by Park Saenal
As Jude’s left hand struck the air, Rigal suggested, “Jude, I will give you one last chance. Serve me. I’ll give you strength if you don’t need wealth.”
“…Strength!” Jude stopped. He now verified the snout of the wyvern holding his neck. “Jude. Strength. Is needed. I want to be. Strong.”
Rigal’s mouth curved upward. It was rewarding to go down to Jude’s eye level. Rigal knew how to obtain this stupid guy who had muscles as a brain but he failed to anticipate the next reaction.
“…?”
“You. Die.”
The ancient wyvern Allentica was thrown to the ground. It was the result of Jude grabbing the wyvern’s snout with his left hand. The people affected by the artificial earthquake fell down. The 5,300 strong air force took off instantly to avoid the aftermath. The air force took control of the sky with furious screams.
“I can’t stand it anymore.” Rigal abandoned his lingering feelings. “I’ll give you up.”
He would show mercy. “If I can’t have you, I will kill you.”
Rigal wielded this whip.
“Allentica!” Rigal cried out, and the wyvern rose from the ground with a roar. His flames knocked over Jude who was coming at Rigal. Jude jumped to his feet in the flames. Rigal mounted Allentica and pulled the bow that was nearly two meters long.
“The only advantage is your ignorant power. I thought it was cute, but you don’t know your limit.”
He raised his aura. An incredibly large arrow the size of a small spear shot through the swirling currents and reached Jude. Jude had all his equipment taken when he was captured, so his bare body was pierced by the arrow. Against the backdrop of the sunset, the giant silhouette with an arrow in his chest collapsing was like the ending of a movie.
“Ah…” The Overgeared members were trapped and couldn’t give any help as Jude struggled. They were suffering from guilt and discomfort as they sensed it intuitively. Jude would die. He was dying. However—
『 No one can help. 』
『 The Overgeared members guarding Bairan aren’t Agnus. What can they do when they have no power? 』
『 It is a pity. The last fire of Bairan will be put out. 』
Bairan was a city that had already been occupied. Then Jude suddenly counterattacked, and the war was revived. It was a 5,301-against-1 war. The result was predictable, but many viewers around the world had predicted a reversal. Jude’s momentum was so intense that they kept sweating anxiously as they watched the situation.
However, there was no reversal. Jude seemed to be doing well, but he couldn’t even cut Rigal’s health by one-tenth. On the other hand, he fell into a critical condition after being hit by one arrow. Sure, Jude might be wearing no equipment, but one of the seven dukes was strong. According to rumors, Rigal was one of the strongest people in existence—an existence that players didn’t dare meet at the present time, the sky above the sky.
『 Look. This is a rough estimate of the damages that the Overgeared Kingdom will face when Bairan is occupied. 』
『 Huh, it is the worst. Reidan’s situation is also bad. The Overgeared Kingdom is in a great crisis. 』
『 The power of the Saharan Empire is too strong. This proves why the empire is the master of the continent. 』
『 The result of the war is obvious. The Overgeared Kingdom will be defeated and lose a lot of territories. 』
Rigal’s altitude increased, and he once again drew his bow. This time, he aimed exactly at Jude’s heart.
“Watch this place burn from hell.”
There was no delay. Just like before, the arrow that was fired flew to Jude. The arrow hit. The location precisely matched the direction Rigal initially aimed at but Jude wasn’t there. There was only bare ground in the place where Jude’s heart was supposed to be.
“…?”
Rigal’s eyes could miss the movement…?
…At this altitude? Rigal’s expression changed in the sky. It was a much more serious expression than when he was unexpectedly pulled by Jude’s fist earlier.
“…Overgeared King?”
A bigshot appeared. There was a surge of magic power. Rigal moved his gaze and saw the Overgeared King appear through Mass Teleport. Jude disappearing like a lie was probably due to the king’s call.
Rigal smiled darkly as he aimed his bow at Grid. He was on a huge wyvern with 5,300 air force members behind him. In fact, they were all captured in Grid’s vision.
