by Park Saenal
It was his habit of talking to himself. He recovered the white light mithril, Astaroth’s Horn, the Strengthened Blue Dragon’s Breath, and the shell of the cave cricket that had been decomposed in the process of smelting the Blade Aiming at the Gods. The white light mithril’s durability was badly damaged, but the rest of the materials were almost intact.
‘…Okay, I’ve decided.’
Grid finished sorting his inventory and faced the notification window that was floating in his field of view.
[Please name the new mineral.]
The answer…
“Greed.”
The new mineral had infinite desire. It would never be consumed and would multiply constantly. This was the right name since it resembled the creator who wasn’t satisfied with the peak he climbed to and was looking at a far greater mountain.
“I have decided on ‘Greed’.”
It was also a device to raise his awareness. Grid also knew that too much greed would be poisonous. After all, he didn’t know the problems that would be caused by Greed’s proliferation in the future. Braham was the only one who could solve it. A being who possessed ‘satisfactory’ wisdom and the knowledge to realize it…
On the day of Braham’s return, Grid would be complete. Grid believed this as he clutched the small melon-sized black-gold mineral in his hand. He wanted to quickly check the details of the mineral.
[You have completed your naming.]
[The information about the new mineral will be updated.]
Ttiring~
[Greed]
[Durability: Infinite
The legendary blacksmith Pagma and the legendary great magician Braham’s collaborative work, pavranium has been reborn by Grid using his skills and epics.
Many characteristics have been added compared to the previous one.
* Acquired healing skills due to Goddess Rebecca’s blessing. Increases the owner’s health recovery rate by 300%.
* Acquired an attack buff skill due to God Dominion’s blessing. The owner’s attack power will increase by 15%.
* Acquired a defense buff skill due to God Judar’s blessing. The owner’s defense will increase by 15%.
* Acquired a magic power buff skill due to God Yatan’s blessing. The owner’s magic power will increase by 15%.
* Judge and move on its own, executing its master’s orders as the top priority. Every movement doesn’t require power.
* The hardness, strength and brittleness can’t be changed. However, there is a limit.
* Completely absorbs all properties. However, be careful not to grant conflicting properties at the same time.
* The proliferation will double the volume and weight every 10 days. However, this effect is only applied when it is in the ‘pure form.’
* There is a high chance of activating the ‘crushing’ and ‘reconstruction’ effects when hitting.
★ The passive skill ‘Always Together’ is applied.
★ The titles ‘Legend of the Canyon’ and ‘Protagonist of Two Eras’ are also shared by Greed.]
“Crazy…”
The unique characteristics of pavranium the ultimate mineral, adamantium that had lost its holy power, and the black mithril given by Empress Basara…
A stone with its demonic power removed, the unique characteristics of Berith’s Hoof which Grid had enhanced with the Ultimate Transformation, and the title acquired from his epics…
They were all in Greed. It was a result that went far beyond Grid’s expectations and imagination. Could he have imagined that his epics would affect the creation of a new mineral? Additionally, the proliferation effect was too ideal. It was really calibrated properly.
Correction was an advantage that every player in Satisfy enjoyed. For example, the system corrected it every time he crafted an item or created a blueprint. It was due to the system correction that Grid was able to draw the perfect blueprint and perform tasks in all types of fields without having the necessary knowledge.
That’s right. It was the system correction which implemented solutions for problems that couldn’t be solved with the player’s level of knowledge based on the ‘probability’ of the skill. This was what happened with the mineral creation.
In fact, Grid had been worried. The proliferation of the insane dragon iron wasn’t to increase one to two but to increase it by one volume. For example, how painful would it be if the sword made from Greed became big and heavy every 10 days because of the proliferation effect?
Once it grew to an unacceptable level, it would have to be disassembled and a new sword would need to be created. Otherwise, he would need to solve the problem by using the Insane Dragon Hammer to delete this characteristic. Still, the quantity of created minerals would increase, so it was a problem that he could afford.
Now all his problems had been resolved. Greed would only multiply in its pure form.
‘Once it has multiplied enough, I can take some off and make an item.’
The item would remain in perfect shape for the rest of its life…
Grid’s heart pounded with excitement when he thought of this. A great joy that was hard to express in words filled him.
“Okay… Let’s stay in this state for a while.”
The mysterious round mineral was black and gold. Grid stroked the light elemental on his shoulder and started to involve himself in the blacksmithing work. He planned to experiment with the remaining 101 black mithril. What was the effect of the Hero King’s fighting energy on it? Could he grant this characteristic to other minerals or items? Could he transfer the power of his pets and summons? He had many questions.
Grid’s inquisitive nature was excited. Grid was confident about experimenting since his Genuine - (Fighting against the Gods) Legendary Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship Skill allowed him to make at least epic rated items, and the Blacksmith Hammer to go against the Gods amplified his blacksmithing skill.
Ttang! Ttang! Ttang!
The clear metal sounds that hadn’t been heard in a while started to reverberate in the smithy zone. Hundreds and thousands of blacksmiths flocked to watch Grid’s work, and the Overgeared smithies were full of energy again. For at least one month, Grid planned to focus on experimenting until Greed had proliferated three times.
