The Meaning of Time Sculpting
Time sculpting just reached intermediate. Intermediate time sculpting makes it possible to literally stop time. Weed starts questioning the world of art since the one who succeeded in the last secret sculpting skill quest came from the darkness rather than pure artistic spirit.
Sculpting of Years: sculptures gain value over the years and it prevents damage from natural wear.
Sculpting of the Moment: moving alone within stopped time requires immense physical and mental strength. To use it requires a special energy called Energy of the Moment, obtained by making people happy. The longer you freeze time, the more rapidly Energy of the Moment burns. Continuous use for even a few hours consumes an enormous amount of health and mana.
Time Travel Sculpting: go back to particular point in time to proceed in special quests. Quests unrelated to sculpting and randomly changing the past incurs a penalty.
Currently Weed has 492 Energy of the Moment. He tests out Sculpting of the Moment. He observes a rabbit frozen in time and praises its beauty. Cause of the acceleration difference he ends up losing 2% health. He deactivates it losing 16 Energy of the Moment. He analyzes how stopping the opponent's movements during combat might be useful. He can launch unblockable consecutive attacks, use his pin point critical attack, and avoid an absolute crisis without damage. Its biggest advantage in combat is at decisive moments. The main problem is it drains way too much stamina. At this point, Weed is still undecided on whether the skill is useful or not.
Yuu Byung Jun in the meantime is watching his behavior as usual. He calmly calls it amazing, but inside he is astonished. The atrocious odds of the ruthless quest difficulty. In fact, many jobs have missed out on the last secret skill. Users were limited to certain areas, but secret skills granted magical abilities akin to that of a god. The arduous year Weed suffered through gave Yuu Byung Jun joy. The scenery frozen in time is described as being very beautiful. He thinks how when time stops, you can see how truly beautiful the world is. He remembers lying in the grass reading a book when he was a child, causing him to tear up. He decides that for sculptors, to create beauty, they must first experience it properly. He thinks if a person can look at ordinary things as beautiful they will be great as both a person and a sculptor. Weed at this moment makes his judgment. Useless, he regrets everything. He doesn't know what effect it would have in battle. Yuu Byung Jun goes mental at this. Weed then catches the rabbit that ran away from him and ate him. Yuu Byung Jun finally remembers what kind of person Weed was originally.
Hermes Guild found a secret sword skill, but the guy refused to teach Hermes on account of all their bad deed. Darius is the one in charge of acquiring it. He makes hostages of the women and children to force him to teach Hermes. Bradley (I can't stand Ray Bard) uses strict surveillance letting him basically see everything happening in Haven Empire. He reminisces about when he started Royal Road. He made connections with a guy named Count Malkan and became his knight. Eventually he betrayed the guy to become a Black Knight and took over Haven Empire. Nature of Black Knights is the pursuit of power, what drives them is not loyalty or allegiance to the King but desire.
The Song Called Money
Weed with a fluttering cloak was standing on the Harz Mountain region. Since he finally got Time Sculpting to intermediate, he decided it was time to earnestly challenge an elusive monster and become stronger. On the Dark Gamers Union, there's a post about the rare chance of encountering the legendary Yeti. Hunting it gives you the magic ingredient item, Purification Ice. It's very valuable for Ice Wizards. The recommendation is a party of 8 people around level 470. Weed thinks the Yetis should be around level 500. He reminisces about his time in the desert and how dungeons are hidden the same way. He discovers a new dungeon. Tens of meters of ice all around with a very slippery floor. Weed tells Rover to escape if it gets too dangerous. Rover thanks Weed for his concern but he just tells him frozen meat isn't worth as much. He finds a 2 star magic ingredient. This is within his expectations since the level of the dungeon is in the late 400s. He brings Seoyun along with 2 priests of Freya. He also brings some Sculptures of Life. Bahamol, Cerberus, High Elf Eltin, Guernica, Sevilla. Gold Man complains how he's going to die from overwork. Rover says the load is too heavy and he wants to go back to Morata. Bingryong is enjoying the cold weather using Peerless Dragon and hunting the surrounding monsters. Of course he went nowhere near the ruler of the Harz Mountain region. Weed yells at him to shut up. While Weed complains, Bingryong turns his head elsewhere. He sends Bingryong and the Wyverns to go scout around the mountains. He tells them to report to him if they find a secret place and offers them delicious food as a reward.
With the monsters running away from Bingryong and the Wyverns, Weed and company hunt them down with archery. He yells and them to bring more monsters. Weed asks if the load is heavy for Rover to carry. He says no hoping to be able to return to Morata to dispose of them. Weed says he was going to let him rest if it was too heavy. He instantly changes his mind. He pleads to Seoyun, in the end he gets to unload and rest. Weed makes food for Rover. Bahamol in the meantime is commanding the others to fight. After Rover finishes eating, Weed calls one of the Wyverns to carry around Rover. His plan is to use Rover's scent after eating as bait. Weed acknowledges Time Sculpting as useful for saving his Sculptures of Life. Rover is running around the mountain with junior, intermediate, rare and the legendary version of Yetis chasing him. There was a blizzard with a 30 meter radius situated on the Yeti which became almost crippled with all the arrows. Weed goes time is money and gets the Wyverns to launch a pincer attack. Bingryong in the meantime dives down and gives the Yeti a head butt before brandishing his tail. With a black weapon blowing out flames, Gold Man was shooting flaming arrows to cover Weed and Seoyun. Around the legendary Yeti, extreme cold occurs so it is difficult to use melee. To use this ability it couldn't wear armor, so in a way it also show its greatest weakness. Thanks to the wedding rings, Weed and Seoyun could assist each other by sharing health and combat skills. At this time, the Yeti uses a lightning attack dealing 29,203 damage. This freezes Weed's body, temporarily paralyzing him and decreasing his defensive ability by 63%, during this time if he gets attacked he will receive 7 times the damage.
