Overgeared, page 653
“What?”
Swept away by the impact, Grid was shocked. The half-petrified holy sword floated in the air.
-The sins of the gods are covered up? An unknown voice rang out.
Grid sensed that the quest he was carrying out had reached its main stage!
-You who have succeeded the power of the 4th evil, look at the sins of the gods! Anger seeped into the unknown voice.
Grid’s vision flashed white, and his consciousness was transferred from the Vatican to an entirely new place. It was Asgard, the world of the gods. Simultaneously, at the head office of the S.A Group…
“This is the second time…”
What decision would Grid make? Would he align with good or evil?
President Lim Cheolho’s expression was full of tension.
Chapter 882
Chapter 882
The role of the blacksmithing god, Hexetia, was to inform humanity of how to use fire and iron. Hexetia descended to the earth under the will of the goddess of life and faithfully fulfilled his role. He gave the concept of cooking and tools to the savage humans. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the development of humanity was due to Hexetia, and he was very proud of this fact. He realized this was the reason why the gods existed, and it filled him with satisfaction.
However, it was only for a short time. Human beings were arrogant and evil. They would throw babies into boiling iron or cover the iron with the blood of virgins. Humans were uncivilized beings who relied on the gods and passed their responsibilities onto others instead of developing their own trivial skills.
“They are worse than the great demons.”
Hexetia felt only hatred toward them. So, he started to thoroughly ignore humanity. He didn’t care when they reached out for salvation. It was the same even when the world was destroyed by the evil god, Yatan. Rather, he felt a great joy at the destruction of humanity. He hated humanity so much that he rebelled when Goddess Rebecca declared that she would resurrect humanity.
-In particular, he didn’t tolerate Pagma.
Pagma, the legendary blacksmith who had developed without his help, was a mutation that denied Hexetia’s existence. He was a human capable of developing without the help of a god, a monster who proved his potential was comparable to a god’s. Hexetia became envious of Pagma and kept him in check. He placed all sorts of hardships and trials on Pagma so that he wouldn’t be able to transcend.
However, Pagma overcame all the sufferings and trials. In the process, he became transcendent—a stronger and more innovative being who wasn’t bound by the ‘mind.’ At the time, the work born from his hands became a ‘myth’ and started to be compared to Hexetia’s works.
-Hexetia went looking for Yatan. He wanted to destroy humanity right then and reset the world. Kukuk, isn’t it funny? A god wanted the world to perish just because he feared a human would surpass him. A god isn’t almighty or benevolent. There is an end to their talents, and they are terribly selfish, just like humans.
Asgard was the world of the gods that existed above the clouds. The voice echoed in Grid’s mind as the golden area around him gradually became violent.
-They aren’t qualified to ‘manage’ humanity! It is no different from breeding a dog!
“Kuek…!” A powerful rage struck Grid’s chest. The unknown person’s wrath, which Grid felt, was great. Grid’s breath stopped, and his pupils trembled. He couldn’t endure it! His vision from above the clouds spun round and round.
‘My head!’
He had a terrible headache. Grid frowned as the surrounding scenery changed. He now appeared in a black and red world. Grid knew this place which was dominated by seething lava and poison.
‘Hell!’
The earth was shaking, and the appearance of a volcano erupting was seen through the window of a dark castle. However, the two men standing opposite each other weren’t agitated at all. Grid looked at them. The man with long red hair was the hero of this story, Hexetia, while the fair-skinned man giving off an ice-cold air was 1st Great Demon Baal. Baal looked like he was very interested. “You’ll make weapons for the great demons?”
‘What?’ Grid doubted his ears.
It didn’t make sense for the blacksmithing god, Hexetia, to make weapons for the great demons. Yet Hexetia nodded instantly. “Yes. I will give you strength. Therefore, destroy humanity.”
Grid learned Hexetia’s intentions and spat out, ‘This crazy guy!’
Hating the entire human race was a good excuse. On the other hand, for a god to join hands with a great demon just because of a grudge against Pagma… It couldn’t be accepted.
Baal delayed giving an answer. “The role of God Yatan is to destroy Earth…”
“Don’t destroy Earth! Just have the great demons wipe out the humans!”
“Hrmm.”
“Baal!”
“Ahh, good. Only…”
“…?”
“A one-sided entertainment is no fun, so I will balance it out.”
“Entertainment? This is entertainment?”
“Yes, it’s entertainment. It will be a good match between the incompetent god, Hexetia, and the human who incited his envy.”
“Baal!”
“Enjoy it. It is enjoyable. Or do you think your god’s position will be at risk, just like that time?”
“Ick…!”
‘That time? What was that time?’ Grid questioned it.
-It was the war between the gods and the seven half-gods, the mysterious voice gave the answer.
Grid belatedly realized, ‘The seven malignant saints existed long before Pagma?’
-That’s right. The reason I am showing you Pagma’s era is to help you understand.
In other words…
-This was the second time Hexetia was jealous. He was envious of the seven half-gods who threatened his position as god and later committed the same sin. He’s a really narrow-minded guy!
A chill went down Grid’s spine as he was reminded that Hexetia was also jealous of him.
