Grid loathed the yangbans. He saw them as huge pests dressed in the mask of a human. Garam was largely to blame. No, almost every yangban let Grid down.
Those who were united with their sense of elitism didn’t hide their ugly nature. They tried to harm the eastern gods that existed due to the wishes of humanity and fill the vacancy. They dreamed of becoming a god without knowing the concept of kindness and benevolence. They treated humans as sacrifices while trying to become the god of humans. They were dangerous, insidious, ignorant, and contradictory existences. In short, they were worse than beasts.
The good part was that they didn’t kill easily compared to demons. It was just one thing, but even that couldn’t be considered as goodwill. Humans were needed in order to become a god. This was why he failed to purely accept Mir’s near ‘favor’ attitude as he encouraged and respected Grid and Kraugel who consistently challenged him.
“Mir…”
A man who appeared at an unexpected moment and stood by his side. The pinnacle of the yangbans he hated so much. Some scenes flashed through Grid’s memory when looking at him.
First of all, he remembered their first meeting. Mir had greeted Grid with the utmost courtesy. He seemed to be fine at the possibility of being robbed of the Blue Dragon Dao, which he had guarded for a long time. Of course, he wasn’t willing to give it obediently. Rather, he discussed Grid’s qualifications.
At the same time, he talked about a god. A god wasn’t omnipotent. He evaluated that the responsibility on Grid’s shoulders was too much.
Grid just found it unpleasant at the time. He thought that the insidious yangban was just talking smoothly on the surface. He regarded it as a trick to break down his resolution. Looking back on it now, there was a certain type of remorse in Mir’s eyes. There was no falsehood in his wounds, his admiration of Grid and Kraugel, and his secret delight. His attitude was the same when the two of them challenged him again. He stimulated and encouraged them rather than being vigilant. It was closer to a spar.
“……”
Grid carefully looked at Mir. The sword scars on his face and body. Most of them were made by Grid and Kraugel. He left them as a medal, even though he could immediately get rid of them with the power of the red phoenix.
“You…” Grid organized his thoughts in an instant and asked in a straightforward manner, “Do you like me?”
Mir didn’t deny it. He opened his mouth while recalling what he previously said to Yeum, “I sympathize with the blue dragon god you are trying to save, but I don’t like it.”
Kaya’s perpetual snow was created by the blue dragon’s resentment. The snow hurt many people and animals. The people of Kaya lived in the desert and originally didn’t know the cold. They weren’t prepared for the cold and didn’t know how to prepare. It was difficult to adapt to the cold and snow that suddenly occurred and many people froze to death or abandoned their hometown. The situation of the animals was even more serious.
Did the blue dragon really not know that its resentment would hurt those it protected? It wasn’t possible.
“For me, a god is like a child. It is because they are strong, narrow-minded, and tend to believe that they are omnipotent…”
A bitter smile spread on Mir’s face as he looked up at Raphael in the sky. He remembered when he was cut by Grid’s Falling Moon Sword. His survival instinct had been aroused and he cut everything in the area.
“An angel isn’t that much different. You have experienced it firsthand, so you will know best.”
“I am the same. If you are holding onto a meaningless fantasy, then forget it.”
“It is important that you are aware of this fact.”
“……”
“You started from a human life and can admit that you aren’t perfect. To you, it isn’t shameful, but is natural. I have no doubt that you will be reborn as an alarm for the other gods. You will probably change many things in the future.”
“……”
“In the first place, you are my hope. It is because you are the one who proves that I can also be a god.” Mir confessed honestly, “My goal is to be the martial god. It is to bring rest to Chiyou, gain strength, and guide the gods properly. I know this is a ridiculous dream. It is too much of a dream for me, who was born as a substitute for an angel. I’ve been trying all my life, but I still have no confidence. That’s why I’m cheering for you even more. If you change the other gods… my dreams will also change.”
The fragments of collapsed light spread. This meant Mir’s expression as he confessed couldn’t be seen properly. His small voice was covered up by the storm created from the series of explosions.
However, Grid, who was standing next to him, clearly saw and heard it. Mir felt ashamed and afraid. His eyes were lowered and his voice trembled. He knew that his qualifications were far from enough to discuss this dream. It took considerable courage for him to confess to Grid. It was evidence that Mir wasn’t telling lies. He was just treating Grid sincerely with the truth.
“Is that why you came to help me? Have you always been watching me?”
“I don’t have the ability or right to watch you. I just learned this today, but I have the ability to read Raphael’s signs. It feels like I’m tangled up in a thread of destiny. I learned about your situation thanks to that.”
“…Why do you want to properly guide the gods?”
Grid wanted to trust Mir. That was why he asked this question.
“I just hope that the short time of mortals will be more valuable.”
Mir recalled the day when he scattered millet for the small birds. At the capital of Kaya, covered by perpetual snow by the blue dragon—the existence who cared for the small number of people and animals that were unable to leave was none other than Mir. He always felt pity toward the small beings sacrificed due to the quarrels of the gods.
However, he couldn’t confess it because there was no one who empathized with him. Thus, he took care of them alone.
“……”
Grid’s brow slightly furrowed. It was because he recalled his past. The ones who bothered him back then weren’t the gods who didn’t even know he existed. They were humans like himself.
“The reason why people and animals suffer is… it isn’t just because of the gods.”
Your wish can’t be achieved.