Weed yells that it's much stronger than what the information said. He sums up that it is probably due to the Harz Mountain region that enhances ice properties. Weed's Helrium armor with Hestia's blessing removes the freezing effect. Bingryong, Gold Man and Rover are all attacking the legendary Yeti, but it's solely focused on Seoyun. Weed shared some health but it wasn't much, only 7548. Seoyun gets hit with the freezing attack which Weed analyzed would lead to her death since there were no Priests to alleviate the extreme cold. He uses Sculpting of the Moment. The snowflakes are really pretty but Weed just ignores them since there's no time. He uses Moonlight Sculpting Blade and attacks seven times. He critically hits but since he swung at unimaginable speeds, his sword loses 43% durability. The mysterious attack terrifies the Yeti but in exchange, Weed loses 47 Energy of the Moment and 21% stamina. He gets stuck in a worn out state for 16 seconds which decreases his strength and agility by 6%. Weed realizes that he will have to thoroughly manage his stamina for the future as well as use it with Destruction Sculpture. The Sculptures of Life praise Weed but that just pisses him off since he had to use Energy of the Moment. They finish hunting the legendary Yeti giving him some stat boosts. Weed started taking advantage of the terrain and his Sculptures of Life after that battle to easily hunt subsequent legendary Yetis. Weed notes its weaknesses and strengths and says how the information on the Dark Gamers Union differs from reality in that the Yetis are at least 2 grades tougher. Since it's made by users, Weed expected there to be some level of error. As other users input their experiences, the information becomes more reliable. Weed on the other hand decides continue his vicious cycle and keep the information all to himself.
The group hunts a total of 17 legendary Yetis. The unique characteristics of the monsters made them give more experience. Weed also received a 2x exp bonus thanks to an accidental landslide that uncovered the dungeon. He leveled from 429-435 at an unprecedented rate. Thanks to Time Sculpting, he could pounce the dangerous monsters who should have been tricky opponents without hesitation. Weed still wasn't satisfied. He thinks other people are definitely not sitting still so he can't just stretch his legs. The strongest in Versailles Continent Bradley levels up no one would ever feel satisfaction. During battle he consumed even more Energy of the Moment so head to be even more cautious. The Energy of the Moment he built up on his adventures as the King of Ahrupan had been significantly reduced when using the skill. At this point in time he's down to only 163 Energy of the Moment. He compares the skill to taking a taxi in that it leaves him with no rice at the end. Weed considers it a combat skill but can't be used without art. He also declares that it would fool a bunch of sculptors.
Weed and Seoyun continued their hunt in the Harz Mountain region. At the peaks they found a small volcanic lake. It's called the Paradise of Harz. Reporting this to nobility and the royal family would give him a reward. Weed is disappointed since it's not a battleground. He quickly reflects since there are a bunch of herbs and quickly went searching. He found some yellow and red herbs with a Harz tag. The herbs are rare since they grew for more than 10 years. As he thinks about not picking them up, he sees Seoyun dipping her feet in the lake and he rationalizes that it's not for him, it's for her. He plans to give it to her from her helping him. He uses his experience watching cable television as the basis for this. He also thinks how he doesn't know where their relationship is going.
A fairy then appears before Weed. It's one of the Sculptures of Life Weed brought to life back in Las Phalanx. She tells him that the Fairy Queen sent for him. Weed felt ashamed for not having completed the quest so far. To hunt a dragon down, intense preparations are needed. If he tried doing this quest, it would be like going blind. He tells the fairy not to dawdle and to go to the queen right away.
Earth's Shadow, the adventurer group that discovered Weed's actions in the past, succeeded in another step of their S rank quest. They were on the 9th step which required them to help the desert warriors. Out of 400, only 20 survived the battle. The desert tribes recognized them and respected them as assistants. The 9th step involved a lot of battles and the number of warriors kept dying off. They called those deaths good news since less competition. The Lord's expectations are to show no traces of cowardice. Earth's Shadow looked at harsh desert with nervous hearts. They were worried about this villainous lord they heard about and think he is really dangerous. They get the next step of the quest which is to locate a Bactrian Camel. It they tame one, they will get help in locating the Lord. The quest limit is the Bactrian Camel has only 34 descendants left. The Swords (Geomchi is meh and SwordNoob is REALLY REALLY STUPID TO ME) are in the desert. They lost their lives during the war with Haven Empire and realized their weakness painfully. They regretted that they only killed 1000 soldiers or 60 wizards. There were 160,000 troops so each practitioner would have had to kill 300 people. They basically got overrun by tactics from the enemy. The heavy infantry also stubbornly resisted making them unable to breakthrough. Most of the Swords lost their lives but some got achievements. While talking about that they received a quest from someone named Sophia. Since it's a female, they didn't ask questions and started to look for the late king.
Dragon Quest
Haven Empire has approximately taken control of one quarter of the Northern Continent. Robin, the guy who got killed by Seoyun, is in charge of the town of Earth. He is one of the 1,000 lords of the north. He used money for short term improvements of his town. He removes the Security establishment and the Low Class Residences since the army is present to protect the town and he created free facilities for the people. He has a base tax rate of 400 gold per resident and incoming immigrants have to pay 300 gold. He gets 17,000 gold tax per month in exchange for 1,600 gold investment. The population of Tiberias was already past 30,000 which is more than. Robin goes on about politics and taxes. He plans to be independent from Haven Empire. He dreams of being the king of Earth Kingdom.
Da'in is questioned by one of her subordinates on the rebels. She just ignores it. As soon as she was appointed the Lord, she lowered the tax rate. She also makes a lot of trades. She buys 20 jades for 1000 each to sell for 1500 each. Stability came to city. It wasn't as oppressive as the other cities, but it still had to follow Haven Empire's hunting restrictions. Even so, it was the most popular and fastest developing city in the Central Continent. She tells her advisor that she is going to go hunting, they won't miss her for a day. Currently, Da'in's daily business involved doing business and hunting monsters.
Weed on his way to the Fairy Queen was calculating the rewards. He wanted a new weapon since daily usage of Red Star was limited. He took off the Helrium armor since he thought he might have a chance at getting new armor as well. Gold Man and Rover both reacted to this. Seoyun inwardly thought about his greed as well but didn't say anything out loud. The Fairies all complained about them being late.
At the nearby fort, the one conquered after the defeat of Bar Khan, is a level 14 user named Hublot. He is basically an errand boy. After washing dishes he got some fame. Then he got a quest from the Fairy Queen. It was broadcast live and people were brimming with anticipation. It turns out it was just an F rank quest to clean the dungeon and he ended up being ridiculed. However, thanks to him being there, he received a lot of valuable information. He ended up spotting Weed in his quest.
