Chapter 303

“Agnus...!”

He was ranked 6th after Yura disappeared from the rankings list. He was originally thought to have an epic class, but now it was known that he had a hidden growth class. He never showed up in public. However, a few top rankers knew his strength. They often bumped into him at the hunting grounds.

"Hey, Overgeared noobs.”

Jishuka, Peak Sword, Pon, Regas, Faker, Vantner and Zednos. Agnus didn’t shrink back despite facing the party of eight. Rather, he poked fun at them.

"I’ve been looking for that lich for 11 months. Don’t touch my prey or I’ll kill you.”

“You bastard!” Vantner cried out furiously towards Agnus. “If you don’t want to die, don’t make fun of us!”

Agnus shrugged. "Bald Vantner. You’re really stupid.”

Vantner’s face turned red.

"I'm not stupid or bald! This is a shaved head! Aren’t you the one interfering? We found this place first!”

“So what? Are you going to fight that lich?”

“Why not?”

"Kukuk! Aren’t you funny? You look tired, probably from defeating the master of this city? Mumud was close to being a legendary magician. Now that he’s beyond death, he’s even stronger. He isn’t something you guys can go against.”

"You bastard! Yet you want to raid him alone...? Oof! Oof!”

“Relax. Our purpose isn’t to raid the lich.”

Jishuka blocked Vantner’s mouth. Then she suggested to Agnus.

"I will give you that lich. We won’t get involved in the raid. Instead, we have something separate to do. Can you not restrain us?”

"I will think about it if you kneel down.”

"You should act in moderation, Agnus.”

“Kukuk, yes, yes. I understand.”

Jishuka was surprisingly passive towards Agnus. This was also a good development for the Overgeared members. Agnus would get the lich and they could concentrate on securing the pavranium.

Vantner couldn’t accept it.

{Are you going to just let him go? Why are we leaving it alone when he is treating us like this?}

Vantner was the lowest ranking member of the party. He had no experience with Agnus. However, the other members were different. They all had at least one hunting ground overlap with Agnus.

{It’s better to avoid Agnus.}

The sky above the sky, Kraugel. Pon acknowledged Kraugel as this. However, that was just in a one-on-one fight. Agnus was king of the dead and could rule over hundreds.

{He’s a man who absolutely shouldn’t be our enemy.}

Vantner didn’t understand.

{All of you have been saying that he’s great for a long time, but I honestly don’t know. Is he so strong that we have to flee, despite there being eight of us?}

{We aren’t running away. We are just avoiding him?}

{That is the same thing! Ah, damn! I’m sorry towards Grid! Ignoring the Overgeared Guild is no different from ignoring Grid!}

{...Speaking of Grid. If the two people meet, they will fight.}

{Their personalities are similar. Grid and Agnus absolutely shouldn’t meet.}

{We need to find the pavranium before Grid arrives.}

Papat!

The determined Overgeared members scatter all over the cave. Vantner was left staring at Agnus alone, and eventually had to follow his party members. Agnus looked at them and muttered.

"Don't rush. I have to test the performance against you if I get Mumud.”

Braham shouted at Agnus, who was smiling in a disgusted manner.

[Why do things keep on getting twisted? Who are you?]

"Me?" Agnus’ gaze shifted towards Braham’s soul. "I am someone looking for your body.”

Kwajik! Kwajijik!

The ground around Agnus split apart and hundreds of skeletons popped out. Death knights and a lich were included. Third advancement necromancers could obtain death knights, but liches were different. There was no lich summoning in the skill tree of the third advancement necromancer.

In the first place, liches were originally human. Even the great magician Braham couldn’t fully control Lich Mumud. He took advantage of the coffin for vampires. Braham identified the lich summoned by Agnus and was astonished.

[You...! You are Baal’s Contractor!]

"Don't bring up that damn name.”

Agnus frowned and waved his hand. Then the death knights and hundreds of skeletons hit Lich Mumud.

Kiyaaaaaah!

Mumud fired off magic power. The flash of light shot forward in a straight line, turning the skeletons in front to powder. It was like a dark dragon’s breath.

“Hoh.” Agnus didn’t shake despite losing dozens of skeletons at once. Rather, he was pleased. "As expected."

Now, become his.

“Kuahahaha!"

Agnus burst out laughing. In response, the death knights, lich and skeletons’ eyes turned red. Braham’s soul shook like a lamp in front of the wind.

[This dog...!]

He couldn’t lose Mumud. Braham only had a handful of souls left, so Mumud was almost his only support. But Baal’s Contractor showed no mercy. The powers of the death knights and lich strengthened the skeleton soldiers, gradually driving Mumud on the defensive.

[Indeed, you were chosen by Baal for a reason...!]

Puok!

The death knight’s sword struck Braham’s soul fragment. At the same time, Braham’s voice stopped. It took a few more minutes before Lich Mumud was under control.

“Sigh.”

