The way mana was used was divided into several different techniques. The flow of mana changed according to the technique applied, the magic core responded, and the magic was completed. However, there was fighting energy in all the mana circuits in Grid’s body. It was also as thick as tar. As a result, the flow of mana wasn’t smooth.

It didn’t mean that the match between fighting energy and mana was bad. It was a side effect that occurred because Grid’s fighting energy was in harmony with sword energy. The opposite would’ve occurred with sword energy if Grid had a harmony between mana and fighting energy.

‘Someone did this.’

Who was the one who changed Grid’s circulation? Braham, the magician, didn’t like it, but he didn’t think of beating up this unknown person. He noticed that Grid’s potential had risen thanks to this. While this person was an enemy to Braham, they were also the one who gave an opportunity to Grid.

‘I don’t think they are an ordinary master.’

Braham found it difficult to guess the identity of the other person despite his knowledge being as vast as the sea. However, it hurt his ego to ask Grid about the identity of the person. He just accepted that the world was wide.

“You’ve picked well.”

Braham soothed his regret and his eyes soon brightened as he watched Grid. The magic book picked by Grid was a good choice. On the other hand, Grid’s expression was rotten. “I’ve picked well? Are you serious?”

Decoy—this was the identity of the magic in the magic book he picked. It was a type of dummy magic that made a bird of mana to deceive the opponent. It was a disheartening result for Grid who wanted powerful destruction magic or weapon enchant-based magic that maximized his items.

‘It would’ve been a big jackpot if I learned Meteor.’

He had set a big goal for himself. Grid had longed for Meteor ever since designing Failure. He couldn’t help being disappointed. Then Braham asked him, “Is it destructive power that you lack?”

“...I don’t think it is lacking.”

"Are you lacking the ability to protect your body?”

“It isn’t that either.”

Braham nodded as Grid answered honestly.

“That's right. The thing you are most lacking is experience. Decoy is a precious magic that will fill your lack of experience.”

“Decoy will fill up my lacking experience?”

Grid couldn’t get a sense of it. Decoy was something that Grid had used previously. During the time when his second class was Legendary Great Magician, one of the magics that was temporarily activated due to the effect of increasing intelligence was Decoy. It was definitely useful at that time. He used Decoy to confuse the other person and make them reveal a gap.

However, the opponents that Grid would have to face in the future were powerful beings like Braham in front of him. Would such a trivial trick work on them?

Braham pointed his staff at the distrusting Grid. “Try using Shunpo.”

“Yes.”

Grid immediately used Shunpo.

[Shunpo has failed to trigger.]

“Cough...”

“......”

Shamefully, there were several failures. Then the moment the successful Grid took control of Braham’s rear, Braham teleported away. This was the result for the entire battle. A transcendent’s combat style of ‘leaping through space with Shunpo to strike’ didn’t work at all.

‘Does it make sense for Teleport to be used faster than Blink?’

The movement magic that magicians used in combat was Blink, not Teleport. It would be possible to leap through space with just one second of casting, unlike Teleport that required a long casting time.

The movement distance was very short and it had the fatal disadvantage of not being able to select the location they moved to. Even so, magicians were able to fight against knights thanks to Blink. They approached and attacked the sword-wielding knights with Blink.

However, Braham was completely different from the usual magician. Rather than using a second, Teleport was activated immediately and he moved to his desired location. Who in the world could catch him? He was a crazily fraudulent character.

Grid was looking around when he felt Braham’s presence behind him. ‘I got him!’

Had he grown from one spar? Unlike the earlier spar, Grid succeeded in capturing Braham’s position in an instant and he reached out with a joyful face. However, it wasn’t Braham that he grabbed. It was a mass of magic power. It was a bird made of Decoy.

“......?”

Were his transcendent senses tricked? Grid looked like he had seen a ghost and Braham appeared in front of him.

“I fully understand why you distrust Decoy. It isn’t high ranking magic but there are some benefits compared to the clone skills.”

His words were accurate. Grid could use clones thanks to the power of the great demon imprinted on the rune. It was just that every time he used the clones, strong people quickly found the main body. Then what about Decoy which was merely a mass of magic power?

Grid guessed that it would have no effect, unlike the clones that confused the opponent for a while. Yet just like Braham’s Teleport, the Braham style Decoy was different from ordinary Decoy.

“The advantage of Decoy is that it is a lower ranked magic.” Braham extracted a small amount of magic power and formed a bird. It was as red as blood, and as large and fierce as a bird of prey. “It inherits the mana nature of the caster.”

