by Park Saenal
“Is that a guild name?”
“It is the name of a guild and a real family name.”
“Rothschild is that Rothschild?”
“Right. Just as in reality, they have accumulated wealth and influence in Satisfy. They probably realized the value of Satisfy from the moment it launched and made a big investment. In any case, only the Rothschild Guild knows about the current Talima. I don’t know which part of the volcanic zone is relatively safe.”
Grid’s interest wasn’t just the volcanic zone.
“They have great influence…? But I’ve never heard their name in all these years.”
“Rather than move directly, they act in a way that creates lower forces or supports other forces. It was an agent who first made contact with me.”
“Why do they bother moving in secret?”
“That family is originally like that. Well, I guess it is bothersome to deal with everyone.”
“Did they introduce you to the dwarves?”
“Right. At that time, the Rothschild family directly raised their power by dealing with the dwarves, and there were occasional disagreements during the process. They figured it would be better for an easy-to-handle player to obtain the dwarves’ techniques.”
“What was the result?”
“As you can see, I was a free agent and moved to the Overgeared Kingdom. I didn’t meet Rothschild’s expectations.”
“Are you saying a blacksmith like you were abandoned?”
“Haha…” Panmir scratched his head and laughed bitterly. He was ranked first on the blacksmith rankings. Unless there was someone great among the unofficial rankers… After Grid, he was the next best player among the existing blacksmith players. The reason why the Rothschild family could easily discard him meant that the skills of the dwarf craftsmen were beyond imagination.
“Hrmm… Are they a threat to us?” Grid asked after a moment of thought.
Panmir shook his head. “No, that won’t happen. They are aiming to quietly build up wealth. There is no reason for them to be hostile, and they might even be dreaming of a symbiotic relationship with the Overgeared Kingdom.”
“Indeed… If they were dangerous, Lauel would’ve already warned me about them.”
Feeling convinced, Grid nodded and opened the Reputation Store. He used the drawing machine and secured a total of five experience potions. Grid was planning to hunt for at least one month.
‘Let’s go to the Galgunos Temple.’
The volcanic zone was the most ideal hunting ground, but he would die if he didn’t reduce his chances of meeting Trauka. He could afford to die one or twice due to the experience buff, but more than three times would be too much. In the worst case, he could drop an item.
***
[(Breaking News) Grid’s level-climbing speed.]
20 days had passed since Grid left for the hunting grounds. The royal palace was quiet because most of the Overgeared members were at the hunting grounds. Still, it was hard to say that it was peaceful. There were three months remaining in the truce agreement with the empire.
The movements of the Overgeared Kingdom that wanted harmony with the different species was at odds with the empire’s ideology. This was the calm before the storm, and it was an uncomfortable calm.
“What?”
The cries of the soldiers rang out around the clock. Lauel was trying to find peace of mind watching Piaro, Mercedes, and Singuled train the soldiers only to become astonished. It was due to Faker’s report.
“Agnus visited this place?”
“Yes. It seems he came to meet Elizabeth.”
Agnus was the most wanted man in seven kingdoms. It was alleged that he had murdered several accessory makers. However, Lauel knew it was a lie.
“He is a dangerous guy. Shall I kick him out?”
“Umm… No. Let’s just watch a bit.”
At one time, Agnus was known as a madman and a purely evil person. Now, it was hard to see him as unconditionally evil after calmly analyzing his movements. He had actually protected Irene and Lord.
‘He is more powerful than Grid in a massive war. It would be good to build up a connection with him.’
Lauel touched his chin and ran to the location of Prince Lord. Lord was in the middle of learning from Sticks.
“Lauel, what are you doing here?” Coke ran over and asked after discovering Lauel.
Lauel chuckled. “I want to take a walk with the prince.”
“…? I understand.”
It wasn’t going to be an ordinary walk. Coke felt very tense when he saw Lauel and Faker standing side by side.
