Overgeared

Chapter 1591

After getting a new life, Braham had always reflected on his past. It was to avoid repeating the mistakes of trusting Pagma due to overconfidence in his judgment and being betrayed, as well as the sin of being caught in ugly feelings of jealousy and stealing his disciple’s achievements.

He wanted to be worthy of being the Duke of Wisdom in this life. He would face the world with reason and wisdom, not emotion. The blood of a vampire occasionally clouded his efforts, but it was literally just an occasional impulse. Braham was confident that he had persevered well.

The proof was that he lived with those with no talent without avoiding them. It was the same now.

The resurrection magic that he completed using his obsession with life—he wasn’t swept away by fear and despair even though he observed a future where he would be trapped on the surface, repeatedly die, and finally be dragged to hell to be extinguished without a trace.

His mental world calmed down. The last purpose of his life was to leave his mark on Cranbel’s eternal body. He was determined to engrave the name of the greatest magician in history on the world. However, at this moment…

"……"

Duguen!

Braham’s calm heart started to beat vigorously in a way that was contrary to his will. It was while watching Grid climb onto the neck of the giant dragon. Grid’s divinity was getting bigger and bigger in conjunction with the dragon’s increased speed. Every time the dragon swerved, the orange polar light spread like an insignia that covered the world.

It was a dream-like sight, but it was reality. The hot blood flowing from his wrist that was pierced by his fingernails was the proof.

"Riding… dragons?"

An idea that went far beyond the wisdom of the Duke of Wisdom, who wasn’t particularly bound by common sense. Braham could only laugh. It wasn’t an ironic laugh.

On the other side—

[……]

Cranbel couldn’t laugh. Initially, when the Overgeared God broke into the scene, he also witnessed the story of Crazy God and Crazy Dragon. It was thanks to the scene forcibly projected through Ifrit’s magical remnants. It was an unrealistic sight that was approaching incomprehensible for a dragon, but Cranbel wasn’t very agitated. He was surprisingly easily convinced.

The dying Ifrit—he noticed the reason why she placed Grid on her neck and sympathized.

That’s right. Cranbel saw it as Ifrit using Grid. It was simply to overcome the crisis at that time. He thought there was no more meaning. It was natural. Cranbel didn’t know that Grid had made Ifrit’s horn. He didn’t foresee that the trust and favor of the Crazy God and Crazy Dragon toward each other was very strong.

‘Status… how much did it rise?’

Cranbel’s scales stood up on edge when he noticed that Grid wasn’t being drawn into his space. It looked like he was wearing iron armor made of sharpened blades. It was threatening at first glance, but it was actually just a representation of fear.

Kurarararara!

Grid’s divinity grew enough to cover Basque’ body. The Breath shot by Basque was almost orange. Cranbel couldn’t just watch as Basque’s Breath filled his vision before he knew it. He abandoned his pride and struck back with the same Breath. He was a bit late to respond, but it was no problem. Cranbel’s hierarchy was the highest among the dragons here. Even if he responded later than the opponent, he would still hit the opponent. The circulation of magic power, the manifestation of will, the activity of the flesh, etcetera—everything was faster than the other side.

Cranbel’s Breath that was shot one step later collided with Basque’s Breath. Cranbel prepared for the following move. His two wings spread wide open while his own Breath crushed and penetrated Basque’s Breath. He calculated the path that Basque would take to dodge the Breath and moved there.

Everything up to this point took a short moment. It was right to describe it as a situation that happened at the same time as the explosion.

[……!]

Cranbel’s wall-like chest was crushed. It was the aftermath of moving along the path of the Breath he shot. He never even imagined that his own Breath would be crushed in reverse. In a rare situation, Basque’s Breath didn’t lose its momentum as it broke through Cranbel’s scales and crushed his chest. It blew Cranbel to the other side of the sky like it had to penetrate Cranbel.

‘Unbelievable.’

Basque was more surprised than Cranbel. The Breath was close to the pure power of a dragon, close to inner energy. The fight that Basque’s Breath fought and won against Cranbel’s Breath was impossible even if the sky was overturned. However, Grid made it possible.