Rigal fired his bow. He couldn’t pass up this opportunity to take the head of the enemy leader. The arrow flew across one kilometer and hit its target.
[You have suffered 10,990 damage.]
[You are currently in a war.]
[In a war, the king’s death can lead to the worst situation.]
[Be careful. If killed during a war, the king and kingdom will receive a large penalty.]
[There will be an increase in the experience loss rate, an increase in the item drop rate, the army morale will drop, the facilities level will drop, national security will decrease, reputation will decrease, the chance of a rebellion will increase, and so on.]
All types of warnings rose when Grid failed to evade and the arrow pierced his shoulder. Yet Grid wasn’t daunted by them. From the moment the war began, he was already walking on thin ice. He was determined enough. Grid didn’t think he could win easily against the top power of the empire.
“Blacksmith’s Rage. Blackening.”
Yes…
“Pagma’s Swordsmanship.”
Nevertheless, he would win.
“Transcended Link Flower.”
[Transcended Link Flower]
[Three sword dances have been sublimated into a single field.
Fire 40 swords with 200% physical attack power, leaving a mark on all visible enemies.
Two additional sword energy will be generated per mark and the added sword energy will aim at their targets. Any marked target hit by the sword energy will receive 122 physical damage + 20% magic damage.
Every two hits by the sword energy will create an additional mark. A maximum of five marks can be stacked up.
Skill Usage Conditions: Have a sword type weapon equipped.
Skill Sword Energy Cost: 300
Skill Cooldown Time: 20 minutes.]
10,000 petals bloomed in the night sky. The appearance of the blue petals fluttering was beautiful enough to cause one to lose their soul. The viewers, as well as Rigal’s air force, were briefly captivated. It was deadly. The 40 energy blades that passed through the scattering petals became a signal when they hit Rigal. The petals in the sky started to reveal their nature. Like they were blown by a gust of wind, they made contact with the soldiers and exploded.
“Keuk!”
“Kuaaaaak!”
Rigal groaned, and the soldiers screamed. The griffons and wyverns who were also targets of the petals shuddered. The skill damage coefficient might be low, but it was meaningless when Grid’s attack power was so high.
“100,000 Army.” Grid, who had narrowed the distance to Rigal while using Transcended Link Flower, retreated again. He placed them all in his field of view and wielded the sword. “Blockade Sword!”
The reason why Grid created the three fused sword dance Transcended Link Flower was to maximize his skills linkage. 100,000 Army Blockade Sword gave a small blow to all targets in his sight and also gave the ‘blocked’ effect. Approximately one-third of the air force was unable to resist. They were prevented from moving or using skills and magic.
Then new marks were placed on the air force members, including Rigal. Grid reached Rigal. Rigal’s ability to fly 800 meters above sea level was useless in front of Grid who could use Braham’s Boots to fly.
“You!” Rigal once again fired at Grid who had already been pierced with four arrows. The arrows which were fired this time were different. They were fired using Ultimatum, a blow that could kill anyone in one shot. The arrows contained the mana of Sky King Rigal and the essence of the techniques passed
down through generations. Yet it was pointless if they didn’t reach.
“Revolve.” Grid rotated and returned Ultimatum to Rigal. Another mark was placed on Rigal’s body, and he was subjected to a shock powerful enough to damage his Gold Dragon Armor. Grid was still rushing toward Rigal.
“Kill.” It was a series of catastrophic damage. Rigal shot arrows with explosive properties in an attempt to shake off Grid. Nevertheless, Grid stood firm. He didn’t care about the explosion and narrowed the distance toward Rigal.
“Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle.”
Five markers were imprinted on Rigal’s body, and the death penalty dropped. Grid didn’t send an ultimatum. He just aimed to kill the opponent.
Chapter 1002
The Immortal King Grenhal, Beast King Morse, Drunk Duke Diworth, Golden Crown Basara—they led the army of their respective territories and drove the water clan out of the port cities around the empire.
