Overgeared

The ground started to rot and the size of the bird monsters swelled enormously. They became bigger than humans and every time they moved their beaks, the knights’ shields were pierced.

“The number of them is small! Stay calm and fight!”

The knights were busy encouraging the soldiers. They bravely fought against the birds to increase the morale of the soldiers, but it was counterproductive. Then the knights’ shields and armor were pierced with a sharp beak. The flesh of the knights hidden behind the armor was torn off and swallowed. The knights staggered with pain at being eaten. Then the birds’ large feet crushed their chests and they stopped breathing.

“H-Hik!”

The bloody eyeballs of the bird monsters who slaughtered the knights easily demoralized the soldiers. Unlike Drasion, who had floated in the distant sky, the bird monsters who were at a close distance gave a much more realistic fear to the soldiers.

A bird monster chewing on the muscles of a knight quickly turned his attention to the soldiers. Large and small pus swelled on the pointed tongue located inside the bird’s beak. It was really disgusting in many ways. The soldiers lost their will and were starting to collapse one by one when a glimmer of hope appeared.

“Uraaaaaaah!”

It was the appearance of Vantner, the bald warrior who dazzled the eyes of the bird monsters with his shiny head.

“You bastards! Why are you avoiding looking at me?!”

The bird monsters born from darkness were inherently weak to light. Perhaps it was because it was soaked in sweat, but they were unable to stare straight at Vantner’s bald head that was particularly shiny. They avoided looking at him. It was similar to them not being able to look at the priests’ divine light.

The necks of the bird monsters hit by his shield rotated 360 degrees. Then Vantner used his axe to cut at the necks that were twisted like pretzels.

“You bastards! Why are you avoiding looking at me?!” Vantner felt like he lost even though he won.

Similar situations were playing out on the battlefield. Every time the knights and soldiers were threatened, the Overgeared members appeared and killed the grotesque bird monsters enlarged by the earth stained with demonic energy. The bird monsters were created from Drasion’s feathers. No matter how strong, they had inherent limitations and couldn’t be the opponents of the Overgeared members. The low morale of the soldiers started to recover rapidly thanks to the activities of the Overgeared members.

"It’s okay. Everything will be fine. Don’t be afraid.” The role of Saintess Ruby was very large. Her healing ability to heal injuries serious enough to cause death was a miracle to the soldiers. Some people prayed, believing her to be the goddess of light who had come. Some even believed she was a far more precious being than the goddess of light who only watched.

Was it instinct or Drasion’s will? The eyes of the bird monsters scattered all over the battlefield focused on Ruby. A murderous air worse than the small rising from the rotten ground spread across the battlefield. The bird monsters showing a clear killing intent ignored all the other humans and rushed to Ruby.

The number of bird monsters left on the battlefield was around 100. It was a number that seemed small when it was separated. However, once they gathered together to run to one place, the number never seemed small.

“Hide behind me.”

The Saintess’ Knight—a celebrity who occupied the top ranking of ‘person eagerly waiting for the release of the ID change ticket,’ Sexy Schoolgirl, was protecting Ruby. She flinched when she saw 100 large bull-sized bird monsters rushing over while hurting the soldiers, but she stood firm and raised her shield.

Sexy Schoolgirl blocked the beak of a bird monster by using Guardian of Hope, an upgraded version of Shield of Divine Light. Then she swung the mace in her other hand upwards. The bird monster was hit in the beak and its head flew back and exploded.

Ruby’s skill Holy Strike was added to Sexy Schoolgirl, who received a stats bonus whenever she fought with the Saintess against evil opponents. This had a fatal effect against the bird monsters. However, the number of bird monsters was close to 100. Sexy Schoolgirl might’ve raised her level to the point of being considered a ranker, but she didn’t have the skills to deal with multiple bird monsters at the same time. Therefore, she depended on others.

“Are you ready?” Who was the question directed at? The bird monsters who were right in front of Sexy Schoolgirl didn’t understand. In the first place, they didn’t have the intelligence to question it. There was a presence who answered Sexy Schoolgirl’s question.

“Giga Lightning.”

Braham used it like it was low-grade magic, but the high-grade magic that was actually hard to see struck the bird monsters. It was different from Braham’s Giga Lightning. Unlike Braham’s Giga Lightning that summoned an incandescent current, the Giga Lightning that hit the birds shone with a full color.

It was a noble color that was gorgeous, but not frivolous. It was a beautiful magic power that resembled the character of the person who created it. Giga Lightning’s electric current spread like an infectious disease and paralyzed the bird monsters. Blood flowed from the feathers of the bird monsters and the ugly monsters looked even stranger.

