Overgeared, page 641
‘If I can’t achieve revenge directly with my own hands, then I have to leave it to others. Yes, let’s die.’ Kasim would leave the destruction of the empire to the Overgeared King and his son, while he would take responsibility for his actions today. ‘I was the one who made the mistake. It is right that I take responsibility for it,’ Kasim pledged and was about to leave the shadows.
At this time, someone spoke to Kasim, “Stay still.”
Lord? No. Before Lord could broach the subject, someone else stepped forward. She was Queen Irene.
“Hoh…?”
The woman standing alone in a corner of the banquet hall, who seemed to have nothing to do with politics, was stepping forward at the critical moment? Prince Dulandal lowered his hostility. He was very interested in the courage and wisdom the woman who caught his eyes would show.
‘Things are becoming more serious.’
The special privilege of the strong was to be ‘leisurely.’ In the midst of this serious situation where someone was worried about their nation and someone else was willing to give up his life, Dulandal was pleased. Irene stared straight into his eyes and said, “Your Highness, this person isn’t a rodent or a dog. He is Prince Lord’s legitimate escort and a precious talent of our Overgeared Kingdom.”
“Hah?” It was completely different from Dulandal’s expectations.
‘This stupid woman.’
Dulandal frowned and narrowed his eyes. “In other words, Your Majesty wants to claim that Prince Lord’s escort tried to hurt me? The end result is that the Overgeared Kingdom tried to harm the empire’s 2nd prince, meaning the Overgeared Kingdom is hostile to the empire? Then they are also ignoring the truce agreement.”
“No. Think about why your escort knights pulled out their swords. Wasn’t it to defend Your Highness?”
“…Hrmm? That’s right.”
“The same is true for Prince Lord’s escort. As a knight who grew up beside the little prince, he acted in his position of an escort when your knights approached.”
“Is emitting killing intent part of the role of an escort?”
“Isn’t killing intent less dangerous than pulling out swords?”
“Hah…?” Dulandal was hit in the head. By admitting that the Red Knights had drawn their swords to protect him, Dulandal legitimized the actions of the rodent who dared to send killing intent at him. This was absurd and embarrassing. He was angry, but he quickly suppressed this anger. Dulandal’s expression distorted, and he burst out laughing. Then he reached out to Irene with a polite attitude. “I admire Your Majesty’s intelligence. Can you please let me touch your white hand as an apology?”
“It is an honor.”
Was there anyone in the world who could refuse the formal gesture of an imperial prince? In the first place, there was no reason to refuse it. Irene readily stretched out her soft hand, and Dulandal kissed it.
“…” Lord’s clear eyes turned fierce with a sharpness that resembled his father’s. This was because Lord saw the desire which filled the imperial prince’s eyes when he gazed at Irene.
‘What?’ The Red Knights protecting the imperial prince were shocked. They wanted the intense pressure that they felt from the young prince, who was only around six years old, to be an illusion or a dream. Damian’s heart became restless as he watched the situation progress.
‘Things are better thanks to Queen Irene but…’
Could it become dangerous again now? Damian judged that Lord might make things worse and was about to step forward.
Flash!
Then all of a sudden, the banquet hall was filled with light. It was a nasty light which made it impossible for people to open their eyes, completely different from the warm light that symbolized Goddess Rebecca. Damian recognized this flash of light. While he was temporarily blinded, he shouted, “Black magic! Paladins, immediately escort the imperial prince and royalty!! Kuk…!”
Damian didn’t finish his shout as he’d stepped onto a red pentagram, which had been drawn on the floor, and was now cursed.
[Part of the will of God Yatan has cut you off from the world.]
[You can’t take any action inside this dark barrier.]
[The barrier can only be destroyed from the outside.]
‘The will of Yatan?’ Damian raised his head as he belatedly overcame his blindness. A demonkin fell from the ceiling. The being surrounded by darkness was called Silvenas, who was one of Yatan’s Servants.
