It wasn’t a dragon or a great demon that the empire was most afraid of. It was the king of Lubana, Madra. The empire waged 97 wars against him, but never won once.

The soldiers who accumulated experience in the process of winning over the continent, the strategists who turned the world upside down with mysterious tactics, and the knights that caused the empire to dominate with strong force. All of it was nothing in front of Madra. They were just novices.

In front of Madra’s valor, the empire’s soldiers became cowards. In front of Madra’s tactics, the empire’s strategists were nothing, and the empire’s knights couldn’t endure Madra’s strength. The empire’s people didn’t know this because a lot of information was concealed, but it was clearly described in the imperial history record books.

『 If Madra had lived for three more years, other nations would’ve sought to become Lubana’s servants. If Madra lived for five more years, the empire would’ve lost half its territory. If Madra lived for 10 more years... The empire wouldn’t exist. 』

The Undefeated King! The name had been imprinted with fear into the imperial royal family for hundreds of years. This was why the empire unusually oppressed the Lubana tributary. The empire was afraid of the kingdom that produced the Undefeated King. They were worried that the second or third Undefeated King might be born in Lubana and crippled Lubana and its people.

How surprised must they be? Once the news that a person who claimed to be the successor of the Undefeated King appeared in Lubana, Emperor Juander forgot his dignity and his body shook.

"Destroy the successor of the Undefeated King!”

The emperor immediately gave an order. The elite army of the empire and the Red Knights advanced to Lubana. But they couldn’t fulfill the empire’s order. Due to the intervention of Ares, king of Valhalla, they lost the successor. That’s why the current situation was like this.

The Red Knights were given the responsibility. Punish Valhalla who dared to rebel against the empire and destroy the successor that they took in. It was the new mission that Lorex and the Red Knights were assigned. Now Lorex was watching the mission fail. It was easy to punish Valhalla, but the successor of the Undefeated King was hiding somewhere like a rodent. They thought it wouldn’t be easy to find him.

However.

“100,000 Army Blockade Sword.”

The successor appeared before their eyes.

“The Undefeated King’s successor...!”

Lorex’s eyes widened and sweat flowed down. The identity of the strange man he had been fighting against was the successor of the Undefeated King?

‘I can’t believe it!’

Not long ago, Lorex had met the successor in Lubana. It was highly likely that the successor of the Undefeated King was fake. Unlike the legendary Undefeated King, the successor s force was at an ordinary level. He didn’t even use the swordsmanship that symbolized the Undefeated King.

Then what was this strange ghost? Only two weeks later, a person used the swordsmanship that symbolized the Undefeated King.

100,000 Army Blockade Sword. It was a cursed technique that had been spoken about through Lorex’s family for generations. The Undefeated King pulled out his sword and tied up an army of 100,000?

"It’s absurd!”

Lorex shouted and denied the legend. The legends of the Undefeated King were too unrealistic and Lorex couldn’t accept them as fact. A sword that sealed 100,000 troops? Lorex was convinced that it wouldn’t appear in novels of the third generation. He asserted that everything related to the Undefeated King was false and the man in the sky was just bluffing. But.

Peng!

Pepepepeng!

The firecrackers of red and purple fighting energy that filled the sky and earth. Lorex realized it after him and the Red Knights were hurt. The legend was true.

[You have been blocked! You can’t move for 3 seconds and can’t use any skills or spells!]

“This...!”

It was a real story? Lorex paled and his legs weakened. It was the same for the Red Knights.

Supaak!

A sword of light descended. It was the sword that Grid wielded after using 100,000 Army Blockade Sword.

“You...!”

Lorex hurriedly tried to defend with the axe. However, Grid’s attack speed had reached the peak with Quick Movements and Blacksmith's Rage. Lorex couldn’t completely defend against the sword that struck six times per second.

Peeeeeong!

A dark sword energy flew towards the center of the helmet.

Peeeeeong!

Then black flames exploded. Lorex, who was the target of the attack, and all those standing like stones around him suffered great damage and bloodshed. Ares and the Ares troops shivered.

