Overgeared

Many may have noticed—the dwarven racial traits weren’t about strength and dexterity, but was instead an obsession that transcended death. It was the true power of the dwarves and the driving force behind the connection with their works. The desire for their works to be immortal masterpieces inspired them to inject their soul into their works.

This was why the ego gears were the symbol of integrity. The ego gear, that only dreamed of being the best, was upright like a tall tree and led its master on the right path. At one time, the world sanctified the ego gears and their masters. Then the world soon found out—the fact that the wicked battle gears, classified as the so-called ‘Demonic Gears,’ also possessed egos.

“......!”

Grid was shocked. It was due to the screams of beasts that came from the deep passage after the entrance of Pandemonium was opened. It sounded creepy, sharp, and wicked. He would rather hear the screams of the great demons.

‘...Is it the sound of the wind?’

It happened as Grid was double-checking that it was the wind echoing in the darkness...

“The personalities of the egos were different just as humans were all different,” Antrino spoke as he watched Grid with interest.

His hand touching his complicated braided beard was as delicate and beautiful as the hands of other dwarf craftsmen. In this world, it felt like the saying ‘slender and delicate hands’ existed only for the dwarves.

“What is the mood of the creator when smelting the minerals? Depending on the purpose of the creator when tempering the mineral, upright and righteous egos, or malicious and murderous egos, can be born. We call the latter demonic gears and have sealed them here in Pandemonium.”

“……”

Grid was reminded of the Thorn of Deep Grievance. Originally, the Thorn of Deep Grievance was just an ordinary flamberge. Then after being abandoned by its maker, Grid, and left alone to one side of the smithy, it gradually harbored a grudge against Grid. Ibellin’s blood, filled with anger and shame, awakened the ego. The ego was filled with a grudge toward Grid and was very ferocious. The demonic gears sealed in Pandemonium would have their own story, just like the thorn.

The dwarf warriors slowly surrounded Grid. They were reluctant to expose Pandemonium, which could be called their shame, to an outsider. Surprisingly, it was King Charles who snapped at them. “Out of the way!”

King Charles’ bloodshot eyes were burning. His snow-white beard looked like it would melt. “A promise is a promise! Since he has opened the door of Pandemonium, let him enter and exit Pandemonium!”

This wasn’t a favor. King Charles was plotting a reversal.

“Now, Pagma's Descendant.”

“What?”

“I have given you access to Pandemonium because you have promised to liberate the soul of the empress. However, if you do other things without liberating the soul of the empress, then I will properly punish you. Furthermore, regardless of your success or failure, I will be sure to take back the soul of the empress.”

‘I kept my promise. You must keep your promise.’

King Charles sent him such a message and Grid lost his way to go back on his words. If Grid couldn’t liberate the soul of the empress, then not only would his life be in danger, an exchange with Talima would become unlikely.

‘He’s pretty smart.’

Like the other dwarves, King Charles had a capricious personality that didn’t observe the situation around him. However, his head worked in important moments. It was a style that would be very tiring if he left as an enemy.

‘...Instead, it is reassuring to be on the same side.’

There was a small smile on Grid’s face. In any case, the water has already been spilled. His relationship with Talima had become twisted from the moment the dwarf empress’ soul dwelled in the God Hands. However, there was now an opportunity to recover the water. It wasn’t necessary to regard the current situation negatively.

“Okay, but you’ll need to make one promise.”

“What?”

“If I liberate the empress’ soul, then apologize for all your rudeness so far.”

“...Understood,” King Charles replied.

He also knew Grid’s identity. A blacksmith whose skill was acknowledged by God Hexetia...

King Charles had clearly heard of Grid’s reputation, which made it all the way here even when they were isolated by Fire Dragon Trauka. It was right to apologize if Grid really liberated the empress’ soul and proved that he was different from Pagma.

‘By the way, will the predator of Pandemonium really help him?’

It was a monster thrown to the very end of Pandemonium—a predator that devoured all other egos and cultivated negativity. It was a clever existence who wouldn’t touch the empress’ soul which was an ego it couldn’t digest. It was only the royal lineage that could force it to bring out the empress’ soul.

‘It is a pity, but you have a duty to take on Pagma’s karma. Fall into hell instead of Pagma. Your death and resurrection will relieve my fellow kin’s grief.’

King Charles glanced at Pelot and Pelot explained it to Grid, “You will see a total of 10 rooms if you walk along the corridor of Pandemonium. Thousands of battle gears in every room will tempt you in various ways. Please ignore them and only look ahead. The presence at the end of the corridor will liberate the empress’ soul.”

It was easy. The problem was that it wasn’t something that people could easily do.

The basic passive of the dwarves was to ignore the words that entered their ears so they didn’t fall for the temptation of the battle gears. However, humans are easily swayed. Even the least greedy one wouldn’t be able to easily overcome all the temptations suggested by the thousands of egos.

‘I just pray that he’ll be caught by one that isn’t as vicious.’

