Overgeared

by Park Saenal

  On the other hand, the eight people of Grid’s group were now ragged. Their health and mana was at the bottom and even their stamina was low, so it was difficult to raise a finger. It was the aftermath of hunting without any rest.

  “It’s too much.”

  “I wanted to slam my fist into that bastard Elfin Stone’s face. It’s too bad I’ll die before that.”

  The party assumed the worst. Even Jishuka, who always encouraged the group, was silent. Grid stared at her chest that moved with every hard breath she took and tightened his grip on Failure.

  Kwajak!

  He squeezed out all his strength and aimed at the skull of a vampire. The vampires’ aggro fell on him and they simultaneously stared at Grid.

  “Crazy!”

  “Hey! How can the leader die first? We should be the first ones to die!”

  The terrified party members moved towards Grid.

  “Pant… Pant…”

  Grid didn’t say anything. He kept panting as he wielded his sword towards the vampires. The only good thing was that Lifael’s Spear wasn’t affected by his tiredness and hovered beside him. Grid would’ve died sooner if it wasn’t for Lifael’s Spear.

  “Sigh, one last rampage.”

  Vantner was stimulated by Grid and grabbed his shield. He had already consumed his invincible skill and couldn’t even use basic defense skills. Potion? He took them every time the cooldown ended. The other members were the same.

  “Die!”

  The vampires unleashed an onslaught. The three True Blood vampires were at the center. Vantner wanted to block their attacks with his shield, but he was forced down. The other party members also killed two or three vampires before reaching their limits. They allowed attacks and their health quickly sank to the bottom.

  “Jishuka!”

  The enemies penetrated through the collapsed front line and aimed at Jishuka. Zednos squeezed out the last of his mana, but the wind failed to be of any help to Jishuka. This was the end.

  “Hah… Hah…”

  The party members could only await death. Just as the vampires were about to take away the last of their health.

  Chaaeng!

  There was a splendid pillar of light. It was the signal that someone had levelled up. That someone was naturally…

  “You’ve been waiting.”

  It was Grid.

  [Congratulations!]

  [You have reached level 300 and achieved the third stats awakening!]

  [For every point of stamina, health will increase by 25 and defense will increase by 0.9.]

  [For every point of strength, health will increase by 7 and attack will increase by 0.6.]

  [For every point of intelligence…]

  …

  …

  [One of Pagma’s Descendant’s hidden pieces ‘Sealed Ability’ has been acquired.]

  [The skill ‘Item Combination’ has been acquired.]

  Chapter 296

  Chapter 296

  [All resources will be restored to the maximum in commemoration of reaching level 300.]

  It happened at level 100 and level 200. Health, mana and even stamina were completely restored, encouraging the party’s morale.

  “Very good.”

  Grid stretched and stood upright. As his wounds were restored by the level up, he declared to the vampires.

  “You’ve been waiting.”

  The aftermath of the various stats awakening was abnormally high. It was beyond imagination. Even Grid was surprised.

  Jjejeong! Jjejejeok!

  “…!”

  The vampires were shocked. The person who was dying just a moment ago now swiftly attacked, showing ridiculous attack power.

  “What is this…? Kyaack!”

  The 20 vampires surrounding Grid immediately collapsed. The blue and jade lights flashed all over the place, while blood and flesh scattered. Death with one blow! Reign supreme! The words that could represent the present Grid were exaggerated. He was truly overwhelming!

  “Oh my, look at this.”

  A mere mortal couldn’t grasp who they were going against, it was unpleasant. A True Blood vampire about to bite Vantner stood up. Her name was Lexi. She had exceptional magic power and skill in blood magic.

  “Give me a handful of blood. Blood Chain.”

  Puhahahak!

  The blood emitted by Lexi split into dozens of stems and surrounded Grid. It was a wide area magic that bound and attacked the target, and was difficult to avoid. However, it wasn’t a threat to the current Grid.

