Overgeared

The white skin and pure silver armor were the only pure white presence in hell. In the hall of malice and killing intent, only she was virtuous and just.

Tang tang! Tatatatang!

Demon Slayer Yura—she recreated this hateful hell as she fired a barrage that covered the sky. It was the birth of a cage that locked onto all players involved in target processing.

-Wow...

The event ended in just 23 seconds. Viewers replayed the event repeatedly from various angles and belatedly exclaimed. The entire world was thrilled. The legendary greatness that Grid showed as soon as he participated in the National Competition... Yura only proved it properly after several years. It was the fruit of her long efforts.

“......”

The cameras focused on Yura, who was breathing hard with her heart pounding. She remembered all the trials and anguish she had faced from the time she met Great Demon Amoract up to now.

Zibal’s hands were shaking as he stepped off Raiders. “You have been suffering for a while now... Congratulations.”

He was congratulating her but the tone and words were more like comfort. Why? Yura was feeling doubt when she suddenly realized that tears were flowing down her cheeks.

“Ah...” Why was she so desperate? Grid, Kraugel, Piaro, Mercedes...

Was she relieved and crying because she followed them late, they who had been the same legends but were far ahead?

“Thank you,” Yura responded with an awkward smile.

“Hey.” Zibal frowned at the sight. “Don’t cry when you’ve only won once. Next year, I’ll win.”

“...?” She wasn’t crying because she won. Yura wanted to explain but she closed her mouth. It was because she noticed that Zibal’s shoulders were shaking. “...I understand.”

Yes, it wasn’t only her. The other players, including Zibal standing in front of her with a somber expression, had been working hard for the past year. All of them deserved respect.

“I’m looking forward to next year. Let’s have a great competition at that time.”

A close up shot of a rarely smiling Yura. The viewers around the world were stunned silent for a moment by her beauty. 

Subsequently, the second event, drawing the saint sword, started and flames sparked. She was different from Yura, who blackened the sky. Jishuka dominated the area with flames and heat.

“It is unexpected.” Kraugel touched his wrist that was feeling the recoil of deflecting an arrow and turned his gaze over the wall of fire. He could see the beautiful woman with a blazing bow—Jishuka. It was unexpected for her to compete in drawing the saint sword event since it had been announced a few days earlier that Kraugel would be participating. It was because the swordsmanship of a sword saint made the concept of distance meaningless. This was the worst thing for an archer.

-Why participate in a losing event?

The viewers were full of questions.

“Kraugel,” Jishuka’s smile was refreshing enough to make people forget the heat and she spoke shocking remarks, “I’m going to beat you. I got a quest to become a bow saint.”

“......”

It was the moment when the reason for Jishuka picking the drawing the saint sword event was revealed. However, Kraugel wasn’t convinced.

“To get beyond the top, you need an overwhelming difference in skills.”

They were words that implied many things. Unless Jishuka’s talent went beyond Kraugel, she couldn’t beat Kraugel even after becoming a bow saint. If the class change condition of the bow saint was to fight and overcome a ‘legend of the current era’ like it was with the sword saint, Jishuka should’ve challenged Yura, not Kraugel. It should’ve also been before the National Competition.

Jishuka pulled back her bowstring. The flames revolving around her formed arrows and her bowstring remained tense. “I am challenging you because it is hard. Wouldn’t it be nice to knock you down and become a bow saint? Be prepared. You will die if you look down on me today.”

Live for appearance, die for appearance—it was one of the favorite sayings that Jishuka had learned since coming to South Korea. Jishuka’s shot became a signal. After she released the bowstring, the arrows created flames in the area while players from other countries appeared in unison to attack Kraugel.

Jishuka and the other players hadn’t planned this in advance. However, the absolute strongman called Kraugel made them naturally cooperate. It was as Jishuka expected. It was also a source of confidence for her.

‘I will thoroughly push you here and make you pay the price.’

During her training after leaving the Overgeared Kingdom, Jishuka had made great strides. Not only had she gained multiple levels, she acquired new skills and stats in the process of achieving the bow saint pre-conditions. Furthermore, when she traveled to the East Continent to help Grid, she was unintentionally blessed by the red phoenix. The blessing increased her main stats by 10% and allowed her to create the ‘intangible arrows.’

Jishuka looked at the possibilities. She calculated that the stage of the sword draw, which was dozens of times larger than the PvP stage and had a variety of terrain features, was the only stage where she could beat Kraugel.

‘I will identify your power today.’

In fact, there was also an easy path. It wasn’t to challenge Kraugel. She just had to ask Yura or Grid to let her win once. Yet in the past, Kraugel was in the same situation and hadn’t asked Grid. He beat Grid with pure skill and became a sword saint.

It was pride. Jishuka also valued pride. Forcing her colleagues to throw the match just to change classes? It was a shame that would be a lifetime regret. 

“......”

Kraugel closed his eyes. It was intended to seal the sight of the shimmering flames and to awaken a different sense. Kraugel slightly widened his stride and swung his sword, cutting down the fire arrow shot by Jishuka. There were two arrows. Viewers believed that Jishuka’s attack was in vain.

However, reality was different. Jishuka’s real move still remained. It was the ‘Intangible Arrow Enchanted with Divine Power’ that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Kraugel was recovering his sword to use Sword Curtain, only to find himself blocked.