[Duke of Amplification]

[Once activated, the power of the magic and skills you use will be doubled.

However, the resources consumed and cooldown are also doubled.

★ The effect of items and skills that shorten the cooldown time are only 65% effective.]

A new rule had been set since the time that Basque’s Breath was activated in Grid’s skill window. It was a rule that Basque had the potential to transcend hierarchy. The new rule presented a crisis to Cranbel.

‘A little bit faster!’

Grid clung flat to Basque’s neck. It was quite unsightly compared to his previous figure of when he straightened his back confidently, but he couldn’t help it. The stronger the acceleration, the stronger the wind pressure resistance…

[Hold on tightly!]

He was ready to face stronger resistance. Grid’s posture change seemed to say

Basque bit at Cranbel’s neck. Then Basque’s tail shot like a spear and collided with Cranbel’s tail.

The atmosphere howled. Grid’s divinity that colored the sky shook. Cranbel’s gaze chased after Grid. He was relieved to see that Grid had become a one-armed person. The powerful dual wielding swordsmanship was sealed.

It was urgent.

Dozens of items poured out of Grid’s inventory as he gradually got closer to Cranbel and they united together in the shape of an arm. It was a prosthetic arm that closely resembled the God Hands. It was one of the two powers that Grid gained as a reward for spreading the truth of hell. It was a prosthetic arm made using the power that arose based on the fact that the Overgeared God was the ruler of all things.

[Power of Domination has restored the arm you have lost.]

[Power of Domination]

[Combine two or more items to create a substance or phenomena.

The power of the substance or phenomena is proportional to the total durability of the combined items.

★Items with infinite durability can’t be designated as targets.

Skill Cooldown Time: 1 hour.

Skill Duration: 3 minutes.]

It was a skill that didn’t consume resources, but it wasn’t easy to use. He had to fill the whole process with ‘imagination’ while activating the Power of Domination to create the desired substance or phenomena. It was very difficult to make the desired substance or phenomena quickly unless he had the exact specimen called the ‘God Hand.’

Clink!

Grid was filled with cold metal, unlike the other transcendents who healed their body defects by regenerating or combination. The system immediately responded as he armed himself with two swords in a rather awkward movement.

[Mountain Appearance and Flowing Streams has been activated.]

[Draw a landscape that someone has been protecting for a lifetime with your sword.]

"Drop Dragon…"

[Is it enough to discuss the fall of a dragon?!] Cranbel shouted. His force as he tore and twisted Basque’s snout that was biting his neck was terrible.

At this moment, flames engulfed the world. It was Storm of the Fire God, which now seemed inappropriate to be the Overgeared God’s mental world. The energy of the Red Phoenix in Grid’s heart rotated. It was in a fierce manner as if to savor Grid’s soaring status.

The power of the mental world was affected by status. So far, countless enemies had proved it. Most of the transcendents had easily broken Grid’s mental world. However, now—

[Keuk…?!]

Cranbel failed to break down Storm of the Fire God. He failed to stop the rapidly recovering Basque and Grid’s explosively growing strength.

"…Pinnacle Link Kill Wave!!!"

In the world full of a red storm and sunset, a god danced. It was on the head of a dragon while holding two swords. All the forces that rose from the Rune of Gluttony harmonize with the dance.

Rattle.

The clear sound of bells caused Grid’s image to overlap with someone else. Cranbel roared violently as he was struck by the sword energy.

[Ultimate Martial Art has been triggered!]

[Critical!]

[The target has received 5,378,922,746 damage.]

[…The heavenly gods are amazed!]

[Both of Martial God Zeratul’s eyes staring at you are red and bloodshot…]

[You have been struck by a serious attack!]

[A god doesn’t die easily.]

[Flee to the nearest temple right away!]

A chilling pleasure and terrible pain simultaneously struck Grid. Remnants of a silver beam were visible in the view of the collapsing Grid. It was the trace left by Cranbel’s Breath, which penetrated Basque’s spinal cord and turned Grid’s body into rags.

[The effect of Dragon Knight is over.]

The image of Grid falling was projected into Cranbel’s eyes, who had allowed consecutive large attacks and his health bar was finally revealed.

