“……”
The body of the mouse seemed like it was going to fall backwards. It was because he was overzealous in his desire to capture the image of the giant god in his sight. The Blue Dragon, who was said to be the most powerful among the Four Auspicious Beasts, didn’t allow the eyes and understanding of mere mortals. It behaved nobly, as if the origin and heart of humanity, the ‘aspiration of humanity’ was very precious.
“Surprisingly, you aren’t cursing.”
Grid reacted with surprise to the silent Bunhelier. The Blue Dragon had gradually learned etiquette and now it bowed to Grid. Grid had predicted Bunhelier’s accusations. He thought that this guy would talk nonsense like it was pathetic that it resembled a dragon.
Yet unexpectedly, he was silent. He silently observed the Blue Dragon with eyes that were unusually glazed over.
“It isn’t disgraceful to bow to you,” Bunhelier replied nonchalantly.
That was it. He fell silent again and examined the Blue Dragon. It seemed to take quite a long time due to the narrow field of view caused by polymorphing into a mouse.
Grid gave him a strange look before naturally meeting the Blue Dragon’s eyes.
“How have you been?”
Grid was also courteous to the Blue Dragon. The myth of the Four Auspicious Beasts might’ve been incorporated into the Overgeared World, but this didn’t mean it was a master-slave relationship
For Grid, the Four Auspicious Beasts were more like respected seniors. This was true even if they had suffered one defeat and one failure. They were beings too noble to be oppressed by mere hierarchies.
-Humans are getting along unexpectedly well thanks to the reduced anxiety.
The Blue Dragon became several times more powerful than the first time they met and gave all the credit to humanity. It was an attitude of never forgetting one’s roots. In fact, it was also an expression of gratitude toward Grid. Grid’s performance was beyond restoring the myths that the humans of the East Continent had forgotten and reducing their worries.
“I don’t think it is too much.”
The Blue Dragon’s expression was even harder to read than a dragon’s. A body made up of divine lightning energy, not bones and flesh—the lack of muscles meant there was no change in facial expression.
However, Grid understood the Blue Dragon’s inner thoughts. The cold that came due to the anger left behind. The people who had nowhere to go because of it. Being worshiped by their offspring made the Blue Dragon feel a tremendous sense of burden and guilt.
Grid comforted the Blue Dragon by saying it was fine. “You just have to do better in the future. Isn’t it okay if you don’t betray people’s faith again?”
-……
Don’t betray faith. For gods, it meant not to fail.
He was discussing the near impossible casually. At first glance, it almost sounded like a provocation. However, the Blue Dragon didn’t misunderstand.
-I will listen carefully.
The Blue Dragon reflected on what Grid was like.
After a series of unbelievable activities, he saved humanity and even destroyed an Absolute who had ruled one dimension…
It was definitely something to be proud of. Things that seemed impossible for him would be easy for him.
“Umm…” Bunhelier let out a sound that seemed like a groan. His eyes were still fixed on the Blue Dragon. In fact, it was strange that he didn’t seem interested in the yeouiju held by the Blue Dragon. What was distracting him?
-It is true that when the Twelve Zodiacs compete, the rat always takes the lead. This isn’t because it is exceptional. It is because of the rat using the pride and strengths of the other members of the Twelve Zodiacs to its advantage.
The Blue Dragon could no longer look at the mouse. It advised that mice weren’t suitable for use as spiritual objects and subtly gave the mouse a look. Even though Bunhelier was right in front of it, the Blue Dragon was unable to grasp Bunhelier’s identity.
Something was wrong and it judged that it wasn’t an ordinary mouse, but the Blue Dragon couldn’t think of a dragon. This was due to Bunhelier’s Polymorph skill being refined after repeated battles. It was also the result of the difference in level between Bunhelier and the Blue Dragon.
Grid felt it too. Comparing Bunhelier and the Blue Dragon side by side, the Old Dragon was indeed different. Bunhelier might be the weakest of the Old Dragons, but he overwhelmed the Four Auspicious Beasts in many ways. No, it wasn’t just the Four Auspicious Beasts. Maybe he was comparable to Hanul, who had fallen to the point of being seriously injured by the Blue Dragon?
