by Park Saenal
However, this doesn’t apply to special stats.]
Katz and Hurent had secured two octopus legs. There were 12 servings per leg, so Grid, the 10 meritorious retainers, and Hurent were able to eat equally. Everyone successfully gained a total of one stat point.
[You have received food poisoning.]
[You have resisted.]
Everyone… except for Grid.
“No, this…”
Where was his good luck stat? Did it go on strike?
“…”
On the ship sailing on the Red Sea, Grid crouched in the corner and ignored the sympathetic looks of his colleagues. At this time, a giant pufferfish popped out of the sea. Katz gained the opportunity to increase the experience of his White Tiger Sword again, and his eyes shone.
“Transcended Link! Linked Kill Flower Pinnacle! 100,000 Army Massacre Sword!”
Before Katz could move, the pufferfish had turned to ash. Unfortunately, it was the punching bag of Grid’s anger. Hurent’s eyes widened.
‘It took me so long for one octopus…’
He was too weak. Hurent bowed his head and squatted in a corner. This lasted until they reached the Ruins of the War God.
***
What type of karma was owed to souls? The ritual was completed, and the gate consisted of numerous human faces. There were hundreds of thousands of faces that were different in sex, age, and race, but they all had one thing in common. They wept with pain.
“Oof…!”
People paled at the bizarre and creepy scene. Someone sat down and started to vomit. The Ares Army, who regarded the great demon summoning as a mere event, lost their momentum from the beginning.
“T-The great demon that the Overgeared Guild raided was ranked 32nd. The 22nd great demon is stronger than that. Can we deal with it?” Oasis asked while covered in mud and sweat.
His trembling eyes caught something squeezing out of the door of wailing. It was an existence with a corroded gold crown on its head which proved its age. The man sat on a diseased horse and looked around with eyes that didn’t have pupils. His skin was red like meat in a butcher’s store. Then it became a rotten color, before becoming blue again. His body was thin and dull, but his torso was long enough to have at least 50 rib bones. Even without the weight of the name of a great demon, the man’s ghastly and strange features were enough to cause horror.
“You should step back. Leave before the raid starts.”
“Huh…?”
There was no room for rejection. Ares’ hand pushed Oasis away. Then Sima Hui used a spell and left this place with Oasis. Ares smiled bitterly and recalled his earlier conversation with Sima Hui.
“High morale and ignorance are part of a story of a different realm. Your army is very powerful, but it is still inferior to the empire and the Overgeared Guild. However, your soldiers are fearless and think they’re the best. Thus, it is dangerous. They need a painful defeat.”
“We need defeat?”
“It is the foundation to emerge victorious in every battle. Defeat is an essential experience. The great demon summoning ritual can’t be stopped forward, and a great demon will definitely descend. Your Majesty, lead your army against the great demon. Then train the army using this defeat.”
“You are telling me to sacrifice my people? You might be my military adviser, but I can’t tolerate this. Valhalla won’t engage in the great demon subjugation.”
“No. You have to come forward. It is a chance to gain insight into what you are lacking. This is an opportunity for Valhalla to mature and spread the name of Valhalla throughout the world. You can gain the favor of the Rebecca Church by fighting against the great demon, and by sacrificing yourself for the continent, you can gain the hearts of the people of the continent.”
“…It is an act of betraying my people.”
“It isn’t a betrayal but a teaching. Justice can sometimes be medicine or poison. Please trust me and make a cold choice this time.”
“…I understand. Still, I am telling you, my army will never lose easily. You might think our Valhalla is inferior to the Overgeared Kingdom and will be easily defeated by the great demon, but I don’t think so. I will surely destroy the great demon and secure victory.”
He was persuaded. Although he didn’t agree with the idea that he should ‘grasp the subject’, he couldn’t overlook the fact that he could raise recognition with the Rebecca Church and the awareness of Valhalla through the great demon raid. Ares stepped forward. He had to maintain morale against the evil influence.
