Overgeared, p.59
Overgeared, page 59
If the grandmaster had given him a small hint, then he might not have lost Aria and Piaro. Yet the grandmaster hadn’t told him anything. He hadn’t warned Juander that the promise between the grandmaster and the imperial family shouldn’t be forgotten and never ended up telling him about the promise.
“You! You pushed me to this point!!” The red energy in the emperor’s sword shot at the grandmaster’s chest. The power was far beyond that of the dukes, and Zibal—who was watching from afar—was amazed.
‘As expected, the emperor’s level is above 500?’
It was common sense that an NPC in an important position would have a higher level and stats. He predicted that the emperor’s level might be the best on the continent, but it was great to actually see it. Zibal thought that the grandmaster wouldn’t be able to avoid a big injury.
Then what was this? The grandmaster stood still and blocked the emperor’s attack. The pull of gravity suddenly increased, crushing the emperor’s body and pushing the emperor’s sword to the ground. The grandmaster’s and emperor’s eyes met.
“…” The grandmaster was silent. He didn’t have to explain. His silence was a positive answer.
“…!” Crushed by gravity, the emperor, who had been distracted by the grandmaster, stepped back in amazement. Saharan’s sword flew at the place where he had just been standing. It was a narrow escape.
“Your Majesty!” The dukes watched with a sense of urgency as the emperor’s shoulder was cut. They were forced to watch. Saharan’s red energy, the origin of all the red energy, controlled the dukes who had served the imperial family for generations. The dukes couldn’t deal a single blow. They could only kneel down and watch the situation with despair. It was the crisis of the emperor they served all their lives. A berserk maniac was trying to become the new emperor.
‘Is there no one who can break through that line?’
The dukes’ eyes were aimed at the corridor beyond the audience hall. Dozens of Red Knights and magic machine riders could be seen. They were a power that could be described as the most elite of the empire. Even if the imperial guards and the dukes’ people joined forces, it would take a great deal of time to break through. The moment that the dukes began to despair…
“How long will you stay there? Escape quickly and call the army!” Bain blocked Edan’s sword. As expected of the emperor’s shadow. His attitude of defending the emperor was very desperate. They were confident he could be trusted.
“I know…! Please hold on a bit!” The dukes tried to move their heavy legs and raise their bodies.
“You have to stay here. I need someone to support the new emperor who will soon be born.” The grandmaster flicked his fingers and changed the gravity around the dukes.
The dukes, who just stood up, were forced to lay flat again. “S-Shit!”
It was a mighty magic power that went beyond that of the great demon Berith. This wasn’t in the realm of a human. Grenhal opened the power of a berserker while Morse drew on the power of a beast. In order to stand up to the transcendent, they also approached transcendence.
“Annoying,” the grandmaster muttered at the sight of the dukes overcoming gravity and took out two transparent orbs, letting them float around him. The orb was a tool that amplified magic power. It was the first time the grandmaster used magic, and the aftermath was severe.
“Kuooock…” Grenhal and Morse barely managed to stand up before being forced to sit down again. Those who opened up all their power couldn’t beat the grandmaster because the dimension of their skills was different. Then there was a disturbance in the corridor.
“Get lost!”
There was the sound of blasts from the corridor, and the Red Knights’ bodies started to float in the air. The Red Knights coughed up blood as they were thrown into the wall and became blood puddings. Grenhal and Morse’s eyes shone brilliantly. “Sir Chensler…!”
It was Armored Cavalryman Chensler—the most loyal of the Five Pillars. His arrival changed the situation dramatically. The Red Knights—apart from the single digit numbers—fell like autumn leaves, and even the single digit knights were pushed to the entrance of the audience hall.
“Your Majesty!” Chensler roared as he saw the situation inside the audience hall. Behind his back, hundreds of imperial guards could be seen.
“Shit!” Zibal and the riders tried to summon their magic machines.
“There is nothing good about a bigger turmoil.” The grandmaster stepped in and restrained the riders.
The two orbs still floated around him as he held a sword in his hand. A magician using a sword? Zibal and the riders thought it was absurd, but those who knew the reality of the grandmaster became more nervous. In the beginning, the title of grandmaster was given to those who reached the peak in all fields.
Chensler held a halberd and controlled his distance from the grandmaster. It was an attempt to create an area that was favorable to him, but he failed. The grandmaster’s Earthquake forced Chensler to dodge. Chensler avoided it by leaping into the air, and this allowed the grandmaster to break through easily.
“Kuek…!” Chensler would’ve been fatally wounded if it wasn’t for his armor. A chill went down Chensler’s spine, but he kept fighting back. During this time in the air, he drew a half-moon with the halberd and pressed the grandmaster. In the meantime, the imperial guards tried to enter the audience hall.
However, the Red Knights barred their way. The guards cried out, “Why are knights loyal to the emperor on the side of the rebels?”
“I realized how vain this loyalty was after learning of Zikfrector’s greatness.” Susan fought against the guards. Her lineage couldn’t be deceived. Like her cousin Mercedes, she had great skills. She wasn’t an easy opponent for the guards. Blood and flesh were scattered throughout the corridor, and cruel screams filled the imperial palace.
