Chapter 165

Syuok! Syu syu syu syu syuk!

The seven golden blades simultaneously aimed at his eyes, cheeks, head and chin. The speed was equivalent to Memphis, who was the fastest in hell, so the demonkin would be unable to react.

But Hell Gao was one of the 33 great demons, so he didn’t think of it as a threat.

'The human might be skilled at throwing, but this is just at the level of a pest.’

He drew a small circle with his staff.

Chaeeeeeng!

The seven blades didn’t reach the target and scattered all over the place. However, they didn’t fall towards the ground. Instead, they flew up again and attacked Hell Gao.

‘Huh?’

Hell Gao was amazed. He thought the seven golden blades had been thrown by the human in red armor, but they were moving by themselves?

Kaang! Kakakang!

The golden blades that continued flying at Hell Gao were annoying. He decided to destroy them and firmly hit one with his staff. However, the blade was fine and didn’t even get one scratch. It stiffened for a while before moving again.

‘Outstanding durability. Is it adamantium? But why are they moving on their own?'

Fast and solid gold blades! They weren’t controlled by magic, so how did they move by themselves? They didn’t tire, and gave Hell Gao a feeling of pressure.

In the end.

"Get lost!”

Hell Gao released hot wind all over the place. The golden blades were pushed by the wind pressure and could no longer approach him.

"Come back."

The human in red armor watched from a distance and gave them orders. Then the golden blades flew to him and started to rotate around him.

‘What a bizarre artifact.’

Hell Gao opened his mouth.

"I never dreamed in my thousands of years of existence that I would have a question for a human. Those blades, what are they? They have a durability comparable to the god mineral adamantium and they move by themselves? Why is an ordinary human carrying something like this?”

“Ordinary human?” The human in red armor, Grid, grinned at him. “You still think I’m ordinary?”

"What?" Hell Gao spoke cynically. "Kukuk! You only barely managed to wound this trash body! So what, you think that you are special?”

Hell Gao was the 9th strongest of the 33 great demons, but this was only applicable to hell. After being sealed by Sword Saint Muller 150 years ago, he had to borrow the body of a demonkin every time he appeared in the human world.

In other words, Hell Gao’s current body wasn’t originally his and he couldn’t exert his true strength. Grid was arrogant just because he managed to damage Hell Gao a little bit, so Hell Gao couldn’t help snorting.

"I know that you are a fairly strong human. But you aren’t particularly special.” The black flames around Hell Gao’s body flashed. “I only recognize the man called Muller. You’re just a trivial existence who can’t even reach Muller’s toes."

Grid remarked, “Ah, Sword Saint Muller? Wasn’t he the one who turned your body into a rag in the past?”

Hell Gao’s eyes narrowed.

"What’s so funny?”

The smiling Grid kindly explained to him. "I am in the same class as Muller. It’s laughable that you can’t see that. Well, today you will die again.”

Hell Gao thought it was so absurd that it was funny.

"Kuhahahaha! This crazy person is talking nonsense!”

Sword Saint Muller was such a great figure that he broke Hell Gao’s common sense, who had lived for thousands of years. He was a mortal who transcended a great demon. His swordsmanship was enough to cut through the flames of hell, making them look like sheep.

In comparison, Grid was just plain. Grid was stronger than a normal human, but he was no match for Muller.

“A person who puts himself in the same class as Muller, he really doesn’t understand... Huh?”

Hell Gao stopped laughing as his gaze turned to a corner of the dungeon. Thanks to the golden blades, he had missed the other human. That human was aiming the pickaxe at a fire stone. It was Peak Sword. The 16th ranked Peak Sword, who was a fearful person to some and a target of respect for others, was challenging the act of mining for the first time.

Hell Gao was furious.

“I don’t like this pair!”

He was able to bring four fire stones to the human world from hell. He lost a quarter of his magic power when one of them was taken. He couldn’t allow another fire stone to be mined.

Kuooooh!

Hell Gao ran while the dark flames wrapped around his body like a cloak. His target was naturally Peak Sword. He wanted to smash Peak Sword’s head and destroy that pickaxe. But his path was blocked by Grid.

“Where are you going during our conversation?”

Grid attacked while talking.

Chaaeng!

Hell Gao’s arms shook after he defended against the blue greatsword with his staff.

‘It isn’t just that I’m weaker. He has grown stronger.’

Grid spoke to the somewhat shaken Hell Gao. "Of course, my current skills aren’t even one-hundredth of Sword Saint Muller’s skills. But it isn’t a lie that I am in the same class as him. I am also a legend.”

