Toddle.

“......”

Toddle.

‘Slow!’

The movement speed of the black tortoise, who had become smaller, was as slow as a tortoise. It was maddening for the high rankers who valued time more than gold but no one dared to complain. It was because the ones leading them were not only a god, but also Grid, the first ranked player.

‘It is a god so it must have a deep meaning.’

‘That’s right. There’s a reason why the black tortoise is walking slower than anyone else, even though it should be anxious. Isn’t there a saying that the more anxious you are, the more you crawl.’

‘Grid knows this as well so he’s quiet.’

‘The longest way around is the shortest way home?’

The high rankers were trying to convince themselves while Grid was looking at the new system. He was looking at the list of available skills that were less frequently used.

[1. Unbreakable Justice - used in 15 out of the last 100 battles.

2. Continuous Stab - used in 6 out of the last 100 battles.

3. Spear Shot - used in 2 out of the last 100 battles.]

‘My fights with ordinary monsters are also included in recent battles.’

Only in this way could the ratio on the list be correct.

‘Passive skills are excluded.’

If passive skills were included then Bow Mastery should also be on the list. Grid hadn’t shot a bow recently so Bow Mastery wasn’t put to use.

‘Unique skills are also excluded...’

What skills have he used the least? Grid asked himself this and the first skill that came to mind was Granting an Ego. It was Granting an Ego that Grid had never used before. It was used in the National Competition but that was on a separate server. The next one that came up was the Restraint skill. A powerful wide-area crowd control skill, it was once a favorite of Grid but recently, he only used it in large-scale combat. It was because a number of opponents could be defeated without restraining them while the really powerful opponents had high resistance to abnormal states and the effectiveness of Restraint could be reduced.

However, both skills weren’t included in the list of skills that could be synthesized. Granting an Ego seemed to be excluded because it wasn’t a combat-related skill and Restraint was excluded because it had an impact on or influenced various fused sword dances.

“Hrmm...”

Grid looked back on his recent battles. Unbreakable Justice had the advantage of being immediately activated in a wide area but the frequency of use had been further reduced since he obtained Drop, which applied the abnormal state ‘collapse.’

The multi-hit Continuous Stab was used to break shields that ‘unconditionally absorb a certain number of attacks, regardless of damage.’ Spear Shot was used for making variables by throwing or picking up a spear that had fallen to the ground and utilizing them.

‘They are used less often but except for Unbreakable Justice, everything had its place to be used.’

Grid frowned. It was a flaw just because he didn’t like to use it. This logic of a perfect transcendent was different from reality. Grid thought that his less frequently used skills weren’t his shortcomings. Rather, they were a power.

‘In fact, if I can connect Unbreakable Justice with Drop then I can aim for a momentary explosion.’

Drop dealt damage to all targets within range and induced a drop in defense. Then he could link Unbreakable Justice. This combo would boast a tremendous destructive power just looking at the coefficients. He simply refrained from using it because of the opportunity cost. Rather than linking Unbreakable Justice, it was better to connect the more powerful fused dances or the Undefeated King’s swordsmanship. Unbreakable Justice was only used when resources were really tight or skill cooldowns overlapped, making things difficult.

‘...Ah.’

Grid was crazily thinking up to this point, only to get enlightenment.

Unbreakable Justice, Continuous Stab, and Spear Spot were all skills ‘replaceable’ with something else. Grid had a wide area skill that was much more powerful than Unbreakable Justice and the fusion sword dances that included Link were much more powerful than Continuous Stab.

Spear Shot was throwing a spear? Grid could throw a spear without Spear Shot. No, he could pick up and throw all the weapons in the world, not just the spear. Of course, the attack power coefficient was that of a basic attack so the power would be reduced but the initial purpose of this technique was to create a variable, not for the power.

Unbreakable Justice, Continuous Stab, and Spear Shot were all ‘skills that weren’t necessary’ for the current Grid. In the past, it could be used as a secret technique when his resources limit was lower, there was a delay in the use of the sword dance, and there were fewer skills.

