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Gram, Fafnir, and Brynhild, who controlled them, were a pretty notorious combo.

Brynhild, the Grand Warrior of the Sigurd Tribe Union, was piloting the ancient Colossal Mech Fafnir, wielding Gram, which unleashed a Mana Barrier as its weapon?

You didn’t even need to experience it firsthand to guess how that would go.

In fact, Brynhild was often called the “Newbie Slayer” in the community.

Newbies who just started the game, hearing about the Main Scenario, would naively head to Bismarck, only to get sliced in half by Gram and end up with a game over. This happened quite often.

Even intermediate players who had adapted to the game faced the same fate. Brynhild, piloting Fafnir and swinging Gram, was just that hard to deal with.

But when you reached a higher level, things changed. Especially for seasoned veterans.

Gilbert parried Gram, which was unleashing its Mana Barrier with full force. His technique, which could even disable magic, worked well against Gram, which generated the Mana Barrier.

Gram, due to its nature as a sword, was more affected by the barrier the closer the blade got. The point of impact where Gram clashed with another blade would strip away the mana, turning it into a regular iron sword.

If you clashed with Gram while it was fully charged with mana, your sword would either break or your magic barrier would tear apart.

To prevent this, Gilbert used parrying every time his sword clashed, eliminating the strain on his iron sword. This method allowed him to negate one of Gram’s advantages and fight on equal footing.

“CT, I need assistance with deploying the Magic Armor.”

[Permission to use Magic Armor confirmed. Assisting now.]

Moreover, Colossal Mech combat wasn’t just about using the main weapon. Colossal Mechs were equipped with numerous spells and even carried physical ammunition.

To fight efficiently, you had to use all the weapons equipped on the Colossal Mech appropriately.

And that’s where the Artificial Spirit came in.

The shoulder armor of Gilbert’s Colossal Mech opened, and a barrage of Multi-shot Fireballs poured out.

-Kaboom!

Fafnir, which had been trying to close in, quickly retreated.

It was as if Brynhild had predicted it—her reaction speed was unnaturally fast.

Gilbert realized that Brynhild must have a Characteristic Skill.

Was it Sixth Sense?

It might seem like an unscientific ability relying purely on instinct, but if it was a Characteristic Skill, that changed things.

Her Characteristic Skill, passed down from her ancestor Sigurd, was a bloodline ability that sharpened her Sixth Sense to the point of near future prediction as she grew stronger.

It was a far more versatile and practical skill compared to Gilbert’s “Your Mech is Awesome,” which had its flaws.

Clicking his tongue, Gilbert used high-speed movement to position himself before Brynhild could act.

But Brynhild, utilizing her Sixth Sense, predicted even that and casually raised her sword to block his advance. It seemed she had developed her Characteristic Skill better than he had thought.

[The enemy’s reaction speed is exceeding predictions.]

“It seems to be a Characteristic Skill.”

[Agreed. Beginning analysis of the pattern.]

CT-777 began analyzing Brynhild’s combat patterns as if it could even dissect that.

-Clang! Clang! Boom! Boom!

While swinging his sword and mixing in magic attacks, Brynhild eerily predicted and either parried or dodged everything. Her movements were so fluid and confident, it was as if she could read Gilbert’s every move.

This is getting fun.

Gilbert grinned. If the enemy was predicting with Sixth Sense, all he had to do was show movements so erratic that they couldn’t react.

Luckily, he had the Three-Dimensional Maneuvering skill, and if he used it aggressively, pushing Brynhild into a defensive position would be easy.

Immediately, his Colossal Mech abandoned conventional movements. Instead of predictable, straight-line actions, it moved in inefficient, erratic patterns as it attacked.

After a slightly faster attack, he tried deploying his magic weapons a half-beat slower. Showing random patterns with no set rhythm, Gilbert slowly began to pressure Fafnir.

That’s when it started.

The once smooth movements of Fafnir began to show signs of desperation.

The Sixth Sense Characteristic Skill, while powerful, had a high dependency. It wasn’t based on probability but purely on instinct.

You couldn’t fully trust it, nor could you completely ignore it. Eventually, the skill user would have to make a judgment, and if that instinct was shaken, confusion was inevitable.

Gilbert was aiming for that.

He mixed feints and real attacks, targeting blind spots, and unleashed magic weapons in unexpected situations. He pushed with a set pattern, then changed it the moment the enemy got used to it.

For an average Colossal Mech pilot, this would be difficult, but Gilbert was a veteran pilot who could pull it off.

Outwardly, he seemed like a rookie knight who hadn’t been piloting for long, but the Kang Do-jun inside was different.

Approximately 1,400 sorties.

869 battles.

353 mechs shot down.

The combat experience and instincts accumulated from countless battles were fully integrated into Gilbert’s piloting skills, making everything possible.

And that wasn’t all.

A Control Skill Stat of 100, backed by the system, provided a foundation for his piloting skills to reach an even higher level.

Gilbert chased Fafnir, which was shifting at high speed, and blocked its path with a golden greatsword.

Winter Sword – Frostwind

A faint blade of sword energy carved through the ground.

Fafnir dissipated the sword energy with Gram and then unleashed a barrage of mana bullets from its secondary weapon.

-Boom!

Fafnir’s mana bullets only struck the ground. Gilbert’s Colossal Mech had long since moved from that spot.

As Gilbert imagined Brynhild clicking her tongue, he felt a strange sensation.

It was a familiar feeling he had experienced before.

He soon realized that this strange sensation was the boundary of the realm he had stepped into during the Academy attack.

Unconsciously, Gilbert hesitated as he was about to cross the boundary.

