by Park Saenal
“Gulp…”
Grid’s mind and body became stiff and he gulped nervously. Since there was a chance to MISS. it was doubtful if he could fight against the skillful people even if he had a lot of scriptures.
‘I will do 1 damage if I hit, but if I miss… No, don’t shrink back.’
During the past few years of playing Satisfy, he had seen the value of a highly disciplined mentality. Grid’s tense body and mind became flexible again.
‘Right now, I’m not lacking a great deal of control. If I use the scriptures well, I can hold on.’
Grid was confident as he replayed the countless battles he had against numerous enemies. His eyes were determined as he moved to the shrine. There was no hesitation. He just moved straight.
***
‘There’s a high probability that there will be a scripture in here.
More than half of the 1,500 players connected to Battlefield were concentrating on the shrines. There was no reason not to watch over it, despite being a space for clerics. Every small shrine had at least 100 people around them. All of them hid and held their breaths as they watched the shrine entrance.
Despite not being priests, they coveted the scriptures because the scriptures could be used as a trading tool or to lower the potential of clerics. But a few minutes later, no one entered the shrine. It was natural. They knew there were enemies hiding in the surroundings. The first one to act would be an obvious loser. Then one person appeared.
“Oh! The door is closed. This means nobody has entered yet? Isn’t this a profit?”
“…?”
A mysterious figure rushed towards the shrine without hesitation! People didn’t know it, but he was Grid. While other people were worried about all types of dangers and couldn’t move, he just unabashedly showed up? It was difficult for people to understand Grid.
‘Can I believe this?’
‘It could be a trap!’
1,500 people participated in the event. People had a lot of thoughts and couldn’t act easily. On the other hand, Grid was already opening the old door to the temple. He was confident that he was safe. It was as he expected.
‘There’s no danger of a sniper. Isn’t it too early for people to obtain a bow and arrows?’
Based on the character selection window, Grid understood that the weapon called a ‘bow’ was very useful. Grid was confident that it wouldn’t be easy to obtain the weapon capable of ranged attacks and his confidence was right. Of the dozens of people who watched Grid enter the temple, none of them had secured a bow. None of them were able to shoot Grid. Even if they had a bow, they couldn’t use the arrow since it was a consumable item.
‘In the first place, shooting a bow means becoming the target of the people around here.’
There would be people intent on stealing the bow.
Step, step.
Grid entered the shrine safely. He searched for the scripture and smiled. It was because he found a scripture and bow in one corner.
[A scripture has been acquired.]
[A bow has been acquired.]
[Scripture]
Opening the book will restore 10 health.
Available Classes: Cleric
[Bow]
A weapon capable of shooting an enemy from 10 meters away. An arrow will be consumed when fired.
Available Classes: Warrior, Producer
“Okay!”
Grid was delighted because he gained the scripture far more easily than expected and even got the bow as an extra. He felt good because the work went smoothly from the beginning.
‘It would be better if I got a weapon I could use rather than a bow. Well, I have it, so I will put it to good use.’
Grid placed the bow in his inventory that could hold 30 items. Then he prepared to leave the temple.
“Wait.”
A woman entered the shrine after Grid and blocked his path. Unlike Grid, she held a sword in her hand and threatened him with it.
“Give me the scripture. Otherwise I will kill you.”
‘Damn.’
He thought things were going too well. The frowning Grid head the sound of fighting and screaming outside. Fights were taking place outside the shrine.
‘Did the people clash among themselves after they saw me safely entering the shrine?’
He had to get out of here quickly. Grid pulled the bow out of his inventory. Then he spoke to the woman wearing a mask.
“There was no scripture here. There was only this bow.”
“How can I believe that?”
“It can’t be helped if you don’t believe it. But I’m telling the truth.”
Grid was a warrior, a legendary blacksmith, and eventually a king. His experience in Satisfy was incomparable to ordinary people. Therefore…
Unlike others, he could easily make judgments to enter the temple and to calmly cope with this moment. Grid didn’t realize it himself, but everything about the way he thought and behaved was naturally different for ordinary people.
“Isn’t the bow a weapon that is difficult to obtain? It is a strength that isn’t easy to get in the beginning. Unfortunately, there isn’t the scripture that you want, but I have this bow. Let’s exchange this bow with your sword.”
Grid’s suggestion confused the woman.
“Why should I?”
In response to the woman’s question, Grid lied like it was natural.
“Isn’t the bow a lot better than the sword? Isn’t it more profitable to trade with this? It’s a big loss for me, but I don’t want an unnecessary struggle.”
The woman refuted.
“The bow is a weapon that can’t be used without arrows. Now you don’t seem to have a weapon other than the bow. I am in a situation where I can easily overpower you…”
“Then do it.” Grid interrupted her in the middle. He put the bow in his inventory and raised his fists. “Seeing you refuse the bow, you must be a cleric or a magician? Your attack power with the sword is the same as my bare hands. Right? Then let’s fight. Let’s have a dog fight.”
