Overgeared

Space Sword—it was the Sword Saint's secret technique that cut the world. Countless people had experienced it directly or indirectly. If there was a sudden earthquake or the sea split apart, it was likely that Kraugel had used his ultimate technique.

However, very few people witnessed the usage of Space Sword from 'right next to him.' One of them was Grid.

Grid felt a strange sense of pride. From Kraugel to Biban and Muller—there was the belief that he was the only person in the world who witnessed the ultimate technique of the Sword Saint of three generations.

Grid's vision tilted diagonally. It was the aftermath of the ground of the No Offspring Tomb being overturned after being cut by Muller's sword. There was a loud roar followed by the strata collapsing. The number of rocks falling from the collapsed ceiling rose sharply and the wide walls of the space cracked.

Even though her world was falling apart, the Specter didn't even give it a glance. Behind the mask, her eyes were only focused on the red flesh. The flesh made from Beriache's heart contained the souls of those who shouldn't die. It was the souls of beings that the Specter had worked hard to filter out over the long years.

She could feel some of them slipping away. They were sucked into hell.

"You… made Baal strong… more and more in real time… be aware. You are adding power to the distortion of hell. As a result, you are doing harm to the surface. A mortal sin… it is right to suffer from guilt."

There was a chill in the resentful voice. The dark divinity froze like frost and formed countless fragments. Each one of them sent out a sharp energy like Grid's divine swords.

Then meteorites slammed down through the cracks in the ceiling. The long-ranged bombardment from the Tomb of the Gods was continuing.

[Divine punishment fell on the deep underground that was hoping to be reborn as hell.]

[The god's newly acquired treasured sword slashed down and the stars dropped by the Tomb of the Gods tore through the wounds.]

The underground that hoped to be reborn as hell—the epic spread the truth of the No Offspring Tomb, which had been shrouded in a veil, to the world. Grid informed people of how important it was to punish this place and imprinted on them that the Tomb of the Gods played a big role. The justification for the Tomb of the Gods to be completed as a 'moving Overgeared World' was accumulating step by step.

The meteorites that fell toward the Specter's head exploded and flew in all directions. The divided world was rapidly being restored. Even Garion, the God of the Earth, was able to immediately restore the land of the 'surface.' There was no way that the owner of the No Offspring Tomb wouldn't be able to immediately restore the No Offspring Tomb's wounds.

The same was true of the red flesh. The flesh which had been cut in half along with the No Offspring Tomb, was quickly restored as one. Obviously, there were losses. The value of the flesh that had lost a few souls had declined somewhat. It was to the point where she wondered if it would be insufficient to restore hell in its entirety.

'No… it is still fine right now.'

The Specter calmly examined the situation. There was one conclusion. She had to expel Grid and Muller from here. From her position of firm conviction, Grid and Muller were those who couldn't be harmed. She naturally couldn't kill them. It would just be helping Baal. However, they were too noble to use as a material to recreate hell like the other human gods, or to use as nourishment for herself.

'The longer they live, the more beneficial it is for the world.'

From the standpoint of humanity, the Specter was a villain, but it was because her 'method' was wrong. They might have different viewpoints, but the Specter's 'inclination' was infinitely close to good.

A paradise to comfort the dead—it was only natural that she was influenced by the warm heart of Yatan, who established hell, and became an apostle.

"I, here…"

The Specter's club grazed Muller's thigh as he jumped swiftly. It was the moment when the Sword Saint's left leg was fractured. The layered sword energy couldn't fulfill its duty of self-defense.

'How did he withstand such power?'

Muller was staring at Grid like he was a monster, only to click his tongue.

"She won't back down a single step."

It was because he felt the determination of the Specter, who was standing with the red flesh behind her.

An Absolute fighting with their back to the wall—there seemed to be no room to break through. Grid was also briefly overwhelmed. There was one fortunate fact…

"Stop!"

It was that the elite members of the Overgeared Guild were preventing a large army from joining—the dozens of death knights and liches serving the Specter, and additionally, the thousands of undead and local troops that couldn't enter the space and lingered at the entrance.

It was because the incredibly powerful group that consisted of the 10 meritorious retainers, including Jishuka, as well as Eat Spicy Jokbal, Zibal, Hurent, Haster, Saintess Ruby, Pope Damian, and last but not least, Sword Saint Kraugel. The camp that centered around the unstoppable light coming from Vantner's bald head was basically a natural fortress that obstructed the enemy's view. Additionally, Eat Spicy Jokbal had set up a small dungeon. It was a dungeon with a labyrinth that dispersed and isolated the enemies.

Breaking through the elite of the Overgeared Guild, who actively utilized the structure of the dungeon, was a difficult task even for a group of transcendents. Even if they eventually broke through, it would take an enormous amount of time.

"It is an amazing power. Their activities must've played a big role in the peaceful background of the world."

A world where everything had changed—Muller returned to the world after hundreds of years and saw the vitality of the people. He could feel that all of them didn't become frustrated by the hopeless future and lived steadfastly like heroes.ƒ𝑟𝚎e𝔀𝗲𝒃𝑛𝒐𝘷𝗲𝒍.c𝗼𝑚

Grid, who was in front of him, and those who followed Grid, created a world that Muller couldn't create. His respect for Grid soared like it was natural. If they could thwart the Specter's plans today—

If they could maintain the world—

It seemed like Muller would bow deeply in front of every statue of Grid that he would encounter while wandering the world.

"That's right. The world could be at peace thanks to them."

