*Sswaaaa!*
Under the breathtaking waterfall, five men were brandishing their swords.
"14,930,641!"
"14,930,642!"
"14,930,623!"
The sword-wielding men were shouting astronomical numbers!
They were the Geomchis.
Geomchi, Geomchi2, Geomchi3, Geomchi4, and Geomchi5!
After parting with Pale and the rest of the party, they went deep inside the Yuroki Mountains to practice their sword.
Geomchi3 swung his sword blissfully.
"Only strong men are popular in the world! Strong men don't need to be afraid or suffer from anything."
In reality, strong men weren't the lady-killers they believed in from the stories. Of course, women of the same age were afraid of them, even their mothers and little sisters were afraid.
Every day, they practiced their swordsmanship with earnest.
"Mom, please give me some food!"
Geomchi3 yelled the moment he reached home. he was very hungry.
"Oh, alright, I'll make you some. Just wait for a short while..."
However, while cooking, his mother trembled with fear.
Mastering the sword also disciplined the mind and body, and was meant to help live righteously. Although there was no case of severe malice behavior towards his family, the change in his look and voice was enough to scare his mother.
This was only the beginning.
Some days he just shouted thoughtlessly.
"I'm hungry!"
"Kkkkaaaaaaaaaaackk!*
*Crash!*
She dropped the bowl she was carrying and shrieked.
Although she adores her children, she suffered from fear watching her child getting tougher day by day.
Because of that, Geomchi3 actively considered abandoning the sword and sat alone to have a talk with his dad.
"Father."
"Yes? Speak. Tell me. Whatever you want."
"Will you hear me out?"
"Why are you so serious? Father will listen..."
"I was planning on stopping to learn the sword and follow in your footsteps and work."
"*Keoheok!!* You're saying you want to be like me?"
Geomchi3's father ran a rice factory.
The store receives many orders via internet, including from large supermarkets. They used to hire many workers to help them with the store.
According to Geomchi3's judgement, the family business seemed to be doing well.
But his father just shook his head.
"That's not right. You have to do what you want. Learn the sword. What are your thoughts about studying abroad? For about 10 years..."
"..."
Geomchi3's childhood mental traumas did not end there. It was hard for him to look at himself in the mirror after washing his face, but his family were careful not to hurt his feelings.
Geomchi4 wasn't any different.
In junior high, walking through the alleys.
"Hey! You come over here and take a look at this."
He was called by the neighborhood bully and he was part of a High School gang. He was smoking cigarettes and chewed gum.
Geomchi4 slowly lifted his head. And looked at him straight in the eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"I've made a mistake."
"Spare me..."
The bully quickly put out his cigarette and apologized.
The rumors that were spread about Geomchi4 being a thug that no one should ever mess with, during his childhood days. Geomchi5 also had his situation.
National Id cards came out not too long before his sophomore year of highschool, and the government began large scale cleanup operations against gang members.
Because of his threatening scowl, while he was walking on the road, there was a time when he was arrested and dragged to the police station.
It was definitely a situation he should be angry with, but he held himself back. Mainly because among the thugs who were dragged to the police station, many were punched around by Geomchi5!
The Geomchis, who were all hiding away painful experiences, found hope in Royal Road.
Geomchi2 spoke.
"This place could be our paradise."
"That's right. Sahyung."
"If we raise our level then we can meet girls!"
Geomchi3 and Geomchi4 said out loudly.
There were a lot of single men in modern times. However, to these guys who have never dated even once, a "woman" was a very urgent problem.
The only women they knew were their mothers and family. They were naive men who had never kissed a girl.
Geomchi3's eyes shone brightly.
"Therefore, let's give it our all. We can't spend our time idly."
"Okay. I understand!"
Geomchis trained deep in the mountains and valleys.
They hunted monsters to raise their levels. The embraced the advice that Weed had given them.
At their inquiry of the method to becoming a master, Weed answered.
"You only have to work hard."
It was a very simple advice.
Geomchi2 was the one who came up and personally asked. Since he was asking a much younger disciple, although it hurt his pride, the pressing desire was greater of importance.
The hope of the old bachelors to get married even a day sooner!
"Is there any way we can raise our levels and fame even a bit faster?"
"Um, If that's what you're after, there's no other way than to work hard. You have to put in much more effort than others."