Sexy Schoolgirl smacked the beak of a convulsing monster with her shield and gave a thumbs up to the sky. “Nice assist!”

“Hah... Hah... I will rest a little bit.”

It was Euphemina. As Mumud’s Successor, her potential for development was endless. It was the internal evaluation of the Overgeared members that she wouldn’t only be a legend. She might glimpse the myth rating. However, it was shortly after she changed classes and her stats were lacking. All the values were relatively inferior compared to her potential. It was hard for her to use Giga Lightning just once.

If it was just Sexy Schoolgirl and Euphemina here, then they wouldn’t be able to deal with the large number of bird monsters. However, this was a battlefield. They were with many colleagues, people who had been gathered by Grid. The number had long exceeded the hundreds.

“Shadow Blade.”

Dozens of blades rose from the shadows at the feet of the bird monsters trying to escape the paralysis. The movements of the blades were fast and elaborate like someone was dancing and wielding it. They easily knocked down the bird monsters. It was the collaboration between King of Shadows Kasim and Lantier Faker.

The bird monsters screamed. Blood and intestines spilled from their split stomachs and polluted the land with a foul smell.

“Blood Lane.”

The blood that was soaking the ground floated into the air. Soon, it poured down like rain and slaughtered the bird monsters who were still breathing. It was the performance of Blood Warrior Katz who showed the strongest fighting power on the battlefield.

The screams of the birds subsided. Soon, they turned to gray ash and completely disappeared from the world. Only the dark blood soaking the ground proved they existed.

“Level up!” Sexy Schoolgirl shouted with joy. It wasn’t just her. Ruby, who was in her party; Euphemina, who was in the sky; Faker, who was in the shadows; and Katz, who was standing in the middle of the battlefield, were all surrounded by the pillar of light that symbolized a level up.

As always, they grew in battle. Nevertheless, their growth was still lacking. They didn’t immediately detect the abnormalities in the ground that vibrated as if responding to the anger and hatred in the blood of the bird monsters. The price was great.

A huge hand pierced through the ground and grabbed at Sexy Schoolgirl’s foot, tearing at it. A powerful curse was imprinted in her body through the wound and spread through her body in no time. Katz, who was standing confidently on the battlefield, also had his body gripped by a huge hand and crushed. Katz was critically injured and fell unconscious after losing a lot of health. His body crumpled like a sheet of paper and the curse spread through it.

“Shield...!”

In the sky, Euphemina saw Sexy Schoolgirl and Katz falling sequentially due to the hands and used defense magic, but it was one step too late. Her shield was torn apart by dirty nails before it could be completed and her chest was pierced.

“Ugh...”

[You were critically injured by great demon ‘Drasion.’ A powerful curse has started to dominate your body. For one minute, you will become Drasion’s puppet.]

[Resistance has failed.]

“Wh...at...”

There was a backlash of Euphemina’s mana. Meditating to calm down the storm from using Giga Lightning became useless.

[You are paying the price for using magic that your intelligence can’t understand or implement.]

[The power of the magic and casting time is reduced by 200%. When using magic, health and stamina are consumed as well as mana.]

[This is a warning to stop using magic.]

[This is a warning to stop...] action

“Ugh...!”

Giga Lightning was used in exchange for potential. As a result, the fluctuating magic power eventually ran wild at the usage of new magic.

“Fire... Cough! Storm!”

Unwanted magic was activated. Blood poured from Euphemina’s mouth and nose as she lost control of her flesh and used magic according to Drasion’s wish. Then a violent storm of flames engulfed the soldiers of the empire and the Overgeared Kingdom.

[You have suffered catastrophic damage!]

[A legend doesn’t die easily.]

Euphemina entered the immortal state in exchange for her use of this magic, but surviving was the worst development. Drasion’s curse was still working. “Blizzard!”

A blizzard accompanied by extreme cold swept over the battlefield. Euphemina was shocked that she killed so many allies with her own hands and felt like she was in hell. It was the same for Sexy Schoolgirl and Katz. They were also slaughtering their allies as puppets of Drasion.

The earth had been transformed into hell. The great evil that guided humanity to despair had finally been revealed. The notoriety of Drasion, the great demon of curses, wasn’t false.

“N-No...!” Ruby’s face was white as she desperately tried to use cures and heals on everyone in sight. It was the same for the members of the Rebecca Church.

Drasion whispered as if he was laughing at their struggle to save even more people, “Doom.”

The end was upon them.