The situation inside the audience hall was reaching the worst. Bain was defeated by Edan. Edan, armed with Saharan’s sword, was stronger than anyone else here.
Edan pointed his sword at the emperor’s neck and said, “Over the past few generations, the empire has become stagnant but it will be different in my generation. I want to know. Why did our ancestors want to advance to the East Continent? I will surely cross the Red Sea.”
“You will regret it one day. A sword will be pointed to you, just like the grandmaster did to me.”
“That is possible… Still, isn’t it a hundred times better to die as the emperor than to die now?”
“…”
“Father, I will inherit the throne.” Edan no longer hesitated. He gave strength to his hand to insert his sword into the emperor’s neck.
Simultaneously…
“Knight Summoning!”
“…?”
A strange voice was heard from the corridor filled with metal colliding and screams.
“Piaro!”
“…!?”
A completely unexpected name popped up. The emperor who was waiting for death, the two dukes who were looking on with sorrow, the watching Bain, and Edan who had the throne in front of him… Everyone was baffled and turned their attention outside the audience room. There…
“…”
The pillar who once sustained the empire…
The hero of the past was looking around the audience hall with disinterested eyes.
The eyes of the imperial guards and the Red Knights were bloodshot. It was a reflexive reaction. All of the people here respected Piaro.
“Piaro, I’m sorry, but let’s save the emperor,” the voice of someone standing behind Piaro echoed in the silent hallway. Everyone could see the black-haired man. It was Overgeared King Grid. His authority was astounding.
Piaro, who showed killing intent when he saw the emperor, quickly became a gentle sheep. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The peerless Piaro, one of the greatest heroes in the history of the empire, was politely receiving the Overgeared King’s order.
“Why is the traitor here?” Susan belatedly blocked the path in front of Piaro. Piaro was a great swordsman in the past, but Susan had also recently become a great swordsman. She even learned magic from the grandmaster and was confident in her skills. Her ambition was to be better than Mercedes, and she wasn’t afraid of Piaro.
“Torrent of Protection!”
A pillar of transparent light fell around Susan’s body. It was the grandmaster’s personal best buff that greatly increased all stats. The moment she tried to swing her sword at Piaro…
“I won’t allow your comfort,” the Overgeared King quietly declared. The light that surrounded Susan’s body was extinguished without a trace.
“Ah?”
A hand plow struck the forehead of the baffled Susan. No one in the corridor was able to stop Piaro. All the agricultural tools in his hands caused everyone to harden like stone statues.
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Chapter 1079
The red light from the imperial palace covered the entire capital, Titan. This meant that Grid could witness the sight from the outskirts.
“A very large butcher’s store…!” This was Grid’s impression.
Grid shouted it unknowingly, but fortunately, Basara’s group didn’t hear it. No, they heard it, but they couldn’t afford to worry about it. It was because they were busy worrying about the change in the capital that was now unfolding in front of them.
“The sky and the earth are red… Why is this…?”
“A fearful omen. The 4th imperial prince is crazy, and the empire will be destroyed.”
Basara’s retainers lamented. They felt a great ominous feeling from this incomprehensible supernatural phenomena. This was when Basara’s clear voice awakened everyone’s spirit, “That is red energy.”
“Red energy?”
Anxiety was washed away from the faces of those who learnt the identity of the red light shrouding the capital. The red energy was a symbol of the imperial family. From the standpoint of those who served the royal Basara, the red energy was an auspicious power.
“The red energy could be this widespread? His Majesty’s power is much greater than I thought.”
People believed that the owner of this red energy was naturally the emperor. The emperor’s red energy was the strongest in this era. However, Basara knew…
The emperor’s red energy wasn’t this great. This was at a level that broke even the common sense of the imperial family.
‘Who is it?’
The main characteristic of red energy was the ‘influence on matter.’ In normal cases, the royalty raised their power by infusing red energy into certain substances and distributing it to their subordinates. The emperor’s power was also unique due to his monopoly of red energy and the black mithril.
Yet there was a fact that couldn’t be overlooked. The red energy could strengthen the material it was injected into, but it could also absorb the strength of the material. It was very inefficient to absorb the strength of the material while consuming red energy, so the existing royalty didn’t operate the red energy this way.
‘A person with so much red energy can absorb the strength of all things and exert transcendental power.’
Basara’s expression turned cold. She sensed that the emperor was in a great crisis. Her retainers were also agitated.
“Why is His Majesty personally using the red energy? Don’t tell me…?”
“Is the 4th imperial prince attacking His Majesty?”
The speculation of the retainers shocked the 10,000 cavalrymen. Everyone looked at Basara nervously. Basara was forced to make a bold decision, “Enter the capital in an armed state. We must immediately march to the imperial palace to help His Majesty.”
Some of her retainers made objections once Basara gave the order. They were all opinions that came from their loyalty.
