Overgeared

by Park Saenal

  Criticisms toward the Overgeared Kingdom and Lauel came from all over the continent. However, Ares never condemned the Overgeared Kingdom. Grid had helped him in the past. However, Ares was also the king of a kingdom and couldn’t keep being held back…

  ‘Claiming compensation?’ Lauel’s brain worked quickly. The destruction of Media, the empire that destroyed Media, and the White Dragon’s eyes…

  ‘The reason the empire invaded Media was to get the item called the White Dragon’s Eyes. If the empire managed to get the eyes, it would’ve harmed us…’

  It was imperative to learn about the White Dragon’s Eyes.

  -I will contact you after discussing it with King Grid.

  -I will be expecting a positive answer.

  Despite Lauel’s reserved words, Ares withdrew without hesitation. It was an attitude that said his side held the cards. Lauel found it strange and immediately went to Sticks. The great sage Sticks was a cheat key. He naturally knew about the White Dragon’s Eyes.

  “The White Dragon’s Eyes can reflect all types of powers.”

  “All types of powers?”

  It was a hugely fraudulent item. Consequently, it was natural for the empire to covet it. So why did Valhalla intercept and take it? Why did Ares talk about compensation? Lauel returned to the conference room and consulted with the 10 meritorious retainers, but it was difficult to determine the answers.

  Two hours later, Faker reported to him, “Media salvaged the White Dragon’s Eyes 10 days ago and the empire immediately obtained the information. Media tried to conceal it, but it was impossible to avoid the empire’s intelligence network.

  “Hrmm…”

  Why did the empire covet it so much that they destroyed a kingdom with hundreds of years of history overnight? Lauel struggled for dozens of minutes before looking like he was hit by lightning.

  “…The evil eyes’ king!”

  “…?” The 10 meritorious retainers were confused.

  Lauel explained to them, “Species such as elves, dwarves, orcs, vampires, giants, the evil eyes, and the water clan are eyesores to the empire who are seeking to unify the continent. Among them, the Saharan Empire is most wary of the evil eyes due to the power of the evil eyes’ king.”

  Raising his hand, Lauel covered half of his face. He revealed one eye while thinking about how wonderful it would be if a shape flashed in this eye. “The White Dragon’s Eyes reflects all types of powers. What if it reflects the eyes of the evil eyes’ king?”

  “Will it be possible to destroy the evil eyes’ king?”

  “That’s right. The White Dragon’s Eyes can’t enter the hands of the empire.”

  This was the most shocking fact.

  “The God of War knows about the relationship between King Grid and the evil eyes’ king. He knows that the evil eyes’ king has a favorable relationship with King Grid, seized the White Dragon’s Eyes halfway, and attempted to trade with us using it…”

  “…” The room fell silent. They had all realized it. Lauel pushed in the last wedge, “That’s right. Valhalla has excellent strategists. They are genius enough to read the positions of the empire and the Overgeared Kingdom before acting one step ahead.”

  They were completely hit by him. It was the result of participating in the National Competition.

  ‘I won’t be able to participate in the National Competition again,’ Lauel pledged as he determined what happened.

  “We are now in a position where we’re being threatened by Valhalla. If we don’t listen to the demands of the God of War, the White Dragon’s Eyes will fall into the hands of the empire…”

  “I roughly know the situation.”

  While Lauel was speaking with a serious expression, Grid entered the meeting room. He was wearing glasses with lens as transparent as a jewel. The lens were also tinged a mysterious violet color.

  “Don’t worry about the evil eyes’ king.”

  “…?”

  To think that Grid was showing up in sunglasses and grinning when the situation was so serious…? Grid explained to the baffled 10 meritorious retainers, “The evil eyes’ king will be able to control his eyes. There will be no problems with the White Dragon’s Eyes.”

  The continent unification episode of the Saharan Empire finally started, and the Overgeared Kingdom became the eye of the typhoon right from the very beginning.

  Chapter 971

  “What is that?”

