Overgeared

by Park Saenal

  This death was just the beginning, not the end.

  Grid declared, “You will keep dying because of me over and over. I will make you suffer more pain than Khan felt.”

  Puk!

  Puk puk!

  Kyleo kept attacking Grid to protect his master, but it was in vain. He attacked Grid with assassination skills, which were resisted by Khan’s armor.

  “You’re crazily overgeared.”

  Veradin said with a silly expression.

  “Shut your stinky mouth.”

  Grid didn’t give him a chance to speak. He swung the Enlightenment Sword. But the sword never reached Veradin’s neck.

  Jjeejeeeong!

  All of a sudden, a sword flew and blocked the Enlightenment Sword.

  “You…?”

  Transparent blue hair faded into the moonlight and looked like it was shedding frost. Grid was puzzled as he grasped the identity of the woman who interfered.

  “Mercedes?”

  “…”

  The First Knight. The strongest sword that exercised the will of the empire. In the end, she was just a tool. She said with a sad expression, “I’m sorry.”

  “Kuk…!”

  Jjeejeeeong!

  Grid’s body rose in the air. It was because he was hit by Mercedes’s shield that rose at an angle that couldn’t be seen. It was an overwhelming ‘charge.’ Grid flew through the air and showed a defenseless appearance.

  “Your Majesty!”

  Kasim’s voice was heard from behind him. Kasim and the soldiers were surrounded by several Red Knights. While Grid was blinded by Veradin, Kasim and the soldiers were also fighting.

  “Shadow Move…!”

  Kasim attempted to save Grid. However, his range of movements were greatly reduced due to the moonlight swallowing up the darkness. He couldn’t move long distances and was caught from behind by the Red Knights.

  “Ugh!”

  “Kasim…!”

  Grid knew who Kasim was. Lord’s mentor, friend, and family. It was Kasim who filled the vacant position of ‘father’ for Lord. Yes, Kasim was like Khan to Lord.

  “No…!!”

  He couldn’t lose Kasim. Grid forgot the enemies in front of his eyes as he fully focused on Kasim. Grid used Fly and flew to Kasim to save him from the Red Knights. No, he tried to fly there. Mercedes was the problem.

  Chaaeng! Chaeeeeeng!

  She unleashed her sword at the fastest speed that matched Kraugel and pressed Grid. Mercedes avoided the God Hands swinging Mjolnir after the duration of Item Transformation ended and blocked Grid’s way. Grid’s confusion disappeared and was replaced with anger.

  “You dog…! The emperor…! The emperor ordered you?!!”

  The emperor sent Grid off with a smile only to hit him in the back of the head? Mercedes couldn’t carelessly reply to Grid.

  Veradin’s voice filled the silence instead. “If you’re smart then you should’ve thought about it. Do you think I could attack you without any insurance?”

  He believed in the strength of the Red Knights and the full moon. Veradin’s plan was perfect. Now the only thing left was to kill Overgeared King Grid and announce it. The Overgeared Kingdom’s wrath would grow bigger and Immortal’s reputation would naturally rise. Agnus would no longer be able to stand by.

  Veradin smiled with satisfaction. He knew that Grid had the three heavenly kings and the Overgeared members that he could summon. But he believed there was no way to stop the 10 Red Knights that included the First Knight, even if all of them were summoned.

  ‘Please summon your knights.’

  He would kill all the people Grid relied on. The moment that Veradin was rejoicing.

  Puoook!

  Mercedes’ sword, which boasted a different strength from Lorex, pierced Grid’s abdomen.

  “Cough…!”

  This woman was truly a monster. She was equal or much better than the seven dukes of the empire. Grid coughed up blood but he wasn’t worried about his life right now. He cared about Kasim’s finite life.

  ‘It’s over for Kasim if I die.’

  Lord would be upset. Grid didn’t want his child to feel such sadness and hatred. Grid could only make one choice.

  “Knight… Cough! Summoning…!”

  The strongest power that Grid relied on. The only one with the power to achieve Grid’s desire!

  “Piaro!”

  “…?!”