“The soldiers of the imperial family will block the gates. No matter our intentions, we can be regarded as traitors the moment there is an armed conflict. We can save His Majesty and lose everything.”
“Your Highness, this is now an opportunity from Heaven. You can’t help His Majesty.”
“That’s right! First, contact the estate and ask for the army! The moment we hear that His Majesty is in trouble, we can march and occupy the capital!”
Basara was fifth in the line of succession. She was ranked second highest after the princes, and as long as she maintained her duke rank and territory, her actual force went beyond the princes’. Basara was the right person to be next to the throne. Of course, Basara herself didn’t intend to refuse the throne. However, she judged that it was too premature.
‘It is too dangerous until I know what the grandmaster is doing.’
Unlike the other emperors through the ages, Basara had no intention of ruling by force. It wasn’t because she was a nonviolent person or that she was weak. She was just an extremely reasonable person. By coexisting with non-imperial countries and ethnic minorities, it would enrich them, and she would receive more tributes that would help the empire’s future. Her ancestors had already demonstrated how inefficient it was to trample and dominate with unconditional force. It was doubtful if the grandmaster, who had been with the emperors of the past, would agree with Basara’s ideas.
‘The grandmaster is also a person who pursues hegemony, which is why he is on the empire’s side.’
It was clear that her position would be troubling if she opposed the grandmaster. The power of the grandmaster, who had been with the imperial family for a long time, would easily surpass the new emperor. Unless she wanted to live as the grandmaster’s puppet, Basara believed it would be better not to aim at the throne until she read his intentions. Therefore…
“No. We have to help His Majesty. His Majesty still needs to be in place.”
Basara ignored the opinions of her loyalists, and the 10,000 horsemen started their march. The land became turbulent when 10,000 horses started running at once. The birds staying in the small mountains all over the place were startled and flew into the sky.
During the raucous march, Basara called out to Grid, “Overgeared King!”
Having witnessed the white-haired Grid at the Ruins of the War God, she interpreted that Grid was a master comparable to the grandmaster and made a request.
“It will take a while for our army to reach the imperial palace. Can you help His Majesty by going to the imperial palace first?” Basara’s request had sufficient grounds.
Grid’s wish was the unity of the Overgeared Kingdom and the empire. Grid running over first and helping the emperor was a shortcut to achieve Grid’s wish. It was as expected.
“Okay,” Grid happily accepted Basara’s request. It seemed as if he had been waiting for it.
A somewhat bitter smile spread on Basara’s face. “You have to go alone to a place where the enemies are unknown… Yet you don’t even hesitate.”
Basara’s affinity with Grid was already reaching the peak. The moment she received a proposal from Grid, she had enough affinity to plan their honeymoon.
She gave genuine advice to Grid, who started to manipulate something, “I am well aware of your strength. Still, be careful. There are many strong people in the imperial palace who can threaten you. When you arrive, read the situation first and only act when you can ensure your safety, rather than unconditionally help His Majesty.”
“Of course,” Grid answered while putting on a skin mask.
[Berith’s Skin Mask]
[Rating: Legendary (Transcendent)
Durability: 10/10 (can’t be repaired)
A mask made by Berith processing human skin.
It boasts a perfect degree of completion because it contains Berith’s magic of lies and distortion. It isn’t only the face that is disguised but the body shape and voice as well. Thus, it transcends a simple mask.
* You can disguise yourself as anyone you have a reasonable understanding of.
* You must’ve communicated at least 100 words with the target in order to gain the understanding needed for the disguise.
* The higher the affinity of the target, the better the understanding.
* The duration of the disguise depends on your understanding of the target.
★ You can only copy the appearance and voice of the target. Be extra careful about your words and actions after the disguise.
Cooldown Time: 12 hours.
User Restriction: Level 380 or higher.
Weight: 2]
“I’ll be going,” Grid said through the skin mask. His tone was exactly like Basara’s. That’s right. In order to freely move through the imperial palace, he disguised himself as Basara, a member of the imperial family and a duke.
Basara’s face reddened. “This…”
“…?”
“M-My chest has swelled. Did you put cotton in? Surely the magic of a great demon isn’t omnipotent enough to replicate all parts of the human body?”
The embarrassed Grid forgot to act as he replied, “O-Of course.”
He couldn’t answer honestly.
***
The capital Titan was the heart of the empire. It was a magnificent and splendid city that gave a glimpse into the wealth and power of the empire. However, the red-colored Titan was a completely different city from what Grid had seen before. Knights riding horses raced down the roads, and soldiers with swords were seen in every alley. Signs of battle were found, and some aristocratic mansions were burning. The people, who lost their place in this turmoil, crouched in a corner and cried.
It was simply pandemonium.
‘It’s like a war.’
As Basara feared, this was an unusual situation. Grid had to hurry. This was a great opportunity to help the emperor and raise affinity. He was also worried about the dukes who had left to meet the emperor first.
“Isn’t that Duke Basara?” The knights carefully searching the area found Grid disguised as Basara and got off their horses.
Grid asked them, “Are you searching for the rebel Edan?”
“Yes, that’s right!”