There was no battle. The water clan fled whenever the armies appeared. The dukes took it for granted. They thought there was no one in the world foolish enough to go against them.
“Is everybody healthy? We are gathering together for the first time in a few years.”
The final destination of the four dukes was Galest. Galest was the largest port city responsible for the empire’s economy. Just two days ago, the ships were paralyzed and unable to sail because of Maxong, the water clan king. Maxong was like the god of the sea, and Galest’s troops couldn’t resist him. Yet even the fearsome Maxong fled as soon as he head the dukes had arrived.
Beast King Morse licked his lips with regret. “I thought it was a chance to tame the water clan king, but he ran away. I knew the different species were uncivilized, but I didn’t expect that even the king would have no honor.”
“A king of beasts is also a beast. There is no honor.”
“In any case, hasn’t the sea path opened? We can move to the rear of Reidan.”
“There are no ships that can depart immediately. The water clan king destroyed all the ships.”
“A beast used his head? This is embarrassing.”
“Do we need to hurry? Rigal has already taken over Bairan, so we can move at a leisurely pace.”
“Again? That Rigal is always fast.”
“The air force of the Gelder Family is the pride of the empire for a reason.”
Rigal had inherited the position when his father passed away. He had fought a total of 39 wars over the past 17 years. The air force he led had always been the first to strike and unconditionally won. It even boasted a 100% survival rate. This meant there had been no casualties in the 39 wars. It was a record that showed the dignity of the air force that shot at the enemies one-sidedly from a high altitude, making the air defense facilities of other countries meaningless.
“Wait until the ships are ready. Rigal will finish it anyway.”
The other dukes easily agreed to Drunk Duke Diworth’s suggestion. For them, a war was merely a game. The victory of the empire was natural. Thus, there was no anxiety or nervousness for them, unlike Rigal who was obsessed with building up his achievements.
***
The blue petals flew in the dark sky, and a subsequent black heat emerged. It was more colorful and beautiful than the fireworks produced at modern festivals. People were stunned. They felt a sense of loss when they thought that this rare sight would soon disappear. The flowers and the heat wave were so beautiful that they thought, ‘I wish time will stop.’
They were amazed that the cause of it was one player.
『 Grid…! 』 The commentators conveying the Overgeared Kingdom’s desperate situation started shouting. This was the best they could do. It had been less than four months since the end of the 4th National Competition. Grid’s combat power had reached a higher level. The current Grid couldn’t be summed up by the commentators’ knowledge and skills. Their words were limited.
『 T-The skill that Grid used in the sky…! 』
『 C-Casualties have started to appear in the air force! 』
『 The griffons who one-sidedly defeated the thousands of Bairan troops are falling! 』
『 Sky King Rigal…! He is bleeding!! 』
“Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle.”
It was only for one second. Seven blows were dealt per second and penetrated Rigal’s chest in succession. Simultaneously, 10 flowers with the energy of Pinnacle were automatically generated in the air and aimed at Rigal. Rigal suffered great damage after having Ultimatum returned to him, and he couldn’t stop the series of attacks.
[Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle]
[Four sword dances have been sublimated into a single field.
Fires seven energy blades per second that deal 1,850% physical damage. Every time it attacks the target, ‘Disarm’ will be triggered. Additionally, there will be a bleeding and desperation effect.
If there is a mark on the target, two energy blades will be summoned that ignore 65% of the target’s defense and deal 961% physical damage + 10% magic damage.
Skill Usage Conditions: Have a sword type weapon equipped.
Skill Sword Energy Cost: 400
Skill Cooldown Time: 1 hour.]
This was a skill that proved why Grid still valued the combination of Link and Kill. It also proved why he was obsessed with Flower. The previous ultimate technique was Linked Kill Wave Pinnacle. Thanks to the goddess’ blessing, it dealt seven blows per second with 300% physical damage while also activating the effects of Wave and Pinnacle. It was somewhat incomplete, but the new Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle preserved all effects of Kill being fired seven times per second while maximizing the effect of the marks.
