“Go to hell, Johnson’s enemy!”

Buuuong.

The explosive sound of the surrounding enemies attacking Grid was enough to cause him pain and make his sweat flow down.

Kwang! Kwajajak!

These were attacks that had the power to break a wall with one blow!

Grid was able to avoid the attacks a few times due to the slow speed and simple trajectory, but he wondered how long he could maintain this level of concentration. 

Then the enemies started to use their heads.

“Attack at the same time.”

“Ohhhhhh!”

Different weapons simultaneously struck out from every direction.

[You have received 150 damage.]

[You have received 163 damage.]

“Urghh...”

Grid’s health gauge reached the bottom with just two hits and had only 23 health left. 

‘Crazy. They weren’t even critical hits.’

He pulled out a potion from his inventory and drank it. It was an intermediate health potion that restored 1,500 health at once.

‘My health is considerably less than 1,500, but an intermediate potion is the lowest grade potion I have. It would’ve been nice if I had an inferior potion...’

The potion reuse time was 20 seconds, so he had to defend himself from attacks for at least 20 seconds.

Yet the enemies had now started systematically linking their strikes, making them harder to defend against. “We have been fighting together for 10 years. No matter what you try, you will eventually go to hell!”

Grid moved to the side in order to avoid the big sword that would take off his head, then an attack aimed for his knees like they had predicted his movements.

His battle senses, developed from his days as a warrior, sent him a warning. ‘This is unavoidable!’

“Kuk!”

Grid aimed the arrow downward.

Kaaang!

The Special Jaffa Arrow accurately hit the mace in an attempt to shift the orbit. However, an arrow was a very lightweight weapon. It was impossible for a light weapon to shift the orbit of the large mace that weighed several kilograms.

Kwajak!

“Kuaaaak!”

The mace hit half of Grid’s knee, dealing a critical blow.

[You have received 200 damage.]

[Your left leg is severely damaged. Movement speed has decreased by 40%. The ability to control your body has decreased.]

As he groaned on the floor, a strike of lightning rang out from above him. If he stayed still, his skull would be caved in.

“Hup!”

Grid endured the pain and rolled back. 

Kakakakak!

The floor where he had been lying just a few seconds ago was smashed to pieces.

Grid stared at the enemies and made a decision. ‘I will act luxuriously today.’

He steeled his heart and pulled out the intermediate strength potion and intermediate agility potion. The price for each of the potions was 10 gold. 10 gold was 12,000 won!

‘I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped.’

Grid closed his eyes and poured 20 gold—in other words, 24,000 won—down his throat.

Gulp gulp.

He shed tears as he swallowed the buff potions.

‘Ahh! This potion is more expensive than the sweet and sour pork set!’

He had prepared the buff potions for moments of crisis during Earl Ashur’s quest, and he had felt such regret that he never used them. Now they were being used to complete a B-grade quest, not to defeat a boss monster.

[You have taken the intermediate strength potion. Strength will increase by 50 for five minutes.]

[You have taken the intermediate agility potion. Agility will increase by 50 for five minutes.]

As the notification windows popped up, Grid was flooded with attacks from two directions.

“Son of a bitch! Don’t think that we can’t touch you while you are eating!” The gangsters yelled.

Grid was able to avoid the two attacks due to his sharp rise in agility, then he gripped the arrow and fought back. Nevertheless, two attacks came from different directions, and he was forced to give up.

“Pant pant... R-Really horrible.”

He would’ve died if it wasn’t for the intermediate agility potion.

Grid felt like his heart would burst from the extreme tension, and the gangsters were filled with rage once their attacks were over.

“This rotten bastard! How long will you run away?”

“Where is the momentum from your first attack? What a shameful brat! Fight fairly.”

The four of them were ganging up on Grid’s lone self, yet they were complaining about him not fighting fairly?

“Hey, you fuckers have no conscience! Let’s do it one against one.”

“Won’t we still win in a one-on-one fight?”

“Then bring it on!”

“Bullshit! Don’t you know that being able to fight in groups is a virtue?”

Chwaruruk!

The flail stretched out like a whip.

Tatatang! Tang!

Grid hit it with the arrow and barely managed to spin his body. He felt a hot pain as a greatsword scratched his side.

[You have received 30 damage.]

Fortunately, he succeeded in avoiding it.

Once the crisis passed, he tried to continue the conversation to buy time for his potion reuse time to end.

“Hey guys, let’s talk about it honestly. Shouldn’t you know by now that I’m not a pushover?”

“......”

The gangsters didn’t want to admit it, but they didn’t refute Grid’s words.

Grid made a suggestion, “Hand over the contract, then no one will die anymore.”

“What?” The gangsters were furious. “Don’t play games! You think you can get out of here alive after killing Johnson? Don’t worry about the contract. You must die here.”

“What? Is it so hard to come forward? Won’t you regret it? You guys really can leave here alive if you just hand over the contract.”

“Hahat! Stop talking nonsense! A guy who broke his leg is spouting these words. From the very beginning, we could leave here alive! You are the only one who will die here.” 

“Hrmm, will that really happen?”

During the conversation, the reuse time for Grid’s potions had reset. He turned away from the gangsters and sneakily drank the potion. At the same time, his health was restored and the wound on his leg recovered. 

‘Now.’