The Red Knights. The strongest group in the Saharan Empire that dominated the continent. Grid was sweeping away those who caused fear and respect on his own.

"Nonsense...!” Ares gulped and squeezed out some words. “You...! You're the best!! You are the best, Grid!”

Grid. The first legend, the first king and also the hero of heroes. If he couldn’t be called the best then who could be recognized as the best? Ares called out honestly. None of the Ares troops denied his cry. Then Grid...

‘The best...!’

His eyes were red.

Duguen!

His heart was greatly affected by Ares’ cry as he struck Lorex.

‘I am the best...!’

He wasn’t mistaken. Everyone acknowledged it. Grid acknowledged that at this moment, he was the best player. He lived a lifetime as a fool and suffered countless failures due to a lack of talent. Now he was given a title that geniuses had monopolized.

[Fighting energy has reached 60 points.]

Nothing was more pleasing to Grid, who had been ignored and ridiculed most of his life. Not to mention, it wasn’t an ordinary person. Ares was the one praising him for being the best. Tears filled Grid’s eyes as he was moved.

“Youuuuu!”

Lorex escaped from the influence of the Blockade Sword and roared while wielding his axe. It was different from the forms of attacks he used so far. His axe was divided into three and hit Grid from three orbits at the same time. The Three Point Axe was Lorex’s persistent active skill. This was one of Lorex’s symbols.

“You won’t be able to avoid this attack just by being fast!”

Lorex shouted with confidence!

Grid retorted, “That’s if you are correct.”

“...!!”

Lorex noticed his mistake. The person in front of him. No, the Undefeated King’s successor. He was a bit quicker and avoided Lorex’s attacks. But in retrospect, hadn’t the successor been enduring the attacks up until now? Avoiding the attacks weren’t necessary. Being hit by the attack itself was meaningless.

Peeeeok!

The moment Lorex’s axe hit Grid’s chest.

Puk!

Puuoooook!

Grid fiercely countered it. Lorex still had the debuff where he received three times the damage.

“Kuaaaaak!”

It was Lorex, not Grid, who felt a greater pain in their exchange of strikes. The Red Knights tried to help Lorex.

Pepepepeng!

An explosion of black flames stopped them.

“What the hell...!”

How could he keep using such a strong skill? Did this person have no limit on his mana?

A shaken Red Knight muttered. “This... This is the strength of the Undefeated King...”

“...!”

The Undefeated King. Yes, the enemy in front of him was the successor of the Undefeated King. He couldn’t be measured with their common sense. The moment everyone realized it.

[Fighting energy has reached 70 points.]

Grid’s fighting energy, which had weakened after using 100,000 Army Blockade Sword, thickened again. It was the power of Quick Movements and Blacksmith's Rage. The speed at which fighting energy accumulated was much faster than before.

[Fighting energy has reached 71 points.]

[Fighting energy has reached 72 points.]

[Fighting energy...]

Fighting energy accumulated more quickly. The Red Knights who joined the battle to help Lorex was a problem. The several people surrounding Grid dealt more harm than good. Finally.

[Fighting energy has reached the maximum!]

There were only 10 seconds remaining on Quick Movements and Blacksmith's Rage. Notification windows appeared in Grid’s field of view as he barely maintained his life with Doran’s Ring, Tiramet's Belt, and the First King title.

"Push!”

Lorex and the Red Knights increased their momentum. They confirmed that Grid sustained his life with intermittent recovery skills and was on the verge of dying, so they determined it was time to put an end to this fight. Grid made the same judgment. Grid had a 50% increase in strength, agility, and stamina thanks to fighting energy reaching its maximum. He used a somewhat obscure, special power that symbolized the Overgeared King.

“Blackening.”

Kuwaaaaaang!

Demonic power exploded. Then.

"100,000 Army Massacre Sword.”

“...!!”

Chukak.

Chukakakakak!

30 times per second. The fastest swordsmanship poured out at a speed that couldn’t be pursued with the eyes. The air darkened with the energy blades. Lorex and all the Red Knights were attacked.

[You have dealt 65,900 damage to the target!]

[You have dealt 67,800 damage to the target!]

