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* Urgent Notice *
The imperial air forces have raided Bairan.
The alt.i.tude of their air force is higher than the information we had stated.
The anti-air surveillance and defense facilities throughout the Overgeared Kingdom are useless.
The imperial air forces have occupied Bairan.
The contents of the notice listed sequentially were short but contained the essence. The worst situation was clearly depicted to be currently happening in Bairan. There were currently approximately 1,000 Overgeared members. Most of the members scattered throughout the kingdom rushed to Bairan as soon as they confirmed the notice. They hoped to be of help.
However, the result didn’t change.
‘It was captured in only half a day?’
Originally belonging to Winston, Bairan had developed into a city larger than Winston and gained independence. Bairan had geographical advantages and was a special place for Grid and the early Overgeared members. This meant it received a lot of investments. Piaro had stayed there for a while to develop the agriculture, making it the most important supply base for the Overgeared Kingdom apart from Reidan. It inevitably meant there were many troops stationed at Bairan.
Although it could be cla.s.sified as the outskirts of the north, Lauel knew the importance of the supply base and had 8,000 troops stationed in Bairan as preparation for unforeseen situations. Additionally, he had deployed 25 mid-to-upper level Overgeared members led by Ibellin. Yet, Bairan had been occupied in only half a day.
‘The strength of the empire’s air force exceeded expectations.’
Of course, they knew that one of the strongest armies in the empire was the air force. It was a terrible sight to see 5,000 griffons and 300 wyverns. How powerful would it be when the scary monsters were used as a systematic army? Lauel had identified the air force as one of their greatest challenges and carefully reviewed the performance of Sky King Rigal, who had been promoted over the years.
He had concluded that only the elite members could go against the air force and proceeded to install anti-air facilities across the kingdom. For a long time, enormous capital was invested in anti-air surveillance and defense facilities. The levels of facilities such as watchtowers, anti-air cannons, magic watchtowers, magic turrets, and so on were all level 10. Nevertheless, this was the result. Their money was spent in vain.
‘Dammit, this is X.’
The maximum level of the facilities recognized by the administration system was 10. All facilities in the kingdom couldn’t exceed level 10 unless the kingdom was upgraded to an empire. That’s right. The anti-air facilities of the Overgeared Kingdom were the best possible, but they were useless against the imperial air force...? If Grid had known this, he wouldn’t have spent money in the first place.
‘Was I feeding the company money again?’
Wasn’t setting the imperial air force—the strongest air force on the continent—against players a scam? Grid cursed the S.A Group before soon rebuking himself.
‘No, it is my fault in the end. Lauel emphasized the dangers of the air force. This wouldn’t have happened if I made my own cannons.’
Grid did not know how to make magic turrets, but he could produce anti-air cannons. The power of the cannons produced by Grid was naturally stronger than ordinary ones. Yet Grid had turned away under the pretext of being busy. He should’ve expected that the empire’s air force was called the strongest on the continent because they contained a power that overwhelmed existing air defense systems, but he hadn’t felt that way. Instead, he had believed it was more efficient to strengthen the guild members’ items than to construct facilities. His way of thinking was too narrow.
“There is an urgent matter, so I have to leave. I am grateful to you. I wish you all the best until the next time we meet.”
-I am already dead. Bring Marie Rose or don’t come back.
Grid respectfully said goodbye to Chreshler and used the return scroll. However, the scroll didn’t work because of Marie Rose’s evil influence. In the end, he left the cave and moved to a place that wasn’t affected by Marie Rose’s evil influence. He was in a hurry. Then a person suddenly popped up in his mind. ‘Jude!’
Grid’s first knight—he wasn’t a named NPC, which meant he had few unique stories. Born in Winston, Jude had strong bones but his intelligence was low. Jude’s setting was summarized with this simple line. Therefore, Grid wasn’t deeply involved in Jude’s life unlike how he was with Piaro, Asmophel, and Mercedes. Jude’s intelligence was too low, and a normal conversation couldn’t be shared.
