Travelers of the Wilderness
Once it was known that Weed was the Lord of Morata, the guild chat window became very active for a brief period.
There were even 2~3 people who were lurking came out to greet him. Pin and Herman were shocked, saying they really hadn't known.
"After all, there probably aren't many people with your level of sculpting".
Herman said this with a smile.
In retrospect, it was strange that an outstanding Dwarven sculptor had suddenly appeared. The world of Dwarf craftsmen was small, so it would be known if any skilled Dwarves came along.
In that regard, Herman was also incredibly famous figure. He was a Blacksmith, the likes of which could be counted with just ten fingers, in not just Kuruso, but in the entire the Versailles Continent!
Although he hadn't produced many goods, it's because he poured his soul into making just one sword, his name was still widely spread. He was so famous that he didn't pale in comparison with Weed.
"Did you change your face and appearance at a Dwarf shrine?"
"As a result, I am roughly similar."
It was possible to receive a temporary blessing from the shrine and adopt a Dwarf's appearance.
However, that particular method costs a lot of money, and he would have to make a special donation to the Priests. On top of that, it was a special type of blessing which could not be received if the player's contribution to the shrine was too low.
"Anyway, how amusing."
With a laugh, Herman passed over the matter.
People in the Travelers of the Wilderness guild did not probe and prod for details. Rather than asking a question for their curiosity, they decided to just cover up the secret.
Although the guild was mainly engaged in personal chatter, this time it was Weed's turn to be surprised.
| - Sabrina: Edwin. |
| - Edwin: Yes, Ma'am. |
| - Sabrina: Have you ever hunted Claude by yourself? |
| - Edwin: Many times. Their sap can be used to produce a healing agent. |
Claude is a monster around level 380.
Medicine made from the sap of a Claude could help one recover from a severe injury if they applied it and rested. While it pales in comparison to a Priest's healing magic, it was still traded in minute quantities at high prices every day.
In case the Priest died or suffered a really large injury during a battle, it was a good idea to pack backup medicine, just in case.
| - Sabrina: Do you think I can kill one? |
| - Edwin: Yeah, pretty easily. It has low Health so you can defeat it right away. Where are you hunting right now? |
| - Sabrina: Cave of Echo. |
| - Edwin: Getting to where Claude is, is the only troublesome part, hunting them isn't that hard, you just have to go straight through. |
| - Sabrina: Thank you. |
Though this was obvious just by looking at Herman, the level of this guild's members wasn't normal. There weren't any trivial questions normally asked by beginners.
Even after the truth about Weed being Morata's Lord was revealed, there was merely a brief conversation out of surprise that soon faded out.
'This doesn't seem like an average guild.'
* * *
Lee Hyun accessed the Dark Gamer union's guild information forums. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he went into the thread for the Travelers of the Wilderness.
"It's always safer to be on the safe side. I might as well be well informed about it."
He was a Dark Gamer, and he could not simply relax and have fun. That was why he looked up information on the Travellers of the Wilderness.
| - Travelers of the Wilderness Guild |
| A guild founded in the Armen Kingdom during the initial stages of Royal Road. It is known that they did not secure a special base in any Kingdom after establishment.As it is a guild made up of only a few people, the identity of its members and its exact numbers have not been confirmed. This guild has not engaged in any wars, and have not shown any particularly notable activities. Through occasional guild hunts, they have been seen defeating very strong boss monsters; this is a powerful guild that cannot be disregarded. |
| Reference detail: Though they are classified as having a friendly disposition, the guild members' standard is very high.- Reliability: Superior. - Financial power: Estimated to be above average. Their fixed revenue has not been confirmed. |
Seeing as there wasn't any detailed information registered in even the Dark Gamer Union, it wasn't a guild that had a lot of activities.
"Even so, it's a relief that there isn't any bad talk about it."
Lee Hyun also entered the Dark Gamer request forum. Escort and hunting requests, as well as requests for fighting in active guild wars overflowed in the forum.
Although recruiting a Dark Gamer as a mercenary was extremely pricy, there was a considerable variety of advertisements.
Usually, he only came to understand the situation in the Versailles continent, or to look up information on a request, but today was special.
He'd come to make a request!
'Do I really have to go this far for this...'
