Overgeared

There was a sense from the hand when fighting. Most of the time, it was a sensation that was accompanied by the sentiment such as 'this attack has properly hit.' It could be felt in classic games that used a keyboard or mouse. Even without knowing the exact specs of the opponent, they could often have a hunch that the target was about to fall. Most of these sensations were based on the experience accumulated.

In that sense, Grid's foundation was very solid. It was because he had fought countless enemies.

Why did others use the phrase 'he overshadows the years' when evaluating Grid? There was nothing wrong with it. It was thanks to the fact that he gained a lot of experience in a short period of time. Grid's one year was more valuable than someone else's 10 years or 100 years. This was the greatest strength of those who used persistence as a weapon.

Grid met many enemies stronger than himself even after becoming a god. Nevertheless, he didn't fall into a sense of collapse or frustration. As always, he resisted without knowing how to give up. This all became experience.

'It isn't enough.'

Therefore, he felt it. Even as he tore Baal's body to shreds, he noticed that Baal wouldn't die. Baal's health gauge was depleted in a single breath, but this amplified his anxiety instead.

'This… something is definitely wrong.'

The current Grid was in a full buffed state. Except for the Sweet Candy that had just melted, all the other enhancement effects were stacked on top of each other. It was from the active skills such as Duke of Amplification to enhancement potions manufactured at the Reidan Alchemy Facility. Additionally, his status had risen significantly due to the effects of Dragon Knight. This meant he could activate all four hidden symbols attached to Cranbel's Horn.

The Serve Dragon Pinnacle Wave Kill Link that tore Baal's body to shreds could be called the strongest sword dance ever. There was a high probability that it would be the strongest sword dance of all time. This would be the first and last time he boarded an old dragon. But...

Was it enough to kill Baal with a single blow? Grid was convinced this wasn't the case. He declared that Baal was unnecessary to this world, but he didn't deny Baal's power.

[The target has received 33,333,333,333 damage!]

At the same time, the total amount of damage inflicted emerged in the notification window. A chill went down Grid's spine. It was because he came up with a keyword that pierced Baal's essence based on the numerical figure that shouldn't come out: Deception.

Baal had betrayed even the god who created him. From the standpoint of the existence who deceived his sister, Beriache, who was born on the same day, and his closest subordinates who trusted him, it wasn't strange for him to deceive others.

"Did you notice? I wanted to see you rejoice. It is a pity," Baal's flesh, which had been torn to tens of thousands of pierces, squirmed and spoke with a 'mouth.' The sneering laughter that emerged had a terrible pitch.

Grid frowned. The messages indicating that most of his buff effects were over or coming to an end were filling one side of his field of view.

Bunhelier grasped Grid's state and stopped flapping his wings. He slowly retreated from Baal.

"Was it a mimicry?" Grid asked this question when he recalled how Amoract had been obsessed with Yura and relentlessly sent a mimicry until Baal established a new law in hell. Then Baal's ridiculing laugh grew louder.

"I have already confessed my desire to experience death."

He was afraid of death, so he put forward a mimicry. Baal's squirming and giggling flesh quickly gathered at a single point. Then it took shape again. The sight of Baal being resurrected without a single wound made Bunhelier groan. Baal shrugged and swept back the hair flowing past his horns, neatly arranging it. "There is no need to be discouraged. It is because a while ago, you definitely killed me. It just doesn't mean much."

[Don't talk to him.]

Bunhelier hastily interrupted Baal's words. He was concerned that Grid would fall into despair and cause a greater upheaval.

Bunhelier recognized Grid as someone with a shared fate. He understood that if something went wrong with Grid, it would go wrong with him as well. He was seriously injured due to Nevartan and recognized the fact that he was being pushed by Baal. It was already overwhelming enough to endure the pressure of the entire hell that seemed to reject him. He hoped that Grid would buy time, at least until his wounds were fully healed.

"Does it have anything to do with why people perceive you differently?" In fact, Grid was calm. Far from being frustrated, he showed no signs of agitation at all. It was because he predicted the current development from the time he cut at Baal.

Bunhelier found it strange, but Baal laughed as if he was satisfied. "That is it. As long as you fear me, I won't die."

Baal had appeared in history in all sorts of ways. Grid had also encountered him several times. It wasn't the real Baal, but the fragments of Baal's ego. In other words, it was only a small part of him. Even so, it came as a great fear to humans. Human fear turned into something that made up a part of Baal. It was also intertwined with his ability of proliferation. It was the cause behind people perceiving Baal differently. Baal became one, but also many.

[As expected, humanity must perish.]

Bunhelier murmured as he immediately understood the reality of Baal. It wasn't nonsense. It was serious. He thought it would be good to be cruel to humanity who interpreted his attitude at will.

'I won't die with Baal.'

Grid's expression as he stared intently at Bunhelier was gradually becoming calmer.

Baal's head cocked at an angle. "You aren't acting. You aren't agitated at all. Surprisingly, do you have a personality that gives up quickly?"

Baal's pupils were repeating a slow rotation to the left and right, only to suddenly stop. They slightly expanded to represent his mood. He was excited. The reaction that was hard for even an Absolute to understand was interesting and enjoyable in itself. Grid raised the sword and gripped it.

[The duration of Overgeared God's Rage has ended.]