  The glasses that Grid wore had an odd aspect. The transparent gleam made it seem like they were made from extraordinary gemstones, but the black liquid that had a purple sheen was jarring.

  ‘What type of liquid was injected separately?’

  It seemed like a wrong choice if Grid wanted the feeling of sunglasses. They weren’t practical because they interfered with the wearer’s vision.

  “They will be the eyes of the evil eyes’ king.”

  Did he need to explain things in words? Grid shared the item information with those gathered in there.

  [Ether Glasses]

  [Rating: Epic

  Durability: 187/210

  * Incomplete ether effect.

  * Charm +80.

  * Vision -2.

  * The abnormal ‘blurred vision’ state will occur once per second.

  The accessories maker Elizabeth, whose reputation has risen sharply in recent years, made these glasses by crafting ether diamonds.

  The beauty of the ether diamonds is gorgeously expressed. It would be great if someone who wanted attention wore them.

  The ether has a partial magical effect, and the field of view is disturbed because the ether is injected into the lens. There will be some discomfort.

  Weight: 5]

  Glasses were classified as accessories, and among all the accessories, they were items that were easiest to wear.

  “Try it.” Grid handed the glasses to Lauel. That’s right. Items called glasses could be easily given to others by the owner. There was no transfer procedure. It was simple as long as the other party didn’t resist, since it had to be worn on the ears and nose.

  [You have received the Ether Glasses.]

  [Your eyesight has fallen. Your vision is blurry.]

  “…It’s uncomfortable.” Lauel wore the glasses and narrowed his eyes. The cloudy fog and ripples interfered with his vision. “The ether effect is incomplete.”

  Lauel took off the glasses and tried casting magic against the lens. The condensed wind on his palms struck the lens. The lens didn’t even crack, and there was no repulsion. The magic was extinguished like it was a lie. The word ‘absorption’ seemed correct.

  “Indeed…”

  “Wow! Isn’t this great?”

  Grid explained to Lauel and 10 meritorious retainers who were admiring the glasses, “Ether is a substance from another world that absorbs magic power. Once the evil eyes’ king wears these glasses, all the magic emitted from his eyes will be absorbed by the lens. Thus, the magic can’t be reflected by the White Dragon’s Eyes, and the possibility of destruction will be gone. The evil eyes’ king will be able to see the world.”

  Grid described it casually, but this was actually the core point. The evil eyes king had his eyes sealed from the moment he was born. The power of the evil eyes, which destroyed all objects it touched, was an amazing and powerful curse. He wanted to see the world. The item that could fulfill the evil eyes king’s earnest desire was the Ether Glasses.

  “It is the best gift for the evil eyes’ king. He will like you more than you think.”

  It was an item that could turn the evil eyes king that even the empire was wary of into a perfect ally. Lauel was convinced that the value of the Ether Glasses was astronomical. It was a treasure born from the combination of information from Kraugel, Elizabeth’s techniques, and Grid’s power in the Demon King Subjugation.

  “Go to the evil eyes village right now. We must secure the evil eyes’ king before the empire acts.”

  The 10 meritorious retainers wer
e motivated. They had a feeling that the grace period given by Ares wasn’t very long. The 10 meritorious retainers expected that Valhalla was likely to consider negotiations with the Overgeared Kingdom as the next best option. Negotiations with the empire could already be underway. Valhalla would gain a much bigger benefit from establishing a friendly relationship with the empire in return for giving the White Dragon’s Eyes to the empire.

  Lauel was immersed in his thoughts. “Certainly, we have to hurry, but I’m worried that the ether effect is incomplete. Is it because the ether effect is incomplete that the durability is quickly consumed?”

  The durability was at 187 when Lauel received the Ether Glasses. Once it absorbed basic magic, the durability was reduced to 186. Grid nodded with a dark expression. “That’s right. The durability is consumed every time it absorbs magic.”

  “Is the amount of durability reduced dependent on the magic power?”

  “No, fortunately it isn’t. I have experimented with Zednos and Laella, and the durability decreases by the same amount regardless of magic power.”