“Silva did it! I neutralized the pope!” Her shout was the signal. All types of sounds were heard from outside the banquet hall, and an explosion sent the door of the hall flying open. Dust filled the inside of the banquet hall, and the royalty who barely overcame their blindness were immediately confused.
“Punish the dogs of the damned goddess!”
“The curse of God Yatan is waiting for you!”
The black magicians who entered the banquet hall shouted loudly. The knights of the various nations raised their swords to defend their masters, and the elders of the Rebecca Church and the paladins quickly prepared to fight. Meanwhile, the Overgeared Knights fled with Lord and Irene into a corner. Five new people followed the black magicians into the banquet hall. Three of them were NPCs and two were players.
The big shots were gathered together:
Yatan’s Third Servant, Aliburn…
Yatan’s Sixth Servant, Cardiora…
Yatan’s Seventh Servant, Hill…
The 1st ranked black magician and Yatan’s Eighth Servant, Rose…
And finally…
“Agnus…!!”
Baal’s Contractor. The players who attended this banquet, like Coke, were shocked. They didn’t know about Yatan’s Servants, but they were overwhelmed by Agnus’ presence…
‘There are four of them, including Silvenas?’ Damian, who was trapped inside the barrier, was wary of Yatan’s Servants apart from Agnus. Rebecca’s Daughters pulled out their divine artifacts and ran to Damian’s side.
“….!!!” Damian shouted from inside the barrier but he couldn’t be heard. Isabel decided that the first pressing need was to destroy this barrier.
“Kuk…!” She stabbed at the barrier with Lifael’s Spear, but there was no change. Far from being destroyed, it didn’t budge at all. Physical force and divine power were unable to harm the barrier.
“Leave the barrier to us and protect the people!”
“In particular, protect Prince Lord!”
The elders came forward. Their instructions reassured Damian. Damian felt a great affinity at the thought of these stuffy old people. However, it wasn’t a situation where he could feel reassured.
“Kyaaaak!”
“Kuaack!”
The screams of the guests started to fill the banquet hall. The knights and paladins who ran over to the situation seemed to be stuck outside. Agnus’ undead seemed to be interfering with them. Isabel also noticed this fact. First of all, she rushed to Prince Lord’s side. After confirming his safety, she turned toward Agnus.
“Kik! Kikikik!”
The screams of the other nations’ royal families and the creepy laughter filled their ears. The confusion in the banquet hall reached an extreme.
“It is okay. It is okay.”
There was a woman who had been captured as a virgin and almost sacrificed to Yatan. It was Irene. From the moment the Yatan Church showed up, she was frightened by her old memories, but she tried not to express it. In order to prevent her son from feeling uneasy, she held her young son in her arms and smiled.
“…Mother.” Lord felt his mother’s trembling and her love. The child’s gaze turned toward the battlefield. He was filled with a desire to fight.
“You can’t. You aren’t their opponent right now.”
“That’s right, Your Highness. Please stay back.” Kasim, Chucksley, and the young knights came forward.
Chapter 864
Chapter 864
[★Hidden Quest★ The Vatican’s Crisis has occurred.]
[The history of the continent will change depending on the result of the story.]
[The privilege of witnessing the ★Hidden Quest★ The Vatican’s Crisis has increased all stats by 2. Movement speed is permanently increased by 1%. You can sell your story at an expensive price to the bards drifting around the continent.]
[★Hidden Quest★ Escape from Death is in progress.]
[Escape from Death]
[★ Hidden Quest ★
It is your responsibility to escort Irene and Lord.
Escape with Irene and Lord from the Vatican, which has become a battlefield after being attacked by the Yatan Church.
Quest Clear Conditions: Escort Irene and Lord safely out of the banquet hall.
Quest Clear Rewards: Irene will never forget your accomplishments. Your reputation in the Overgeared Kingdom will rise sharply. The Overgeared Kingdom is a nation founded and ruled by the player ‘Grid.’ The precise compensation can’t be predicted.
Quest Failure: Disqualified from being an Overgeared Knight. Expelled from the Overgeared Kingdom. Level -5.
