Kars had been heavily damaged by the invasion of the yangbans but the restoration was completed in just a few days. This was due to the Cho Kingdom’s excellent technology, the protection of the red phoenix, and the active help of the players.
That’s right—the players didn’t leave Kars. They stood by the people of Kars during their most difficult time. It was the same for Hera, the doctor. Despite already making the medicine she needed, she remained in Kars and did her best to treat the wounded. She comforted those who had lost their families. In the minds of the players, hostility toward the Hwan Kingdom was established.
“Never! You must never spread this and have to absolutely keep it a secret! Understood?" Before leaving Kars, Hera emphasized to the players again and again.
At this point, some wondered if she was a parrot. The players looked tired as they patted Hera’s back.
“I understand. Now that you know, go quickly.”
Over the past few days, Hera and the players had formed a close bond. They had joined forces to resist the yangbans and to help the people of Kars with one heart. They had stayed in Kars because they had the similar tendency of being unable to turn away from those who were struggling. Thus, it was natural to get close.
“Are you sure?!”
“Sigh, look. I don’t like Grid but I don’t have the guts to turn him into an enemy. Don’t worry, we will never talk about what Grid is doing on the East Continent.”
Grid was so strong that he couldn’t be compared to the time of the Berith raid and he was also accompanied by the legendary great magician Braham. The players in Kars unintentionally learned a lot of information but they didn’t want to talk about it. It was natural to be careful because their position was high. The people here were mostly rankers. There were many people with things to lose.
“Good. Then I’ll see you next time. If you experience anything hard then please contact me.”
Hera finally left Kars. Once she learned that the man who helped her—Kentrick—was Grid, she wanted to help Grid in this way.
‘I didn’t know he was so righteous.’
The general public thought that the supreme one was a lofty being. Before discussing good and evil, he was like a figure in a different world. She had thought the supreme one wouldn’t be interested in the ordinary lives of ordinary people.
However, the appearance of the supreme person she actually met was completely different from her imagination. He was the first to reach out to the weak who even ordinary people ignored and embraced them while also not condemning those who ignored the weak. He was fighting for someone as best as he could, without revealing who he was, even in the face of few witnesses.
‘How can he do that…’
She heard that he had lived an unhappy life. A psychologist she saw on TV analyzed that Grid would have a deep inferiority and desire for compensation. He was considered to be a person who couldn’t empathize with others and only lived for himself. That person was a quack. The reality of Grid was completely different. Such a person was really rare in the world and was worthy of great respect.
‘May your path be full of blessings.’ Hera’s short prayer was just the beginning. In the future, more people would pray to Grid.
***
Grid had been faithful to every moment. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he always did his best. The same was true in the days when he wasn’t yet successful. He just failed because he lacked talent and didn’t even have luck. However, now he had found his talent. He had a little bit of bad luck but it was enough to be ignored.
‘I couldn’t try it back then.’
Grid created a new portable furnace and recalled the competition with Hexetia. Despite the fact that his reliance on the God Hands was absolute at that time, Grid had sacrificed the God Hands. He gave up on the experience accumulated by the God Hands and melted it to make the materials of a sword. He judged that this was the only chance of winning.
Grid was the best at that time. Yes, it was the best. He saw that there was nothing more. He had ruled out joining two breaths together. He judged that it was impossible. At that time, it had been technically impossible to fuse two breaths together.
‘I thought it wouldn’t be possible due to the system.’
The breaths of the Four Gods were the highest rated crafting materials. Items made with a single breath gave birth to a myth rating. Combining two breaths to make an item? It would make an item outside the range of common sense. Grid had been convinced that the S.A Group who liked balance wouldn’t just watch.
Now things were different. Grid’s technique had evolved and the strength of his enemies was beyond common sense. Creating an item with two breaths seemed theoretically and systemically possible. Of course, it was just a possibility.
“Sigh.”
Grid’s expression was tense as he took a deep breath. He firmly prepared himself in front of the portable furnaces, one to the left and one to the right.
‘It will be a different level of difficulty similar to double casting.’
He had Belial’s Staff that allowed triple casting. There was a time when Braham used it while possessing Grid. However, Grid didn’t use it. Grid didn’t have the talent to take advantage of Belial’s Staff. Grid couldn’t properly use the double casting, let alone the triple casting. In order to double cast, he had to chant one spell in his head while speaking the other one. It was difficult with Grid’s brains.
It wouldn’t be easy to smelt two minerals at the same time. In order to adjust the temperatures of the two furnaces differently, it was necessary to move the bellows with his feet in a different manner. In order to melt the breaths in two furnaces at the same time, the movements of both hands couldn’t be the same. Since each breath had a different tempering method, the movement required was different. In other words, he had to move his limbs separately. Every action had to be grounded.