[Overgeared God, thanks to you, I realized that Ifrit is better than me.]

Cranbel’s words were completed in a split second and shook Grid’s blank mind.

Grid was forced to make a choice. Should he escape like this or stay and fight to the end? It was a no-brainer. Grid unsurprisingly chose the latter. There was Braham here.

"Braham…! Run away now!" Grid desperately shouted. He had completely felt it when he boarded Basque and achieved a sharp rise in status. Cranbel’s Dragon Words that dominated the scene. The Dragon Words lost their effect. It was possible for Braham to flee now. He would draw attention until then…

This was what Grid thought.

[There is no being who can leave here.]

Cranbel destroyed that hope. It was done so easily and with just a few words.

[Today, I will go beyond Ifrit. I will devour all of you and achieve it…]

Cranbel couldn’t finish his words. It was because another dragon carried Grid on his neck on behalf of Basque, who crashed to the ground. Grid’s status rose again. Cranbel’s Dragon Words once again lost its effect.

"Braham! Leave!"

The bloody Grid—he felt death tightening under his chin and rushed to Cranbel. This time, it was a green Breath. He used Divinity to once again use Item Combination to complete his weapon. Then he performed a sword dance. Unfortunately, there wasn’t the sound of bells.

Kurarararara!

Cranbel took the injury. He had to endure it. He allowed the Breath and instead stopped Grid’s sword dance with magic and his tail.

"Keuk…!"

The second collision also wore Grid down. The green dragon that carried him crashed into the desert like Basque. Even so, it was still fine.

Kurarararara!

This time, the blue dragon carried Grid. Grid started again. He raised his status and approached Cranbel with the blue Breath. This time, his dance was short and shabby. It was because his fusion sword dances had a cooldown time before they could be reused.

"Kuack!"

The third clash was fatal to Grid. His prosthetic was smashed and even the blue dragon crashed to the ground.

Cranbel could endure the power of the Breaths, but the other dragons couldn’t endure Cranbel’s Breath. It was a hopelessly overwhelming strength. There was one fact that was comforting.

"…This is good."

Braham escaped from the scene. The curse words he expressed before he left still lingered in Grid’s ears.

Notification windows were being updated in his field of view as Grid smiled.

[There are two seconds left until the ‘Emergency Return’ system is deactivated.]

[Please note! A huge penalty will be imposed upon death!]

Five seconds had almost passed since the immortality state. Grid reacted without time to think. Just in case, he held the dragon with the God Hands and activated the flashing Emergency Return system. However—

[Escape isn’t possible.]

He was caught by Cranbel’s re-established rule.

[The power contained in the words becomes stronger as the covenant is fulfilled. Overgeared God, great person who overshadows the years. Putting aside my awe and liking for you, I will kill you.]

Hundreds of spells came to mind. It was a sight that made Grid desperately realize Braham’s absence.

‘Still, I fought well enough.’

[The Emergency Return system is disabled.]

Grid was letting go after seeing the notification window that rose.

[Get on.]

Then the last remaining dragon flew over and bowed his head.

Xenon—it was the most unsightly dragon. His body was particularly small compared to other dragons and he was covered with wounds. He didn’t even have wings. Yet for Grid, he was the last hope. There was no reason to refuse in the first place.

Cranbel didn’t bother to stop Grid from riding on Xenon. It wouldn’t be strange if a low ranking dragon and a young god died soon. What could these two do?

Hundreds of spells poured out simultaneously. They moved along all trajectories in all forms and all of Grid’s possibilities were erased.

Xenon’s Breath toward him was weak. It failed to break through the baptism of magic and lost power along the way. However, Cranbel’s expression stiffened. His consciousness that was divided into hundreds of parts was alarmed. He reflexively united his consciousness.

It was too late. The cold moonlight split apart his body and the desert. There was a deafening noise and everyone on the scene crashed deep underground. They were so tired that no one could resist. Finally, they reached the end of the underground area. Coincidentally, it was the site of Marie Rose’s castle.

"Y-Your Majeeeeesty!!!"

"……?"

Grid mistook this place for hell for a moment. It was because the people of Reidan, who he thought were dead, greeted him.