by Park Saenal
[The muscles in your right arm are torn, and the bones are broken!]
[You can’t move your right arm!]
“Kuek…!” Zibal’s eyes reddened, and he gritted his teeth. His right arm, which was using the Golden Cudgel to smash the demons, turned black and twisted in a strange direction. Strength was lost from his fingertips. At this rate, he would let go of the Golden Cudgel and lose ownership. Due to this powerful constraint, Debirion’s Envoy couldn’t bring out all of the Golden Cudgel’s potential. However, it was different now.
“Pegasus!”
A horse that appeared in fantasies like the unicorn—it was one of the decisive things that led Zibal to become a Blue Sky Rider. The pegasus licked his right arm like it was familiar with this work from before. Then Zibal’s limply hanging right arm recovered quickly. It took him only two seconds to go through this whole process. As one of the most powerful people among two billion users, Zibal had control over the realm of time and felt senses returning to his fingertips. He immediately shouted, “Become smaller!”
The Golden Cudgel rapidly shortened like an elastic spring and returned to its original size.
“Kuhum…!” Zibal couldn’t handle the rebound of the Golden Cudgel and took a few steps back. He stopped when his back hit Raiders’ leg. Then he drank a potion and shouted to the soldiers on the wall, “Keep your formations!”
There were hundreds of demon species. They had a variety of races like monsters, and Berith’s army was the same. Some demons resembled insects, and others resembled beasts. The insect-like demons were small but swift enough to climb the walls in an instant. Meanwhile, the beast-like demons were large, massive and slow but they were durable. It wasn’t easy for Zibal to harm them with the Golden Cudgel. The surviving demons climbed the walls and shot fire or poison from their mouths at the soldiers.
“Waaaah!”
The soldiers, who had been in high spirits due to Zibal, were swallowed up by the flames and burned. Meanwhile, the soldiers hurling rocks below the walls were shocked when the guards escorting them disappeared without a trace. The ranks of the soldiers started to collapse, and the demons’ climbing speed increased. Even those who shrank back from Zibal’s attacks chuckled and spread their wings.
They were small demons that resembled flies. The flies shot out their saliva, and hundreds of thin needles that were hard to grasp with the naked eye flooded toward the soldiers.
“Protect the soldiers!”
The nobles, including Earl Flenitium, jumped over the walls and used magic. Transparent barriers started to fend off the demon attacks on the soldiers. They were the pillars of the Haken Kingdom. The nobles who ignored the royal family that despaired at Berith’s march were Zibal’s former bosses and old comrades. They trusted Zibal when he was a beginner and gave him many quests that increased Zibal’s confidence and allowed him to live up to their trust. Without them, the current Zibal wouldn’t exist.
“Don’t overdo it.”
Zibal looked at the nobles behind him and smiled. He felt the passage of time. The nobles who reigned over players a few years ago now depended on players… The times had changed.
“Pegasus, let’s handle the pigs during this gap.”
Pegasus carried Zibal on its back and soared into the sky. The demons coming over the walls entered Zibal’s gaze.
‘These guys.’
Zibal targeted the large monsters at the head of the demon army. The demons boasted a huge physique like a bear’s, were covered in gray fur, and had four faces on one head. Their appearance was bizarre, but they were very durable. Most of the arrows and rocks shot by the soldiers on the walls were blocked by their bodies, and they helped the other demons. They were tankers of hell. Zibal determined he should handle them first and swung the Golden Cudgel.
“Grow!”
The size and weight of the Golden Cudgel increased dramatically, and the blood vessels in his right arm rose and burst. Still, Zibal endured the pain. His right arm became completely ragged the moment the Golden Cudgel fell on the heads of the huge monsters.
Pegasus cried out anxiously as Zibal trembled. The eyes of the huge monsters looked at Zibal simultaneously. The huge monsters didn’t die when Zibal hit them with the Golden Cudgel. Only their health was shaved.
“These dirty guys are hard.”