‘There is a bigger problem.’
The task of taking the two breaths out of the furnace and tempering them into one. This task should be completed in 30 seconds. It was because even for minerals melted at high temperatures, the surface would quickly harden as long as it was exposed to room temperature for more than 20 seconds. It was necessary to fuse them into one perfect shape before the two breaths were fully hardened.
‘If it fails then I’ll have to throw away one of my breaths.’
In order to separate the combined breaths, it would have to be dissolved again. In the process, one breath would be damaged and lose its value.
‘No, don’t think about failure.’
Grid shook off the negative thoughts. He reminded himself that he had one advantage over Hexetia. It was the presence of the God Hands. Not only did the God Hands inherit some of Grid’s stats, they had some blacksmithing ability.
‘I can use the God Hands’ assistance in the tempering process.’
They could also help in the task of regulating the temperature of the furnaces. Increasing the temperature to a certain level was only possible by Grid but maintaining the temperature for a while was enough for the God Hands.
‘If the hands press the pedals instead, I can rest my legs in the middle. Then focus on the movements of both hands and extract the melted minerals at the same time…’
He was forced to focus on his subsequent work. Could he fuse two minerals into a complete one in 30 seconds…? Grid’s calculations were breathtaking. Based on the dexterity and skills that were enhanced when Blacksmith’s Skill Comparable to a God was activated, it was possible to complete it in 29~36 seconds.
‘If I had six more seconds then I would be able to do it perfectly.’
A little bit more. He could focus on himself a bit more and do better. In the end, everything depended on himself.
Grid threw firewood into the small stove of the portable furnace and it caught on fire. Since the firewood was the white phosphorus wood, there was an explosion and the surface of the furnace quickly turned red. Grid planned to fuse the White Tiger’s Breath and Blue Dragon’s Breath into one. Although there was the synergy of the white tiger’s defense and the red phoenix’s recovery, he wanted to finish the set item effect.
‘I already have the Blue Dragon’s Boots so if this item gains the set effect, I can aim for the blue dragon and white tiger sets at the same time.’
Grid decided and took out the two breaths, about to put them in different furnaces.
“Wait!” An unexpected voice stopped him.
“That isn’t good.”
It was Tosun.
"What?" Grid was confused. It didn’t make sense for Tosun to react like this when she was the one who suggested he fuse two breaths together.
Tosun told Grid to stop acting and Grid asked for an explanation. “The Four Gods are the guardian gods of humanity, born from the aspirations of humanity.”
“So? Why do we have to talk about something we already know?”
“The Four Gods are basically only kind to humans.”
“…?”
“They reveal their full personalities to non-human beings and the characters of the white tiger and blue dragon aren’t normal. They both have a strong heart. As long as they meet, a fight will happen.”
“……”
“The two gods have personalities that can’t be integrated. The same is true for the breaths of the two gods.”
“…Did the white tiger win the last time they fought?”
“How do you know…? This is a fact that only the Twelve Zodiacs who serve God White Tiger and God Blue Dragon know.”
“That isn’t important…”
Grid had an uncomfortable look on his face.
“Based on this, is the Black Tortoise’s Breath okay? I think the black tortoise’s personality is the most ferocious.”
The only god associated with death and extinction, it had a habit of denying artificial substances so blacksmiths and created goods were considered bad. Grid was forced to feel negatively toward the black tortoise. He thought the Black Tortoise’s Breath wouldn’t be in harmony with the breath of the other gods.
However, Tosun’s answer was surprising. “The personality of the black tortoise is the most gentle.”
“…Ah, I see.”
It wasn’t very credible but it was useless to discuss it anymore. How could he aimed to combine it with other breaths when at the moment, he couldn’t even properly manage the Black Tortoise’s Breath.
‘Then I will try the combination of the red phoenix and the white tiger.’
It was unfortunate that he couldn’t aim for the blue dragon set effect but in fact, the combination of the red phoenix and white tiger was better. Grid fully controlled the temperature of the two furnaces and put in the White Tiger’s Breath and Red Phoenix’s Breath.
Grid’s two legs were busily working the two furnaces. Grid didn’t rest and the breaths in the furnace started to melt.
“God Hands!” Before moving his own hand, Grid asked for help. He left one furnace to the God Hands and focused on the movements of his arms. At the end of the task, the breaths that had melted to liquid appeared in the world. The two breaths were placed on the anvil and at the same time, Grid swung his hammer.
‘Please…!’
Grid was desperate. He wanted better items. A stronger power!