Pelot had a strong fondness for Grid and wanted to believe in him. He hoped that Grid would liberate the empress’ soul. Therefore, he gave Grid a chance, but honestly, he had no expectations of the outcome

Grid noticed Pelot’s saddened attitude and realized that Pandemonium was a place that couldn’t be underestimated. He took a deep breath. He bent down and entered Pandemonium as thousands of dwarves watched.

***

[You are the first player to enter Pandemonium.]

[The first discovery reward has increased fire resistance by 50% during the Pandemonium entry period.]

[The first discovery reward has increased mental resistance by 50% during the Pandemonium entry period.]

[The ‘Item Weight Deletion Ticket (1 hour)’ has been acquired as the first discovery reward.]

It was a weird compensation reward. It was very shabby compared to the usual initial compensation. However, Grid wasn’t shaken.

‘There must be a reason for it.’

It was as expected.

[The heat of the lava boiling underground has started to burn your skin.]

Did he walk for around 30 minutes? He didn’t know when he started feeling it, but heat washed over him. However, for the legendary blacksmith, Grid, this level of heat was just like a beginner’s sauna. Additionally...

-Hey! You there! Don’t you want to know the island where the treasure of the Rams Pirates are buried?

“I have a lot of money.”

-Give me magic power! I will teach you the best magic!

“Are you better at magic than Braham?”

-Don’t you want to seduce the opposite sex by hanging me around your neck?

“I’m married.”

Grid didn’t fall for the temptation of the ego items trapped in each room. The level of temptation presented by the ego items was too low for him. It was no wonder since Grid had wealth, power, and connections.

‘I don’t even need the mental resistance buff.’

Honestly, he had been very nervous, but it didn’t seem to be anything big. Grid continued walking forward peacefully until he passed by the door of the 10th room. Here, he encountered a complication—one of the thousands of voices coming from the 10th room stopped Grid.

[email protected])*&#[email protected]!

It was a language that was completely incomprehensible, but it was somehow familiar.

‘What does this mean?’

Grid focused his mind. He ignored the thousands of other miscellaneous voices and listened to the strange language. He remembered where he had heard this bizarre language.Grid’s eyes widened. The diary of someone who was alone. It reminded him of the Undefeated King’s Diary. That’s right—the language resembled that of Madra’s, who had spent hundreds of years alone and lost human speech.

‘How can this be?’

It was a time when Madra was forced to become a death knight and went crazy. Grid had interpreted the contents of Madra’s diary as a type of scream. Finally, he forgot human words and screamed from the pain that dominated his mind. Now he realized it was a language. The language of something other than human.

A rusty iron door—Grid was excited by the thought that the hint in the diary would no longer be undecipherable and tried to open the door. However, the locked iron door wouldn’t open. All types of ridicule was heard from the other egos.

-This person is someone who can’t even open the door?

-You see, didn’t I tell you that the dwarves have a big stride?

-The one who came after so long is a useless guy.

In the midst of the constant ridicule, Grid pulled out a key. It was the Master Key.

Clink!

The old lock—the lock that seemed like it would never open because the keyhole was severely damaged—opened with a cheerful sound.

-Ehhhhh! I believed in you!

-Kiyaaaah! Grab me, human! I’ll give you the power to escape from here!

The battle gears locked up in the 10th room were rowdy with excitement. They eagerly welcomed the intruder’s visit. They treated the intruder as a host and were full of the expectation to escape from here.

“……”

Grid was still focusing his attention and it wasn’t long before he found the source of the language he heard—a pure white orb.

-(%!#[email protected]~!

“…...”

The closer he got, the clearer it became. The orb’s cry closely resembled that of the Undefeated King in his diary. This was the language. The confident Grid reached out and held the orb in his hand.

[’Orb Made from Galgunos’ Bones’ has been picked.]

[email protected]$#@$!

[The Orb Made from Galgunos’ Bones is laughing. The only one who can control it is Galgunos.]

[The Orb Made from Galgunos’ Bones will curse you.]

[You have resisted.]

[The class effect of Pagma's Descendant has allowed you to equip the Orb Made from Galgunos’ Bones.]

[Ownership of the Orb Made from Galgunos’ Bones has been acquired.]

[email protected]#$?!

[The dwarves’ brand is stamped on the Orb Made from Galgunos’ Bones. The brand effect has maximized the weight gauge of the orb. All speeds are drastically reduced. You can no longer carry any more items.]

“As expected, the rest are all useless.”

Grid had passed all 10 rooms and, apart from this orb, there were no other items that attracted his interest. Grid took the Item Weight Deletion Ticket and used it without hesitation.

‘I will take it to Sticks.’

Sticks was a great sage. He was blessed with knowledge and would be able to analyze and master the language through a conversation with this orb. Grid had no doubts and walked out of the 10th room with light steps. After a long walk, he finally reached the final place of Pandemonium.

He could see a cliff flowing with lava in front of him. Beneath the cliff was a tightly chained up helmet. It was a helmet that covered the entire face. It didn’t melt in the lava, but instead it was smiling with its mouthpiece.

-Hahat! Hahahat! The empress’ soul was brought by a human? This is another comedy!