Weed started explaining how he was busy with Sculpting and the Embinyu. The Fairy Queen doesn't want to hear it, she just wants her memento from a Dragon. He pulled out the Silver Dragon Skeleton Mirror that he got from the past (or something, I forget). The Fairy Queen said some important stuff so he tried identifying the mirror before returning it but can't because he lacks magical knowledge. He makes the Fairy Queen happy earning him 1 Energy of the Moment. Since it was a C rank quest it only gave him who is now level 435 1% exp. However, the mirror also completes a bunch of other continuous quests which gives him over 20,000 fame, 3 levels and 61 Energy of the Moment. He was really expectant of a reward but instead he was offered access to the Fairy World. He had heard about this during his adventure in the past as the Desert King. He asked if he would be the first to see it but they tell him a friend of the Fairies, Petrov had already been there (or something). Weed had never heard of the guy but he was becoming quite popular on the forums. At this point, Weed starts wondering where to go hunting. He comes up with the brilliant plan of hunting in the Central Continent dungeons. Since Haven Empire is dealing with all the rebels he should be fine to go there inconspicuously (or something). If necessary he planned on using the Necromancer skills of Bar Khan, Dark Rule, Death Aura and Absolute Magic Defense. It was the absolute form all Necromancers dreamed of, the coming of a god of war. While thinking of all this, the Fairy Queen says the mirror is too heavy for Fairies to carry and wants it returned to Latua, a Dragon. Weed has to go directly to him and it's impossible for him to check the quest difficulty or even the quest limits. Weed instantly tried to refuse in a roundabout way, but the Fairy Queen said she already knows his answer and he auto-accepts the quest. Deprived of a choice! She praises him as having a strong and noble spirit that would never leave this to another human adventurer. Since he accepted the quest, he is now able to identify the mirror. It requires level 1000, 2000 Strength and Wisdom. +122 Charm, +20 Grace, 31% to reflect all attacks and curses. It lets him look all over the region once a day. It also shines when multiple enemies appear. It can also seal monsters but they must be released once a week. With his Advance 2 Blacksmith skill, he reduces equip requirements by 48%, but it was still too high for him. The Fairy Queen also gives him a 30 day time limit.
Fairy World
Weed decides on completing the quest since the penalty for failure is also pretty severe and he doesn't want Hermes to get their gritty hands on a Dragon encounter (or something). Since he had to transport the Silver Dragon Skeleton Mirror, he was reminded of his days as a courier. He called it a living hell. He transported countless electronics and sports equipment. The most terrible were books, bottled water and vegetables. The world was harsh to him during those times that he blocked the memories out for the sake of his mental health.
After reminiscing, he goes to the Fairy World. Seoyun and the Sculptures of Life are blocked from coming along. Seoyun tells him to be careful. Weed tells her nothing will happen, just wait in a safe place and don't worry about him. Still worried, he continues saying they will be together again and to trust him. Rover and Gold Man think humans are strange. After arriving, a Fairy gives him a Mystic Clover giving him 29 Energy of the Moment. He drinks directly from their fountain, gaining 13980 health, 6500 mana, +12 all stats, +10 knowledge and wisdom, 59 charm, technical skill improve faster by 3% and 61 nature affinity. After his thirst is filled he gains 5400 health for 1 week. The Fairies call drinking directly from the water dirty. Weed's connection to the Fairies spread all over Versailles Continent. The King of Ahrupan was in the position of best adventurer with real power, honor and glory. Before leaving, Weed some canteens with water. He put a bunch of dirt into a jar. His relationship with the Fairies takes a negative turn at that point with him being called a disgrace to humanity. Since it was away from Fairy World the water lost some of its effectiveness. It was at about 54%. He gives one to Seoyun who gets 2300 health and +1 all stats. He then shocks her silent by saying good thing it's not harmful, as if she was a clinical trial. He then contacts Mapan and sells the remaining water. Through the spread rumors, he makes over 2 million gold in less an hour. Weed then decides to head to Central Continent.
Day of the Attack
Weed arrived alone at Fort Moss, formerly the territory of the Tulren Kingdom. For the sake of identifying the local atmosphere, Weed went without Seoyun and the Sculptures of Life. He plans to analyze what characteristics here would be useful for Ahrupan Kingdom. As he approached the gate, the Haven Army blocked his way. He was afraid that they recognized him as the King of Ahrupan cause of his dignity. After Bradley, Weed was the next most recognizable person. He started coming up with some plan to escape. The soldier then tells him to pay the castle entrance fee, 2 gold per week. It seemed that without the Goddess Armor or Red Star, people wouldn't recognize him. In the end, his face was ordinary. After a moment in silence he asks for a discount. He tries to play off his fame and to let him enter for just one day. No exceptions. He grudgingly paid the 2 gold and screamed to himself that he would kill all of Hermes Guild.
Weed asks around the town about their opinion of Haven Empire. It's clear that everyone is feeling rebellious. He believes that Hermes Guild is definitely struggling with rebellions. The broadcasts and forums also confirmed this to be true. The situation of the empire is really unstable and the Tulren Kingdom has a very complex structure. After the defeat of Black Lions Guild, Weiden Guild took over. Hermes Guild dominates Tullen Kingdom but Weiden Guild manages it. They taxed the place severely with Hermes Guild taking a significant portion of the profits. Weed realizes that Hermes Guild hasn't finishes conquering Central Continent so he wonders why they greedily invaded the north in such a rush.
In a tavern, Weed heard the latest stories from other users. The Black Lion Guild numbering 30,000 are rebelling around somewhere so there's only a few hundred people in the castle from Hermes Guild. Walking around, Weed found out the identities of Hermes and Weiden Guild members. Hermes Guild users were proficient in combat and scattered all over him. On the other hand, the symbol of strong force makes the best food source. Weed arrives at the Gold Mine Dungeon.
There is a written sign at the entrance. The dungeon is the best gold mine in the continent. Miners are charged 10 gold a day, combat series are charged 250 gold a day. Groups of 12 or more or those staying longer than a week have to pay an extra 10%. Loot and gold obtained worth over 1000 are taxed 25% of the selling price. When you leave you have to pay half of the entrance fee.