"What kind of effort do we perform? If it's hunting monsters, we have confidence in that."
Fighting became second nature to Geomchi2, as much as sleeping or eating was.
The monsters of Royal Road had a set attack pattern. The wolves favored frontal attacks, and the thieves used poison-coated daggers. In cases where monsters wielded axes, one had to watch out for fast and straightforward attacks.
Because the Geomchis figured out their individual weapon's timing and the enemy's movements, they were able to hunt more efficiently.
Weed spoke his personal secret.
"You must sincerely work hard. In the master's or senior's case, you can raise your defense to a certain extent by wearing better gear."
Geomchi2 nodded his head. After wearing the defensive items, the damage dealt by monsters lessened tremendously.
"You're right. It's much better wearing armor."
"Since it's heavy, it'll dull your movements, but it's a sacrifice for better defense. Also, if you take a lot of hits every once in awhile, you can raise your Fortitude and Fighting Spirit, which will help you in the long run. Though it will hurt a bit."
"Getting hit many times... If you want to master the sword, it is something everyone has experienced. And what else?"
"It should be fine if you can supplement your weakness this way. However, to raise your level really quickly, you must have high damage."
"Hm, You're right. You have to have high damage to hunt quickly. But how do you go about doing that?
"You have to raise your sword skill."
The importance of skills in Royal Road could not be overemphasized. It was revealed that even the highest leveled player, Ray Bard's, sword skill was only at Advanced level 4.
There could be many reasons for that.
While leading a large party mainly to hunt monsters that gave a lot of experience, there was not enough opportunity to swing a sword. Because he favored using powerful skills rather than basic swordsmanship, the proficiency of this skills were on the lower end.
The art of swordsmanship was the basics of battle.
Depending on the Sword skills level, it may exert enormous attack power.
The Geomchi's had only one goal
To master the sword!
Also to pave the road for the next generation of swordsmen.
The goal was to challenge the unthinkable.
The plan was simple. While mastering swordsmanship, they would also increase their levels.
Always hunt monsters at the same level or slightly higher than yourself. After mastering swordsmanship the damage done during hunts was overwhelming. This made level ups come faster.
Although Weed spends a lot of time on other skills, he does not lag behind others due to this.
Weed gave this advice. This advice was nothing special. If you played Royal Road then you would have already known this.
But not everyone could follow this advice.
Most people who played Royal Road were doing so just to enjoy it. Only less than 10% of the players played with the purpose of hunting. This was not a number to ignore, the amount of effort done by this 10% was much larger.
Not many people could wield a sword for 18 hours straight. Who can for 1 month, 2 months, three months?
Most likely, many will not be able to.
But to the Geomchis this was possible.
"When there were doing our most favorite work, it does not feel fun."
"I've held a sword every day since I was 7 years old up till now at 35 years old."
While the Geomchis were near the waterfalls of trees, monsters would sometimes spawn, and they would brandish their sword. Becoming the true monsters.
While learning the way of the sword, Geomchi3 occasionally saw the teacher's questioning stares.
The Sword!
He was the most enthusiastic student when he held a sword. Whenever he felt the stares of the other students he blushed.
"Royal Road has no law restricting old people right? We aren't married yet..."
* * *
Weed hunted day and night.
Due to the "Warm Lovers" statue, they did not catch a cold and they've increased their hunting speed.
Since fighting the ice trolls, Lamias and the other monsters on the cliffs, four days have passed. Because of the Dibase Priests, the Death Knight and Vampires had lost about half their forces.
The situation where the threat of the monster decreased!
"Those monster trampled the plants and most of the herbs have disappeared."
Early in the morning Weed had went back down into the Valley of Death to plant herbs.
"Identify!"
Wood Elf seeds:
Durabilty 1/1.
A seed of variety of flowers, trees and herbs.
Although the seeds are quite rare, majority of the seeds were in good condition.
Due to the blessing of the elves, they could be planted anywhere, but they grow faster in fertile places.
Quantity: 100,000.
There was as many as a hundred thousand different seeds.
Weed pulled out Zahab's carving knife and looked up at the sky.
The Myriad of stars were glittering.
The fresh air and a cool breeze..
This was a very warm day in the north.
"This is good weather to plant seeds."
Weed squatted on the ground and began to dig a hole with his knife. Weed used Zahab's knife as a trowel.
