by Park Saenal
“The stronger my colleagues, the stronger I am. I want my colleagues to be strong for myself and for them.”
“You…”
“Oh, I might’ve wanted good jewels if I didn’t have the S-grade jewels.
“…”
“Someday you will be able to make S-grade jewelry, right? Until then, I am happy to wait.”
‘Ah, there are many types of people in this world.’
Elizabeth felt shouldn’t judge people by their appearance. The 20-year-old young woman who had just entered university gained a new enlightenment. There was a faint sense of trust in her eyes as she looked at Grid.
‘The Overgeared Guild… It might be good to stay for a while.’
***
“Hrmmm.”
It was the fourth day after Elizabeth started working. Elizabeth’s speed of working on the jewels increased slightly as she rapidly accumulated skill experience. She worked on jewels all night and then laughed at the sight of Grid.
“Oppa is really incredible.”
She wasn’t surprised anymore. The patience Grid displayed as he sat by her side for four days was beyond Elizabeth’s expectations.
She sat down next to Grid and gave a small nod. “Now I understand. It was never easy for Oppa. You are always cautious and invest a lot of time into your work.”
“That’s right. How can anything be easy in this world?”
Elizabeth naturally called Grid as ‘Oppa’. Since he was a fellow Korean who was older than her, she was embarrassed to call him by name. However, they had become familiar in the process of staying in the workshop together and overcoming prejudices.
Additionally, Elizabeth was the same age as his younger sister, so Grid didn’t dislike Elizabeth’s attitude change. Rather, she seemed like a cute little sister. Grid also spoke in a casual manner with Elizabeth, “Aren’t you tired from working all night? Do you want a massage?”
Despite his words, Grid was also very tired. He had designed a new crown and helmet while watching Elizabeth work. Then when Elizabeth logged out, he went to the hunting grounds to raise the Overgeared Skeletons’ levels. Grid had spent these last four days like he had two or three bodies. That’s why his head was in a muddled state and he carelessly talked about a massage.
“Really? I would appreciate it,” Elizabeth accepted Grid’s offer with a wide smile. Grid smiled back and touched Elizabeth’s shoulders without any hidden intentions.
“Ah…!” Elizabeth’s large eyes and white shoulders shook as soon as Grid touched her. The tired Grid didn’t notice the subtle change and put more strength in his fingertips.
“Haat!”
As soon as Grid’s big and hard fingers pressed against her neck, Elizabeth felt strength drain from her body. She couldn’t help leaning back on Grid’s wide chest. Her eyes lost light as she gazed at the ceiling. The sensations running through her body were beyond description…
Eat Spicy Jokbal had come to visit his niece at her workshop before going to work in the kitchen.
“What are you doing noooooow?!!” His loud and furious voice rang out through the workshop. “You are worse than a beast! You already have two girlfriends, yet you are touching my niece…!!”
“No, I don’t have a girlfriend…”
“What? You have Yura and Jishuka! I’m envious… No, you are a bad guy! You are the enemy of all men!”
“What the hell… Hik!” Grid was forced to leave the workshop because he was kicked out by the furious sword-wielding Eat Spicy Jokbal. Then Grid ran toward the smithy. ‘What is wrong with Eat Spicy Jokbal in the morning? Sigh, let’s make a helmet and a crown.’
Chapter 859
Chapter 859
[Rating: Legendary (Set)
Durability: 180/180 Defense: 20
* Intelligence +300
* Dignity +200
-When 3 set items are equipped: Defense +500, health +6,000.
-A crown that the legendary blacksmith Pagma made for 5th Pope Franz.]
This was the crown that Grid had favored for numerous years. He always used this shining crown for official events or when using magic. Grid rotated the small crown hanging from his fingertips. He watched the Holy Light Crown, which had already been used, disassemble and reassemble several times to raise the understanding to 100%.
‘The crown is an accessory, not a defense equipment.’
Unlike a helmet designed for defense, it was easy to aim for stats or options depending on the design. As a special equipment only allowed for those on the throne, the value of the crown was very high. In fact, the crown, which Grid had designed for the purpose of ‘showing off’ after founding the Overgeared Kingdom, had 190 dignity attached to it.
‘This time, my crown will be designed for battle.’
Due to the influence of his production intent, there was a great deal of room to raise battle-related stats.
‘If I add the 10 jewels that Elizabeth crafted…’
Based on the C-grade jewels, he could gain an addition 60 strength and 20% attribute resistance. Grid’s desire to used Braham’s enhanced magic, which could be obtained once his intelligence increased, caused his motivation to flare up.
“Let’s start the production!”
“His Majesty is starting to work!”
“Gather all the blacksmiths in Reinhardt!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
As hundreds of people gathered in a huge smithy, Grid started the production of the new crown he had designed in the last four days. It was a new crown based on the Holy Light Crown and the crown of the Saharan Empire.
Unlike with ordinary crowns, he chose to use mithril instead of gold and silver for this one. Mithril was stronger and lighter than gold and silver, and it also possessed a high rate of assimilation with attributes. Additionally, it had a silver color which Grid thought matched better with his black hair.
