Chapter 114
Grid was stunned at the lump of gold in front of him. In the meantime, someone's shadow appeared from the box that was emitting smoke. Jishuka detected it and reflexively attacked.
Paang!
She loaded an arrow in less than a second and fired. How would the presence reply to the rapid-fire attack?
Peng!
"Eh?"
"What?"
Jishuka and Vantner were shocked. The shadow protruding from the box extended a finger and burned Jishuka's arrow to ashes.
[I'm not welcome in the world after 300 years? It's sad.]
The shadow was a long-haired, handsome man. The eyes that could be seen through the flowing hair were sharp. He looked at Jishuka and Vantner in turn, before looking at Grid like he wasn't interested in them.
'This man, he is strong. At minimum, he's on the same level as Malacus.'
He had directly invalidated Jishuka's quick fire attack. Jishuka and Vantner were certain they would lose if they fought. They were relieved that he wasn't interested in them. But Grid was different. He was unable to grasp the situation and shouted furiously at the one who tried to kill him.
"You jerk! Why are you trying to kill a person all of a sudden? You lousy bastard! How are you going to take responsibility for your actions? Huh? Heok?”
Grid, who had pulled out Dainsleif, suddenly winced with fear and backed down. The man who appeared from the box had a transparent body and his feet were floating in the air. He was a ghost.
“H-Hik…!”
He thought a person with a flexible body had emerged from the small box, but it was actually a ghost.
Grid was an army soldier who dedicated himself to his country, but he was sadly weak against ghosts. He was filled with so much fear he thought he would urinate. His face was pale and stricken.
'I should've entered the marines!'
Grid was caught up in a belated regret when the ghost spoke to him.
[You survived my magic traps. You opened all three boxes that had different types of locks. Since you were protected by the pavranium, are you Pagma’s Descendant?]
"Pagma’s Descendant? What is that?"
"Shh. Grid's quest seems to be progressing. Be quiet and don't interrupt."
Jishuka withdrew to a corner and brought the bewildered Vantner with her. Her eyes were shining as she stared at Grid and the ghost talking.
'This is an opportunity to find out exactly what Grid's class is.'
On the other hand, Grid started to recover from seeing a ghost.
'He mentioned Pagma’s Descendant… Is the stagnant class quest going to proceed again?'
Grid's spirit had now completely recovered. He took a deep breath and replied.
“That’s right. I am Pagma's Descendant. Who are you?"
The ghost man responded.
[I was known as the Great Magician Braham. Did you come to the labyrinth that I designed for the minerals? If you are Pagma's Descendant, you should've been interested in this place a long time ago. You don't seem to have much curiosity and attachment to minerals, unlike Pagma.]
This ghost claimed to be the legendary great magician, Braham! If Grid interpreted what he was saying, the Golem's Labyrinth seemed to be a place created for Pagma’s Descendant. It was a very attractive place to Grid because the golems were made of many minerals and the labyrinth itself was a mine. He was able to collect minerals from anywhere in the labyrinth.
'I would've come sooner if I heard about this place earlier… But…'
It was ludicrous.
"You made a place like this because you were waiting for me? No, what if I never came here in my whole life?"
[I've created 27 more places like this across the continent. Even if it was delayed, I believed that one day there would be a meeting. Personally, I hoped that the meeting would be sooner.]
“…So why did you want to meet me?"
Braham pointed at the metal floating in front of Grid.
[Its name is pavranium. It is the pinnacle of all minerals created with Pagma's skill and my magic. It's harder than the god's metal adamantium, lighter than mithril, and has a good compatibility with magic power. It also has the outstanding elasticity of jaffa.]
"What?"
A mineral containing all the advantages of top-class minerals? If this was true, it could truly be called the peak.
[…It can decide by itself and move with its own will. That is its only drawback.]
'A mineral made by Pagma…'
Grid no longer heard Braham's voice. He was lost in the richness and beauty of the pavranium that was floating in the air.
Could he handle a mineral made by Pagma? He would like to try, even if he failed. What would be the result if he made an item with this mineral? It was a chance to indirectly experience Pagma's skill through the mineral he created.
Curiosity dominated Grid. But Braham didn't like that Grid wasn't focusing on him. He pointed his narrow finger once more. Then ttak! Flames were generated. It was the fire that burned Jishuka's arrow. The fireball flew towards Grid's face and exploded.
Kwaang!