※ Sub Quest (1) ※
Kill 150 black magicians (0/150)
Sub Quest Reward: Strength +10
* The average level of players currently in the Vatican is 301. The level of the Yatan Church’s black magicians is set at 275.
※ Sub Quest (2) ※
Survive when health has fallen below 10%.
Sub Quest Reward: Stamina +20
※ Sub Quest (3) ※
Keep the health of the escort target Irene at 100%.
Sub Quest Reward: The title ‘Protector’ is obtained.]
“Cough…”
An urgent situation had suddenly occurred, and a hidden quest was triggered. The considerable compensation was worth looking forward to, but Coke wasn’t happy at all. His facial expression distorted.
‘How can I break through?’
Coke had to escape with Irene and Lord. This thought wasn’t just due to the quest. It was his duty as a knight.
‘First of all, I can’t go against Yatan’s Servants.’
The Yatan Church was a group that could fight against the Rebecca Church, the largest religion on the continent. It was easy to guess the strength of the named NPCs representing the Yatan Church, and Coke didn’t have the power to break through them as a third advancement player.
‘In the end, I have to break through either Rose or Agnus…’
It was a terrible predicament. Coke might be the peak of the new generation of rookies, but he wasn’t first in his class rankings. Rose’s and Agnus’ talents in their respective fields were at least equal to Coke’s, and their levels were also higher than Coke’s. Above all, there was a gap that couldn’t be narrowed by items.
Agnus and Rose had been playing the game since the beginning. Coke assumed that the quests and boss monsters they had cleared were extremely valuable. This made him think that both Rose and Agnus had a higher level than him and that his items and skills were also inferior.
‘I can’t stand by idly.’ Coke drew his sword and waited for orders from his superiors.
He knew his precise role in this event that had suddenly occurred. It was a supporting role. The faces of the other actors on stage were too brilliant for him to be mistaken as a lead actor. The supporting role only followed the thoughts and judgment of the actors.
Chucksley and Royman were in the middle of a discussion.
“Rebecca’s Daughters will handle Yatan’s Servants. We have to break through the necromancer blocking the right entrance.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Chucksley and Royman were apparently targeting Agnus.
Kasim also agreed with them. He came out of the shadows and told Chucksley, “According to the report of my shadow soldiers, an undead army is deployed outside the banquet hall. The paladins and Rebecca’s Daughters candidates can’t enter because of them. The man who controls the undead must be that necromancer.”
“He no longer has the capacity to defend himself if is commanding such a large army,” Chucksley and his companions made this judgment.
On the staircase of the banquet hall, Isabel moved from where she had been trying to break Pope Damian’s barrier and rushed toward Agnus. “Goddess’ Wrath!”
Her judgment was the same as Chucksley’s. Most of the people gathered here analyzed Agnus as the weakest enemy. However, the reality of it wasn’t that clear.
“Kik!” Agnus laughed at one of Rebecca’s Daughters, who were considered invincible.
He raised his sword and defended against Lifael’s Spear. Isabel and those present were astonished. It was unbelievable that a necromancer succeeded in defending against an attack from one of Rebecca’s Daughters with a sword. Coke and the other players shouted simultaneously:
“He isn’t an ordinary necromancer!”
“He is Baal’s Contractor!”
“Baal’s Contractor…?” Isabel murmured.
Agnus’ rusty-looking sword engaged with Lifael’s Spear, and divine power started to escape from the spear. It had a curse that could even neutralize divine power? Isabel was convinced of it once she heard that the necromancer before her was Baal’s Contractor.
“Dispersed Dream.” Rose, the 1st ranked black magician and Yatan’s Eighth Servant, used one of her ultimate skills. It was a huge black magic that inflicted 10,000 fixed damage to all targets in sight and cursed targets without black magic with the abnormal conditions of confusion, weakness, and silence.
“Kuk…! Kuaaaaak!” Screams rang out from everywhere. In particular, people with low status resistance fell to their knees. On the other hand, the royalty of the other nations, including Irene and Lord, were safe. All of them were covered by their knights and weren’t in Rose’s vision.
