a tough quest.'
But she finally met the minimum qualifications to meet the First Servant. Yura was filled with tension and anticipation.
"For the sake of God Yatan."
Based on Satisfy's worldview, she was an obviously evil person.
***
“Thanks for the hard work.”
S Broadcasting Station located in Ilsan. Youngwoo quickly got up as soon as he finished his talk show. The main host, PDs and other staff members approached and greeted him.
"You did a really good job."
"The broadcast turned out well thanks to you."
“Youngwoo-ssi, I'll see you next time. I want to treat you to a meal."
"Will you connect to Satisfy as soon as you go home? Please reveal your level!"
Satisfy revolutionized global innovation as the first virtual reality game that surpassed existing technology. It secured over two billion users and deeply penetrated into the world economy. It had an overwhelming influence in all areas. The Korean people were extremely proud that this great work was made in South Korea.
But there was one problem. South Korea reigned as a powerhouse in games decades ago, but it was now weak. Satisfy was definitely a Korean game, but most Koreans didn't play it. Most of the content in Satisfy was dominated by users from the US, France, Canada and China. South Korea had Yura and Peak Sword, but that wasn't enough.
The Korean people felt a severe thirst. Why were the Koreans showing weakness in a proud domestic game enjoyed by the world? It was painful.
But not anymore.
One month ago.
Shin Youngwoo participated in the National Competition as a representative of South Korea, and won three gold medals with overwhelming ability. This resolved the thirst of the Korean people all at once.
Youngwoo became the hero of South Korea. Any Korean person would love Youngwoo. His popularity transcended Park Jisung and Kim Yuna in the past. It was close to Yura.
Youngwoo's appearances on TV always had unconditionally high ratings, and his CF's caused sale volumes to rise. Therefore, Youngwoo emerged as the blue chip in broadcasting and advertising.
Many broadcasters and advertisers tried to get him.
But Youngwoo was a very busy person. He tried to play Satisfy at least 14 hours a day.
‘Broadcasts are hard.'
In order for Youngwoo to earn a large profit in Satisfy, he needed to make a level 200 item with at least a unique rating. However, he couldn't make unique rated items whenever he wanted. Sometimes he would invest a whole week into making items and only got one epic rated item.
On the other hand, he could earn tens of millions of won from one broadcast and hundreds of millions of won from one CF. However, Youngwoo didn't like broadcasts and advertising. At first, he was excited about being on TV, but not anymore.
It was difficult for him to be on broadcasts because he was plain and lacked improvisation skills, while CFs required shooting the same scene many times, showing his lack of acting skills and concentration.
Due to that, he started getting hair loss. Youngwoo would much rather play Satisfy.
‘It's like living on pine needles.'
In the first place, it was much more profitable to invest time in Satisfy than to invest time in broadcasting. It was still profitable, even if he produced rare and epic items.
'The experience of my production skills goes up.'
The higher the level of the production skill, the better the items produced. Youngwoo planned to stop broadcasting and focus on Satisfy. Yura's advice also played a big role in him making this decision.
'Minimize my image consumption.'
She said that his influence would decrease because he was too frequently exposed to the public. Youngwoo agreed. In the future, broadcasts and CFs would only be filmed when necessary.
“I hope we will shoot together next time."
“If I have time."
Youngwoo gave a vague answer to the eager PD and left the studio at a busy pace. As soon as he reached the parking lot, he got into 23 and looked in the mirror.
“Phew, isn't it better now?"
Youngwoo had almost no sleep and worked for the past month in order to cope with the tax bomb thrown at him. He played Satisfy 14 hours a day to make items, then he spent 6 hours doing broadcasts or advertisements. He only slept four hours a day.
The stress caused by fatigue made his hair loss progress quickly, so Youngwoo was worried that he would end up like a bald Japanese youkai. However, he steadily took medicines and found a good tax accountant thanks to Yura, so he was gradually overcoming his hair loss. Hair started to appear again on the empty parts of his head.
“Okay, sooner or later, I will be fine."
Buaang!
Did it notice Master's delight. 23's engine sounded livelier than usual. The destination was naturally his home.
Three months remained until the completion of his building, so Youngwoo's family continued staying in their original house until then.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 186
『 There are many users who are exploring the path to hell in order to obtain a memphis, commonly referred to as 'Noe.' There was a theory that the entrance to hell is somewhere in the Astra Mountains, but that turned out to be false. 'User robbers' in the Astra Mountains are believed to have spread the information in order to attract people, so please be careful. 』
『 I've just received breaking news. It's said that a map of the legendary 'Siren Kingdom' is being circulated. Countless users are now heading to the Siren Kingdom. Who was the first person to find the Siren Kingdom? There are all types of speculation among the experts… 』
Youngwoo listened to Satisfy related news while driving. It wasn't out of interest, but obligation. He was now well aware that information was power.
"The first discoverer of the Siren Kingdom… They would get titles, money and reputation. It's huge."
He didn't know who it was, but he was envious. His stomach started hurting.
'…Mind control. Mind control.'
Youngwoo was worried that his hair loss would start again, so he tried to stay calm until he arrived at his destination.
Creak.
Youngwoo parked 23 and got down. Just two weeks ago, the front of Youngwoo's house was crowded with people, but not anymore. The people of the neighborhood strictly controlled the access of outsiders, so Youngwoo's family was able to regain their normal lives.
"I'm home."
"Welcome."
Youngwoo's mother looked 10 years younger. She had been suffering because of her son over the past few years, but now she was always happy because her son was the hero of South Korea. She could see the greatness of her son. She was welcomed everywhere she went, just because she was Youngwoo's mother.
“Was the filming completed well? Wash your hands first. Then come eat. I roasted some croaker.”
"Yep."
In the past, Youngwoo hadn't been motivated by anything. Even eating or washing up was troublesome. But now he was completely different. His motivation was revived. He even jogged in the morning with Sehee.
"Oppa, did you only sleep four hours yesterday?" Sehee came out from where she was studying in her room and asked. She didn't show it, but recently she was very worried about her brother. She was afraid he might collapse from overwork. There was also the tax bombs.
Youngwoo replied while eating rice. "I will be able to sleep more from today onwards. For the time being, I will refrain from broadcasting activities. So let's jog every morning, starting from tomorrow."
"I thought that you didn't want to exercise?"
"I have to do it. I need to take care of my health."
"It's the right idea. Health is more important than money." Those were his father's words. He was always strict because he wanted his son to grow up as quickly as possible, and now he treated his son with sincerity.
"Youngwoo, you have already succeeded. You have acquired tremendous wealth and honor at a young age. You've also paid off my debt. That alone is enough. Don't ruin your health by being too greedy.
That's right. It was enough. How many people built up 10 billion won assets at the age of 28, as well as acquired a worldwide reputation? The best athletes had hundreds of millions in their bank accounts in their 20's, but Youngwoo's father thought that wasn't necessary.
He thought that Youngwoo had the same thought. But Youngwoo was still lacking. Youngwoo was much greedier than his father thought.
'It's better to have more money, Father. Now we are eating yellow corvina as a side dish, but what about in the past?'
Up to last year. Youngwoo never saw any beef in his house. There was a lot of radish soups and the meat was always pork. The taste wasn't that good. The radish soup was too light, and the pork was too dry. Youngwoo misunderstood while eating the radish soup and pork.
'The beef won't taste that good in soup… Is there a rule that we shouldn't have beef in our house?'
But what was the truth?
This year, he ate a lot of beef. The soup broth boiled with brisket was much sweeter and tastier, while the pork skewers made with good pork were soft and easy to chew. It went without saying that the beef short ribs melted in his mouth.
That's right. There wasn't a rule against beef. It was just that his family didn't have money for beef. The difference between having money and no money was revealed from such a small thing.
'I'm going to make more money, Father.'
Youngwoo's father was a person who lived thinking that he should save, rather than earn a lot. Youngwoo didn't say it aloud, but he was much greedier than his father. He already had a taste of money, so he didn't want to lose it. He didn't want to go back to the life where he didn't have any money.
'Yes… I will accept Huroi and Lauel's opinions.'
Youngwoo felt aware of it after his father. He was looking at a higher place.
‘Become a lord.'
Bairan Village, ruled by the Tzedakah Guild, was elevated to a city 10 days ago. People were attracted to Grid, Jishuka, Pon and Regas' actions in the National Competition. And Bairan's monthly taxes collected was a huge 500,000 gold. It was valued at approximately 600 million won.
It meant that developing one territory would earn him a huge amount of money every month. He couldn't not feel greedy.
'I will have an estate.'
In Satisfy, Youngwoo was the husband of a territory owner.
But being the husband and being the lord were distinctly different. As Irene's husband, he might have some influence on the policies, but he wasn't authorized to directly manage the taxes. Youngwoo wanted to own a territory himself.
After the meal ended.
"Oppa."
"Huh?"
"…Good night."
Sehee wanted to say something, but in the end, she just went back to her room. She was acting strange.
"Good night~"
Youngwoo was so deep in thought that he couldn't notice his sister's strange behavior. He immediately entered the capsule.
"Then I will begin."
The time finally came to log into Satisfy. But before that, there was something he had to do.
“First of all.”
Ttalkak!
Youngwoo accessed the Internet and entered 'Grid's Fan Cafe.' Then as one of the 1.36 million members, he started writing praise about Grid. He did this on a daily basis.
<Grid-nim looks so cool!>
The more I look, the more handsome he is. ^^ ~ There was a rumor that he was bald, but that is clearly groundless ^^ㅎㅎ
“Good.”
He wore a partial wig for a while before of his hair loss. There was some rumors saying that he looked strange on air or that he was bald. Youngwoo was satisfied with the post he wrote about himself and succeeded in joining Noe's fan club.
Noe's fan club had 500,000 more members than his.
'Dammit…'
A cat was more popular than him? His pride hurt every time he saw it. Youngwoo started writing slanderous words about Noe as usual.
<Noe is plain-looking ㅋ>
Noe will ruin Grid's beauty when placed side-by-side. The cat is arrogant.
"Now I have released some of my frustration. Huhuhut…!"
Youngwoo was satisfied when looking at his malicious post. He finally logged into Satisfy.
***
“Dear husband~"
Winston Castle.
A woman with a small figure entered Grid's arms as soon as he opened his eyes. Grid smiled at the familiar sight as soon as he logged in.
"Have you been waiting? Irene."
Grid's facial expression and tone differed depending on who the opponent was. Shin Youngwoo or Grid. He was a blacksmith or a swordsman. Grid had been living this four-fold life for a long time, so his acting ability naturally increased. No, maybe he had several personalities.
"Am I that good?" Grid asked Irene with gentle eyes.
“There is no one better than you in this world."
"Irene…"
“Dear husband…"
The two of them slept together just yesterday. This was already the 8th time. Grid was a 'god' in bed thanks to his high stamina and dexterity stat, so it was natural to be loved.
“Every day, I want every day to be like yesterday."
"Haha…" Grid laughed awkwardly as Irene honestly expressed her desire. Then he asked, "Where are my knights?"
"I'm not sure. Everyone is busy today."
Grid had a total of three knights. One was the NPC Jude, while the other two were Huroi and Lauel. The first dual class and the strongest of the Ten Rookies had pledged their loyalty to Grid. Due to the game system, he had to pay at least 500 gold monthly to each knight, but it was worth it.
The master/slave relationship was useful in many ways. For example.
"Summon Knights."
[Which knight would you like to summon?]
“Huroi and Lauel."
[The summoning command has been sent. The response is pending.]
[The targets have accepted the summons.]
[The knights Huroi and Lauel have been summoned.]
Once the knights answered their master's call, they would be summoned to his side, no matter how far away the two of them were. It was a skill so it couldn't be used in some areas or when he had the silence debuff on him, but Grid was resistant to the silence debuff. It meant Grid could summon the knights at any time, so this system was very good to him.
“You came, Lord."
Huroi was loyal to Grid and now he was completely immersed in genuinely serving Grid. He was like a character from a historical drama.
“You connected to the game late today."
Lauel was no different from Huroi. He was faithful to his role. He didn't use the exaggerated title of Lord, but he bowed after being summoned. Grid looked at his two subordinates for a while.
“Come, get up. Huhuhut… I am very glad to see your dependable appearances."
“…"
Irene was embarrassed for some reason. She used the excuse that she was busy and left this place. This meant only three people remained in Grid's office.
Lauel asked as soon as Irene left. “You could just whisper to us. Why did you use the summoning? Don't you know that the skill has a cooldown time of 36 hours? What will happen if you can't use it during a crucial moment?"
Grid was unique to Lauel, because he was the only one who could produce the items Lauel wanted. Grid spoke like it wasn't a big deal.
“Well, what is the big deal?"
“…"
This was complete carelessness. It was hard to make Grid act carefully after he defeated big names in the National Competition. Sooner or later, his nose would be hurt by it.
'That big nose, I will protect it.'
As Lauel was thinking about the weapon Grid would produce for him, Huroi asked Grid a question.
“Then you summoned us because…?"
Huroi had been in the process of completing a monster hunting sub-quest that took him three hours by drake to get there. He wanted to believe that Grid summoned him because it was urgent.
Then Grid opened his mouth.
"I'm going to become a lord."
'Finally…!'
It was after the National Competition. One month passed in reality, while it was three months in Satisfy. During that time, Grid had created items for the Tzedakah and accumulated wealth and skill levels. Grid acted faithfully as the guild's blacksmith. Grid was satisfied with this. He was overjoyed every time he got a new production method.
But Huroi and Lauel thought this was a waste of Grid's power. It was unfortunate to see such a unique existence be satisfied with being the blacksmith of a small guild, without any larger goals.
The two of them tried to persuade Grid. Escape from the small cage called the Tzedakah Guild and expand into the wider world.
Grid worried over his decision for a few days.
"I will withdraw from the Tzedakah Guild. I will create my own unique force, based on your opinions."
In the end, he decided. Thanks to this, Huroi and Lauel were ecstatic. They thought that the moment to show off their talents had arrived.
'Lord will be the first user…'
‘To become a king.'
The two men were thinking about the Snake Guild. With Grid's power, couldn't they dream about conquering the continent? It wasn't Zibal, but Grid's fate to become the first emperor. The two people didn't doubt it.
Grid currently only had the simple goal of 'becoming a lord,' but Huroi and Lauel were dreaming of placing Grid on a higher mountain. In order to do that…
“After establishing your new guild, invite the Tzedakah Guild."