In fact, he wanted to use the Seolkwang Stone which was harder and more expensive than mithril but had the same silver color. However, there was none in the auction house, and Grid wasn’t in a position to secure it. He only knew about the presence of the ore through Pagma’s knowledge, and he hadn’t handled it directly.
‘Well, I can make the crown again once it became available at a later time.’
Belial’s red and black jewels only raised intelligence. There would come a time when he needed a crown which gave him other stats. Grid made the crown while thinking this. Velvet didn’t cover the crown, which was light and oval-shaped, closely resembling a tiara.
Grid melted the mithril in the extremely high temperature of the furnace.
***
‘Is it over?’
This was after the battle at Gerad Mountain. Yura had returned to the Overgeared Kingdom with Grid and Elizabeth. Now she was waiting for the right opportunity to report what she had seen in hell—Grid’s clone that was a named class NPC. In fact, this was a touchy subject for Grid. Think about it. How creepy and unpleasant would it be to realize that someone who looked exactly like you was currently ‘living’ somewhere else?
Yura decided not to talk about the clone until Grid completed his current project. She was afraid that she might disturb his concentration.
“It is finished!”
After spending four days in Elizabeth’s workshop and a week in the smithy, Grid finally solved the task at hand. The rumor that he was making a new crown and helmet had already spread among the Overgeared members.
“You worked hard!”
“What fraudulent item did you make this time?”
Grid rarely produced items with a bad performance. The members of the Overgeared Guild gathered after hearing the news and showed interest in their shining eyes. Yura was among them. She wanted to see the crown and helmet that Grid made before telling him about the clone.
‘They will definitely be wonderful and excellent items.’
Yura’s and the Overgeared members’ expectations were rising.
“I’m looking forwa
rd to it!” Elizabeth now treated Grid with affection. This was a sharp contrast to her unfriendly attitude one week ago. She looked like a doll and was very cute when she attached the title of Oppa to him.
“The new member is cute.”
“She is a great talent.”
“I feel like I have a lovely and dependable little sister.”
Yura felt somehow annoyed when all the Overgeared members looked at Elizabeth with a gentle expression.
“It is thanks to Elizabeth.” Grid couldn’t read Yura’s emotions and stroked Elizabeth’s head before pulling out the crown. It was a crown embedded with the ten jewels which Elizabeth had crafted. The crown of mithril shone in the light while the ten jewels were of a darker red than a ruby. The red jewels seemed to have a darkness that was deeper than an abyss. They weren’t that flashy, but they felt elegant.
Everyone gulped as Grid placed the crown on his head. Grid could no longer have short hair after becoming king, so he had grown it to a moderate length. The blend of his sharp eyes, his black hair, and the beautiful silver crown displayed a neutral charm.
“Ah…”
His body was tempered, and his face had matured as he grew older and experienced all types of things. Compared to last year, Grid’s appearance had improved, and the Overgeared members felt an affinity with him, regardless of their gender. Everyone felt a great attraction toward Grid.
Duguen, duguen. In the silent smithy, someone’s heart was beating exceptionally loudly. This sound didn’t last long though.
“Next is this.” Grid placed the helmet over the crown. It was a helmet in the form of a cone and had a height of at least 50 centimeters.
“…”
Dignity could no longer be seen in Grid’s appearance as he wore the iron cone hat. Everyone was speechless, and someone burst out laughing. The silence was broken.
“Puhahaha! What? Look at that stupid appearance! Puhahahat!”
“Vantner, why are you laughing? I think it is better to wear that helmet than to be bald.”
“Pon, you son of a bitch!”
“…”
Was it that funny? Grid was puzzled by the people’s response and stood in front of a mirror. There was an alien in the mirror. An alien with a long and pointed head. It was almost as if…
“…I look like a squid.”
Yes, he was an ugly squid. Grid’s face reddened, and he used the First King title effect.
“Hide the helmet.”
[The appearance of the helmet has been hidden to keep the dignity of the first king. The appearance is now hidden but the ability remains.
“Phew…” Grid sighed with relief as he checked his appearance in the mirror. The feeling of wearing the heavy helmet disappeared while the stats remained intact. He was shown to be wearing a crown again, so he was no longer a squid. Lauel approached Grid who was feeling relieved. Strangely, Lauel’s expression was very serious. He looked like a man going to a funeral. Had something bad happened?
“What is it? What’s going on?” Grid noticed the atmosphere and felt worried.
“Your Majesty,” Lauel spoke in a trembling voice, “Please don’t even show that appearance again. I almost quit the guild. I felt a pain similar to losing my sight forever.”
“…” For the first time, Grid was able to understand Lauel’s feelings. He hurriedly nodded and defended himself, “I will always hide the image like this. Don’t worry.”
“Why did you make the helmet look like that in the first place?”
“I thought it would be more comfortable to wear over a crown… Don’t worry. It looks like that, but the performance is impressive.”
“Of course, it should be. It doesn’t make sense if the performance is as garbage as the appearance. The performance should be equivalent to a myth rated item.”