After being briefly conflicted, he started to write.
| - Title: Submission of a Request for the Investigation of a Particular Person- Required Mercenary Grade: B - Professions: Assassins, Trackers, Thieves. Information concerning Mandol and his wife in the city of Selchium in Ritten Kingdom is requested. Take more than three days to observe the appearance and nature of the target as well as information about the residence required. - Payment is 5,000 gold. Since I am also a Dark Gamer, I request this with a 20% discounted price. Food expenses are not included! |
For a mercenary of grade B with a profession that could use concealment skills, the official request fee was 5,000 gold. At the last moment, he remembered to request the discount.
"Since it's not a dangerous request, someone'll probably take it if they can."
He put up the mercenary rank and made the request impossible to read unless you were a Dark Gamer with the applicable profession.
Though this was something that would have cost them at least 4,000 gold, he wanted to do his best to sculpt Mandol and his wife's daughter.
Although money is extremely important, it can be saved up again. So if he didn't act honorably in this matter, he wouldn't be able to do anything sincerely.
"I would rather go to the free sample corner to fill my belly, than to dine and dash at someone else's restaurant."
A lion does not deign to eat grass, no matter how hungry it is — Lee Hyun was of the same logic!
* * *
The Church of Resurrection that seized the Isoru Kingdom.
They set up a large scale construction in the Kingdom, and began to build temples for the Church of Resurrection.
The power of Resurrection and the strength of Daymond and his priests grew accordingly with each temple. The Demonic Spirits began to increase in vitality and vigor. And soon after the Resurrection Army became more and more powerful.
From that point on, every Church in the Versailles Continent was offered the same commission.
| - Existences that drenched this land's Northern region in blood have appeared. Stop them in their tracks. |
In order to complete the simultaneously thrown down mission, Paladins and Priests united in the newly born Isoru Expeditionary Force!
"I will save my brethrens from Isoru Kingdom. It is my responsibility to do so."
"It is a honor for a Knight to fight such a battle."
The forces and guilds that dominated every castle joined in, with ulterior motives. They raised their armies, machinating to seize the abandoned, defenseless Isoru Kingdom, as soon as the Church of Resurrection was eradicated.
The number of troops willing to participate in the liberation of Isoru Kingdom was a whopping 90,000!
They invaded the Isoru Kingdom with high spirits, but a massive fortress that didn't exist in the past blocked their way.
It was the fortress which Daymond forced the residents of Isoru Kingdom to make!
Reaching 30 meters in height, there were Archers arranged on the fort walls. The fortress was blessed by nature, as it was blocked by a penetrating gorge in the center of a mountainous terrain.
"Let's bypass the fort."
"No. If we bypass it and go around, it'd take too long."
"There's no reason to avoid it since we're dragging along this many troops."
Although the users that participated as mercenaries wanted to avoid it, the nobles and lords had different thoughts.
'There is no way that an improvised fort has sturdy defences.'
'They were probably scared of us. So for their own defense, they built such a big fortress.'
Generally, building a fortress required immense amounts of labor and money. That was because, even if it became the key point of fierce siege warfare, repairing the walls or maintaining the fortifications was difficult.
'So that they built a large fortress is evidence that they are frightened of us?'
If Daymond's army was confident of victory, they wouldn't have even thought to create a fortress. The troops could only think along the lines of common sense.
"We must go in through the front."
"For our righteous Expeditionary Force's march, God will bless us."
It was the General Assembly Chairman of the Expeditionary Force.
The Priests and representatives of every church, who were the army's lead participating users, spoke what was obvious in their minds.
Truthfully, even the Expeditionary Forces behind them were quickly organizing themselves to follow. Since many had taken their armies from areas far away from the Isoru Kingdom to join the Expeditionary Force, they wanted to hurry. In consideration of the opinions of the lords and nobles, they decided to wage siege warfare on the fortress.
"Make a path."
"Stock up on enough arrows and prepare to install a ladder. How far are you digging the underground tunnel?
The Expeditionary Force set up their positions, and they made thorough preparations to wage siege warfare. Though they didn't doubt victory, their wariness of the Resurrection army that had seized Isoru Kingdom hadn't disappeared either.
They were a valuable force that lead NPC soldiers as well. They didn't want to lose soldiers they had laboriously trained through military exercises in this place. The stone fortress was very tall and looked thick, and it didn't seem like it would be easy to penetrate it with normal methods.