Inevitably, a lot of talent was required. The Tzedakah Guild had the strongest rankers and were a force that must be absorbed.
Lauel explained, “The Tzedakah Guild is already addicted to the items you produce and won't want to lose this. Some of them, including Jishuka, have a vested interest in you. They will surely join you. If you want, they will surely become your subordinates."
Lauel was certain of it. He had only followed Grid for a month and within that month, he became someone that couldn't live without Grid. He was a slave to items.
At the same time.
“It has been a long time."
A blonde female was attracting attention as she entered Winston. The girl's ID was Euphemina. She was the first epic class and the first discoverer of the Siren Kingdom.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 187
“The time for revenge has come."
The assassins Shay, Kerb and Sniffer. The three people tried to hunt Grid without knowing his identity, but it was frustrating that they lost their items. Their grudge against Grid was quite deep. They felt angry whenever they thought about the value of the dropped items.
"We must assassinate him and make him drop his items."
The three people finally came to Winston after leaving Rolling. They were eyeing the enormous items that Grid used in the National Competition. In particular, they wanted the blue greatsword and golden blades. If the assassination was successful, they would be able to get a jackpot from his items.
'Our stealth is now at level 6…'
‘… If we can approach Grid, we can successfully assassinate him.'
Shay was ranked 3rd, Kerb ranked 7th, and Sniffer ranked 9th. Their rankings had risen compared to before. In addition, they had a third advancement assassin NPC on their side. After completing an S-grade quest for the Assassins Association, they could hire the best assassin for an expensive price.
They could assassinate Grid if they had the power of this assassin. At least, they thought so.
***
Class: Duplicator
* The target’s skill can be perfectly replicated.
Title: A Qualified Hero
* You won't get tired easily.
*Your stats will grow faster.
Title: Competitor
* Interacts with high luck.
* Skill 'Rolling Dice' can be used.
Title: Friend of the Water Clan.
* It is possible to breathe in water for a long time.
* Movement speed in water doesn't decrease.
* Have a high affinity with the Water Clan.
Title: One who Receives Sunlight
* Health +2,000. Mana +2,000.
* Under sunlight, all skills will increase by 7%.
* Under sunlight, the power of fire skills will increase by 16%.
[Skill Observation Lv.8 (51.3%)]
You can observe the skill used by the target and analyze the information thoroughly.
The analysis of the skill can be saved for only 3 minutes.
Skill Mana Cost: 300
Skill Cooldown Time: None.
[Skill Duplication]
Successfully duplicate the observed skill.
The duplicated skill will be permanently stored in your skills list until it is used. It will be deleted when used once.
Skill Mana Cost: 1,050
Skill Cooldown Time: 8 hours.
[Rolling Dice]
Roll a dice and a phenomenon will occur, depending on the number that is rolled.
* If the target is yourself or an ally: There will be a beneficial effect if the number 4 or higher is rolled. There will be a harmful effect if the number rolled is 3 or lower.
* If the target is an enemy: There will be a beneficial effect if the number 3 or lower is rolled. There will be a harmful effect if the number rolled is 4 or higher.
Skill Mana Cost: 30
Skill Cooldown Time: 20 minutes.
The first epic hidden class, Euphemina. In other words, she was superior. If she invested a few days into duplicating dozens of skills, she could be called the strongest. She was the one who defeated the 1st ranked assassin, Faker.
"Once the lord changed, it really developed a lot."
She entered Winston quietly. It had been already half a year in reality since she came to Winston to participate in the item production game with Grid. She felt refreshed.
'It's completely like heaven compared to when the villainous lord ruled.’
Winston was large half a year ago. The population was large and it was economically developed. Nevertheless, the faces of the NPC residents were always dark. The lord was selfish and always neglected the interests of the people.
But now the people's faces were full of energy. There were many facilities to take care of them. The new ruler was certainly worthy.
'By the way… Where is Khan's smithy again?'
Euphemina was amazed as she saw the bustling streets and tried to remember the way. However, Winston had changed too much, so it wasn't easy to find the way. She had to spend quite a lot of time looking for Khan's smithy.
After a while.
“Show me a level 150 longsword."
“Are these the only helmets?"
“Wow, this plate armor is amazing! How much?"
"Look at this greatsword… Amazing."
"Eh?" Euphemina was surprised as she arrived at Khan's smithy.
‘Oh my god, why are there so many people?'
The smithy was bustling with guests. No, it wasn't enough to call it bustling. The queue of customers was at least 100m long. This was the aftermath of the National Competition. After Grid revealed his identity in the National Competition, many people frequently visited Khan's smithy.
They went looking for Khan's smithy in the hope of purchasing items made by Grid, but they became fascinated by Khan's items. It was natural. Khan's blacksmithing skill rose by five levels thanks to Blacksmith's Affection, and it was now advanced level 7.
A blacksmith of the same level didn't exist on the entire continent. Therefore, word of mouth spread about the outstanding performance of his items and visitors from other countries also came.
“Uhh, there is no end to the procession of customers."
Khan hired four workers, but the smithy was non stop busy. It was a lot of money to pass onto Grid, but his old age meant that he had limited stamina.
"Sigh… Huh?"
Khan was making items without stopping in order to catch up with orders, only to find a familiar girl among the customers. Color returned to his face.
"Ohh! Isn't it Euphemina? It's been a long time!"
Khan liked Euphemina a lot. She was the one who helped saved Grid, who had been locked in prison after the item production game.
"It has been a long time Khan. You look younger."
"Hahaha! I stopped drinking thanks to Grid and was rejuvenated. You are more beautiful than before. Have you been well?"
Euphemina didn't dislike it. "Uhh, don't be ridiculous. Anyway, I have been travelling the continent in order to find the best orb production method."
“Huhu, and did you find it?"
“Of course."
Khan looked expectant as Euphemina pulled out an old scroll. Khan's eyes widened with surprise.
“This is truly a great orb… Even the word 'best' is attached to it."
It was a tremendous orb that he couldn't produce with his skill. It was doubtful that even his grandfather could produce it, despite being a craftsman.
'But if it's Grid…'
"Isn't it amazing? You're truly a determined woman."
Euphemina spoke to the admiring Khan. "Where is Grid? Is he in the middle of making items?"
Khan shook his head.
“Grid isn't here. There will be an uproar if he showed up here. He already hasn't been here for a few days."
Euphemina laughed. "Right. Now that Grid is a huge celebrity, his actions will be limited. So where should I go to meet him?"
"Um…"
Khan didn't answer right away. He was reluctant to reveal Grid's whereabouts, even if the other person was Euphemina.
‘In the first place, Grid doesn't like Euphemina…'
Euphemina nodded with understanding.
"It's difficult. Well, it can't be helped if there's a problem."
Originally, Euphemina planned to visit Grid without contacting him beforehand. Now she was forced to send him a whisper in order to find his location.
–Grid.
Euphemina's whisper reached Grid.
At that moment.
"Heok…!"
Winston Castle. Grid was discussing future policies with Huroi and Lauel when he suddenly shuddered.
Huroi cried out with fright. "My Lord! What is going on?"
Was there an assassin? Huroi was about to draw his sword.
“What it it?"
Lauel also panicked. He was quite surprised. Grid's complexion was pale. He was even sweating, so his condition wasn't right. It was the first time Lauel saw Grid like this. The Grid he knew was always dignified and had no fear of the world.
But what was this situation? Grid was acting like a frightened rodent in front of the cat?
'To make Grid shake to this extent… What on earth happened?'
Gulp.
Was a disaster coming? Lauel nervously gulped as Grid opened his mouth. “…Euphemina sent me a whisper. That girl, she is currently in Winston."
"Euphemina?"
It was an unfamiliar name to Lauel. On the other hand, Huroi was glad.
“Euphemina is here? Ohh, isn't it a reunion after a long time?"
From Huroi's perspective, Euphemina was another savior. In the past. She rescued Grid in the prison, meaning Grid was able to save Huroi.
"Why did she come here now? I want to meet her… Um? Hum hum." Huroi was excited about the idea of reuniting with Euphemina, when he suddenly fell silent. He stared at Grid. "Isn't Euphemina good? Why don't you accept her as your subordinate?"
“…"
Grid was reluctant to meet Euphemina. Huroi belatedly noticed this fact.
'Is the relationship between My Lord and Euphemina not as favorable as I thought?'
Lauel asked, “Who is Euphemina?"
Grid gave a clear description.
"She is a terrible person."
Duplicator. Euphemina was able to duplicate top-grade spells and instantly use them without casting. Grid didn't know about the disadvantages so from his point of view, she was the most OP person.
"She has one of the three epic classes. I promised her that I would make her an item, but I'm worried about what she will do if I make an item below the unique rating."
"…!"
Agnus and Katz were the only ones known to have an epic class. The first epic class was completely hidden. No one knew their identity. But it turned out that Grid was acquainted with the first epic class. Lauel was filled with admiration.
‘He is big.' Lauel was very interested. 'If Grid could bring an epic class to his side…’
Lauel's eyes shone as Grid ordered Huroi.
"Go to Khan's smithy. Then bring Euphemina to the castle."
"…Yes."
Huroi politely answered and left the castle.
Winston Street.
As Huroi moved alone, a group was secretly following him. It was Shay's group.
"According to the information collected, that guy is Grid's aide."
“He is 900th on the unified rankings."
“His class isn't anything special either. An orator?"
“According to our source, he's the embarrassing type of person who always bows down to Grid. Considering his class, he will be weaker than we think."
"Kill him. Won't Grid be angry if we kill that guy? I want to see him shaking."
"Yes, let's kill him."
Shay's party had fairly decent intelligence. They looked at Huroi and made fun of him.
A deserted alleyway. Three assassins appeared behind Huroi, who was heading to Khan's smithy.
"…You are?" Huroi asked calmly and Sniffer smiled.
“We are the ones who will kill you."
Shay remarked.
“The villains have appeared. I guess?"
“…Villains?"
This was the first time he appeared in public since Grid participated in the National Competition.
Huroi frowned. “Someone dares touch My Lord… Aren't your mothers ashamed of giving birth to people like you?"
"What…?"
Why was he suddenly talking about their parents? What was this wicked guy? Then a notification window flashed in front of Shay.
[You have been overwhelmed by the spiteful tongue. Defense and attack power will decrease by 30%.]
In this gap, Huroi pulled out his sword. It was a one-handed sword that seemed to be a compact version of Dainsleif.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 188
If Pagma's Descendant was a class that relied on items, orators were a class that specialized in talking.
They could get more favorable conditions for quests by talking to NPCs, or give buffs or debuffs with specific remarks. In particular, orators were absolutely necessary for nobles and lords. It was possible to boost the morale of the army through eloquence, and it was easily to appeal to the people and take control of the public opinion.
But an orator wasn't a preferred class for users. Most users were reluctant to become orators, so they were a very rare class. The problem was that it was difficult to raise their level. The weapon they could equip was 'books.' They had only one attack skill. There were no defense or escape skills. They had lower health than a magician.
First of all, the problem was that their weapon was a book. A book had the option of adding to the narrative power, but it didn't have the ability to increase magic power or store magic like orbs. They had to charge with the weapon and swing it at the target. But would the target be hurt if hit with a book? Not at all. The attack power was too weak. A book exerted much less damage than a blacksmith's hammer.
The only attack skill an orator possessed was Spiteful Tongue. This was also a problem. It wasn't practical at all, because there was a 80 second cooldown and it only dealt 200% damage to a single target.
It was practically impossible for an orator to hunt solo. They had to rely on hunting in parties. Unfortunately, it was difficult for an orator to find a party. It was due to the lack of viability. What did the great buffs and debuffs matter?
It was obvious when an orator participated in battle. Their constants words were tiring. The party members also had to keep on eye on the orator to make sure they didn't die. Most users didn't like having orators in their party. Apart from the orator class, there were clerics, black magicians, dancers, linkers, etc. to give buff skills, so there was no need to add an unstable orator to the party.
As a result, it was very difficult for an orator to level up through hunting. They weren't able to level up through production like production classes, so they had to rely on leveling up through quests.
In other words, the level of difficulty for an orator was the highest among all classes in Satisfy, and most users avoided the orator class due to this. This was despite the fact that orators were a class that nobles and lords all over the continent would pay expensive money for!
Grid was truly lucky to obtain the 1st ranked orator as his subordinate.
‘…Does Grid know such facts?' Lauel questioned as he looked at Grid, who always made Huroi run errands.
At the same time, in the outskirts of Winston.
"…Sword?"
The 'unique' Huroi who obtained a second class in Satisfy. Shay's party was frowning at the horrifying debuff that was placed on them. Now the orator was armed with a sword? Moreover, the sword had a sinister appearance. Didn't it resemble the greatsword that Grid used to smash them in the past? They felt anxious as the bad memory popped up.
'It can't be… No?'
Shay tried to calm down as he smiled awkwardly.
"An orator armed with a sword… Isn't he still an easy threat? Right? Are you bluffing? You, you can't wield that. Right?"
Huroi was exactly 937th on the unified rankings. This was a similar ranking to Shay, and was high enough to be compared to Kerb and Sniffer. Nevertheless, the reason why Shay dared face Huroi was simple.
Huroi was an orator. Wasn't an orator the weakest? His level might be high, but it was thanks to Grid's power and repeated party hunting. Huroi himself would be extremely weak. Why was he armed with a sword?
Shay rapidly became uneasy. It seemed that he couldn't grasp Huroi properly.
"…Originally, I was a helpless existence." Huroi gazed at Shay's party and brought up an old story. “I raised my level while doing small quests. Then one day."
Yes, he first met his lord in Winston.
"I acquired the first S-grade quest of my life."
He was forced to do an outrageous quest where he was trapped in a narrow dungeon for 50 hours of real time. It was unimaginably painful. It wasn't a level he could endure with his usual mentality.
He wanted to give up and logout many times. But he endured it. He persevered in the hopes of going beyond the limits of an orator. However, he kept waiting and waiting.
“I didn't think the quest would end."
A quest where he had to wait for a savior who might not appear. Huroi had gone half crazy by the quest. He couldn't log out for more than 150 hours in game time and was trapped in a dark place. His sense of time blurred. He wasn't aware of what he was doing. It was just hell.
Just before the quest's time limit ended. A ray of light appeared in the darkness. It was the moment when Grid appeared.
“…My Lord saved me. Thanks to him, my wait wasn't in vain and I was able to complete the quest."
He got a new strength.
Second class: Apostle of Justice's Partner.