The gangsters still thought Grid was seriously injured. Using that, he sneakily attacked one of them.

“N-No?” They couldn’t respond properly because they thought Grid’s leg was still injured. 

Grid pierced that person accurately with the arrow.

[Critical!]

[The effect of the Special Jaffa arrow is activated, meaning the enemy’s defense is completely ignored.]

“Keeok...!”

[You have defeated Winston’s outlaw, Neil.]

[Reputation in Winston Village has increased by 60.] 

[4,300 experience has been acquired.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

‘Good!’ Grid thought.

The gangster who was stabbed in the belly couldn’t even scream properly as he turned into a gray beam of light.

The eyes of the gangsters shook as they lost another companion.

“You... You bastard! How did your leg suddenly become better? D-Don’t tell me you drank a potion?”

“... Didn’t you see me drinking it?”

“You stupid bastard! You should fight with your own body!”

“Bullshit! Can you really say that? You’re gangsters who are trying to bully an innocent citizen!”

“You...! Kill! Kill that brat as soon as possible! He is like a cockroach, so keep attacking until he is dead.” 

“Isn’t he just a druggie? I will crush him!”

The extremely angry Veil commanded his men, “Adopt the ‘You will Die’ formation!”

It was the worst naming sense. In any case, the villains received Veil’s command and unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

Chukak. Bam!

The murder techniques that didn’t consider defense ran rampant. Even if Grid’s arrow was aimed at their hearts, they didn’t try to defend or avoid. They kept attacking and attacking.

“Kuk!”

Even when Grid stabbed them with his arrow, they didn’t stop attacking. Grid instantly found himself on the defensive. 

[You have received 203 damage.]

[You have received 180 damage.]

Chwaruruk! Buuuong. Kwaang!

Like a snake persistently following him on a blocked path, the greatsword with a wide range of attack was a big crisis for Grid. Even if he avoided the mace, his balance would become off because the mace would break the ground or walls. There were 13 seconds left on his potion reuse time, and his health was at the bottom.

‘This is my limit. I can’t endure it anymore.’

Unless the Legendary Blacksmith’s Patience skill activated and Grid’s defense and health were strengthened, there was no way for him to overcome this crisis.

‘This is the end...’

The moment Grid was about to give up on the quest... He suddenly had a thought.

‘Why am I depending on potions and skills?’

Was he a warrior? No, he was Pagma's Successor.

‘Where am I right now? A smithy. ...I’m so stupid. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?’

Grid noticed the various weapons and armor displayed all over the room, and a number of things popped into his head.

Then he called out, “Khan!”

Khan, the elder blacksmith standing in the corner, responded instantly to Grid’s call, “Speak.”

Grid asked him, “Do you want to keep this smithy?”

“Of course! I already gave up, but I changed my mind thanks to you. If you help me, I will be able to keep this place!”

Grid liked the cool answer.

One of the gangsters said, “Hey, what are you doing now? Why are you chatting with that old man instead of fighting? Are you thinking of some trick?”

Kwa kwa kwang!

The gangsters didn’t stop the offensive. Nonetheless, Grid avoided the attack and threw his arrow at the largest gangster.

Swaeek! 

It was a quickly thrown Special Jaffa Arrow.

Regardless of whether it was because he sensed the crisis or he was confident, Praga changed his attitude and started defending.

[Critical!]

Chaaeng!

“Wah!”

A critical appeared the moment the arrow struck the mace, and its heavy power made Praga back up instantly. However, the other two gangsters didn’t care and struck. Grid turned around and ran away from them.

“Kuhahahaha! Stupid person! You threw away your weapon.” The gangsters saw Grid running away unarmed and chased after him. 

When Praga overcame the crisis of the flying arrow, he sighed with relief.

Meanwhile, Grid never looked back at them. He ran forward with all his strength. Then he ran up the stairs and reached the second floor. There was a set of full plate armor that was brilliantly shining and a super large greatsword that was 3m in length.

Grid shouted toward Khan on the ground floor, “Khan, lend me these equipment!”

“B-But...”

“I will give them back at the end of the fight! If you want to keep your smithy, give me permission!”

Taking away the items without the owner’s consent would label Grid a criminal. While waiting for Khan’s permission, Grid had to pause his actions in a frustrating manner.

“Not just anyone can use that equipment! It is better for you to borrow the leather armor and blacksmith hammer over here. That is the ideal equipment for you.”

“No, just lend this to me.”

“B-But that battle gear...”

“Kihahaha! I’ve finally caught you. Die!”

Without realizing it, the enemies had already neared Grid.

Khan finally realized the urgency of the situation and nodded. “Y-Yes. If you can use it, then feel free to!”

“Good. You should’ve said it sooner,” Grid stated.

[Due to your class characteristics, you have equipped Dainsleif (Reproduction).]

[A penalty is applied because the item conditions aren’t met.]

[Attack power of Dainsleif (Reproduction) will decrease by 20%. Only half of the option effects will be applied.]

[The penalties will be reduced if your understanding of Dainsleif (Reproduction) increases.]

[Due to your class characteristics, you have equipped Valhalla.]

[A penalty is applied because the item conditions aren’t met.]

[Defense of Valhalla will decrease by 20%. Only half of the option effects will be applied.]

[The penalties will be reduced if your understanding of Valhalla increases.]