“What…?”
The woman panicked.
‘He’s a warrior, not a priest?’
The scripture was a tool needed by the priest. The woman saw Grid enter the shrine to search for the scripture and naturally thought he was a priest. But now he was a warrior. Things didn’t look good. Grid confirmed that she was shrinking back and said again.
“How about it? Do you want to exchange the sword with a bow, or fight?”
“I-I guess it is better not to fight. But I won’t exchange weapons. Just go.”
“Okay.”
Grid nodded and left the shrine. Some of those fighting saw him but no one was able to pursue him straight away. After a while.
“Sigh…”
Grid was relieved once he arrived at a safe area. The commentators spoke words of admiration as Grid sitting in a tree was broadcasting.
『 I’m amazed at the wit and bold judgment that allowed him to escape from a crisis. He’s a charming person. 』
『 This isn’t the Grid we know. This is how an ordinary player became a legend and a king… I feel like I got a glimpse of that strength. 』
Grid was Grid, even if he lost the power of a legend. He demonstrated his strength. The viewers’ appreciation of Grid rose sharply.
At this moment, the number of participants in Battlefield were dwindling fast.
Chapter 740
Chapter 740
Some people looked for weapons from the beginning, while some people hid in safe places. In addition, some people eliminated others by killing them. Hide and seek, defeating and looting were repeated without stopping. There was no safe zone here so the thoughts and strategies of 1,500 people intersected. Battlefield progressed rapidly, with the survivors shrinking to 900 in the first 20 minutes.
Grid confirmed the number of survivors marked on one side and frowned.
‘I thought it was dirty because it was 100,000 pyeong.’
Actually, a size of 100,000 pyeong was big. It was around half the size of any town in a province. The first time he entered Battlefield and saw the various hills, valleys, buildings, and forests, Grid wondered how many people would die in three hours. He thought that most people would be looking for each other when the time limit was over.
However, he was mistaken. The 100,000 pyeong land felt small due to the pursuit, hiding and fighting of 1,500 people. Grid looked at the mini-map while looking for the next route.
‘I will pass the shrine closest to here.’
The shrine closest to Grid’s present location was 110 meters away. It was closest to the shrine where Grid secured the scripture. Grid judged that it was too dangerous.
‘The people who watched the entrance of the shrine will move to the nearest one and follow the same procedure.’
Right now, it would be pandemonium. A massive battle might happen. Grid was afraid he would be in danger.
‘Should I use an underpass?’
Battlefield had an underground area. There were entrances everywhere so it was easy to enter. There was also a sense of covertness because the mini-map didn’t show the detailed structure of the underpass. Objectively, the underground seemed like the safest area.
‘It isn’t the case.’
He couldn’t think the same as other people. Many people would’ve fled to the underground and would be fiercely competing.
Flinch.
Grid felt a sense of discomfort as he looked at the mini-map. His hands were empty.
‘Speaking of bare hands…’
He needed a weapon. It was the minimum condition to survive. Grid stayed above ground and started looking around. He didn’t miss the niche in the thick forest. Weapons were relatively easy to find.
“A mace.”
He found a mace between thorny vines and swung it several times. The blunt weapon didn’t have a distinctive weight. It felt like wielding an ordinary sword. Every weapon in Battlefield had the same formula except for the bow and the magic wand.
‘But there’s a slight difference.’
Grid noticed that the blunt weapon was 50cm in length. It was much shorter than the average length of swords. In fact, the blunt weapon that Grid was equipped with now was much shorter than the sword that the woman he encountered in the shrine was using.
‘It doesn’t feel good in my hands.’
Grid used various weapons as Pagma’s Descendant but in the end, his favorite weapons were the greatsword and long sword. Blunt weapons didn’t receive the corrective effect of Pagma’s Descendant so he was somewhat unfamiliar with them.
‘I better find a sword.’
Scriptures weren’t only in the shrine. They might be out in the open like this blunt weapon. Grid was able to relax because he had such convictions. He could think flexibly because there was no need to obsess over the shrines.
‘Oh?’
How good would it be to find a sword after a scripture? Grid was filled with expectations as he moved through the forest and found a cabin beyond lush bushes. It was an old, narrow cabin that seemed cramped when only one person entered.
‘Can I get something from here?’
It was a situation where he could get items on the path. It was expected that various tools would be available in specific buildings.
So…
‘Let’s not enter.’
Grid decided that there would already be someone inside the cabin. ‘Hiding the tools and unleashing a surprise attack on anyone who enters.’ Grid hid in the bushes and thought carefully about the structure of the cabin.
‘There is a window on every side so it’s impossible to approach it in secret. I will wait for someone else to appear first.’
Once a person blinded by greed found the cabin and approached without thinking, there would be a dogfight with the person already hiding in the cabin.
‘I will watch quietly and come out later.’
It was ideal to take the items from mindless competitors fighting each other! Grid smiled grimly as he thought about it. There was nothing as happen as eating something free in the world. But his smile didn’t last long.
