Chapter 88

Chapter 14 - Episode 14

While most top players were popular worldwide, Grid had many detractors.

Most foreigners disliked Grid.

There were even those who mocked and criticized him for relying solely on his gear to excel in national competitions despite his poor control skills.

However, the tide began to change at this moment.

Through relentless effort, Grid had improved his skills and was now silencing his critics.

“Aura Festival!”

Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was like fireworks.

The golden auras exploding in the sky pressured Grid.

‘Focus.’

It was an impressive skill, but there was no need to be intimidated.

Grid, with his red eyes flashing, darted forward.

Using his high insight, he calculated the trajectory of the explosions and dodged them, drawing gasps from the onlookers.

[2,362 damage taken.]

[2,510 damage taken.]

[2,487 damage...]

The strength of Aura Festival lay in its range. Given the vast area it covered, it was impossible for Grid to dodge all of it with his agility.

However, as a large-scale skill, it had the limitation of being weak in power. Allowing a few hits was not fatal.

Thanks to the Doppelganger’s accessory set, his maximized indomitable stats significantly reduced the damage he received.

“Pagma’s Sword Dance.”

Rooaaar-

The air currents around Grid in the sky churned.

His black hair, whipped by the explosive energy, didn’t just flutter; it defied gravity and rose.

It was the harbinger of a transformation from a melee to a ranged attacker.

“Ultra.”

Swish!

Every time Grid swung his sword.

Boom!

Sword energy was launched at Phluteon on the ground.

The momentum was comparable to lightning.

“Gah!”

The storm of sword energy, proportional to Grid’s attack speed, was a disaster for Phluteon.

A failed work once, and the Doppelganger’s greatsword again.

The two greatswords, swung continuously without rest, unleashed fast and powerful sword energy, giving Phluteon no chance to catch his breath.

‘The level is different!’

Phluteon, jumping across the crumbling earth, gradually realized the severity of the situation.

‘A solo number knight...!’

Solo number knights were revered even by their fellow knights.

And Grid’s skills were on par with theirs.

From the moment he failed to land effective hits with Aura Festival, Phluteon had already felt the gap between himself and Grid.

‘Eternal! A mere small country like this has been hiding such a monster!’

It was a hateful and dangerous situation.

He had to report this to the emperor. It was his duty to advise the emperor to keep an eye on the Eternian Kingdom.

Boom!

A sword energy hit Phluteon’s right shoulder.

‘Damn it!’

If this continued, he would be completely overwhelmed.

Relying solely on his sharp senses, he couldn’t avoid the storm of sword energy forever.

Phluteon clenched his teeth and activated Super Armor.

Boom!

The golden aura shield neutralized the sword energy. It had incredible defensive power, but unfortunately, the duration of Super Armor was not very long.

Phluteon shouted to the black knights, who were stunned.

“I will retreat! Tie him down and buy time!”

It was a desperate order.

The faces of the black knights, who were forced to sacrifice themselves, turned pale.

But the principle of absolute obedience was unbreakable.

The black knights, gripping their swords, leaped forward.

They faced Grid’s sword energy, opening a path for Phluteon’s retreat.

Grid, who had sneered and deactivated Ultra, descended to the ground and deployed Chain.

“This is Huroi’s share.”

The retribution for the sin of turning Huroi into a coffin fell.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The attacks of the five black knights, who simultaneously charged at Grid, were negated by Chain and began to be pushed back.

Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!

Puff!

“Gaaaah!!”

Streams of blood spurted from the seams of the black armor.

Grid’s swift sword skills, combined with Critical Spot Analysis, had matured significantly compared to the past.

“I won’t let you go...!”

The black knights, who barely held their ground, counterattacked Grid.

They aimed for mutual destruction.

The strongest skills they could perform, without considering defense, were unleashed simultaneously.

It was clearly a crisis for Grid.

-Phew.

-Is Grid going to die?

The viewers, who had forgotten about eating chicken and were engrossed in the battle, were worried, but it was an unnecessary concern.

Whirl!

The white hooded zip-up flapped.

Grid, recalling the movements he had shown during his sparring with Piaro, spun his body like a top.

As a result, two non-targeting skills out of the five black knights’ simultaneous attacks missed him, only grazing him and causing minor damage.

“Damn!”

The blue sword light covered the field of vision of the frustrated black knights.

Pagma’s Sword Dance, the technique of Wave, was threatening the five black knights.

“This is my share!!”

Retribution for the sin of putting a knife to my throat!

“Gah!”

The wave of sword energy that extended from Grid made the five black knights scream.

In the process, Grid was hit by three skills, but he took less damage than the black knights.

It was natural.

The defensive set Grid was currently equipped with was made by the legendary blacksmith Pagma using divine materials.

“This is also my share! Plant!”

“Why do you get more shares than us!!”

Despite taking less hits than Huroi, Grid’s behavior of taking more shares caused confusion among the black knights.

Regardless of their feelings, the ultimate technique of cutting was about to be unleashed.

Swoosh!

Affected by Wave, the speed of the black knights was reduced. The black knight in front of Grid, who was still moving, was bisected along with his armor. It was the power of the cutting skill embedded in the failed work.

[Black Knight Dever has been defeated.]

[8,960,000 experience points obtained.]

[79 gold obtained.]

[Level up!]

The long-awaited notification window appeared in Grid’s field of vision, who was capturing Kamian and gaining a large amount of experience.

Now level 296.

Only 4 levels remained until level 300.

Soon, all his stats would reach the third awakening.

Grin!

Splitting a person in half and smiling?

Grid, already wearing a bizarre mask and scattering red light, looked like a demon when he smiled.

In short, he looked like a madman.

-It reminds me of the old days.

-When Grid was called the Massacre on the Road?

-Yes. When he decapitated the Giant Guild members. At the time, the Giant Guild was causing a lot of trouble for regular players... It felt great to watch.

Why do players become fans of top players?

Because they can experience vicarious satisfaction.

Watching top players do things that are impossible for themselves, players felt a thrilling thrill. Gradually, they became fans.

That was how the viewers felt watching Grid now. Foreigners watching the live stream on the web channel felt the same way. The anti-fans who had been causing chaos in the chat window fell silent.

Boom!

Breaking through the black knight oxidized in gray and using the Fly spell simultaneously, Grid moved at an incredible speed and reached above Phluteon’s head.

He swapped his shoes.

Brahm’s Boots disappeared with a light, and Grid’s boots were equipped.

At the same time, the Fly spell was canceled. Grid’s body, which had suddenly become much heavier, fell to the ground.

To resist the two greatswords falling with weight, Phluteon used a skill.

“Red Sword!!”

It was one of the strongest skills passed down through generations of the Red Knights. It was a secret technique that could only be learned by Red Knights of the 10th rank and above.

Whoosh!!

The golden aura embedded in Phluteon’s sword turned red and surged.

It was a flame itself.

The flaming sword strike aimed at Grid contained enough power to blow away a small mountain.

But the viewers knew.

-Grid’s skill is stronger.

-It’s a legendary skill.

“Kill.”

The moment the greatsword skills were enhanced by Grid’s boots and imbued with extreme malice, the outcome was decided.

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss