Overgeared

The Overgeared Empire’s resentment against Zeratul ran deep. It wasn’t due to the incident where he descended with the eight gods to challenge Grid. It was before that. The Empire hated the incident where he invaded Reinhardt, inflicted humiliation on Grid and the apostles, and threatened the life of Prince Lord.

“Ignorant people.”

Zeratul, who was sitting silently under the fierce glares of the apostles and Overgeared members, finally opened his mouth.

“Think back to my relationship with Grid. Several incidents caused by Grid over the past few years have caused me embarrassment. The fact that I held a grudge against him and retaliated against him in the past was a very natural providence and it isn't worthy of criticism.”

Zeratul's expression was very confident and arrogant.

“Even if I am a sinner from your narrow-minded point of view, it is a thing of the past. My sins have already been forgiven. For whatever the reason, I helped Grid escape from the Prison of Eternity and fought Chiyou today.”

“......”

“In the end, I helped Grid. Unlike you incompetent guys who couldn’t do anything against an Absolute and were just sucking your fingers, I was the only one Grid could rely on.”

The longer Zeratul talked, the more the momentum of the Overgeared members eased. They were unable to show any further hostility toward Zeratul and slowly averted his gaze.

However, Haster was the exception. He had fought directly on the battlefield and was imposing. Jishuka, Yura, Kraugel, Katz, and Euphemina were also completely unfazed.

“Do you usually forgive yourself for the sins you have committed?”

“I could’ve shot an arrow at any time? I just sucked my fingers and watched because it was Grid’s order, not because I was afraid of Chiyou.”

Katz scolded him and Jishuka explained her position.

“Mere human beings like you are speaking such nonsense...”

Zeratul snorted and shifted his gaze to Jishuka. Then he paused halfway through. A human woman with blazing red hair and eyes—the energy she had was unusual. “...I’ve never seen a human being who has ‘inherited’ divinity. Indeed, I see that there is no falsehood in your words. You might not have been able to inflict a mortal blow on Chiyou, but you could’ve threatened him to some extent.”

“Like you?” Euphemina interjected.

Zeratul’s expression cooled down. “You have mingled with me for a while and this made you unable to understand the subject.”

“Stop it.” Yura stepped forward as arbitrator. “It was Youngwoo-ssi who decided to accept Zeratul as a colleague. Excessive criticism and ridicule will make Youngwoo-ssi feel ashamed.”

“......”

The members of the Overgeared Guild shut up.

“Additionally, Zeratul. From now on, you will have to live with people, right? Please refrain from saying or doing things that seem to despise others. I doubt your intentions.”

“......”

Hearing admonitions he hardly heard even in heaven from humans? Zeratul was taken aback but he didn’t find it unpleasant. It was because there was nothing wrong with what Yura said.

Yes, he was a member of the Overgeared World now. He shouldn’t despise the beings he would have to live with in the future. Didn’t he already experience it once in heaven? He despised the gods who were lower than him and became isolated. He also didn’t receive anyone’s help because he was despised.

‘Above all, it is advice from the Demon Slayer.’

One of the figures who contributed the most to the purification of hell. Yura’s fame from helping Grid subjugate hell had risen up from the surface and reached heaven. Some gods had noted the possibilities of Yura. Now that most of the demons had disappeared, it was assumed that the Demon Slayer would undergo a natural evolution to adapt to the changed world. She was a target of respect. NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.

“Okay. I’ll take your advice to heart.”

“...Hah.”

The members of the Overgeared Guild were surprised by the unexpected attitude and shook their heads. Some of them smiled.

In the first place, the Overgeared Guild was a group of people with strong personalities. Many people with difficult personalities had succeeded in reforming themselves. Naturally, they trusted Zeratul. Many people decided it was better to focus on his future rather than his past.

Of course, not all of them were like that. In particular, the apostles still looked at Zeratul unfavorably.

“Who will you be from now on?” Braham asked from where he had been sitting silently. “Everyone has come to know Chiyou. You can’t claim to be the Martial God any longer. You also lost all the privileges you enjoyed as a god of Asgard. Is there any benefit to us in you joining the Overgeared World after you have entered a slump?”

Zeratul laughed.

Braham—he was the one who reacted the most violently when Grid declared that he would accept Zeratul. They wondered if Braham had given up his stubbornness, so it was funny to see him instigating trouble again in Grid’s absence.

“If a superior Absolute threatens Grid or the Overgeared World, I can step in and stop it. It is on behalf of all of you, who can’t be active at all.”

“......”

This was why Braham stopped his stubbornness. Against Chiyou, he hadn’t been active at all. Of course, it was an unfortunate accident caused by Chiyou’s power to force a ‘pure confrontation,’ but it was inferior compared to Zeratul, who held Chiyou back. Therefore, he failed to break Grid’s determination to accept Zeratul into the Overgeared World.

‘Let’s make sure the hierarchy is decided.’

It was the moment when Braham, who had intervened for no reason and couldn’t find a response, trembled and raised his desire to kill...

“Additionally, I am still the Martial God.” Zeratul shook his head.

Braham was about to laugh, only to suddenly close his mouth. It was because he saw the conviction in Zeratul’s eyes. Zeratul was looking at the place where the Overgeared members had gathered. To be precise, he looked at Regas.

