Overgeared

There was no blood on Khan’s wrinkled face. His skin was pale all the way to his fingertips. His body was a mess. It was hard to fathom his pain as he kept coughing up black blood.

“I... Take me to the smithy.”

“...”

Faker wanted Khan to relax. His chances of survival were likely to increase if he was stable until Sticks came back. But Faker quickly got rid of that idea. He recalled that Khan had been working for most of his 80 years of life. Khan would feel alive when striking metal in front of a hot furnace.

"I understand.”

Doing blacksmithing would help Khan became stable. Faker believed this and helped Khan. Khan leaned on his shoulder and smiled gently.

“Thank you. Thank you.”

Faker’s heart ached. Since when had Khan become so small? Where did his big and hard hands go, leaving only the faded hands of an old man? Time was truly cruel. Faker recalled the bond with Khan since the days of the Tzedakah Guild and worried about Grid above all else.

He knew that the sadness Grid felt would be huge compared to what Faker was feeling now.

***

Unlike usual, the air was cold.

“...”

Khan was tearful as he returned to the empty smithy. This place had been filled with young blacksmiths just a few hours ago. One day, they disappeared into a handful of ashes, shouting that they also wanted to support King Grid. Khan was filled with great sadness at the loss of their dreams and futures.

“Should we go back?”

Faker caught Khan’s trembling body and asked with a concerned look. Khan shook his head.

"It’s nothing. I will be okay.”

He had a final work to do. He would go directly to the souls of the young blacksmiths and comfort them. Khan thought this and walked up to the furnace. Faker piled up hundreds of potions beside him.

“I will bring the Saintess. Don’t forget to drink a potion whenever it’s time.”

Nod.

Faker confirmed Khan’s answer and immediately logged out. Then he tried to contact Saintess Ruby using the emergency network. However, it was currently the moment when the PvP was over and Grid was receiving the gold medal. She couldn’t be reached.

The urgent Faker tried to contact the other Overgeared members. But he couldn’t get in touch with them either. Everyone was thrilled with Grid’s victory and preoccupied with the celebration.

Kwang!

Faker slammed his fist against the wall. He continued to do this a few times until his fists were bleeding.

“...Dammit.”

Faker was furious with himself. He was going to defend the Overgeared Kingdom? How could he when he couldn’t even protect one elderly man?

‘Why didn’t I try harder?’

He realized the limits of a normal class. He knew that there were many monstrous players in the world that he didn’t know yet. Nevertheless, he was satisfied and complacent with this reality. It was a terrible arrogance. He was mistaken after winning the battle against Black. A little more, he had to do a little more.

Faker held his head

Yiing.

phone vibrated as it rang. His face turned rosy as he hurriedly accepted the

***

“Grandfather Khan!”

Taang, taang.

sound of the hammer on the calm night was lonely today. Ruby breathed

"Grandfather...”

princess has

color was completely white as he faced the furnace. His skin remained

“G-Grandfather...”

crying. The light in her big eyes, more beautiful than jewels, faded. It was Khan who loved her and took care of her like a granddaughter. To Ruby, he was like a grandfather. She believed he would love her forever and planned to always see him. But what was this haggard appearance?

“Hope! Benevolent Light! Purification!”

of Khan’s pain. After hurriedly using heal, she used

have healed

old. His body has reached

recovery effect isn’t applied

detoxification effect isn’t applied

"...!"

many lives. She believed that she could save more people in the future and give them happiness. Yet she couldn’t save a precious person. Ruby was shocked since she never doubted

“P-Purif... Purification! Purification!”

playing experience with Satisfy. She was unfamiliar with the concept of NPCs. She couldn’t accept reality and

"Please calm down.”

“G-Grandfather...”

I’m giving pain to our

“Uh...!”

into Khan’s arms. Khan’s always hot body was

Princess Ruby, who was just a girl, is becoming a respectable adult. It’s

"Grandfather...! Grandfather! Wahh!”

gentle and calm appearance because she was conscious of her great

a deep breath and said, "Huhu, don’t be sad. I should leave when my natural life

His symptoms of poisoning were

“Grandfather!”

He brought the priests who had just returned from an

to the

to

Light Prayer, where 17 or more Rebecca priests chanted a prayer. But even that didn’t work

priest approached Faker and said cautiously, "It’s

saying? We have to save him for the next

in four hours. No, it could be faster. The sage’s wisdom would surely save Khan. The priest quietly turned away from Faker’s

I still have work

for a sword or spear to pierce. The gold rings and hinges connecting the black

“Just a bit more...”

“...”

Taang, taang, taang.

Khan. He put a new iron plate on the armor and started hammering again. Connect the hinges, connect the rings, and do it again. Khan looked at his armor with warm eyes

"...He’s a true craftsman.”

“I admire...”

reverent as when they prayed in front of Rebecca’s statue. How much

“Hu...huhu.”