Weed does some math for 1000 people a day. 250,000 gold per day, 7,500,000 a month, maybe even 10,000,000. He was extremely envious and put into a bad mood cause of it. They accomplished a lot while he struggles to eat. Public sentiment supported Ahrupan Kingdom so he couldn't do anything like that. To make matters worse, he reached the front of the line. A bunch of people were advertising themselves to parties. Because of the popularity, people always came. Many parties simply formed at the dungeon entrance. Merchants also set up stalls for people to buy supplies or sell loot. Thanks to optimal party configuration, people were able to level and obtain loot in scary places like the Gold Mine Dungeon. The parties also sent a barrage of invitations toward any Priests. If the party dies, the loss would be extremely large so for viability and stability they wanted multiple Priests. Occasionally, guild members from Hermes or Weiden entered the dungeon. They wore the latest advance armor on horseback with the grandeur of the conqueror of Central Continent. After a while Seoyun and Bahamol arrived. Even with a mask, Seoyun was still a phenomenal beauty. He instantly knew from her beautiful voice and the hair with fragrant scent he thought about since from the beginning. Bahamol was a Barbarian Warrior with densely woven muscles. He was at minimum level 562. Golden Bird was higher leveled, but in battle he was the strongest type. The group then headed toward the dungeon and learned about the backstory.
2 users from Hermes and 20 Knights were receiving admission. Weed remarks how meticulous Hermes is since they don't trust Weiden with this. Floating in a red color were 2 names, Derol and Chuke. They had recently killed a user somewhere. Among users from Hermes and Weiden, it was not rare for them to be killers. They might have been afraid in the past, but since they were now part of Haven Empire they flaunted their status as killers. It then describes the Daemon Sword, a level 440 sword with good damage and balance. The 2 users call them rookies since they came here with only 3 people and remark how it's none of their business if they die. Given how group dressed, they appeared to others to be under level 300. The Daemon Sword brandished, Derol is quickly killed. Chuke calls out treason as Bahamol's ax killed him in a single breath.
To be a part of Hermes, the default condition was to be at least level 400. Weed planning this since long ago had already activated Destruction Sculpting to boost his stats. The 20 Knights attack to quell the rebellion to the empire. Bahamol uses a battle cry increasing the health of friendlys by 2.5x. Protection skills of friendlys are enhanced by 3 steps. Fear of monsters is ignored. Enemy fighting spirit decreases to less than half. Damage increases by up 39% health. Bahamol decimates the Knights. A hunting party that came to the dungeon entrance could only watch on with gaping mouths. This case would not end simply with an apology. They dared to challenge Hermes and Weiden who conquered Tullen Kingdom head on.
With the battle finished, they checked the loot. With a smile of satisfaction, Weed laughed as he obtained a level 430 Knight Neck Guard, an item that would always remain popular. Just at the beginning, he obtained 58,000 gold as loot. This was because of the huge amount of admission the collectors received. Weed tells Bahamol to call the other Sculptures of Life. He asks why and Weed simply says they're going collecting. With that idea in mind, Bahamol and Seoyun ran towards the depth of the dungeon. The law of business is no laziness. The party that had just arrived at the dungeon could only stand there frozen after witnessing such a shocking sight. Soon a new party arrived asking about the Knights and whether or not this was the place for admission.
The big incident in Gold Mine Dungeon. It started from the entrance. Weiden users occupied a good spot in the dungeon and were hunting. They were attacked and blindsided by 3 people, losing their lives. 3 people showed up without even hiding their footsteps. Naturally, the Weiden users ignored them. In Central Continent, the unwritten law everyone adheres to is: do not interfere with Hermes users hunt. Weiden users in Tullen Kingdom receive the same kind of treatment. Therefore, they had no interest even when those people carrying weapons came close. They had great pride in belonging to Weiden Guild as well as confidence in their own skills. Because other users feared retaliation, practically nothing ever happened. But on this day, 4 hunting parties from Weiden and Hermes were wiped out in just over 10 minutes. Other users who came to hunt in the dungeon and encountered Hermes Guild just watched astonished. Weed glanced up and down at the users and instantly calculated the prices of the equipment they wore like a cutting edge computer. Weed decides he can't mess with the general public and urges Seoyun and Bahamol to get moving after they finished their blitz. Inside the dungeon, there was a complex terrain map to memorize. Weed simply visited the best places for Guild hunting parties. Bahamol quickly ended the life of a Wizard and the rest of the party was defeated during the panic after the death. In the narrow dungeon, Bahamol was impossibly strong. Seoyun also quickly knocked down Hermes users. There appeared to be no difficulty even when another Hermes party entered the fray. Most hunting parties were configured for efficiency with balanced attack and defense. They could not fight against Weed's classic and precise method of maximizing attack and defense. Each individual had their own share to do, if any of them break down, the framework of the party would collapse. Sometimes even at the risk of damage you had to be daring. Weed remarks that surprisingly these people don't know how to fight, they're like plants grown in a greenhouse.
After 15 minutes, rumors quickly spread that Hermes and Weiden Guilds were being hunted. The Hermes users absorbed in hunting in the dungeon were soon exposed to the news. Thinking it's just rebels or the Black Lions, they arrogantly decide to get rid of the intruders since their guild is in control of the area. They encounter Weed and a disadvantageous 3v7 fight began. Bahamol instantly neutralized 2 Knights at the same moment and thus disappeared the numerical superiority. Weed lifted his bow and shot the Priests and Wizards with arrows as Seoyun dove in with her powerful attacks. As a Berserker she increases combat ability when she enters battle. Weed with his gigantic strength and the short distance allowed his archery to easily kill the soft Wizards. The party of 3 with the strongest warrior Bahamol broke through the center. With each of them killing 1-2 people, their strength was in another dimension. After this fight, Weed realizes they know he's there. He summons Seville and Guernica and has them follow behind at a little distance as backup in the event of an unexpected emergency, even though it's been a one-sided slaughter the whole time.
