"You defeated Alex as I expected. It is truly amazing.”
Sticks said with a shining face. Grid was also the same. The two of them were delighted to overcome one big mountain. In particular, the excitement that Sticks felt was very big. He had been waiting for the savior to come and purify the Behen Archipelago. Sticks had been waiting for decades. For him, Grid was like a light of hope.
On the other hand, Grid’s excited heart was slowly sinking.
"Sticks, I can see why you asserted that I could clear the Behen Archipelago. Demon Slayer Alex couldn’t use any of his original skills.”
“...”
Based on what Yura showed during the great demon raid, a Demon Slayer’s skills were quite diverse and the power was tremendous. Due to their special characteristics of suppressing demonkin, it would’ve been possible to restrain Grid in Blackening mode.
However, the only skills that Alex used today was the magic power explosion and sudden attack. He used the unique transformation properties of the magic engineering bayonet to go against Grid. In retrospect, the same was true for Lantier. At the time, Grid hadn’t noticed because he was killed so quickly. But when he thought about it now, Lantier only used stealth and didn’t show any other special skills.
"...It seems that they have lost most of their life skills after becoming a death knight.”
It was a state where their base stats and level had significantly dropped from when they were alive. Yet they couldn’t even use skills. The Alex who pushed Grid so much was 10 to 100 times weaker than when he was alive.
’This is the reason why Sticks assured me that I could clear the Behen Archipelago.’
Kkuok!
Grid’s clenched fist shook. His pride was hurt.
’I’m not as strong as the previous legends. It’s just that the previous legend’s death knights are weak...’
Sticks looked at Grid’s trembling body and didn’t deny it.
“That’s correct. The legendary death knights here are very weak. They’re weak compared to when they were alive, but they have become weaker since their owner Pagma disappeared. To be honest, it’s shameful to give them the title of legends. That’s why I believe that you could beat them.”
“...Hah.”
Grid could only sigh. His previous excitement was nowhere to be seen. It was natural. He wasted his immortal skill on a death knight which couldn’t even be called a legend. He lost his immortality, despite it being an opponent he could win against without losing his immortality.
’This can’t continue.’
Grid knew that his tendency to depend on his immortality was too great.
‘Now it isn’t the power of items, but the power of immortality? Then I should be called the Immortal King, not the Overgeared King.’
Grid didn’t realize that at least the Immortal King was more stylish than the Overgeared King. It was a pity. Grid thought back to his battle with Agnus.
’If I didn’t have the immortality when I fought him, I would have been defeated...’
At this moment, Grid realized.
‘It isn’t just Agnus. The reason I won most of my one on one matches wasn’t because I was stronger than my opponent. It was because I had the immortal skill.’
Immortality was a unique ability of the legendary classes. No one would blame Grid for winning due to his immortality. It wasn’t reprehensible to use the ability he was given. But Grid criticized himself.
‘This type of thinking is a poison.’
The problem was that the idea of ‘I can’t die because I am immortal’ was deeply rooted in his subconscious mind. The perception that ‘I can win because I have immortality’ would make him think that he couldn’t win without the immortality. Grid would someday experience a big upset if he didn’t fix this rotten mentality.
It was an accurate guess. Grid wasn’t aware of it, but he was going through a transformation that an average person rarely experienced. How many people in the world would become aware of their subconscious thoughts and try to fix them when they realized they were rotten? Many writers rationalized their smoking under the pretext of ‘I can’t write without cigarettes’ and failed to quit smoking for more than 10 years. Grid himself didn’t know it, but he was already becoming a special person.
“But.”
Then Sticks voice entered the ears of the deeply focused Grid. He gave a grim reality to Grid in a calm manner but now he was smiling warmly.
"The death knights here are weaker than when they were alive, but these legends are just specters of the past. There are very few people among those living today who can defeat the death knights here.” This was the main point. “Please don’t misunderstand. The reason I believed in you was because I trusted your skills, not because I ignored the death knights. I have repeatedly told you this, but you’re a great person. Take pride in this.”
“...”
It was praise from a sage. The past Grid would’ve been smiling from ear to ear. He would’ve scratched his head and smiled with a monkey-like face. However, the current Grid wasn’t someone who could become complacent. He wanted to go higher. If he wasn’t satisfied then he couldn’t rejoice when praised.
“I might be great when compared to ordinary people. However, I have to deal with monsters.”
The great demons with the power to drive humanity to destruction, Agnus who had contracted with Baal, the Saharan Empire of the West Continent, Ares bordering the empire, Sword Saint Kraugel who boasted a unique presence, the yangbans of the East Continent...