* A matchless bravery.
* When you are with the Apostle of Justice, all stats will increase by 20%.
* The skills Unbreakable Justice and Sacrifice for Justice can be used.
Title 'One who Overcomes Hardships.'
* Holds extremely high mental strength.
* Won't give in to any trials.
* Skill 'Strong Will' can be used.
“Master has given me new strength."
Now he was strong. He only existed for his lord!
“I won't allow anyone to harm My Lord!"
Shay's party was thrilled by Huroi's story.
‘This is a touching story…'
'Grid, this guy…!'
'My heart is heavy!'
This was truly an orator. Huroi's story made people listen to him. Therefore, Shay's party couldn't help concentrating on Huroi's story. It was like they were the protagonists of the story. They were thrilled when Huroi got to the part when he was saved. They couldn't help thinking of Grid as wonderful, despite being their enemy.
That was the problem.
[You have become fascinated by the interesting story.]
[You feel like the main character of the story.]
[Thanks to the story, you have lost all sense of reality. You are unable to grasp the situation.]
[You will feel confused for 3 seconds.]
"Heok?"
Originally, an orator's weapon was their mouth. Giving an orator a chance to use their mouth was no different from suicide.
"W-What is this…!"
"Shit! What is this fraudulent skill?"
Shay's group never had experience dealing with orators, so they became easily confused. Huroi stared at them and shouted, "You dare try to kill me? Come!"
[Your morale has increased.]
[The next attack will be a critical hit!]
This was the highest buff skill of an orator, that applied a buff to all allies for two seconds. Then Huroi swung his black sword.
"Unbreakable Justice!"
[Unbreakable Justice Lv.5 (88.1%)]
Deals 650% of your attack power.
Skill Mana Cost: 500
Skill Cooldown Time: 100 seconds
Unbreakable Justice was an unique skill that only the Apostle of Justice and his partner could use. It dealt damage in a wide area and the cooldown time was very short compared to its power.
But Grid hardly ever used Unbreakable Justice after acquiring Pagma's Swordsmanship. Compared to the legendary rated Pagma's Swordsmanship, Unbreakable Justice had no advantages except that it was an immediate use skill. For Grid, it was more mana efficient to use Pagma's Swordsmanship than Unbreakable Justice.
But Unbreakable Justice was Huroi's main skill. He relied on the skill so much that he already built up tremendous proficiency with it. It was level 5. Now it dealt 650% wide area damage. Furthermore, the black sword that Huroi was currently armed with…
[Mass-produced One-handed Sword (Prototype)]
Rating: Unique
Durability: 49/51 Attack Power: 423
Attack Speed: -7% Accuracy: -2%
A trial work by the legendary blacksmith G.
A one-handed sword that can be easily used by anyone, and is designed to exert high attack power.
It's an aggressive design made by referencing Dainsleif (Reproduction), and has succeeded in manifesting great attack power. However, it emphasizes convenience, so the overall perfection is poor, meaning additional functions such as durability are weak.
If steel was used as the main material rather than black iron, the limitations of this work would be more prominent and it would be treated as a consumable item.
User Restriction: Level 230 or higher. 300 strength. Advanced Sword Mastery.
Weight: 410
Huroi generated the Sword Mastery passive after acquiring his second class. He could now use a sword as a weapon. But he was an orator and his strength stat was very low, so it was impossible for him to use a proper sword for his level.
His troubles ended after Grid made the Mass-produced One-handed Sword (Prototype) for him. The name indicated that Grid planned to earn money through mass production of it someday, but the attack power was already beyond the limits of a one-handed sword. It was comparable to the minimum attack power of Dainsleif.
Half of Grid's intentions when producing it was successful.
Kwaaaang!
[Critical!]
[You have dealt 7,910 damage to the target.]
[You have dealt 9,250 damage to the target.]
[You have dealt 10,180 damage to the target.]
Assassins invested their points into agility instead of stamina. Therefore, they relied on high evasion instead of defense. But they were in a state of confusion and couldn't avoid the attacks. Shay's party was struck by the power of Unbreakable Justice.
"Cough!"
"Cough!"
[You have suffered fatal damage!]
[You can't regain your mental state.]
The enormous damage caused them to suffer from confusion again. It was the 'confusion linkage' that they had only heard rumors about. An orator managing to do something like this…
'…Does this make sense?'
'Ah… Really, shit…'
Shay was grouchy. They dreamed of getting revenge on Grid, only to be killed by his subordinate before even meeting Grid? And the subordinate was an orator?
"Damn…"
They couldn't help cursing. Three assassins being beaten by an orator. If this was known, they would be ridiculed everywhere they went. They were also worried about their experience and items dropping.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 189
“This is the end.”
Huroi was an ordinary orator until level 127, so he invested his stat points in both intelligence and persuasion. Since getting a second class at level 127, he was now level 236 and he invested his stats primarily into strength, stamina and agility.
It was to take advantage of the Apostle of Justice's Partner class. The courage stat he acquired increased his attack and defense at the same time.
But it still wasn't enough. Even considering the effect of his courage stat, his starting line was completely different. Therefore, Huroi was lacking in physical ability compared to others of the same level. His Sword Mastery was only intermediate level 2.
It would take more time for Huroi to demonstrate the true combat ability of his class. However, things changed recently thanks to Grid. Grid created and produced the Mass-produced One-handed Sword (Prototype) for him, which was enough to cover Huroi's lacking combat power.
This was the power of items.
Swaeek!
The black sword that the group was confronted with!
"Ugh!"
Shay's group tried to get revenge on Grid, but they would die without seeing him? No. They still had a means. Just before his heart was pierced by the sword, Shay shouted urgently.
“Kasim!!”
At that moment. A shadow emerged from behind Shay and wielded his daggers.
Chaaeng!
The movements were as fast as lightning. The dagger blocked the black sword and then sliced at Huroi's neck.
[You have suffered 4,140 damage.]
"Ugh…!"
The bleeding Huroi retreated and immediately took a potion to restore his health. It was instincts that caused him to move and avoid death. The person who appeared from the shadow, Kasim, looked at Huroi and asked.
“You escaped a fatal wound? Your sensitivity is better than I thought?"
'He isn't a player?'
It was a thin man wrapped in grey clothing. The name 'Kasim' floating above his head was green, indicating an NPC. Huroi was baffled.
‘An NPC assassin is escorting them.'
He wasn't a normal assassin. Huroi lost 4,000 health from one blow. It was estimated that the opponent was at least a level 280 named assassin. How did Shay's party get such a big shot as an escort? Huroi was questioning it while Shay overcame his confusion and shouted while taking a health potion.
“Willingly give up your life! Kasim is a third advancement assassin! You're not his opponent!"
'Third advancement class?'
Huroi started sweating. The abilities of a second and third advancement class were as different as the sky and the earth. If two level 299 and one level 300 person fought, the third advancement level 300 person would win.
Furthermore, Huroi was only level 236. Not just the class difference, but the level difference was enormous. For him, the current situation wasn't good. He had to judge carefully.
'Calm down.'
It wasn't a matter of pride. He didn't know who these people were and he didn't want to die. First, he had to escape from them and secure his safety. Then he would send a whisper to Euphemina. As Huroi was making a decision, Shay's party became excited and their momentum increased.
“We completed a S-grade quest and paid a huge sum of money to hire Kasim! All in order to get revenge on Grid!"
“Before we kill Grid, we will experiment with Kasim's power on you!"
"What…?"
They wanted to hurt Grid? He finally figured out why he was attacked. Huroi froze in place instead of stepping back. Then he glared like a devil at Shay's party.
“You guys, I will kill you here."
He would wipe out Shay's group, even if he died from that NPC assassin. It was his duty.
“I will never let you see My Lord's shadow!" The furious Huroi summoned his drake. "Descend! Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands!"
The naming sense of the Mongols was emotional and descriptive. The fire drake 'Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands' flew above Huroi's head. Shay's party were pushed back against the walls by the wind pressure.
"Drake…!"
After the National Competition, the drakes had lost most of their dignity. In the pet marathon, dozens of drakes were defeated by Grid's cat. Some people dismissed drakes, stating that their reputation was exaggerated.
But what was the truth? Drakes were still great pets. Their combat ability, mobility, intelligence, stamina, and all other abilities were overwhelming. Grid's cat, the best demonic beast of hell, was just unusually strong.
“This guy has strong items and a strong pet? What the, you! You are compatible with Grid!"
Huroi didn't respond to the shouting Shay. He just commanded the drake.
"Turn these people to ashes. I acknowledge you. You are the strongest drake, so you can do it."
Kwaaaaah!
[Your drake 'Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands' was inspired by your words and his morale has risen. His attack power and magic power has greatly increased.]
Hwaruruk!
The drake was powered by the orator's buff skill and spewed out a mighty fire breath. This was a narrow alley. Shay's party couldn't escape it, while Winston became covered with flames. Many people witnessed it.
"What? A drake?"
"Wow… Is it a fight between rankers?"
“In the middle of the city? Amazing! Let's go!"
Was there anything more fun than watching a fight? This was a great opportunity to enjoy it. Numerous users and people scattered around the city rushed in the direction of the turmoil. The soldiers also saw it and hurried.
"Captain! We have to hurry!"
“Go ahead and bring the guards!"
Winston's security policies were excellent! The guards took pride in this. They immediately went to the scene of the crime in order to calm the turmoil. But the security chief was the problem.
“We need to turn off the lights. Wind…? Fan?"
The chief of the security forces saw the flames burning the city and wondered what was necessary to suppress the fire. The person was none other than Jude. In order to evenly grow his stats, Grid had given him all types of tasks such as monster subjugation, security activities, minerals extraction, sparring, etc.
“First of all, a fan. Please."
Jude’s intelligence was at the level of an idiot. He came up with a stupid answer to the troubled guards.
"Fans won't be able to stop this!"
“Bring in others to put it out!"
The guards urged him. In the end, Jude reached the limits of his patience. As always, he didn't think.
“I will go."
The fire didn't matter. He would go there and see. He forgot about Grid's urging to always think carefully before acting, and chose swiftness.
Tadak!
'Fast!'
The guards were dismayed. Jude ran three times faster than them despite wearing full-plate armor and carrying a 3m long greatsword on his shoulder. He didn't look like a human in their eyes. Indeed, there was a reason for his ignorance.
At Khan's smithy.
"Hrmm, isn't there a splendid fight over there?" Euphemina's eyes shone as she discovered the fire outside the window. “I will go."
For Euphemina, fights were important. It was an opportunity to duplicate outstanding skills. She, like everyone else, ran straight in the direction of the turmoil. Thanks to this, Khan was finally able to breathe. He was able to take a break for the first time today as the customers ran out towards the fight.
At the same time, Winston Castle.
"What?"
Grid had one habit. He disassembled and assembled items every day to increase the understanding of items. He had reached 100% understanding with Dainsleif a long time ago, so now he was devoted to disassembling and assembling the Holy Light Armor.
Grid was waiting for Euphemina at the castle's smithy. Then he heard the soldiers rushing towards the flames that were soaring in the area where Khan's smithy was located.
"Khan…!"
Was Khan in danger? Grid worriedly ran out of the smithy, then equipped Braham's Boots and flew into the sky. Lauel followed behind him.
***
The fire drake's greatest strength was their high damage. The drake's fire breath was the strongest among any other drakes. However.
"How is this possible…?"
Huroi couldn't believe the sight in front of him. The moment that Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands fired his breath. Kasim summoned dozens of shadow soldiers as a barrier, completely blocking the breath. Due to that, the breath didn't cover Shay's group and scattered in all directions. There was a sea of fire.
'How does an assassin have that type of defensive capabilities?'
An assassin was agile. They had outstanding attack power and mobility. On the other hand, their defensive ability was poor. However, Kasim use the shadow soldiers as shields and showed excellent defense. He was completely different from the known concepts of assassins.
Shay shouted to the stunned Huroi. “This is the power of the third advancement! It's my future! How about it? Isn't it a class completely incomparable to an orator? Hahahat!"
Assassins were classified into four major categories. There were those who specialized in stealth and assassination like Faker, those who used swords like Shay, those who threw weapons like Sniffer and those who installed traps like Kerb.
But that was the case for second advancement assassins. A third advancement assassin had more techniques. One of them was shadows. The shadow technique allowed the assassin to perfect assimilate to other's shadows, move between shadows or even summon shadow soldiers.
And Kasim was a master of shadows. He was the peak of the assassins, only rivaled by Doran. He wasn't someone that the present Huroi could deal with.
“Let's play a little bit."
Sururuk.
Kasim disappeared into Shay's shadow. Then he appeared in the shadow behind Huroi and wielded his dagger.
Seokeok!
[You have suffered 4,010 damage.]
“Ugh!”
Kasim relentlessly aimed at the weak points. It was impossible to defend or avoid. If Huroi tried to fight back, Kasim would hide in the shadows again so it was useless.
Puok!
"Kuak!"
If he attacked the shadow, Kasim would reappear in the shadows of other objects. It was a spectacular sight. The people who gathered admired it.
"He is terrific. What is that skill?"
“A hidden class?"
"Assassin…? Considering that he's an NPC, is he a third advancement class?"
“Wow, this is a big hit. I'm going to be an assassin."
Sakak! Seokeok!
Huroi lost most of his health after being attacked by Kasim, who used all the shadows around him. He would've died already if it wasn't for the drake protecting him.
[The Apostle of Justice's Partner's bravery is unmatched. Your current health has fallen below 20%, so all stats will increase by 30%.]
This was his last chance. He was strengthened so he needed to defeat Shay's group now. After judging that Kasim had disappeared into the shadows again, he headed towards the giggling Shay's group, who were caught off guard. Then something rose from Shay's shadow. A shadow soldier.
Kwachak!
Huroi's desperate sword swing collided with a shadow soldier and was nullified.
"This…!"
The moment that Huroi felt despair.
"This isn't fun. I will end it quickly."
Kasim emerged from the shadow behind Huroi and pointed his dagger at Huroi's neck. Then a woman's voice was heard.
“Raise Shadow Soldiers."
Kuoooh!
"…!"
Kasim was amazed. Shadow soldiers rose in the vicinity and attacked him?
Chaaeng! Chaeng!
Kasim's attack was defeated and he lost interest in Huroi.
'The same technique as mine was used?'
Did that mean there was an assassin with a similar level in the area? Kasim started to observe the spectators. He commanded the shadow soldiers in the crowd and quickly discover who was attacking him. It was a blonde girl.