Hermes Guild quickly noticed the 2 new additions. Beyond the area, they soon discovered a party from Weiden Guild. It was made of 3 Wizards, a Warrior, a Fighter (transcription/???, I probably used Swordsman in the past, my assumption is it's a DPS melee character), a Priest, a Thief, an Archer and a Knight. The first to talk was Weiden Guild's side. He asked if the girls had seen a party of 3 anywhere. With their eyes wide and shining, they asked if that was true. This was the surprised look Weed had taught them and which he used for bargaining high prices in the market. They get invited to Weiden Guild's party after some chitchat. Thanks to Weed's Blacksmithing, they were both wearing body armor. With Guernica and Seville joining the party, all jobs were changed to fit the new composition. Weed and Seoyun's party crossed paths with Weiden Guild. Guernica and Seville quickly attacked the Knights and Warriors with Bahamol as Weed and Seoyun took down the Fighters and Wizards. Even before getting combat ready, the Weiden Guild users died quickly.
Weed leveled up, being ecstatic at leveling fast from killing people. Since Hermes and Weiden were notorious murderers, even after killing them they received no penalty. They also gave a lot of experience and a higher chance of dropping good loot. Weed got a staff over level 400 and a Wind Tome. They were luxury items that could be sold for hundreds of thousands of gold. He was very satisfied hunting rogues. It was also made clear that Weiden and Hermes are lacking detailed information on their identities. Weed decides to enjoy it while it lasts. He wiped out another 4 parties from Weiden Guild.
Emergency
Gold Mine Dungeon is a very important issue for users from Hermes Guild. Hapan, Joe Drucker and Maro Master are having a conversation about the situation. Hapan warns them that they are being targeted and have already taken many casualties. He heard the news from a friend in Weiden Guild that was wiped out. Joe Drucker advises each party to be prepared and that there are at least 3-5 of them. Maro Master orders them to take a defensive position while he goes there directly to get rid of them. Hermes internal network spread word quickly, but what went through their heads was it would be interesting to see. It was very rare for Hermes Guild to ever be challenged. The observers were just stupidly waiting for the results.
Hapan quickly tells them another party was killed and to be vigilant. Since they are Hermes Guild, no more losses. Joe Drucker calls them strong individuals, but the Barbarian Warrior is an unknown so don't bother waiting for colleagues, just kill them. In the meantime, Hermes Guild users continues to die out.
After about an hour, more than 70 deaths occurred. The level 470 Maro Master finally arrived to end the incident. As soon as the battle began, he reported everything to the guild network. After describing the party, he died fairly fast. Maro Master's party was the strongest in the dungeon. With his death and annihilation, Hermes Guild embraced a higher awareness. Since they were humiliated externally, it was an emergency situation. More than 300 high level users from Central Continent were mobilized in an instant. They yelled at all the general users to get out the way and rushed to the dungeon, but by the time they reached it, 2 more parties were completely wiped out.
Weed calls himself stupid for leaving this place alone all this time. He thinks how Central Continent has so many good hunting grounds. Hermes Guild manages their ranks with strong individual skills, but Weed's party with their instantaneous power quickly penetrated the gaps. With their formation in a tangled mess and them panicking away, they could not fully utilize their skills. The presence of Bahamol was also a considerable disadvantage to Hermes Guild. He destroy them one by one in less than 10 seconds and his body blocks magic attacks. Weed praises the area again after obtaining over 2 million gold in half a day. He then disposes his loot through one of Mapan's proxy traders. Weed didn't try bargaining since Mapan's role was essential to trading the loot stolen from Central Continent. Disposing of the heavy stuff in Central Continent was just asking to be found. After completing the transaction, they registered each other as friends. The Merchant's name was Black Money. Mapan's ordinary growth was no more, after meeting Weed, his conscience was gradually reduced and his greed endlessly increased.
With the trading finished, Guernica and Seville join the party since they couldn't use the same trick twice and headed to the next place, the hidden secret of the royal family of Tullen. Back in the day, the nobility used black magic to enhance their wealth. Black magic guarded these treasures. This is such a popular place that the admission fee was 1000 gold. Weed likens it to the golden hen that lays eggs. By default, the Gold Mine Dungeon that existed underground was dark. Once the battle begins, it becomes even more difficult to see face outline and Weed was not wearing his usual goddess armor. With ordinary intermediate armor, he was hiding his identity. He didn't use Shape Shifter Sculpture since it wasn't very meaningful on a battlefield. And it was only a matter of time before Hermes Guild do an image analysis of the battle and notice his identity. The 4 Hermes users receiving admission were quickly rushed to death. They threatened Weed with he will regret this day for life. He just yells bring on the money and cut the enemies down without hesitation. The man called God of War in Continent of Magic was being drastically revived. He chanting gold. Of course he wanted to harm Hermes Guild, but the loot made up a significant portion as well. After dominating the entrance, Weed and his party rushed into the depths of hell. The area wasn't as complicated as Gold Mine Dungeon. At intersections, Hermes had built rest areas. Hermes Guild party hunting around there were killed without hesitation.
The 300 users from Hermes Guild had gathered at Gold Mine Dungeon. With their enemies having apparently disappeared, they began talking with each other. Tenjin then informs them through the guild network that Atalog's Devil Lair has been raided by the same intruders. Although still unsure who it is, they decide to charge in and hunt them down. Knights sprinted with their horses and Wizards cast teleport. In a short period of time, 4 parties in Atalog were defeated. After eradicating the enemies, they quickly went to maintenance. Also, regular users within Atalog suddenly heard rumors. As Weed's party passed them, they would bring both hands together and tell them to be careful and to defeat Hermes. Priests would healed and blessed them without saying a word. Some users even had information to help. They told Weed about incoming hostiles. Despite being in enemy territory, they wanted to help Weed. Afraid of retaliation from Hermes, their clear limit was secret help to a modest degree. The users were also worried about him and told him to run away. Weed thanks them for the concerns but states he never backs away during collection.
Some curious onlookers stopped hunting and followed Weed. With Hermes Guild that dominated the supremacy of Royal Road suffering so many casualties, it was a huge topic. Videos spread on the internet as stations broadcasted the events. Weed could stop the spectators but left them alone. He was satisfied actively promoting Hermes Guild users losing.
