Volume 31 Chapter 2

"Ah, art is art. I need to earn money."

It really was difficult trying to devise a secret sculpting technique.

"I need something that makes it easy to earn money during a hunt as well as be useful during a quest."

The reason was his endless greed!

"A sculpture can't be reversed once it is created...."

It was like deciding between jajangmyeong (black bean noodles) or jjampong (spicy seafood stew) when asked what food he would want to eat forever. Of course, a skill with deep artistry would be produced.

He thought regretfully about the standards of the sculpture he created so far. It was a sculpture so there was restrictions places on the subject and construction. A painting could draw the sky and the ocean but a sculpture couldn't do that. A picture just needed to be elegantly painted while every part of the sculpture needed to be individually created.

They were both artists but one had the job of a manual labourer! Creating a skill that raised awareness about the lack of expression available to a sculptor would help the development of novice sculptors.

"If I do that then I will regret it forever. I will also grow old and die. The stress might shorten my life expectancy."

It was an important decision so it became difficult the more he thought about it.

"I'll think about it after raising my Sculpting skill. Anyway, I still have to master the skill in order to completely bring the Class Quest to an end."

His choice was to suspend it for the moment! Weed sent a whisper to Pale.

-Where are you?

-I'm playing at Wyvern Square. Surka has come and we're going to do a quest to collect colourful, patterned snake skin.

This was a quest popular with the high level users in Morata. If they caught a snake with very strong poison and brought the skin then it could be sold for an expensive price. It was a quest only given to trusted people so many users tried to raise their intimacy to receive it.

-I'm currently at Light Square so I will head there.

Weed spent some time clearing a simple quest with Pale's party. Of course, his mind was still full of thoughts about making wealth from his secret sculpting technique.

"There is the cave of some thieves nearby. Those guys have gathered together some wealth. They should be quickly subdued... If you give me a bottle of sake then I will tell you their location."

"There is no drink for you. Tell me where it is."

"Your Majesty!"

He forcefully acquired the quests from Morata residents that gave good rewards.

"Here are the things you requested."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Looking after a lowly person like me...."

"Your words are too long. Quickly give me the money you promised."

"I'm grateful for Your Majesty's favour. Here, it is lacking but this is what I can give you."

Weed was the king so he got 50% more than the average reward. It was to the extent that he could even take the cloaks off a mother and child if he wanted.

"There is a reason why people desire power."

The other spectators enviously watched Weed receive the quests.

"He isn't receiving the quest because he is a trustworthy person. It is only because he is the king."

"Even if he wasn't the king, he is Weed-nim so it would be easy for him to receive the quests. He had fame and credibility."

"Kya. I'd like to have a growth like that."

Someone possessing fame and power would naturally receive the envy of others. Surka found it strange so she asked.

"Isn't such simple quests boring for Weed-nim? We just need to go to the place, catch the monster and return."

The party seemed to have the misleading idea that he was always going on big adventures. Weed liked the simple but tasty requests the most. Sometimes it was more efficiency to hunt quickly then to go to an excessively dangerous place.

"The last person who went there was an experienced adventurer. However they died so you need to prepare thoroughly....."

"Give me this request."

"Yes Your Majesty!"

He received a quest to clean out a dungeon in the Arpen Kingdom from the residents. Right now there were many high level users in the north. After the guilds that wielded power in the Central Continent collapsed, the general users would take their friends and colleagues to the north.

Now it was common to see level 300s recruiting at the squares and rarely some level 400s. It still wasn't easy to see level 400s even in the Central Continent. But users with the best force were gathering in Morata, the Arpen Kingdom's capital so sometimes it was possible to see them.

Beginners were jealous of those high level users. They showed off their wealth to the people living in shacks and the houses by the river.

Of course, Weed wasn't worried about this large wealth gap. He preferred it because the tax income would increase aggressively.

Adventurers and explorers moved to the north but they still failed to clear all the dungeons. There were places where party members were killed or it was too dangerous so they left in the middle. Weed accepted a quest for one of those places.