‘Well, there will be few idiots who will approach the cabin… It is better to abandon any lingering attachment… Eh?’
Grid thought realistically and was about to leave. He knew there was no reason to be obsessed with the cabin where obvious danger lurked. At that moment.
Step.
“…!”
Grid threw himself flat on the ground. A man was approaching the cabin. Grid covered his mouth to block his breathing, smiling as he watched the man.
‘A fool like this actually exists in the world!’
It was like seeing himself in the past. Grid realized his own growth as the man entered the cabin. However, the sight that unfolded before his eyes was beyond Grid’s expectations.
Snap!
“Hiyah!”
As the man opened the door of the cabin, the woman hiding in the hut waved her sword. It was the ideal timing for a surprise attack. But the ideal timing meant it was predictable.
Peok!
The man who opened the cabin door. He closed the door again and used it to block the sword. Due to that, the woman’s sword that should’ve pierced the man’s body ended up only piercing the cabin door. The man confirmed that the sword pierced the door and immediately opened it again.
Then.
“Kyaaak!”
The woman’s body fell out of the cabin with her sword still stuck in the door. The man’s spear struck her.
Puok!
A spear that precisely struck the heart! Battlefield had fixed damage. In Satisfy, this attack would have a 100% chance of causing a critical strike. Perfect response speed, the ability to use the environment and the skill to handle the spear. Grid was convinced as he hid in the bushes and witnessed it.
‘High ranker…!’
This man wasn’t stupid. He knew someone would be hiding in the cabin and approached anyway. It was because he was confident that he could overpower the person hiding. On the other hand, what about Grid? He was also a high ranker so why?
‘Why don’t I have such confidence?’
Paruru…
Grid’s eyes shook as he saw the unidentified high ranker overpowering the opponent with pure ability. It was the moment when the blood of the Overgeared King, who fought against the empire and vampires, started to boil.
***
『 It truly is the genius of fighting…! He has tremendous skills!! 』
In Battlefield, surprisingly one-sided battle scenes were unfolding. All 1,500 people started in equal conditions, but their strategy and control skills were different. In the same circumstances, one person could easily overcome the crisis while another person would be frustrated.
There were people who had better weapons but lost against fists. Most of the winners were high rankers. The giants who had been reigning in Satisfy solely through their skills. Their skills were being fully demonstrated in Battlefield. Among them, the most prominent one was Hao.
As the miracle of the continent and number one ranker in China, his combat ability was the most impressive. Maybe it was because he was conscious of the other bigwigs, including Kraugel, but he chose a magician, which had more potential than a warrior. He beat all his competitors with just an old spear that dealt 1 damage. In the eyes of ordinary people, his ability to control most attacks with the same physical ability and vision as others was amazing. His control was close to a supernatural feat.
“Kyaaak!”
Despite having the advantageous position, the Japanese woman in the cabin was easily beaten. As they saw Hao use an old door to neutralize the opponent, people realized why he was the master of battle. They felt awe at his ability that was beyond the level of ordinary.
-Hao is one of the players closest to Kraugel… It wasn’t a futile claim from the Chinese.
-I agree. It wouldn’t be a joke if Hao has the same levelling
ability was Kraugel.
-If it hadn’t been Grid VS Kraugel in the National Competition last year, it would’ve been Hao VS Kraugel.
Those who witnessed Hao’s true talent were sure that Hao would be in the last survivors of Battlefield.
What about Grid who was hiding in the bushes and watching the one-sided massacre?
It could be said that he showed a surprising performance, but it was poor compared to Hao.
-How long will Grid hide like this…?
-He will wait for Hao to leave.
The participants don’t know each other, but Grid witnessed Hao’s skill in real time. He would feel that Hao isn’t a regular person.
The possibility that he will take a risk and struggle with Hao was close to zero.
-It seems humiliating, but it’s smart.
-That’s right. Grid is doing well enough.
In Battlefield, where items couldn’t be used, it was natural that Grid would be perceived as weak. Grid was the person known as overgeared and the Overgeared King. He seemed aware that he was less talented compared to other high rankers. In fact, Grid was avoiding combat as much as possible.
He was meek compared to his reputation. But people didn’t blame him. They appreciated that he was aware of his own ability and was playing the game to match it. No one looked at him badly.
『 Ah! As soon as I spoke, Hao has logged out Satsuki! 』
『 This is really worthy of admiration. He only suffered two damage. 』
『 In other words, he hit Satsuki 20 times while only being hit once. I don’t know why high rankers have such good control… As an ordinary player, I can’t even imagine it. 』
『 Due to these scenes, there is a theory that a specific DNA gene for virtual reality exists… Eh? W-What is this? 』
『 No, what courage is this? 』
The commentators were startled while praising Hao. A man had been hiding the whole time Hao was fighting. Then Overgeared King Grid jumped up and moved in front of Hao.
-What?
-Does he want to fight Hao?