A warm smile spread across Grid's face. It was a smile that naturally appeared when he thought of the precious people who had always been with him. Determination was overlaid on the smile.

"I have a duty to make sure their hard work isn't in vain."

It wasn't inferior in the slightest in comparison to the Specter's determination. If the aspirations of the Specter had accumulated over thousands of years, then the aspirations of Grid had accumulated through thousands of connections. It was different, but it wasn't lacking.

'Go.'

Grid's concentration reached the limit in an instant. It was possible when he remembered the scenery of the smithy. By imagining the hammering that he had repeated tens of thousands of times, he induced the trance that he usually fell into when making items. This wasn't the power of an Absolute. It was an ability that Grid/Shin Youngwoo had subconsciously trained in.

Grid and the Specter became intertwined. Every time the sunset spread by Twilight pierced the Specter's dark divinity, cracks appeared in the skeletal mask and armor that the Specter was armed with. Every time Blockade collided with the Specter's club, the surface of Blockade heated up. It turned redder and redder like metal being tempered.

The moment the Specter's club broke through Blockade's defenses, a screaming noise came from Grid's body. The barbs of the dragon armor repeatedly absorbed and dissipated the club's destructive power, but it couldn't do anything against the lightning that squeezed through the gaps in the barbs. It was black lightning. It was the most basic passive skill possessed by the dark divinity.

[The small remnants of divinity that destroyed the world are destroying you.]

A divinity that destroyed the world—it was 'Yatan's divinity' as defined by the system. It felt like it was telling him not to forget that Yatan had almost destroyed the world several times.

'It seems like there is always a story behind the scenes.'

Based on the truths revealed so far, it was difficult to conclude that Yatan was an evil god. It was also true that Yatan had already destroyed the world and Rebecca recreated it several times. Grid couldn't understand or trust the Gods of the Beginning.

The Specter was the apostle of Yatan and also couldn't be trusted. Apart from her ideology, he doubted her existence itself.

Win—he would be sure to defeat her.

Dark red blood poured out of Grid's mouth, nose, and eyes as he became determined again. The Specter's divinity infiltrated him despite all means of defense and was destroying his body. It went beyond reducing health, and evaporated his blood and turned his bones into powder.

There was a limit to the pain that players felt, but the mental shock received was enormous. Grid's entire body trembled due to a pain that was greater than the actual pain he felt. His combat power was also weakened.

[The power to usurp myths has obscured some of the myths you have built up.]

[Your status will drop temporarily.]

[Your status will…]

……

…

Many of Grid's abilities were based on his high status. The drop in status nullified his various stats and passive skills. It even damaged his transcendent abilities. However, Grid's concentration was strong. The Specter's attack had reached the point where it was gradually unreadable, but Grid didn't shrink back.

First of all, he believed in Sword Saint Muller. Muller was keeping a sufficient distance in order to avoid being consumed by the Specter's divinity, and he understood his role properly.

He intercepted from a distance attacks that Grid couldn't respond to due to being weakened by the aftermath of the entanglement with the Specter. It was possible by handling the sword energy like it was magic. The Specter was aiming for Grid's vital points even in the midst of Muller's interference, only to stop.

It was the aftermath of Muller's Heart Sword stabbing at her heart. It was a fleeting moment for Grid, who had lost his divinity. Grid couldn't grasp the gap that the Specter revealed for a moment.

A myth usurper—she was the opposite of a 'god.' A power she built up in order to get revenge on Baal ironically came to be aimed at another Absolute. Muller thought it was natural that the more she fought, the more Grid was at a disadvantage. He tried not to regret the opportunity that Grid had missed. At this moment—

The Specter shook off the Heart Sword and attacked Grid again. To her surprise, Grid responded. He accurately blocked the Specter's blow while in a ragged state. There were 10 God Hands who just returned hovering around him. They were using the Artificial Senses that he didn't need to use since becoming an Absolute.

"…It is a formidable power."

It just wasn't exposed before because it was so dull. The Specter felt admiration throughout her fight with Grid. She hadn't expected to see a god who stood firm even when fighting head-on with herself, who weakened his divinity.

It was possible because his weakened muscles were replaced by Duke of Amplification and Saleos' Power, his slow speed was replaced with Freely Move and the Blue Dragon Boots, his lost defense was replaced with the dragon armor and White Tiger's Gaiters, and his stopped recovery was replaced by Doran's Ring.

Grid actively used items and skills against the enemy who became much stronger than him the more they fought. During the cooldown time, he used consumables and didn't fret. He kept his focus and looked for an opportunity.

Then now—

The opportunity came.

[Blockade has been tempered 30 times and the effect will occur.]

"Up to Here."

In any case, it was a passive skill. There was no need to shout the skill name. However, Grid shouted it. It was also a declaration that he would definitely stop the Specter's plans.

['Up to Here' has blocked one skill of the target. Passive skills are given priority.]

"……!"

The divinity of the Specter, which was digging into Grid's divinity and eating it, gradually lost momentum and was pushed away. It was the aftermath of the paralysis of the power to usurp myths.

[You have recovered your status.]

Grid regained his rights. After not giving up and making repeated efforts, the qualifications he rightly obtained were expressed in the six fusion sword dance, the Undefeated King's Swordsmanship, and the Falling Moon Sword.

[Critical!]

[You have inflicted serious damage to the target!]

[Critical!]

[You have inflicted serious damage to the target!]

[Critical!]

[You have inflicted serious damage to the target!]

Through the cracks in the shattered mask, the Specter's wide eyes met Grid's eyes. In the face of an unexpected crisis, she could still see hope.