However, they shared a lot of time and memories. There had few conversations with each other, but they had a deep spiritual connection and knew each other well enough to read their hearts with their eyes. Jude’s power and potential were low compared to the other knights’, but Grid treasured and trusted him. It was proof of Grid’s trust that he left the security of an important city like Bairan to Jude. That faith had become poison.
“Knights Summoning!”
Jude was in danger. Maybe he was dying right now. Grid was on the verge of losing his reason at the thought. The days he had spent with Jude pa.s.sed through his mind like a kaleidoscope.
[Please select an article to summon.]
“Jude!” Grid’s big shout rang out through the forest. Grid desperately wanted Jude to appear before him. However, it was impossible. Jude didn’t respond to his summons.
“Jude?”
Grid became more and more irritated as he quickly escaped from the scope of the evil influence. Immediately after using the return scroll, he went to see Sticks.
***
The statue of Khan rolled across the ground as dozens of fragments, and Rigal stepped on them one by one. Rigal’s ruthless violence crushed Khan’s hammer, arms, feet, and legs in front of the people.
“Don’t! No!” Jude’s shaking became worse. Every time Rigal erased part of Khan’s image, Jude struggled, and more blood poured from his body tied by chains.
“I can’t do this? No, I can do it. This is already the empire’s territory. I have an obligation to cleanse this city prior to offering it to His Majesty the Emperor, and you—the loser—have no right to exercise your will.”
Rigal’s air force served as the vanguard of the empire. Just like in most battles, he captured the enemy and destroyed their will before the main force came forward. Rigal was a veteran. He knew how to break down the spirit of the enemies and adapt to change. The very first step was the destruction of a symbol. Mechanically, Rigal trampled on the shoulders of the statue as he turned his eyes toward the granary on the ridge far away.
Rigal’s next target was the life, sweat, treasure, and hope of the Bairan people.
‘It is a shame, but burning it is better.’
During the war, it was ideal to take food from enemy camps to replenish their own supplies. However, Rigal’s air force was few in number and had to carry prisoners. They couldn’t afford to transport food as well. There was no guarantee that they could definitely defend this place until the empire’s main force arrived. He couldn’t overlook the fact that this city was in the middle of the Overgeared Kingdom.
Therefore, Rigal chose destruction. The tied-up knight was shaking more fiercely as he tried to break the chains binding his hands and feet. Rigal looked at the scene. Then he raised his foot over the last remaining piece of the statue. It was the head—the head of the statue that represented a person called Khan.
“In the near future, your king’s head will be at my feet like this. Discard your foolish expectations and surrender to the empire. The people who surrender right now won’t be enslaved and will be accepted as a person of the empire, receiving proper treatment from the soldiers. Don’t miss the chance to enjoy the mercy and protection of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Rigal increased the strength of his foot. Khan’s face cracked slightly.
“No...!”
“No!”
Blood burst in Jude’s eyes as he tried to break the chains. Since the time he was a soldier of Winston, Jude couldn’t have dreamed of a better life than what he received after King Grid stretched out his hand to him. King Grid didn’t care about Jude’s stupidity and gave him many things. Grid was his benefactor. Rather than paying him back, Jude had to watch Grid’s family be insulted?
“I don’t like iiiiit!” Jude roared while shedding tears of blood. His intelligence was low, so his thoughts were simple. It was because his thoughts were simple that his will was more clearly p.r.o.nounced. He had to destroy the enemy in front of him. In order to do that, he needed to break free of these restraints.
The ultimate will was simple and clear, and it dominated Jude’s mind and body. Ignoring the pressure of the hard shackles, Jude’s wrist moved and finally broke in a strange direction. The eight bones sustaining his wrist and the bones of the hands were crushed without overcoming the pressure of the chains. Jude’s completely squashed left hand drooped and slipped through a small gap in the chains.