  The name buried deep in her chest. Mercedes became blank as she witnessed a man appearing in a pillar of light.

  Chapter 786

  Chapter 786

  The pillars supporting the country. The empire was eternal and the people would be at ease.

  This was a verse of a song that was once popular throughout the empire. Great Swordsman Piaro and Splendid Swordsman Asmophel. The people of the empire gained great courage and hope when they listened to the song that praised the two heroes of the empire.

  It was the same for the young Mercedes. She had dreams of becoming a knight and was raised humming the heroes’ song. Mercedes overcame every hardship and trials in the hope that she could someday wear the same red armour as the two heroes. For her, the tragedy of 12 years ago was a huge shock.

  “Piaro!”

  “…?!”

  The name buried deep in her chest. The moment when the name of the sinner flowed from Grid’s mouth.

  Flash!

  The pillar of light fell and a man appeared inside. He was a middle-aged man dressed in shabby clothing and covered in dirt and sweat. He wore a straw hat on his head and he was holding a sickle and hand plow with hands covered in calluses. He looked like a farmer, but Mercedes wasn’t deceived by the appearance. Despite the 12 years of misunderstanding, she recognized his identity with one glance.

  “Piaro…!”

  Great Swordsman, Hero, Pillar, Emperor’s Sword, Head Teacher, Captain…

  They were all the titles that Mercedes once used for Piaro in the past. Now the best courtesy she could give Piaro was to not speak the stigma of ‘traitor.’ Piaro defended Grid from her sword and made a bittersweet expression.

  “That keen-eyed girl is now a beautiful knight.”

  No regrets could be found in Piaro’s eyes as he recalled the past. This made Mercedes’ beautiful face distort.

  “You…!”

  Why didn’t he miss the past? How could he be so dignified? Why was he standing on the side of the Overgeared King? It couldn’t be.

  “Your Majesty, are you safe?”

  “Thanks to you.”

  “I am here to serve.”

  “Don’t tell me…”

  The empire in Piaro’s heart. It had completely disappeared?

  “Ick…!”

  Mercedes eyes became red without her knowing. There was a sense of struggle as she tried to hold back her tears.

  “I…!”

  “…”

  “Do you know how much I have been looking for you in the past 12 years?”

  It was hard to bear. In the end, Mercedes’ tears emerged. It was because she realized that she was only an ‘enemy’ to Piaro as she watched Piaro hiding Grid behind his back.

  “Every day… I was waiting every day. For the day when you would suddenly appear, telling me that the betrayal was a false accusation.”

  “…”

  “But look at you now? My captain… Where did my captain go?!!!”

  Mercedes’ cry rang across the battlefield. Thanks to this, all the Red Knights saw Piaro.

  “P-Piaro…?”

  “No way… Why is Piaro here…?”

  The chaos of battle stopped. Veradin and the Immortal members were baffled by this unexpected situation. Grid was also confused as he faced the Red Knights.

  ‘Why are the Red Knights reacting like this?’

  Grid knew that Piaro was kicked out of the empire 10 years ago. At that time, he heard that most of the Red Knights who followed Piaro were branded as traitors and killed. As a result, Grid regarde
d the current Red Knights as a group that had no relation to Piaro. Everyone else in the world was the same. Yet looking at their reactions, it seemed this wasn’t the case.

  Why?

  Grid’s question was resolved by Mercedes.

  “Many boys and girls dreamt of seeing you.”

  “…”

  “The young knights who devoted themselves to your teachings and gained great strength from then are now wearing red armor.”

  “…”

  “No one has ever spoken your name, but we were all missing you. If you one day appeared before us and told us that you were framed and didn’t betray the empire, I wanted you to come back.”

  At the very least, she wanted to hold the funeral. Mercedes’s sad face and shaky voice gradually calmed down. The tears flowing down her cheeks completely dried up.

  “But the traitor appeared alive before us.”

  The reason was because he was hiding behind the Overgeared King.

  Kwaduduk!

  Mercedes recovered from her confusion. Enormous anger filled her from the betrayal.

  “I missed you… I wanted to believe you. Now I’m ashamed and embarrassed.”