“Unlike Chiyou, who forcibly advances the possibility called potential in the hope that talented people will become stronger, I can teach those who are hungry to learn in the true sense.”

One of the symbols of Zeratul was the ‘secret technique.’ The secret techniques he wrote must ‘teach’ and develop those who acquired them. It was just that so far, his secret techniques had been negatively evaluated. It was because it fascinated a person.

This was Zeratul’s intention. Zeratul used the secret techniques as bait to gain the worship of people and spawn his own followers. But today—

Zeratul realized it. It was the aftermath of witnessing Regas, who sought to learn by watching his source, i.e. Asura’s every move. There were so many people in the world who were hungry to learn. He had the ability to help them...

“I will be worshiped in a different way than Chiyou and I will become the Martial God in a better sense.”

It was about writing secret techniques that taught everyone. Of course, this was a power. It was Zeratul’s unique power that couldn’t be possessed by Chiyou, who only dreamed of extinction and robbed the future of the talented.

Zeratul reflected on it. The reason why the Goddess bestowed this power on him. It must’ve been because she wanted him to give sincere help to everyone and receive worship beyond Chiyou.

‘But I didn’t know it.’

He was blinded by the profits in front of him. He was in a hurry to attract talented people to become his followers and use them to increase his immediate reputation. It was because it took time to make the secret techniques. He had been anxious because there was a limit to the resources he could utilize. He arbitrarily judged that it would take too long for him to be worshiped if he widely distributed the secret techniques.

It was a misjudgment. It was right to go about it slowly.

“......”

The atmosphere became tense. People were nervous because they were overwhelmed by Zeratul’s powerful build as he pulled himself up from the chair. As if telling them not to be afraid, Zeratul moved slowly. It was toward Regas. He held a secret technique book that he had written today based on what he had seen and experienced on the battlefield. “You probably fell for Baal’s trick. You, who are bound by Asura, I will set you free.”

“......!”

Regas’ eyes widened as he was handed the secret technique.

[Martial God’s Secret Technique]

[Rating: Myth

A secret technique book where Asura’s important passive skills are described.

Learning Conditions: Asura.]

“This... is this really for me...?”

“Even though Asura wasn’t very active today, he is definitely a big threat.”

Like me, he has the ability to see and learn another person’s skills in real time.

No, I don’t want to admit it, but he is even better than I am.

‘It is because I can’t learn the skills of someone who is on the same level as me or higher.’

However, Asura quickly learned Chiyou’s skills. It was obvious that he would grow at a tremendous rate.

“You will need to do your part to stop him from becoming a big threat one day.”

In hell, Regas had already done a good job of stopping Asura. By reproducing some of Asura’s skills in a similar manner, he succeeded in canceling out Asura’s skills once. The opportunity created by that single success helped Biban reverse the situation.

The Asura class—it was the incident where ‘Asura’s food’ that Baal planted on the surface in preparation for the future actually grabbed Asura’s ankle in reverse.

“Ahh...! Martial God!”

A turmoil occurred.

It started when Vantner and Peak Sword bowed to Zeratul.

“The great and only Martial God Zeratul! Give me a secret technique as well!”

“Give it to me, not this guy! I will make sure to scold the fake Martial God Chiyou who is like a bug!”

"......”

Were they really the subordinates of Grid...? Zeratul looked at Vantner and Peak Sword, who were bowing more actively than any other follower, in an absurd manner.

“It is noisy.” Then Grid returned. Suddenly, the atmosphere calmed down.

“I was a bit worried, but you seem like you quite like each other?”

Grid had yet to grasp the situation. He never dreamed about the great miracle that had just happened.

Lauel whispered to him to explain the situation. Grid’s expression changed in real time.

Zeratul was somewhat nervous. ‘Hayate...’

A man who gave Zeratul defeat with his swordsmanship that was as good as his elegant demeanor—he seemed a lot more powerful than before...

“......”

Hayate was also nervous. It was true that he defeated Zeratul in the past, but it was possible because Zeratul was under enormous constraints. Hayate had never thought that his skills were better than Zeratul’s. Additionally, he still didn’t trust Zeratul, so he felt a strong sense of alienation from Zeratul, who blended into the familiar landscape. He relaxed his muscles so he could come out at any time. His torn muscles hadn’t recovered, so he was conscious of the pain. Still, he endured it as usual.

‘This guy, Zeratul. Did he get nervous when he saw me?’ Then Bunhelier read the strange air currents and raised his nose high into the air.

“Zeratul, in fact, I have admired you for a long time.”

“......?”

Grid confessed out of the blue. He approached Zeratul and smiled brightly while holding Zeratuls’s hands. “I’m going to hold a grand party to welcome you. What type of drinks and food do you like? Music? Just tell me anything. I’ll even pick a star from the sky for you.”

“......”

He wasn't looking at Zeratul, the apostles, the tower members, and Bunhelier, all of whom were bewildered. A notification window was emerging in real time in front of Grid and the Overgeared members.

[The ‘Martial God’s Secret Techniques’ have been added to the list of Reinhardt’s specialties.]

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