The huge monsters weren’t elite monsters. They were classified as normal. Yet they endured the most powerful attack of the Golden Cudgel. Zibal was frankly upset. He felt frustrated at the sight of the demon army crossing the plains and climbing the walls. Rather than stopping Berith’s advance, he might be eaten by the demons before meeting Berith.
‘…I’m really a used thing.’
He couldn’t help smiling. Zibal hadn’t been frustrated with any hardship or adversity in the days when he was aiming for first in the rankings. He had endured much more frustrating situations than his current circumstances. Of course, there were many things he had endured and failed to overcome. He had tasted failure so much that he realized reality and became the person he was now.
‘Let’s not push the limits today.’
There was no certainty that he could drive away this swarm of evil demons. Still, he shouldn’t become frustrated. He had to keep fighting. It was time to go back to the days when he was a daredevil who knew nothing. His courage would invigorate the morale of his former colleagues and the soldiers.
“Ohhhhhh!” A thunderous roar echoed in the battlefield. The earth was turbulent whenever Zibal wielded the Golden Cudgel. His right arm was broken many times, and Pegasus’s aura was quickly exhausted as it healed him. In the end, the huge monsters at the forefront of the demon army collapsed one by one. The arrows fired by the soldiers on the walls finally started to hit the demon army.
“Wahhhh!”
“Zibal, we believe in you!”
The morale of the soldiers rose sharply. The complexion of the nobles dealing with the flies brightened. They had hope that they could protect their country with their hands.
On the other hand, Pegasus’ expression was pained. The tongue licking its master’s arm trembled. The white wings flapping in the sky stopped.
“Pant… Pant… Pant…”
Zibal was on the verge of exhaustion. His stamina window was flashing red.
“Not yet… Not yet.”
Just a bit more. At the very least, he wanted to stay strong until he got rid of the demon army’s snipers. However, his vision kept blurring. This was the end. Eventually, Zibal’s gaze returned to Raiders standing inside the fortress. Originally, he planned to operate Raiders when confronting Berith, but now that he was about to die, his plan changed.
‘Use Raiders to break through the demons and kill Berith.’
The determined Zibal stroked Pegasus’s head. Pegasus read the will of its master and turned its head with sadness. The moment it descended toward Raiders.
““Nasty, nasty. How long do you think I will let a trivial human have his way?””
There was a terrible stench as a voice entered Zibal’s ears. It was a voice that he had heard over a hundred times through the broadcasts—the voice of Great Demon Berith.
““You hurt my soldiers and will have to pay the price.””
“…!”
Zibal’s eyes widened. It was absurd to hear Berith’s voice when Berith was so far away. It was also absurd to see the dust rising from the battle solidify into metal.
““Stop it and die.””
The sharp metal joined together and rotated, forming a storm. It tore through the hard flesh of the demons and flew to Zibal. Pegasus flew vigorously and tried to endure the metal storm, but it wasn’t easy. Pegasus had already exhausted most of its strength and lacked stamina.
“Pegasus, go back.”
It was enough for Zibal to die alone. He would receive more damage if Pegasus died. Pegasus shook its head stubbornly and ignored Zibal. Zibal canceled the summoning and started to fall to the ground.
&
nbsp; ‘I’m dying sooner than planned, but there is still one more chance.’
Zibal had already set Fort Taleren as a revival point. Even if he died, he could be resurrected immediately. His stamina would completely recover.
‘I will fight again.’
Of course, a second death meant he would experience the penalty where he couldn’t connect. While he was away, the Haken Kingdom would have a harder fight, but it couldn’t be helped. The metal storm approached as Zibal neared the ground. Would he die from being swallowed by the storm or by falling to the ground? The moment Zibal had this trivial thought, someone grabbed Zibal’s hand and pulled him up.
Then a low and cold voice was heard, “Take a break.”
It was an unforgettable voice. Zibal had felt envy and jealousy. Then he felt envy and longing. It was the first of the former supreme one.
“Kraugel…!”
A silver robe with a large golden dragon embroidery on it flapped in the wind. Soft silk wrapped around Zibal’s injured body.
