It was the 20th day of protecting the evil eyes.

“Stop the futile resistance!”

“You are the only ones who will lose if you keep fighting!”

Today, the enemies had come. Like the enemies on the first day and the enemies yesterday, they appeared out of thin air. Based on their chatter, the invaders had a common characteristic. They mistakenly thought they were strong!

“Ahahahat! Bring it on! We’re right here!”

“City guards! Overgeared Runman! Move!!”

“...Please don’t call us that.”

The Overgeared members were full of energy. The Vantner and Peak Sword duo were particularly excited. Compared to during the 10 days of boredom, they were now full of joy.

Peak Sword used a new skill, Five Combined Strikes. Iyarugt flashed five times, and five attackers died.

[The experience of Iyarugt has increased by 0.1%!]

“Good!” Peak Sword snorted. The battles that occurred every day not only improved his skill proficiency but also increased his item experience. As he made a satisfied expression, Vantner crushed the enemy’s head with the mace hidden behind his shield and asked in an incomprehensible manner, “Why are you so obsessed with Iyarugt?”

“Eh? What are you suddenly saying?”

“Didn’t you get the gold medal rewards? If you ask Grid to make you a new sword with those materials, you can get a much stronger weapon than Iyarugt. Why are you sticking with it?”

In fact, Iyarugt had virtually been transferred to Peak Sword. It had been more than a year since he started using it as a flagship weapon and accumulating experience with it. It was very inefficient when considering that the experience rate of a growth item was slower than a snail. Wasn’t it possible to get a more powerful weapon? Even if Iyarugt reached its final rating, was there any guarantee it would be stronger than a weapon made from one of the four sacred creatures? It was a mystery as to why Peak Sword was so obsessed with Iyarugt.

“Um...” Peak Sword felt that Vantner’s question was worthy and thought for a moment before replying, “Setting aside the performance of the weapon, I expect the demonkin Iyarugt to be a great force. As you know, Grid has powerful NPCs, but he isn’t actively utilizing them because their lives are finite. On the other hand, Iyarugt is classified as a pet, so I don’t need to worry about him dying. I want to give Grid a new power by completely freeing Iyarugt.”

“Once you finish the final upgrade for Iyarugt, will you return it to Grid?”

“Of course. I’m a type of item surrogate.”

“Oh...” Vantner was at a loss for words. Peak Sword’s choices and actions were all for Grid. Still, Peak Sword had his own stance and life. How could he sacrifice a few years for others?

Vantner smashed the shield against new invaders that appeared and asked a new question, “What’s the reason to sacrifice yourself for Grid? I feel a lot of gratitude to Grid, and I like him. I am prepared to lay down my life for him many times. However, I can’t sacrifice a few years of time like you’re doing. I can probably never do that.”

There was a more fundamental issue than the concept of righteousness. Sacrificing himself for others without hesitation? It was really hard work and not something that everyone could do.

Peak Sword shrugged as Vantner gazed at him like he was a strange creature. “Well, the biggest thing is that Grid is Korean. First, there is the tax problem. In South Korea, the job of a gamer isn’t recognized for its costs, so they have to pay nearly 50% of the revenue and expenditure as tax. It is the same with the national pension and health insurance premium. In any case, Grid is dedicating half of his profits to the country every year when he has the ability to earn billions of won in foreign currency if he wants.”

“...Do you feel gratitude and respect because he is making your country stronger?”

“Yes.”

“Crazy... Are you the president? Why do you feel appreciation for that?”

“Don’t you know the heart of the Patriotic Association of South Korea?”

“Why is your patriotism so strong?”

“It is a patriotism that has lasted for generations. I always feel gratitude toward Grid and realize that helping him is a patriotic blessing. I’ll live for Grid forever.”

“In any case, you’re not normal.”

“Huhuhuhu. I’ve heard that a lot since childhood.”

“It isn’t praise... Well, I might've felt like you if I had any homogeneity with Grid.”

“Grid won’t be bald, so you will never be the same.”

“You rotten person!”

It was the 22nd day of protecting the evil eyes.

“Uhh... Again...”

The Overgeared soldiers were becoming visibly exhausted. The enemy had been invading for over 10 days, and every time it was a sudden surprise. Thus, the mental pressure was severe. The main problem was that the basic skills of the enemies overwhelmed the soldiers. How many times would they have lost their lives if they didn’t have the best quality recovery potions from the Reidan Alchemy Facility and Grid’s mass-produced set? The soldiers were pale as they stared at the scars under the armor.

It was the 25th day of protecting the evil eyes.

“The soldiers are at the limit.”

“Aren’t the reinforcements here yet?”

“The imperial troops have taken over Lepio Village. The road isn’t open. Support troops can’t enter.”

“Shit!”

The 600 elite soldiers of the Overgeared Kingdom were completely exhausted. They had already run out of potions to restore stamina, and their armor and weapons had become rags from successive battles. Furthermore, there were no blacksmiths or smithies in the evil eyes village to repair them.

