Overgeared

The better the skill, the higher the potential. The higher the potential, the harder the application difficulty. It meant that a user’s competence was important in pulling out all the potential of a skill. Nevertheless, there were skills that couldn’t be solved with the problem of competence alone.

Super Sensitivity was a representative example of this. It was a skill to predict upcoming crises and the behavioral patterns of targets. It predicted when someone became a target of a skill already used, when to target the opponent, when they would encounter the opponent, when to move to a specific place, and so on.

The skill functioned under all conditions and was given the ‘system assistance.’ The system alerted users to the predictions through a notification window or voice message. It was hard for even a genius to handle the flood of information that came in real time. How many people would tolerate the voice guidance or notification windows in a sober manner?

As such, there were restrictions. A great swordsman’s Super Sensitivity only had a duration of a few seconds while Kraugel’s Super Sensitivity had many functions limited. Every time the stat increased, the limits of the functions would gradually unlock, giving the player time to adapt.

The same was true for the Shadow Technique that belonged to Lantier’s Methods. This top-rated skill that had to partially control the shadows and their weapons reduced the player’s burden by limiting the number of weapons and shadows that a player could raise. Previously, Faker studied the skill from Kasim, and only six shadows could be raised when the skill was level 3.

However, Kasim was different. Just as Mercedes could handle Keen Insight which was the higher version of Super Sensitivity, Kasim was able to control the shadows perfectly. It was the ability of the named-grade NPC with the setting of ‘King of Shadows.’

Hundreds of thousands of shadow troops filled the battlefield. They emerged from the feet or from the back, stabbing the imperial soldiers’ necks and backs. The basic characteristic of the Shadow Technique where the ‘power is weakened when summoning a large number of soldiers’ also applied to Kasim, and it was rare for an imperial soldier to be fatally wounded or killed by the shadows.

“Uh... Uwahh...” Still, the morale of the imperial forces sank completely. The sudden appearance of hundreds of thousands of troops was more shocking than any natural disaster.

Just one person... The center of the stage, which had been naturally created, contained the calm Drunk Duke Diworth. No, he was amused. He precisely captured Kasim’s image hiding in the darkness.

“You were a black cat survivor.”

Diworth threw Noll, who was held in his hand, to the ground. Noll coughed up blood. He was unable to recover. The unidentified alcohol absorbed into his body prevented his magic power and organs from functioning.

Tong! Diworth kicked Noll in the direction of the knights and shook his head.

“There weren’t any duty officers at headquarters at the time, so it was my job. I used my brain. Unfortunately, I was too excited and made a mistake. You will die by my hands and won’t be able to get revenge on the empire...”

“Take back those words,” Kasim interrupted Diworth in the middle of his speech. Kasim’s stealth disappeared, and his eyes shone with killing intent.

Diworth scratched his head. “What words?”

“Don’t call me black cat!”

‘Black cat’ was the name the empire used to refer to the Nero. The skin of the Nero was black and their actions were clandestine, so they were nicknamed ‘black cat’. There wasn’t a ‘demeaning’ intention behind it. Why would they demean insignificant beings? It was just easy to call them by this name.

“We aren’t black cats but the Nero! We are humans, not beasts! Humans!”

Then the empire trampled on the Nero, brutally murdering them regardless of whether they were adults or children. Only Kasim survived. Kasim’s shout rocked the battlefield. In the midst of the imperial soldiers, the shadow soldiers poured toward Diworth.

Diworth swung his hand. “Trivial things.”

the shadow weapons that flew at it. The scattered shadows returned

to deal with a duke of the Saharan Empire, did you increase the number of shadows to this point?” Diworth didn’t know Kasim, but he knew the King of Shadows. The empire’s intelligence network which spanned the entire continent was well aware of the fact that the King of Shadows was Lantier’s disciple and that he used shadows. “The more shadows that are dispersed, the more cloudy they become. If you intend to kill a duke of the empire and get revenge on the empire, you should’ve

at Kasim. Goosebumps appeared

has

stop as it disappeared beyond the desert horizon. No one knew where it flew to. There was no sound. Then Kasim fell to his knees. He looked like a broken

been hopeful after Kasim appeared, shouted desperately. He belatedly realized things had gone wrong and used the Tyrant’s power. Chris hoped that Kasim would be alive and that Noll would escape while he attracted Diworth’s attention. He rushed through

voice rang out,

him to lose his composure. Kasim’s fury when creating the shadow army was an act. It was a sacrifice to announce that there was a Nero survivor. He attracted Diworth’s attention and didn’t reveal that this was a falsehood. It was all

“...?”

rescue Noll. Knights fell from a few flashes of light as Kasim appeared among

“Catch him!”

Kasim was the best assassin, and ordinary knights and magicians couldn’t stop him. Kasim was faster than anyone else

“Disappeared?”

and hid in the shadows, making it hard for even Duke

Diworth was less intoxicated after releasing his magic power. Once his drunkenness was gone, he lost interest and handed matters over to Marquis Fulbas. “Catch

to do it anyway. Marquis Fulbas’ gaze turned toward

earls by his side. Every one of them was more powerful than

be a

time wasted would also increase. It was better for him to die neatly. Kasim and Noll had escaped safely, so

the enemies’ next attacks without letting them capture him alive. The death

gust of wind that made the imperial soldiers split apart like the Red Sea and form a barrier in front of the marquis and the earls. There was only one magician Chris knew who could completely control

“Zednos!”

Guild. Zednos, former Tzedakah member and 1st

three seconds! Use

few of the troops. One of the earls was gathering aura at the end of his sword. The wind barriers were already losing momentum and were

-I understand!

Chris saw his companions everywhere. Jishuka and Yura covered him with arrows and bullets. Pon, Regas, and Peak Sword attacked the enemies while Vantner and Toban used wide-range taunt skills. His other

“Chris! This way!”

“Run away!”

greatsword to the side and sliced the enemies. The members of Overgeared were positioned in oasis around the desert. Those who pursued guerrilla warfare or physical strength and maximum efficient now entered the battlefield. They were trying to save Chris, just as Chris tried to save Noll.

Grid. It

out and reduced Chris’ health. If the marquis hadn’t given the order to capture him, Chris would’ve already died. Chris felt the earls approaching and shouted with all

“No.”

“...?”

shadow spoke, “The commander

shadow grew, and black