  “Then the amount of magic power emitted by the evil eyes king shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “No, there are many problems. The magic power that is emitted from the eyes of the king is close to infinite, meaning this level of durability will only last a few minutes.”

  “Infinite…”

  “I don’t know if it is limitless or infinite, but I’m sure that it is inexhaustible. That’s why I’ve decided…” Grid opened his inventory and pulled out a new ether diamond—a palm-sized diamond with a small amount of purple black liquid inside. “I will go through the process of disassembling and reassembling the glasses made by Elizabeth in order to raise my understanding to 100% and gain the production method.”

  Grid received seven rewards from the Demon King Subjugation (8 when including the Demon King’s Appearance event).

  For three of the rewards, he chose the ether diamonds.

  He chose only three for a few reasons. First, Elizabeth’s help was needed to craft the ether diamonds and make the glasses. Second, after learning how to make Elizabeth’s glasses, Grid could recreate the glasses with a higher quality.

  Finally, the third reason was that Grid couldn’t separate the ether from the ether diamonds, no matter what physical methods he used. It was a substance from another world, so even Sticks and Braham didn’t precisely understand the ether. After some distress, Grid tried to separate the ether by destroying the diamond, but the ether that touched the air evaporated without a trace.

  It meant Grid wasted one of the three ether diamonds he had obtained.

  ‘I would be ridiculously overgeared if I could get pure ether…’

  For example, what if he mixed the ether with Valhalla of Infinite Affection? Grid could gain more magic protection than the Duke of Wisdom. The magicians wouldn’t be able to hurt Grid easily.

  “Then we will first go to the evil eyes’ village to protect the king. Your Majesty should join us after making new glasses.”

  Although Grid had a portable furnace, it was better to make items in a smithy equipped with various facilities and tools. The better the working environment, the more likely it was that a higher-rated item would be created. Grid nodded. “Don’t overdo it. There are some strong bastards in the empire.”

  The surest way to deal with the empire was to send strong people such as Piaro, Mercedes, Noll, Asmophel, and Singuled, but nobody wanted to do that. Those people only had one life.

  “There is still time in our truce agreement with the empire, so it won’t be a big deal. Don’t worry.” The reliable Lauel snapped his fingers. A group of kids with chibi bodies poured in from outside the conference room.

  The Destiny Guardians. They were the 16 evil eyes that Grid had rescued from the dungeon in the past and given to Lauel as guards.

  “You who wants to transcend and see into the past and future… We have responded to your noble soul and come to this place. From this moment on, we will defend your destiny. This is the fate that is weighing on the Destiny Guardians’ backs… Kukukuk!”

  “…”

  The appearance of the evil eyes was chilling. It was because they spoke nonsense every time they appeared. The 10 meritorious retainers made embarrassed expressions while Lauel swept back his bangs. His silver hair reflected the moonlight and seemed to scatter stars.

  “My soul, trapped in solitude, is in a turbulent state as it faces your destiny. I pay tribute to the eyes covered by a black cloth and will ask you something in the name of Lauel. Destiny Guardians, do you have the courage to encounter a furious storm of fate?”

  “Kukuk… courage? It is one of our ‘sources’ that will never fade… Kukukukuk!”

  “You don’t feel fear? Amazing! I can feel the power of language from your answer! The black dragon sealed in my arm is starting to move…!”

  “Huhuhut… The master of the great evil eyes has never felt fear since being born. Even if the black dragon sealed in your arm wakes up, we will never back down… Eh?” The evil eyes were talking excitedly for a while only to become shocked. It was because they discovered Grid standing behind Lauel.

  “Y-You are the symbol of a past life reincarnation who has made a connection with our great king that deals with dark flames and white ice and sees the truth of the world!!”

  “Grid!!”

  The astonished evil eyes started sweating nervously and looked away. They were afraid that they would be dragged into a cave and given pickaxes if they met Grid’s eyes. When the evil eyes suddenly became mute, the 10 meritorious retainers couldn’t help feeling in awe of Grid.