“What are you going to do with a hand that can’t even hold a fork?” Rigal asked as he was surprised by Jude’s ignorant behavior.
“Kuoong...” Jude slipped his left hand through a gap in the chains and gripped. He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to rip off the chains.
“What?”
Most of the bones and nerves were damaged yet he still had strength in his hands? Wasn’t it almost magical?
“Hat...! Kuhahahat! A great guy!” Rigal burst out laughing. He coveted Jude even more. Rigal was convinced there were few people as strong in the empire.
Jude finally stood up and shouted at Rigal, “The feet. Remove it.”
“Are you going to join me?” Rigal asked.
Jude shook his head. “Don’t want. You. Bad.”
“Then it can’t be helped.” Rigal increased the strength of his feet. The statue’s face was crushed.
Jude let out a sound that was close to a scream, then he rushed toward Rigal. Blood flowed all over his body, his hand hung down, and his hair was matted. He seemed no different from a giant running over.
“Crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”
Rigal’s soldiers were instantly shaken. They didn’t think of stopping Jude and hid themselves behind s.h.i.+elds.
“Jude! Run away!” The Overgeared members shouted. However, Jude ignored them and ran straight forward. He just moved with his own ideals. His will couldn’t be changed.
[The king you made the pledge of loyalty to has called you.]
[The miracle of the pledge is manifested as s.p.a.ce movement.]
“Ohhhhhh!”
It had happened previously when he was taking a bath. Jude had responded to the king’s call while naked. At that time, the king had told him to check his condition before responding to the summons. Thus, Jude didn’t respond immediately to Grid’s call this time. In fact, he wasn’t thinking of anything. He just thought that he should destroy Rigal.
Jude’s big fist struck Rigal’s face. No, it seemed to hit. Beyond the shockwave caused by the collision, Jude’s fist was caught in Rigal’s hand. It was almost impossible for the level 390 Jude to punch Rigal, who was already level 439 when Grid saw him a year and a half ago. Of course, this was for a normal situation.
“This time I’ll have to lock you up.” Rigal stated while holding Jude’s fist.
“...?!” Then Rigal suffered from an unexpected blow. Jude"s left hand—its bones were shattered yet the hand still flew at Rigal’s mouth. It was a completely unexpected attack, and Rigal was forced to allow it. Of course, the damage was zero.
“Indeed... It isn’t easy to tame a beast. A strict education is needed.”
Rigal had treated Jude well, but his expression became ugly for the first time. A duke of the Saharan Empire—it was hard for him to maintain compa.s.sion when he,a representative of the emperor and one of the top powers in the empire, was a.s.saulted. This was the moment when he pulled out his whip.
Jude was a man who had tasted despair a thousand times but didn’t feel frustrated because he had no thoughts. Now, he wasn’t frustrated because he had a single thought in his heart.
“...?”
An unknown message seeped into Grid’s ears as he was at Reinhardt.
[The skill of your knight Jude ‘I have no Idea (SS-) has evolved to ‘Frustration Raises a Man (SS)!]
[Your knight Jude has been enhanced by the skill effect of Frustration Raises a Man (SS)!]
There was a series of alerts.
“W-What?” Grid was confused.
In Bairan, Jude was swinging his left hand again. Jude’s ragged left hand was restored and the power and speed were incomparable to before. Rigal wasn’t able to grab Jude’s left hand using his hand and had to wield his whip.
‘What?’
Rigal, his soldiers, the Overgeared members, the residents, and the staff of the international broadcasters filming the scene were stunned. Only Jude swung his fists without thinking.
1. Jude.
2. Grid’s first knight.
3. Instant recovery ability.
4. NPC worldly wisdom method.
5. NPC’s sudden strength.
6. How to obtain a NPC subordinate.
7. Where is Grid?
The popular search queries for portal sites in different countries started to change.