"Crazy..!"
Once again, the pavranium protected Grid. Grid was safe due to its fast actions, then he gritted his teeth.
"What? Why are you suddenly attacking me again?"
Braham's gaze was directed towards the pavranium, not Grid.
[That damn piece of metal… You're still showing favoritism towards the blacksmith.]
"Hey! What was that? Eh? You are crazy! Why did you attack me all of a sudden?"
Grid was upset at being ignored. Braham's gaze shifted back to him. Braham briefly explained why he attacked.
[Stay focused.]
“…”
It was the attitude of an expensive tutor! Grid didn't like it, but he focused in order to progress the quest. Then Braham started his explanation.
[The end of life… I hoped for Pagma to make me something. I only helped Pagma make pavranium so that my wish could be fulfilled. It took us 9 years and 11 months to complete pavranium. But there was a limit. Pagma, who was full of strength and health, died shortly after the completion of pavranium. Even someone who was revered as a legend couldn't escape the years and died of old age.]
“…”
[It was in vain. Everything I hoped to accomplish seemed lost. I visited the dwarves and asked them to make something from the pavranium, but their tiny masses of muscle couldn't even smelt it. I was desperate! I felt despair!]
Braham screamed before coming closer to Grid. His eyes were filled with mixed emotions like anger, joy and even madness.
[But now I met you! Pagma's Descendant! I want you to achieve the last hope that Pagma couldn't fulfill! Make it! The Vessel of the Soul! Reward all my efforts to protect the pavranium even after my death!]
"The Vessel of the Soul?"
Then a notification window flashed in front of Grid.
[Pagma's Descendant]
Difficulty: Class quest.
You have surely inherited Pagma's blacksmith skills, as well as his swordsmanship.
But you still don't know who Pagma was.
Who was Pagma? If he was simply a blacksmith with good skills, his legends wouldn't be scattered across the continent.
Follow the legends of Pagma. If you can collect all of the legends, you will truly understand Pagma and succeed his will.
At that moment, a new legend will be born.
* There is no time limit for this class quest.
* The legendary class quest has the power to transform Satisfy's world, according to the result.
Class Quest Clear Conditions: Complete all linked quests successfully.
Class Quest Clear Reward: Unknown.
* Second Class Quest: [Great Magician's Resurrection.]
The legendary great magician Braham was a genius. He reigned as the best magician ever since he started learning magic. There was a myth that he survived against the fire dragon Trauka without dying. As he grew old, he started mourning the fact that he was a mortal. Mentally and physically, he had already transcended humanity. Therefore, he wanted to become immortal.
After much research, he designed the 'Vessel of the Soul' that would regenerate his mortal soul into an immortal soul. But the Vessel of the Soul is an object that doesn't exist in this world and is impossible to create.
He searched for an entirely new mineral that could be used as a material for the Vessel of the Soul and learned that his old friend Pagma was trying to create a mineral that wasn't part of this world. He went to Pagma and assisted in the work. The two combined their power and created the mineral called pavranium.
Braham had no doubts that pavranium could be used to make the Vessel of the Soul. But the only blacksmith who could smelt pavranium was Pagma, who unfortunately died of old age.
In the end, Braham didn't achieve his wish!
He looked forward to the day that Pagma's Descendant would be born to create the Vessel of the Soul, creating 28 mines and setting up a maze all over the place before he died. Each labyrinth is full of minerals, and he believed that it would be enough to lure Pagma’s Descendant.
Now 300 years have passed. Out of 28 pieces of Braham's soul that were sealed in 28 labyrinths, one has finally encountered you.
Braham wants you to make the Vessel of the Soul. Through the Vessel of the Soul, he will be resurrected with the soul and body of an immortal.
* Second Class Quest Clear Condition: Create the Vessel of the Soul.
Second Class Quest Clear Reward: A large amount of pavranium.
“A large amount of pavranium? This isn't all of the pavranium?"
[Didn't I say that 27 more labyrinths are scattered across the continent? 27 more pavranium also exist. If you make the Vessel of the Soul with that pavranium, I will give you the rest.]
Adamantium was said to be from the world of the gods. The human world only contained a very small amount, making it the rarest among all minerals. But a large amount of adamantium in the world of the gods couldn't be ruled out.