Weed and company confronted 3 battle groups waiting for him. A blazing fireball came flying toward Weed, Bahamol and Seoyun. It was a skill that required a long casting time and level 430 at minimum. In exchange, when it is slashed, it creates an explosion that deals damage to the surroundings. Weed orders Bahamol to go forward. Hermes users coldly smile calling them stupid about not knowing anything about magic. They felt Bahamol was pathetic and that he would be turned into a lump of charcoal while his colleagues suffer formidable damage. Hermes Guild's Knights and Warriors were ready to go out front running. They didn't plan on giving them an opportunity to escape during the magical explosion. Hermes unloaded all their magic attacks at Bahamol. However, after the explosion, Bahamol just stood there completely fine. The Warriors and Knights started blaming the Wizards. The Wizards on the other hand were completely dumbfounded. The combined might of the magic that took 2/3 of their mana was completely nullified. Bahamol then started attacking, launching the frontline 10 meters away. Seville and Guernica attacked from the left and right. Hermes users fell down but quickly got back up and fought. Thanks to the support from Priests and Shamans they were ready for a battle of attrition. Even though Bahamol seemed impregnable, they didn't foolishly decide to forcefully breakthrough and put themselves at significant risk. Instead they surrounded the party on all sides with the intention of breaking the defensive formation. At this point in time, Weed approached Hermes Guild from behind. Using the smoke from the explosion, he launched a sneak attack. Although he was no match for Thief stealth skills, with their horizontal view blocked, he easily made use of their blind spots. With all of them focused on Bahamol, he quietly slipped to the back. With his Destruction Sculpting enhancing his strength and the unprotected Priests, he destroyed them in an instant. In a short period of time, the entire 3 battle groups were wiped out.
Viewers started to doubt their eyes after that. Weed steadily collected the items. He went jackpot since he was getting items that would usually take 10,000 monsters to drop. He was also leveling at an extremely fast rate. This was an almost impossible rate but since the enemies were killers with high notoriety, he gained that much more exp. Of course, the risk cannot be compared to normal hunting.
Forced to follow Weed into Atalog Devil Lair, Hermes Guild even with their pride escaped from the monsters. Weed on the other hand obtained a Devil Helmet from one of the monsters. 161 Defense, cruel mind causes Fear, Faith decreases by 3 daily, Defense increases as you endure attacks, Absolute Defense occasionally nullifies attacks, Warlock Magic must be at a higher level than yours to work, 98 Wisdom, 115 Knowledge, reduced Dark Magic mana cost, 12% combat skill enhancement, 8000 battle fame. With the helmet, he becomes able to lead the evil spirits. He drags them to massacre Hermes Guild while he makes ramen for the party.
God of War Weed
Hermes users sprinting toward Atalog Devil Lair were shocked by the news. They reports summarized the incident: the 3 party coalition was wiped out, the raiders are dragging evil spirits around the dungeon, victims exceed 70 people, and all guild users are expected to be wiped out soon. Normal raiders would have been defeated by a normal Hermes Guild party. Because Hermes Guild gathered the strong from Versailles Continent, those who can resist are rare. Only 5 people killed over 100 giving them the impression of being unstoppable. It was hard to imagine such a demonstration of force. Since they weren't taking damage from the evil spirits, they assumed he was over level 550. They think if it's not the level, then it's because of a quest. They go back to numbers saying it's 5v300. The users still thought they would win anyway.
While running in the narrow dungeon, someone starts saying how it's unusual for a user in Royal Road to be this strong. Upon listening to the stories about the raiders, it instantly reminded him of a certain person. Most of the people thought about Kallis from the Black Lions Guild roaming around. The name that came out was Royal Road's representative of strength, Weed. Some of them agree that if it was Weed, it was certainly possible. But after saying it out loud, they are in disbelief. Regardless of Bradley, the only one who could claim to be the God of War was Weed. Despite Hermes Guild's pride and arrogance, they suffered much defeat and frustration. They tell the guy to stop joking and listen to how ridiculous that sounds. He tries to continue speaking, but everyone else just says Weed is in the north and wouldn't appear here, stop bullshitting and keep moving. A Fighter suppressed the talking and got them running, but the name Weed did not leave their minds. They think about what user can exert these capabilities. This method of fighting did not occur in spacious Versailles Continent but within dungeons. Weed is adapt at commanding strong subordinates and the Barbarian Warrior had tremendous activity in the last war. They kept getting a foreboding feeling and decided to check. Mobilizing their contacts, they gathered all the knowledge available and asked the victims of the raiders. Maro Master replied in 1-2 minutes that he already suspected Weed. They slowed their pace and started working on their analysis of the raiders. The more they thought about it, the more sense it made because of Weed's proficiency and ruthlessness. Although not totally convinced, they were 80% sure it was Weed. They quicken their pace thinking it's a great opportunity to spread their name and that killing Weed will play a great role in unifying the continent.
In just an hour, they reached Atalog Devil Lair with their horses foaming at the mouth. Around the entrance, normal users had all gathered around. With rumors spreading of the famous Hermes Guild being attacked, all the nearby people came to watch. They start talking about how it's Weed and that he already practically wiped out Hermes Guild. As evidence, they use the fact that he's leading around the evil spirits to fight like how God of War Weed did in Continent of Magic. They want to enter the Devil Lair to see him, but Hermes Guild stood at the entrance blocking them. They temporarily close off the dungeon. With the upcoming violent battle, it was a must for them to keep out spectators. In addition, this also prevented spectators from helping Weed or hindering them. They entered in groups of 200 to kill Weed. More than 400 people who gathered at the entrance to Devil Lair began planning out the fight. Weed tricked them in the past at Las Phalanx, but this time there would be no distractions. They threw out general users hunting in the Devil Lair as they thoroughly out the search.
Weed informs one of the evil spirits that Tullen Kingdom has collapsed and the queen is dead. He laments that his black magic is now useless. Pretending not to know anything, Weed asks if the guy developed any black magic. He asks what the greatest human desire is. Weed answers beauty. The spirit had been studying black magic to maintain the queen's youth and beauty forever. Since the queen is gone he gives his results to Weed instead. Weed obtains 3 Black Magic Beauty Potions (or something). Strength, Health and Agility +20, Charm and Faith decline in exchange. Reduces Luck. Takes 1 year off of Versailles Continent body. At night, skin turns black and a devil takes over. Because of its power, after sunset you turn into a monster. Weed decided to sell it off to people. When the spirit asks him to help him gather materials, he informs him that he already knows the location is the Rotten Foam Swamp since a Necromancer/Dark Gamer posted details about it.