‘Then I will create two new items with the multiplied Greed.’
There was a feeling of fullness that could only be felt when working as a blacksmith. The smile on Grid’s face didn’t disappear.
***
Time passed quickly. It soon became time for the next National Competition to become a topic of discussion. All of the world’s media was keen to analyze who had been chosen as the ‘devil’ for the next National Competition. However, most of the rankers’ attention was focused on the Overgeared Kingdom rather than the National Competition.
“Don’t you think the pace of economic growth in the Overgeared Kingdom is crazy these days?”
“They have a complete alliance with the empire, so they can grow without any fear.”
“It isn’t at the level of an alliance. It is like the empire is going to take over the Overgeared Kingdom.”
“Rumor has it that the emperor is completely obsessed with Grid.”
“Crazy. Although it is now empress…”
“It is because Grid was the one who made Basara empress in the first place.”
“That is too much. How could he make her an empress, even if he is Grid?”
“I don’t think it is a rumor when analyzing the contents of the epic.”
“It can be interpreted in many ways. It’s a coincidence, a coincidence.”
“Then is it luck in the end? That’s bullshit. If luck continues then it isn’t luck, it is a skill. Isn’t it right that Grid intended to make Basara the empress?”
“So what will you do?”
“I’m going to move to the Overgeared Kingdom.”
“What? You too?”
“Yes, as things stand now, I can’t see a future in this country
. Once the Overgeared Kingdom is full of ambitions, it will be the first country to perish. I will go to the Overgeared Kingdom before that.”
“Hrmm…”
The forces were now being divided. Was it the safe and sure empire or the Overgeared Kingdom whose future was full of expectations? The empire had grown steadily since Empress Basara implemented the unity policies, but the possibility of territory expansion was almost lost. Meanwhile, the Overgeared Kingdom was becoming saturated and was likely to devour nearby kingdoms.
Apart from these two nations, the rest of the world seemed to have little hope, so the players needed to make a decision. It was best to change boats in advance. There were three reasons for this.
First, there was the possibility of the Overgeared Kingdom expanding its power. Second, the importance of national power was revealed in the Great Demon Berith incident. Third, there was the variable of the East Continent.
As more information about the East Continent spread to many players, people started to be afraid of the Hwan Kingdom and the yangbans. A vicious force that dominated the East Continent…
If the transcendents of the East Continent—who had a great sense of civility than the Saharan Empire in the past—made their way to the West, then weak countries would be destroyed overnight and the players of the destroyed countries would receive too much damage.
The only countries who could protect themselves were the empire and the Overgeared Kingdom. That’s right. The protagonist of the new era was the Overgeared Kingdom. This new era was accompanied by many changes.
“Grruk. Kurruk.”
The orcs…
“…”
The elves…
“Kuhahat!”
The half draconians and so on…
The many species that had been hiding in various parts of the continent to escape the tyranny of the empire started to emerge.
(TL Note: Small explanation, MC’s name in Korean is 그리드, which is pronounced Geu-ri-d.’ It could be both Grid or Greed but I chose to go with Grid because I thought Grid was a better name and this isn’t the common Korean word used for Greed. It wasn’t until a few hundred chapters later where the author wrote the name in English that I discovered it was ‘Greed.’ Still, I kept the name Grid because readers are used to it and I prefer it better. Some names sound weird when translated to English and used in an English sentence, such as Lord and Greed. But the essence of Grid’s name means ‘greed.’)
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Chapter 1089
“Unconditional double proliferation? Isn’t this too fraudulent?”
“To think that Morpheus allowed such abnormal results… Did it get a virus?”
“This is an obvious balance breakdown! We need to act now!”
In the S.A Group’s headquarters, a backlash occurred among all the board members who witnessed Grid create the new mineral. Even Director Yoon Sangmin, known for being pro-Grid, tried to persuade Chairman Lim Cheolho, “I think it is right to patch it.”
The volume doubled every 10 days. Among the options attached to Grid’s Greed, this was the most dangerous. In theory, Greed could grow to the size of Earth in a few years, and this was equivalent to the size of the world in Satisfy.
Yet it was moving at Grid’s will? This meant that if Grid was willing, he could destroy Satisfy.
“It doesn’t make sense that one player will control Satisfy’s fate in the future.”
“The moment the presence of Greed is revealed to the world, the stock price will plummet. We have to act right now.”
“I think Morpheus’ condition is strange. Let’s check the status of Morpheus and close the server for a while for a patch.”
The directors tried to persuade Lim Cheolho. Their personal liking of Grid wasn’t important at this moment. It was an objective approach, and the key thing was to modify the proliferation effect. They had to put restrictions on it.
“Hrmm…” Chairman Lim Cheolho was somber. Satisfy was a world that players created. No matter what direction the players led Satisfy in, the S.A Group would just watch and not intervene. Their intervention would dampen the immersion and motivation, and it would be a vicious cycle.