On the other hand, pavranium was an artificially produced mineral. The method of creating it no longer existed in this world. The volume was more limited than adamantium. Not just that, the performance was also superior to adamantium. The opportunity to get such a valuable mineral wasn't something that Grid could miss. He also had no reason to refuse the class quest.
Grid easily made a decision and nodded.
"Okay! I will make the Vessel of the Soul!"
But there was one problem.
“How do I make it? Can I just make a rice bowl?"
[Rice bowl?]
The Vessel of the Soul that would unite 28 torn pieces of soul and regenerate it into an immortal soul was likened to a rice bowl! The furious Braham wanted to kill Grid right now. But he suppressed it and barely managed to explain.
[The god of health and wisdom, Judar. The god of war, Dominion. The goddess of light, Rebecca. The god of darkness and pestilence, Yatan. Let them bless the pavranium. After that, use the divine pavranium to make whatever bowl you like, as long as it can hold something. Then bring it to me. Don't be late.]
Grid expressed his disapproval.
“I have to get a blessing from the four gods? How can I do that? In particular, I have a hostile relationship with the Yatan Church."
[In the past, I forcefully overpowered each church and asked them to bless it… If that's impossible, try to figure out another method. Flatter or beg them. Either way, you must do it by any means.]
Braham seemed like he was going to kill Grid if it wasn't done. Then his soul started to fade away. He was just one of 28 pieces of soul, so it was difficult to maintain this form for long.
[Th…en Pag…ma's Des…cend…ant… I be…lieve in yo…u…]
It was like watching a video. Braham used his strength to say final words before completely disappearing.
Grid's thoughts became busy.
'Thanks to the Malacus raid, my affinity with the Rebecca, Dominion and Judar churches has risen. I don't know whether this affinity is high or low, but at least I won't be killed. Yes, the problem is the Yatan Church. Dammit! How can I receive a blessing from God Yatan?'
On the other hand, Jishuka watched the event quietly and sent a whisper to Laella, the guild's magician.
–Do you know the magician called Braham?
Laella answered immediately.
-Absolutely. Braham is the strongest magician in history. Most of the magic in Satisfy is created by Braham and he could be called the teacher of all magicians. There is no magician who doesn't know of Braham.
–Heh… He is that big? Then what about Pagma? Who is Pagma?
–Pagma? I'm not sure… This is the first time I've heard of him.
Pagma and Braham were the greatest blacksmith and magician of all time, with numerous legends about them. NPCs were familiar with historical people like Pagma and Braham because they had been studying Satisfy's history from a young age.
But it was different for users. Unlike NPCs, users only investigated their own interests. Jishuka was an archer, so she didn't know about Braham, while the magician Laella only knew about Braham and was completely unaware of Pagma.
Jishuka gave an order to Vantner.
“I want you to investigate who Pagma is."
If they knew who Pagma was, they could naturally grasp the identity of Grid, who was Pagma's Descendant.
'I originally hadn't planned to dig deeper…'
Grid was presumed to have a legendary hidden class. She couldn't miss the chance to know what this class was.
"Huh?"
Jishuka's eyes widened while she was lost in thought. It was because Grid's body had started to float in the air.
"Ah! The boots…! How is this possible?"
Vantner was shocked after discovering that Grid was using Braham's Boots. Didn't Braham's Boots have a level limit of 240? Meanwhile, Grid was only level 114. Originally, Grid shouldn't be able to wear this item.
'Actually, the cloak Grid is wearing is Malacus' Cloak… I remember that Malacus' Cloak has a level limit of 200.' Jishuka recalled how Grid was able to wield Ibellin's Thorn of Deep Grievance. 'Maybe Grid can use all items, regardless of the conditions of use?'
She kept being surprised the more she knew about Grid. Meanwhile, Grid flew to the ceiling of the collapsed underground space and said to the two of them.
"I will return to the smithy first."
Peeng!
Grid rose through the top of the ceiling and instantly disappeared from sight. Jishuka and Vantner cried out in admiration.
"Kuk~~~~~! Amazing!"
“…It is more amazing than I thought. This game truly is about the power of items. Right?"
They imagined how awesome Grid looked flying around and wielding a greatsword. Maybe it would cause a big wave. A warrior who could fly had appeared! A warrior taking away the magic of magicians! The headlines continued in a similar manner.
In fact, he was a blacksmith.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 115
A hunting ground near Winston that was a favourite for level 100 users.
"Eh? What's that?”