As the Magicians buffed them and they made orderly war preparations. Time flew by until it night came, the dawn of the last day of the month, when the monsters became the most powerful!
The Resurrection Army that Daymond led made a surprise attack on the Expeditionary Force.
The giga-Demonic Spirits burst out, destroying the fortress gates.
Stomp — Stomp — Stomp!
Each step the Demonic Spirits took created a great quake.
The forces that were resting in the barracks immediately rose to their feet.
"It's the enemy!"
"I never thought that they would launch a surprise attack!"
Perplexed looks were on the faces of lords who came leading many soldiers.
The sieges they'd experienced commonly started in the morning and ended in the evening. Late-night surprise attacks that would occur in real wars did not happen often.
Since it was favorable to simply keep watch inside the fortress. There was absolutely no reason to overexert themselves. Even if they tried to attack at night, since they knew it was dangerous, the fault of the users who weren't there to participate in the charge was big.
Though they knew there was an extremely high chance that they might die, they didn't want to organize a charge.
Though night raids on the supply carts occurred frequently in the war between Kallamore Kingdom and Haven Kingdom, in other areas there weren't still were many people who had experienced a real war.
"Everyone get up and block them!"
"It's a fight! Prepare to fight!"
Users ran out of the barracks.
When they got rest, the Soldiers played poker or drank alcohol, and were in a state where it was difficult to prepare for battle.
It would be difficult to drink alcohol in the war to come, so for the last time they could they drank too much, and thanks to that it looked like they would receive more damage.
'Before we came here we passed an Isoru Kingdom village warehouse that cached many bottles of wine. Was it all for this?'
It was too childish to call it a strategy. Nevertheless, they accepted it because it was a surprising tactic that found the enemy's weak spot.
The alcohol the Expeditionary Force had discovered while on the move was branded as supplies, and everyone drank aggressively before that alcohol completely ran out.
They had guzzled away with the motive of getting drunk.
"Damn it, to think they'd resort to petty tricks!"
Even as the inebriated users stumbled, they pulled out their swords and raised them.
In any case half of the Expeditionary Force was made up of Paladins and Priests. Since it was out of the question for them to have partake in the alcohol, the drunken users intended to leave the fight to them and hide; there was no need to stand in the front and fight the enemy.
But strangely enough, their swords felt much heavier than usual.
| - You have caught a disease.Health and Mana is reduced. Breathing is more difficult and coughs occur. If you do not receive appropriate treatment soon the disease may be aggravated. |
The epidemic had spread to the camp.
A crossing rat swarm had suddenly appeared around the barracks.
"Cleric, Priest sirs! Where are you?"
"Please cure this disease!"
The users sought the Clerics and Priests first.
But the Priests who were capable of treating them were in a place that was already being attacked by a horde of flying Demonic Spirits.
This was the advance of the Resurrection Army. It wasn't a simple night attack, but an all or nothing attack done by amassing all of the Demonic Spirits.
ROAAAAR!
"Ahhhhh!"
"Fight with the enemy. Where did everyone go!"
"Run away!"
"Fight, don't run away!"
The surprise attack of the last night of the month drove the Expeditionary Forces to near extinction.
The Resurrection Army gathered the lives of those who were barely alive, and gained more Demonic Spirits and comrades.
Every time they occupied castles and towns, they emerged victorious against other churches and destroyed their temples, their strength and authority rose!
Daymond, who gathered the forces, left after defending Isoru Kingdom, and once again resolved to go South. It was to take over the land once ruled by the Predators of the Land.
Another Expeditionary Force was raised, and the castle lords in the Resurrection Army's attack route gathered the best forces in their territories.
Places where the Resurrection Army passed through became paradise for Demonic Spirits.
* * *
Through Weed's hard work, he managed to recover 100 art stats.
"It's quite a chore to raise the Arts stats that were consumed."
Although the stat was restored at a relatively fast pace, it wasn't an easy task. But thanks to that, the Sculpting Skill proficiency went up a little and reached 70%, and his Handicraft skill was also raised to Advanced level 6.
It could be said that the Handicraft skill was a memento of the stat grinding!