Chairman Lim Cheolho adhered to this position, but even he was uneasy at this time. His tone was shaken for the first time since he created Satisfy with the help of Morpheus and numerous scientists. It wasn’t because he didn’t trust Grid. Grid was the representative figure who improved his quality of life through Satisfy. He wouldn’t dare destroy Satisfy.
However, there was a number of variables. What if something unavoidable happened to Grid or he encountered an accident and left Greed alone for a long time? Or what if the calculations were wrong and Grid’s item making speed couldn’t keep up with the speed of Greed’s growth?
Concerns would arise. Yes, the proliferation option was the only major problem. Greed had many other fraudulent effects, but there weren’t any big problems considering it was a special item that could only be handled by Grid. It was unlikely that the world view would become twisted because Grid was immensely strong, leading the new era with his strength. No, it was right for him to become stronger. The different species, the grandmaster, the yangbans, the immortals, the great demons, the angels and the gods…
Satisfy still had many strong players, and there were players with potential beyond Grid’s, such as Baal’s Contractor and the Sword Saint.
“Chairman!” The directors urged Chairman Lim Cheolho. The proliferation effect should be resolved quickly, and they urged him to make a decision. Their attitude was reasonable to anyone, but Chairman Lim Cheolho was hesitant right till the end.
The chairman was struggling with this problem when he suddenly raised a question, “The proliferation effect already exists. It was inherited from the insane dragon iron, and Grid already secured the insane dragon iron years ago. Has there ever been a problem with the insane dragon iron?”
“…”
Just because they were a developer or operator didn’t mean they knew all of Satisfy’s settings. How could they know and remember the myriad settings of a world as vast as Earth? They only remembered some of the most important settings created by Morpheus or created and changed by the players. If proliferation was a really serious problem, then Morpheus would’ve warned them. Yet Morpheus didn’t give a warning.
“It means there is no big problem with the proliferation setup.” Chairman Lim Cheolho was convinced of this.
However, the directors denied it.
“Chairman, there are many ways in which Greed is different from the insane dragon iron. The insane dragon iron can be handled by blacksmiths above a certain level, and the mass can be controlled with the insane dragon stone. However, Greed is a material that can only be handled by Grid. It’s unlikely that Grid will use the insane dragon stone for Greed, so it is impossible for Grid alone to control the mass forever.”
“What if something happens to Grid and he can’t log into Satisfy for a long time…? It is terrible just imagining it.”
“There is no problem because the mass can be controlled…? I think differently. Some of the items made by the insane dragon iron were exposed outside the Overgeared Kingdom, but none of them caused any special problems. As the Chairman says, there might not be a big problem with proliferation.”
“Are there limits to the proliferation?”
“I heard what all of you are saying. Then Kentaro, you should study more. Greed is a Grid-only item. So when Grid is logged out, it moves to his personal space and stops all activities. It means that it can’t multiply by itself without Grid. Have you ever seen the pavranium moving alone when Grid is logged out?”
There was no need for controversy. They should check with Morpheus. As the directors were arguing, Chairman Lim Cheolho raised his hand and called for Morpheus. “Morpheus, what is the percentage that Grid’s newly created mineral will pose a danger to the world view?”
The answer of the supercomputer
Morpheus, the presence that presided over Satisfy, was immediately heard, [Zero.]
“…!”
“…!”
In addition to the board of directors, Chairman Lim Cheolho’s eyes also widened. 0% was a figure that Morpheus rarely mentioned. It was a complete exclusion of that possibility. What was the rationale?
“Is there a limit to the proliferation after all?”
[No. However, if it multiplies to beyond a certain size, the codename Z-003 will have a stronger energy. Therefore, there is a setting that all Z objects apart from Z-003 will appear and suppress or destroy it. Unless the Z objects become extinct, the probability of the proliferation becoming dangerous is zero. Of course, the probability of the Z objects becoming extinct is equally zero.]
“Codename Z…? Dragon?”
The directors were agitated. Some didn’t understand, but most directors, including Chairman Lim Cheolho, understood at once.
“I see. Proliferation is a property derived from the power of Insane Dragon Nevartan. Thus, it will gain the hostility of dragons who are hostile or alert to Nevartan.”
“Whenever Greed grows above a certain size, dragons will appear to hit Grid and control the size of Greed.”
“In such a setting, the concept of ‘durability’ won’t be good enough. Thus, it is possible.”
“Wait… What is this? Does it mean that items created from the insane dragon iron in the last few years have already been destroyed by dragons or will soon be destroyed? Isn’t it a big disaster if dragons come in droves?”
[The Tower of Wisdom will move first before the dragons appear. It is also designed to raise a warning window with the owner of the item before the Tower of Wisdom moves. So far, the insane dragon iron without the insane dragon stone’s repression property has no answers. Thus, they have already been recovered and discarded by the Tower of Wisdom.]
Most of the insane dragon iron without repressive properties were in the empire. They consisted of the chandelier Grid had sent to Empress Marie and the stakes which had been driven into the walls of Titan. Naturally, they had no owners.
“In the end, it is an adjustable property.”