The users struggling with monsters noticed a black dot approaching in the sky. Then they started murmuring.
"It's too big to be a bird. Is it perhaps a griffon?"
"There are no griffon habitats in the area. But I don't think there is anything else besides a griffon… It's serious if it is a griffon. Will we die?"
“U-Uh? A person?"
The dot soon got closer. Surprisingly, the identity was revealed to be a user.
"Wow… A second advancement magician."
"It's my first time seeing a ranker up close. So cool!"
"What is that thing shining next to him? A pet?"
Kuwaaang!
A man in a red cloak was flying through the sky! The object following him flashed in the blazing sun. The identity of the person was Grid. He flew through the sky without stopping and soon disappeared from the sight of the users.
Then he reached a wide forest and stopped.
'I'm out of mana.'
He had already taken one mana potion. Then his mana became depleted again before the potion cooldown was over. Grid was forced to land on the ground.
"Winston is beyond this forest. I can recover some mana while walking."
It was a deep forest.
Grid measured the distance to Winston and looked at the frostlight orc chief's helmet. After this forest, he would encounter a lot of people. The helmet was the sign of the Human Slaughterer so there would be a fuss.
"I have to quickly replace this helmet."
Grid once again vowed to wear an awesome helmet that was suitable for a mythical hero, while the pavranium circled his head. It seemed to be in a good mood.
"Are you excited to get fresh air after being trapped in a box for 300 years?"
Grid asked while walking. But the pavranium didn't answer. It was natural. It had a will, but it was just a mineral. It couldn't carry out a conversation. But Grid continued to talk to it.
"But aren't you unbelievably fast? My flight speed was 100 meters in 7 seconds, yet you managed to keep up? Do you have tireless stamina as well?"
Grid looked at the pavranium with affection. It was natural for a blacksmith to feel favorable towards the best minerals.
“Kuwooh!”
"Give it to me! Human! Your life! Flesh and bone! Separate!"
Grid was carrying out a pleasant conversation (?) with pavranium when he was interrupted by sturdy orcs. They were armed with crude red leather and had a large wolf with them. Considering that they spoke the human language fairly well, they were obviously the wolf fang orcs known for being powerful among the various orcs.
Grrrung.
The wolf shook its nose. It was clearly reacting to the bloody smell coming from Malacus' Cloak. It smelled the blood and led the orcs here. In addition…
Kuuong! Kung!
Kyaooooh!
Various monsters such as ogres, goblins and snakes moved through the forest. In an instant, Grid was surrounded by 100 enemies.
"Wow… What is this?”
The users hunting nearby were surprised by the turmoil and came running. It was the first time they saw all types of monsters focusing on just one person.
"That person is screwed."
"What did he do wrong that angered so many mobs?"
“Tsk tsk~ purposely angering mobs like this~ he should hunt in moderation~"
The people weren't aware of the situation and talked among themselves.
Syuok! Syuok!
The goblin archers in the rear shot at Grid. The users saw the dark rain of arrows covering the sky and knew that Grid would die. But Grid's high stats made him similar to a level 200 combat class. In addition, he'd observed Jishuka's expert archery, so the goblin's clumsy firing seemed like a kid's prank to him.
"Are there any idiots who would be killed by these arrows?"
Grid laughed while holding the Ideal Dagger and aimed Wind Blast at the arrows.
Kuwaaaang!
Grid invested all the points he gained reaching level 114 into strength. The damage of Wind Blast was proportional to his attack power. Now that the power of Grid's Wind Blast was upgraded, the level 100 goblins couldn't endure it.
"Kiek!"
"Kyak!"
The rain of arrows was neutralized and the goblin archers who had their arms or legs cut off collapsed with a scream. This was the signal for all monsters to simultaneously attack Grid.
“Wearing the cloak was worthwhile!”
Hunting had a direct correlation to levels!
Grid swapped to Dainsleif and drank a mana potion. Then he used Wave and fired it all over the place. The monsters approaching him simultaneously collapsed. The ogres were durable enough to survive, but they were hit by Wave and slowed down by the debuff. They couldn't threaten Grid with their slow movements and struggled in vain.
Peeok! Pajik!
“Keok!"
Puoook!
"Kkieek!"
Wave killed most of the monsters in one blow, while Grid subdued the rest by killing them one by one. Meanwhile, the few remaining goblins fired arrows with all their might. A few arrows actually flew directly at Grid.
“Che!”