Kasim thought it was ridiculous.
“An assassin wouldn't have such white skin. Then how did you use the shadows technique?”
The blonde girl, Euphemina replied to Kasim. “What is this? Is it a technique that only you can use?"
“Kukuk…! Stop talking nonsense!"
It must be black magic. Kasim ignored the shadow soldiers and focused on Huroi. He would take care of that girl after killing his target. However.
“What are you doing?"
A cold voice was heard from above. Kasim and Huroi. Thousands of spectators, including Euphemina and Jude, turned their gaze towards the sky.
Shay shouted, "Grid!"
That's right. The person who appeared in the sky was Grid. The spectators' eyes shone like lanterns.
"God Grid! God Grid has showed up!"
"Pagma’s Descendant…!"
“Kyaaak! Oppa!"
Indeed, he was really popular. Everyone praised Grid, irrespective of national and gender. People shouted at Grid to look at them and enthusiastically waved their arms. However, Grid's eyes were only fixed on Kasim. He didn't like Kasim pointing a dagger at the wounded Huroi's neck.
“Take your hands off what is mine."
The command entered Kasim's ears, who replied. "What if I don't want to?"
"Then die."
Chwachwachwachwachwachwa!
Seven golden blades were revealed as everyone was paying attention. It was the special item of Pagma’s Descendant that attracted the attention of the world at the National Competition. People were excited, while Kasim breathed out.
‘Artifacts that move by themselves?'
He originally didn't feel anything remarkable from Grid. But he seemed to be more than what Shay's group told him. In addition, there was a boy with silver hair with him. But the more important thing…
'Why does he have Doran's Ring?' Kasim's attention was stolen by the blue ring on Grid's finger. 'This is interesting. I need to learn a bit more, rather than fighting needlessly.'
In the end, Kasim let Huroi go. Then he disappeared into the shadows.
"…Eh?"
Shay's group was left alone. How could they think that Kasim would flee? How much money did they spend to hire him?
'Is this a lie?'
Grid smiled at Shay's party who couldn't grasp the situation.
“You came again? Did you come to give me more items? Eh?"
Grid showed the Kenen's Belt, the trap installation tool and poison blender that he received from them. They wanted to kill him even more. However, it was an impossible task without Kasim.
"…Haha."
Shay's group laughed awkwardly, but Grid asked coldly, "Is something funny?"
Thanks to realizing his strong sense of camaraderie at the National Competition, Grid was furious at the people who hurt Huroi. He was pulling out Failure to kill them when Lauel stopped him.
"Imprison them instead of killing them."
"Why? Isn't that a waste of the taxpayer's money?"
Lauel whispered to the grim-looking Grid.
“If a criminal is put in prison, the ruler can check the criminal's belongings. You can dispose of them after asking Lady Irene to check the items they have. Anyway, can't you kill PK users at any time? It is more beneficial to trade them the items for their lives."
"Hoh…"
Lauel had a lot of ideas and knowledge. Therefore, he was always helpful. This was the reason his mother told him to make smart friends when he was in elementary school. Grid was convinced and ordered Jude.
"Lock them up in jail."
Euphemina approached him. She carried the production method to create the best orb associated with Braham.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 190
One and a half years ago in Satisfy time. It was a story when Grid was still level 21 after becoming Pagma's Descendant.
'How about an item production game over the smithy?'
The Mero Company was exploiting the residents of Winston, when Rabbit came to Khan and made a suggestion. From Khan's point of view, accepting the offer and winning the game was the only way to keep the smithy.
But Khan was an alcoholic and not in a position to play. He couldn't fully demonstrate his abilities as a blacksmith. So Khan asked Grid to participate in the game for him. Grid was blinded by the compensation and readily accepted.
He competed with Euphemina, who was hired by the Mero Company, to make an item. The result was Grid's loss. Grid would've won if the contest was normal, but due to the tyranny of the Mero Company, he was arrested during the contest and locked in prison.
The situation was desperate. Grid was unlucky enough to fail the quest and was fuming in prison. He was completely out of his mind, screaming that the game gods had cursed him. But then an unexpected savior appeared.
It was Euphemina. Thanks to her help, Grid was able to regain the Ideal Dagger, rescue Huroi, and gain the title 'Apostle of Justice.' Strictly speaking, Euphemina was Grid's savior. But.
'I'm not pleased at all.'
Grid was uncomfortable reuniting with Euphemina. He was reminded of old memories and positive sentiment was unwelcome. It wasn't because he had bad feelings towards Euphemina. Grid was just scared.
'If I can't produce a unique rated orb… what will she do?'
Grid didn't know about the disadvantages of the Duplicator class, and he thought Euphemina was the best OP. He was suspicious of anyone stronger than him. Euphemina wanted at least a unique rated orb in exchange for returning the Ideal Dagger.
What if he didn't meet her expectations? Would she PK him if he completed a normal or rare rated orb?
Grid was really scared. He couldn't afford to endure the bombardment of Euphemina's best spells.
"It's been a while."
On the other hand, Euphemina was very glad to see Grid. In the past, Grid deliberately (?) acted foolish, but he actually had a legendary class. She was glad about the fact that the famous Pagma’s Descendant would make her an item.
“I watched your great performance in the National Competition on TV. You were really cool."
Euphemina greeted him with charming eyes, and boasted an outstanding beauty that attracted people's attention. The onlookers made a fuss.
“Who's that girl?"
“Seriously adorable. I want to put her in my pocket."
"Damn Grid… He already has Yura and Jishuka, now there's this girl. I'm seriously envious."
“Beauties always follow the heroes. God Grid deserves to be king of the harem.”
Euphemina had a short height of 150cm and a small figure. The innocent face was cute and stimulated a protective instinct. Some men were filled with desire towards her. But she didn't suit Grid's taste. Grid favoured a mature body more than Euphemina's childish one. Therefore, Grid could be calm without being swayed by Euphemina.
"There are many eyes watching. Let's talk after moving."
‘That attitude is still present.'
Grid was like this the last time they met. He was indifferent to her beauty. No matter how lovely her eyes, he never noticed it. She even suspected if he was gay or impotent. But he got into a scandal with Yura and Jishuka during the National Competition.
Euphemina's pride was hurt.
'Are Yura and Jishuka better than me?'
She ran after Grid's party with puffed up cheeks and they soon arrived at Winston Castle.
“Welcome!”
The soldiers saluted Grid and hurriedly opened the gates.
“You worked hard."
Grid naturally greeted the soldiers and entered. Euphemina admired him. “You seem to have become a noble?"
As the overall level of users increased in rec ent years, quite a few rankers had become nobles. Experts speculated that there were at least 15 rankers who were awarded the title of a baron. Euphemina also wanted to become a baron. As expected, a legendary class was truly great.
Then the boy with the ID of Lauel said unexpectedly. “He is a viscount. In addition, he is the husband of Lady Winston."
"…Huh?"
Euphemina was stunned. He wasn't a baron, but a viscount? He was at the same level as masters of large guilds like Zibal and Chris?
'And Lady Winston…'
Irene. She was the only successor of Earl Steim, one of the supreme powers in the Eternal Kingdom. Her marriage was significant enough to cause an uproar in the world. But her undisclosed marriage partner was a user, not a noble NPC?
'It was Grid…'
He couldn't get married to a noble just because he had a legendary class. The relationship between Grid and Irene was obviously deeper than anyone imagined. That type of bond couldn't be gained by accident. Euphemina misunderstood that Grid intentionally approached Irene to marry her.
'Marrying a female NPC, he is playing a completely different game from others.
It was like the dating simulation games that girls liked to play.
'Amazing.' Euphemina's eyes shone brightly like lanterns as she watched Grid. 'The first legendary class person transcends common sense.'
Grid was the first person whose skills couldn't be duplicated by Euphemina. Therefore, she tended to overestimate Grid. During the National Competition, people ignored Grid for his lacking control. But she thought differently.
'There is no need for control, as he can just roughly use his skills.'
She was proven right by Grid's overwhelming actions in PvP. It might be a fate that started badly, but Euphemina was proud that she knew Grid. But Grid didn't know her inner thoughts. He had no interest.
“Did you obtain all the materials needed to make the orb?"
Winston Castle's smithy.
Grid asked in a blunt voice as he lit the furnace. Euphemina felt unhappy at his continued apathetic attitude and responded with a sullen face.
“Of course. It took me a year to get the orb production method and then six months to obtain all the ingredients listed. My preparation is perfect."
'One year? Half a year?'
Was she crazy? Investing a year and a half just to make a single item? Grid thought Euphemina was a fool. But in reality, Euphemina was extremely normal.
Users played the game with specific goals. The characteristic of heavy game users was doing their best to achieve that goal, no matter how long it took, while light game users gave up when it became difficult.
Euphemina was a level 283 private ranker, so of course she was a heavy user. She didn't think it was strange to invest a year and a half to obtaining the best orb. It was just the way she enjoyed the game.
In the past, Grid was also like her. Grid was someone who discovered Pagma's Rare Book after a few months of hard work without giving up. But Grid had changed. He forgot how to enjoy playing the game because he considered it as a means of making money. It was impossible for the current Grid to understand Euphemina.
‘She truly is scary.'
He couldn't upset her. He didn't want to imagine what type of terrible things would happen if he broke Euphemina's year and a half of hard work.
‘It must be at least a unique rating.'
Grid pledged. He prayed to the gods.
‘God, Buddha, Goddess Rebecca, God Judar, God Dominion, please protect my experience.'
Grid might not be religious, but he didn't reject the existence of a god. He sincerely prayed to the popular gods in reality and Satisfy. He begged them to help him make a unique rated orb. After a short prayer.
"Let's begin."
Grid braced his heart and cut to the chase.
Then.
“I'm asking you, the legendary blacksmith."
Euphemina handed Grid the production method that she took a year to obtain.
['Mumud's Orb Production Method' has been acquired.]
'…Mumud?'
The name of the most powerful orb was truly terrible. He was disappointed.
'It's like Dainsleif.'
Grid had no idea who Mumud was. So he was surprised when he opened the production method.
'This…!'
[Mumud's Orb Production Method]
Learning Conditions:
Mastered the Blacksmith's Craftsmanship skill.
Or have Dwarven Blacksmith's Craftmanship skill level 5 or higher.
* Mumud's Orb
An orb designed by the dwarven craftsman Milepeu, who taught Pagma before he became a legend. It was widely known as Mumud's Orb because Braham's disciple, Mumud, loved this orb all of his life.
It needed the blacksmith craftsmanship skill to be mastered? The learning conditions were unusually high. It was the highest level among all the production methods that Grid had acquired so far. Even Albatino, who was called the greatest blacksmith before Pagma's appearance, wouldn't be able to make this orb.
In other words.
'This orb, it's an item of a higher rank than Dainsleif.'
This was a precious production method he got for free, without having to pay for it. Euphemina hadn't wasted the year and half that she invested in this. Grid thanked Euphemina. He felt appreciation towards her for the first time.
"Euphemina."
"Huh?"
Euphemina was surprised when Grid called her name for the first time. Grid promised her, “I will do my best.”
"…"
The reunion after one and a half years. Grid never paid attention to Euphemina even once. But his attitude changed at this moment. He gazed at her with calm eyes. His facial expression made him look like an entirely different man.
Euphemina felt confident in him and smiled brightly.
“Thank you.”
A notification window appeared in front of Grid.
['Mumud's Orb Production Method' has been acquired.]
'Interesting.'
This was a rare opportunity to create the best item. As a blacksmith, Grid was very motivated.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 185
Yubadakan was one of the most developed cities in the Harken Kingdom.
Due to the enormous capital and the ability of competent politicians, the population exceeded 70,000. There were many hunting grounds, so there was a high floating population. The city markets were always crowded. Thanks to that, the economic growth was constant.
The owner of this rich city who would gather more than 1.5 million gold each month? It was a user, not an NPC. The user was Zibal.
"Kukukul! You looked down on Grid, so aren't you funny now?"
Yubadakan Castle.
Asuka, the 12th executive of the Snake Guild, sneered. “You laughed when Black Teddy and I were defeated by him, but what about you? It was very fun watching your drake be beaten by a cat! Kukuku!"
Immediately after the Pope Drevigo raid. Asuka was a member of the Tzedakah Guild at the time and fought Grid with Black Teddy, Box and Toban, and was badly defeated. Due to that incident, Zibal kept making fun of her.
But what now? Grid wasn't an existence that could be ignored. Zibal was also hurt by him. Asuka felt good. It was like 10 years was taken off of her. Asuka couldn't stop laughing.
“How do you feel being beaten by someone you ignored? Huh?"
“Asuka, act more moderately…"
The moment that Box tried to restrain Asuka.
"I'm sorry." Zibal respectfully apologized to Asuka. "I underestimated Grid. I'm really sorry for making fun of you."
Asuka wasn't a narrow-minded person. She was satisfied with Zibal acknowledging his error and bowing to her in front of the 13 executives.
“Well, okay. I will be generous and understand your ignorance."
“Thank you."
In the end, the atmosphere calmed down. However, the expressions of the executives still wasn't good.
"Master. Public opinion about you has been the worst since the National Competition."
“You are the face of the Snake Guild. Your reputation falling means that the reputation of the guild falls. For the moment, you should focus on recovering your image."
"No, I would rather you get your third advancement class. It's imperative that you narrow the gap with Kraugel and Grid."
“Did I hear that you failed to invite Hurent and Lauel? It's a top priority to replace them with other talented people."
“Contact Katz. He changed after being defeated by Bondre a few months ago, so wouldn't he have definitely grown?"
“We need to boost the morale of the guild after they saw the strength of the Tzedakah Guild… The guild members depend not on us executives, but the guild master."
The executives discussed Zibal's future route. They came up with ideas about what the guild master needed to do for the guild. But Zibal wasn't able to concentrate on the meeting.
'Grid…'
The First National Competition ended yesterday. Zibal was going to perform brilliantly while millions of people were watching. If he had succeeded, the reputation of the Snake Guild would naturally increase and their forces would expand rapidly.
But that plan was in vain due to Grid. The most brilliant performer in the National Competition was Grid, not Zibal. People's attention were focused on the Tzedakah Guild, not the Snake Guild. The Tzedakah Guild was now going to grow at a tremendous pace.
'The number of users migrating to Bairan is skyrocketing…'
Some of them were the talents that he wanted. Yes, like Lauel.
'This can't continue.'
