Overgeared

“That is a bit...”

“That can’t happen.”

It was the aftermath of the unity of the mental worlds.

Grid and Hayate spoke at the same time.

The Old Dragon who was feeling agonized—they tried to calm down Biban, who treated Evil Dragon Bunhelier as mere prey.

“You don’t want to provoke someone who is trying to become a reliable ally. Are you going to undo Grid’s efforts?”

“It doesn’t have to be a big sword, does it? The giant sword that exists in your mental world. That is Biban’s will, right? It would be heavy and bloated enough if you could put that will into the new dragon weapon. It is to the point where you can easily behead a dragon if you mean it.”

“Hmm... Leave the easy way and go back to the hard way… it is a mindset that an Absolute should have. I learned a great lesson from both of you today.”

Biban had recently become an Absolute. He was called the Sword God despite being a human, but he was humble rather than arrogant. He recognized himself as a rookie rather than a god and acted with an attitude of learning everything.

“Take anything as an ordeal, overcome it and train myself... I understand it well. In the future, eating and sleeping will also be an ordeal. Um... Should I arrange to sleep in a dragon lair...”

“......?”

Was he being sarcastic? Grid had a solemn expression on his face. It was a suspicion that happened because Biban’s personality remained despite him overcoming his dementia. It was a misunderstanding.

Biban was speaking sincerely.

“You interpreted it correctly.”

Hayate nodded. Biban’s misinterpretation wasn’t corrected. Hayate felt guilty due to his upright personality, but it couldn’t be helped. For now, this was the best thing to do.

“Sometimes, it is best to go back to the hard road.”

“I understand.”

Biban’s gaze that was fixed on the room across from him finally returned to Grid and Hayate.

Grid was startled. There was no rebuttal. Biban’s eyes were calm and tranquil. It was unbelievable for someone who had just discussed beheading a dragon and thought of hunting Bunhelier. It was like a person going about his daily life. There wasn’t even a trace of stimulating emotions such as killing intent and fighting spirit.

‘That is why Bunhelier is still.’

Bunhelier was an Old Dragon. He had the ability to disperse his consciousness into multiple parts to sense across the entire continent in real time. He couldn’t feel any ill feelings directed at him in the immediate vicinity.

Grid had been nervous. He wondered if Bunhelier would’ve read Biban’s intentions and gone on a rampage. Gaslighting would probably be useless. At best, he was educating an Evil Dragon...

He kept being worried. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. Bunhellier didn't seem to feel anything. Biban’s high mentality kept the peace.

“Grid.”

“Yes.”

“It is definitely a tough road. Simply fighting, cutting the enemy’s throat, and destroying their head... destroying the head is an easy thing for you, but I doubt you can handle this.” Biban warned the relieved Grid. “You experienced it firsthand the other day, but my sword in the mental world is broken. I am talking about the mental aspect. It was just broken and cut, so its appearance was naturally restored quickly.”

The giant sword in Biban’s mental world—it was a party of Biban, but ironically, it was a denial of Biban. It tried to devour Biban. It was a monster created by Biban’s desire to become a sword.

“Is it still broken? Didn’t you become a Sword God because you subdued it and fully embraced it?”

“It was definitely the case. But as I became stronger, it became stronger as well. It broke away from me again. It isn’t the main part of the mental world like before, but it is like a thief lurking in the bushes and is looking for opportunities.”

“It will be hostile the moment I enter the mental world, right?”

“Such a simple method isn’t a threat. How could it be hard for you even if it is hostile to you? Moreover, I will be with you.”

There was something else Biban was worried about.

“On the contrary, we should worry about the situation where it hides and doesn’t come out. It once dominated my mental world and knows zones that I don’t even know. If it decides to hide, then there is no way for me to find it.”

In the mental world, ‘zones’ meant part of the subconscious. It was natural that there was a subconscious part that Biban himself wasn’t aware of. On the other hand, the giant sword was born in the mental world and dominated the mental world. It wasn’t strange that it penetrated into the subconscious areas that even Biban didn’t know about.

“Even if I work with you to find it, what will happen after that is even more of a problem. It won’t cooperate at all.”

The sword that Biban wanted was the giant sword in the mental world. In order to make the same sword with limited resources, it was natural to use the entire giant sword as a material. The identity of the giant sword in the mental world was a ‘mass of intent in the form of a giant sword.’

After smelting and tempering Trauka’s bones and scales together with Biban to form a normal-sized sword, it was only by having it contain the mass of intent in the form of a giant sword that the sword Biban wanted would be completed.

A giant sword that responded to Biban’s will and increased its size and weight.

“...Um. Of course, that giant sword is the most ideal sword in Biban’s mind, right?”

“That’s right. It is the most ideal and strongest sword for me, even if everyone else denies it.”