Grid was too caught up in killing and belatedly noticed the arrows. He braced himself for the pain. But the arrows didn't reach Grid's body.
Kwajak! Kwajajajak!
Pavranium rotated around Grid's body and destroyed all the arrows.
"Wow…"
Was it normal for a class to have a strong offense and defense? The swordsman with the black greatsword killed the monsters with overwhelming attack power, while the metal pet protected the body. This balance seemed perfect.
"That's amazing… Excuse me, but what is your class?"
Grid swept away the rest of the monsters with pavranium's help and started picking up items. This gave the users a chance to barrage him with questions.
"What is that gold object floating next to you? Is that a pet? Or maybe a new style of armor?"
"Mister, how about you? Aren't you actually a high level user? Why is a high level user hunting in a place like this? Is there anything good here?"
"Mister~?"
"Mister, are you deaf? Answer us."
The users here saw that Grid was in a crisis and no one tried to help. In addition, Grid was inherently unfriendly towards people. He had no obligation to answer the users' questions.
“This is too annoying. Fly."
Grid cried out to the annoying users and used Fly. Then he literally flew away in the sky.
"…?"
The users left behind were stunned and could only blink. After a few minutes, people in various communities around the world became interested in something.
It was a place called Popo Forest near Winston. I hunted with my friend there and saw a high level user slaughtering mobs. Then after wiping out all the mobs, he flew away. A swordsman was flying?
RnfkRk’s comment: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ A swordsman can't fly ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Durururubam's reply: A swordsman was flying? I'm a priest but I can't use Heal. ㅂㅅ
Black Dragon's Right Arm's comment: Kukuk… That swordsman was me… Kukukuk… I was careful but I never thought someone would witness it… Yare yare…
Zkxhfm’s comment: Liar's disease.
Admiral’s comment: Did you mother eat seaweed soup on the day you were born?
30,000 won Salary's comment: Don't write shit just to gain traffic.
It was a terrible method. The users abused the poster who wrote about the flying swordsman, so the other witnesses no longer bragged about it. Thus, it was a temporary problem and the topic wasn't mentioned any longer.
In the meantime, Grid arrived at Khan's smithy and ran straight to the furnace. He placed the pavranium in the furnace and controlled the temperature in order to determine the melting point.
"It is 1,900 degrees."
The pavranium was so small that it was instantly smelted.
"I don't want to carry it around in an egg shape until I make the Vessel of the Soul, so I should transform it into something else…"
But the volume was too small to produce a lot of items. The pavranium wasn't enough to even make a dagger. In order to make an item, Grid would have to mix in other materials. However, he didn't want to contaminate the pure pavranium.
"Let's be satisfied with changing the shape."
After being with the pavranium for a while, he noticed that it had a propensity to stay by the owner's side for protection. He needed to take advantage of this feature.
"A shape more suitable for defense than an egg… Ah!'
Grid recalled Malacus' shield.
"He formed a disc-shaped shield with magic power at each attacked point, effectively blocking the attack…"
Ttang! Ttang!
Grid started carefully hammering. Then after a while, the pavranium became two disks. Each disc was slightly smaller than the palms of an adult.
“Okay.”
Grid finished the discs. The discs floated in the air before starting to revolve around Grid again. Grid felt reassured. It seemed like he could be protected from most attacks. Then Jishuka arrived at the smithy. Grid told her.
"Shoot an arrow at me."
"Huh?"
“Hurry."
“Hrmm, okay."
Jishuka saw the golden discs circling around Grid and noticed his intentions. Then she fired an arrow without hesitation.
Syuk!
Chaaeng!
It was a beautiful sight. The two discs around Grid's body flew in the direction of the arrow and fully stopped it.
"That is great…"
Jishuka's expression wasn't good, compared to her admiring words. Her ego was bruised.
"It's that simple to block? Did I shoot it too weakly?"
"Hey, wait a minute…!"
Grid was scared. Jishuka fired again, but this time she pulled the bowstring back to the maximum.
Swaeek!
“Aaaagh!"
The arrow that contained all her power flew towards Grid's death.
Then!
Jjejeong!
"…Hah!"
Grid and Jishuka let out a sound at the same time. Jishuka's was a displeased sneer, while Grid was filled with delight.
"This arrow can even pierce through steel… Isn't this extremely durable? Like Braham said, it's the peak of all minerals."