Chapter 983
‘Crazy!’ This expression was one of the ultimate exclamations commonly used by modern Koreans. Grid had recently refrained from using it. It was a rather low-grade exclamation for a king to use. Grid wasn’t Huroi… So, he needed basic image management. He had no time to care about that right now though.
“Wow, this is really super amazing. My experience is rising at a crazy speed. Isn’t this completely crazy?? Eh? Right, Noe?”
“I don’t know what you’re saying, nyong…”
[You have defeated a Galgunos Skeleton Soldier.]
[You have defeated a Galgunos Skeleton…]
[You have defeated a Galgunos…]
[15,905,099 experience will be divided.]
[15,905,099 experience will be…]
[15…]
[+4 Lightning Sword Born from Enlightenment and Strong Desires]
The reason why the word ‘Enlightenment’ was attached to the sword was simple. It was due to the presence of the Enlightenment skill.
[Enlightenment Lv. 3]
[-A persistent passive.
-Increases character experience and skill experience acquisition by 10.9% and accuracy and evasion by 20.3%.
* Skills attached to myth rated items can be upgraded.]
It increased the experience gained. That’s right. The effect of Enlightenment was like the dragon’s blessing. No, it was better than the dragon’s blessing because the level could be increased. Grid had been using the Enlightenment Sword like it was his own body, but he had overlooked this effect so far. However, the effect of the dragon’s blessing overlapping with Enlightenment was unmatched. The 20.9% increase in experience was applied at all times. This was 0.9% points higher than the experience buff potion which could only be drawn by Grid consuming a large amount of reputation points.
On the first underground floor of the Galgunos Temple, the skeletons were dying, and Grid’s experience gauge was filling up. In front, Grid was very disappointed when he first came down here. He had expected stronger monsters that gave more experience to appear, but the monsters here were weaker than the war god follower who had emerged from the grave and the experience given was also lesser.
However, this disappointment was only temporary. Grid’s disappointment soon changed to bliss. Unlike the war god followers, Galgunos’ skeleton soldiers could be killed quickly. There were five times more of them than the war god followers, and their speed of respawn was ridiculously fast.
Of course, this wasn’t a good thing from a general standpoint. The durability of the skeleton-based undead might be weak, but Galgunos’ skeleton soldiers were extremely dangerous because they were advanced monsters over level 350. In particular, they had high attack power in exchange for low health. Their attacks were fast, simple, and accurate. The skeleton soldiers used long spears as their weapon and had a high accuracy and damage. They were threatening to the high rankers who probably had an average defense of 4,000 points.
Unfortunately for them, Grid’s defense power exceeded the average. His stamina stat had only reached 2,400 points, but the +3 Valhalla of Infinite Affection raised his defense by 1,600 points. Grid’s total defense was close to 6,000. No matter how much the Galgunos’ skeleton soldiers tried, they were like eggs smashing against a rock. Moreover, it was a poisonous rock.
[You have suffered 3,900 damage!]
[The +3 Valhalla
of Infinite Affection has emitted poison!]
The skeleton soldiers surrounding Grid were affected by the monstrous poison that spread. Their bones turned green, and they lost their health.
[The option effect ‘Black Flames’ has exploded from the +4 Lightning Sword Born from Enlightenment and Strong Desires!]
Grid quickly struck with maximum speed, and the black flames exploded continuously. “Link!”
“Kyak kyak! Kyakyakyak!”
“…”
The skeleton soldiers were helpless as the Blade Aiming at the Gods, Randy, the Overgeared Skeletons, and Tiramet helped Grid. They were poisoned, burned by flames, slashed by swords, beaten by fists, had their bones crushed, and were tied up by the silver thread. Dozens of skeleton soldiers were incapacitated at once. The large number of monsters that would be disastrous for an ordinary person was a blessing to Grid.
“It is rude to be in front of the best demonic beast of hell!” The few surviving skeletons were killed by Noe, and the finish was perfect.
“I’ll take a break for a moment.” Grid even had some room to relax.