There were also the Overgeared members. They were special companions and competitors. If he was careless, he could fall behind.
‘No.’
Grid was already determined to be the best. He believed he was eligible. He had confidence in himself for the first time since he was born. He never wanted to give up.
“Sigh...” Grid took a deep breath and got up. His gaze was resolute. “On the next island, I will win without depending on my immortality.”
“...!”
Sticks was startled. He knew that it took at least one day for the immortality ability of a legend to function again.
"Surely you aren’t planning to challenge the 63rd island straight away?”
Without the immortal passive! Sticks was overwhelmed by Grid’s determination and shook.
“Am I crazy?” Grid stared at Sticks. "Of course I will challenge it tomorrow.”
Grid said he wouldn’t depend on the immortality, but that didn’t mean he would fight without it.
"Why would I challenge it without my immortality?”
“...”
As expected from Grid. He didn’t make a mistake despite his commitment. His high pride was easily bent. He didn’t want to receive damage from a futile attempt. It wasn’t nice to look at, but it was extremely reasonable.
‘Indeed... This is the king of a nation...’
All of a sudden, Grid took out cloth and started making underwear.
***
“Umm...”
The greatest attraction of a game was the loot system. Grid had fun when he checked the result of the item he produced and saw that it was a jackpot. But Grid didn’t confirm the information of the items he obtained after raiding Alex. It was due to fear.
’The problem is that Death Knight Alex is weak.’
The Alex of the past was unknown. However, Death Knight Alex was too weak to be called a legend. Of course, that was when compared to the former legends. Among the current players, only Grid and Kraugel could raid Death Knight Alex. He was a powerful boss. But due to Sticks, Grid had the perception that Alex was a weakling. He thought that the items dropped by the weakling Alex would be garbage. In the end.
“Ummm...!”
Grid didn’t check the item information while making four underwear. He didn’t have the courage to face the awful reality. Sticks was frustrated.
"Take a look at the gun and gloves as soon as possible. They will surely be incredible battle gear.”
“Wait... I will make one more underwear.”
“...”
No, what was the point of this act? Sticks couldn’t understand Grid. However, most players would understand.
‘If this underwear has a rare rating then I will check the item information!’
So far, all four underwear that he produced had a normal rating. The underwear production skill level was still low, but Grid thought it was also because he was unlucky.
‘The maximum rating that the intermediate level skill can produce is rare... If rare rated underwear appears now, I can interpret it as a moment of luck.’
What if he appraised the items right then?
’The item rating might be higher or there will be one more option...!
Of course, it was an illogical superstition. It was similar to the enhancement superstition floating among the players where a certain time and place was better for enhancement. But humans loved superstitions. They especially relied on it when they encountered content with the concept of probability.
[You have completed the underwear production.]
[Under the effect of the intermediate Underwear Production Method, a rare rated underwear has been produced! There is a very low probability of an option being added!]
Ttiring~
[Clean Underwear]
Rating: Rare
Durability: None Defense: 5
* Agility +1.
There are no distinctive features, but this underwear is very comfortable to wear. Activities are comfortable when wearing it.
Weight: 1
* When rare rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +2 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +30.
Grid suffered a terrible penalty to the blacksmith’s benefits after producing a certain number of legendary items. Now his stats didn’t rise no matter how many rare and epic items he produced. But that was only for blacksmithing. Grid’s tailoring and underwear production skills were only intermediate level, so there were no penalties.
“Now!”
Grid felt great please after seeing that all his stats rose by two for free. He believed his luck was bad and shouted in a loud voice.
"Legendary! Blacksmith’s! Appraisal!”
“...”
Some of Pagma’s Descendants had a disadvantage of being embarrassing since the skill names had to be cried out. But Grid didn’t care. Since the point where he shouted Item Combination, he put an iron plate on his face. Now the embarrassment was for the people with him. For example, Sticks whose face had turned red.
[Observing the target item with the legendary blacksmith’s eyes.]
[If the item has a hidden feature, it will be found.]
Ttiring~
[Alex’s Quick Gloves (Produced by Pagma)]
Rating: Legendary
Durability: 60/340 Defense: 130
* Normal attack speed is increased by three times.
Gloves made by the legendary blacksmith and Baal’s Contractor, Pagma.
He focused on overcoming the weakness of Death Knight Alex, the guardian of the 62nd island.
Weight: 66
“Two times?”
No.
“It isn’t two, but three times?”
Grid’s heart shook wildly.