"Weeeeeek!"
Food and shelter. They were the basic elements of human life and a source of human pleasure. It was hard for humans to live when they lacked food and shelter. They were beings that desired a bigger and nicer house, more expensive clothes, and more delicious food.
However, Grid boldly gave up on this. His desire to be stronger was larger than his desire to eat good food. Of course, it wasn't that easy.
“Cough cough! Damn Idan! How can the beef sirloin he cooks taste like shit?”
The bathroom in Idan's restaurant. Grid was tearful and had a runny nose. It was the aftermath of vomiting up the garbage food. The terrible thing was that his stats didn’t go up despite eating such trash. Grid felt resentful of this world that was filled with the concept of probability. It was enough to make him tremble.
“But in the end, I’m the one who chose to eat Idan’s food... The result might be bad, but I feel no regret about my choice.”
He couldn’t look serious talking while he was still vomiting. However, Grid had pride in himself. He maintained his patience and perseverance until he got the results he wanted. He was now aware that this wasn’t something everyone could do.
“Well... The good news is that my empty stomach is resolved.”
His stamina had been restored to normal.
Spit spit. Grid left and headed straight to Pangea Castle. He lay down on the bed in the room assigned to him and logged straight out.
***
"Ugh... I still feel sick.”
Shin Youngwoo’s complexion was pale as he left the capsule. The taste of Idan’s food was still lingering in his mouth.
“It should be okay if I eat something sweet.”
He only gave up on good food in Satisfy. Now he was craving a sweet potato latte. It was warm, soft, and sweet. If he bought one on the way home after a morning jog, all his fatigue would melt away. It was a luxury that he wouldn’t have even thought of when he was poor. Now it was nothing for Shin Youngwoo to spend 6,000 won on himself. He donated 3,300 won to Uni X, so how could he hesitate to buy a 6,000 won beverage?
Compare it. Originally, Youngwoo was only stingy with others. He wouldn’t have bought a 800 million won car if he was stingy with himself.
“I will go eat.”
Youngwoo stretched for a long time in the garden and entered the elevator. Then he headed to the famous cafe chain store on the first floor of the building.
"Welcome."
A panoramic cafe. It was a cozy space comparable to a cafe in the city center. A cafe employee greeted him with a bright smile and Youngwoo ordered a sweet potato latte. He sat at the sunny window seat and made a gentle expression.
‘The buildings of the guild members will soon be completed.’
Six high-rise buildings were currently under construction next to Youngwoo’s building. They were buildings owned by Yura, Jishuka, Pon, Huroi, and Vantner. Youngwoo felt like a new person. He felt happy that his former debt-ridden self was now a landlord and that his colleagues were doing well. His heart was happy enough to fill the world.
The employee handed him his drink with a soft smile, before asking with an anxious expression. “I’ve seen the news. The Overgeared Guild is having a hard time these days. Is it okay?”
"?"
The Overgeared Guild was having a hard time?
‘Aren’t we doing well?’
Youngwoo was speechless and the employee explained to him.
“I heard from the players that belong to the Eternal Kingdom. I heard that Bairan and Patrian are completely isolated by the enemy. It’s so sad. I would’ve fought for Overgeared if my level was a little higher."
“...The players?”
Youngwoo realized his mistake.
‘That bastard Aslan gave quests to kill Overgeared!’
Lauel had said that Overgeared could block any enemy attacks even if Grid wasn’t there. Become strong in the East Continent and return. At the time, Grid had obediently nodded.
‘I didn’t expect the players to intervene.’
He was still stupid.
Kkuok!
He jumped out of his seat. He was running to the elevator when he stopped in place. It was because the cafe owner had just brought out a cake that looked good.
“I will eat well.”
He couldn’t resist a free meal! Youngwoo collected the cake and boarded the elevator. He pressed the button for the penthouse and pulled out his phone.
"...No. He’ll just tell me not to worry.”
Youngwoo had thought about contacting Lauel. He changed his mind and pulled out a business card from his wallet, calling that number. The call was set at the cost of the receiver. The reason?