The Unicorn’s Blessing increased the recovery rate of all resources by 20%. Grid rode Overgeared Corn in the middle of the battle to restore his stamina.
[Status: Annoyed.
Depressed.]
(I want a female rider, not male.)
…The Overgeared Corn seemed to be suffering, but Grid didn’t care. It was better to summon Overgeared Corn as much as possible to raise the level of favorability. Summoning Overgeared Corn during a hunt meant he would receive some experience and his level would rise.
‘Every time his level rises, he likes bringing up his favorite subject. By the way, what are they doing?’
Grid cocked his head from where he was sitting on Overgeared Corn. The Overgeared Skeletons were repeatedly picking up the bone fragments scattered throughout the battlefield. He felt uneasy because they resembled Yerim (Sexy Schoolgirl) whenever she showed up at a department store.
‘Don’t tell me that they want to have those?’
No. Which player in the world would share their miscellaneous items with their pets? The pet system didn’t require it, and he wasn’t Nyangmong. Grid wasn’t such a pushover. Grid hurriedly got off Overgeared Corn, swept up the skeleton soldiers running from one corner with Transcended Link, and then started to pick up all the miscellaneous items. Of course, it included the bone fragments of the Galgunos’ skeleton soldiers that the Overgeared Skeletons had been carefully looking at.
‘They are from high-level undead, so they will sell pretty well.’
They were thick and ugly pieces of bone. They were so hard that they could be used as material to make defense items. Of course, items made of bone had low durability and were difficult to repair, so Grid didn’t mean to make them.
Clack! Clack clack clack!
The Overgeared Skeletons stared at Grid. These normally insidious guys raised their ⌓ ⌓ shaped eyes and waved their fingers around. One of Overgeared Skeleton Two’s fingers broke off when it hit their jaw, but it picked the finger up and stuck it back on. It healed immediately.
“You… Do you really want this?”
Clack! Clack clack!
The Overgeared Skeletons nodded as if they had been waiting for Grid to ask that. Their excitement showed in the speed at which their jaws moved.
“Are you interested in the skeleton bones? Why didn’t you want it before?”
The probability of the Galgunos’ skeleton soldiers dropping bone fragments was around 3%. It was a very low probability for a miscellaneous item, which meant the value of the bone fragments might be more than expected. Grid wasn’t willing to give them the fragments. The Overgeared Skeletons were pets that didn’t have a separate affinity bar, and it wasn’t necessary to give them precious gifts. However…
‘Uhh.’
The Overgeared Skeletons couldn’t speak, but they were high-grade summons that expressed clear emotions. They were pretty cute and listened well, which meant Grid was fond of them. He had great expectations for them in the future. Evolving skeletons… They had used the death knight and lich skins during the demon king’s subjugation. Maybe that could actually become that…
“Okay.” Grid was troubled for a long time before pulling something out with trembling hands. They were two bone pieces.
“Take them. They’re gifts.”
Clack! Clack clack clack!
How happy were they? The Overgeared Skeletons received the bones from Grid and hugged each other before starting to dance. Of course, Grid quickly stopped them. He was worried they would add a ‘dancer’ to their second list of classes. They couldn’t dance, so the Overgeared Skeletons’ shoulders drooped. Then after a while, they checked the bone fragments in their hands and started to place them in the rib cage.
“…Eh?” Grid’s eyes widened at the unexpected behavior. The Overgeared Skeletons were laughing happily after adding one rib bone. The skeletons had become a bit bigger. He wasn’t mistaken. It was a small but tangible change.
***
At Elizabeth’s workshop…
“He didn’t come.”
Before Elizabeth joined the Overgeared Guild, Agnus had invaded her workshop. It was speculated that the purpose of his visit to Reinhardt had been Elizabeth. Now, he was nowhere to be found.
“…”
Lauel carried Lord while Coke escorted them. The two men were quiet for a while.
“We missed him.” Faker appeared out of the shadows and reported, “Agnus disappeared after being pursued by the Overgeared Shadows.”