Grid remembered something he had always wondered about and asked the Blue Dragon. “I heard that you pierced the heart of one of the God of the Beginning.”
-Um…
The Blue Dragon’s tone became more cautious.
-I was lucky. At that time, Hanul wasn’t in an intact state shortly after his defeat. He also consumed a considerable amount of energy to create a ‘dimension.’ A trump card that I had hidden worked well in line with the situation. Nevertheless, the fact that it was only a small wound was the decisive factor that frustrated me at the time…
“Does it take a lot of energy to create a dimension…?”
The Overgeared World—Grid was also a being who had created a dimension.
Of course, his position was very different from that of Hanul, who created the Hwan Kingdom in the middle of the sky where nothing existed. The Overgeared World was based on the Overgeared Kingdom and the system supported it. It was as if he enjoyed the authority of the Emperor and the privileges of a player at the same time. Therefore, he couldn’t understand Hanul’s position.
-……
The Blue Dragon took it differently.
Bunhelier clearly read the Blue Dragon’s astonishment.
***
“I can’t touch this imoogi? There is no way a daoist immortal would claim to be an escort for a monster? Yet it is like a bomb that will explode if I touch it?”
Hwang Gildong tried hard to retort. The location of the old man who was being asked the question couldn’t be identified. The scenery, which had changed several times by the repeated formations being overlapped, had suddenly transformed into the middle of a street.
Buzz buzz.
Merchants engaged in soliciting business, passersby worried about choosing products, drunks drinking alcohol in broad daylight, and so on. All types of sounds were heard in all directions. The smell of fish on display at the stall next to him stung his nose. Everything felt real.
‘It is in the territory of being amazing… besides, it is so thorough in the weirdest areas.’
It was the middle of summer when the sun was shining. No matter how much Hwang Gildong was a transcendent, his winter clothes felt somewhat stuffy. His thick scarf was instantly soaked with sweat. In the end, he couldn’t resist and threw off his scarf while searching for the old man’s whereabouts.
The scenery changed again and the wind blew in. Hwang Gildong clicked his tongue as the sweat on his exposed neck cooled down in an instant. “Your personality is nasty.”
“Pigs see only pigs. This isn’t what I want to hear from you, who have taken advantage of worldly circumstances to spy on other people’s every move and covet their goods.”
The old man’s voice was heard. It felt like it came from right behind his back, above his head, and from far away at the same time.It was impossible to discern the direction.
“Pigs see only pigs?”
“It means that pigs can only be seen in the eyes of pigs.”
“I didn’t ask because I didn’t know the meaning. The Sword Saint of the current era has a personality as eccentric as his hobbies.”
“This old man has an excellent discerning eye.”
“……”
Hwang Gildong understood that Kraugel’s personality was also formidable and chose to remain silent. He also didn’t explain that he repeatedly monitored other people’s every move and snatched goods as purely for the sake of the people. He suppressed the cry that this daoist immortal who was a bystander in the world didn’t deserve to criticize him.
Hwang Gildong had always been like that. In a world where myths were forgotten and distorted, even when he became the main enemy of the yangbans and the four kingdoms and was stigmatized, he walked his own way in an aloof manner. He was one of the unsung heroes.
‘I miss Old Sword Demon.’
…But this didn’t mean that he couldn’t feel resentment and that it was unfair.
Hwang Gildong missed Old Sword Demon, whom he could manipulate on the palm of his hand. He would be able to relieve his stress right away if he was with Old Sword Demon. However, the world that recalled the true myth regained peace, albeit superficially.
Suddenly, Old Sword Demon left and Hwang Gildong was alone again. Eventually, he got involved with a nasty human.
“Why are you protecting the imoogi?” Kraugel suddenly asked on behalf of Hwang Gildong.
He had accurately identified the location of the old man.