[The cooldown time of Duke of Amplification hasn't ended.]

[The duration of Belial's Power...]

[The duration of Berith's Power...]

......

...

It felt like he was weakening in real time. Naturally, Baal also felt it. Absolutes were, in other words, top predators. In Baal's case in particular, he easily recognized beings other than himself as prey. Hunters were sensitive to changes in their prey.

"No. I was desperate."

Had Grid lost his dreams and hopes? Baal had expected him to be a great toy, but he ended up following the same path as others.

"It is a real pity."

This halfway power became poison.

If only he didn't have the power to kill me yet.

If he hadn't realized my infinite power, he would've struggled while feeling hope.

"I missed an interesting sight..."

Baal suddenly shut his mouth as he was speaking. It was because he found the divinity around Grid to be unpleasant. Since when did it become so dazzling? Wasn't it just as precarious as a lantern in front of the wind? It was just trying not to be swallowed up by the demonic energy of Baal and Bunhelier...

[In the end, God punished the king of the demons.]

"If one of your sources is the fear of human beings—"

"What...?"

One step, another step.

Baal started to step back. Was the rain of battle gear pouring down again? No, the sky of hell was quiet. There wasn't a single star and there was only the red moon in the dark sky. The reason that Baal took a step back was simply psychological pressure.

"It is enough to erase the fear."

[The king of the demons trembled and turned away from God.]

"...It is a scam. This is an obvious distortion."

Baal had only lost his body once. He quickly restored it and obviously put pressure on the Overgeared God. Grid was on the verge of falling into the abyss of despair. However, the humans on the surface who witnessed the situation with their own eyes didn't accept reality and instead distorted it.

They worshiped the Overgeared God just because he killed Baal once. They shook off a great deal of the fear they had harbored.

This… it was clearly wrong. It felt like the whole world was working together to scam him.

Bunhelier's voice permeated the bewildered Baal's ears.

[Certainly. He deserves to shine so much in the eyes of human beings. Grid is the one who got the approval of I, the great old dragon, Bunhelier. He climbed onto my neck and cut you down. From this point on, it doesn't matter what the outcome is.]

The Grid reflected in the eyes of human beings must have been infinitely holy. He would've shown a brilliant future even if he was defeated by Baal in the end. However, Baal didn't kill Grid right away. Far from killing Grid, he stood there and spoke to Grid. This allowed humans to interpret the results in the way they wished.

The aftermath was great. Baal's status was damaged in real time. His life, which would've reached infinity, would've also been greatly reduced.

[You said you wanted to die, so you tightened your own noose.]

"Stupid dragon." Baal finally had a serious expression. He was agitated to bring out his usual radical thoughts in front of the party involved. At this moment, Baal was different from usual. He didn't enjoy the situation that was happening and regarded it unpleasantly. It wasn't because he was afraid of death, but because it was too absurd. Honestly, he was flustered.

...It was a mistake. He was sure there would be people who misunderstood him as someone with all bark and no bite, like Bunhelier. The unimaginable shame made Baal's face redden.

Baal's demonic sword was swung hard. It was a manifestation. The sword rotated wildly and the area quickly expanded. Baal was in the center of a storm. It was a storm of black frost.

"Get lost."

Baal was the ruler of hell. Just as Grid grew stronger in the Overgeared World, Baal's demonic energy and mental world were strengthened in hell. It exerted an influence that was close to perfect. The moment Baal created the great frost storm, all the invaders except for Bunhelier froze in place.

Fortunately, the targets frozen by Baal's mental world couldn't be interfered with by anything other than Baal. The tower members, apostles, Overgeared members, and players active in all areas of hell, escaped the fate of dying immediately. They didn't lose their health, unlike Grid who had been frozen earlier.

No matter how great Baal's mental world was, it couldn't kill targets that were hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. If that was possible, he would've been proclaimed to be 'omniscient and omnipotent,' which even the gods of the beginning were reluctant to mention. It was like those heavenly fools.

"I will admit my mistake this time."

"......!"

The people looking up at the sky from the surface, as well as the viewers watching the scene from outside the game through the media, felt a chill go down their spines. Baal's gaze seemed to be looking at 'me.' Then the storm that Baal wielded again blew away the frozen bodies of the invaders

It was a gesture to banish them from hell. He had the power to detain them in hell, so why shouldn't he have the authority to banish them?

[Kuock...!]

Bunhelier's hastily outstretched tail wrapped around the block of ice containing Grid. He also intended to be expelled. He knew what type of harassment he would face if he was left here alone.

[Baal! It will be different the next time we meet!]

Baal looked at Grid, not Bunhelier, as if he wasn't the one talking. Trapped in the ice, Grid's eyes were staring straight at Baal. His eyes were as sharp and ferocious as the eyes of a raptor aiming for prey.

[The Asura Road has been closed.]

The hell moon, which was projected into the sky of the surface, closed its numerous eyes. The landscapes of hell scattered and vanished.

Irene's face lit up as she put her hands together with Lord's while praying. The heroes returned one by one and a huge shadow colored Reinhardt black. It was the shadow of a dragon. The dragon returned with Grid on the back of his neck.

The wide-eyed people were dumbfounded. They were the people who didn't know about Grid's actions because they were active in hell. In particular, the king of the half-draconians, Bunsdel, passed out with his mouth foaming.