This wasn’t a statement to dismiss Grid’s works. The giant sword in Biban’s mental world was the result of Biban’s desire to ‘become the strongest sword that cuts through the strongest creature.’ At the very least, it would be reborn as the strongest sword in Biban’s hands.

‘That’s right. Even if the power of the giant sword isn’t as powerful as Defying the Natural Order, Biban can handle the giant sword better than Defying the Natural Order.’

It was called compatibility. A compatibility close to fate that Biban made himself.

‘...It is embarrassing.’

Grid accurately grasped the situation and his gaze shifted to one side. It was the direction of the room opposite him. It was Hayate’s office with the troubled Bunhelier.

‘Should I just ask him for an arm? It can quickly recover anyway, right?’

Another way to make the big sword that Biban wanted was to ‘match the materials.’ It was to actually create a giant sword of exactly the same size and shape as the giant sword in the mental world. Additionally, he could add a bit of Biban’s wishes and make it a specialized weapon for Biban. It was naturally ignorant and unsophisticated.

A sword that always maintained the size of a great mountain would be born rather than a sword that was usually a normal sword and increased in size as needed. There were many problems in practical terms. Strictly speaking, it was rubbish. Grid’s pride wouldn’t tolerate making such a thing.

“...Grid?”

It lasted until a look of anxiety flashed in Hayate’s eyes. Grid took away the eyes focused on the room across from him and made up his mind.

“Let’s give it a try. If it doesn’t work, then do it until it works. Let’s see who will win and who will lose.”

Grid’s greatest weapon was his tenacity and persistence.

The mental world—it didn’t matter how long he wandered in a place disconnected from reality, where one second could stretch into an eternity. Grid was confident that he wouldn’t become frustrated or give up.

‘Because it is the only thing I have in the first place.’

“......!”

Hayate’s eyes widened slightly. He was astonished when he glimpsed at Grid’s determination.

Hayate had lived for over a thousand years. However, Grid was trying to endure years that even he couldn’t fathom.

‘Of course, practice and commitment are completely different, but... Grid is sincerely trying to put it into practice. The more I get to know you, the more I respect you.’

How had Grid grown over the years? Hayate vaguely glimpsed the secret and admired it again and again.

“...But I need some time to prepare.”

Grid excused himself and logged out. He had a clean shower, met Yura and Jishuka, and filled his stomach. He worked out and shared love with the two of them to build up his physical and mental strength.

A deep night—as he drank his last drink, he injected himself with the idea that they should be happy even when he was gone.

In any case, Grid was fully charged. He woke up after a good night’s sleep and immediately logged in. He renewed his determination to endure decades, hundreds of years, or even more in Biban’s mental world.

“I... maybe I won’t be able to remember your names and faces when I come back. Please keep an eye on me rather than feeling sorry for me. Take your time and help me recall my memories.”

“???”

The moment he logged in, Grid gathered the Overgeared members and asked this of them. He went to Irene, Mercedes, and Basara separately and told them the same thing he had told Yura and Jishuka last night.

“You might forget me, but I won’t forget you.”

“...Dear husband?”

He also visited his son, Lord.

“On the outside, you can rely on the apostles and Overgeared member.s On the inside, you can trust and follow your mother and Lauel.”

“Father...?”

He ended up shedding tears in front of Khan.

“Trust me and wait, even if I come back as an idiot who knows nothing. I will surely recover and protect you, Khan.”

“Grid... why are you like this? Confide in me.”

He was like a person leaving on a long journey. Grid visited and talked to his important people one by one, causing the atmosphere throughout the empire to become upset. They were worried that something big had happened to Grid.

The person who was the most surprised was Lim Cheolho, the chairman of the S.A Group.

‘...He is sincere?’

He monitored Grid in real time and noticed a surprising fact. It was the fact that Grid was determined to endure eternity in Biban’s mental world.

‘We can’t let that happen, can we?’

Grid was right that he properly understood the mental world. Theoretically, if he wandered in the mental world, then he could really wander for eternity. But Grid was a player. He was subject to the minimal safeguards to protect him. It couldn’t really happen...

‘Really... he is truly an amazing young man in many ways.’

He really wanted to try and endure eternity. It was purely to fulfill Biban’s wish. This was no longer an ordinary human being.

‘At this level, isn’t he actually a transcendent?’

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Of course, he meant in the mental aspect.

A transcendent. It was right to think so. Either that or he was just crazy.

“...I will support you this time too.”

Chairman Lim Cheolho was sincere. He was the longest follower of Grid in the world and was arguably Grid’s biggest fan. He understood and felt sorry for Rebecca’s position, which made the worldview distorted, but he truly supported Grid.

[......]

Morpheus should’ve pointed out Chairman Lim Cheolho’s attitude, but it was silent. It was as if it was also rooting for Grid.

On the screen, Grid was entering Biban’s mental world.