“Enjoy the event.”
So, he downplayed the great demon.
“Let’s go.”
He trusted his troops.
“Let’s show everyone that we can do the same as the Overgeared Guild.”
They would challenge the great demon raid. God of War Ares’ buffs fell down like rain. All of his allies’ morale and stats rose, offsetting the debuffs caused by Berith’s appearance. In addition to that…
“We will cooperate this once, although I don’t know what will happen.”
Pope Damian’s buffs overlapped with God of War Ares’, and the stats of the Ares Army and Rebecca priests increased significantly. It was a scene watched by hundreds of cameras. The Ares Army and Rebecca priests had determined expressions as they took combat postures.
It was a total offensive. They were the main players in the Berith raid and were determined to go all-out while the buffs were maintained. Hundreds of ultimate abilities were loaded simultaneously and waiting to be re-used. No matter how strong the great demon was, it wouldn’t be safe if hundreds of people in a buffed state released attacks at once.
The viewers ate popcorn as they envied the Ares Army and Rebecca priests, who would monopolize the great demon raid. At this moment…
“Everyone. I am your companion, not an enemy of humanity.” Berith turned his gaze to the Ares Army and priests, before his eyes curved in a half moon. Then something amazing happened.
[Great Demon Berith is an ally!]
Berith’s black-gold name turned green, and he wasn’t recognized as an enemy. It was the ally protection system that often applied to some quests.
“Eh?”
The ultimate techniques of the Ares Army and Rebecca priests were canceled. The fierce energy disappeared without being able to be triggered. Only some skills that didn’t distinguish between enemies and allies were barely maintained.
“The companion of humanity?” Damian asked on behalf of the dumbfounded people.
“Yes,” Berith, whose skin color was still changing, scratched his head and replied. In contrast to his first appearance, his voice was gentle and his expression was good. “Not all of us are against humanity. We also have intelligence. Like humans, we have different values.”
“…!?”
It was exceedingly outlandish. Berith’s appearance caused the Yatan followers, who had been shivering with excitement, to be thrown into confusion. They sided with the great demons over the humans, hoping to create a foothold to fight against the gods. To the Yatan followers who believed in such a destiny, Berith’s declaration caused great shock and chaos.
“What is going on?”
“Is a great demon not an enemy?”
The Ares Army and Rebecca priests found it difficult to grasp the situation. Since the system recognized Berith as an ally, it was impossible to dismiss Berith’s words as false. At the same moment, Berith became the color of rotten lungs and he lowered his head. “It must be hard to believe. For a long time, ‘we’ have been a threat to humanity. My attitude must be unfamiliar and unbelievable. I fully understand your position. This is the karma we have to deal with. I apologize deeply for the old sins we have committed.”
“…!” Everyone was shocked. This was because Berith was bowing. It wasn’t just those gathered at the scene. All the viewers were also surprised. A great demon declared he would stand on the side of humanity and then apologized to the humans. It was unthinkable. This was
a completely new variant.
In the middle of this strange atmosphere…
“…$#^~%#” A strange sound emerged from the mouth of the bowing Berith. It was a noise that stimulated terror. This was clearly a language, and Berith was laughing. “Humans are truly foolish.”
Simultaneously, Berith’s green name returned back to black-gold.
[Berith isn’t an ally!]
Berith was once again recognized as an ‘enemy.’
“What…?”
The flustered Ares, Damian, and their colleagues deployed defense skills. The diseased horse carrying Berith raised one hoof up high. Then it slammed hard against the ground. The wavelength it created was huge. The earth was smashed, and stones and dust scattered randomly. They turned into gold and silver thanks to Berith’s magic power.
As for the Ares Army and Rebecca priests…
The duration of the first buffs was over, and the Ares Army and Rebecca priests weren’t able to cope with the gold and silver storm.
[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]
[You have received too much damage from one blow and have fallen into a ‘confused’ state.]
[Your wound has started turning into metal.]
