Overgeared

Chapter 1772

'We shouldn't be late.'

The hearts of the tower members were anxious. They were chasing after Grid, who had disappeared from view.

A moment ago when Hayate raised the energy of a Dragon Slayer, an unexpected helper appeared in front of the group. It was the Cloaked Dragon, Cranbel. He was one of the few top dragons in the world and a named dragon believed to be the direct descendant of the Refraction Dragon.

Cranbel's energy detection exceeded Hayate's predictions. He came to the scene almost immediately after Hayate exposed the energy of the Dragon Slayer. It was such a shocking reaction speed that Hayate, an Absolute, couldn't help being agitated.

Cranbel explained to the tower members, who were wary of him without hiding their admiration and astonishment.

[Others are being cautious about the appearance of an old dragon.]

Were there any dragons as humble as this? Cranbel's personality was as good as his modest way of talking.

Sword Saint Biban, whose instincts preceded his thoughts, relaxed his guard ahead of the other tower members and took back his sword. It was as the Cloaked Dragon said. He wasn't their enemy.

"You seem to be doing well." Grid also showed an unexpected attitude. He even smiled as he checked Cranbel's intact left arm. He seemed to welcome this dragon who should be humanity's enemy. Was it the effect of losing his helper, Gray Dragon Xenon? Grid's attitude of valuing a dragon itself flustered all the tower members, except for Biban.

[...It is better to leave in a hurry. For the low-grade dragons who live every day like a mayfly, a Dragon Slayer is one of the few hopes to change their destiny. Some slow-witted low-grade dragons are likely to take risks and arrive here soon.]

Cranbel advised them. Perhaps he was wary of being misunderstood by Marie Rose, so he spoke to Hayate while trying to avoid Grid's gaze.

Hayate had just read Trauka's small killing intent and identified his location. Trauka was ferocious like any other red dragon and he was indeed easily provoked.

"Are you going to let us go?"

The 6th Seat, Ken, growled. Putting aside Grid and Biban's attitude, he was extremely wary of Cranbel. It was a very normal reaction.

[If I was going to block your way, I would've acted more stealthily. My only purpose is to prey on the mayflies attracted by the Dragon Slayer. I don't dare take risks against you.]

Grid and Hayate—the figures leading the tower members were excellent even from the perspective of a top dragon. It was right to be vigilant of them, so he confessed honestly.

"I understand." Some of the tower members still had their suspicions, but Hayate nodded. He accepted Cranbel's advice and shared Trauka's position with Grid and the tower members. At the same time...

"I'm going." Grid bowed to Cranbel and was the first to take the lead. He left the scene by continuously using Shunpo. It wasn't a speed that could be caught up with at all from the perspective of the tower members, who needed to arrange their physical strength. It wasn't just that he was in a hurry. They could feel his will to leave behind the tower members.

"Grid intends to protect us," the 4th Seat, Betty, said with a sad expression. Before being an emperor and a god, Grid was their new generation. They should be supporting him. But every time, Grid relied on himself rather than them. He was ready to shoulder all the responsibilities they carried.

"......"

From a certain point, the tower members gritted their teeth and ran with all their might. They tried to catch up with Grid without arranging their physical strength. Then right now—

"...A waltz?"

The tower members arrived at the scene and recalled their previous lives. For them, a previous life naturally meant 'before leaving the world.' It was before climbing to the Tower of Wisdom. It was when they were ordinary human beings, unlike their present selves who had sacrificed everything to protect the peace of the world.

They had also enjoyed pleasures at times. They were heroes and obliged to participate in social events. Many times, they saw lovers dancing in a ballroom with sweet melodies flowing. However, none of them were as classical and beautiful as Grid and Marie Rose today.

"......"

The tower members were gradually mesmerized.

Two Absolutes holding one sword side by side—the sense of unity between Grid and Marie Rose, who were moving in the same direction, was truly tremendous.

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Weren't they supporting each other when taking the same steps to the point where they seemed like one instead of two?

The noise of the flames that Fire Dragon Trauka started to rekindle sounded like a performance to them. The old dragon's lair below their feet seemed like a stage for them.

"What is this...?"

It happened the moment when Hayate came to his senses first and let out a stopped breath...

[My heart is whole.]

Trauka shouted out Dragon Words. Just then—

"......!!"

The darkness of the night had been reeling from Grid's sunset glow. Now it had completely receded. The world brightened like a blazing sun was overhead. A haze rose everywhere and distorted the landscape. It was done purely by heat. The aftermath of the flames from the fire dragon dominated the area and heated up the 'whole continent.'

The areas that were divided into night and day depending on the altitude of the sun had all become daytime and the rivers, which were like the continent's blood vessels, dried up. The sea level of the Red Sea slowly rose and the size of the continent became smaller. The existing maps of the West Continent became worthless.

The ecosystem was collapsing...

[The flames of Fire Dragon Trauka have caused the temperature of the surface to rise sharply.]

[Civilizations buried deep in the rivers for a long time have appeared.]

[Parts of existing civilizations have been swallowed up by tsunamis and buried in the sea.]

[There are countless victims.]

[The ecosystem remembered by modern humans no longer exists...]

An old dragon—an Absolute species that existed before the creation of the world. There was a fact that even the tower members didn't know. The dragons were always caring about the world. By suppressing their power, they helped mortals claiming to be masters of the surface to lead their short lives.

'This is crazy...'