"Bahamorg."

"You called."

"You are the former protector of the Arpen Empire so your sword and shield skills must be incredible."

"I can fight a little bit."

"But while you were dead, many strong monsters came to the continent before you were revived with my great sacrifice. No matter what you say now... Hmm!"

"Kuooh, where is that location!"

Weed had a level 548 barbarian warrior to back him. Bahamorg naturally strode in front as they entered the dungeon. Maylon asked with concern.

"Can we leave it to him?"

"Of course. We'll be fine. He was the guardian of the Arpen Empire."

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

Kwa kwang, kwang, kwaaang!

"Intruders."

"We can't let them steal the treasure so trigger the traps!"

The dungeon's trap and magic attacks hit Bahamorg's body!

"Kurehah!"

Bahamorg cried out as he fought. It was a warrior's cry that temporarily boosted the morale, health and defense of all allies.

Surka screamed with glee after confirming her state.

"Kkyak! Totally amazing! My health seems to have doubled."

"I am a magician and it grew by 3 times."

Romuna was a magician and her health rose dramatically so there was no need to mention Maylon, Zephyr who was a fisherman and Pale who was an archer. Weed had very low health yet in this battle it increased by 70,000.

'For a warrior like this to vanish and die....'

A warrior was indispensable when hunting in a party for a reason. If they lacked ability when entering a dungeon then it could be really dangerous. Their defense might weaken because the durability of their armour fell or they couldn't block the attacks with their shield. Furthermore, their vitality quickly reduced and a knight had the weakness of not being able to move quickly in a battle.

There were numerous advantages and disadvantages for the knight class but this weakness made many users uncomfortable. A knight could increase their speed on horseback or using charging skills but that was restricted in forests, dungeons and on mountains. The knight had various complicated aspects while a warrior was like an iron wall in battle. They had solid defense to fight monsters, could handle all types of weapons and were agile.

Bahamorg overwhelmed the monsters in front of him so much that it was like taking candy from a baby, taking school fees away, stealing milk to eat, snatching shoes or taking away toys.

"Radiant Sword!"

Weed, Maylon and Pale focused on ranged attacks. The skill level had increased so the previous sparrows had changed. Now an eagle opened its wings and attacked! It was fast like an arrow and displayed exquisite acrobatics when encountering an obstacle in the air. The range also increase so it was an effective and brilliant technique for hunting from a distance.

He wore the Goddess' Knight, Baharan's Bracelet and Seulroeo's Ring for their mana recovery options so he didn't need to worry about saving mana.

"If electricity and gas was like this then the cities would be really happy!"

If he stopped the magic or arrow attacks from the opponent then he could use Moonlight Sculpting Blade to counterattack. Radiant Sword was different from Moonlight Sculpting and used brilliant light to attack and defend at the same time from a distance.

Bahamorg was at the front and he also utilized the prominent abilities of his faithful subordinates, Van Hawk and Torido. It wasn't even necessary to use the other sculptural lifeforms.

"Ummoooooo. I'm happy."

"A surplus seems to be occurring in my life, gol gol gol!"

Goldman and Yellowy liked it at first but they soon missed Weed.

"I can do some work. Ummoooooo."

"Master, I would like to go with you. Gol gol gol!"

The wyverns, Bingryong and Phoenix were subordinates that he mainly used to fight outside. However Goldman and Yellowy after went together with him so they were more attached.

"I would love to go with you too but... The meal expenses are valuable so I will call when you are needed."

Weed abandoned his subordinates that he used cruelly in the past! He bad the news of the Hermes Guild occupying the Central but Weed just continued doing quests with his colleagues. They exterminated every type of monster in the dungeons!

In addition to the area around Vargo Fortress, the Arpen Kingdom's territory had expanded so it was worth exploring the dungeons.

?????????????????????

"The japtem from the monsters doesn't lie!"