First of all, he needed to swallow the power of the Harken Kingdom, making it the base of his ambition to conquer the entire continent. Money, talent and military power. At first, he planned to collect the talents using money and that would pave the way for his military power.
However, he realized something in the National Competition. It took more than money to collect people.
The reason.
'…Items.'
Grid's black greatsword and blue greatsword that cut down the best rankers like cream cheese. Chris was defeated by Regas' knuckles. Pon's red spear that pushed Regas to the point of death.
The enormous power of these four items couldn't leave Zibal's mind. He was full of a desire to have them. It was a desire that all users felt, not just him. Indeed, didn't Lauel go to Grid after seeing his items? He wondered if all the talents would be taken away by Grid at this time.
One of the executives mentioned an interesting story to Zibal.
"Should we contact Panmir?"
The 1st ranked blacksmith, Panmir. He was originally a person that guilds actually sought after, but he was overshadowed by the emergence of Pagma's Descendant.
"I've found Panmir's location. He is staying in the city of dwarves."
"Dwarves…?"
Dwarves were innate blacksmiths. They produced countless blacksmiths with outstanding talent. They were so arrogant that they ignored human blacksmiths. Then how could Panmir stay in the city of dwarves?
The executives speculated.
“Panmir might be recognized by the dwarves and performing a hidden class change quest."
"Hoh…?"
A small number of dwarves were able to give life to items. And the species itself was capable of dealing well with gunpowder. Pagma might be the overall better blacksmith, but they surpassed Pagma in certain areas. What if Panmir inherited the talent of the dwarves?
‘The only rival of Grid will be born.'
They had to invite him. Zibal decided and immediately got up.
"I will go and see Panmir."
After that. Zibal succeeded in inviting Panmir, and the Snake Guild grew rapidly with his help.
***
The Yatan Church's Third Temple.
The Yatan servants gathered at the temple in the destroyed Bonkost Principality. Yura was also there.
“Finally, the successor of Priest Malacus has been decided."
Since the Tzedakah Guild and Grid killed Malacus… The Yatan Church had gradually weakened because they couldn't proceed with their religious rituals. Now a new priest was selected.
'Level 420…?'
Yura was astonished as she confirmed the newly elected priest. It was because the level of the new priest was 100 higher than Malacus.
‘A fourth advancement NPC…'
It was the same as the Second Servant and the Third Servant. Neberius's successor in the future was expected to be in the same class. Yura was curious about the identity of the First Servant.
'How strong is the existence who reigns above all of them?'
She had never met the First Servant. Grid said that he needed to receive God Yatan's blessing for his quest, but she hadn't been able to figure out how to help. The Second Servant, Likaos, ordered her.
"Eighth Servant. You are still too weak to show the grandeur of God Yatan. Embark on the Path of Penance and grow."
[The quest 'Path of Penance ' has been created.]
[Path of Penance]
Difficulty Level: SS
Meet the First Servant unharmed.
Quest Clear Conditions: ??
Quest Failure: ??
The description was too poor for a quest of the highest difficulty. She already had a headache.
'This will be a tough quest.'
But she finally met the minimum qualifications to meet the First Servant. Yura was filled with tension and anticipation.
"For the sake of God Yatan."
Based on Satisfy's worldview, she was an obviously evil person.
***
“Thanks for the hard work.”
S Broadcasting Station located in Ilsan. Youngwoo quickly got up as soon as he finished his talk show. The main host, PDs and other staff members approached and greeted him.
"You did a really good job."
"The broadcast turned out well thanks to you."
“Youngwoo-ssi, I'll see you next time. I want to treat you to a meal."
"Will you connect to Satisfy as soon as you go home? Please reveal your level!"
Satisfy revolutionized global innovation as the first virtual reality game that surpassed existing technology. It secured over two billion users and deeply penetrated into the world economy. It had an overwhelming influence in all areas. The Korean people were extremely proud that this great work was made in South Korea.
But there was one problem. South Korea reigned as a powerhouse in games decades ago, but it was now weak. Satisfy was definitely a Korean game, but most Koreans didn't play it. Most of the content in Satisfy was dominated by users from the US, France, Canada and China. South Korea had Yura and Peak Sword, but that wasn't enough.
The Korean people felt a severe thirst. Why were the Koreans showing weakness in a proud domestic game enjoyed by the world? It was painful.
But not anymore.
One month ago.
Shin Youngwoo participated in the National Competition as a representative of South Korea, and won three gold medals with overwhelming ability. This resolved the thirst of the Korean people all at once.
Youngwoo became the hero of South Korea. Any Korean person would love Youngwoo. His popularity transcended Park Jisung and Kim Yuna in the past. It was close to Yura.
Youngwoo's appearances on TV always had unconditionally high ratings, and his CF's caused sale volumes to rise. Therefore, Youngwoo emerged as the blue chip in broadcasting and advertising.
Many broadcasters and advertisers tried to get him.
But Youngwoo was a very busy person. He tried to play Satisfy at least 14 hours a day.
‘Broadcasts are hard.'
In order for Youngwoo to earn a large profit in Satisfy, he needed to make a level 200 item with at least a unique rating. However, he couldn't make unique rated items whenever he wanted. Sometimes he would invest a whole week into making items and only got one epic rated item.
On the other hand, he could earn tens of millions of won from one broadcast and hundreds of millions of won from one CF. However, Youngwoo didn't like broadcasts and advertising. At first, he was excited about being on TV, but not anymore.
It was difficult for him to be on broadcasts because he was plain and lacked improvisation skills, while CFs required shooting the same scene many times, showing his lack of acting skills and concentration.
Due to that, he started getting hair loss. Youngwoo would much rather play Satisfy.
‘It's like living on pine needles.'
In the first place, it was much more profitable to invest time in Satisfy than to invest time in broadcasting. It was still profitable, even if he produced rare and epic items.
'The experience of my production skills goes up.'
The higher the level of the production skill, the better the items produced. Youngwoo planned to stop broadcasting and focus on Satisfy. Yura's advice also played a big role in him making this decision.
'Minimize my image consumption.'
She said that his influence would decrease because he was too frequently exposed to the public. Youngwoo agreed. In the future, broadcasts and CFs would only be filmed when necessary.
“I hope we will shoot together next time."
“If I have time."
Youngwoo gave a vague answer to the eager PD and left the studio at a busy pace. As soon as he reached the parking lot, he got into 23 and looked in the mirror.
“Phew, isn't it better now?"
Youngwoo had almost no sleep and worked for the past month in order to cope with the tax bomb thrown at him. He played Satisfy 14 hours a day to make items, then he spent 6 hours doing broadcasts or advertisements. He only slept four hours a day.
The stress caused by fatigue made his hair loss progress quickly, so Youngwoo was worried that he would end up like a bald Japanese youkai. However, he steadily took medicines and found a good tax accountant thanks to Yura, so he was gradually overcoming his hair loss. Hair started to appear again on the empty parts of his head.
“Okay, sooner or later, I will be fine."
Buaang!
Did it notice Master's delight. 23's engine sounded livelier than usual. The destination was naturally his home.
Three months remained until the completion of his building, so Youngwoo's family continued staying in their original house until then.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 186
『 There are many users who are exploring the path to hell in order to obtain a memphis, commonly referred to as 'Noe.' There was a theory that the entrance to hell is somewhere in the Astra Mountains, but that turned out to be false. 'User robbers' in the Astra Mountains are believed to have spread the information in order to attract people, so please be careful. 』
『 I've just received breaking news. It's said that a map of the legendary 'Siren Kingdom' is being circulated. Countless users are now heading to the Siren Kingdom. Who was the first person to find the Siren Kingdom? There are all types of speculation among the experts… 』
Youngwoo listened to Satisfy related news while driving. It wasn't out of interest, but obligation. He was now well aware that information was power.
"The first discoverer of the Siren Kingdom… They would get titles, money and reputation. It's huge."
He didn't know who it was, but he was envious. His stomach started hurting.
'…Mind control. Mind control.'
Youngwoo was worried that his hair loss would start again, so he tried to stay calm until he arrived at his destination.
Creak.
Youngwoo parked 23 and got down. Just two weeks ago, the front of Youngwoo's house was crowded with people, but not anymore. The people of the neighborhood strictly controlled the access of outsiders, so Youngwoo's family was able to regain their normal lives.
"I'm home."
"Welcome."
Youngwoo's mother looked 10 years younger. She had been suffering because of her son over the past few years, but now she was always happy because her son was the hero of South Korea. She could see the greatness of her son. She was welcomed everywhere she went, just because she was Youngwoo's mother.
“Was the filming completed well? Wash your hands first. Then come eat. I roasted some croaker.”
"Yep."
In the past, Youngwoo hadn't been motivated by anything. Even eating or washing up was troublesome. But now he was completely different. His motivation was revived. He even jogged in the morning with Sehee.
"Oppa, did you only sleep four hours yesterday?" Sehee came out from where she was studying in her room and asked. She didn't show it, but recently she was very worried about her brother. She was afraid he might collapse from overwork. There was also the tax bombs.
Youngwoo replied while eating rice. "I will be able to sleep more from today onwards. For the time being, I will refrain from broadcasting activities. So let's jog every morning, starting from tomorrow."
"I thought that you didn't want to exercise?"
"I have to do it. I need to take care of my health."
"It's the right idea. Health is more important than money." Those were his father's words. He was always strict because he wanted his son to grow up as quickly as possible, and now he treated his son with sincerity.
"Youngwoo, you have already succeeded. You have acquired tremendous wealth and honor at a young age. You've also paid off my debt. That alone is enough. Don't ruin your health by being too greedy.
That's right. It was enough. How many people built up 10 billion won assets at the age of 28, as well as acquired a worldwide reputation? The best athletes had hundreds of millions in their bank accounts in their 20's, but Youngwoo's father thought that wasn't necessary.
He thought that Youngwoo had the same thought. But Youngwoo was still lacking. Youngwoo was much greedier than his father thought.
'It's better to have more money, Father. Now we are eating yellow corvina as a side dish, but what about in the past?'
Up to last year. Youngwoo never saw any beef in his house. There was a lot of radish soups and the meat was always pork. The taste wasn't that good. The radish soup was too light, and the pork was too dry. Youngwoo misunderstood while eating the radish soup and pork.
'The beef won't taste that good in soup… Is there a rule that we shouldn't have beef in our house?'
But what was the truth?
This year, he ate a lot of beef. The soup broth boiled with brisket was much sweeter and tastier, while the pork skewers made with good pork were soft and easy to chew. It went without saying that the beef short ribs melted in his mouth.
That's right. There wasn't a rule against beef. It was just that his family didn't have money for beef. The difference between having money and no money was revealed from such a small thing.
'I'm going to make more money, Father.'
Youngwoo's father was a person who lived thinking that he should save, rather than earn a lot. Youngwoo didn't say it aloud, but he was much greedier than his father. He already had a taste of money, so he didn't want to lose it. He didn't want to go back to the life where he didn't have any money.
'Yes… I will accept Huroi and Lauel's opinions.'
Youngwoo felt aware of it after his father. He was looking at a higher place.
‘Become a lord.'
Bairan Village, ruled by the Tzedakah Guild, was elevated to a city 10 days ago. People were attracted to Grid, Jishuka, Pon and Regas' actions in the National Competition. And Bairan's monthly taxes collected was a huge 500,000 gold. It was valued at approximately 600 million won.
It meant that developing one territory would earn him a huge amount of money every month. He couldn't not feel greedy.
'I will have an estate.'
In Satisfy, Youngwoo was the husband of a territory owner.
But being the husband and being the lord were distinctly different. As Irene's husband, he might have some influence on the policies, but he wasn't authorized to directly manage the taxes. Youngwoo wanted to own a territory himself.
After the meal ended.
"Oppa."
"Huh?"
"…Good night."
Sehee wanted to say something, but in the end, she just went back to her room. She was acting strange.
"Good night~"
Youngwoo was so deep in thought that he couldn't notice his sister's strange behavior. He immediately entered the capsule.
"Then I will begin."
The time finally came to log into Satisfy. But before that, there was something he had to do.
“First of all.”
Ttalkak!
Youngwoo accessed the Internet and entered 'Grid's Fan Cafe.' Then as one of the 1.36 million members, he started writing praise about Grid. He did this on a daily basis.
<Grid-nim looks so cool!>
The more I look, the more handsome he is. ^^ ~ There was a rumor that he was bald, but that is clearly groundless ^^ㅎㅎ
“Good.”
He wore a partial wig for a while before of his hair loss. There was some rumors saying that he looked strange on air or that he was bald. Youngwoo was satisfied with the post he wrote about himself and succeeded in joining Noe's fan club.
Noe's fan club had 500,000 more members than his.
'Dammit…'
A cat was more popular than him? His pride hurt every time he saw it. Youngwoo started writing slanderous words about Noe as usual.
<Noe is plain-looking ㅋ>
Noe will ruin Grid's beauty when placed side-by-side. The cat is arrogant.
"Now I have released some of my frustration. Huhuhut…!"
Youngwoo was satisfied when looking at his malicious post. He finally logged into Satisfy.
***
“Dear husband~"
Winston Castle.
A woman with a small figure entered Grid's arms as soon as he opened his eyes. Grid smiled at the familiar sight as soon as he logged in.
"Have you been waiting? Irene."
Grid's facial expression and tone differed depending on who the opponent was. Shin Youngwoo or Grid. He was a blacksmith or a swordsman. Grid had been living this four-fold life for a long time, so his acting ability naturally increased. No, maybe he had several personalities.
"Am I that good?" Grid asked Irene with gentle eyes.
“There is no one better than you in this world."
"Irene…"
“Dear husband…"
The two of them slept together just yesterday. This was already the 8th time. Grid was a 'god' in bed thanks to his high stamina and dexterity stat, so it was natural to be loved.
“Every day, I want every day to be like yesterday."
"Haha…" Grid laughed awkwardly as Irene honestly expressed her desire. Then he asked, "Where are my knights?"
"I'm not sure. Everyone is busy today."
Grid had a total of three knights. One was the NPC Jude, while the other two were Huroi and Lauel. The first dual class and the strongest of the Ten Rookies had pledged their loyalty to Grid. Due to the game system, he had to pay at least 500 gold monthly to each knight, but it was worth it.
The master/slave relationship was useful in many ways. For example.
"Summon Knights."
[Which knight would you like to summon?]
“Huroi and Lauel."
[The summoning command has been sent. The response is pending.]
[The targets have accepted the summons.]