  Surung!

  Mercedes pulled out another sword. It wasn’t until the double swords were grasped with both hands that Mercedes’ strength was revealed.

  “Overgeared King Grid, you have done the sin of sneaking a traitor into the empire. And the traitor… I will exterminate Piaro.”

  Mercedes’ meaning was absolute to the Red Knights. Her declaration was a signal. The Red Knights, who hesitated after seeing Piaro, started attacked Kasim again. Meanwhile, Mercedes flew to Piaro and wielded her swords. Veradin and Immortal didn’t miss this moment.

  “Now!”

  Immortal had been watching the strange atmosphere with unease. Now they started to act again. The summoned new undead to hit Grid’s soldiers. Veradin shouted, “Grid! You have to summon all your knights right now!”

  If he didn’t want to lose the strongest farmer that the Overgeared Kingdom was proud of! Summon all the talents and lose everything in return!

  Veradi, who believed in the power of the Red Knights and smiled with joy, didn’t know. Piaro’s Pounding Mortar that took off one of Great Demon Belial’s arms. It was a power that a mere player couldn’t afford.

  “Piaro! How long will you play around? Are you still seeing me as a child?”

  Chaaeng! Chaeng!

  Mercedes spat out angrily at Piaro’s clear disregard as he used his sickle and hand plow to block her swords.

  “Pounding Mortar.”

  Kuooooooh!

  A pillar, or mortar, that was a size too big for humans to guess appeared in the night sky. It was gigantic enough to devour the bright moon that floated in the sky.

  Chill.

  The strong aura caused goosebumps. Mercedes and the Red Knights escaped, but the nervous Veradin and Immortal necromancers had low agility and were forced to stand in the wrong place. Yet they didn’t despair. Veradin was still smiling.

  “It finally came. The legendary farmer’s strongest technique.” Veradin had watched the Belial raid video several times. It was to grasp the power of Grid, Kraugel and the Overgeared members. In the process, he analyzed Piaro and Pounding Mortar. “A wide range skill that deals physical damage in proportion to the target’s maximum health?”

  He was certain. He believed that unless the skill dealt proportional damage, it couldn’t inflict a critical wound on Belial who had millions of health. The confident Veradin signalled to Immortals top rankers. They all took out new armor.

  [The Armor of Great Weight has been equipped.]

  [Armor of Great Weight]

  Rating: Epic

  Durability: 59/59 Defense: 579

  * Increases defense in proportion to the level of the wearer (1 defense per 3 levels).

  * Reduces physical damage by 9%.

  * Movement speed is fixed at 0 and moving isn’t possible.

  * Stamina is reduced by 20%.

  * Stamina will be reduced by 1 every 10 seconds.

  The armor of the Pero people that was made to endure the raids of the Saharan Empire.

  It increases the wearer’s defense to the extreme. However, the armor is so heavy that wearing it is exhausting. The durability is lacking because it is designed only for high defense. Wearing it for too long isn’t allowed.

  Weight: 69,900

  User Restriction: Level 250 or higher.

  The worst armor that decreased stamina and made it impossible to move! However, the defensive power was high enough to exceed heavy armor.

  “If we can endure this attack…!”

  The death of the sub-rankers who couldn’t obtain such armor wasn’t a concern. Veradin calculated that he and the surviving top rankers could help Mercedes destroy Grid. Veradin and the necromancers took expensive buffing potions that temporarily boosted their defense.

  Kuwaaaaaaaang!

  Pounding Mortar fell. Piaro was aiming for the necromancers from the beginning. He knew that necromancers needed to be taken out when fighting an undead army.

  “Kuahahat! Ha?”

  Take a step forward. After a while, kill Grid.

  Veradin and the necromancers laughing like crazy couldn’t even scream as they were crushed.

  [The Armor of Great Weight has been destroyed!]

  [The Armor of Great Weight has been…!]

  [The Armor of Great Weight has…!]

  …

  …

  The heavy weight of the falling mortar contained a power that violated common sense. The armor that Veradin and the necromancers believed in was destroyed and their bodies and souls disappeared without a trace.