Breaking the ice, digging up dirt and then planting the seed.
"You should grow well."
He moderately divided the seeds and planted them according to their size.
For the big seeds, he sparsely planted them, for the lighter plants, he carefully gathered them and planted.
Weed had some experience. The in past, he cared for a small plantation.
The truth be told, he could not even imagine buying the ingredients for the side dishes!
Lettuce, bean sprouts, these were vegetables that were grew in a small yard and then eaten.
Maintaining plant sprouts was very easy. Once they were germinated, the plants grow very quickly. When these vegetables were mixed with rice and hot pepper paste it created a wonderful dish. Ten thousand won does not go very far at a restaurant but this way it could used efficiently.
Even for an apple tree, two trees would be planted and all the fruits would be eaten.
Having lived like that, made planting seeds in proper ground was easy.
Only for those who people who are tolerant and used to hard labor!
Weed planted seeds from place to place and after 1 hour he got worried that the sprout had not broken the surface. The seeds germinated and absorbed the nutrients around them and grew at remarkable at a speed.
1 day, 2 days, 3 days!
As time passed and the monsters in the valley of the dead decreased, the area where seeds were planted increased little by little. Green plants grew bewilderingly here and there like weeds. Most grew into flowering plants, but some grew into trees.
Weed fought monsters while he waited for the trees and plants to grow.
It was not necessary to wipe out all of the monsters. But in order to make sure that no monster trampled on the plants he had to wipe them all out.
Weed planted around the area that the Vampires, Death knight, Bingryong and the Wyverns defended. They laid out the defense for the plants. At this time Alveron was also a big help.
Alveron carefully planted the seeds.
"Weed-nim."
"Yes?"
"The goddess Freya likes the birth of new life. Do you mind if I pray for bountiful harvest?"
The goddess Freya was the symbol of abundance. Therefore if Alveron prayed it would increase the effect of the harvested plants 2 fold or even 3 fold.
"In order for them to grow quickly please do."
"Yes. Merciful Goddess Freya, by the power of the earth grant these crops thy bounty."
The trees started to grow quickly after Alveron's prayer. When the sun hit them they sucked up the surrounding nutrients and grew at a remarkable speed. With just the blessing of the Elves this speed would be impossible.
Soon the trees held abundant fruit. There was common fruit like apples, grapes, peaches, plums, banks, walnuts, acorns, and chestnuts. The trees held a large variety of fruits.
Weed was also able to harvest wheat and rice.
"Finally, it's time to eat."
Weed gathered up the fruit.
Ice apples. Ice peaches!
After carving the hard layer off the rest of the fruits were delicious.
Weed dug up potatoes, sweet potatoes and even medical herbs.
Red herbs helps wounds heal faster. The most abundant were the yellow herbs that increases stamina recovery.
"Fruit salad! Plum tea and bread can be made with chestnuts."
As a cook Weed could make many dishes. Desserts could raise stats even more when eaten. As the trees blocked the cold wind, the area became more convenient.
As if filled with Weed's desire the ground in the Valley of Death became over run with flowers and trees. Plants grew up to the border of the monster's territory, trees did not grow over a fixed boundary.
Where the strong chilling wind of the Valley of Death blew, plants would not grow.
"There is something here."
Weed looked down into the Valley of Death from the cliffs above.
The area was blocked with ice.
Inside the deepest part of the Valley there was a huge chilling wind blew..
As accessible as the cliff was he could not get any closer. Most of the cold wind blew upwards into the sky.
Even with the effects of the warm food and the statue, the wind was unbearably cold.
"To complete the quest we have to travel farther in..."
Weed could not advance from the cliffs. He had to enter from the front of the Valley of Death.
Two quest in one. In order to investigate the wind that was blowing onto the plants in the Valley of Death Weed would have to go inside.
"The problem is the monsters..."
The local native monsters of the Valley of Death!
They were around the mid level 300s. But it would be a whole different story when the boss came out.
With this many strong monsters, the level of the boss monsters were bound to be stronger. You cannot even imagine the problem at the moment, it would be different depend on which monsters showed up.
"This is a special region in the history of the Nippleheim Empire's downfall. So it wouldn't be unusual for extraordinary monsters to show up."
Weed felt a sense of alarm.
