In the capital, Reinhardt..

There were hundreds of elite soldiers stationed here. Armed with Grid’s mass-produced set, they were thoroughly wary of anyone suspicious. Yet even they were unaware of the tower association members. 

“Ahhhhhh! Please release your hand’s grip. Do I need to be dragged by the ear when I’m this old?”

“Be quiet before I cut off your ears.”

“......”

“You were late to return, so I chased after your whereabouts. Didn’t you create a big accident this time?”

“How could I have known that the Pioneer changed? Even the tower master didn’t know the Pioneer had changed when I was assigned this task.”

“That is true.”

Jessica, the eighth seat of the Tower of Wisdom—she knew Biban very well. He wasn’t a reliable man because he was ignorant and simple in his work outside of swordsmanship. Nevertheless, she didn’t protest when the tower master told Biban to go on the mission. The Pioneer of the modern age was Sword Saint Kraugel, and Biban was also a Sword Saint. She thought it would be easy for the two of them to come together.

“That’s why it is unfair. Don’t try to lay all the responsibility on me now.”

“What is unfair? You are the one who leaked the tower’s information to three outsiders when the Pioneer changed. It wouldn’t have happened if you had acted with caution.”

“Why are you speaking so unkindly? Come on, please defend me in front of the second seat. I’m sick at the thought of sitting on the wall for another 10 years.”

“Will it only be 10 years?”

“......”

“......”

Biban and Jessica, who had been chatting for a while, shut their mouths at the same time. It was because a young man blocked their path despite the fact that they had completely concealed their existence. This wasn’t a coincidence. The young man’s gaze was precisely aimed at Biban and Jessica.

Then...

“Was I mistaken?”

He shook his head, took a bite of a potato, and passed by the two of them. 

Biban, who had been frozen stiff for a moment, muttered, “...This world is going crazy.”

Jessica was a legendary great magician. Her stealth magic was so great that even Biban couldn’t sense her. The young man, who was eating potatoes while walking, had faintly sensed her magic. This was a very shocking event. It was impossible based on the common sense of the tower.

Biban, who had been isolated from the world for nearly 100 years, could only think that the world had become abnormal. However, Jessica had visited the world 10 years ago, and her thoughts were different.

“No.” Jessica’s gaze turned to the vast agricultural fields. She smiled meaningfully as she watched the farmers found everywhere for a while. “This kingdom is crazy, not the world.”

***

[Let’s meet at the tower soon.]

Grid was very quiet thanks to the message the tower member left.

‘Why did she say it would be soon? Does she think I can quickly resolve the matter of the insane dragon iron? On what grounds?’

“Hrmm...” Grid examined the Blue Dragon Boots and the God Hands. Not a single bit of the insane dragon iron’s energy could be sensed from them. They were entirely made of a new mineral, so even the tower association would find it hard to associate them with the insane dragon iron.

‘I’m being too sensitive.’

It seemed to be the aftermath of being overwhelmed by Biban’s strength. He thought the tall woman was as great as Biban and seemed to have over-interpreted every word.

“We’ve arrived.”

Grid had been locked in his thoughts for a while when he heard Mercedes’ voice. He had arrived at the training hall of the Overgeared Palace, and he needed time to check what he obtained today. First, there was the Matchless Heart Technique.

[Matchless Heart Technique Lv. 1]

[This is the method that Sword Saint Biban created at the end of his study. It circulates all over the body like a spring so that sword energy doesn’t dry out.

When the skill is deactivated: Natural recovery of 10 sword energy per second.

When the skill is activated: Immediately regain half of your sword energy. However, sword energy recovery is fixed at one sword energy per second for 10 minutes after. 

Cooldown Time: 1 hour.]

“...!” Grid was shocked because the skill was better than he had expected. The enhancement of his sword dances meant the consumption of sword energy was greater. Therefore, the natural recovery of sword energy was great news. Originally, sword energy was a resource that recovered ‘every time the sword is swung.’ He used to have to swing it around like a madman but not anymore.

‘I didn’t expect 10 sword energy to recover per second!’

Grid wanted to cheer with joy, but he restrained himself. He didn’t want to show such shameful conduct to Mercedes who was watching from right beside him. Barely calming his excitement, he asked Mercedes, “Did you learn the Matchless Heart Technique perfectly without any errors?”