Super Sensitivity—the power that symbolized the Sword Saint, along with the sword that cut anything, was unstoppable. At times, it made even an Absolute nervous. In particular, it was close to a superior advantage over a daoist immortal. The common specialty of the daoist immortals was to use amulets and swordsmanship. This was why their techniques were mainly used for illusion techniques. If they were detected by Super Sensitivity or cut by the sword, they were bound to collapse.
‘But I can’t see it as an advantage.’
Kraugel had a deep connection with the daoist immortal, Bentao, in the process of returning from the elemental world. Many times, he had witnessed techniques that went beyond the level of illusions and escaped from common sense. In the first place, a daoist immortal combat power wasn’t concentrated on illusion techniques. They each had their own martial arts that they had honed and exercised unbelievable miracles, especially from the point of dealing with the resource called ‘the power of law.’
‘Nevertheless.’
A sword that resembled one of the world’s most famous treasured swords revealed its appearance. He didn’t take any particular stance.
The state of being one with the sword.
Hwang Gildong trembled. It was as if he could feel the sharp wind being torn to pieces. It was a phenomenon caused by the sword wind that seemed to count every single hair on his head.
The energy emanating from the Sword Saint of the present era in all directions was a clear blade.
The former generation Sword Saint who survived until he became old and became a god, and the former generation Sword Saint who evaded his duties and death by living in a dimensional gap—the name of the present day Sword Saint, shrouded in the shadow of the two seniors who were strangely obsessed with life, became strongly imprinted in the minds of the transcendents of the east at this moment.
‘The present day Sword Saint has been devalued.’
It happened as Hwang Gildong was convinced…
“If you don’t want to answer, then open the way. I will cut you if you continue to endure.”
Kraugel couldn’t get an answer to his question and pointed his sword in one direction. The gray winter sky was dyed with the sunset. It was the effect of Grid’s faint divinity rising from the sword as sword energy cut through the wind.
Kraugel was also aware of it. There were only two Twilights in the world. He couldn’t talk about defeat prematurely as long as he was carrying one of them.
The old man, whose shadow was revealed in the backlight created by the sunset, sneered, “Is the characteristic of a Sword Saint madness?”
‘Does he have a connection with my seniors?’
It was plausible. Hundreds of years would just be amusement for a daoist immortal. Moreover, the old man in front of him was old even for a daoist immortal. He might’ve endured eons like the Great Robber of the Red Night.
Kraugel didn’t think much of it and corrected the old man, “I’m different from my predecessors.”
Unlike Biban or Muller, he was more humble than anyone else. Since he was born in the same era as Grid, he had to cultivate humility as a basic skill.
Hwang Gildong stared at the proud Kraugel from the side and muttered, “Is it because he painted on powder that his skin is thick?”
***
“It is the traces of the Sword Immortal.”
There were two main reasons why Hanul established the Hwan Kingdom in the East Continent.
First, many people lived there. It was easy to receive worship. The more important thing was that there was an energy body that rivaled a dragon heart. It was an object called a yeouiju.
It wasn’t like a mere imoogi or the Blue Dragon. The gods had figured out that somewhere on the East Continent, there was a special yeouiju of unknown origin. It was powerful enough to completely restore Hanul, who was seriously injured by Rebecca and was endlessly weakening.
However, it wasn’t easy to find it because its whereabouts were unknown. Under various circumstances, the Hwan Kingdom suspected the Sword Immortal, who hadn’t appeared, had hidden it. They were just afraid there would be an adverse effect if they acted recklessly. Now they didn’t have to be so careful any longer. To be precise, they couldn’t afford it.
The Absolute, who caught a rare glimpse of the Sword Immortal, immediately stood up.
“Coincidentally, it is outside the Overgeared World. Of course… it is a good opportunity.”
The Absolute picked up the bow that was placed beside the throne. It was a sacred item that his only brother used until his brother fell into hell. It was an extremely powerful weapon that contained the entire large-scale myth of ‘The War of the Gods.’
It meant he wouldn’t allow any variables. In other words, he was determined to do everything possible.