Weed gained 3 more levels to reach 418 and his sculpting skill proficiency increased by 3.2%. He repeated hunting and sculpting from morning to evening so this outcome was an accumulation of his hard work. The loot he obtained from the dungeons could be reworked with his blacksmith, sewing and sculpting skills. A shabby object passing through Weed's hands could be sold for a high price!

"I need a priest."

"The religious societies have been waiting for Weed-nim's request. Priests will gladly follow you."

Weed was hunting with Pale's party and Seo-yoon so he also hired priests to help. He had a lot of contributions with the Freya Church but he wanted to save it for the future and not waste it on priests. He had formed many friendly relations and achievements with other religious societies after creating the Garden of the Gods.

In addition to the well-known Freya Church and Church of Lugh, there were many followers for the other sculptures. The religious societies followed and built a platform in Morata. Once the religious societies came to Morata, Weed's achievements would rise periodically every month because he ruled the place. Therefore he didn't need to worry about achievements and could continue mobilizing 1~2 priests.

There was the donations from users to the Garden of the Gods so the Freya Cathedral earned huge amounts of money! Weed didn't hand out any money but the religious societies were able to rapidly grow due to these donations. Cathedrals sprang up and recruited knights.

Even if Morata's military wasn't mobilized, monsters wouldn't dare come near the city thanks to the paladins. It was to the extent that beginners had to go to distant places to hunt dangerous animals and monsters. As Vargo Fortress subdued more monsters, their territory spread and the living area of the residents widened.

After the construction of the Grand Buildings and the Garden of the Gods, the taxes piled up and the Arpen Kingdom had abundant finances again. Apart from maintaining Morata and Vargo Fortress, it was also used to defend the granaries and mines away from the cities.

The scale of the army needed to triple in order to defend the expand territory from the invasion of monsters as well as defend the mines.

"Texture Sword Technique. Teacher-nim really is great."

He also used the sword technique he learnt from Geomchi in battle.

Geomchi showed the secret to dealing with certain and their weaknesses according to the habit or skill of the monsters. Weed spend one day learning Texture Sword Technique and the skill was formed. It was a really difficult technique but it felt fantastic when it exploded.

You have become slightly familiar with the Texture Sword Technique.

He was able to hold out against any type of monster thanks to the Goddess' Knight Armour and the priests' healing. His party was fully equipped with the resources needed to hunt. Weed's hunting efficiency had no choice but to be astonishing.

"Oh, this dungeon took a total of 3 hours and 40 minutes to break through."

"That is 7 minutes faster than yesterday."

"The record for other parties is 5 hours and 57 minutes but we....."

"He truly is the master of hunting."

Even Pale's party couldn't believe the hunting speed so it a video was posted on the bulletin boards then people would doubt it. Weed, Seo-yoon and Bahamorg swept through the dungeons with the help of a male priest.

Pale, Maylon, Romuna, Irene, Surka, Hwaryeong and Bellot also provided a combination of various professions. But if he was talking about necessary skills, Seo-yoon's combat ability was always great. Weed's hunting speed started to ramp up even more once she demonstrated the berserker's abilities.

This crazy hunting allowed him to identify the skills, vitality and health of his colleagues. Once Weed had an excellent grasp on the situation then he could dominate the battlefield. The cooperation between his colleagues meant their speed and force increased.

"This is good after the loneliness of hunting."

Weed was enjoying the sensation of growth.

"There should be some room for this as well."

He carved sculptures during the break. He had many adventures in the meantime so his stats and skills grew much faster than users of a similar level. Usually once someone reached level 400, the experience when catching monsters wouldn't stack up that well so the growth became slow. Weed had suffered in the beginning but he didn't think it was that difficult to raise his level thanks to his sculptural lifeforms and skills.

"It is already difficult."

Bardray and even Seo-yoon were competitors that had been running ahead of him for a long time. He had lived a long time by himself. Weed noticed that Seo-yoon fought aggressively to catch even one more monster.

The accumulated experience and loot overflowed. The fat stomach of the merchant Mapan wobbled as he made himself useful.