‘This Hex bastard!’
Was Hexetia already plotting to hurt Grid? Grid was feeling concerned when the surrounding scenery changed again. It was now a place that was familiar to him—the Hall of Fame. The great demons who climbed up from the red-black earth faced a man. He was armed with a sword and a scythe as he watched the great demons with sharp eyes.
“In the end, I am alone.”
The hand holding the sword wasn’t very strong, but Pagma’s black eyes which shone through his long hair were splendid as he started a sword dance.
“Drop.”
The sky began to fall. The great demons felt an infinite pressure as the sky fell down right in front of them. The sky was falling while Pagma’s sword dance destroyed the earth.
“If I knew that the distinction between good and evil in my mind was wrong, I would never have betrayed Braham.” Pagma shed tears.
-Hexetia’s envy brought sorrow to countless humans and threatened all of humanity. Hexetia’s sins are truly heavy. Will you be able to forgive him?
“I…”
***
“Keook…!”
Grid saw Asgard, hell, and the Hall of Fame before coming back to the present.
“Grid!” Damian was surprised while he was swallowing dry bread. It was surprising because Grid, who had been hammering, suddenly collapsed. He ran forward and lifted Grid up. “Did you fail to control your stamina?”
Grid was a powerhouse. He had experienced numerous battles, so how could he fail to manage his stamina? It was hard enough when the conditions were normal. Damian judged that Grid’s physical condition was very bad. “I think you are pushing yourself too hard. Take a break.”
Grid had been using all up his daily access time for the past few days. He had only eaten jerky and dried bread and hadn’t left the smithy. Both his physical fatigue and mental fatigue should’ve reached the limit. While Damian was feeling concerned, Grid woke up.
“No, I’m fine.” Grid shoved himself away from Damian’s chest and stood up alone. However, his face was still pale and his breathing was rough.
Damian couldn’t help worrying about Grid. “Please rest. Your health is much more important than the quest.”
“…” Grid didn’t answer.
To be exact, he had no time to answer. He was busy checking the notification windows in front of him.
[The original sin of envy has been revealed!]
[Unless the blacksmithing god Hexetia gives up on his envy, the Stone of Original Sin encroaching on the holy sword won’t disappear.]
[If you pass on this fact to the Rebecca Church and its members, the Cleanse the First Holy Sword quest will end and you won’t be able to receive the goddess’ blessing. Affinity with Goddess Rebecca will drop to minus values.]
[If you bury the truth, the duration of the Cleanse the First Holy Sword quest will be extended indefinitely. You can receive the goddess’ blessing after clearing the quest.]
[You have discovered the hidden story of the legendary blacksmith Pagma.]
[Telling this story to great magician Braham will likely cause a positive phenomenon.]
[The new skill Pagma’s Swordsmanship, Drop has been acquired.]
[Drop]
[-A sword dance that displays a grudge against the sky.
It is a deep and serene sword dance that informs the world of the authority of the fallen sky.
-Inflicts 30% of your physical damage to all enemies within five meters of you, and there is a 30% chance of ignoring the enemy’s status resistance.
-Deals an additional 300% damage to all divine beings.
That target that gets hit won’t be able to attack, and their defense will decrease.
Skill Usage Conditions: Have a sword type weapon equipped.
Skill Mana Cost: 850
Skill Cooldown Time: 6 minutes.]
‘Braham…’
Grid didn’t care that the reality of the gods was different from what was known or that the progress of the quest was becoming complicated. He wasn’t even interested in the newly acquired sword dance. All he was thinking of at the moment was Braham.
‘Pagma regretted it. He felt sorry toward you.’
Braham had been betrayed by his only friend, Pagma, just because he was a demonkin. Wouldn’t the grudges and sadness imprinted on Braham’s soul be slightly relieved now?
‘I’m glad. I’m really glad…’ Grid sincerely felt pleased.
He wanted to quickly reunite with Braham and convey this truth. That’s right. Grid didn’t know that Braham’s soul had scattered after leaving him.
‘Come back soon, Braham.’
Braham had left to recover his body. They were separated right now, but they would be able to reunite someday because they were living in the same era.
‘Old man, I want to see you.’
Their first encounter had been the worst, but Braham was Grid’s mentor. Grid missed Braham’s empty spot from time to time. Simultaneously…
“This is the place.”
It was Skunk, the 1st ranked explorer who discovered the Yatan Church’s main temple in the past. He found the Sword Grave, where Braham’s body was known to be buried.
“Now! Let’s find the treasures!”
“Ohh!!”
Skunk and his colleagues started to move.
Chapter 883
Chapter 883
Born as the son of a prominent filmmaker, Skunk had seen many masterpieces ever since he was a child.
In particular, he was devoted to the classics from one or two centuries ago—a mafia boss who fought to defend his organization but conflicted with his family, a young genius absorbed in wealth and defending evil, an archaeologist—who while discovering ruins and treasures of the world—stopped the Nazis’ ambitions, a middle-aged man who shaved his head to save a local child, and so on.