  “…”

  No one could open their mouths. They just gaped at the forest that disappeared. As the trees disappeared, ash-colored pillars scattered all over the night sky. The countless undead also turned to dust and returned to the ground. There was an awkward silence.

  “As long as I am alive, no one can harm my king’s body.” Piaro declared to his confused enemies, including Mercedes. There was no trace of the old days. As Mercedes expected, Piaro recognized the Red Knights as an obvious enemy.

  Crack.

  Her heart hurt. The hero who taught her how to be a knight was a traitor aiming his sword… No, aiming his hand plow at them. It was awful. It made her wonder if a knight was such a fleeting existence. The Red Knights spoke to the pained-looked Mercedes.

  “It’s dangerous with just us alone.”

  “If we retreat… Even Captain Limit would understand.”

  Right now, Mercedes was the only solo number knight present. Meanwhile, Piaro seemed stronger than he did in the past. In addition, Grid and Kasim were formidable opponents. The Red Knights judged it was impossible to beat the enemies with their current power.

  Mercedes nodded and gave a command, “Okay. Everyone retreat.”

  “Sir Mercedes…?”

  “Who will guard your retreat?”

  What did it mean to be alive? The captain she vowed a knight’s oath to was forcing her to betray, rather than be loyal to the emperor, which her former teacher who taught her about a knight’s oath was already a traitor. In the end, she would rather die than be corrupted.

  Piaro smiled for the first time as he prepared for Mercedes’ challenge.

  “You are the same as ever.”

  There were those who didn’t change under any circumstances. They were the ones who had strong convictions from the start.

  “I can’t break your will. Good. I will deal the end with my own hands.”

  Piaro was Grid’s. He couldn’t stand that Mercedes tried to harm Grid. He knew her talents and beliefs and decided to the girl he had raised as a seed. But Grid didn’t allow it. It was because he witnessed the sadness in Piaro’s face.

  “Piaro, do you remember how I wished for you to be happy?”

  “Your Majesty…?”

  “Summon Knight,
Asmophel.”

  The only key to getting rid of Piaro’s bad name. The Red Knights were astonished when Grid shouted this name. Mercedes once again lost her soul.

  Chapter 787

  Chapter 787

  12 years ago, Asmophel condemned Piaro and his loyalists as traitors. The fallen hero. Yes, after Piaro’s betrayal, Asmophel was no longer a hero. After destroying his most precious friend Piaro, his fellow men, and their families with his own hands, he isolated himself in a mansion for many years, sinking into drugs and alcohol. It seemed like a ritual. A ritual to call death.

  “…One day, you suddenly disappeared.”

  He might be ruined, but a splendid swordsman was still abducted. Did he do this? Mercedes was aware of Asmophel’s ability despite his inaction and wasn’t convinced. Therefore, she had only one guess.

  “I thought it was a self-fabricated act.”

  “…”

  The old hero Asmophel appeared in a pillar of light. Like the old days, he smiled at Mercedes with a noble and beautiful appearance.

  “I thought that you wanted to turn away from a hellish life and left the empire to escape from the protection of the Red Knights.”

  She was sad. The knight who died for himself, not for his master, was no longer a knight. Mercedes felt sorrow that the hero who had been an idol like Piaro had transformed into a symbol of shame and corruption.

  “Yes. I thought you were already dead.”

  However.

  “You’re alive. And you’re by the traitor Piaro’s side.” Mercedes gripped her two swords with great strength. Blood was flowing down her hands as she started to tremble. “You were once a hero, yet you betrayed your country and your emperor to be with your friend?”

  “…”

  The key to resolving the misunderstanding just made things worse. But Grid wasn’t worried. He knew that Asmophel would release the misconceptions as soon as he spoke.

  “Mercedes, there are a few things to keep in mind.”

  After responding to Grid’s call, the silent Asmophel finally opened his mouth.

  “The first one. The Red Knights didn’t protect me, they watched me. You know the Fourth Knight, right?”

  The Fourth Knight was different from the other Red Knights. It wasn’t a position appointed by the emperor but one handed down.