That's right. The golden discs had perfectly blocked the arrow fired by Jishuka. But the impact was quite strong, so it couldn't move for a little while after the point of collision. Then it started moving again after two seconds.
'If it receives excessive shock, it is immobilized for two seconds…'
If Jishuka continuously fired her strength arrows, the two discs wouldn't be able to completely protect his body. Grid felt the need to complete this quest and obtain the rest of the pavranium.
'But… If there are 27 more pavranium of this size, it won't be enough to make armor… Well, it isn't a problem. I can still use it.'
Grid was flexible. Rather than striving to make a complete item with a limited volume of pavranium, it was best to maximize its efficiency by making several small items.
‘For example, attaching a blade made of pavranium to armor. The blade would move on its own to protect me from attacks I can't react to, or if the enemy attacks me from an unexpected angle.'
An item that could move on its own! If he cleared this quest and gained the remaining pavranium, he would be able to write the true history of the power of items. As Grid was overwhelmed with pleasure, someone knocked on the door of the smithy. Jishuka asked him.
"These discs, they don't need to be exposed to other people right?"
“Of course. Isn't it common sense to hide it?"
"Yes."
Grid placed the discs in his inventory. Then the doors of the smithy opened. One knight and dozens of soldiers entered. They politely saluted to Grid and said.
"Earl Steim is looking for you."
"Earl Steim? Lady Irene's father?"
"Yes."
"Oh? Okay! Let's go!"
Why was the master of the north, one of the big powers in the Eternal Kingdom, looking for Grid? In the first place, it was strange that the high level NPC knight, famous for their arrogance, would act so respectfully towards a user.
Jishuka watched the knight and soldiers escort Grid from the inventory and asked.
"What is this?"
Vantner's armor production request needed to be delayed for a while.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.
Chapter 116
“Put that decoration here!"
“Hey, the new curtain color doesn't match the wallpaper. Change it back to the previous one."
“Chef! Is the food preparation finished?"
“There's dust left on the carpet! Clean again!"
80 servants working in Winston Castle were busy. In a little while, Winston's top VIP would be here. Earl Steim was the one who invited the VIP, but he didn't look pleased.
'I don't like it….'
Irene was Earl Steim's only child. She was truly a lovely daughter. He was confident that she was the most beautiful and gentlest woman in the world. Therefore, he thought that her husband should at least be the prince of another country.
Then!
His precious daughter, famous for being aloof in social circles, had her heart taken by a con artist! What a blunder!
"Hum hum hum~" Irene was smiling happily and humming to herself. She seemed like a new bride waiting for her husband.
Earl Steim's expression became increasingly darker. 'That person called Grid… No matter how I think about it, he's just a scammer.'
Grid was the hero who saved Winston from the Mero Company and previous lord, and the one who made the Sword of Self-transcendence that was a new heirloom in their family. Above all, he saved Irene's life.
No, wasn't it just words?
He couldn't believe that the young blacksmith who made the best sword would be skilled enough in the sword to kill Malacus, one of the Eight Servants, and rescue Irene from the remaining Yatan followers.
It was impossible the more he thought about it. Perhaps Irene was deceived by him?
'My daughter… You're being fooled by a scammer… You don't have any eye for men. Come on Grid! I will reveal that you are a scammer!'
“Lord Earl."
A young man approached Earl Steim. His blond hair made him look like he was the protagonist of a romantic drama. His luxurious attire and elegant demeanor made it obvious that he was a noble.
His name was Bland de Ian. He was the son of Earl Ashur, lord of the south, and a disciple of Earl Steim. In addition, he was Irene's childhood friend. Having adored Irene since childhood, he was filled with greater anger and jealousy than Earl Steim.
"I've thought about it all night, and that person called Grid is definitely a con artist."
Earl Steim nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. So let's wait for him to come. We will reveal the truth!"
"Yes!"
Then after a while.
Earl Steim, Bland and Irene anxiously waited for Grid with different feelings. Grid was delivered by a knight and kneeled down in front of Earl Steim.
“I greet the great lord of the north, Earl Steim."
Grid usually wore scruffy beginner's clothing, but he was worried about meeting nobles. On the way to the castle, he stopped buy a clothing store and bought clothes worth one gold. But while the one gold clothes might seem luxurious for beginners, it looked cheap even for mid level users, and the materials weren't good. In the eyes of the nobles, he was like a beggar.