“Legend?”

Hell Gao spoke in a confused voice. Grid wielded a master weapon that had been enhanced to +9, and his utilization of it was already at 100% after several months of experience.

Jjang! Jjejejeok! Jjejeong!

Pagma's Sword Dance (Lv.2) increased physical attacks by 30%, critical hit rate by 20% and critical damage by 10%. The power of the +9 Failure combined with Pagma's Sword Dance was truly beyond imagination! Grid’s power brought confusion to Hell Gao.

'This guy, the attack power in one blow...!’

Kwang!

"Kkuk!”

Hell Gao defended against the attack with his staff, and eventually threw up. A red light shone in the black flames and Grid grinned, revealing his white teeth.

“Can you feel it? This is strong enough to fill up the difference in abilities.”

“You...!”

Hell Gao finally felt alarmed. The man in front of him, he wasn’t a master of swordsmanship like Muller was. His comprehensive physical abilities were far below Muller’s.

But.

‘Strong.’

Why was he so strong? Hell Gao’s suspicious gaze was fixed on Grid.

‘It’s that greatsword.’

He had lived for thousands of years, but he had never seen a weapon like this blue greatsword. Hell Gao trembled. The golden blades that moved by themselves and this powerful greatsword, how did the man in front of him gobble up such powerful items?

‘Does this person have the treasures of the gods?’

Hell Gao could no longer take it easy and needed to fight with all his strength. Hell Gao made a decision and shot out hellfire.

Peeng!

The flames that wouldn’t fade away once they started burning hit Grid. Hell Gao confirmed that Grid’s chest was burning and burst out laughing.

“Kuhahaha! It’s useless even if you jump into the sea right now. Once the hellfire has started burning, it won’t fade away until the target has been turned to ashes!”

Hell Gao didn’t doubt that Grid would become ashes within seconds. However...

“It turned off?”

Grid waved a few times and the hellfire was extinguished.

“What!?”

How did you turn off hellfire like it was a match fire? It was the moment when Hell Gao’s common sense that ‘hellfire will never go out’ was broken in his thousands of years of living. Yes, the last time his common sense was broken was when he met Muller 150 years ago.

'It isn’t a lie that he is in the same class as Muller...!’

Hell Gao felt a chill and reflexively took a step back.

[You have suffered 4,800 damage.]

[The black fires of hell have attached to your body. The flames won’t turn off until your body is turned to ashes.]

[You will receive 2,000 burn damage per second until death.]

[You have resisted.]

Grid felt pleasure as he confirmed the warning windows and started a dance. White light moved around the blue greatsword, like a shark swimming in the sea.

“Pagma's Sword Dance, Link.”

The muscles that squeezed during the dance were released at once. At the same time, the greatsword moved explosively. 17 blue and white energy blades sped through the air at a terrible speed before compressing the air.

"..."

It was quiet.

Kaaang!

Only the sound of Peak Sword swinging the pickaxe was heard. Hell Gao had doubts.

‘What?’

Perhaps it was a vain attack? And.

Susuk.

The 17 strands of energy were drawn around Hell Gao’s body. This was followed by 17 sharp waves.

Pipit! Pipipipipit!

The air that was compressed simultaneously exploded. At the same time, 17 wounds appeared on Hell Gao’s body.

"Kuaaaak!"

Hell Gao belatedly screamed. It wasn’t a missed attack. This was the true dignity of the sword of light, Link. It was the moment that Grid, who raised his stats and level to 246 during the past four months, perfectly reproduced one of Pagma’s sword techniques.

"Didn't I tell you? I am also a legend.”

Grid was even more impressed.

“T-This guy...!”

Hell Gao’s body started wobbling. Before the fire stone was collected and Hell Gao was in perfect condition, a fatal strike barely decreased his health. Now he lost more than a tenth of his health the moment he was hit by Link.

Grid was convinced.

‘It is enough to fight.’

Kaaang! Kaaang!

The sound of Peak Sword’s pickaxe was heard non-stop from the rear and Grid felt more courageous. Then from a corner of his field of view, Hell Gao’s staff came flying.

Peeok!

[You have been hit by a lethal blow!]

[You have suffered 7,930 damage.]

“...Kuk!”

Grid was perfectly hit by the staff that moved between the rotating golden blades. Hell Gao shouted while chanting a spell.

“You aren’t Muller!”

That’s right. He wasn’t Sword Saint Muller. One strike from his sword had caused Hell Gao’s limbs to fall off. It was true that Grid’s weapons covered his deficiency, but it couldn’t be denied that he was very lacking compared to Muller.