[The knights Huroi and Lauel have been summoned.]
Once the knights answered their master's call, they would be summoned to his side, no matter how far away the two of them were. It was a skill so it couldn't be used in some areas or when he had the silence debuff on him, but Grid was resistant to the silence debuff. It meant Grid could summon the knights at any time, so this system was very good to him.
“You came, Lord."
Huroi was loyal to Grid and now he was completely immersed in genuinely serving Grid. He was like a character from a historical drama.
“You connected to the game late today."
Lauel was no different from Huroi. He was faithful to his role. He didn't use the exaggerated title of Lord, but he bowed after being summoned. Grid looked at his two subordinates for a while.
“Come, get up. Huhuhut… I am very glad to see your dependable appearances."
“…"
Irene was embarrassed for some reason. She used the excuse that she was busy and left this place. This meant only three people remained in Grid's office.
Lauel asked as soon as Irene left. “You could just whisper to us. Why did you use the summoning? Don't you know that the skill has a cooldown time of 36 hours? What will happen if you can't use it during a crucial moment?"
Grid was unique to Lauel, because he was the only one who could produce the items Lauel wanted. Grid spoke like it wasn't a big deal.
“Well, what is the big deal?"
“…"
This was complete carelessness. It was hard to make Grid act carefully after he defeated big names in the National Competition. Sooner or later, his nose would be hurt by it.
'That big nose, I will protect it.'
As Lauel was thinking about the weapon Grid would produce for him, Huroi asked Grid a question.
“Then you summoned us because…?"
Huroi had been in the process of completing a monster hunting sub-quest that took him three hours by drake to get there. He wanted to believe that Grid summoned him because it was urgent.
Then Grid opened his mouth.
"I'm going to become a lord."
'Finally…!'
It was after the National Competition. One month passed in reality, while it was three months in Satisfy. During that time, Grid had created items for the Tzedakah and accumulated wealth and skill levels. Grid acted faithfully as the guild's blacksmith. Grid was satisfied with this. He was overjoyed every time he got a new production method.
But Huroi and Lauel thought this was a waste of Grid's power. It was unfortunate to see such a unique existence be satisfied with being the blacksmith of a small guild, without any larger goals.
The two of them tried to persuade Grid. Escape from the small cage called the Tzedakah Guild and expand into the wider world.
Grid worried over his decision for a few days.
"I will withdraw from the Tzedakah Guild. I will create my own unique force, based on your opinions."
In the end, he decided. Thanks to this, Huroi and Lauel were ecstatic. They thought that the moment to show off their talents had arrived.
'Lord will be the first user…'
‘To become a king.'
The two men were thinking about the Snake Guild. With Grid's power, couldn't they dream about conquering the continent? It wasn't Zibal, but Grid's fate to become the first emperor. The two people didn't doubt it.
Grid currently only had the simple goal of 'becoming a lord,' but Huroi and Lauel were dreaming of placing Grid on a higher mountain. In order to do that…
“After establishing your new guild, invite the Tzedakah Guild."
Inevitably, a lot of talent was required. The Tzedakah Guild had the strongest rankers and were a force that must be absorbed.
Lauel explained, “The Tzedakah Guild is already addicted to the items you produce and won't want to lose this. Some of them, including Jishuka, have a vested interest in you. They will surely join you. If you want, they will surely become your subordinates."
Lauel was certain of it. He had only followed Grid for a month and within that month, he became someone that couldn't live without Grid. He was a slave to items.
At the same time.
“It has been a long time."
A blonde female was attracting attention as she entered Winston. The girl's ID was Euphemina. She was the first epic class and the first discoverer of the Siren Kingdom.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 187
“The time for revenge has come."
The assassins Shay, Kerb and Sniffer. The three people tried to hunt Grid without knowing his identity, but it was frustrating that they lost their items. Their grudge against Grid was quite deep. They felt angry whenever they thought about the value of the dropped items.
"We must assassinate him and make him drop his items."
The three people finally came to Winston after leaving Rolling. They were eyeing the enormous items that Grid used in the National Competition. In particular, they wanted the blue greatsword and golden blades. If the assassination was successful, they would be able to get a jackpot from his items.
'Our stealth is now at level 6…'
‘… If we can approach Grid, we can successfully assassinate him.'
Shay was ranked 3rd, Kerb ranked 7th, and Sniffer ranked 9th. Their rankings had risen compared to before. In addition, they had a third advancement assassin NPC on their side. After completing an S-grade quest for the Assassins Association, they could hire the best assassin for an expensive price.
They could assassinate Grid if they had the power of this assassin. At least, they thought so.
***
Class: Duplicator
* The target’s skill can be perfectly replicated.
Title: A Qualified Hero
* You won't get tired easily.
*Your stats will grow faster.
Title: Competitor
* Interacts with high luck.
* Skill 'Rolling Dice' can be used.
Title: Friend of the Water Clan.
* It is possible to breathe in water for a long time.
* Movement speed in water doesn't decrease.
* Have a high affinity with the Water Clan.
Title: One who Receives Sunlight
* Health +2,000. Mana +2,000.
* Under sunlight, all skills will increase by 7%.
* Under sunlight, the power of fire skills will increase by 16%.
[Skill Observation Lv.8 (51.3%)]
You can observe the skill used by the target and analyze the information thoroughly.
The analysis of the skill can be saved for only 3 minutes.
Skill Mana Cost: 300
Skill Cooldown Time: None.
[Skill Duplication]
Successfully duplicate the observed skill.
The duplicated skill will be permanently stored in your skills list until it is used. It will be deleted when used once.
Skill Mana Cost: 1,050
Skill Cooldown Time: 8 hours.
[Rolling Dice]
Roll a dice and a phenomenon will occur, depending on the number that is rolled.
* If the target is yourself or an ally: There will be a beneficial effect if the number 4 or higher is rolled. There will be a harmful effect if the number rolled is 3 or lower.
* If the target is an enemy: There will be a beneficial effect if the number 3 or lower is rolled. There will be a harmful effect if the number rolled is 4 or higher.
Skill Mana Cost: 30
Skill Cooldown Time: 20 minutes.
The first epic hidden class, Euphemina. In other words, she was superior. If she invested a few days into duplicating dozens of skills, she could be called the strongest. She was the one who defeated the 1st ranked assassin, Faker.
"Once the lord changed, it really developed a lot."
She entered Winston quietly. It had been already half a year in reality since she came to Winston to participate in the item production game with Grid. She felt refreshed.
'It's completely like heaven compared to when the villainous lord ruled.’
Winston was large half a year ago. The population was large and it was economically developed. Nevertheless, the faces of the NPC residents were always dark. The lord was selfish and always neglected the interests of the people.
But now the people's faces were full of energy. There were many facilities to take care of them. The new ruler was certainly worthy.
'By the way… Where is Khan's smithy again?'
Euphemina was amazed as she saw the bustling streets and tried to remember the way. However, Winston had changed too much, so it wasn't easy to find the way. She had to spend quite a lot of time looking for Khan's smithy.
After a while.
“Show me a level 150 longsword."
“Are these the only helmets?"
“Wow, this plate armor is amazing! How much?"
"Look at this greatsword… Amazing."
"Eh?" Euphemina was surprised as she arrived at Khan's smithy.
‘Oh my god, why are there so many people?'
The smithy was bustling with guests. No, it wasn't enough to call it bustling. The queue of customers was at least 100m long. This was the aftermath of the National Competition. After Grid revealed his identity in the National Competition, many people frequently visited Khan's smithy.
They went looking for Khan's smithy in the hope of purchasing items made by Grid, but they became fascinated by Khan's items. It was natural. Khan's blacksmithing skill rose by five levels thanks to Blacksmith's Affection, and it was now advanced level 7.
A blacksmith of the same level didn't exist on the entire continent. Therefore, word of mouth spread about the outstanding performance of his items and visitors from other countries also came.
“Uhh, there is no end to the procession of customers."
Khan hired four workers, but the smithy was non stop busy. It was a lot of money to pass onto Grid, but his old age meant that he had limited stamina.
"Sigh… Huh?"
Khan was making items without stopping in order to catch up with orders, only to find a familiar girl among the customers. Color returned to his face.
"Ohh! Isn't it Euphemina? It's been a long time!"
Khan liked Euphemina a lot. She was the one who helped saved Grid, who had been locked in prison after the item production game.
"It has been a long time Khan. You look younger."
"Hahaha! I stopped drinking thanks to Grid and was rejuvenated. You are more beautiful than before. Have you been well?"
Euphemina didn't dislike it. "Uhh, don't be ridiculous. Anyway, I have been travelling the continent in order to find the best orb production method."
“Huhu, and did you find it?"
“Of course."
Khan looked expectant as Euphemina pulled out an old scroll. Khan's eyes widened with surprise.
“This is truly a great orb… Even the word 'best' is attached to it."
It was a tremendous orb that he couldn't produce with his skill. It was doubtful that even his grandfather could produce it, despite being a craftsman.
'But if it's Grid…'
"Isn't it amazing? You're truly a determined woman."
Euphemina spoke to the admiring Khan. "Where is Grid? Is he in the middle of making items?"
Khan shook his head.
“Grid isn't here. There will be an uproar if he showed up here. He already hasn't been here for a few days."
Euphemina laughed. "Right. Now that Grid is a huge celebrity, his actions will be limited. So where should I go to meet him?"
"Um…"
Khan didn't answer right away. He was reluctant to reveal Grid's whereabouts, even if the other person was Euphemina.
‘In the first place, Grid doesn't like Euphemina…'
Euphemina nodded with understanding.
"It's difficult. Well, it can't be helped if there's a problem."
Originally, Euphemina planned to visit Grid without contacting him beforehand. Now she was forced to send him a whisper in order to find his location.
–Grid.
Euphemina's whisper reached Grid.
At that moment.
"Heok…!"
Winston Castle. Grid was discussing future policies with Huroi and Lauel when he suddenly shuddered.
Huroi cried out with fright. "My Lord! What is going on?"
Was there an assassin? Huroi was about to draw his sword.
“What it it?"
Lauel also panicked. He was quite surprised. Grid's complexion was pale. He was even sweating, so his condition wasn't right. It was the first time Lauel saw Grid like this. The Grid he knew was always dignified and had no fear of the world.
But what was this situation? Grid was acting like a frightened rodent in front of the cat?
'To make Grid shake to this extent… What on earth happened?'
Gulp.
Was a disaster coming? Lauel nervously gulped as Grid opened his mouth. “…Euphemina sent me a whisper. That girl, she is currently in Winston."
"Euphemina?"
It was an unfamiliar name to Lauel. On the other hand, Huroi was glad.
“Euphemina is here? Ohh, isn't it a reunion after a long time?"
From Huroi's perspective, Euphemina was another savior. In the past. She rescued Grid in the prison, meaning Grid was able to save Huroi.
"Why did she come here now? I want to meet her… Um? Hum hum." Huroi was excited about the idea of reuniting with Euphemina, when he suddenly fell silent. He stared at Grid. "Isn't Euphemina good? Why don't you accept her as your subordinate?"
“…"
Grid was reluctant to meet Euphemina. Huroi belatedly noticed this fact.
'Is the relationship between My Lord and Euphemina not as favorable as I thought?'
Lauel asked, “Who is Euphemina?"
Grid gave a clear description.
"She is a terrible person."
Duplicator. Euphemina was able to duplicate top-grade spells and instantly use them without casting. Grid didn't know about the disadvantages so from his point of view, she was the most OP person.
"She has one of the three epic classes. I promised her that I would make her an item, but I'm worried about what she will do if I make an item below the unique rating."
"…!"
Agnus and Katz were the only ones known to have an epic class. The first epic class was completely hidden. No one knew their identity. But it turned out that Grid was acquainted with the first epic class. Lauel was filled with admiration.
‘He is big.' Lauel was very interested. 'If Grid could bring an epic class to his side…’
Lauel's eyes shone as Grid ordered Huroi.
"Go to Khan's smithy. Then bring Euphemina to the castle."
"…Yes."
Huroi politely answered and left the castle.
Winston Street.
As Huroi moved alone, a group was secretly following him. It was Shay's group.
"According to the information collected, that guy is Grid's aide."
“He is 900th on the unified rankings."
“His class isn't anything special either. An orator?"
“According to our source, he's the embarrassing type of person who always bows down to Grid. Considering his class, he will be weaker than we think."
"Kill him. Won't Grid be angry if we kill that guy? I want to see him shaking."
"Yes, let's kill him."
Shay's party had fairly decent intelligence. They looked at Huroi and made fun of him.
A deserted alleyway. Three assassins appeared behind Huroi, who was heading to Khan's smithy.
"…You are?" Huroi asked calmly and Sniffer smiled.
“We are the ones who will kill you."
Shay remarked.
“The villains have appeared. I guess?"
“…Villains?"
This was the first time he appeared in public since Grid participated in the National Competition.
Huroi frowned. “Someone dares touch My Lord… Aren't your mothers ashamed of giving birth to people like you?"
"What…?"
Why was he suddenly talking about their parents? What was this wicked guy? Then a notification window flashed in front of Shay.
[You have been overwhelmed by the spiteful tongue. Defense and attack power will decrease by 30%.]
In this gap, Huroi pulled out his sword. It was a one-handed sword that seemed to be a compact version of Dainsleif.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 188
If Pagma's Descendant was a class that relied on items, orators were a class that specialized in talking.
They could get more favorable conditions for quests by talking to NPCs, or give buffs or debuffs with specific remarks. In particular, orators were absolutely necessary for nobles and lords. It was possible to boost the morale of the army through eloquence, and it was easily to appeal to the people and take control of the public opinion.
But an orator wasn't a preferred class for users. Most users were reluctant to become orators, so they were a very rare class. The problem was that it was difficult to raise their level. The weapon they could equip was 'books.' They had only one attack skill. There were no defense or escape skills. They had lower health than a magician.
First of all, the problem was that their weapon was a book. A book had the option of adding to the narrative power, but it didn't have the ability to increase magic power or store magic like orbs. They had to charge with the weapon and swing it at the target. But would the target be hurt if hit with a book? Not at all. The attack power was too weak. A book exerted much less damage than a blacksmith's hammer.
The only attack skill an orator possessed was Spiteful Tongue. This was also a problem. It wasn't practical at all, because there was a 80 second cooldown and it only dealt 200% damage to a single target.
It was practically impossible for an orator to hunt solo. They had to rely on hunting in parties. Unfortunately, it was difficult for an orator to find a party. It was due to the lack of viability. What did the great buffs and debuffs matter?