[You have dealt 66,670 damage to the target!]

[The black flame explosion...]

[Splash damage equal to 300% of your total attack power has hit all targets in a 10 meter radius!]

[You have dealt 32,100 damage to the target!]

[You have dealt 29,500 damage to the target!]

[The black flame explosion...]

[Splash damage equal to 300% of your total attack power has hit all targets in a 10 meter radius!]

[You have dealt...]

[You have dealt...]

The reason that Grid favored Link was because the opportunity of activating the black flames option of the Enlightenment Lightning Sword increased. Of course, this logic applied equally to 100,000 Army Massacre Sword. And unlike the single-target Link, 100,000 Army Massacre Sword was a wide area attack skill. It hit many enemies several times, meaning the probability of the black flames exploding was high. Much higher!

Kwang!

Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa! Ku kwa kwa kwa kwa!

“...”

The best magic that a player had yet to encounter, Meteor, was falling from the sky several times? Ares and the Ares troops were unable to close their mouth as black fire constantly exploding, destroying Liberon Forest. And on this day.

[The 23rd Knight Rove has been defeated.]

[The 26th Knight Kent has been defeated.]

[The 29th Knight Ordo has been defeated.]

[The 12th Knight Theo has been defeated.]

[The 14th Knight Shen has been defeated.]

[The 15th Knight Vio has been defeated.]

...

...

The knights from number 30 to 20 collapsed. In addition, the knights in the 10’s also lost their lives. Then.

[The Third Knight Lorex has been defeated.]

[Your level has risen.]

[Your level has risen.]

[The Red Knights’ Red Armor has been acquired.]

[Lorex’s Red Armor has been acquired.]

[Lorex’s Large Axe has been acquired.]

The Third Knight Lorex also met his end.

“U-Unbelievable...!”

“You! The Undefeated King’s Successor !

The surviving Red Knights gathered around the Fifth Knight. They were relatively fine. Damage hadn’t accumulated like Lorex and they didn’t have the debuff of having damage increased by three times. Thus, they were able to protect their bodies with defense skills.

On the other hand, Grid was exhausted.

[The duration of Quick Movements is over.]

[The duration of Blacksmith's Rage is over.]

“Pant... Pant...”

He was in a state where all his survival skills were exhausted. His buffs had ended. His health had fallen by half due to the use of Blackening.

‘I can’t keep fighting this way.’

It would be difficult to lose his immortality. The immortality was his last, last resort. Grid determined that he should leave the battlefield before the duration of Blackening was over. He tried to get as far away as possible from the Red Knights. But he couldn’t move.

Pajik!

Pajijijik!

[A powerful lightning attack has paralyzed you!]

[You can’t resist.]

[The effect of high composure has reduced the duration of the restraint.]

"I've never seen the Red Knights pushed so far. You are truly the Undefeated King’s Successor. His Majesty will be very pleased when I give your head to him.”

A voice was heard from empty space. The irresistible force caused a shiver to go down Grid’s spine.

‘What?’

Grid was confused. A figure started to appear in front of his eyes. It was a person with transparent skin. The appearance of the skin gradually whitened while the owner also had wide hair, eyebrows, and even pupils.

"Hello? I am called Kyle.”

One of the five pillars supporting the empire. It was the moment when the still unknown people emerged in front of Grid.

“Now, die.”

Pajik!

Paijijik!

“Kuk...!”

[There is one second left until the restraint is lifted.]

Kyle’s hand became covered with lightning and he pointed it at Grid’s face.

"Raising Corpses.”

Peeng!

Behind Kyle, a death knight rose from the spot where Lorex had died and attacked Kyle.

Lorex had become a death knight.

“...Huh?”

Kyle flinched from the unexpected attack.

[You are free from the restraint!]

Grid shed the lightning energy that was holding his body. He hurriedly opened the distance from Kyle as he heard a familiar, unpleasant voice.

“Kik... Kikkik, you are mine. I won’t let you fall to someone else.”

“You...!”

Grid was astounded.

Dark eyes with dark circles. It was Agnus, a man with pale skin and green hair. Baal's Contractor had emerged.