“Yes...” Mercedes no longer asked to be killed because Grid became angry at those words.

“Good, well done. You should continue training. Strengthen yourself and protect me well.”

“...Definitely.” 

Mercedes was determined. She couldn’t afford to stay at a standstill. Although she learned the Tower of Wisdom was an organization that dealt with dragons, she wasn’t comforted at all. She was a knight and couldn’t use the excuse of the opponent being too strong as the reason why she didn’t protect her liege.

‘It is that look again.’ Grid saw Mercedes’ determined eyes and handed her something. It was the Blue Dragon Boots. Fortunately, his feet didn’t smell.

“Wear them once.”

“...?”

“I want to test out something.”

Mercedes had set up a new chivalric code during the fight against the war god followers. She claimed to be overgeared and could wear all types of items without restrictions. It even increased the performance of the items she wore by 15%. This had a synergy with the second chivalric code that gave her a ‘correction effect every time a high-level item is worn’, allowing her to perhaps become overgeared beyond Pagma’s Descendant.

Nevertheless, Grid was skeptical. Could Mercedes wear the exclusive items of other hidden classes? Could she wear quest items or special equipment related to the world view such as the First Holy Sword? It was as expected.

“The shoes are rejecting me.”

Mercedes couldn’t wear the Blue Dragon Boots. She couldn’t overcome the wearing condition of ‘Grid.’

‘It is the minimum of balance.’

The S.A Group created Pagma’s Descendant, so they couldn’t completely deny the identity of Pagma’s Descendant. It was the same reason why Grid had only learned a few spells despite harboring Braham’s soul.

‘It isn’t because I’m stupid that I can’t learn Braham’s magic.’

It wasn’t because of his low intelligence stat. Braham’s enhanced magic could only be mastered to the beginner level even if a player had the maximum power. All of this was due to the balance.

‘However, the Magic Swordsman of the Epics seems to be less about the balance.’ 

Magic Swordsman of the Epics was a class that was based on three legends: Grid, Pagma, and Braham. Grid speculated that the growth limit would be very high, and it could grow to the myth rating.

“I’ll give you a better pair of shoes later.”

“Shoes... No need.”

“Take it as a gift. In any case, I’ll give you everything.”

“......”

“...?”

Grid was puzzled by Mercedes’ subtle reaction and brought up the information of 100,000 Army Swordsmanship and 200,000 Army Swordsmanship.

[100,000 Army Blockade Sword (Degraded) Lv. 1]

[It is a single blow.

Deals 100% attack damage to all visible enemies and gives the ‘blockage’ effect for three seconds. Blocked targets can’t move, and their skills or magic will be sealed off.

★ Sword Saint Biban has partially lifted some of the restrictions on the swordsmanship. 

Skill Resource Consumption: 8,000 mana, 100 sword energy.

Skill Cooldown Time: 30 minutes.]

[100,000 Army Massacre Sword (Degraded) Lv. 1]

[It is a single blow.

A skill that deals 3,000% attack power to all targets within 30 meters (not targeted). Each time a target dies, the damage applied to the next target increases by 100%. There is no limit on the increase.

★ Sword Saint Biban has partially lifted some of the restrictions on the swordsmanship.

Skill Resource Consumption: 12,000 mana, 150 sword energy.

Skill cooldown time: 10 minutes.]

[200,000 Army Crushing Sword (Degraded) Lv. 1]

[It is a single blow.

Deals 400% attack power to all enemies in sight and crushes the enemy’s attack skills. The crushed skills will lose their effectiveness and disappear.

However, the greater the number of skills crushed and the greater the power, the higher the recoil.

★ Sword Saint Biban has partially lifted some of the restrictions on the swordsmanship.

Skill Resource Consumption: 12,000 mana, 200 sword energy. 

Skill Recoil: Decreased health (a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 50%)

Skill Cooldown Time: 30 minutes.]

First of all, they all had something in common. There was a significant increase in the resource consumption. Nonetheless, this didn’t matter at all as Grid had the Ring of Absurdity that decreased the consumption of resources by half. The power of the skills had increased dramatically, and he had acquired the Matchless Heart Technique. One of the most disappointing aspects was that the synergy between 100,000 Army Massacre Sword and the Enlightenment Sword had disappeared.

