Overgeared

Grid's fusion sword dance was a chained form. It was a fusion sword dance by combining two or more sword dances and it was difficult to expect a complete skill effect unless all parts of the sword dance hit the target.

The beginning and the middle—this was the basis for the Specter easily withstanding the bombardment of the six fusion sword dance. She blocked most of Grid's sword dances midway through.

Even at the moment when the Pinnacle sword dance trajectory was allowed, the next sword trajectory would be read and evaded or defended against in advance. The opportunity for Ultimate Martial Art to manifest was suppressed. It was possible because of the power of an Absolute to stretch the concept of time and ignore the laws of physics. It was done with ease due to her power weakening Grid in real time.

Yet at this moment, their positions were reversed. Grid regained his status due to Blockade's effect, while the Specter weakened rapidly. It was the aftermath of feeling threatened by Grid and the trump card she used becoming useless due to Muller.

"…You. Please bear it by all means."

Eventually, the voice squeezed out by the kneeling Specter contained her last will. Her thousands of years of hard work seemed to have become futile.

Surprisingly, the Specter was calm. It was because she acknowledged the man in front of her, who had ruined her plan. There was a vague belief that it would be good to leave behind the rest of the work. She also felt relieved that she could finally rest.

It was a fact that the Specter herself had been trying hard to ignore. She had been exhausted for a long time. It was natural. Did she endure the years of eternal life with such a huge fate alone?

'Just… I just feel it is regrettable.'

The Specter recalled the existence buried in the deeper part of the No Offspring Tomb.

God—a part of the only god she served was locked here. He never woke up, as if ignoring reality.

'The price of the sin of not reclaiming the world you loved… I will soon die and receive a punishment I will have to endure forever.'

Cracks started to form in the Specter's hard soul. It was to prepare for her imminent death. The Specter planned to tear her soul to shreds and weave it into chains. They were chains that would be the force to bind the being who would take her soul. It was a technique learned from Beriache.

Hundreds of years ago, the Specter went to Beriache. It was with the intention of taking her body and soul as she was about to die due to giving birth to Marie Rose. She believed that Beriache would naturally cooperate. Beriache gave birth to Marie Rose out of the intention of getting revenge on Baal, and the Specter was one of the few beings who understood it.

Unexpectedly, she was rejected. Beriache didn't give up her soul, which was more important than her body. She said it would become a tool to restrain Baal, even if it was imperfect. As a result, it became a tool to bind Amoract… in any case, this was what the Specter learned. Maybe if she failed one day, she could also help bind Baal.

'Baal. It is my death that you have been wishing for, and it will be a terrible curse to you.'

The Specter's soul was on the verge of being torn apart. Just then, the six fusion sword dance that was mutilating the Specter stopped like a lie. It was just before the final step of decapitating the Specter. Due to this, doubts formed in the eyes of the Specter who had escaped death.

"Why… did you stop?"

Grid affirmed that the Specter's ideology was wrong. He declared that he would stop her plan, even if it meant killing her. The reason for the pause was unknown.

"……"

Of course, Grid couldn't explain it either. It was the system forced by the Duke of Virtue.

'No, is it really forced?'

Maybe the Duke of Virtue just responded to his hesitation. Grid thought from a new perspective and slowly opened his mouth. He spoke honestly so that the situation created by the Duke of Virtue wouldn't be in vain. "I feel sorry for you."

"……?"

"It is hard being alone. You have reached this point because there is nothing you can do."

"I know that the weight of the responsibility borne by you alone is great. You would've gone this way after repeated agony. There was no malice."

Grid's words and the meaning—they were completed only after going through Huroi's mouth. Huroi's bloodshot eyes were staring at Grid's back as he was active among the elite of the Overgeared Guild. His figure was ragged as usual. This time, even half his body flew away. The legs made of Greed unnaturally supported his upper body.

Huroi thought that Grid's constant self-sacrifice, due to the great responsibility he shouldered, was somewhat similar to the Specter. He understood why Grid was showing mercy to the Specter. Thus, he was able to grasp the true meaning of Grid's words and fully convey them.

"Why don't you cooperate with me? The condition is that you follow my way."

"I will share your burdens and guide you."

"……"

It wasn't something that happened just once or twice. From a long time ago, Huroi had always represented Grid's will at official events. His will was heavily packaged and spread. Even if Grid barked loudly, Huroi would paraphrase it to the level where it could be translated into human words. It was even unconditionally in favor of Grid.

There was a strangely passionate side to it. However, Grid felt the need to adapt.

'It is enough to affect the epic. It is right to leave it entirely to Huroi.'

Huroi's value was infinitely special. It was a value that was hard to identify physically, just like Lauel and Skunk. Ever since the past, Grid had actively utilized this type of talent. He identified and acknowledged his own shortcomings, and borrowed the strength of others.

"There is no need for your pride to be hurt. Just because you have abandoned your ways doesn't mean you are denying yourself. You have lived for a long time, so you must know? Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone lacks something. In order to overcome mistakes and fill in our shortcomings, we need to cooperate with others or seek help. That is life."

"……"

This time, Huroi didn't open his mouth. It was because he saw Jishuka with a happy smile on her face as she proudly looked at Grid. Grid, who was even more embarrassed, hesitated and scratched his head.

The Specter looked up at him and opened her mouth, "I… I never made a mistake."

'Look at this stubbornness?'

Grid frowned and his face hardened.