  His enhanced agility and insight allowed Grid to use more sophisticated movements. He avoided the first two blood flows and used Revolve. The blood streams that should’ve wrapped around Grid reversed directions and covered Lexi.

  “Kyaaak!”

  Who would’ve thought that she would be hit by her own attack? Lexi became an unexpected victim and screamed in pain. Grid neared where she was trapped and swung Failure towards her chest. There was no such thing as mercy to women.

  Seokeok!

  “…!”

  Lexi’s eyes widened with surprise. This human could damage the body of a True Blood vampire that was harder than steel? She looked at the huge wound on her chest and used a spell.

  “Blood Shield!”

  Using the blood spurting from her chest, Lexi unfolded multiple shields in the air and tried to open the distance. But it was useless.

  Jjeejeeeong!

  The red shields were smashed by the jade greatsword. Pagma’s Swordsmanship, Kill, aimed at Lexi.

  “What is this…?”

  Lexi tried to prevent it. She turned to smoke to prevent the dreadful greatsword precisely aiming at her pretty face. But…

  Puok!

  Lifael’s Spear flew around Grid, defending against the vampire’s attacks before aiming at Lexi’s chest. The smoke was lost and Lexi’s body was clearly revealed again.

  “Eek!”

  Lexi raised her arms and covered her face. Her appearance was pitiful, but her arms could exert a defense superior to steel shields. However, it was mere paper in front of the damage of Kill that came from the Doppelganger’s Greatsword.

  Peeok!

  There was a sound like a watermelon cracking.

  Crash!

  A True Blood vampire might have eternal life, but even they were bound to die if they lost their heads. Lexi collapsed like a broken doll and turned into a grey light.

  [The True Blood vampire, Lexi has been destroyed.]

  [56,901,500 experience has been acquired.]

  [The Sixth Piece of ??? has been acquired.]

  [An Intermediate Vampire’s Ring has been acquired.]

  He didn’t know exactly what the ‘??? Piece’ was yet. He could only infer that it was a fragment of something made by the same mineral as Iyarugt. He wasn’t sure if it was a jackpot, but the Intermediate Vampire’s Ring was different.

  [Intermediate Vampire’s Ring]

  Rating: Unique

  * During normal attacks, 10% of the damage done to the target will be restored to you as health.

  * This effect is only invoked once every 12 seconds.

  A unique magic power dwells in the vampire’s ring.

  It greatly elevates the wearer’s survival skills.

  User Restriction: Level 320 or higher.

  Weight: 1

  It was able to absorb 5% more health than the Junior Vampire’s Ring, and the cooldown time was three seconds shorter. Grid wore the ring without any hesitation. Unfortunately, its function didn’t overlap with the Junior Vampire’s Ring.

  “I’m grateful for this.”

  Vampire items were very rare, so the Intermediate Vampire’s Ring would be worth hundreds of gold.

  Step, step.

  Grid ran through the remnants of vampires and stood in front of the party members, as if protecting them.

  “Everyone has suffered. Now you can rest.”

  “…”

  The Overgeared members
looked shocked. Grid’s strength was more than they imagined, so they were speechless. He became so much stronger just from reaching level 300? It was difficult to tell how high Grid’s total stats were.

  “This guyyyy!”

  The aggro of the vampires instantly focused on Grid after Lexi died. The two True Blood vampires were also mixed in. The Overgeared members were worried, but Grid was pleased. He was grateful that the prey came to him. Just as Elfin Stone saw hunting humans as entertainment, Grid had reached a point where hunting vampires could be viewed as entertainment.

  “Pagma’s Swordsmanship, Wave.”

  Kurururung!

  The waves of energy! The vampires were swept away by a terrible pain and realized something. Humans weren’t a subspecies. Their potential was even greater than the vampires. They weren’t a species to be ignored and treated like cattle.

  ***

  A black magician was more difficult to solo than attack classes because they specialized in debuff magic. Black magicians hunting alone was considered a penance. Most black magicians focused on party-oriented play.

  But with the exception of special circumstances, more parties preferred buffers over debuffers. Black magicians couldn’t easily find parties, making it difficult to find them in the rankings.