[Your skin, flesh, muscles, bones, and blood are hardening.]
“U-Uwaaaack!”
Someone’s arms and someone else’s legs, as well as the face or torso of some people, started turning into metal. The metal parts were heavy as lead and impossible to be controlled. A person whose eyes turned into metal became blind, a person whose nose and mouth turned into metal couldn’t breathe, and a person whose heart turned into metal received instant death. Fear was greater than pain.
The people looked on in an appalled manner.
“You look great in the shape of a worm.” Great Demon Berith laughed.
It was a lie that had deceived even the system. Berith overwhelmed humanity, unlike the 32nd great demon Belial. Only one person was different.
“Berith!” It was the imperial prince Benoit. “I will ask you one thing, in accordance with the oath of summoning!”
Despite seeing people dying from fear and suffering or even knowing the despair humanity would face in the future, Imperial Prince Benoit didn’t care. He only wondered about one truth.
“Is my mother’s murderer the current empress?”
“Yes, that’s right. She poisoned your mother,” Berith replied passively and picked up a piece of gravel, turning it into a sheet of paper. It was the ultimate alchemy that had already been shown. “This lists the poison she received and those who cooperated with her to poison your mother. Every detail is described on this.”
The sheet of paper flew into Imperial Prince Benoit’s hands. Benoit was filled with a deep killing intent as he confirmed its contents. It was a prelude to the imperial family’s blood-stained revenge drama. However, this wasn’t a problem for the average player.
『 22nd Great Demon Berith has started slaughtering the Ares Army…! 』
The people were captivated by the horrific scene that started to unfold in front of their eyes. Berith neutralized the enemy’s ultimate weapons and buffs with a single lie and then used alchemy to create metal from nothing. After that, Berith’s slaughter began.
It wasn’t an event or a festival. Watching the collapsed continent, the people started to despair as if their future had completely disappeared.
Chapter 1019
From the moment they entered the Red Sea, whispers and other communication systems were prohibited and the use of teleport-type magic was also blocked. Still, the Overgeared members were aware of Berith’s emergence.
[22nd Great Demon Berith has appeared somewhere on the continent…!]
It was thanks to the world message. Grid and the 10 meritorious retainers knew the strength of the great demon, so they were forced to feel nervous. Everything would be over if the great demon invaded the Overgeared Kingdom. It was the right move to return home now. There was a flurry of impatient and negative opinions.
Lauel calmed them down, “I have been talking to Damian since the ceremony started.”
Damian had told Lauel that if he couldn’t stop the great demon from ascending to the ground, he would lead the great demon as far away from the Overgeared Kingdom as possible. It was certainly possible. The battlefield between the Rebecca Church and Yatan Church was the furthest place from the Overgeared Kingdom. Damian always acted with the Overgeared Kingdom in mind. He was a really strong ally.
‘However, I didn’t think he would fail to stop the ritual.’
This summoning ritual was different from the one with Belial. Belial’s summoning ritual had been carried out in secret while Berith’s ritual had gotten exposed in the middle. The Rebecca Church had converged on the scene of the ritual. When he first heard the news, Lauel thought that Damian and the Rebecca Church would be able to stop the appearance of the great demon. The Rebecca Church was a force that obstructed the ambitions of the Yatan Church. It was expected they would have many means to prevent the summoning ritual.
‘Yet they failed…? Was it not possible to stop the great demon ritual once it started?’ Lauel was filled with doubts.
In the last few decades, how had the Rebecca Church been able to suppress the Yatan Church? Comparing the powers of the two religions, the Yatan Church was far stronger, and the Rebecca Church didn’t have the means to stop the great demon ritual. There was absolutely no reason for the Yatan Church to be suppressed by the Rebecca Church. However, in history, the Yatan Church had been consistently beaten by the Rebecca Church. They had worked secretly to avoid the eyes of the Rebecca Church.