“…” Grid thought that it couldn’t be like this. He judged that he should share the item information to calm down the atmosphere as soon as possible.
Ttiring~
[Player Grid wishes to share the item information with you. Would you like to accept?]
This message appeared in front of all the Overgeared members, and they naturally accepted.
[Overgeared King’s Crown]
[Rating: Legendary
Durability: 270/270 Defense: 33
Defense +60
Intelligence +65
Dignity +400
Fire resistance +20%
Shadow Resistance +15%
* There is a low probability of ‘confusing’ anyone who looks at it.
* Maintains loyalty without needing to give a gift.
A crown created through the collaboration of Grid, a legendary blacksmith who is becoming a myth, and the craftsman level Accessory Maker Elizabeth. It is beautiful and elegant. The household gods are very proud of the person who wears this crown.
The magic power of Great Demon Belial contained in the jewels often makes people confused.
Conditions of Use: Grid.
Weight: 267]
[Cone Helmet]
[Rating: Legendary (Degraded)
Durability: 496/496 Defense: 450
-A cone-shaped helmet.
It is made by the blacksmith Grid who is becoming a myth beyond a legend.
The material is very hard because Grid spent a few days tempering the iron mixed with a small amount of Belial’s leather.
However, the debate on its appearance will never end. It is hard to see the intentions of the cone shape.
It has enough defense to be a legendary item for a long time, but the appearance…
* The stats have room to fall depending on the behavior of the wearer.
User Restriction: More than 3,000 strength. Level 340 or more.
Weight: 4,820]
“What…”
The Overgeared King’s Crown suited its name, and the helmet’s name and description matched its appearance. They seemed to be great items, yet…
The Overgeared members felt both confusion and admiration. It was the same symptoms that Grid had experienced after completing the items. That’s right. Grid had been in great chaos from producing a bizarre legendary item labeled as ‘degraded.’
“Well… either way, a legend is a legend…”
In fact, the performance was legendary. The helmet contained a defense equivalent to armor of the same level. Grid was feeling satisfied with this reaction when Yura approached him.
“I have something to tell you. Do you know about your clone?”
“My clone?”
What was this? Grid’s face turned red as he thought about it. There was only one thing that popped up when hearing of a ‘clone.’
“Did you think of something?”
“N-No, what is this?”
“I saw it in hell, your clone.”
“What? Hell?”
Why was his clone in hell? Grid stopped as his hand was moving to his crotch to check. Something crossed his mind.
“Can you tell me more?”
Simultaneously, at the Yatan temple…
“There is a rumor that a vile traitor is poking around our sanctuary. Show the traitor our god’s power. The other Yatan Servants will help you.”
“Yes! I gladly do so!”
Rose, who had been able to become the 1st ranked black magician thanks to Yura’s absence, received a hidden quest. It was the largest quest since the one to summon Belial.
Chapter 860
Chapter 860
‘Very good.’
The result of the Overgeared King’s Crown was better than Grid had expected. It was honestly surprising that his crown was superior to the legendary set item, the Holy Light Crown, which Pagma had made.
‘It is inevitable that the intelligence given is low.’
The Overgeared King’s Crown had been produced with the intention of increasing Grid’s physical combat power. So, it was natural to end up with a crown which gave defense instead of intelligence. He only got the additional 65 intellig
ence due to Belial’s jewels.
‘I’m a bit disappointed with the lack of force…’
Still, Grid knew the power of the ‘confusion’ abnormal status. A confused target would lose attack power and have their defense lowered. This ‘confusion’ effect attached to the Overgeared King’s Crown comforted Grid.
The confusion state attached to the crown was likely to mislead everyone who looked at the wearer. It was a passive skill with no mana consumption or cooldown time, and it could also be a wide-range CC skill. This effect wasn’t just like a scam. It was so good that it was almost criminal.
“Hrmm… By the way…”
Grid seriously observed his ‘dull but decent’ appearance in the mirror. The existence of the clone that Yura told him about was constantly on his mind. He thought about the clone he’d met on the Behen Archipelago. That clone had fully understood and used the potential of the Pagma’s Descendant class. He had shown great skill and given Grid a sense of helplessness by using fusion skills that Grid had yet to become capable of.
Before the clone, Grid had been at the level of a young child. As the battle continued, the gap with the clone had increased rather than narrowed, and it then reached a stage where Grid thought it would be impossible to win. He ended up knocking the clone down by relying on the Motley Flail as a last resort…
‘That guy died while using Blackening.’
Grid had experienced it personally. He had died in the blackened state and fallen to hell previously. Was it the same for the clone?
‘What if due to some error, the clone literally settled in hell?’
Yura stated that his clone was in the blackened state.
‘I’m certain. I was banished from hell once Blackening was released. What if the clone couldn’t remove Blackening and he stayed in hell?’
Grid made a nervous expression. He was afraid that this opponent, who he hadn’t been able to beat, had not died and might still be looking for him. Grid had obtained 100,000 Army Swordsmanship, steadily improved his items, gained the power of great demons, and so on… So, why did he feel fearful when he was so strong?