The disappearance of the red sword meant that Haejin’s heart had collapsed. She believed that this was a fake world and dreamed of a reversal in the real world. The moment she realized this dream couldn’t be achieved, she fell into despair and lost her will. It was obvious that she would fall into ruin even when she returned to reality.

‘Hopeless.’

The yangbans wearing the gat. [1]

Chiyou saw from the beginning that the yangbans who were still in the stage of being raised by the Five Seniors and were bound by the rules couldn’t handle this human. The moment he felt the Red Phoenix’s Ninth Heart from the human, he remembered the news of Hangyeol being killed and worked out the puzzle. Yes, the result was decided from the beginning.

The reason Chiyou held expectations for a while was Haejin’s rapid growth. A powerful will that engraved her own image into the mental world of the Martial God. Haejin must’ve seen a fragment of the Heart Sword. The Heart Sword was one of the clues to become a God Killer.

However, her Heart Sword was broken before it was even forged. She lacked the skills to handle a human who had already killed a few yangbans. The result wouldn’t have been guaranteed even if the two of them met three years later or five years later.

“Next.”

Where was the end of this power? The person who used fierce swordsmanship in addition to the sword dances Chiyou taught to Pagma provoked the remaining yangbans. It was interesting.

“……”

“……”

The yangbans who always shouted that humans were filthy and reprehensible by just making eye contact were silent. They didn’t dare say anything to the human they looked down on. Of course, this didn’t mean that their willpower had been broken, or they lost their desire to fight.

The yangbans had no doubts that they would become gods. It was because their self-esteem was the best in the world. It was impossible for them to shrink back easily. They just recognized Grid as a nemesis.

“That Haejin, she prepared the table well.”

A yangban, Saesol, moved lightly and stood on the deck. He smiled as he faced Grid.

“You are bluffing.”

Did this human have anything else to show? This wasn’t true. Zik’s apostle had already used too many skills. She tried her best. It was reasonable to assume that she had very few secret techniques left. Besides, the techniques consumed her heart, body, and skill. Recovery time was needed in order to reuse the techniques so Zik’s apostle would be full of gaps.

‘I just need to pay attention to the sword technique that cut the dragon in the first trial.’

It was very intimidating. Some might think it would be safer to come out third. However, wouldn’t it be futile if he postponed his turn and missed his prey?

“That damn Saesol, he is usually the fastest at a time like this.”

The other yangbans had the same thought as Saesol. It was just that Saesol took the turn so they could only click their tongues. Saesol wrapped the Blue Dragon’s Breath around his body and lightning scattered as his already light body became even lighter. He suddenly narrowed the distance to Grid. He pulled out his sword through the gap in his fluttering dopo and the sharp sword light stretched out. The sword light carved at Grid’s position.

Saesol naturally imagined the blood that would soon come soaring out. However, an abnormality occurred. Grid wasn’t injured. It was the result of activating the White Tiger’s Posture to increase his defense to the limit the moment Saesol used the Blue Dragon’s Breath. Haejin’s attack power had been ridiculously strong, but it was hard for the other yangbans to deal a fatal wound to Grid, who was wearing myth rated armor.

‘Huh, she is like a rock.’

How did Haejin turn such a person into rags? Saesol was flustered, but he didn’t express it. He calmly recovered the soft sword, rotated, and stabbed. It was a blow that aimed for the fine gap between the chest armor and shoulder armor that Zik’s apostle was wearing.

Then the thorn that suddenly protruded from Grid’s shoulder guards pierced Saesol’s body. It was just that the thorn was a passive skill that had the effect of ‘reflecting 60% of the damage received.’ Grid wasn’t damaged in the first place so the thorn couldn’t do much damage to Saesol. Saesol’s soft sword stretched out without hesitation and pierced Grid. It was a surprisingly precise swordsmanship.

Nevertheless, Grid didn’t raise a single eyebrow. It was the strength of White Tiger’s Posture that was still maintained. Grid suffered less than 10,000 damage despite his weak point being attacked. After a few more attacks, Saesol backed off and couldn’t hide his flustered state.

“You... are you truly a human?”

There would be serious injuries even when fighting other yangbans unless the White Tiger’s Breath was used. Yet this human was completely neutralizing his attack power?

“……?!”

Saesol was repeatedly stabbed by the thorns that protruded from the human’s shoulder guards and stepped back with a stiff expression. It was because the energy exuded by the human has changed from before. The serene momentum shook the atmosphere and it was like seeing the Five Seniors. It was the wavelength of Divinity. Grid decided that he had to save his stamina to deal with the dozens of yangbans still remaining, and had no intention of prolonging the fight.

‘Divinity, Item Combination.’

The Enlightenment Sword leapt out of Grid’s inventory and integrated with the Fire Dragon Sword.

-Kukukuk. This guy is actually decent!

The ego of the Fire Dragon Sword was excited. It realized that it was more complete. The sword could feel its own change so it was impossible for the yangbans not to know.

‘W-What is that wicked thing?’

A long sword swirling with red-black flames—the combination of the two swords showed a power that exceeded even Grid’s expectations.

“Link.”

“......!”

“......!”

“Hoh...”