“Ah!” Grid let out a cry of excitement when he realized why his transcendent senses were deceived. Decoy might not be able to deceive the other person’s eyes like the clones, but it could perfectly deceive their senses. Of course, it was possible because it wasn't an ordinary Decoy. It was Braham’s style of Decoy.

Grid was fidgeting as he thought about how to use the flexible Decoy. Then Braham smiled and spread open his arms. It was a pious act that reminded people of a great master. “Assimilate it.”

At the same time.

[Decoy (Enhanced) has been learned.]

[Decoy (Enhanced) Lv. 1]

[Separates mana to summon a bird.

The bird’s range of motion is five meters around the summoner and it will last for 10 seconds.

Summonable Range: 1 meter radius

Cooldown Time: 3 minutes.

Mana Consumption: 1,000]

‘Transcend.’

In order to grasp the opportunity without variables, he had to make the probability of Shunpo 100%. Grid judged and used Transcend. Then he immediately activated Shunpo and Decoy. He used Shunpo to move to Braham’s side while he summoned Decoy behind Braham’s back. The bird that Grid summoned was as black as a crow.

Braham nodded.“Okay. Once applied in this way, it will be difficult for the other person to determine your location with just their senses.”

Well, even so...

“It doesn’t mean much if you burn them both at the same time.”

“Uwaaaack!”

***

“In any case, he is a willful old man...”

It was still a long time until his immortal cooldown ended. Grid, who hadn’t expected to be attacked, complained as he drank a potion and Braham scoffed.

“It is your fault for being careless. In any case, the usage of Decoy is endless. Be sure to devote yourself to devising new methods so you can use it more diversely.”

“Yes...”

It was Braham who was telling him that he was careless, not anyone else. Grid clicked his tongue as he recalled Braham’s past of being stabbed in the back by a friend. Then the Knowledge Room collapsed and disappeared. Mercedes greeted Grid and Braham as soon as they returned to reality, "You’ve worked hard.”

“Yes,” Grid answered without thinking.

‘How does she know that he worked hard?’

Braham had a strange feeling. Even the Duke of Wisdom, Braham, felt awkward around Mercedes despite understanding the truth of the world. He couldn’t figure out her potential because he couldn’t measure the depth in those quiet eyes.

“Bah.”

It happened the moment when the uncomfortable Braham scoffed and turned around...

“?”

Braham felt a new miracle approaching and stopped on the spot.

“There is an issue to report.”

Soon after, Faker popped out of the shadows. Grid was shocked because he only felt Faker’s presence once Faker was close.

“It is amazing after he has become Lantier...”

Grid truly admired it. A being who erased his existence from the world—he had already experienced it and knew that Lantier’s stealth skills were on a different level. He just never dreamt that Faker would’ve already assimilated it.

‘It has only been a few weeks since he changed his class. To reach this level...’

How far would he grow? Grid gulped as Faker told him, “There is a report that Rothschild has started to move. They feel the need to keep us in check and are doing many things.”

“Why do they feel the need to keep us in check?”

Chairman Lee Jinmyung said that the world’s leading group and families had invested in Satisfy a long time ago. It was said that Rothschild was one of them, from as early as the open beta period. Their foresight was second to none.However, he was told that their purpose was to accumulate wealth. They could make a deal with the Overgeared Kingdom and there was no need for a hostile relationship.

“I don’t know the details yet.”

Faker reported the incident in Reidan to the confused Grid. Grid listened silently before nodding.

“So the words of the revolutionaries haven’t been confirmed to be true or not.”

The revolutionaries said they had Rothschild behind them, but... what was the truth?

“Don’t issue a killing order yet. Let the revolutionaries move freely while keeping an eye on the situation.”

It was a smarter Grid. He wasn’t blinded by anger and pursued practical interests. Faker nodded and moved back into the shadows. Grid already lost his presence before he moved less than 10 meters. Braham had been watching silently and now he laughed.

“This kingdom is going crazy.”

It wasn’t to this extent when Braham was first resurrected—there was only one farmer who could be called quite capable in the Overgeared Kingdom, yet now...

“Huh?”

“Nothing, I was just talking to myself.”

Braham shook his head and left. He was smiling. He was proud of Grid who brought together so many great legends. It was an achievement that no one had been able to do before, no, they didn’t even try it.

“Let’s go,” Grid urged Mercedes.

It was the graduation day of the very first graduates since the establishment of the Overgeared Academy. He planned to encourage the new talents, meet Sticks, and then travel to Cokro Island.

The stars in the night sky sparkled brilliantly. They seemed to be illuminating Grid’s future path.