'His appearance is shabby…'
It wasn't just Grid's clothing. The forearms and shoulder muscles showed that his body was trained, but it wasn't at a special level. There wasn't one element where Grid was superior to Bland. Bland was sure of this and shouted.
“Who are you? Even if you are a commoner, shouldn't you know the basic etiquette?"
Grid made a mistake. Originally when greeting the nobility, it was a etiquette to reveal his identity.
‘It was a mistake I made after not meeting nobles for a long time. But even so…'
Grid looked at the noble with the name 'Bland' over his head.
‘Why is that jerk so high-strung and tense?'
Grid was aware of the reason why he was brought here. He was the creator of the Sword of Self-transcendence and the hero who saved both Winston and Irene, so Earl Steim was probably going to reward his achievements. But instead of a warm welcome, he received this unpleasant reaction.
However, he remained patient.
‘This isn't just any noble… Earl Steim might become my father-in-law so…'
Grid smiled and corrected his mistake.
“The blacksmith Grid living in Winston greets the lord of the north, Earl Steim."
Earl Steim nodded. "Ah, yes. I have heard the story. Thus, I am glad to meet you. However… You introduced yourself as a blacksmith? I heard you are also an excellent swordsman."
Grid humbly explained, “I'm not a swordsman. My main vocation is a blacksmith, and my swordsmanship is just shallow."
“Huh, it must not be shallow if you manage to defeat Malacus. Shouldn't you be the best?"
"I didn't defeat Malacus alone. It was with my colleagues."
"But isn't it true that you defeated dozens of Yatan followers? Irene was a direct witness."
"It is true but… The followers of Yatan were so weak that I could deal with them with my shallow fencing."
"Hah… The followers are Yatan are weak? If they are so insignificant, how have they troubled the soldiers and people of this land for decades? Is it true that your opponents were the Yatan followers? In the first place, was it the Yatan Church who actually kidnapped Irene? Perhaps someone deceived Irene in order to make himself stand out?"
Rather than being rewarded, Earl Steim was pushing the conversation in a strange direction. Grid grasped the situation.
'Earl Steim, I sold you the Sword of Self-transcendence and saved your daughter's life, but you are making me out to be a con artist?'
It was very unpleasant. Anger flared inside Grid. He had tried to show humility because the other person was a noble. Grid's face turned red as Irene came forward, "Father! What do you mean by that? Are you suspicious of Grid right now?"
"That's right!" Earl Steim snapped and got up from his seat. Then he spoke bluntly. "Grid! I'm sorry, but aren't you too suspicious? You're the greatest blacksmith on the continent and the strongest swordsman at the same time? Common sense suggests that it isn't possible! First, I have to check if your swordsmanship is real or not. Bland!"
"Yes, My Lord!"
Chaang!
When Earl Steim called, Bland pulled out his sword like he had been waiting. Then he rushed towards Grid.
‘Yes, this is better.'
Honestly, this method was better to resolve their doubts. Grid thought positively and pulled Dainsleif out of his inventory. He jumped forward and shouted.
“This is how it is! Yes, my swordsmanship isn't shallow! I will show you!"
“Are you prepared? I will defeat you now!"
Bland jumped up and aimed his sword towards Grid's head.
Chaaeng!
"…?!"
Bland was perplexed. The striking force that had the weight of his body applied was rendered ineffective by that big sword in Grid's hand.
'Che! I guess he trained up his strength and muscle development!'
Bland determined that it was difficult to compete with strength, so he used the repulsive force to spin in the air and land. Then he lowered his body as much as possible and attacked Grid's lower body.
Grid stuck his greatsword to the ground. Bland's sword flying towards Grid's ankles was blocked by the greatsword.
'He's good at fighting!'
A chill went down Bland's spine. He was certain that Grid was a scammer due to his appearance, but what was this? He hurriedly moved as Grid drew up his feet. A kick.
“Cough…”
Bland coughed out some gastric juices. Grid stood over him and said, “You are like a kid who only fought in your house… No, I'm sorry to your sword."
"T-This guy…!"
NPC knights had a minimum level of 180. Among the knights, Bland was one of the most talented and had a level of 200. Yet he was overwhelmed by Grid who was only level 114. It was inevitable. Grid's stats were high enough to be considered level 200, and the items he used had a level limit of over 200. In particular, Dainsleif was the strongest weapon. His stats, skills, items and combat experience made the difference in level meaningless.