Agnus made a tired expression. His dark circles had noticeably become thicker. He sighed and swept away his matted hair. Then he approached the captured Lich Mumud and drew an unidentified sigil on the skull. It was a sigil of absolute domination, that could only be used three times in total.

Kyaak!

Lich Mumud screamed. It was strange, since the undead couldn’t feel pain.

“Kukuk.”

After a while. Lich Mumud stood next to Agnus. Agnus stroked his skull like he was cute and looked around.

The Overgeared members had already left.

“I took too long. Well, it’s okay. This has brought me closer to my heart’s desire. I’ve become the owner of two liches. The third and final one will be saved for you, Braham.”

He would surely find out where Braham was buried.

“Kukukuk!”

Agnus laughed and left the cave.

After a while.

The Overgeared members appeared one by one in a corner of the empty cave. They wore the invisibility cloaks and received a huge shock as they watched Agnus. Vantner was sweating as he asked.

"Agnus is a necromancer with a lich? I can understand the death knights and skeleton soldiers, but how can he summon a lich? Even Braham can’t...”

A lich and three death knights. It was a power that could be considered an army. It was a level that could wreck a nation.

Pon looked troubled. “His strength is on a completely different dimension compared to when I saw him last year. This is making me anxious.”

It wasn’t good for such a crazy person to gain such power.

***

"The entrance is open."

The 13th vampire city. The entrance that was like an ant hill was wide open. The city’s master Elfin Stone was defeated, so the entrance was released.

“Where are they?”

Grid was waiting with Huroi and Yura, and eventually sent a whisper to Jishuka.

-We just arrived at the city’s entrance. Where are you? Have you found the pavranium yet?

Jishuka hurriedly replied.

-We found it! We will leave here soon, so head towards the 14th city first.

-Why do we need to go first? We’ll wait at the entrance.

-No, just go ahead!

‘What is this?’

It was strange. A thought crossed Grid’s mind as he frowned.

‘Perhaps...’

Could they be in danger? They were considerate and didn’t want him to get caught up in it? It was quite possible.

‘How useless.’

Grid was no longer a person to be protected. It was the opposite. Grid turned a cold gaze towards Yura and Huroi.

“Are you ready to fight?”

"Of course, My Lord.”

"I’m always ready.”

“Okay, then let’s go.”

Grid’s group went through the entrance. At the same time.

“Huh?”

Agnus popped out of the ant hill. It was exquisite timing that allowed Grid’s party to barely avoid him.

“Was I mistaken?”

He thought he felt something when he warped through the doorway, but he wasn’t sure. In any case, his work here was over, so Agnus looked at his schedule.

"Next is the Sword Grave.”

The legendary blacksmith, Pagma. At the end of his life, he allegedly made and destroyed thousands of swords. According to the history records acquired through quests, Braham often visited it...

Agnus sent a whisper.

-Veradin, have you located the Sword Grave?

-I’m sorry. I mobilized all of my resources, but couldn’t find it.

-Really worthless.

-I’m sorry.

-Find it quickly. I’ll head to the next one.

-I will keep that in mind.

“Tsk.”

Agnus clicked his tongue and started to cross the desert. He didn’t shed a single drop of sweat, despite the boiling heat.

***

“Huh? You’re safe?”

Around 10 minutes after entering the 13th vampire city. Grid reunited with the Pavranium Expedition. Jishuka examined the puzzled looking Grid and asked.

“Are you okay? You're not injured? You weren’t bitten by a crazy dog?”

Jishuka told Grid to head to the 14th city first because she was worried that he would face Agnus. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like that happened.

“Why would there be a dog in the desert?”

Grid responded like it was absurd. A relieved Jishuka handed him presents.

“Then take this.”

They were the items dropped by Elfin Stone, various minerals, and pavranium.

“Everyone has suffered.”

Grid bowed in thanks to Jishuka and his companions. The party members smiled brightly.

"It was you who suffered the most.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the case.

Grid got a bus ride from them. If they hadn’t given up the experience, he wouldn’t have reached level 300 and they would’ve failed to clear the city. Securing the pavranium? He couldn’t even dream of it.

Grid vowed.

“Once this expedition is over, I will give all of you the best items.

"Are you talking about the Grid set you mentioned before?”

The moment that the party members were becoming excited.

“What? Why is this girl here?”

Jishuka belatedly discovered Yura with Grid. Yura calmly replied, “You still speak in such a violent manner. I’m afraid that it will have an adverse effect on Youngwoo-ssi’s feelings.

“Youngwoo-ssi? He’s Duke Grid. Can’t you distinguish between reality and the game?”

"I will call him what I like. It’s none of your business.”

Pajijik!

Sparks flew as the two women’s gazes crossed.

‘Beauties are fighting over Grid...’

‘Grid already has Irene...’

The party members were jealous of Grid. They were truly envious. However, Grid didn’t pay attention to them. He was busy identifying the newly acquired items.

[Three pieces of ??? have been collected.]

[The information about the ??? Pieces has been updated.]

‘This...!’

Grid’s eyes widened.