“Tearing the Sky.”
The claw of a mighty beast was carved into the sky. The metal storm stiffened in place. This was something that would’ve torn Zibal apart. Now it reversed its route. It returned to where it came from, sweeping through the demon army and engulfing Berith. Just before it reached Berith, the metals that formed the storm changed back to dust and scattered.
““Sword…””
“Space Sword.”
““…Saint.””
The world was split into two. The earth, the sky, the thousands of demons, and Berith—all of them were cut.
Chapter 1044
『 Hup…! 』
What was this spectacular skill? It reminded most people of Pagma’s Swordsmanship. In particular, when Grid sword danced using Iyarugt with the ‘coolness’ option attached, it was as beautiful as a painting. However, when it came to scale, there was no skill more gorgeous than Space Sword.
It was one of Kraugel’s ultimate skills. The super skill maximized the basic characteristic ‘there is nothing you can’t cut’ of a Sword Saint to cut the world itself.
[Critical!!]
[The target has received 15,300,599 damage.]
[The target has received 17,900,143…]
[The target has received…]
….
…
[The target has suffered irreversible damage! All stats are reduced by 20%, and all speeds are reduced by 50%!]
[The target has exposed his weakness! If you hit the target within 30 seconds, an unconditional critical hit will be applied! The critical damage applied will be 1.5 times higher!]
[…!]
[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
[Your powerful sword has separated the world!!!]
The massive walls that made up the canyon were split in half. A line was drawn through everything in the world, including the demons that resembled flies infesting the sky and the winding earth of the canyon. Many of the demons advancing along the narrow path, those climbing the walls, and those in the sky had their bodies cut and turned to gray ash. If Zibal rode on Pegasus and killed more than 100 demons, then Kraugel produced a miracle that devastated thousands of demons with a single blow. Space Sword was fatal to the advancing army because it had the effect of ‘cutting all enemies that exist in the path.’
[The earth god Garion has exerted his power. All things split in half are restored like the split was a lie.]
The canyon walls and earth, that had been split apart, reattached into their original state. The demons fell into the gaps formed in the walls and the earth and disappeared. Additionally…
““…””
Berith’s left arm was precisely struck by the Space Sword and cut off. White blood rose like a fountain from the cut surface, shocking the world. The demons’ eyes widened, and they stiffened.
『 U-Unbelievable…! The demon army’s advance has stopped instantly! 』
『 Oh, my god! The moment he appeared, he cut off the great demon’s arm! Tens of thousands of people and rankers struggled to achieve this…! 』
『 Really! This is amazing! Great, Kraugel!! 』
Commentators around the world shouted with excitement, and all of the world’s viewers cheered. However, Kraugel’s face didn’t show any excitement. Kraugel evaluated the space as an ‘empty cart.’ Unlike the flashy performance that made the world loud, it didn’t kill the target in one blow.
Although it boasted the highest damage coefficient among wide-area skills, it didn’t completely deviate beyond the limits of a wide-area skill. This was the somewhat weak part compared to other ultimate skills. It was just that the special nature of war highlighted the merits of Space Sword. The topographical advantage of the canyon also played a big part. The demons were vulnerable to Space Sword as they marched on the narrow road.
‘His physical defense is twice as high as Belial’s. Is it around three times the health?’
Kraugel compared his current specs with his specs during the Belial raid. He checked the damage that had been inflicted on Belial and the health gauge of Berith, and he came to a conclusion. Once again, Kraugel concluded that Berith couldn’t be raided with his current power.
‘It isn’t possible without Grid, Damian, and Ruby.’
Grid’s Four Heavenly Kings that had appeared during the Demon King’s Subjugation were Piaro, Asmophel, Noll who played a big role in Reidan recently, and the woman whose exact reality still wasn’t known. Kraugel couldn’t help thinking of those four people. Grid had almost lost Piaro in the Belial raid, so it was unlikely he would let NPCs join this raid.
‘Let’s slowly buy time.’