But Bland was also a formidable presence. His father Earl Ashur was one of the best magicians in the Eternal Kingdom. He'd also inherited his father's talent for magic. That's right. He was a magic swordsman. It wasn't attack or defense magic, but buff and debuffs which were the most powerful in a one-on-one match.
"Sword's Grace! Armor's Will!"
Bland's sword and armor started to shine blue. It was imbued with the power of magic. This wasn't the end.
“Storm's Fury!"
Heavy winds stirred around Bland. The wind magic increased the speed of his blade and provided a certain amount of shielding.
'Now I will unconditionally win!'
Bland regained his confidence, “I am the youngest son of the great magician, Earl Ashur! It is possible for me to use powerful magic! Hahaha! Can you go against Earl Steim's swordsmanship and my father's magic?"
"Earl Ashur…?"
Grid's face distorted at that moment.
Earl Ashur! Who was he? He was the lord of the fortified city Patrian, and the one who ordered Grid to find the Northern End Cave and obtain Pagma's Rare Book.
At the time, Grid was forced to take a quest that didn't fit his level and suffered for months. He experienced more than a dozen deaths, lost many items and became broke, increasing the risk of being chased after by the creditors. Grid had really wanted to quit the game. Logging into the game itself was like hell. He would rather go into the army one more time. An average person would've given up the game.
Grid's only advantage was his patience, so he persevered and persevered until he finally found Pagma's Rare Book. But he wasn't greeted with a happy ending. All the reputation he built up with Earl Ashur and Patrian turned into infamy and he was killed by Earl Ashur's knight.
As a result of Earl Ashur, Grid was able to change to Pagma's Descendant and reverse his life, but that was all due to Grid's efforts. Grid was only filled with hostile emotions towards Ashur.
"Oho, you are Earl Ashur's son?"
Grid had promised several times that he would someday kill Earl Ashur. And now! He found a target that could get rid of some of that deep grudge. Bland in front of him had identified himself as Earl Ashur's son.
Bland was still unable to grasp the atmosphere.
"Hahaha! You are afraid after knowing my identity! But it is too late! You will be completely trampled on by me!”
Bland grew up as a member of the nobility and was always victorious thanks to his outstanding talents. He was very confident in himself. He didn't think that the commoner in front of him could be stronger than himself.
“Lord of the Storm!"
Bland's debuff magic aimed at Grid and strong winds started to press at him. Grid couldn't move even one hand. Bland smiled with satisfaction and rushed towards Grid, stabbing forward with his magic enhanced sword.
[A strong wind has suppressed your body. Agility will become zero for two seconds and you can't move.]
[You have resisted.]
Grid scoffed as he checked the notification window.
"Pagma's Swordsmanship."
'Pagma? Pagma?! Don’t tell me?’
Earl Steim was shocked as he heard Grid's voice. Grid unleashed a dazzling sword dance.
"Link!"
Jjejeong! Jjejejeok! Pepepepeok!
The greatsword swiftly moved 10 times, regardless of its heavy weight. Bland's attack was easily neutralized and the wind shield protecting Bland's body shattered. Even his armor strengthened by magic was torn apart.
“Kuaaaaak!”
Bland couldn't believe it. How could this man move freely? And what was this beam of light?
Pipipipit!
Bland's body was swept by the 10 silver lights of different orbits, causing him to bleed and kneel down.
‘This can't be…! This is me! Me!'
He couldn't show this shameful image in front of the woman he liked and his respected teacher. Bland didn't want it to end like this. He wanted to get up and kill Grid right now. But his wounded body didn't move as intended.
Grid snorted and turned his gaze towards Earl Steim. Then he straightened and asked, “With this, are there any doubts about my swordsmanship? Shall I show you my blacksmithing skills next? Huh?"
"Yes! This is good! Okay! I want to know everything about you! But before that!' Earl Steim ran up in front of Grid. He grasped both of Grid's hands and pleaded. "Grid! Please take my daughter as your bride!"
The greatest blacksmith and swordsman in history. The name of this famous person was Pagma. Earl Steim had realized that Grid was Pagma’s Descendant.
At this moment, Grid was the first to obtain the status of a noble's son-in-law from among the two billion users playing Satisfy. It was the position he failed to obtain in the past after being interrupted by Yura during Doran's quest.
OG:
Current schedule: 20 chapters a week.