  Except of course for Yura. She was a mythical figure who maintained her fifth spot in the unified rankings despite being a black magician. She was special. A genius among genii. She was evaluated like this, and many users yearned for her.

  This precious talent suddenly visited Reidan. Lauel and the Overgeared members couldn’t help being excited.

  “What brings a person like you to this humble city?” Lauel asked her.

  Lauel also admired Yura. What guy wouldn’t have a crush on a world-class beauty who was good at games? Yura smiled brightly at Lauel and the Overgeared members, whose eyes were shining like lanterns.

  Ahh, so beautiful and brilliant. They were convinced that her presence contributed to world peace.

  “I want to join Overgeared. Youngwoo-ssi… No, Grid has already agreed, so please check with him.”

  “…!”

  Yura’s smile captivated Lauel and the Overgeared members. They let out surprised yelps. One of the solo rankers, apart from Kraugel and Agnbus, was asking to join Overgeared! It was shocking but joyful.

  “Welcome!” Lauel shouted.

  Yura thought that his words and phrases resembled Grid. Lauel would probably be shocked if she knew what she was thinking. But it was the truth. The longer he spent with Grid, the more Lauel resembled Grid.

  Lauel liked Grid from the bottom of his heart. But he didn’t want to be similar to Grid.

  ***

  The epic battle ended.

  “Brilliant.”

  “Grid, you were cool.”

  “Kyah! Truly God Grid! Do you know God Grid?”

  “Are those the only English words you know…?”

  The Overgeared members were able to escape from the crisis and praised Grid. But the good atmosphere didn’t last long. It was true that Grid was stronger than expected, but could he take down Elfin Stone?

  Grid spoke to the worried party.

  “Don’t waste time on worrying. There is one hour left until Elfin Stone appears. In order to increase the odds, we need to recover as much stamina as possible.”

  Grid’s state was the worst. The Overgeared members constantly supported him, but he fought against almost 100 vampires alone. His whole body was wounded and his items durability was low.

  He wondered if he could fully recover his stamina before Elfin Stone appeared. However, Grid had a trump card.

  [Item Combination]

  Two items with a 100% understanding can be combined to enhance the performance.

  The performance of the combined items will depend on the compatibility between the items.

  * The combination retention time is limited to two minutes. Once this time limit is over, the items will return to their original appearance. At this time, the durability of the items will decrease by 50. This is consumed on a fixed basis.

  * The time it takes for the combination to occur will depend on the structure of the item.

  Skill Mana Cost: 1,000

  Skill Cooldown Time: 6 hours.

  What if he combined Failure and Lifael’s Spear?

  ‘It will be a great weapon if the advantages are maximized.’

  Grid believed that he could create the strongest weapon that would defeat Elfin Stone. But he kept in mind that the combination time was only two minutes. In addition, he was anxious since the time it took to combine items wasn’t precisely specified.

  ‘I wish I could experiment with it.’

  Newly acquired skills always made people excited. Grid shared the sentiment and wanted to try out Item Combination. But there was the cooldown time. He needed it when dealing with Elfin Stone, so he had to restrain himself.

  ‘Well, it will be okay. I have a strong style.’

  Grid evaluated himself and relaxed. Then he started repairing his items. There wasn’t much time left before Elfin Stone’s emergence.

  Chapter 287

  Chapter 287

  “What will happen?”

  Three men were sitting side by side in a spacious living room that was like a playground. What was the identity of those enjoying the cool soju and spicy chicken feet while wearing 3D glasses?

  They were Chairman Lim Cheolho, Director Yoon Sangmin, and Team Leader Ashley Tosun. They were major figures in the company. The reason why these busy people gathered in Lim Cheolho’s mansion wasn’t for a simple drinking party.

  On the big screen, Grid’s party would soon encounter Elfin Stone. Could they really succeed in the Elfin Stone raid? The three people wanted to check it out. There was a debate.