“Bunny Bunny? Uh, um... What is turn on the translator in English?”
It was an international call!
***
Bairan.
The small city adjacent to Winston was originally under the jurisdiction of Marquis Steim. After gaining big achievements in the north, it was given to Jishuka and then Grid. Yura wanted to protect it. Bairan was a territory that Jishuka, a founding member of Overgeared, brought as a gift.
Yura only brought herself to Overgeared. In addition, she wasn’t able to do much after that. She just helped in the Tiramet raid. From the standpoint of Overgeared, wasn’t she worthless?
‘I need to prove my worth.’
It wasn’t just a one-dimensional desire to look good for Grid. It was natural to contribute to the organization that she belonged to.
Step.
Yura stepped onto the wall of the small fortress. She pulled out a yellow hair band and tied up her long black hair. The souls of thousands of enemy players watching her flew away for a while. Slim limbs and a perfect face. The proportions of Yura’s body were so unrealistic that they wondered if she was made by God.
“Wow... Her face became smaller after her hair was tied up.”
“She’s better than NPCs. That’s a real person?”
"So pretty..."
People from various races exclaimed. Skin that was whiter than snowflakes. The gleaming lips and eyes that charmed anyone who saw them. It was natural for people present to be attracted to her. Pon saw the reactions of the enemies and laughed.
‘They’ve lost their minds. I admire her beauty every time I see her.’
Pon only cared about becoming strong in the game. But in reality, he was a man who couldn’t live without women. For him, Yura was a really desirable woman. But he had already given up on Yura. He had no intentions of becoming rivals with Grid.
"According to the report, there are 10,000 enemies. Half of them are players.”
On one hand, it was encouraging that the players were incorporated into the army. It was because the kingdom’s army system made it easy to send in spies. Of course, it wasn’t weak enough to sneak in the Overgeared members. But Pon’s personality was moderate and he had a variety of contacts.
"This is interesting. The average level of the kingdom’s soldiers is 180, and the players are 140.
"Considering that most of the nearby hunting grounds are low to medium level, it’s natural that the players’ levels are low. But I didn’t expect the level of the kingdom’s soldiers to be so high.”
"I agree. The average level of the soldiers that are attacking Patrian is only 160. Why did they send this army here instead of Patrian?”
“It’s because Bairan is closer to the capital than Patrian. From the kingdom’s point of view, it’s more convenient to have a base in Bairan.”
“I see. Tsk, they wouldn’t have dared attack Bairan if Marquis Steim had taken our side. Doesn’t he know that he became a marquis thanks to Grid?”
“You have to understand the position of Marquis Steim. His essence is a loyal subject of Eternal. Even if the king killed his brother, it isn’t easy to betray him. More than anything else, war is scary. He’s afraid his precious people will be swept away by it. I respect his heart.”
Yura was a former member of the Yatan Church and familiar with slaughter. She was always covered in the blood of the enemy and got the nickname of Blood Witch. But at that time, she was just acting faithful to her role. Unlike Lauel, she didn’t regard people as tools and appreciated Marquis Steim’s heart. She knew that a man who cherished his people had value.
'A talented person who is essential for Youngwoo’s kingdom.’
They would win the war without putting pressure on Marquis Steim. Yura pledged and pulled out a sword. Yes, it was a sword instead of a gun. It wasn’t a bayonet with a blade at the end, but a pure sword that was 1 meter in length. Pon tilted his head to one side.
"A sword? Isn’t a Demon Slayer’s main weapon a magic engineering gun?”
"The sword can also be used as a primary weapon. A Demon Slayer has the same level of Gun Mastery and Sword Mastery.”
The reason she chose a gun was because the former Demon Slayer did so. She thought that a gun was a better weapon than a sword for a Demon Slayer. But she changed her thoughts since the National Competition. She had suffered in close combat since her days as a black magician. She didn’t want to be afraid of enemies approaching anymore.