A warning from his master, Briana, came to mind.

Briana had told Gilbert never to cross the boundary again.

She warned that pushing beyond one’s limits would ultimately consume oneself.

Gilbert also knew what she was worried about.

In Tactical Combat, there was a skill called Limit Break, which could be obtained with a very low probability.

It was a kind of buff skill, a finishing move concept that could be obtained when following the Berserker tech tree.

During the Academy attack, Gilbert had stepped into the Limit Realm and later realized that it had similarities to Limit Break in Tactical Combat.

Briana’s explanation that forcibly entering the Limit Realm could turn one into a wreck was the key hint.

Status Effect: Rebound.

A status effect that only occurred when using Limit Break, it had a chance to permanently lower a character’s stats.

In Tactical Combat, Limit Break was a great buff skill that allowed one to unleash power beyond their current level, but it was used sparingly.

No gamer would like the idea of their hard-earned character stats permanently decreasing.

If stepping into the Limit Realm was similar to using Limit Break, then the risk of becoming a wreck due to Rebound was high. Both involved exerting power beyond one’s limits, so they were likely similar.

But there was a way to fully utilize Limit Break.

If the Limit Realm was similar to Limit Break, then this method might also work.

Should I try it?

Since there was a way to mitigate permanent stat loss, it was worth experimenting.

Without hesitation, Gilbert stepped into the Limit Realm.

[Entering the Limit Realm.]

[Warning! Entering the Limit Realm may result in permanent stat reduction.]

This much was familiar to Gilbert.

If it ended here, Gilbert would have avoided using the Limit Realm.

[Skill Limit Break acquired.]

[All conditions for unlocking Skill Lionheart have been met.]

[Skill Nemea has been acquired.]

[Achievements Empire’s Warrior and Volsung Saga have been confirmed.]

[Special conditions met. Attempting to fuse Skill Lionheart and Skill Nemea.]

[Special condition: Saga completion is still in progress.]

[Fusion paused until Saga completion.]

Gilbert’s experiment was a success.

Not only had he unlocked Lionheart, which had strict conditions, but he had also met the special conditions for fusing Lionheart and Nemea.

This was the jackpot of jackpots.

Alright, let’s finish this quickly.

With the stage set like this, there was no way he could lose. Defeat would mean massive casualties and possibly losing a skill crucial for the future.

Gilbert’s tempo became faster than before.

He twisted his sword to thrust and poured mana bullets where Brynhild dodged.

If Brynhild used her Sixth Sense to dodge, Gilbert would already be moving to that spot.

This time was no different.

With a force that seemed to split the air, Gilbert slashed down with his iron sword, and Fafnir smoothly dodged diagonally. With CT-777’s backup, Gilbert used an electric-type magic weapon at the predicted dodge point.

-Zap!

A blinding light and the sound of burning air followed. In terms of activation speed, it was the fastest electric-type magic.

But Brynhild wasn’t to be underestimated.

She was, after all, the greatest warrior representing the Sigurd Tribe Union.

Without a hint of panic, Brynhild used Gram’s Mana Barrier to pierce the center of the electric magic.

She parried the magic, dispelling it, and used Gram’s Mana Barrier to nullify the discharge unique to electric magic.

-Crack!

As Fafnir stomped heavily, the ground cracked, and debris scattered. Brynhild’s counterattack, shifting her weight perfectly, was for this very moment.

All her evasive maneuvers had been leading to this.

Gram, like a sinister snake, twisted and stabbed toward Gilbert’s Colossal Mech.

A decisive move.

Gilbert’s eyes gleamed as he saw the attack precisely targeting the cockpit.

It matched the timing he had been anticipating.

Meanwhile, Brynhild smiled confidently at this critical move.

The enemy’s Colossal Mech was in a reverse motion, making it physically difficult to dodge. At best, he could only twist his upper body slightly.

Brynhild had endured until now just for this move.

Objectively, he had superior piloting skills.

She had held back solely for this one move.

Brynhild firmly believed in the victory of the Volsung Saga.

Though her Sixth Sense screamed warnings, she firmly believed this was her last chance.

But Gilbert, even as Gram’s blade approached, smiled.

[Assisting with evasive maneuvers.]

The direct effect of the Three-Dimensional Maneuvering skill activated.

The direct effect, with a one-hour cooldown, could forcibly activate the skill under minimal conditions.

Even if the movement defied physics, as long as the conditions were met, it could be used.

And with CT-777’s assistance, the conditions were easily met.

Gilbert effortlessly dodged Gram’s blade with a backflip.

Having poured everything into this one attack, Brynhild’s Colossal Mech was now in a reverse motion. She tried to recover her stance, but the ground beneath her only sank deeper.

Gilbert pulled the control stick as soon as the evasive maneuver ended. He rammed Fafnir’s cockpit with his shoulder and poured all his mana into his iron sword.

The unformed threads of mana fluttered, distorting the surroundings.

Winter Sword – Gale

A golden streak of light slashed diagonally.

-Clang! Thud!

Gram was knocked away, and Fafnir fell.

Brynhild hurriedly tried to get Fafnir up, but she was met with a golden iron sword pointed at her cockpit.

[…I lost.]

“Good match, Grand Warrior of Sigurd.”

[Victory achieved in the Volsung Saga.]

[The power of the Saga flows into you.]

[Achievement The One Who Sings the Saga has been updated.]

[The paused skill fusion has resumed.]

[Skill Hundred Beasts has been acquired.]

Gilbert smiled broadly at the notifications blocking his view.

Victory always brought many rewards.

 

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