It was obvious when an orator participated in battle. Their constants words were tiring. The party members also had to keep on eye on the orator to make sure they didn't die. Most users didn't like having orators in their party. Apart from the orator class, there were clerics, black magicians, dancers, linkers, etc. to give buff skills, so there was no need to add an unstable orator to the party.
As a result, it was very difficult for an orator to level up through hunting. They weren't able to level up through production like production classes, so they had to rely on leveling up through quests.
In other words, the level of difficulty for an orator was the highest among all classes in Satisfy, and most users avoided the orator class due to this. This was despite the fact that orators were a class that nobles and lords all over the continent would pay expensive money for!
Grid was truly lucky to obtain the 1st ranked orator as his subordinate.
‘…Does Grid know such facts?' Lauel questioned as he looked at Grid, who always made Huroi run errands.
At the same time, in the outskirts of Winston.
"…Sword?"
The 'unique' Huroi who obtained a second class in Satisfy. Shay's party was frowning at the horrifying debuff that was placed on them. Now the orator was armed with a sword? Moreover, the sword had a sinister appearance. Didn't it resemble the greatsword that Grid used to smash them in the past? They felt anxious as the bad memory popped up.
'It can't be… No?'
Shay tried to calm down as he smiled awkwardly.
"An orator armed with a sword… Isn't he still an easy threat? Right? Are you bluffing? You, you can't wield that. Right?"
Huroi was exactly 937th on the unified rankings. This was a similar ranking to Shay, and was high enough to be compared to Kerb and Sniffer. Nevertheless, the reason why Shay dared face Huroi was simple.
Huroi was an orator. Wasn't an orator the weakest? His level might be high, but it was thanks to Grid's power and repeated party hunting. Huroi himself would be extremely weak. Why was he armed with a sword?
Shay rapidly became uneasy. It seemed that he couldn't grasp Huroi properly.
"…Originally, I was a helpless existence." Huroi gazed at Shay's party and brought up an old story. “I raised my level while doing small quests. Then one day."
Yes, he first met his lord in Winston.
"I acquired the first S-grade quest of my life."
He was forced to do an outrageous quest where he was trapped in a narrow dungeon for 50 hours of real time. It was unimaginably painful. It wasn't a level he could endure with his usual mentality.
He wanted to give up and logout many times. But he endured it. He persevered in the hopes of going beyond the limits of an orator. However, he kept waiting and waiting.
“I didn't think the quest would end."
A quest where he had to wait for a savior who might not appear. Huroi had gone half crazy by the quest. He couldn't log out for more than 150 hours in game time and was trapped in a dark place. His sense of time blurred. He wasn't aware of what he was doing. It was just hell.
Just before the quest's time limit ended. A ray of light appeared in the darkness. It was the moment when Grid appeared.
“…My Lord saved me. Thanks to him, my wait wasn't in vain and I was able to complete the quest."
He got a new strength.
Second class: Apostle of Justice's Partner.
* A matchless bravery.
* When you are with the Apostle of Justice, all stats will increase by 20%.
* The skills Unbreakable Justice and Sacrifice for Justice can be used.
Title 'One who Overcomes Hardships.'
* Holds extremely high mental strength.
* Won't give in to any trials.
* Skill 'Strong Will' can be used.
“Master has given me new strength."
Now he was strong. He only existed for his lord!
“I won't allow anyone to harm My Lord!"
Shay's party was thrilled by Huroi's story.
‘This is a touching story…'
'Grid, this guy…!'
'My heart is heavy!'
This was truly an orator. Huroi's story made people listen to him. Therefore, Shay's party couldn't help concentrating on Huroi's story. It was like they were the protagonists of the story. They were thrilled when Huroi got to the part when he was saved. They couldn't help thinking of Grid as wonderful, despite being their enemy.
That was the problem.
[You have become fascinated by the interesting story.]
[You feel like the main character of the story.]
[Thanks to the story, you have lost all sense of reality. You are unable to grasp the situation.]
[You will feel confused for 3 seconds.]
"Heok?"
Originally, an orator's weapon was their mouth. Giving an orator a chance to use their mouth was no different from suicide.
"W-What is this…!"
"Shit! What is this fraudulent skill?"
Shay's group never had experience dealing with orators, so they became easily confused. Huroi stared at them and shouted, "You dare try to kill me? Come!"
[Your morale has increased.]
[The next attack will be a critical hit!]
This was the highest buff skill of an orator, that applied a buff to all allies for two seconds. Then Huroi swung his black sword.
"Unbreakable Justice!"
[Unbreakable Justice Lv.5 (88.1%)]
Deals 650% of your attack power.
Skill Mana Cost: 500
Skill Cooldown Time: 100 seconds
Unbreakable Justice was an unique skill that only the Apostle of Justice and his partner could use. It dealt damage in a wide area and the cooldown time was very short compared to its power.
But Grid hardly ever used Unbreakable Justice after acquiring Pagma's Swordsmanship. Compared to the legendary rated Pagma's Swordsmanship, Unbreakable Justice had no advantages except that it was an immediate use skill. For Grid, it was more mana efficient to use Pagma's Swordsmanship than Unbreakable Justice.
But Unbreakable Justice was Huroi's main skill. He relied on the skill so much that he already built up tremendous proficiency with it. It was level 5. Now it dealt 650% wide area damage. Furthermore, the black sword that Huroi was currently armed with…
[Mass-produced One-handed Sword (Prototype)]
Rating: Unique
Durability: 49/51 Attack Power: 423
Attack Speed: -7% Accuracy: -2%
A trial work by the legendary blacksmith G.
A one-handed sword that can be easily used by anyone, and is designed to exert high attack power.
It's an aggressive design made by referencing Dainsleif (Reproduction), and has succeeded in manifesting great attack power. However, it emphasizes convenience, so the overall perfection is poor, meaning additional functions such as durability are weak.
If steel was used as the main material rather than black iron, the limitations of this work would be more prominent and it would be treated as a consumable item.
User Restriction: Level 230 or higher. 300 strength. Advanced Sword Mastery.
Weight: 410
Huroi generated the Sword Mastery passive after acquiring his second class. He could now use a sword as a weapon. But he was an orator and his strength stat was very low, so it was impossible for him to use a proper sword for his level.
His troubles ended after Grid made the Mass-produced One-handed Sword (Prototype) for him. The name indicated that Grid planned to earn money through mass production of it someday, but the attack power was already beyond the limits of a one-handed sword. It was comparable to the minimum attack power of Dainsleif.
Half of Grid's intentions when producing it was successful.
Kwaaaang!
[Critical!]
[You have dealt 7,910 damage to the target.]
[You have dealt 9,250 damage to the target.]
[You have dealt 10,180 damage to the target.]
Assassins invested their points into agility instead of stamina. Therefore, they relied on high evasion instead of defense. But they were in a state of confusion and couldn't avoid the attacks. Shay's party was struck by the power of Unbreakable Justice.
"Cough!"
"Cough!"
[You have suffered fatal damage!]
[You can't regain your mental state.]
The enormous damage caused them to suffer from confusion again. It was the 'confusion linkage' that they had only heard rumors about. An orator managing to do something like this…
'…Does this make sense?'
'Ah… Really, shit…'
Shay was grouchy. They dreamed of getting revenge on Grid, only to be killed by his subordinate before even meeting Grid? And the subordinate was an orator?
"Damn…"
They couldn't help cursing. Three assassins being beaten by an orator. If this was known, they would be ridiculed everywhere they went. They were also worried about their experience and items dropping.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 189
“This is the end.”
Huroi was an ordinary orator until level 127, so he invested his stat points in both intelligence and persuasion. Since getting a second class at level 127, he was now level 236 and he invested his stats primarily into strength, stamina and agility.
It was to take advantage of the Apostle of Justice's Partner class. The courage stat he acquired increased his attack and defense at the same time.
But it still wasn't enough. Even considering the effect of his courage stat, his starting line was completely different. Therefore, Huroi was lacking in physical ability compared to others of the same level. His Sword Mastery was only intermediate level 2.
It would take more time for Huroi to demonstrate the true combat ability of his class. However, things changed recently thanks to Grid. Grid created and produced the Mass-produced One-handed Sword (Prototype) for him, which was enough to cover Huroi's lacking combat power.
This was the power of items.
Swaeek!
The black sword that the group was confronted with!
"Ugh!"
Shay's group tried to get revenge on Grid, but they would die without seeing him? No. They still had a means. Just before his heart was pierced by the sword, Shay shouted urgently.
“Kasim!!”
At that moment. A shadow emerged from behind Shay and wielded his daggers.
Chaaeng!
The movements were as fast as lightning. The dagger blocked the black sword and then sliced at Huroi's neck.
[You have suffered 4,140 damage.]
"Ugh…!"
The bleeding Huroi retreated and immediately took a potion to restore his health. It was instincts that caused him to move and avoid death. The person who appeared from the shadow, Kasim, looked at Huroi and asked.
“You escaped a fatal wound? Your sensitivity is better than I thought?"
'He isn't a player?'
It was a thin man wrapped in grey clothing. The name 'Kasim' floating above his head was green, indicating an NPC. Huroi was baffled.
‘An NPC assassin is escorting them.'
He wasn't a normal assassin. Huroi lost 4,000 health from one blow. It was estimated that the opponent was at least a level 280 named assassin. How did Shay's party get such a big shot as an escort? Huroi was questioning it while Shay overcame his confusion and shouted while taking a health potion.
“Willingly give up your life! Kasim is a third advancement assassin! You're not his opponent!"
'Third advancement class?'
Huroi started sweating. The abilities of a second and third advancement class were as different as the sky and the earth. If two level 299 and one level 300 person fought, the third advancement level 300 person would win.
Furthermore, Huroi was only level 236. Not just the class difference, but the level difference was enormous. For him, the current situation wasn't good. He had to judge carefully.
'Calm down.'
It wasn't a matter of pride. He didn't know who these people were and he didn't want to die. First, he had to escape from them and secure his safety. Then he would send a whisper to Euphemina. As Huroi was making a decision, Shay's party became excited and their momentum increased.
“We completed a S-grade quest and paid a huge sum of money to hire Kasim! All in order to get revenge on Grid!"
“Before we kill Grid, we will experiment with Kasim's power on you!"
"What…?"
They wanted to hurt Grid? He finally figured out why he was attacked. Huroi froze in place instead of stepping back. Then he glared like a devil at Shay's party.
“You guys, I will kill you here."
He would wipe out Shay's group, even if he died from that NPC assassin. It was his duty.
“I will never let you see My Lord's shadow!" The furious Huroi summoned his drake. "Descend! Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands!"
The naming sense of the Mongols was emotional and descriptive. The fire drake 'Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands' flew above Huroi's head. Shay's party were pushed back against the walls by the wind pressure.
"Drake…!"
After the National Competition, the drakes had lost most of their dignity. In the pet marathon, dozens of drakes were defeated by Grid's cat. Some people dismissed drakes, stating that their reputation was exaggerated.
But what was the truth? Drakes were still great pets. Their combat ability, mobility, intelligence, stamina, and all other abilities were overwhelming. Grid's cat, the best demonic beast of hell, was just unusually strong.
“This guy has strong items and a strong pet? What the, you! You are compatible with Grid!"
Huroi didn't respond to the shouting Shay. He just commanded the drake.
"Turn these people to ashes. I acknowledge you. You are the strongest drake, so you can do it."
Kwaaaaah!
[Your drake 'Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands' was inspired by your words and his morale has risen. His attack power and magic power has greatly increased.]
Hwaruruk!
The drake was powered by the orator's buff skill and spewed out a mighty fire breath. This was a narrow alley. Shay's party couldn't escape it, while Winston became covered with flames. Many people witnessed it.
"What? A drake?"
"Wow… Is it a fight between rankers?"
“In the middle of the city? Amazing! Let's go!"
Was there anything more fun than watching a fight? This was a great opportunity to enjoy it. Numerous users and people scattered around the city rushed in the direction of the turmoil. The soldiers also saw it and hurried.
"Captain! We have to hurry!"
“Go ahead and bring the guards!"
Winston's security policies were excellent! The guards took pride in this. They immediately went to the scene of the crime in order to calm the turmoil. But the security chief was the problem.
“We need to turn off the lights. Wind…? Fan?"
The chief of the security forces saw the flames burning the city and wondered what was necessary to suppress the fire. The person was none other than Jude. In order to evenly grow his stats, Grid had given him all types of tasks such as monster subjugation, security activities, minerals extraction, sparring, etc.
“First of all, a fan. Please."
Jude’s intelligence was at the level of an idiot. He came up with a stupid answer to the troubled guards.
"Fans won't be able to stop this!"
“Bring in others to put it out!"
The guards urged him. In the end, Jude reached the limits of his patience. As always, he didn't think.
“I will go."
The fire didn't matter. He would go there and see. He forgot about Grid's urging to always think carefully before acting, and chose swiftness.
Tadak!
'Fast!'
The guards were dismayed. Jude ran three times faster than them despite wearing full-plate armor and carrying a 3m long greatsword on his shoulder. He didn't look like a human in their eyes. Indeed, there was a reason for his ignorance.
At Khan's smithy.
"Hrmm, isn't there a splendid fight over there?" Euphemina's eyes shone as she discovered the fire outside the window. “I will go."
For Euphemina, fights were important. It was an opportunity to duplicate outstanding skills. She, like everyone else, ran straight in the direction of the turmoil. Thanks to this, Khan was finally able to breathe. He was able to take a break for the first time today as the customers ran out towards the fight.
At the same time, Winston Castle.
"What?"
Grid had one habit. He disassembled and assembled items every day to increase the understanding of items. He had reached 100% understanding with Dainsleif a long time ago, so now he was devoted to disassembling and assembling the Holy Light Armor.
Grid was waiting for Euphemina at the castle's smithy. Then he heard the soldiers rushing towards the flames that were soaring in the area where Khan's smithy was located.
"Khan…!"
Was Khan in danger? Grid worriedly ran out of the smithy, then equipped Braham's Boots and flew into the sky. Lauel followed behind him.
***
The fire drake's greatest strength was their high damage. The drake's fire breath was the strongest among any other drakes. However.
"How is this possible…?"
Huroi couldn't believe the sight in front of him. The moment that Lord of the Skies above the Grasslands fired his breath. Kasim summoned dozens of shadow soldiers as a barrier, completely blocking the breath. Due to that, the breath didn't cover Shay's group and scattered in all directions. There was a sea of fire.
