“How very comfortable.”
This was the impression that Dragon Slayer Hayate got as he was looking with warm eyes at Sariel, Zik, Yura, Jishuka, Haster, Zibal, Huroi, Eat Spicy Jokbal, Damian, and Ruby.
They were powerful enough to deal with Transcendents. However, from Hayate’s perspective, they specialized in supporting others. Hayate didn’t pay attention to their individual skills. But he enjoyed teaming up with them.
During important battles, they weakened their enemies and supported their allies. With them, he felt safer and more comfortable than ever before. Because of their help, he stayed focused throughout the battle. His Dragon-Killing Sword cut the throats of a hundred cultivators in the fight.
Lauel smiled.
“The most important thing in combat is synergy. Synergy is a huge advantage in battle. I’m happy to hear that you were comfortable.”
Unless they were talking about an unrivaled being like Grid, the most important aspect of forming a party was the combination of everyone’s skills, rather than individual skill. Therefore, it was Lauel who did the most during this battle. He was the one who had formed the teams.
“I can see why Sir Grid always trusts you and leaves important tasks to you.”
Hayate no longer paid attention to his surroundings. He used an honorific for Grid to his heart’s content. Even though Grid wanted Hayate to live as comfortably as possible, Hayate couldn’t afford not to talk respectfully about Grid. Even Rebecca, the strongest G.o.d of the beginning, believed in Grid. Even a Dragon Slayer wasn’t his equal.
The old man with the white beard couldn’t withstand the pincer attack performed by Kraugel and Braham. He screamed.
“Ackk...!!”
Hayate saw the dwarf emerging from the old man’s corpse. Cranbel fired his breath and killed the cultivator when he tried to escape. Hayate unb.u.t.toned his s.h.i.+rt, revealing his chest. He had been born into aristocracy and had always been an example to others, and this was the first time he had ever looked so disheveled.
After witnessing Rebecca revering Grid, who had been reborn as another light, as well as the Overgeared World, where anyone could become the main character of the story, Hayate allowed himself to relax for a bit.
Biban sat down next to him. He was trembling nervously.
“If we get rid of all these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who call themselves cultivators or whatever, we can start planning our retirement.”
He had been with Hayate for many years, and he knew what Hayate was thinking.
Hayate shrugged as he gave a thumbs-up to Cranbel, who was flying high in the sky.
“I will retire after I defeat the Refractive Dragon.”
“......”
He wanted to defeat the dragon G.o.d? Was he serious...?
Biban was about to ask him about it, but he decided to shut up. Hayate was a Dragon Slayer. Even if the opponent was born out of the wors.h.i.+p of Absolutes, as long as the opponent was a dragon... this was a task that Hayate had to shoulder.
Yes, the Refractive Dragon should be left to Hayate, not Grid. It was ironic that the only one who caused an old dragon’s death was no one other than Grid, but in any case, that was providence.
Biban realized the true meaning of Hayate’s burden.
‘He now believes that he can die.’
It was a bittersweet realization. But Biban didn’t blame him. Biban was also a warrior who was prepared to die in the battle against the old dragons. As a fellow warrior, he understood and respected Hayate.
“We’re done.”
“We’re done too~”
There was a commotion around Lauel. The leaders of each team had dealt with the remaining cultivators and reported to him. No nascent soul had escaped. More than two hundred Transcendent cultivators had been wiped out.
Lauel nodded. “There are only a few Full Moon Fortresses left. The cultivators are powerless to protect them.”
The damage that had been inflicted on the cultivation world during this battle was devastating. Because they brought so many elites to the Tomb of the G.o.ds, they left the Full Moon Fortresses unguarded. The army that Lauel had sent to the fortresses did too much damage. Many of the cultivators who had been left to stand guard lost the fight, or worse, the entire fortress ended up destroyed.
Even though the elites had gathered at the Tomb of the G.o.ds, they didn’t do much. Plus, even though they swarmed the place, they ended up doing nothing. The Tomb of the G.o.ds, which had been destroyed by the hundreds of cultivators, was now completely restored.
Grid had researched and improved the Tomb of the G.o.ds, the largest facility and weapon of the empire.
[Book of Wisdom]
This was one of the greatest legacies left over by Judar, the G.o.d of Wisdom. Grid had utilized it perfectly.
Nearly half of the elites died. The cultivators' focus turned to the fortresses as soon as they heard that they were under attack. They wanted to preserve the Full Moon Fortresses and secure the Tomb of the G.o.ds at the same time. Because of their excessive greed, they didn’t pay enough attention and reached the point of no return.
The cultivators weren’t incompetent. Lauel was just too smart. He had played them like a fiddle because he clearly understood the cultivators’ mentality, a.n.a.lyzed their way of thinking, and predicted their actions.
