Overgeared

“Ugh!”

Something huge and ugly was the method to create primitive fear. The black tortoise merely cried out to the sky but the high rankers shuddered with fear. They felt threatened by the enormous size of the black tortoise and disgusted by its appearance. Grid was the same. No, the confusion he felt was much greater. It was a side effect of knowing many things.

‘Is this one of the Four Auspicious Beasts?’

Grid knew—the Four Auspicious Beasts were the guardian gods of humanity, born from the aspirations of humanity. It was their role to help with the stability and prosperity of humanity. Naturally, they were favorable to humanity and their existence itself was beneficial for humanity. This wasn’t speculation, it was real.

Grid had witnessed the resurrection of the red phoenix enriching the south. Now the current black tortoise was completely different. The resurrection of the black tortoise didn’t help the north. A black, sticky liquid oozed from the snake scales and eroded the civilization of the earth. The smoke that came from the fire spout protruding from the tortoise shell covered the sun in the sky.

[Death is coming!]

[Death is coming!]

[Death...!]

The transcendent senses that detected and warned of danger drove Grid to great confusion. The warning messages steadily rose and Grid was dizzy.

‘...This isn’t the guardian god.’

Grid watched the growing size of the black liquid puddle and was convinced.

‘A wounded god.’

It was completely different from the red phoenix. The black tortoise was a god that stifled human life and destiny just by its existence. Was it originally like this?

‘No, it is impossible.’

The Twelve Zodiacs had told him that the black tortoise was the gentlest of the Four Auspicious Beasts. They said the reason the black tortoise denied and got rid of artificial substances was for humans.

‘By preserving nature, it is protecting the human race.’

It was extreme logic comparable to the claim that there was no war without an army. In any case, most of the actions of the black tortoise came from its heart or instincts for humanity.

‘It is different now.’

Night came to the world because the poison that the black tortoise emitted completely covered the sun. Was this darkness that withered life, for humanity? Not at all.

‘Something is wrong.’

It was strange from the beginning of the resurrection. It appeared that the yangbans had deliberately released the black tortoise.

‘Did they make this type of black tortoise?’

It happened when Grid was constantly thinking.

“Dammit! They hid a monster instead of a treasure!”

deceived by the yangbans! We have to run

fail the quest

treasure but we don’t even know where the treasure is! It is right

their skin, they quickly took out an antidote to drink it. However, the situation of some magicians wasn't good. They had relatively low physical abilities due to their investment in intelligence. They were overwhelmed by avoiding both the black pool

“Hey! Come this way!”

tankers set out to help the magicians. They hid the magicians behind them while raising their shields to stop the black liquid falling

“Gasp.”

scraps. The tankers found it unexpected that objects meant for self-defense would melt without defending them. The black tortoise had no idea of the situation on the ground. It was still roaring at the sky

"Damn...!"

and the magicians behind them all paled. A black drop of water, the same size as

“Shield!”

“Anti-magic!”

but it was useless. Shield couldn’t handle the mass of liquid and Anti-magic didn’t work at

‘We’re going to die!’

black drops and the rankers. For some reason, his armor and helmet were removed. He was only wearing a shirt, shoulder guards, gaiters, and boots. The water droplets that should’ve soaked the rankers splashed all over the blond man. The blond knight’s shoulder guards, gaiters,

“H-Hey!”

“Kyaaak!”

and die without a single bone left

the blond man’s incomprehensible sacrifice only to close their mouths. The blond knight’s shoulder guards, boots, and gaiters recovered immediately after the black liquid touched it. They repeatedly

shirt melted and disappeared. The half-naked blond man spoke, “This liquid only extinguishes artificial substances and is harmless to organic

“Eh?”

took off their items without hesitation. Then they yelled at the blond knight. “You’re our enemy!

with Asmophel’s appearance. "I never thought

them the moment he saw them. He would’ve gone beyond the

here,” Grid urged them. He

here by a call from the heavens, just like me in the

being used by the yangbans and the Five Seniors. Sooner or later, they would regret it. There was no need to inflict pain on them. Grid recalled the blacksmiths who had been killed by Garam before looking up at the black tortoise. In the blackened world, the roaring red glow was more demonic than

“Uh...?”

felt puzzled by the blond knight’s attitude and were rushing to leave this spot when they suddenly stiffened

durability of Berith's Skin

It meant the skin mask made by Berith wouldn’t be safe before the power of

cool eyes became sharp. The muscles that made up the

“...Grid?”

truth of the blond knight and were astonished. Then their faces soon distorted.

who was standing in front of the black tortoise. Bubat, Shane, Ronam, etc.—they were representatives of their countries. If they had something in common, it was that they suffered due to Grid every time

are

No matter if they liked Grid or not, they had been struggling to catch up with him and learn from him. They secretly hoped that

really

Grid’s interview about how he wouldn’t attend the event because it was boring. He was

and Grid was the one trying to overcome it.

we’re not even your competitors?”

were angry. They were mortified by their pitiful selves, who could only be angry at Grid for doing them a

a yangban say, “The wrath of the