‘All nations on the continent support the Rebecca Church and are hostile to the Yatan Church…’
Yet it wasn’t enough.
‘It is likely there is a power hidden within the Rebecca Church.’
It was a reasonable guess. Only with that could the balance be accepted.
‘I’ll have to discuss it with Damian in detail one day. By the way…’ Lauel sealed off the complicated thoughts for a while and turned toward the sea again. All types of monsters appeared in these magical waters and were beaten by Grid and the 10 meritorious retainers.
‘The route to the historical ruins itself is quite rewarding.’
The rewards given by the sea monsters were quite good. The 10 meritorious retainers recovered the experience they had lost from dying several times in the war. They received all types of unusual items. It was hard to say if the items were good or bad, but they were estimated to be very valuable in terms of rarity.
‘Grid has reached level 398… In the future, the Red Sea will be part of our hunting grounds.’
It was hard to believe the day would come when the Red Sea was used as a hunting ground. This was possible thanks to Katz buying a warship. With a ship of this size, it wasn’t impossible to sail through the disaster-ridden Red Sea.
“I can’t kill the octopuses when I look at them. They are like Vantner’s brothers.”
“…” Vantner was wearing the octopus head. It was a remark that would make him furious if he had his original personality. Now he couldn’t say a word because the speaker was Jishuka.
It was Yura as well. “Yes.”
Considering Yura’s personality, she didn’t intend to make fun of him. She sincerely agreed with Jishuka’s words.
“…” Therefore, Vantner couldn’t say anything.
‘Their relationship is getting better.’ Grid had a warm expression on his face. The biggest harvest of this voyage was the relationship between Yura and her colleagues. Yura, who had been awkward with everyone, developed a more comfortable relationship with them during the journey. In particular, she seemed to have come to a consensus with Jishuka.
“Doesn’t this make you realize that Grid is older than you?”
It happened after a tough hunt of a whale that was overwhelmingly bigger than the octopuses, pufferfish, and so on. Yura and Jishuka sat next to each other and
chatted in a relaxed manner. There was a consensus that they liked the same man, so the conversation didn’t stop.
“Youngwoo-ssi has a tendency to get angry, but he doesn’t make fun of other people.”
“I agree. He just looks at me like I am cute whenever I tease Vantner. It is a reaction that is shown when kids play well together. Ah… This score must be completely bad.” Jishuka was trying to be recognized as someone more than a friend, but instead she was like a child. This was a disaster. It was the end. She was afraid she would seem more like a sister and not a friend.
“Dammit, Vantner… Why are you so funny?”
“When?”
“You and the octopus together is too funny.”
“…” Vantner was tearful because of Jishuka’s words. Then the silent Yura spoke after agonizing over it. In fact, she didn’t want to say it. It was disadvantageous to her to give courage to Jishuka. Nevertheless, Yura confessed, “It is me, not you, who Youngwoo-ssi thinks of as a friend. Youngwoo-ssi’s eyes toward you are very different from when he looks at me. So don’t worry too much.”
“That’s right. He only sees my chest.” Jishuka spoke so seriously that Vantner found it funny.
Then the usually calm and gentle Yura gritted her teeth. “Vantner, do you want to spar?”
“…I’m sorry.”
If they fought, he would lose. After all, Yura was a National Competition PvP finalist. He still vividly remembered it. A white giant with a classic name… Yura had fought fiercely against Zibal who boarded the magic machine, which had a different physical ability and vitality to players. She went against the predictions that she would lose easily. Yura was strong. She was one of the top five in the Overgeared Guild and several times stronger than Vantner.
Vantner coughed and changed the topic, “By the way, what should we do if others catch the great demon?”
There were many strong guilds beside the Overgeared Guild. Of course, they couldn’t compare to the Overgeared Guild that had numerous named NPCs. There was the Ares Army, the former Seven Guilds, and the forces that had been expanding their power since the collapse of the Seven Guilds. They might fail the great demon raid alone, but it might be different if they cooperated.