However, there was one point of comfort. No, it was a huge point. Since the levels of the enemies were high, the soldiers gained an average of 20 levels during the battle between the two sides. Some soldiers even reached level 300 and achieved their third advancement. The soldiers were becoming the top elites of the Overgeared Kingdom. If they could all survive and return safely... The military force of the Overgeared Kingdom would rise greatly.

It was now the 28th day of protecting the evil eyes.

“Open the way.”

“This place is currently being invaded by mysterious forces. We can’t let anyone enter the war situation.”

“Anyone? The great army of the Saharan Empire is called just anyone?”

The empire’s regular troops arrived and tried to enter the evil eyes’ village. The Overgeared Kingdom was forced to gather troops at the entrance, so they couldn’t enter. The soldiers of the empire couldn’t enter the city as the Overgeared soldiers blocked it.

This was the so-called roadblock. It was a strategy which took advantage of the fact that it would be impossible for them to fight each other. The first one to use this strategy was the empire. The imperial forces blocked all entrances to Lepio Village to interfere with the entry of the Overgeared army. This meant there was no way for the Overgeared reinforcements to enter the evil eyes’ village below Lepio Village.

It was the 31st day of protecting the evil eyes.

“Uhh...”

The fighting spirits of the Overgeared soldiers had dimmed, but the imperial soldiers didn’t allow them to leave. The intruders suddenly appeared and fought the Overgeared soldiers. The Overgeared soldiers’ armor and weapons were broken, yet their reinforcements had yet to arrive...

The continuous feeling of despair filled the Overgeared soldiers who had already begun to run out of physical and mental strength.

“...”

The evil eyes people, who blocked the enemy from attacking the rear, had already been silent for two days. They were exhausted and had lost their ability to speak the dreaded words. On the other hand, the eyes of the imperial forces were relaxed. The despair of the Overgeared soldiers became greater as they were mocked by the empire.

Tatang! Jade magic bullets flew through the sky, and new invaders died as soon as they appeared. A beautiful black-haired woman declared to the soldiers, “You are safe.”

She would protect Grid’s property, even if she had to die 100 times. Yura swore that to herself as she created new magic power bullets.

It was the 33rd day of protecting the evil eyes.

“Pant... Pant...”

The 10 meritorious retainers of the Overgeared Guild were losing strength. They were arranged in turns to allow for sufficient rest, but their items had a limit called ‘durability.’ As the small battles were repeated daily, their armor and weapons started to scream and their repair tool sets were used up. Their combat force fell sharply the moment they switched to sub-items. The enemies felt a bit stronger, and a large number of them started to intrude. They hoped for it to end, and they wished for their allies to come. However, they couldn’t show it in front of the soldiers, and their mental strength was quickly consumed.

“...”

The most ambitious Peak Sword and Vantner no longer enjoyed the situation. The situation wasn’t very good. In order to enter the evil eyes’ village, it was necessary to use space magic at the fountain in Lepio village. This was virtually impossible because Lepio Village was fully occupied by the imperial army.

“What now?”

“Tell us what to do.”

The Overgeared members started to rely on Lauel. It was a scene that showed Lauel’s position. Just like Grid, many of the Overgeared members believed in Lauel. No matter what the skeptics said, he was indisputably the one who had established the Overgeared Kingdom.

Lauel shrugged. “We’ve done our part.”

“...”

They had done everything they could? Was there no solution left?

Lauel laughed at his frustrated colleagues. “It is over now. In the first place, our mission was to last until the time came. We did well enough.”

***

In Lepio Village...

“The cockroaches lasted for a long time.”

Was it a 10 year old child? A little girl was smiling cynically. It was a smile that didn’t fit her age.

“Now they have reached their limits.”

A Black Knight standing by the girl’s side said, “There was a report that said the enemy’s spirit is completely broken.”

“I heard that a few days ago.”

“Haha, I told you that the enemy’s spirit had started to decline.”

“Hmm, now it is completely broken?”

“Yes, it is clear that they are at their limits. It is natural. Haven’t they been fighting suddenly appearing enemies for over 20 days? I think it is incredible they’ve lasted this long.”

The side of the Black Knight’s helmet had five golden lines embossed on it. It was the symbol of the First Black Knight and showed that the middle-aged man was the leader of the Black Knights. Nevertheless, the captain was treating the little girl with great care.

It was natural. The girl’s identity was Magician King Goldhit. She was the continent’s strongest magician, the master of the Tower of Eternity, and one of the five pillars of the empire. The Black Knights might be one of the representatives of the empire, but it was hard to act like that in front of Goldhit.

“Hmm, I’ll take Captain’s words for it. I will send people in for the last time.”

Goldhit had sent nearly 10,000 troops to the evil eyes’ village over the last dozens of days. It was possible with the fountain that was a warp device, which gave a glimpse of the magical knowledge of the demonkin. Still, Goldhit wasn’t all-powerful and was tired from using a great amount of magic power.