Mapan then whispers Weed that Weiden and Hermes are gathering a massive army to hunt him down. He replies that he already knows and that it be fine. Although he would make use of the narrow terrain, it would be difficult to assure victory against a swarm of enemies constantly supported by Priests. He decides to maximize a hectic assault. Weed recalled when he destroyed prestigious guilds in Continent of Magic. Even for small interferences, he would retaliate 100 times without hesitation. After they talk about compromise, he pretended to think about it, then refused negotiations and killed them. Weed asks if Seoyun thinks he is the bad guy. Of course, Seoyun shook her head. He tells her he tried to be good but it's the community that's rotten. She agrees with a simple yes.
In just barely a few hours, the Gold Mine Dungeon and Atalog Devil Lair raid spread all over the continent. Hermes and Weiden Guilds suffering genocide was a hot topic on viewer videos and forums. Someone attacked Hermes Guild. 200-300 users lost their lives. The culprits disappeared into Atalog Devil Lair. Broadcasters conveyed breaking news as they introduced a video. Through on expert detailed analysis, Weed's identity as the raider became known as fact. They talk about how Weed's getting revenge for the destruction of the Earth Palace and that the God of War has made his move.
He made an appearance in Central Continent and blitzed Hermes Guild. Despite their progress searching through Atalog, Weed and his companions were not found. This topic was big enough that all users in the continent were bustling over it. A day passed. As Royal Road and the internet got turned upside down, Weed finished hunting in the Rotten Foam Swamp. Since he got so much stuff from the Gold Mine Dungeon, he decides to invade the Citadel next. The Citadel sounds menacing, but it was basically ruins. It was a place taken over by Thieves. It was large scale group living in the Citadel with a basic level of 390. It had a mix of Archers, Wizards, Assassins, runaway mercenaries. Once they took residence, it became a dangerous area in Versailles Continent. They frequently looted the nearby cities. However, as time passed and the overall level of users increased, the fort was transformed into a great hunting ground. After completing the subjugation, you obtained great quest rewards, combat materials from the Thieves and even special treasures. The Citadel was one of the leading hunting grounds in Central Continent. Weed's mouth swiftly turned into a smile. Hermes Guild surely suffered damage from the Northern Invasion. Now that he came out to Central Continent, he had endless methods to deploy. In Continent of Magic, he noticed every time he used tricks, enemy concentration easily broke. Weed calls the Citadel an exciting festival. Seoyun watched as he took pride in being a villain. One of the Wyverns then complains about being overworked. Weed tells him to enjoy this while he can, they haven't even gotten started yet. The Wyverns were stuck transporting all of Weed's loot from the Rotten Foam Swamp. Weed tells them he will give them warm fleece clothing after this. They cry tears of joy while Seoyun pats the head of the one she's riding on and thinks to herself, pitiful. She also wonders if the ride will be more comfortable with their fleece clothing.
Rafael is informed that Weed is the raider. With Haven Empire in the midst of rebellion information on Weed was not as important. Rafael was distressed since this is the first time Weed was being proactive and he didn't know whether or not this was retaliation or he was just poking around. Although their forces were stretched thin dealing with the rebels, Rafael decides to take out Weed by forming an army and encircling him. When told Weed's Wyverns are about, he gives the order to launch the Gryphon Legion. As one of the most powerful armies within Haven Empire it was no joke to send them for just one person. Rafael calms down and realizes it's better to focus on stabilizing internal affairs than send a large number of people to chase down one single person. Their reputation would take a major hit just to kill Weed even once. Instead, he decides to place a bounty on Weed.
Catastrophic Strike
Weed stood on a plateau, overlooking the Citadel. He revealed his teeth with a laugh as well as a cruel, despicable and white teeth showing smile. Seoyun quit access earlier to prepare dinner. She was very helpful during battle, but even so the power was maintained. He had been saving more vicious and lethal methods to use. 7 Hermes Guild users were sitting around a bonfire in the area. They kept laughing how they were different from the people hunting Weed. With Gold Man, Rover, Bahamol, Guernica, Seville, Index, High Elf Eltin and White Tiger, he approached the users. While joking the Weed would never come to the Citadel, they are ambushed and killed. Weed summons his Elemental Spirits Heulkun (Earth), Hwaldyi (Fire) and Xing Xing (Wind) and they praise him as soon as they appear.
Looting the items, he instinctively feels depressed since Hermes Guild probably knows about his presence now. He psyches himself up to get his head out of the gutter. He quickly orders his subordinates to move. Telling himself the Citadel is a perfect place to hunt users since only Hermes Guild users are given access to the area. He summons Tori and Van Hawk to fight as well. Silver Bird is used to scout the enemies around them to target. They encounter a Thief patrol unit. The area usually requires 30-100 people. Citadel is near perfect which is why the risk is that high. They met 12 Thieves who were quickly decimated. 4 of them ran away while Weed and company killed the rest. The reason why the place is really good is if you don't hunt down the runaways, they bring more people back. As you go deeper into the Citadel, it gets tougher because of traps and natural defenses. Inside held many drunken Thieves. It was a great place to level stealth skills. If you were caught inside, you and your entire party would be annihilated. Weed did not try to prevent the fleeing Thieves from escaping and tells Eltin to leave them alone. She tells him they are dangerous but Weed says they need to recover from their exhaustion. He contemplates how risky sieging the castle will be while under fire from Hermes. When the Sculptures of Life ask if he will retreat, he simply stares at the Citadel. Running was never the way of Weed, Continent of Magic's God of War.