“Isn’t he a cunning man? I think our lives would’ve been quite different if there had been a strategist like him in the Tower of Wisdom,” Biban said as he stared at Lauel, who was explaining his next plan to the Overgeared members.
Lauel had predicted the counterattack of the cultivators, summoned troops in advance, and secretly stationed them near each Full Moon Fortress. Quite a lot of people expressed concern about his bold operation. If the cultivators had sniffed them out, identified where they were hiding, and defeated each team individually, the losses suffered by the Overgeared World would have been enormous.
However, Lauel trusted the magicians and craftsmen as well as the giant brothers. They all lived up to Lauel’s expectations. Elizabeth and other craftsmen succeeded in restoring the Magic Enhancements Artifacts of the ancient giants based on the designs from the giant brothers. Then, the magicians used these artifacts to cast invisibility spells and deceive the cultivators.
This was how Lauel’s deception tactic worked. Therefore, Lauel bowed.
"Thank you. This operation was a success purely because of your cooperation and performance. Let’s wrap things up and enjoy our victory to the fullest.”
"Waaaaaaaah!"
Cultivators were strange yet powerful outsiders. They caused great anxiety for the inhabitants of this world. NPCs were in a different boat than players. Because of this, the soldiers, who had been somber and depressed for several months, finally cheered up.
Lauel filled in for the absence of Grid, who was working on his own even at this moment. The soldiers were encouraged by the two great leaders’ and the Overgeared members’ performance. They were no longer anxious and could now look forward to the future.
Lauel happily looked at the soldiers, whose morale had risen, and gave an order. “Get us moving.”
Under Zibal’s leaders.h.i.+p, the Tomb of the G.o.ds was now moving.
Just then—
[You have received a message from outside the game.]
-Young Master, I’m sorry to bother you, but I received a call from Z Nine.He is hoping to meet you in person. What should I do?
Lauel got a call from the housekeeper who had taken care of him since he was a child. He had accompanied Lauel when Lauel immigrated to South Korea a few years ago. This was the first time he had ever contacted Lauel while he was playing, as he had always understood and supported Lauel’s wishes.
‘Z Nine...’
An all-out offensive would soon begin. From now on, the empire would ride the Tomb of the G.o.ds where the remaining Full Moon Fortresses were, annihilating the remnants of the cultivators. For now, they had the advantage, but unexpected things could always occur during war, so the commander needed to be present at all times.
However, Z Nine’s mission was to track down Agnus. The fact that he had given Lauel a call meant that he had found Agnus. Plus, since he asked to have a face-to-face conversation, then something strange surely happened.
Agnus had been missing since he died in Satisfy...
Lauel double-checked that Agnus’ character information had disappeared from his friends list and turned to Jishuka.
“I need to leave for a while. Can you take care of the rest?”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
Jishuka didn’t ask any questions because she knew Lauel very well. Plus, with the exception of Grid, all the main forces of the Overgeared World were partic.i.p.ating in this operation. As long as Jude wasn’t appointed the acting commander, Lauel’s absence wouldn’t change this situation too much. People also trusted Jishuka. She was no less capable of leading the troops than Lauel.
Relieved, Lauel logged out.
***
Lauel’s home, South Korea.
"......"
Z Nine had just left.
Lauel was mesmerized as he checked the video files and reports that Z Nine had left behind over and over again. Considering the time difference between reality and Satisfy, he had to hurry. Nevertheless, he sat still for a while and stared up at the night sky.
At the same time, at s.h.i.+n Youngwoo’s house.
“......”
All the lights were off. Only the capsule that s.h.i.+n Youngwoo was lying in was blinking. Something was off about it. A light that had nothing to do with the LEDs built into the capsule was also blinking.
The lights squirmed like earthworms and sometimes formed shapes. They looked like certain characters. Satisfy players could easily recognize these symbols. They were the same mystical characters that the players had become a bit used to recently.
Beep beep.Beep beep beep...
Every time a mystical character was completed, an unfamiliar, mechanical sound echoed throughout the silent house. Inside the capsule, the lines connected to the helmet-shaped device worn by s.h.i.+n Youngwoo wriggled slightly.
Youngwoo was still in a deep slumber. In reality, he lived an ordinary life as s.h.i.+n Youngwoo while in Satisfy, he dreamed that he was carrying out missions as Grid.
The contents of his dream kept changing. He kept dreaming that notorious Satisfy monsters appeared in reality and everyday life collapsed. Familiar cities, such as Seoul and Paris, were added to Satisfy, and players were transformed into NPCs.
s.h.i.+n Youngwoo became Grid in real life and flew into the sky. Grid became s.h.i.+n Youngwoo in reality and exploded after fighting a rabbit.
The dream was full of ridiculous events.
“What the...”
The moment he felt the rabbit sink his large front teeth into his head, s.h.i.+n Youngwoo could no longer stand it and woke up with wide eyes.