***
Simultaneously, at a small inn in the market…
“You came,” Euphemina said to the bloody man who entered the room. His robe fell as he sat down, revealing his green hair. It was Agnus, a person who had caused many problems. He was a murderer currently accused of killing many accessory makers. However—
“You have many injuries.”
Euphemina wasn’t wary of him. She had found out from their previous meeting that he was different from what the world knew.
‘How many curses did he receive?’
Euphemina’s expression was bad as she examined Agnus’ condition. Agnus was being subjected to all types of curses, such as weakness, poison, and the inability to recover. Yes, curses. Curses involving the ‘story’ or ‘system’ were different from those that naturally recovered over time.
‘The only way to resolve the curse is to kill the cursed target or solve the related story.’
It was useless to give him potions. Euphemina pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood stains off Agnus’ pale face. “You are wanted in seven kingdoms. Do you think it is unfair?”
Agnus nervously brushed off Euphemina’s hand and laughed, “Kuku, who am I to feel it is unfair?”
“You didn’t kill those people.”
“…” Agnus’ shoulders trembled. Then he quickly regained his smile. “You don’t have to speak so much. You only came for one purpose.”
There was a person Agnus loved—the only person in the world who loved him. He wanted to revive her, the woman who had gone through terrible things because of him and ultimately left this world. If only to save her…
“I will free Mumud.”
The strength he had built up by not being a helpless victim… All the power had accumulated over the last few years. Agnus was ready to give up everything.
“Instead, be sure to keep your promise.” The smile disappeared from Agnus’ face. The madness was gone, and his golden eyes stared straight at Euphemina.
Euphemina didn’t avoid his gaze. “On my honor, I will keep my promise.”
She was well aware of why the man in front of her had made this choice, and she didn’t plan to betray this man who had suffered all his life. After completing the Mumud Liberation quest, she would be sure to keep the promise.
…Even if the outcome of the promise made him more unhappy.
Then t
he visit was interrupted by the hunters who pursued Agnus from other countries. They had monstrous abilities that wrecked Agnus’ body and soul as they kept chasing him.
“…Kikik, we meet again.” Agnus stood up and pushed Euphemina out the window. It was his fight. He didn’t want the kid to be pulled into a fight that was impossible to win.
Chapter 984
Murray, Ultina, Violet, Ark, Haken, Rotemon, and Glaucian—this was a list of seven kingdoms that had lost a accessory maker craftsman to the mad killer. Since a production class craftsman was very precious, the loss to the seven kingdoms was very large.
The seven kingdoms had to punish the killer, and the people hoped for it too. Respected craftsmen had been killed. If the royal family didn’t take responsibility for it, the trust of the people would be lost and prestige would fall.
“I finally caught you. Dirty and disgusting bastard.”
The hunters from the seven kingdoms flocked into the room. Some were members of the royal knights, some were reputable mercenaries, and some were unknown names. The 15 positions and personalities were all different, but they had one thing in common. They all had outstanding talents. In particular, the skills of the mercenaries Phildea and Johneman were amazing. They were named NPCs whose names shone brilliantly. It was difficult for Agnus to deal with both of them at the same time under normal circumstances, much less now that he was cursed and weakened.
“Look, Agnus. Stop the unnecessary resistance and come with me.”
Naturally, there were players among the hunters. One of them was Bubat. The role of the initiator was optimized, and he had given great pressure to Agnus during the chase throughout the past few months. If he hadn’t left for a while due to the National Competition, Agnus would’ve already been caught and taken to the guillotine.
“There is a net of thousands of people around the inn. Even if you escape this place by luck, you will be caught soon. Don’t make a fuss and go easily.”
The hunters received great support from the seven kingdoms. There were hundreds of troops operating secretly, and it wasn’t a bluff to say there were 1,000 people around the inn. However, Agnus wasn’t the least bit frightened. “Why do you talk nonsense every day?”