In addition, a crucial reason for her selection of the sword was Grid. Grid couldn’t make a gun alone. He needed the help of magic and alchemy. On the other hand, Grid could make a sword alone. Using a sword meant it was easier to receive a weapon from Grid.
Thus, Yura chose the sword. This was a great choice.
Black magician. She formulated and arranged magic with quick responses that were beyond common sense and displayed strong combat capabilities. Her ability to calculate in real time combined with swordsmanship made her as deadly as the thorns on roses.
"Whenever the cooldown time of my basic skills return, I will open the gate and act.”
“...Huh?”
"The enemies are level 200. If I go out and kill 100 people, we will be able to win the win if this keeps repeating.”
“...”
Her brain resembled Lauel, while her personality was like Grid. Pon was confused by this crazy tactic and tried to stop her.
"No, this won’t work no matter how strong you are. Your stamina is a problem, and the fortress...”
He was too late. Yura had already jumped down the wall and ordered the soldiers to open the gate.
Kiiiiik!
“What?”
"Opening the gate themselves?”
“Are they crazy?”
The kingdom’s soldiers and players laughed as they watched Bairan’s gate opening. They had 10,000 people, while the other side had 2,000. Bairan should be closing themselves up like a turtle, not opening the gate.
“Hahaha! Bairan? You can’t fight and now you want to surrender? Keeok!”
They expected to enter with no blood shed. Then the bodies of the excited players started to turn grey one by one.
Peeng!
Peng! Pepepeng!
It was a grey feast of grey-colored pillars rising to the sky. Yura was at the center. Her expression was unchanged while the sword supposed to be for destroying demons was now taking human life. She was a grim reaper that was as beautiful as a goddess.
“The female version of Kraugel?”
Yura used Image Sublimation in the midst of the bombardment of arrow and magic. Pon couldn’t help having this thought as he watched Yura moving through the enemies like lightning. She was the former 5th ranked user. She was also a genius, and now she was a legend.
***
“Crazy... What are these people?”
The fortified city of Patrian.
The players of the Eternal Kingdom turned white. Every time Jishuka fired an arrow, dozens of allies died. Hundreds of soldiers were stopped by Vantner and Toban’s shields. Every time the Overgeared members entered the battlefield with Regas in front, the army was ravaged. For the ordinary and low level users who couldn’t deal with more one or two soldiers, the Overgeared members were transcendent.
The second day of the war. The high rankers quietly watching the Eternal soldiers and ordinary players shrink back stood at the crossroad of choice. Should they give their strength to the Eternal Kingdom and strike Overgeared as planned, or stand back?
'I would’ve added my strength if the Eternal Kingdom was a bit stronger.’
‘The number of troops isn’t high, so I’m reluctant to help out.’
At the start of the game. Most players chose the Saharan Empire as their starting point. The empire had a wide range of infrastructure that made it easier to enjoy the game. The Eternal Kingdom compared to the empire? It was a village located in the north of the continent.
The awareness level was third-rate. As a matter of fact, the number of players belonging to the Eternal Kingdom was small and the quality was low. It happened when the high rankers decided to leave the battlefield.
"Reinforcements have arrived!”
A voice roared out on the battlefield. Everyone's attention naturally turned that way. Then the players of the Eternal Kingdom regained their color.
Jeff, Ralph, and Bubat. The masters of the former Seven Guilds led their guilds to intervene in the war. Bubat, who had the strongest CC and a reputation for being unrivalled on the battlefield, smiled with satisfaction.
"I can’t miss an opportunity to mess with Grid.”
Bubet wasn’t a member of Eternal and hadn’t been given the quests to kill Overgeared. But that didn’t matter to him. Grid had frustrated him several times in the National Competition and the Reidan invasion, so he only dreamt of revenge.
"Let's go! Wipe out Overgeared!”
"Waaahhhhhhhh!"
The appearance of the powerful army enhanced morale. The high rankers noticed this and also joined the offensive. Jishuka’s beautiful face wrinkled.
"The puppies have become dogs.”
It was a bit dangerous.