‘It is a waste of a skill slot... the system did an objective evaluation.’

Grid never obtained anything easily. Unbreakable Justice, Continuous Stab, and Spear Shot were all skills he got after struggling so he was deeply attached to them. Now was the time to abandon his attachment to them.

[* You can create one new skill by synthesizing three skills.]

A system that occurred during transcendence. The new skill described here that could be used by transcendents would boast a high level of utility.

‘Let’s accept but after this battle.’

It was a risk to throw away existing skills to get a new one in the current situation. Unless the new skill was very simple, it would be difficult for Grid to adapt immediately. Since the final battle was upcoming, it was much wiser to hone his original skills.

“Nyahahat! It is like hell, like hell!”

“......”

Grid thought back. He thought about the battle with the yangbans not long ago. What did he do well, what did he do wrong, what were his shortcomings, and what were his advantages? This was a habit. If he skipped it even once then he would be anxious and his hands would tremble.

“It is like hell, nyang!”

“Please be quiet.”

The excited Noe continued making noise and the Grid threw him a fish. It wasn’t funny when the escort he summoned was hindering his concentration.

‘I understand why he is excited.’

Grid, who had fixed his eyes on the gaze of the walking black tortoise, finally looked around at the surrounding landscape. Now it was hell as Noe expressed. The brilliant scenery of the splendid civilization that showed off its wealth was now ruined. All the people had disappeared from the vibrant streets and it was horrifyingly cruel. Noe was a beast from hell so it was natural that he felt like he had returned home.

...Although it was funny that a demonic beast from hell loved fish from the sea.

Grid stepped through the rubble of the collapsed building and ash was scattered.

“......”

Grid’s heart ached. Many of the innocent civilians who died without escaping the sudden disaster were among them. There were even children.

‘It’s all my fault.’

The reason Braham devastated the city with a terrible disaster was for Grid. Braham only used the best magic because Grid asked him to open the way ahead. Yes, the person who created this hell was Grid himself.

‘...I’m sorry.’

Brush off his boiling guilt with an apology. Distinguish between games and reality. The selfish defensive mechanism worked.

Usually, Grid respected and cared for NPCs like they were humans but he made exceptions in some cases. It was if the target was an ‘enemy’ or ‘other.’ In this case, Grid recognized NPCs as non-human chunks of graphics and didn’t think deeply about their death. He tried to shake it off easily. It was why he had been able to kill so many enemies so far. Someone would say he was an insane, creepy guy, but Grid was confident.

‘If I don’t do this then I’ll go crazy.’

From the beginning, he was a selfish person who only valued his people. Don’t take on more of a burden than was necessary.

“...?”

Grid, who was trying to harden his mind, stopped in place. It was because he felt a lot of movement from within a safe building. Grid reflexively used Quick Movements and Blacksmith’s Rage as he moved in the direction he felt it from. Then he found it. Women, men, children, adults, and the elderly—there were thousands of people.

“H-Hik!”

“...Who are you?”

The dumbfounded Grid asked and one terrified person responded cautiously. “W-We are inhabitants of Chiaotzu.”

“...!”

“Hey, you look like you’re from a foreign country. Do you know what is going on here?”

“We were just living as usual when our bodies suddenly floated up and our location changed.”

“Everyone was flustered and tried to exchange stories when stars fell from the sky and the city collapsed. Then a monster appeared, night came and we were forced to hide here...”

Grid’s heart was pounding. He noticed Braham’s favor.

‘Braham, you... you knew I would feel guilt.’

Did he rescue the civilians using Mass Teleport? Even from the legendary great magic Meteor?

“Dammit.”

Sticks of the Overgeared Kingdom had once explained it. Mass Teleport was divided into three main types. First, there was the Mass Teleport that moved the caster and the targets around the caster in a group. It was the commonly known Mass Teleport. It was also the favorite of Sticks.

Second, there was the Mass Teleport that moved targets within a range specified by the caster as a group. It was much more difficult than the typical Mass Teleport. It was said that the only man who could complete this magic formula was the legendary great magician.