‘The black flames don’t often explode, and the skill damage has been raised by several times. So it is much more stable and improved.’

It was hard to think of a downside. Grid naturally set two goals. The first was to create a new weapon that could amplify the power of the one blow. Apart from the swordsmanship of the Undefeated King, he needed weapons to maximize the skill power of the Kill series. In the future, it seemed right to use the Enlightenment Sword for multi-target skills and switch weapons for a single blow.

The second was to obtain the original Undefeated King’s swordsmanship. How great was the Undefeated King’s swordsmanship that it was still a ‘degraded version’ despite Sword Saint Biban having touched it? Grid thought it would have something like ‘Modified’, so it was really surprising that it was still ‘degraded.’ He wanted to have the original.

‘Can I get a hint on the original if I interpret Madra’s diary?’

Grid was filled with vague expectations as he pulled out a small sphere. He thought the pill would have the herbal smell of Chinese medicine, but it actually had a sweet and refreshing scent like a flower.

‘Is this a higher level than the elixir?’

[The blacksmith who became a legend can appraise items with an excellent discerning eye. If a hidden feature exists in the target item, it will be found.]

[A hidden function doesn’t exist.]

[Dragon Pill]

[Rating: Myth

An elixir made by combining the heart of Stone Dragon Gujel and various elixirs.

The members of the Tower of Wisdom have spent more than 100 years making this medicine. 

It is an elixir that even a heavenly god would covet, and it greatly expands the user’s mana core.

* The effect is reduced the more times it is taken. An effect will no longer be seen from the third dose.

Weight: 0.1]

‘Mana core?’

The mana core was a familiar system for magicians. The expansion of the mana core increased the total amount of mana, and the mana itself became purer, resulting in increased magic damage, magic casting speed, and rating of spells that could be learned. As a top concept of the intelligence state, the magicians grew their mana core little by little through hidden quests and class quests.

However, this concept was faint for non-magician players. An average person would think of the mana core as an ingredient for the golem.

‘I remember hearing that the mana core could be expanded, but that was only a story for magicians...’

It was regrettable. He thought it would’ve been much better to raise stats like the usual elixirs.

‘Well, it is a mythical elixir, so I should eat it once.’

It wasn’t bad if he thought that someday he would learn more of Braham’s enhanced magic.

‘Wait?’ Grid paused as he was about to consume the Dragon Pill. ‘I have to present this as proof.’

Grid had been concerned about a child throughout his conversation with Biban. Nefelina, the hatchling in the Overgeared Kingdom—she ate four pigs and four cows every day, which was harmful to the kingdom’s finances, but Grid had a great liking for this child. Her blessing increased his experience gain rate when he went hunting, and he had been watching her since she was an egg. He also felt sympathy toward her fate of gaining revenge for her father and the evil eyes.

Grid wanted Nefelina to be safe and wished she would grow up healthy. So, he wanted to help prevent her from becoming a target of the Tower of Wisdom. He was worried that she would dismiss him when he explained the strength of the Tower of Wisdom, but she would become alarmed if he showed her this Dragon Pill.

***

In Nepelina’s sleeping quarters…

“I had a question about why those fierce dragons weren’t active. Now all my questions have been answered. It was the result of human effort.”

The small dragon swung her tail in what was once Grid’s bedroom. 

“I understand. I’m still young and weak, so I’ll watch out for them. I will strengthen my determination and take care not to let my energy leak out. So Grid, you don’t have to worry too much.” It was a little girl speaking in this majestic tone.

She was plump from being fattened and looked even cuter than before. In particular, her eyes were beautiful. It seemed like the largest gems in the world had been embedded. Grid barely suppressed his desire to stroke Nefelina’s shiny scales and nodded. “It’s a good choice. Then I’m going...”

If he stayed here for a long time, she might not be able to resist her desire to let out a breath. 

Nefelina’s faint voice entered the ears of the hurriedly retreating Grid, “...Thank you.”

Grid smiled widely. He happily returned to his training hall and swallowed the Dragon Pill.

“Kuek...!” Grid’s face crumpled up like a piece of paper. It was due to the hot energy that swelled from below his belly button and swirled around his entire body. Grid was engulfed in a fiery, burning sensation and couldn’t even scream.

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