Mir smiled at Grid, who implied these words. Perhaps he felt the kindness he had been hoping for all his life.
“I know. That’s why, even more—”
It was a few seconds after Mir appeared, but Grid and Mir were having an in-depth and sympathetic conversation.
“I hope the gods can be an existence to truly rely on.”
This was enough for the conversation. Conditions didn’t allow them to talk any longer.
Raphael’s spear in the sky was changing shape. It was swift and instantaneous. It turned into a pure white bow that resembled the wings of an angel. There was the illusion that it had been like this from the beginning. Then a series of explosions broke out. Thousands of arrows of light shot indiscriminately at the ground.
People responded while feeling astonished. They protected each other using skills and magic and prepared to intercept. All of them were amazing. The sight of the immediate synergy done with their own individual judgment proved that the players’ skills and cooperation had greatly developed.
However, the opponent was too strong. Raphael’s destructive power wasn’t at a level that ordinary players could deal with. If this continued, most of them would die.
Grid’s action was faster than his judgment. He was already using Request to Stand With Me. He delivered his will to his creations scattered throughout the world. It was the power of the Overgeared God that was developed using Pangea’s Duke of Virtue as the foundation. Thousands of battle gear poured down and intercepted many of Raphael’s arrows. It wasn’t all of them. Grid trusted his colleagues.
Half of the battle gear poured toward Raphael. Raphael’s presence was lighter compared to the beginning and he was in an overall weakened state. It wasn’t a bad target to aim for. It happened at the time that the halo of light was aiming at the battle gear…
“We might be enemies when we meet again in the future. Putting aside my support for you in my heart, the authority to move me is usually with the god I serve.” Mir’s voice was heard. “However, today I am on your side.”
It was a clear voice. It was heard from right next to Grid, but Mir was already approaching Raphael. Mir didn’t have just one or two strengths. His movements embodied the power of the four gods and he displayed pure speed close to Shunpo in every moment, releasing a wildfire-like heat and poison. He was also as hard as the earth. He was obviously at a higher level than Kyle.
“It is unpleasant. Is this how Chiyou feels when meeting Zeratul?”
Raphael’s bow turned into a sword and shield. It was to focus on the exchange of blows with the approaching Mir, but they ended up cut several times. Mir’s ability to get past the sword and dig into the shield was that great. It was amazing that he forced Raphael’s movements by using actions that seemed to aim at the cherubs.
Mir had always been eager to fill in the gap between his ideals and qualifications, and he was much more powerful and practical than Grid knew. Raphael couldn’t bear it as they were on the verge of being forced to ascend back to heaven.
Grid rushed forward while reflecting on Mir’s background.
A being created by the expelled gods in order to reclaim Asgard—his innate talent meant he broke through Chiyou’s Test in the shortest time. This record wasn’t broken until Grid challenged it in the—at that point in time—very distant future. Since then, he steadily trained and established himself as the skilled person who completely overwhelmed the other yangbans such as Garam. He embodied the power of the four gods and guarded the land in the east for a long time. He was challenged by many strong people such as Sword Saint Muller. Since he had the goal of giving rest to Chiyou, it was highly likely that he was even acknowledged by Chiyou.
‘Sure enough, my guess isn’t wrong.’
Mir was equivalent to Baal and Raphael. It was just that the years he had lived were extremely short compared to the two beings who lived since the beginning. There was a high probability that his status or abilities were inferior to them. However, his potential wasn’t inferior. In the first place, wasn’t he created by Hanul, a god of the beginning, in order to fight against Raphael?
One of the pillars of the worldview was now on Grid’s side out of his own volition.
Grid was deeply moved.
Being recognized by others—he had thankfully been through it several times, but he was equally happy every time. Besides, he received a big harvest. He learned the identity of the angels. They were existences based on human beings selected from the worlds that had existed so far. Grid felt the fog in his head clearing just knowing their identity. The world became clearer.
Meanwhile, the blue dragon was swirling. It created hundreds of bolts of lightning and struck Raphael from all directions. After hundreds of exchanges, Raphael eventually gave up on protecting the cherubs. Raphael abandoned those who were electrocuted and focused on Mir. The weapon that was changed back to a spear soared toward Mir’s forehead. It was their final blow just before losing the Trinity.
However, Mir saw through it and acted to avoid the spear. He clearly saw that spear blade that was like a half moon heading toward his left eye.
Mir was about to step back and avoid it when he saw Grid appearing behind Raphael. He gave up an eye in exchange for stabbing the Blue Dragon Dao into Raphael’s chest and sticking closely to Raphael. Thanks to him, Grid was able to cut off Raphael’s head.
“That is the hydra’s poison. Based on what I understand, yangbans only have one body, unlike us.”
It was Raphael who talked even after his head was cut off. Of course, the miracle of Saintess Ruby, who extinguished the souls of angels and demons, wasn’t triggered. Raphael was alive. He wouldn’t die just because his head was cut off. Then a light poured from the sky to pick up Raphael.
[The 1st ranked archangel, Raphael, has been repelled.]
Rewards poured in like a tide, but Grid didn’t have time to confirm them. He was busy holding onto Mir, who fell due to the poison spreading from the wound on his left eye.
“We might be enemies when we meet again in the future.”
These were the words Mir had said. The reality that would surely come one day caused a conflict that he had never experienced before. Grid’s face was distorted as he alternated looking between Mir in his arms and Ruby on the ground.