“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Irene said, but her voice and body trembled as she hugged Lord. She was anxious, yet she tried to make a bright face for her son.
“Mother…” Lord, who felt his mother’s anxiety and love at the same time, was filled with a sense of purpose. He had to protect his mother. Coke witnessed Lord jumping up from his position and was shocked.
‘I thought he was a smart child!’
Coke had heard many rumors about Lord. Wasn’t he a genius among geniuses? Lord had learned assassination from Kasim and farming from Legendary Farmer Piaro, and he studied under High Elf Sticks. There were rumors that he was a genius who would surpass his father. However, he was only a six-year-old child. Even if he could use an assassin’s techniques, how well could he fight when his strength, stamina, and agility were lacking? Coke was dumbfounded when Lord rushed toward Yatan’s Servants, including Agnus. He thought that Lord was letting his emotions get ahead of his rationality.
‘It can’t be helped since he is still young. I have to pay more attention to him.’
Coke was filled with a larger tension, while Kasim and Chucksley blocked the road ahead of Lord. No one had to say anything. Kasim and Chucksley supported Isabel, who was struggling with Agnus and Rose. Chucksley attacked Rose and separated her from Isabel, while Kasim emerged from Agnus’ shadow and struck Agnus’ back with a dagger.
“Kuhat! Hat!” It was hard to distinguish if Agnus was screaming or laughing. Still, one thing was clear. Kasim’s attack dealt huge damage to Agnus. Apart from Grid, there were no players who could easily handle the attacks of named NPCs over level 400.
Chucksley and Kasim succeeded in pulling Rose and Agnus away from the entrance and shouted at the same time, “Royman!”
“Yes!”
It was now time for the young knights, including Royman and Coke, to take action. They placed Irene and Lord in the center and rushed toward the empty entrance. Rose and Agnus weren’t particularly interested in Royman’s group though. Their primary goal was the Rebecca Church itself. In fact, the quest they were carrying out required them to get rid of Rebecca’s Daughters, Pope Damian, and the paladins. Eliminating them would give Rose and Agnus great rewards.
However, the other Yatan’s Servants were different. The Third Servant, Aliburn shouted, “Don’t miss a single person! We must kill all of them and announce the dignity of the Yatan Church!”
Aliburn used black magic. He could burn the mental power and mana of others to use as his own resources. The Rebecca Church’s subjects were helpless before him.
“Ah…! Ahhh…!” The Rebecca priests and paladins paled as they lost their mana and couldn’t use magic. The thousands of black magicians in the banquet hall started to target the royal family of each nation, including Irene and Lord.
“Dark Vocation…”
“Where are you going?”
The Overgeared Knights were busy. They continuously swung their swords at the warlocks aiming for Irene and Lord.
[You have defeated a black magician of the Yatan Church.]
[2,290,190 experience has been acquired.]
The average level of the black magicians was proportional to the average level of the players present. They weren’t particularly strong, so Coke killed them relatively easily. The problem was that there were too many black magicians. The Overgeared Knights killed and killed, but new black magicians kept appearing. The chants of spells being cast were heard all over the place.
In the end, Royman allowed a black magician to cast a spell. The dark flames, shackles, and curses bombarded Royman’s group, including Irene and Lord.
“Your Majesty! Prince!”
Coke had to defend them. He didn’t think of anything else and embraced Irene and Lord. Receiving the bombardment of black magic spells with his back, Coke’s health gauge fell to less than half in an instant, and he suffered a lot of physical and mental pain.
“Cough!”
“A-Are you okay?” Irene was worried about Coke, who suffered from the curse and coughed up blood. Coke smiled brightly as he suppressed his pain and replied, “I am fine as long as both of you are okay.”
“Sir Coke…”
Blood flowed down his back and hips. Coke was worried about Irene’s troubles increasing and stepped away from her without showing his back. Then he immediately cut down two black magicians and cleared the way.