Chaaeng! Chaaeng!

The seven golden blades moved briskly to contain Hell Gao, while protecting Grid at the same time. But Hell Gao was in complete combat mode and was very fast and powerful.

Jjejeong!

The golden blades that Hell Gao struck were stuck in place for two seconds and then,

Peeok!

Hell Gao’s staff moved flexibly, avoiding the other golden blades and striking Grid’s abdomen.

[You have suffered 3,550 damage.]

‘Damn! It hurts!’

All of Grid’s armor had been enhanced to +6. He had to spend a tremendous amount to enhance Failure up to +9, so he had to be satisfied with this much for his armor. But after many tests, he thought that his current defense was enough.

A month ago, he had faced the Awakened Guardian of the Forest and found his defense quite bearable. However, Hell Gao’s attack power was too strong.

‘This is after he was weakened by having the fire stone mined...!’

Peeok! Peeeeok!

[You have suffered 3,590 damage.]

[You have suffered 3,480 damage.]

[You have suffered 4,900 damage.]

[You have been hit by a lethal blow!]

[You have suffered 7,700 damage.]

The chances of a critical hit were tremendous high. There was one critical hit in every three blows. Hell Gao’s basic damage was also tremendous. His crazed behavior restrained Grid’s actions. Grid barely survived with one-third of his health and fought back with Failure.

Kwang!

Grid used the repulsive force generated by the collision with the staff to open a distance, then he used a skill.

“Wave!”

A blue and white wave spread out around him.

[You have dealt 18,500 damage to the target.]

[The target’s attack speed has reduced.]

Hesitation.

Hell Gao’s overwhelming momentum that Grid couldn’t overcome was noticeably reduced. Grid counterattacked a few times during this gap while shouting to Peak Sword.

“No, this damn guy! You still haven’t mined one fire stone?”

Peak Sword was frustrated, "I told you that it is my first time mining! I don’t know the tricks!”

"Ah, it’s frustrating!”

"..."

Hell Gao was the master of hellfire, while Grid was the first legendary class. There was such a large difference between Peak Sword and them, and he was frustrated at not proving his reputation as 16th on the unified rankings.

Grid explained to Peak Sword. "Take a good look around the fire stones! There is a part around the root where the ground will be weak, attack that place...!”

"Shut up.”

Pepepepeng!

Hundreds of spheres of hellfire flew. Grid took out the Divine Shield and defended with it and the golden blades.

Teook!

Hell Gao struck the ground with his staff. He leapt using the rebound and landed over Grid’s shoulder.

Puuok!

The golden knives mercilessly stabbed Hell Gao. But he couldn’t stop Hell Gao’s actions. Hell Gao grabbed Grid’s head with both hands and shouted.

“If you can’t burn then I will crush you!”

“...!”

Peeng!

Black flames emanated from both of Hell Gao’s hands and swirled crazily.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

“Kuhahahahaha!”

Even a rock would quickly be turned to sand from this heat, let alone Grid! Hell Gao laughed as he anticipated flesh and brains to splatter everywhere. He didn’t see it. Grid pulled out a blue ring and put it on his finger.

“Okay?”

“Hahaha...! Huh?”

The voice of the man who should’ve died was heard perfectly. As Hell Gao was surprised, Grid used Blacksmith's Rage and cut off both of Hell Gao’s hands with the +9 failure.

[Critical!]

[Failure’s option effect is activated, causing the skill ‘Bisect’ to be generated.]

Seokeok!

[You have dealt 46,940 damage to the target.]

[You have cut both wrists of Hell Gao, the master of hellfire. Hell Gao’s actions will be limited and his attack power and attack speed will be greatly reduced.]

"Kuaaaack!"

Hell Gao’s terrible screams echoed in the wide dungeon.

Grid smiled wickedly.

“This is the second round.”

Grid had accumulated a lot of combat experience and he learned how to take advantage of Doran’s Ring. For example, he would wear the ring when the enemy used a powerful skill.

This maximized the effect of Doran’s Ring and the Holy Light Armor. On the other hand, Hell Gao’s health was reduced by three-tenths after Grid consecutively used Kill, Transcended Link, Link and Wave.

Then just in time.

Kaaang!

“Yes! Success! I gathered a fire stone!”

Peak Sword, who had been playing Satisfy for a year and a half, felt the pleasure of mining for the first time.

“Kuk...! You guys...!”

The black flames around Hell Gao’s body lost more momentum. Grid didn’t doubt it. The second round would be a KO win.