The dozens of sword energies were released with no time difference and tore the atmosphere to pieces. The explosion caused by the spreading flames was literally a disaster. Half of the ship was gone. Saesol struggled to survive and barely saved his life thanks to the White Tiger’s Breath.

There was just one problem.

In essence, the White Tiger’s Breath was a power that prevented fatal injuries while recovering health and healing injuries at the same time. However, Saesol’s wounds didn’t recover at all. The cause was the thorns. The curse of the ‘stabbed target can’t be healed for up to three seconds’ grabbed at Saesol’s ankle.

Tremble tremble. Saesol shut his mouth and trembled like a quaking aspen. The feeling of powerlessness and despair that he felt for the first time in his life brought him fear.

‘A fight isn’t possible.’

Saesol’s trembling gaze was fixed on Grid’s sword. It was a sword that burned with the momentum to destroy the world. Could he really withstand that? Unfortunately, it was impossible.

Step.

Grid took one step forward.

“I-I lost!” Saesol took four steps back. He stood on the edge of the collapsed deck and called out again, “I lost!”

Grid’s gaze no longer turned to Saesol. He hurried to meet the next opponent during the time when Item Combination was still maintained.

“Next.”

Grid still had a lot of power to show.

There were the skills of the Four Gods, including White Tiger’s Posture Engulfed in Flames which didn’t share the cooldown time of White Tiger’s Posture. Then there were the five fusion sword dances, the power of the great demons in the rune, Braham’s magic, the God Hands, and the skills attached to his items.

Grid had the confidence to kill a few more yangbans as long as his stamina could support it. However, the yangbans didn’t come out.The yangbans had lost their arrogant expressions and instead of someone coming out by himself or herself, they were instead busy trying to push others forward.

The power of Item Combination was too great. The moment any technology reached the peak, it would emit a sense of deterrence that was difficult to approach. Grid’s items were just like this.

Jingle.

“Is there no other challenger?” Chiyou asked but no one answered.

One stupid yangban tried to maintain his self-esteem in this situation.

“I forgot for a moment that she is Zik’s apostle and mistook her for a normal human. If you give me another chance to face her next time, then I’m sure...!”

The yelling yangban closed his mouth. It was because Chiyou’s always expressionless face was distorted like a demon.

“Ah... Uwahh...”

The wrath of the Martial God was more terrifying than the wrath of any other god. The yangban instinctively sensed destruction and closed his mouth. The other yangbans around him were soaked in cold sweat. Luckily, Chiyou just stood still. He didn’t punish the yangban. Nevertheless, the yangbans didn’t feel at ease. It was because they experienced a shock greater than death.

"Don't misunderstand."

Jingle.

“This person is an ordinary human, not Zik’s apostle.”

“......!?”

“......!?”

The evidence was sufficient. The human who acquired Taren’s power couldn’t be Zik’s apostle. However, it was impossible for Taren to have an apostle when he was sealed in the Abyss. This human wasn’t strengthened by the seven evils. Rather, she was a superior existence by herself...

The eyes of the yangbans changed. It was an expression that resembled Haejin and Saesol, who had been defeated in battle. A notification window popped up in Grid’s field of view.

[The Five Seniors are watching you standing aloft in Chiyou’s mental world.]

[The yangbans are afraid of you.]

[The reputation of your wife, ‘Irene,’ has reached the maximum in the Hwan Kingdom.]

[The yangbans don’t want to be hostile to your wife. The weak will be in awe of Irene and the strong will respect Irene.]

[The Five Seniors have a great interest in your wife.]

[Your wife, ‘Irene,’ has acquired the title of ‘Hwan Kingdom’s Attendant.’]

“...Nice.”

There were only two notifications about Dante when he gained divinity. It was so short that Grid still remembered it clearly.

[’Pungsa’ has caught a glimpse of you as you stand over Hangyeol’s corpse.]

[★ Note ★ Your knight Dante has formed a hostile relationship with the Hwan Kingdom.]

That was all. Even so, Dante gained the deity stat and was rejuvenated. On the other hand, Irene became an Attendant of the Hwan Kingdom. She attracted the interest of the Five Seniors and was revered by the nobles. It was obvious that she would build up a tremendous amount of the Deity stat and Grid felt like he would fly away with happiness. Chiyou’s voice entered his ears as he was trying to calm down his beating heart.

-I will remember you just as much.

“......!”

Following these profound words, Grid’s vision turned dark. Then once he woke up again...

“Are you back?”

The grandmaster was there. At the entrance to the Hwan Kingdom...

The peach tree scenery was no different from before Grid left to participate in Chiyou’s Test. It was still sunset. Surprisingly, not much time had passed. It felt like he had a dream. Grid stood blankly and suddenly made eye contact with the yangbans. The yangbans who had despised Grid before the test now gave a slight nod.

“...They have learned it properly.”

“……??”

These arrogant guys suddenly changed their attitude?

‘What happened?’

The puzzled Zibal and Neo Red Knights were amazed. It was because the particularly arrogant Haejin was smiling with blank eyes and she looked like a madman.

‘...It is better not to know.’

The Neo Red Knights recalled how the Overgeared Queen killed Susan and stopped paying attention.

[You are the first player to pass ‘Chiyou’s Test.’]

A new notification window flashed in Grid’s vision.

[You are ranked number one.]

[1] Traditional Korean bamboo hat

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