Weed screams at the Thieves in the Citadel that he's going to steal all the treasure they have. Hermes users around think whoever's yelling that is crazy. A group of 100 Thieves went out hunting. As the 2 sides fought, Hermes shouted swears at Weed. Hermes users, spending more time hunting than in cities were strong. Even so, of the 70 users, only 23 survived. After the ordeal, the Hermes users felt a sense of accomplishment. Fighting against all those Thieves gave them considerable fame and an achievement. Achievements don't often occur for combat series jobs. Although there were many sacrifices, they took pride in defeating the Thieves. They think how even though they feel for Weed's trap, they still survived. They then start talking about how Weed isn't a big deal and their plans about broadcasting. Just then, arrows rain upon them. They assume it is more Thieves and run for cover. Somehow, they wanted to survive since the cost of dying at a high level was too big. They think how the enemy is dirty and decide to wait for someone else to defeat the enemy instead of risking their own lives. The arrows then started bending and piercing through. Hermes users peaked their heads out and find Weed humming as he shot arrows. One of them boldly came out of cover and failed to avoid a rain of arrows. While their colleague sacrificed himself, the others escaped, Hermes Guild's loyalty. The users who ran away were ambushed by White Tiger. Weed spoke slowly that they should take their time, every one of them will die. It was a tone that gave the impression no defiance. In Continent of Magic, indiscriminate slaughter with despicable and lethal tricks that ruthlessly plagued prestigious guilds. But the scariest thing above all were the words at the end. God is reminding you he will kill every one, no exceptions. Weed asks what happens when milk is delivered late, unlisted labor costs are taken, young kids these days are so weak. Users belonging to Hermes Guild that dominated the supremacy of Versailles Continent did not know what it means to suffer. Not until they were deprived of life did they begin to realize they were prey.
Weed destroyed the rest of the Thieves and opened a safe in the Citadel. He received an achievement for completing the Citadel. Completing Gold Mine Dungeon, Attalog Devil Lair and Citadel was just the beginning. At Tomb of the Shield, Wizard's Plateau Dungeon and Valkyrie's Secret Base, Weed exterminated all users from Hermes Guild. In a period of just 3 days, 470 users dead! In the aftermath, Hermes users out of fear ran away from the hunting grounds. Even so, Weed still enjoyed this as many famous dungeons became empty because of this. He used Shape Shifter Sculpture to disguise himself and paid the admission to hunt in dungeons like normal users. With Destruction Sculpture, he cleared all sorts of dungeons. He also got benefits from bringing along Seoyun and the Sculptures of Life. As a result, he achieved 15-25 achievements in each dungeon. With his popularity, when general users approached for his autograph, he instead sold them sculptures. Some users criticized how it was made of junk material and that 30 gold was too expensive. Even with Weed's skill, it still feels like a rip off. This gave Weed a bad mood but he still grudgingly haggled to 20 gold, using the excuse he wants people to see his sculptures. He does this since he can earn Energy of the Moment this way when people become happy. More important than money was his skill proficiency.
Raiding Haven Empire
I sort of stopped caring at this point.
With his activity in Central Continent become widely known, residents talked daily about him killing Knights and Wizards from Hermes Guild daily while solving quests at an unprecedented speed. He also sold his videos to the broadcasters. He gave one of them 3 hours of exclusiveness. The audience loved the videos. They compared the contents to Hermes Northern Invasion. It was impossible to compare scale, but there were much higher ratings because the risk of Weed's adventure went beyond normal. Because of a stagnation of videos since the last secret sculpting skill quest and the battle of Earth Palace, the broadcast stations returned to life with the new content.
Architects responsible for building a new palace were going all out. Unskilled Architects were hired as assistants. Since Weed is proficient with Light Sculpting, they had to make sure the lights were great. Lots of other Sculptors also came to work on the project since unlike other places, they weren't persecuted in Morata.
The Swords were hunting down ghosts. Irene was there healing the Swords even though they always refused to run from dangerous battles. To them, no other Priests they met could compare to her. They then started digging for treasure while Irene purified the place. They talked about their problems with women. The men who didn't have girlfriends yet thought they had to be stronger to get one. After finding the buried treasure they return to Morata and learn of Weed's adventure in Central Continent. The Swords got pissed at Weed because while they were digging he was off having epic battles. Then they see graffiti on the walls that was basically women offering themselves to Weed. The Swords became extremely angry and decide on invading Haven Empire. Although Pale and his party were planning on following them since they had nothing else to do, he still asked about the information on the enemy that they were lacking. The Swords come up with the ignorant solution of for now just attack.
The Black Knight's Fate
Weed has been hunting for about 10 days because there's only 20 days left for his Silver Dragon Skeleton Mirror quest. He thinks about how he's gaining a lot of benefits thanks to all the circumstances. At level 441, he decides to make a new Sculpture of Life. He wants a Priest he can always call to his side for himself and Seoyun. He decides on the Lou denomination since it is widespread and powerful and he can get Alveron from Freya. While creating it, he starts thinking about trafficking Sculptures of Life for money. He makes a very beautiful female Lou Priest sculpture. Once he gave her life, he had to set a name. Most of Weed's Sculptures of Life were masculine and the female ones like Eltin, Seville and Guernica had official names since they were made by another Sculptor. He decided on Eun-Sook. Gold Man says how she will now be his wife. She rejects him saying as a Priest, she belongs to god. This shook not only Gold Man but Weed as well who was planning on a golden chicken farm.
Weed's bounty is officially placed. Set to 70 million gold, a lot of bounty hunters, even though they had nothing against him set off to hunt him. As he left a dungeon, people identified him by his ordinary outfit and some special boots. They all started thinking they wanted those boots for themselves. They would have overwhelmed Weed with their numbers so he started killing them which in turn increased his notoriety. He got a bunch of loot from them and reveled in the thrilling challenge of being attacked from all sides like back in Continent of Magic. Feeling the tension and concentration in his spine that he hadn't felt for a long time, he says how it will be more fun from now on.
Bradley gets a quest called Emperor's Anxiety. It's restricted to Black Knights that became Emperors. He has to kill an NPC Knight. The quest gave permanent stat increases so it was very attractive to Bradley. Normally to get stat increases he would need achievements in hunting grounds, but this would give them to him in exchange for killing a simple Knight. He quickly accepted it. After he finishes the quest, he gets many more similar ones that involve killing NPCs that are planning rebellions. These quests also boosts his experience and skill proficiency immensely. With each quest, Bradley became stronger and stronger.

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