'How does an assassin have that type of defensive capabilities?'
An assassin was agile. They had outstanding attack power and mobility. On the other hand, their defensive ability was poor. However, Kasim use the shadow soldiers as shields and showed excellent defense. He was completely different from the known concepts of assassins.
Shay shouted to the stunned Huroi. “This is the power of the third advancement! It's my future! How about it? Isn't it a class completely incomparable to an orator? Hahahat!"
Assassins were classified into four major categories. There were those who specialized in stealth and assassination like Faker, those who used swords like Shay, those who threw weapons like Sniffer and those who installed traps like Kerb.
But that was the case for second advancement assassins. A third advancement assassin had more techniques. One of them was shadows. The shadow technique allowed the assassin to perfect assimilate to other's shadows, move between shadows or even summon shadow soldiers.
And Kasim was a master of shadows. He was the peak of the assassins, only rivaled by Doran. He wasn't someone that the present Huroi could deal with.
“Let's play a little bit."
Sururuk.
Kasim disappeared into Shay's shadow. Then he appeared in the shadow behind Huroi and wielded his dagger.
Seokeok!
[You have suffered 4,010 damage.]
“Ugh!”
Kasim relentlessly aimed at the weak points. It was impossible to defend or avoid. If Huroi tried to fight back, Kasim would hide in the shadows again so it was useless.
Puok!
"Kuak!"
If he attacked the shadow, Kasim would reappear in the shadows of other objects. It was a spectacular sight. The people who gathered admired it.
"He is terrific. What is that skill?"
“A hidden class?"
"Assassin…? Considering that he's an NPC, is he a third advancement class?"
“Wow, this is a big hit. I'm going to be an assassin."
Sakak! Seokeok!
Huroi lost most of his health after being attacked by Kasim, who used all the shadows around him. He would've died already if it wasn't for the drake protecting him.
[The Apostle of Justice's Partner's bravery is unmatched. Your current health has fallen below 20%, so all stats will increase by 30%.]
This was his last chance. He was strengthened so he needed to defeat Shay's group now. After judging that Kasim had disappeared into the shadows again, he headed towards the giggling Shay's group, who were caught off guard. Then something rose from Shay's shadow. A shadow soldier.
Kwachak!
Huroi's desperate sword swing collided with a shadow soldier and was nullified.
"This…!"
The moment that Huroi felt despair.
"This isn't fun. I will end it quickly."
Kasim emerged from the shadow behind Huroi and pointed his dagger at Huroi's neck. Then a woman's voice was heard.
“Raise Shadow Soldiers."
Kuoooh!
"…!"
Kasim was amazed. Shadow soldiers rose in the vicinity and attacked him?
Chaaeng! Chaeng!
Kasim's attack was defeated and he lost interest in Huroi.
'The same technique as mine was used?'
Did that mean there was an assassin with a similar level in the area? Kasim started to observe the spectators. He commanded the shadow soldiers in the crowd and quickly discover who was attacking him. It was a blonde girl.
Kasim thought it was ridiculous.
“An assassin wouldn't have such white skin. Then how did you use the shadows technique?”
The blonde girl, Euphemina replied to Kasim. “What is this? Is it a technique that only you can use?"
“Kukuk…! Stop talking nonsense!"
It must be black magic. Kasim ignored the shadow soldiers and focused on Huroi. He would take care of that girl after killing his target. However.
“What are you doing?"
A cold voice was heard from above. Kasim and Huroi. Thousands of spectators, including Euphemina and Jude, turned their gaze towards the sky.
Shay shouted, "Grid!"
That's right. The person who appeared in the sky was Grid. The spectators' eyes shone like lanterns.
"God Grid! God Grid has showed up!"
"Pagma’s Descendant…!"
“Kyaaak! Oppa!"
Indeed, he was really popular. Everyone praised Grid, irrespective of national and gender. People shouted at Grid to look at them and enthusiastically waved their arms. However, Grid's eyes were only fixed on Kasim. He didn't like Kasim pointing a dagger at the wounded Huroi's neck.
“Take your hands off what is mine."
The command entered Kasim's ears, who replied. "What if I don't want to?"
"Then die."
Chwachwachwachwachwachwa!
Seven golden blades were revealed as everyone was paying attention. It was the special item of Pagma’s Descendant that attracted the attention of the world at the National Competition. People were excited, while Kasim breathed out.
‘Artifacts that move by themselves?'
He originally didn't feel anything remarkable from Grid. But he seemed to be more than what Shay's group told him. In addition, there was a boy with silver hair with him. But the more important thing…
'Why does he have Doran's Ring?' Kasim's attention was stolen by the blue ring on Grid's finger. 'This is interesting. I need to learn a bit more, rather than fighting needlessly.'
In the end, Kasim let Huroi go. Then he disappeared into the shadows.
"…Eh?"
Shay's group was left alone. How could they think that Kasim would flee? How much money did they spend to hire him?
'Is this a lie?'
Grid smiled at Shay's party who couldn't grasp the situation.
“You came again? Did you come to give me more items? Eh?"
Grid showed the Kenen's Belt, the trap installation tool and poison blender that he received from them. They wanted to kill him even more. However, it was an impossible task without Kasim.
"…Haha."
Shay's group laughed awkwardly, but Grid asked coldly, "Is something funny?"
Thanks to realizing his strong sense of camaraderie at the National Competition, Grid was furious at the people who hurt Huroi. He was pulling out Failure to kill them when Lauel stopped him.
"Imprison them instead of killing them."
"Why? Isn't that a waste of the taxpayer's money?"
Lauel whispered to the grim-looking Grid.
“If a criminal is put in prison, the ruler can check the criminal's belongings. You can dispose of them after asking Lady Irene to check the items they have. Anyway, can't you kill PK users at any time? It is more beneficial to trade them the items for their lives."
"Hoh…"
Lauel had a lot of ideas and knowledge. Therefore, he was always helpful. This was the reason his mother told him to make smart friends when he was in elementary school. Grid was convinced and ordered Jude.
"Lock them up in jail."
Euphemina approached him. She carried the production method to create the best orb associated with Braham.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 190
One and a half years ago in Satisfy time. It was a story when Grid was still level 21 after becoming Pagma's Descendant.
'How about an item production game over the smithy?'
The Mero Company was exploiting the residents of Winston, when Rabbit came to Khan and made a suggestion. From Khan's point of view, accepting the offer and winning the game was the only way to keep the smithy.
But Khan was an alcoholic and not in a position to play. He couldn't fully demonstrate his abilities as a blacksmith. So Khan asked Grid to participate in the game for him. Grid was blinded by the compensation and readily accepted.
He competed with Euphemina, who was hired by the Mero Company, to make an item. The result was Grid's loss. Grid would've won if the contest was normal, but due to the tyranny of the Mero Company, he was arrested during the contest and locked in prison.
The situation was desperate. Grid was unlucky enough to fail the quest and was fuming in prison. He was completely out of his mind, screaming that the game gods had cursed him. But then an unexpected savior appeared.
It was Euphemina. Thanks to her help, Grid was able to regain the Ideal Dagger, rescue Huroi, and gain the title 'Apostle of Justice.' Strictly speaking, Euphemina was Grid's savior. But.
'I'm not pleased at all.'
Grid was uncomfortable reuniting with Euphemina. He was reminded of old memories and positive sentiment was unwelcome. It wasn't because he had bad feelings towards Euphemina. Grid was just scared.
'If I can't produce a unique rated orb… what will she do?'
Grid didn't know about the disadvantages of the Duplicator class, and he thought Euphemina was the best OP. He was suspicious of anyone stronger than him. Euphemina wanted at least a unique rated orb in exchange for returning the Ideal Dagger.
What if he didn't meet her expectations? Would she PK him if he completed a normal or rare rated orb?
Grid was really scared. He couldn't afford to endure the bombardment of Euphemina's best spells.
"It's been a while."
On the other hand, Euphemina was very glad to see Grid. In the past, Grid deliberately (?) acted foolish, but he actually had a legendary class. She was glad about the fact that the famous Pagma’s Descendant would make her an item.
“I watched your great performance in the National Competition on TV. You were really cool."
Euphemina greeted him with charming eyes, and boasted an outstanding beauty that attracted people's attention. The onlookers made a fuss.
“Who's that girl?"
“Seriously adorable. I want to put her in my pocket."
"Damn Grid… He already has Yura and Jishuka, now there's this girl. I'm seriously envious."
“Beauties always follow the heroes. God Grid deserves to be king of the harem.”
Euphemina had a short height of 150cm and a small figure. The innocent face was cute and stimulated a protective instinct. Some men were filled with desire towards her. But she didn't suit Grid's taste. Grid favoured a mature body more than Euphemina's childish one. Therefore, Grid could be calm without being swayed by Euphemina.
"There are many eyes watching. Let's talk after moving."
‘That attitude is still present.'
Grid was like this the last time they met. He was indifferent to her beauty. No matter how lovely her eyes, he never noticed it. She even suspected if he was gay or impotent. But he got into a scandal with Yura and Jishuka during the National Competition.
Euphemina's pride was hurt.
'Are Yura and Jishuka better than me?'
She ran after Grid's party with puffed up cheeks and they soon arrived at Winston Castle.
“Welcome!”
The soldiers saluted Grid and hurriedly opened the gates.
“You worked hard."
Grid naturally greeted the soldiers and entered. Euphemina admired him. “You seem to have become a noble?"
As the overall level of users increased in rec ent years, quite a few rankers had become nobles. Experts speculated that there were at least 15 rankers who were awarded the title of a baron. Euphemina also wanted to become a baron. As expected, a legendary class was truly great.
Then the boy with the ID of Lauel said unexpectedly. “He is a viscount. In addition, he is the husband of Lady Winston."
"…Huh?"
Euphemina was stunned. He wasn't a baron, but a viscount? He was at the same level as masters of large guilds like Zibal and Chris?
'And Lady Winston…'
Irene. She was the only successor of Earl Steim, one of the supreme powers in the Eternal Kingdom. Her marriage was significant enough to cause an uproar in the world. But her undisclosed marriage partner was a user, not a noble NPC?
'It was Grid…'
He couldn't get married to a noble just because he had a legendary class. The relationship between Grid and Irene was obviously deeper than anyone imagined. That type of bond couldn't be gained by accident. Euphemina misunderstood that Grid intentionally approached Irene to marry her.
'Marrying a female NPC, he is playing a completely different game from others.
It was like the dating simulation games that girls liked to play.
'Amazing.' Euphemina's eyes shone brightly like lanterns as she watched Grid. 'The first legendary class person transcends common sense.'
Grid was the first person whose skills couldn't be duplicated by Euphemina. Therefore, she tended to overestimate Grid. During the National Competition, people ignored Grid for his lacking control. But she thought differently.
'There is no need for control, as he can just roughly use his skills.'
She was proven right by Grid's overwhelming actions in PvP. It might be a fate that started badly, but Euphemina was proud that she knew Grid. But Grid didn't know her inner thoughts. He had no interest.
“Did you obtain all the materials needed to make the orb?"
Winston Castle's smithy.
Grid asked in a blunt voice as he lit the furnace. Euphemina felt unhappy at his continued apathetic attitude and responded with a sullen face.
“Of course. It took me a year to get the orb production method and then six months to obtain all the ingredients listed. My preparation is perfect."
'One year? Half a year?'
Was she crazy? Investing a year and a half just to make a single item? Grid thought Euphemina was a fool. But in reality, Euphemina was extremely normal.
Users played the game with specific goals. The characteristic of heavy game users was doing their best to achieve that goal, no matter how long it took, while light game users gave up when it became difficult.
Euphemina was a level 283 private ranker, so of course she was a heavy user. She didn't think it was strange to invest a year and a half to obtaining the best orb. It was just the way she enjoyed the game.
In the past, Grid was also like her. Grid was someone who discovered Pagma's Rare Book after a few months of hard work without giving up. But Grid had changed. He forgot how to enjoy playing the game because he considered it as a means of making money. It was impossible for the current Grid to understand Euphemina.
‘She truly is scary.'
He couldn't upset her. He didn't want to imagine what type of terrible things would happen if he broke Euphemina's year and a half of hard work.
‘It must be at least a unique rating.'
Grid pledged. He prayed to the gods.
‘God, Buddha, Goddess Rebecca, God Judar, God Dominion, please protect my experience.'
Grid might not be religious, but he didn't reject the existence of a god. He sincerely prayed to the popular gods in reality and Satisfy. He begged them to help him make a unique rated orb. After a short prayer.
"Let's begin."
Grid braced his heart and cut to the chase.
Then.
“I'm asking you, the legendary blacksmith."
Euphemina handed Grid the production method that she took a year to obtain.
['Mumud's Orb Production Method' has been acquired.]
'…Mumud?'
The name of the most powerful orb was truly terrible. He was disappointed.
'It's like Dainsleif.'
Grid had no idea who Mumud was. So he was surprised when he opened the production method.
'This…!'
[Mumud's Orb Production Method]
Learning Conditions:
Mastered the Blacksmith's Craftsmanship skill.
Or have Dwarven Blacksmith's Craftmanship skill level 5 or higher.
* Mumud's Orb
An orb designed by the dwarven craftsman Milepeu, who taught Pagma before he became a legend. It was widely known as Mumud's Orb because Braham's disciple, Mumud, loved this orb all of his life.
It needed the blacksmith craftsmanship skill to be mastered? The learning conditions were unusually high. It was the highest level among all the production methods that Grid had acquired so far. Even Albatino, who was called the greatest blacksmith before Pagma's appearance, wouldn't be able to make this orb.
In other words.
'This orb, it's an item of a higher rank than Dainsleif.'
This was a precious production method he got for free, without having to pay for it. Euphemina hadn't wasted the year and half that she invested in this. Grid thanked Euphemina. He felt appreciation towards her for the first time.
"Euphemina."
"Huh?"
Euphemina was surprised when Grid called her name for the first time. Grid promised her, “I will do my best.”
"…"
The reunion after one and a half years. Grid never paid attention to Euphemina even once. But his attitude changed at this moment. He gazed at her with calm eyes. His facial expression made him look like an entirely different man.
Euphemina felt confident in him and smiled brightly.
“Thank you.”
A notification window appeared in front of Grid.
['Mumud's Orb Production Method' has been acquired.]
'Interesting.'
This was a rare opportunity to create the best item. As a blacksmith, Grid was very motivated.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