"A secret sculpting technique useful for hunting would be perfect."

Weed was still postponing his decision about the secret sculpting technique. He already knew that the other secret sculpting techniques had limitations. Sculptural Life Bestowal caused his level and art stat to fall while Sculpting Blade wasn't invincible.

Sculpting Blade had the enormous effect of ignoring the opponent's damage but the attack damage wasn't high and the limits were revealed when fighting Bardray.

Moonlight Sculpting Blade used light to attack and defend but the mana consumption was too serious. The mana consumption was three times higher than Sculpting Blade and he didn't have the Goddess' Knight Armour then. He couldn't use it excessively when surrounded by enemies.

Sculpture Transformation used the features of other races but was based on his original ability while he could die with Great Disaster Nature Sculpting if he made the slightest mistake. The Elemental Creation Skill from King Belsos could create elementals but that was no use to Weed. He could make more money from selling items he acquired!

"One of the skills is defective."

It would be good if he could develop a technique that he could take advantage of during a hunt. The number of times he could use the technique depended on the sculpture created. Weed really wanted to give birth to a skill he wouldn't regret.

?????????????????????

Oh Dong-min slept in for a long time on Sunday.

"Hahhh! The ice cream in the house is all wiped out. Are there any interesting television programmes?"

In Royal Road he was Pale who took pride in hitting 100 arrows in 100 arrows but in reality he was an ordinary college student.

He appeared on television during Weed's adventures and was indirectly a celebrity as well. His phone started being active with called from old friends that he could barely remember anymore.

"Today I don't have to go anywhere and can rest in my house. I can leisurely read the book <Pork and Expresso>."

He had recently spent so much time hunting that he wanted one day to relax. Oh Dong-man sat on the couch reading a book and dozing off while his mother cut an apple for him.

"Was my son sleeping?"

"Ah... It was only for a short time."

"What are you doing in the evening? Is there anything you would like to eat?"

"Mom I want pork spine soup."

"Then I will visit the mart later. By the way Son, you're not connecting today?"

"I'm going to rest at home."

"Then can you buy Mom the merchant exclusive apron?"

"I'll buy it next time."

Oh Dong-man had to eat two boiled potatoes that night.

?????????????????????

"You're injured. Please be careful."

Irene was carrying out charitable activities near Morata's south gates. She treated the beginners injured while hunting deer and wolves!

"Wah, my health only has 200 health left yet it has been cured! Priest-nim, thank you."

"No. That's okay. If you get hurt then come again."

The beginners praised her actions like she was an angel.

'The south gate's priestess.'

'She has a gentle character.'

'If I'm hurt then I should go to the woman in the green hat.'

Irene also gave blessings to the warriors. Treating people who came into the city was ideal for increasing the skill proficiency.

"Angelic."

"I should marry someone like that as my wife....."

A lot of men also showed interest in her. There was a reason why gentle women were popular through the generations. However Irene didn't permit any of the men to approach.

"I'm sorry."

"Perhaps if you don't have a boyfriend....."

"I don't want to meet a man right now."

"I see. If you change your mind later then look for Romomo."

"Yes. I'll do that."

Irene intended to meet only one man in her life. Date one man and then marriage!

Sometimes Irene also had stress accumulate. Normally the priest profession was so boring that some would doze off in battle. When hunting at night, many priests could relax and even sleep for a brief moment. The priest class was long and boring because they only gave treatment. They could even go for walks with their cats or dogs.

A priest was necessary during hunting so they received preferential treatment but it was a class that required being able to withstand boredom. It was a class for someone with a relaxed, comfortable and quiet nature!

Yet Irene was extremely busy once the whirl of fighting started. Weed hunted roughly so his damage from monsters was higher. He had the habit of moving away from Pale and the other members to more difficult places. Therefore Irene was breathless trying to support them.

"Ah, how painful."

Irene laughed like an angel while giving treatment at the gate. She was waiting for Hwaryeong and Bellot. The method to relieve stress was shopping. Evening was the time to wander around Morata's leather stores for discounts. They had the hobby of going to the night market at dawn in search of pretty accessories.