After a moment, 50 knights stood in front of Goldhit.

“You called...”

They were the Blue Flame Knights of the Gauss Kingdom. The swords of the Blue Flame Knights contained a blue flame, and their skills were good enough to compare to the Black Knights of the empire. Of course, the Blue Flame Knights had been pushed aside in terms of scale for the Black Knights, who had an enormous amount of resources poured into them and expanded to 1,000 people.

Goldhit spoke to the leader of the Blue Flame Knights, “Stand at the fountain. I will send you to the evil eyes’ village and sweep away the remnants of the Overgeared members.”

“...” The Blue Flame Knights leader gritted his teeth. The Overgeared Kingdom was the greatest enemy of the Gauss Kingdom. The Gauss Kingdom had been fighting with Grid since the days of the Eternal Kingdom and recognized the Overgeared Kingdom as a public enemy.

The knights leader had lost many troops to the Overgeared Kingdom and wanted to get revenge, but not like this. He was a knight of the Gauss Kingdom, not a knight of the empire. Why did he need to be commanded by the empire?

“Well... do you have anything to say?” Goldhit frowned as the leader of the Blue Flame Knights didn’t answer. Killing intent rose, and the Blue Flame Knights found it hard to breathe. “...”

Goldhit and the Black Knight were stepping on them. This was their territory after all...

The leader of the Blue Flame Knights stared at Goldhit’s small feet for a while before dropping his head.“...No. I’ll punish the enemy.”

They couldn’t resist the empire. They had to fight. The empire had paid 200 golden crowns in exchange for the right to use the Blue Flame Knights. The reason for obeying orders was clear.

‘Yes, we’re fighting for our country, not the empire.’

The leader of the Blue Flame Knights made a decision, and the grinning Goldhit sent them away with magic.

“They’re going to die.”

The Overgeared nobles and soldiers were staying in the evil eyes’ village. Soon, they would be crushed and collapse. It wouldn’t be long before the evil eyes’ king was defeated and the massive knowledge of the evil eyes was obtained by the empire.

“Kukukuk...”

This was an opportunity to study the eyes of a living evil eyes! Goldhit was feeling blissful. She thought it was worthwhile to come this far and suffer. It was at this moment that...

A Black Knight came to Goldhit’s barracks and reported, “The Overgeared King has arrived.”

The expression of the Black Knight was dull. He wasn’t too tense at the appearance of the Overgeared King. There was naturally no reason for him to be nervous. The Overgeared King wasn’t an enemy at present. Even if he tried something, there were two Black Knights and the magician king on this side.

“Hrmm...” Goldhit rose from her seat and headed to the entrance of the village. A black-haired man was standing there with folded arms. The silver crown on his head showed he was devoted to his status as king. It was a sorry sight.

“It has been a while,” Goldhit moved to the entrance and greeted Grid, who showed an obviously offended expression.

“I guess you are still kidnapping children and raising them like livestock.”

“What is the difference between livestock and a young child?”

“...?”

“Both are powerless. They are raised to be eaten.”

Goldhit glanced toward the ground, looking underground where the Overgeared Kingdom was struggling. She was saying that they were also pigs.

“Don’t waste time and go back. As a king, how can your ass get up from the throne so often?”

In fact, Goldhit had a lot of interest in Grid. She was interested in existing legends and used to feel something similar to liking Grid... but not anymore. Goldhit’s grudge against Grid was huge after he took the thunder stone.

‘...Hrmm?’ Goldhit, who had been turning around after ridiculing Grid, suddenly stopped. She sensed the magic power filling the sky. Looking up, Goldhit became nervous as she detected the thunderstorm.

“Aren’t there still close to three months left in the truce agreement between the empire and the Overgeared Kingdom? Overgeared King. It is impossible for you to attack us. You know better than anyone that you can’t resist causality. It isn’t worth it.”

Grid was a player and instantly understood the ‘causality’ that Goldhit spoke about. She was probably referring to the ‘system’. Still, Grid knew how to take advantage of the system.

“Is this called the struggle of the livestock?”

Rain poured down.

“Storm Demonic Energy Field.”

Lightning struck down. It was a mighty force that didn’t distinguish between enemies and allies as it swept through the soldiers blocking the entrance.

“...Crazy!!” Goldhit shouted as she protected herself from lightning with 10 layers of shields. This was the wrath of the magician king! It was a sight that couldn’t be easily seen and was the precursor to a disaster. The number of people who had seen Goldhit’s current state was small enough to be counted on one hand.

One of those people was Grid. Grid raised the fighting energy of the Hero King and stared at Goldhit with fierce eyes. “You aren’t entitled to stand in my way.”

“...!”

‘Oh, my god. There is somebody who doesn’t fear the magician king?’

The expressions of the Black Knights stiffened. They didn’t expect the Overgeared King to act like this, and the pressure he was giving off was stronger than they had imagined it would be.