  ‘What? Overwhelming the evil eyes species with his gaze…?’

  ‘He shut up the evil eyes who aren’t afraid of the world!’

  ‘My Liege! I respect you!’

  In fact, the evil eyes were a very strong species, unlike their pretty appearance. The moment they released the seal on their eyes, they could harm or restrain the target just by looking at them. Yet even the great evil eyes species would fall down before Grid. Anyone could see that Grid was amazing!

  “…Then I’m going to make glasses. I’ll meet you in the evil eyes’ village as soon as possible.”

  Grid left behind the silent evil eyes and ran to the smithy. He was resolved to make sturdy Ether Glasses.

  ‘If I can control his power, it will be an opportunity to recruit someone who might be stronger than Piaro. I can’t afford to miss this opportunity.’

  ***

  “Wouldn’t it be better to wait for a response from the Overgeared Kingdom?”

  The God of War Ares—the second player to build a kingdom after Grid—visited the empire with his military adviser, Sima Hui. He wore a deep helmet to hide his identity and was followed by the best players of Valhalla. By the way, the person they were escorting was Sima Hui, not Ares. Of course, this was at Ares’ command. He didn’t want to lose a named NPC that he finally obtained after six visits to the East Continent.

  “The Overgeared Guild will delay the answer as much as possible. The White Dragon’s Eyes will lose their value if we wait for their answer.”

  The reason why Ares and Sima Hui visited Titan directly was to negotiate with the empire. They were going to hand the White Dragon’s Eyes over to the empire and establish a friendship between Valhalla and the empire. Ares wanted a friendship with the Overgeared Kingdom over the empire, but Sima Hui’s thoughts were different.

  “The Overgeared King is a highly skilled technician who restored the treasures of the reapers. Unless I am overestimating him, it is likely he already understands the substance of ether and it’s likely he’ll to use it to help the evil eyes king. He will be prepared for the White Dragon’s Eyes and will have no intention of negotiating with us until he sees some damage.”

  “Isn’t that way of thinking too extreme? Like us, the Overgeared Kingdom thinks of the empire as the toughest challenge. They helped the founding of Valhalla to keep th
e empire in check. Why would they be so cold to us now?”

  “They will be afraid.”

  “Afraid?”

  “Your Majesty’s ability to conscript and nurture your soldiers’ strength means it is inevitable that Valhalla’s power will soar into the sky. Cooperating with Valhalla to overcome the empire is like riding a tiger’s back to chase the lion. Thus, they will be worried even if the empire has been defeated.”

  “…”

  Ares had felt it. He was intrigued by Grid’s ability to make items and had been trying to establish a friendship with the Overgeared Kingdom because of the grace he had received. However, Ares became bitter as soon as he realized this, ‘The Overgeared Kingdom is very wary toward us.’

  He was locked in thought for a while before speaking with half-closed eyes, “Okay. I will actively agree with your plan to strengthen our relationships with the empire and to consume the resources of the empire and the Overgeared Kingdom. I won’t hesitate anymore.”

  “You have decided well. There is no need to be directly hostile to the Overgeared Kingdom just because we are holding hands with the empire for a while.”

  “Umm… By the way, are we really going to the imperial palace? We might be bringing the White Dragon’s Eyes, but I am still the king of an enemy kingdom. Will the emperor truly meet us? I would be glad if he didn’t kill us…”

  “We don’t have to meet the emperor. The grandmaster has already captured our movements. He will probably attempt a meeting.”

  “Grandmaster?”

  “He is the most powerful person in the empire and has the authority to wield military power. His reputation from 100 years ago was so great that his name was heard even in my country.”

  “Reputation on the East Continent…? 100 years ago? Huh, he seems to have a considerable degree of longevity.”

  “He is a transcendent. Maybe you can think of it as a different form of immortality?”

  “Transcendent…? Immortal? Do you mean a legend?”

  “Well, it’s a little different.”