The protagonists of countless movies impressed Skunk, and he was attached to them. Ever since he entered the drama department during his school days, he had walked the path of an actor, living various lives. Sometimes he had the life of a hero, sometimes a villain, sometimes an explorer, and sometimes an normal office worker or an unemployed youth.
He was very happy experiencing things that were different from his ordinary life. In particular, the life of an explorer encouraged him to dream of exploring the world and pioneering unknown land. However, this was rare in today’s society. The earth had already been revealed by great people. The only place left to explore was the universe, but Skunk was a second-rate actor and rarely got the chance for space exploration.
Then Satisfy was released at this time. It was a whole new world! For Skunk, Satisfy was a land of opportunity. He became a young Indiana Jones and revealed many secrets about Satisfy over the years.
[The Great Explorer’s Knowledge and Intuition is activated!]
The Sword Grave—the place where legendary blacksmith Pagma was known to have spent his last years—was a vast plain. There were thousands of swords stuck into the center of the plain, nothing else.
‘He spent his last years here?’
There wasn’t even the minimum of living spaces or any tools.
‘Did someone erase the traces?’
No, there were no such signs. It was likely that a living space on the plains hadn’t existed in the first place.
‘Then Pagma…’
Had he solved the problem of living in the middle of the plain, be it during spring, summer, autumn, and winter? Or had he been exposed to the sun and heat, the dry and cold, and the rain and wind?
‘No, I don’t think he is that unreasonable.’
There were no signs of any tools having been used. Skunk analyzed the area and found it was difficult to think that the signs had disappeared after hundreds of years of weathering. So, he could only conclude that no one had lived here before.
“There is nothing!”
“I feel the same way.”
“This isn’t a place where people lived.”
“The rumor that Braham was buried here is just that, a rumor.”
It was as he had expected. The reports from Skunk’s subordinates weren’t different from his. They couldn’t find any clues at the Sword Grave.
‘There are only these swords.’
Skunk grabbed one of the thousands of swords stuck in the plains. The sword didn’t budge. The swords here were just the ‘backdrop’ of the Sword Grave. It was impossible for players to physically influence them. One sword, two swords, three swords…
Skunk was deep in thought as he grabbed the sword sunk into the ground.
‘Are they real?’
A player could hold them and swing them.
‘Mysteriously, there are no signs of life, but shouldn’t there be some treasures?’
It was a place where Pagma was known to have spent his last years. Would the blacksmith have left any useful swords behind? This place was called the Sword Grave because it was a place where Pagma had discarded thousands of swords. That’s right. It was a plains area where thousands of swords were stuck in the ground. They were discarded swords because they had been useless garbage to Pagma. However, this was just from the point of view of a legendary blacksmith. In general terms, these waste products were great swords.
‘There is a high possibility.’
Wouldn’t the works criticized as failures by Pagma actually be epic or unique rated weapons?
‘It is amazing.’
A high-grade weapon from Pagma…! It was clear that the performance would be overwhelming. Even if the performance had dropped slightly, the historical value could be appreciated. As an explorer, it was a chance for Skunk to raise his reputation and skill level.
‘Money is a bonus.’
Skunk was filled with anticipation and shouted to his people, “Check the swords! Don’t miss a single one!”
“What?” Everyone was confused by the absurd command. They needed to check all the swords? These swords had been stuck in the ground for many years. They would be less valuable because the blades were weathered.
‘How long would it take to check all of this?’
‘I don’t think it is very meaningful.’
His subordinates were dissatisfied, but Skunk was already taking action, carefully checking the swords stuck in the ground. Then it happened.
“What?”
It happened when he twisted the 134th sword. Skunk confirmed that an unexpected phenomena had occurred. He twisted the handle of the 134th sword, and the blade stuck in the ground spun by half a turn. It wasn’t pulled out of the ground as Skunk had hoped it would be, but it was distinctively different from the other 133 swords that didn’t move.
Duguen! Duguen! Duguen! Skunk’s heart sped up. He couldn’t help feeling a sense of anticipation. As the sword rotated half a turn, the positions of the other swords changed slightly! The ground was moving!
“…Did all of you notice?” Skunk smiled as he exchanged gazes with his colleagues. Then he shouted as hard as he could, “Align them in a cube from now on! A few days—no, it might take a few months to prepare everything!”
“Ohhhh!” The talented explorers were burning with motivation and enthusiasm. Now that they had a clue, they wouldn’t give up until they found hidden secrets or treasures.
Every time a sword moved, the ground moved. The position of the ground moved depending on the sword. Sometimes, it was returned to its original position. It was quite a complex structure. As Skunk feared, they might be tied up here for a few months.
However, the eyes of Skunk and his colleagues were shining.
***
-Hexetia’s envy brought sorrow to countless humans and threatened all of humanity. Hexetia’s sins are truly heavy. Will you be able to forgive him?
“I…”
Grid had seen the reality of the gods. What decision would he make? Would he inherit the will of the fourth evil and rebel against the gods? Or would he act like he had done previously and turn away from the truth?
-The probability that Player Grid will inherit the will of the fourth evil is 61.8%, Morpheus’s voice entered the ears of Chairman Lim Cheolho, who was watching the troubled Grid listen to the 7th evil’s whispers.