"It wasn't a mistake. I just sinned…"

Those who shouldn't die—it wasn't just Iwata. The Specter had arbitrarily judged countless humans and turned them into the undead.

She didn't trust the limitations and weaknesses of the human gods and hunted them. This was even though she knew their goodness. She was worried that they would surely die one day and become Baal's nourishment, so she usurped their authority. She wanted to create a second hell to restore hell, but at some point, she became similar to Baal.

"For this, I… with you and with others… a new… start? Huhu… No one… starting from myself. It is unacceptable…"

The Specter laughed dejectedly. She twisted her face, which had been expressionless the whole time. It wasn't a smile. She was silently screaming and sobbing.

The reason why she was able to run nonstop this entire time—it was because she believed her ideology was right. Then today, she was terribly denied and admitted that she was wrong. All the weights that had been binding her strong heart fell off and terrible self-loathing filled its place. Now the Specter…

She couldn't move on.

"Kill me." It was the moment when the Specter spoke decisively…

"I will bear the sins you have committed."

"……?"

The lower body made of Greed bent while making a strange noise. Grid became eye level with the Specter and stared straight into her eyes.

"I was just convinced. You have to live. If you are with me, it will definitely benefit the world."

The epic was still working. It continued even after the phrase about how the Specter couldn't handle the divine punishment and collapsed. It caught the world's attention by capturing some of the conversation between Grid and the Specter.

"I also hurt a lot of people. There were many causes where I harmed them out of sheer malice, not conviction like you."

"……"

"I've done despicable things."

"……"

"That is how I came all the way here."

"……"

"Is there a law that says you can't do the same? I think you will be much better than me."

The reason why Grid had taken on responsibility from a certain point was simple—it was because he became stronger.

It was from the time he became aware that he shouldn't wield his power recklessly. He went through several situations where he had to step up. Then he reached the present. Thus, he believed that even the Specter could change. It was because unlike himself, she was driven by conviction rather than malice. He was sure that she would become a much better person than him.

"Now, let's go together."

Grid held out his hand. It was a hand containing so many calluses that it could be compared to the hand of the greatest swordsman in human history. Each of these appearances gave the Specter confidence.

Finally, the skeletal mask was completely torn apart and revealed the face of the Specter. It was a face resembling Rebecca, the Goddess of Light. The beautiful, sacred face was twisted again. It was due to a lot of intense emotions.

"I can't… do this…"

I have only one god.

Then why? Why did she grab this man's hand?

[I forgive you for your sins.]

[The sinner wept at the god's words and bowed her head deeply.]

……

…

[You have won the heart of the Specter as a reward for completing the epic.]

[The Specter of the No Offspring Tomb is the apostle of the God of the Beginning, Yatan. She will be the key to guiding you to the essence of the world.]

[As a reward for winning the heart of the Specter, the possibility of the No Offspring Tomb being incorporated into the Overgeared World has opened up.]

[You have won Muller's heart as a reward for completing the epic.]

[Sword Saint Muller is a hero among heroes and revered as one of the greatest legends of all time. He will become your best helper.]

[The status of the 'Tomb of the Gods' has risen signi?cantly due to participating in the great epic. It will become part of the Overgeared World as a reward for the increase in status.]

[Due to the Tomb of the Gods joining the Overgeared World, the status of the Overgeared World has increased. The power of the gods of the Overgeared World has been greatly enhanced.]

Naturally, there was no increase of his own status. Grid had become an Absolute after accumulating transcendence and he was already complete. This didn't mean that Grid's growth was over. Muller's involvement in the epic made Grid's presence even more distinct. Thanks to him, Grid connected with Khan for a moment.

The strengthening of the Yellow Dragon myth, being blessed by Khan, etcetera—the increase in presence was of much greater value than the rise in status. There was a lot of room to become stronger in the future.

As a reward for completing the epic, he had also fulfilled his dream of having a 'moving Overgeared World.' He didn't gain any experience points since he didn't kill the Specter, but he had already gained seven levels in the process of fighting the Specter. This meant there was no reason for him to feel regret. Above all—

He got new companions in Muller and the Specter.

'The epic… it is a bit fraudulent.'

He was thankful that it reversed all sorts of situations and gave him so many benefits every time it occurred. The conscienceless Grid was feeling pleased while Ruby was focused on healing her brother.

The Overgeared members and the undead army were taking control of the situation. They stopped fighting and shared common words…

"Oppa." Ruby, who left for a while after completing Grid's treatment, returned to his side after a short period of time. She had a very subtle expression on her face. She seemed to have exchanged handshakes with the undead, just like the other Overgeared members. It must've been strange from a Saintess' point of view. "The Specter says there is something she wants to show you. But she wants only me and Oppa to follow?"

"It makes sense about me, but why you? Sehee, did you perhaps…"

"Huh?"

"Did you campaign for it as my little sister?"

"What? T-That is impossible?"

"Aish, you can be honest with me. This cute girl."

"N-No, that's not it." Ruby was genuinely flustered. She had always worked hard for her brother. She had never borrowed her brother's name for her own advantage—Grid naturally knew this and was just teasing her.

'Is the Saintess related to Yatan?'

The Saintess was a unique existence. She gave heals and blessings without borrowing the power of the gods.

"Let's go."

The fact that Grid obtained the Specter meant he had gained information he didn't know before. It would be worth more than anything he could've imagined.