"A dedicated priest unit these days....."

?????????????????????

The Cloud Guild controlled more than 90% of the Britten Alliance Kingdom. They had conquered a kingdom so their pride was very large. But after the Hermes Guild invaded, a huge gap was revealed as they were defeated.

"The death toll is 48,000. Fort Langbot has been taken."

"What about the military fortress Yabollis?"

"It is surrounded by enemies."

"But the defense power isn't ordinary so it should be able to hold up for 3 months."

"Although there are problems with supplies, the food amount is good enough. Meals will be supplied in the fortress."

"What should we do?"

"We're lacking in extra consumables like arrows, armour and weapons. We will run out after a few battles."

The Cloud Guild was having a serious meeting in their conference room.

They hadn't thought their power was that far behind the Hermes Guild. The Hermes Guild had superior in terms of fame and military power but they thought their overall power was similar. There were many strong principalities with a prosperous economy in the Britten Alliance Kingdom so they thought they could overcome the power gap.

They were proud because they managed to secure a kingdom every time they fought. But the power of the Hermes Guild was beyond what people expected. Their knights had a very high level and expensive equipment.

After the Kallamore Kingdom became incorporated into Haven, they had 100,000 commanders experienced in battle! The Cloud Guild had 50,000 commanders but they failed to respond properly. They couldn't pass judgement quickly against the enemy and became overwhelmed.

In actual combat, there was such a large gap that it was an embarrassing defeat. The Cloud Guild was pushed by the quality of the commanders and knights.

"It isn't necessary to go out and fight a short term competition."

"If we endure for a little bit then it is possible to gather the army in order to counterattack. We also have to give more training to the soldiers who will fight in the war."

They could use the siege time in order to hire mercenaries for the Britten Alliance Kingdom but the other cities would be vulnerable. The free cities don't have high walls and their defences were fragile. To make matters worse, the military fortress didn't have the proper supplies prepared. The Cloud Guild didn't replenish the supplies every time they used it.

The Cloud Guild was a guild that grew up in the Britten Alliance Kingdom. They had never suffered a civil war between countries so there was no experience with a siege. The castle lords only posted archers and wizards on the walls to withstand a siege. But the weak walls wouldn't be able to hold out against the Haven Kingdom's army.

"If we stop Bardray then there should be some chances....."

"How is the situation with the mercenary support? If they join the war then increase their pay."

"Almost no users have come out. It is because they are afraid of repeated defeats against the Hermes Guild."

Users in the Britten Alliance Kingdom could form mercenary contracts to fight with the Cloud Guild. Of course, the Cloud Guild didn't have a good external image. But mercenaries received money so many users participated.

Despite the pay for the mercenaries tripling this time, the recruitment wasn't going well due to the disadvantageous situation. It was because they would suffer more if they were repeatedly slain by the Hermes Guild.

"Even if it is expensive, shouldn't we hire some Dark Gamers?"

"The Dark Gamers liaison office is closed and they declared that they're not participating in the war."

"If this continues then we'll be defeated. We are becoming increasingly disadvantageous on all sides."

"We have many troops that haven't been sent yet. Let's give them military training just in case."

"The biggest problem right now is that we're lacking in time and preparations. The enemy's offensive is staggered in waves. It is possible to try a prolonged war with Fort Odin and Sisley but if these areas collapse then surrender is only a matter of time. We have to protect these areas. Collect our power and have a strong counterattack."

The Haven Kingdom and the Britten Alliance Kingdom. But behind that was a war between the Hermes Guild and the Cloud Guild. There was a plains between the kingdoms so the users were worried but they also went there to see a cool battle.

Outwardly it seemed like the Cloud Guild was on a losing streak. But they were one of the prestigious guilds on the continent so there were hidden challenges up their sleeves. The Cloud Guild had suffered damage but only 10% of the Britten Alliance land had been taken away.

Only the borders had collapsed so the war was starting now.