‘Don’t let Sword Curtain be used.’ She had noticed it in the process of collecting and analyzing data. A sword saint’s Sword Curtain completely neutralized projectiles. An archer couldn’t beat Kraugel when the Sword Curtain existed. It had to be blocked.

Jishuka fired an arrow again. This time, she aimed for Kraugel’s wrist. Rather than unfolding Sword Curtain, Kraugel was forced to avoid the arrow. It was as expected. Kraugel chose evasion. Jishuka’s arrow swept past Kraugel’s shoulder because he didn’t open Sword Curtain and moved in time.

‘He avoided it? A real monster... I’m going to have to use an intangible arrow.’

The other players were rushing through the flames toward Kraugel. Surrounded by dozens of people, Kraugel lowered his waist as much as possible and took the posture of drawing the sword.

“Split Open.”

Sword energy rose around Kraugel. It was the sharpest and most powerful sword energy in the world. All of the surrounding landscape was split apart. All the players who just arrived and attacked Kraugel were also included. The concept of numbers became meaningless.

“Kuack!”

“Kkuk...!”

The participants were fatally wounded and coughed up blood.

“Perforate.” Kraugel’s sword was once again drawn and pointed at Jishuka.

“A legend is someone who ‘goes beyond strength’ and shows ‘something that can’t happen’ or ‘something that shouldn’t happen.’”

All the fallen players were coughing up blood while Jishuka’s heart had two holes perforated into it. Kraugel also proved Braham’s words about a true legend.

“Cough, I screwed up.”

Jishuka didn’t die and recovered thanks to Incarnation of Fire but her heart felt empty.

‘I didn’t know he would grow to this level.’

The rumors that he had been stuck in the mountains for three years weren’t false. The combination of overwhelming talent, persistence, and hard work was simply a scam. Jishuka continued to shoot. Her arrows flew in a spiral and blocked the ability to read their trajectory. Even Kraugel couldn’t block them. There were quite a few wounds on his body. Yet in the process, he successfully defended against the Intangible Arrow Enchanted with Divine Power and finally narrowed the distance to Jishuka.

“The protagonist of a manhwa has more of a conscience than you,” Jishuka scolded Kraugel as he appeared right before her nose. Just then, Kraugel’s feet were caught in something. He hadn’t discovered the trap because his senses had been focused on the intangible arrows.

A succession of arrows took place. Against a shaky backdrop, Kraugel’s sword created dozens of flashes while Jishuka’s arrows were spectacular. The power of the arrows that pierced the stone barriers created by the White Tiger Sword often caused Kraugel to feel cold.

It was a fierce battle. However, it was safe to say that victory was decided from the moment when a swordsman succeeded in narrowing the distance to an archer. By the time the fallen players rose again and rushed to Kraugel, Jishuka was already running away from her position. There was a huge roar from the red phoenix and Kraugel couldn’t rashly chase after her.

“...”

Kraugel was seriously wounded and couldn’t face the players approaching him. In any case, the main goal was to become the figure the holy sword wanted. He had a powerful mind and already grasped the sword’s wish. He started to take advantage of the participants’ skills to extinguish the surrounding fire.

Some of the players noticed and tried to light up the forest again, but it was too late. After fully extinguishing the flames and obtaining the first sword song, Kraugel followed the hints. At this point, Jishuka had moved as much as possible to avoid being close to Kraugel so no one could stop him anymore.

In the end...

『 Kraugel was one step faster! 』

The first owner of the sword stuck in the rock was Kraugel and the second was Jishuka.

“Was I the only one to reveal everything?” Jishuka lamented as she stood on the silver medal podium.

Still, the passion in her eyes was the same.

“Well, once we meet again in actual battle in the game, I would’ve grown again. Isn't that right? Please accept my challenge next time.” Jishuka smiled as she gazed at Kraugel. She was proud and confident.

Frankly, Kraugel was tired. This was the type of opponent he feared most. ‘I need to ask Grid for mediation...’

***

“Wait! Wait a minute!” Grid called out to Braham who was far ahead. It was maddening that if Shunpo failed once, the distance with Braham would become too wide. “What if I become lost?”

“A fully grown man like you is whining.” Braham folded his arms and yawned while waiting.

Thanks to this, Grid shook his head and narrowed the distance again.

“Eh?”

The big poisonous rat community—it had become a lawless zone since Grid killed the rat queen. The rats lost their queen and could only move using instincts, making the landscape of the community become desolate. This was what Grid had seen before he left for Kars.

In just a few days, the community of big poisonous rats had changed dramatically. It was well-organized and could even be described as a human village.

‘Did the rats come back as intelligent spirits?’

The rats who had fallen wild after the death of their master might’ve been influenced by the resurrected red phoenix. It was very good news. This was something Grid had hoped for. Grid entered the community and was filled with joy.

“Y-You?”

The rat queen, who had apparently died, was resurrected. The rat queen rushed to Grid who reflexively stepped backwards. She was round like a hamster and rushed with tremendous speed. It was a different speed than before. Grid was unable to draw his sword before she arrived. 

The rat queen embraced him. “Our benefactor! I have been waiting!”