Grid's hands trembled as he held Twilight. Trauka restored the wound he suffered due to Ifrit and revealed his full strength. The huge existence in front of him that covered most of the sunlight with his shadow was beyond the predictions and common sense of Grid. He was the true center of the world and couldn't be divided simply by strong and weak.

"Only One God Grid. Your role isn't as great as what you pride yourself on."

Trauka's words when he visited Reidan rang in Grid's ears.

Grid felt like a complete plaything. A player couldn't change Satisfy no matter how hard they tried their entire life...

The vicious sentiment of the S.A Group, who must've been laughing at him all this time, naturally came to mind and his heart sank. It happened the moment when Grid's footsteps hesitated as he lost motivation...

"It is just a bluff," Marie Rose whispered. She gripped the trembling Twilight even harder and put strength into her left arm that was wrapped around Grid's waist. Grid couldn't stop moving and had to keep going. "Just like our ultimate moves, the ultimate move of an old dragon can't be maintained."

Grid's orange divinity united as one with Marie Rose's red blood energy. It was sharper than sword energy and more ferocious than fighting energy. Now it surrounded Twilight.

[The flames of Fire Dragon Trauka are melting you.]

[Resistance has failed.]

[In the aftermath of your existence being blurred by the intense heat, all your stats will be greatly reduced.]

Grid wasn't certain. He performed the six fusion sword dance while keeping pace with Marie Rose, who was leading him, and questioned if this sword dance could reach that monstrous dragon.

It was only for a moment.

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'In any case, I can't back down.'

Grid's shaky eyes quickly found their place. He stared with black and profound eyes at the heart of the old dragon, which had just been regenerated. It was the direction that Marie Rose was leading them. The two of them were incredibly fast as they performed a sword dance.

The system was calibrating it.

[The blood of the vampire duke 'Marie Rose' has penetrated your body. The enhanced blood is stripping away all the weakening effects you are experiencing.]

[Under the influence of the cooperative swordsmanship, you have shared key stats with the vampire duke 'Marie Rose.']

[Strength has increased by 7,873.]

[Agility has increased by 9,911.]

[Stamina has increased by 4,453.]

[Intelligence has increased by 1,320.]

[Under the influence of the cooperative swordsmanship, your qualifications are shared with 'Marie Rose.']

[Vampire duke 'Marie Rose' is completely different from 'Twilight.']

[Through all means...] Fire Dragon Trauka frowned. He had fulfilled countless covenants over the years and the Dragon Words of an old dragon were unquestionably powerful. However, it wasn't omnipotent. The stronger the level of the new law established by Dragon Words, the greater the penalty Trauka would have to bear. It was because establishing a new law of the world meant denying the laws created by Rebecca, the God of the Beginning.

Moreover, Trauka had now restored his 'dragon heart.' The price he had to bear for restoring his heart, which had been damaged by the blow caused by his daughter's mutual destruction attempt, was huge. It was even enough to feel nervous from an old dragon's perspective.

To be honest, Trauka thought that Marie Rose would step down at this point. He had become complete and was at a level that Marie Rose couldn't handle. Nevertheless, Marie Rose didn't back down. It was as if she could truly deal with him along with Grid.

Trauka felt a great deal of anger. It was the first time in his life that he had received such great contempt, so it was an anger that couldn't be quenched. Trauka didn't speak any longer. His personality, which had become humble due to so many serious injuries, was restored at this moment. There was no reason to talk at the same eye level as Marie Rose.

A huge pillar of fire shot out in a straight line. It was a pillar of fire that was going to engulf Grid and Marie Rose whole.

"No way...!" The tower members acted quickly. They were surprised by the momentum of the old dragon after he regained his strength, but they maintained their minds. They used cool judgment to stick to Grid and Marie Rose's side. The Fire Dragon's Breath that should've hit the two beings was faced by the tower members instead.

Hayate took the lead. He swung his Dragon Killing Sword, which had a fatal effect on a dragon, and split the Breath in half. Radwolf's magic machines also blocked the powerful energy with their bodies, while Fronzaltz' artifacts disturbed them.

However, the heat remained. The skin of the tower members burned quickly. Hayate, who was at the forefront, was already wrapped in flames. It took an instant for his skin and flesh to burn and his bones to melt.

"Hayate!"

The other tower members urgently used their ultimate skills. They tried to rescue Hayate while opening up a path for Grid. The attempt was only half successful. The power of the tower members could only open the way for Grid. They couldn't rescue Hayate.

Trauka's flames were made of willpower. It would never go out unless the old dragon lost his will, so it was persistent. It burned Hayate while brutally melting down the self-defense energy wrapped in the power of a Dragon Slayer. These flames—

"Ohhhhhh!"

Sword Saint Biban slashed it. He gave up his intelligence to make the sword in his mental world as big and sharp as possible. At this moment, he truly surpassed Muller. Rather than completely losing his intelligence like a beast, he slashed the old dragon's willpower and extinguished the remnants of the flames.

"Biban...?"

The expressions of the tower members were shocked. The retreating night quickly returned and dyed the world black again.

The sunset spread. It was a sunset created by the mixture of Grid's divinity and Marie Rose's blood energy.

[The cooperative sword dance 'Transcended Linked Dragon Pinnacle Kill Wave' will begin!]

A sword dance developed by two Absolutes who were sharing each other's abilities—just before it reached Trauka, Grid took out the Falling Moon Sword in his other hand and swung it first. It was intended to weaken Trauka's absolute defense and scales first.

Trauka and the moon were split in half. A large amount of blood poured over the tilted moon. It was the blood that Trauka shed.