  “In order to raid Elfin Stone, at least three third advancement healers are needed in the party.”

  The top priority was to neutralize Elfin Stone’s Blood Field. But Elfin Stone took only 1.8 seconds to deploy Blood Field. It was difficult to block it from being activated, so it needed to be offset with continuous healing. A eight person party with no healers wouldn’t be able to raid Elfin Stone.

  The father of vampires, Team Leader Ashley, was confident.

  “I don’t know what would’ve happened if Huroi was alive, but the possibility of Grid’s current party successfully raiding Elfin Stone is zero.”

  Huroi was able to maximize the attack power of the party members while maintaining aggro. Ashley thought that Grid was stupid for sacrificing someone so important to the party. But Lim Cheolho gave a different opinion. In the first place, Grid’s party would’ve been wiped out if they hadn’t sacrificed Huroi.

  “In addition, the strength of Pagma’s Descendant is far above what was originally planned. One of the five people who can cause miracles in Satisfy is Grid.”

  Grid wasn’t the only special one in the party. Jishuka, Peak Sword, Pon, Regas, Faker, Vantner and Zednos. They had excellent control and senses, demonstrating a strength that was beyond the concept of levels and classes.

  “Wouldn’t they have the power to beat Elfin Stone?”

  Yoon Sangmin ate a chicken feet and speculated carefully.

  “I agree with both of you. But to be honest, I don’t think Grid’s party can succeed in this raid. The influence of Blood Field is too strong.”

  In the past, Yoon Sangmin cursed Grid for being stupid and frustrating. He was resentful that someone so stupid took one of the nine legendary classes. But now he was different. He watched the changes and growth of Grid that took place over a year, and now supported Grid. His wife didn’t know it, but he was a great member of Grid’s fan club. However, even Yoon Sangmin was skeptical about this raid.

  Lim Cheolho’s lips, which were swollen due to eating spicy chicken feet, curved in a smile.

  “Then my odds will rise.”

  That’s right. The leaders of the world’s largest corporation gathered to be
t on Grid. They seemed to have a lot of free time, but this wasn’t the case. They weren’t wasting time watching Grid. Grid was a special existence. They didn’t want to miss the biography of a person who grew up through Satisfy.

  ***

  The former 5th ranked Yura. She was the world’s best female ranker who suddenly lost her ranking four months ago. What was the reason? This was still a big issue and caused curiosity among countless people.

  Lauel and the Overgeared members were exposed to the truth.

  “Demon Slayer…!”

  Yura joined Overgeared with the authority of the lord’s agent, Lauel. The guild members weren’t familiar with her class. As many people guessed, she obtained a hidden class. It was also a legendary hidden class!

  Lauel and the Overgeared members were thrilled. The Demon Slayer class was written in gold, just like Pagma’s Descendant. But there was something odd.

  ‘According to Grid, legendary classes get their level reset to level 1?’

  On the other hand, Yura was currently level 203. It meant she went from level 1 to level 203 in just four months. A typical user. No, it was three times faster than the growth rate of the strongest rankers.

  ‘It’s amazing.’

  She was someone who maintained the 5th ranking as a black magician that was hard to raise. Acquiring a legendary class was like growing wings on her back. She used her innate talents, effort and the know-how she accumulated as the 5th ranked user to raise her level at a speed that exceeded common sense.

  Lauel and the Overgeared members were amazed, while Yura watched Reidan Castle’s resurrection point.

  ‘I was told Youngwoo-ssi would appear soon.’

  She heard about what happened. The group of eight encountered a boss that was impossible to raid and would be wiped out.

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  Yura was always watching Grid. She looked at all the stories related to him. Taking into account Grid’s growth and the features of a legendary class…

  ‘Youngwoo-ssi can produce results that others can’t imagine.’

  Yura knew about Grid’s past. He had gone through all types of hardships due to a lack of natural talents and bad fortune. He had lived an unhappy life for 26 out of his 27 years and suffered countless wounds. Yura wanted him to no longer feel despair. She simply wanted him to be happy.