The biggest advantage was the relatively fast cooldown time and casting speed. The cooldown of Linked Kill Wave Pinnacle was three hours while the cooldown of Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle was one hour. Additionally, the sword energy was spontaneously ignited during the seven blows per second, making it possible to suppress the enemy much faster than Linked Kill Wave Pinnacle. Even the attack power was stronger.
Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle was stronger than Linked Kill Wave Pinnacle, even if five marks weren’t left. Since the effect of Disarm was maintained throughout the attack, the target couldn’t receive the effect of their items.
[The target has received 1,250,900 damage.]
[The target has received 1,199,320 damage.]
[The target has received 1,301,010 damage.]
[The black flames option effect of the Enlightenment Sword…]
[The target has received 699,000 damage.]
[The target has received 678,300 damage.]
[The target has received 730,950…]
[The target has received 16,409,200 damage.]
“…!!” Kill struck Rigal seven times while 10 petals filled with sword energy struck Rigal, not letting him scream. It was all he could do to endure the terrible pain that was worse than when he was hit by Ultimatum. The fast and powerful attack was also a burden on the caster.
“Pant. Pant. Pant.” Grid breathed roughly as he felt a sharp drop in stamina the moment Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle finished. In front of his eyes, Rigal’s health gauge was just over 20%.
‘I thought this would kill him. It is damn hard.’
Grid never expected that Rigal would be fine despite being hit by his strongest combination. Moreover, Rigal had a low level in comparison to the others in the Seven Dukes. He was always worse when confronting the other Seven Dukes. In particular, his level was several times lower than Spear Saint Rachel and Sword Duke Limit. Despite having the strongest air force that disregarded air defense facilities, it was obvious that his individual combat power was lower. Rigal was the weakest.
“Allentica!” Then the moment Rigal shouted the ancient wyvern’s name, his health gauge turned purple and recovered to 60%. Upon a closer look, the health gauge over the wyvern had disappeared. It was synchronization. Rigal’s health and Allentica’s health had combined.
‘A boss mob!’
What was the biggest weakness of named NPCs? The ‘humanoids’ had a limit on their health. However, Rigal overcame this weakness through his interaction with the wyvern. It was a boss monster phase.
‘This is a duke…’
It was greater than Grid had expected. Grid didn’t know about the Five Pillars, but he initially thought he could win in a one-on-one match against a duke. This was a misjudgment. His gaze wavered. Then the appearance of a giant evil influence burst out with a loud roar.
Rigal’s archery was the complete opposite of Jishuka’s archery. Unlike Jishuka’s arrows which were invisible and couldn’t be heard by the ears, Rigal’s arrows overwhelmed the opponent with their energy.
[You have suffered 14,500 damage.]
[The strong impact has caused a stiffness effect.]
[You have resisted.]
The arrow, shot from a close range, hurt Grid. It was much more painful than when firing from a distance. Grid collapsed with approximately 30% of his health left, and Rigal pulled the bowstring again. He intended to end Grid without giving him time to resist.
It was awesome. Ignoring the fact that he was the king of a small nation, Grid was too strong to spare. Rigal fired another arrow, and it became a signal. The thousands of air force soldiers behind Rigal also aimed at Grid with their arrows and magic.
『 Ah…! 』 The commentators of the international broadcasting companies were silent. A massive bombardment filled the sky. Grid’s death seemed inevitable the moment it hit. Now, Grid would lose his immortality and slowly die without finding an escape route.
The commentators didn’t explain it, but the tens of millions of viewers watching the battle were able to predict the result. The same was true for the Overgeared soldiers and the people on the ground. Their captain—the king—would die. They screamed desperately at the undeniable reality. Only one person… Only Grid smiled as he flung himself back as hard as possible.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Sky King Rigal was a person who had earned a high rank as the leader of an army, rather than an individual. As such, Grid had been waiting for Rigal to command the army. There were thousands of air forces. Grid wanted and hoped for the bastards, who had trampled on his land and people, to attack him in unison.