Normally, Kraugel linked Space Sword with another skill. This was due to the 30-second period when critical damage was increased. It meant attacking Berith could cause significant damage. Still, Kraugel didn’t overdo it. He knew that he didn’t need to overdo it because the Overgeared Guild was currently on the way here.
How did he know? It was naturally thanks to Hao and Alexander. China’s top ranker and Russia’s top ranker were Kraugel’s limbs. Kraugel’s information network went beyond the days of when he was alone. Well, in this case, he didn’t need his information network.
-I’m going to kill him. Leave a share for me, Grid sent him this whisper.
Kraugel turned his attention to Zibal. Zibal, who was saved just before death, looked very uncomfortable. The moment Kraugel’s gaze fell on him, Zibal grumbled, “Dammit, I still can’t tell who the main character is.”
“It has been a long time since I was pushed into the supporting role.”
“You have thick skin.”
Zibal descended to the ground alongside Kraugel and captured the scene of the battlefield. Hundreds of demons had perished, and hundreds more moaned due to their wounds. Thousands of demons stiffened like statues when they saw their master had lost his arm. Only one presence completely changed the atmosphere of the battlefield.
It was overwhelming, and it was certain that Kraugel was definitely stronger than the days when he was the sky above the sky. This was quite different from the weak self he showed in the two years after becoming a Sword Saint. It seemed that he could finally use the power of a Sword Saint properly.
“…The competition for the top will soon be fierce again.”
“No, I still have a long way to go.”
As much as he grew, Grid would’ve grown beyond that. Grid had built up the largest player-based power on the continent, and his growth environment wasn’t comparable to a single player’s. It was fundamental that he monopolized all types of information and riches while his utilization of talent was unmatched.
One example was Great Sage Sticks. Thanks to Stick’s Mass Teleport, Grid could move anywhere at any time. It was completely different from the activity radius of one player.
‘Truly amazing.’
Who would’ve imagined that Grid could grow the Overgeared Kingdom to this point? Most people thought it was lucky if he could k
eep it. However, Grid was very resourceful, and the kingdom developed rapidly. They advanced ahead of kingdoms hundreds of years old and were able to compete with the empire. Grid was a great person.
“By the way, I couldn’t even help damage the great demon,” Zibal muttered as he gazed at Berith in the distance. The cut-off limb was like rotten meat on the ground, and blood was still flowing down from the severed shoulder. The bleeding from the amputation was something that even a great demon couldn’t avoid. Berith’s slightly consumed health gauge gave Zibal some hope of winning.
“Let’s join forces this time. I’ll use Raiders, so let’s work together to wound Berith through a gap.”
“The ultimate goal of alchemy.”
“…?”
“It isn’t just about making gold, it is about creating life. The existence of the Stone of Life is the evidence.”
“What?”
Zibal wanted to cooperate, only for Kraugel to suddenly speak nonsense…? Kraugel pointed at something while responding to the confused Zibal, “It is easy for Berith to recover his flesh.”
“…!?” Zibal’s eyes widened.
The blood flowing from Berith’s shoulder was as hard as metal. It soon became bones, flesh, and skin. The sight of Berith instantly restoring his left arm stunned the viewers watching as well as Zibal.
“This damn monster.” Zibal clicked his tongue. Was it useless to cut the body? It was the first time he realized that alchemy was so great. Even the alchemy of the best nation of the continent, the Saharan Empire, was at a level that was little better than making potions and metals. Toward the stiff Zibal—no, it was toward Kraugel standing beside Zibal, Berith spoke.
““The Sword Saint of this time is weak,”” he said quietly from a distance of several kilometers, but his voice entered their ears clearly. ““Sword Saint Muller sealed many great demons. I think it’s impossible for you.””
Kraugel didn’t deny it. “That’s right. It will be hard for me with my current strength.”
Muller was the strongest human in history. If the potential of a named NPC could be classified from 1 to 10, Muller’s potential would be 100. It was impossible for the player Kraugel to be as strong as Muller. However, Kraugel wasn’t alone.