Third, there was the Mass Teleport where the caster moved specific targets in groups. It was the ultimate magic that embodied ideas. It was said to be habitually used by the top 10 great demons. They specified ‘demons who follow me’ and teleported them over to the target to be attacked. Among the mixed-race people, only Braham and Marie Rose could use this type of ultimate Mass Teleport and it was said to be an area that could never be reached by humans. Sticks had explained it when warning of the dangers of Marie Rose but Grid hadn’t expected it would be a foreshadowing for this moment.

“You should get away from here. It will soon be swept up by a bigger disaster.”

Grid didn’t have to persuade them. Drops of black liquid protruded from the black tortoise’s mouth and wrapped around the inhabitants’ bodies.

“Oh my!”

“Huh?!”

The clothes and belongings of the residents in the black droplets turned to ashes and disappeared. Fortunately, the droplets were black so their nakedness couldn’t be seen. The droplets carrying the residents floated in the sky.

“Uwah...”

The residents weren’t scared. Rather, they felt an unknown tranquility and leaned comfortably against the droplet.

『 I... Protect you... 』

The vague voice of the black tortoise echoed through the minds of the Chiaotzu residents. The memories of the old gods engraved into their genes loomed vaguely.

“B-Black tortoise...”

The residents instinctively recognized the black tortoise’s identity and their eyes turned red. They reached out to the black tortoise but it was too late. The droplets carrying them flew higher and transported them to the outskirts of Chiaotzu.

『 Thank you... 』

“No, it wasn’t me. It was my friend.”

Grid smiled proudly at the black tortoise and started walking again. The black tortoise guided Grid and the rankers to the palace. The scenery of the palace was no different from the city center. Much of it was crumbling. Blood from the dead soldiers dyed it red.

“Uhh...”

The high rankers walking behind Grid shrank back. They were terrified when they recalled the indifference of the yangbans who fought Grid. Could they help? They wondered if they were doing something they would regret for the rest of their lives. They thought about it before soon stopping.

The main reason they followed Grid was to repay his grace but it was also for their individual rights. From the time they received Dodam’s hostility, they were judged to have failed the Call of the Heavens quest. This meant they would suffer a penalty of losing four levels.

It was disgusting. They had to make up for it. They wanted revenge.

‘You guys used us as victims first.’

‘They became hostile just because we were bystanders, those yangban bastards.’

The more they thought about it, the more hateful it became. It happened when the high rankers became resolved once again.

『 Here. 』

The only safe little palace in the ruins of the castle. The party arrived in front of the building made of an unknown material, just like the white building, and there was suddenly a cold air.

Subsequently...

『 I don’t want to...! I don’t want to!!! 』

Another black tortoise screamed. Then different notification windows appeared in front of Grid and the high rankers.

[★Hidden Quest★ Protect the Black Tortoise has occurred!]

[The cooperative quest ‘Revenge’ will occur!]

Something soared up through the ceiling of the palace that was still intact. A beautiful and mysterious bead—it was the Black Tortoise Jewel that held the black tortoise.

“Where are you going?”

Grid used his buff skills and flew up when he saw the yangbans pursuing the Black Tortoise Jewel. He had already won against three yangbans and was full of confidence. At least, until he faced someone with the same presence as Garam.

“Haha, what? How are you all safe?”

A cheerful voice was heard. Grid’s body was slammed into the ground. Grid was struggling to shake off the shock of the strong impact to his head. He raised his head in a laborious manner and saw a yangban called Maru standing with crossed arms.

“That silver-haired demonkin was protecting you? At the expense of himself?”

“What...?”

“...?”

Grid’s eyes became demonic and the noisy Maru was startled. Grid stuck in the ground was pulling fire. No, it was a bow. A bow that burned with flames. The Red Phoenix Bow, which was reproduced with the item duplication skill, responded to the Red Phoenix’s 9th Heart with a momentum greater than ever before.

“Fly Up!”

“Kuek...!”

The yangbans guarding the Black Tortoise Jewel and facing Grid groaned, unable to bear the falling rain of fire.