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!”

the yangbans! We

fail the quest then we

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

antidote to drink it. However, the situation of some magicians wasn't good. They had relatively low physical abilities due to

“Hey! Come this way!”

They hid the magicians behind them while raising their shields to stop the black liquid falling from the sky. They didn’t

“Gasp.”

The black tortoise had no idea of the situation on the ground. It was still roaring at the sky without looking at the humans it needed to

"Damn...!"

all paled. A black drop of water, the same

“Shield!”

“Anti-magic!”

Shield couldn’t handle the mass of liquid and Anti-magic

‘We’re going to die!’

intruder—the person someone claimed was Grid’s knight appeared between the 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

“H-Hey!”

“Kyaaak!”

die without a single

help them? The stunned rankers were screaming at 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 melted and regained their form. The process

man spoke, “This liquid only extinguishes artificial

“Eh?”

items without hesitation. Then they yelled at the blond knight. “You’re

shrugged with Asmophel’s appearance. "I never thought of

considered them enemies then he would’ve killed them the moment he saw them. He would’ve gone beyond the level of piercing

nonsense and get out of here,” Grid urged them. He had

a call from the heavens, just like

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 a great

“Uh...?”

they suddenly stiffened like statues. They stared blankly at the blond knight without being able

Skin

of the great demons were comparable to a god. Berith, who was only ranked 22nd, couldn’t be compared to a god. It meant the skin mask made by Berith wouldn’t be safe before the power of the black tortoise. He took off

gorgeous blond hair turned into short black hair and the cool eyes became sharp. The muscles that made up

“...Grid?”

astonished. Then their faces soon distorted. The

stopped moving. They stared at Grid who was standing in front of the black tortoise. Bubat, Shane, Ronam, etc.—they were representatives of their

are

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

are really nothing to

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

and Grid was the one trying to overcome it. Bubat didn’t want to tolerate this

we’re not even your competitors?” Bubat yelled with bloodshot

for doing them a favor. It was a complicated feeling that the rankers themselves

heard a yangban say, “The wrath of the