Weed crafted earrings with complete care.
| - Art stat has risen by 1.- Sculpting skill proficiency has increased slightly. - Handicraft skill proficiency has increased slightly. |
| - Accessories Crafting skill has been acquired.- Accessory Crafting: The skill to craft necklaces, earrings, and rings. With a higher level of skill, it is possible to craft beautiful accessories with high Charm. |
Now it was 101!
Weed's cheeks trembled.
He'd even acquired an exclusive skill of Crafters, Accessory Crafting.
Weed sighed.
"There's no impossibility in reconstruction."
He was worried sick that he might even pick up a magic spell like this.
"Anyways, now there's not much left 'til Master."
While his guild members in the party chat window were chatting, Weed concentrated on making accessories.
'There's really a lot of sculptures I've got to make.'
The sculptures that came to mind would have to wait until all his Art stats were restored. It was a waste to make those sculptures just for stat restoration.
If he didn't arm himself with the spirit of reconstruction down to the marrow of his bones, it'd be impossible not to turn back. Lee Hyun learned this kind of perseverance from the company manager, who had him carry bricks up 25 flights of stairs because it was a waste of electricity to use the elevator. Then, he got a whisper from Hwaryeong.
| - Weed-nim. What are you doing? |
| - I'm making handicrafts in Kuruso. |
| - Handicrafts? |
| - Yes. I learned the skill for making accessories now. |
| - Though I knew crafting was possible with sculpting, can you acquire even exclusive skills? |
| - It happened after I made about 1,000 of them. The work of the sculptor profession basically isn't that different compared to other crafting professions. |
| - Oh my! You went through so much for me. Accessories are like the life of a Dancer... Thank you so much. |
| - ... |
Ever since Weed created the Statue of Goddess Hwaryeong had been growing increasingly interested in his sculptures.
From the way she was talking, it seemed like she'd misunderstood and thought that Weed had undoubtedly learned the accessories skill for her sake.
Weed spoke frankly.
| - I'm making some pieces for Hwaryeong too. |
Of course successful accessories were saved for Hwaryeong.
He intended to sell them to the rich Hwaryeong.
| - Thank you. I want to see you soon. |
It was when he was was whispering with Hwaryeong and making crafts.
The Blacksmiths of Kuruso heard disturbing rumors.
"Apparently Daymond's army seized the Nopunem Plains."
"So one twentieth of the the Versailles continent is their territory?"
"It's not wrong to say they've currently prepared the greatest power. After conquering Isoru Kingdom, new Demonic Spirits have continuously been born, so the size of their army kept getting bigger as they go."
"It's really scary."
Weed overheard this as he was creating accessories.
As a matter of fact, the selling price of items had sky-rocketed. As the Resurrection Church wholeheartedly attacked, the Knights of the Versailles Continent did not spare any money in order to protect themselves.
However, on the level of the Union there were worries.
The logic of holding the increasingly powerful Resurrection Army in check was gradually gathering strength. However, the war between every power hadn't yet ceased, and on the basis of the increasing prices, only the Dark Gamers were enjoying the special occasion.
'The Resurrection Army. Tch, what should be done.'
Weed had also seen the images of the Resurrection Army through the broadcasts.
The army of Demonic Spirits that couldn't just be expressed as "incredible"!
The Resurrection army had grown strong enough to trample the whole might of a Kingdom.
Daymond guaranteed the safety of undefiant, ordinary users and tourists who happened to be enjoying a break. Thanks to that, they were able to receive broadcasted images of the areas seized by the Resurrection Army.
The temple resembled a Demonic Spirit holding a sickle, while riding a horse! That was the massive temple the Resurrection Army was making.
The problem was that the shape of this temple was very familiar to Weed.
'The sculpture Death Hand left behind was like that...'
He began to doubt that it was possibly a chain quest.
It could be an item necessary for Daymond's quest, or on the flip side it could be a quest to stop them. No matter which side it was, there was no doubt that it was related.
'The problem is... Should I receive this quest, or not.'
If we accepted the quest, there could be another incredibly difficult fight.
So Weed debated on this as he made crafts.
'Should I just sell this off and be done with it.'
Even though he wanted to sell the sculpture, if the sculpting skill wasn't high enough, or even a little lacking, it was an item that couldn't be used, so the problem was that he wouldn't be able to find a buyer.
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