The bosses should at least be as strong as Tori, or even as strong as the Lich Shire!
* * *
Meanwhile the Northern Expedition led by the Cold Roses guild suffered as they moved. Then one of the Rangers scouted out a path.
"The position of what was once the largest Castle of the Northern Village has been found. But we've yet to acquire any information related to our goal. Maybe more information can be found by walking around in the town and Castle."
Drum made the report in a weak voice. Guild master Oberon listened to Wizard Drum he finished.
"We can't explore in that way. They're already talking about us resentfully."
If not for Oberon's reputation and guild's power, the saturated complaints about the expedition would have been enough to break the expedition apart.
Doreum nodded in agreement.
"Then there is only one way."
"Only one?"
"The best option is to move to a higher elevation. Sendeim Valley. We will go to what the Northern residents call the Valley of Death."
People gazed, wide-eyed, at their new destination on the map.
Terrain map of the Northern Region has been completed by direct reconnaissance. The villages were listed but the interiors had not been explored. Indeed, only the name and location could be seen on the basic map.
Kerberos found the Valley of Death. It was a secluded place in the very North of the Northern Continent.
"A place close to the capital of the Nifleheim Empire. It's close to Bent Castle. Is there a reason we need to go?"
The ranger simply replied.
"Because that place is very cold."
"It's freezing?"
"Yes. It is the coldest part of the Northern Continent. Try to recall if you have something that can lower the temperature of the continent. Judging by the rumors, perhaps the Serbian Witch's necklace is broken."
"The broken glass beaded necklace of the Serbian Witch!"
The Serbian Witch that appeared in the Versailles Continent's history.
She made many things. Serbian's broken beads were among the highest grade of unique items ever recorded.
"I can't be sure, but, according to the information we received from the travellers and the locals, the Northern Continent was not an area that was originally this cold.
"You're saying that the reason the North is this cold is due to the broken beads of Serbian, right?"
"It is likely the case."
Oberon, Drum and Kerberos's eyes met.
At this point, they had no better option.
Oberon decided.
"Okay. Let's head to the Valley of Death."
The expedition clutched their hungry bellies as they marched.
There was not much food supply remaining.
Although the Rangers could have moved away from the group to hunt for food, they were the only ones who knew the precise location of the Valley of Death, therefore staying together was less risky.
*Whiiing!*
Every time a cold wind blew, the expeditionary forces shrank their bodies. Especially during the ice storms, they weathered under a hill left the expeditionary force shivering in fear.
"If this keeps up we're going to wiped out."
"It's fine. Just make sure to watch out for incoming storm."
"Of course! I will be watching carefully with both eyes. Don't worry about me."
Pavo and Gaston stuck together.
An Architect is needed to dig a hole. Therefore if you were beside him during an ice storm, you can crawl inside the hole until it is safe to come out again.
There were a lot of artisan surrounding Pavo. Artisan such as Blacksmiths, and Tailors.
"*Whew*, we are going to need the Architects to survive."
Pavo did not think of this and shook his head.
They had dreamed about an adventure. If they wanted to build strong building they would need them. However he did not want to rely on other people and felt bad. Around Pavo the cooks were getting cold stares.
"They should have some food to spare...."
"They irresponsibly used up all the food ingredients."
The cooks thought differently.
'They eagerly ate when we cooked for them'
'Lets try to make something tastier.'
'We just cook its not our fault!'
However it was not the time to complain, the Cooks could only hold on their complains.
Hunger forced the expedition into the Valley of Death. Though they expected snowstorms and ice, they met neither one.
But as they moved deeper into the Valley the were met with a tremendous cold wind.
"*Ah-Choo*."
"Bless you!"
The expedition much like a group of refugees went through many hardships but finally arrived at their destination. They were surprised yet again.
"There are flowers that bloom even in this cold ground."
"There are trees growing."
The yellow flowers that did not match their surroundings were blooming everywhere. The trees were blocking the strong wind that the Valley was so proud of.
The rangers did nothing but gawk.
"When we came before we didn't....."
"This wasn't here before, where did all of the ice go?"
Oberon asked in a calm but serious manner..
"What's going on?"
Doreum shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I do not know."
They were happy to see a valley filled with flowers instead of ice. In fact this scene was burned into their memory for some time.
Any expression of coldness and clattering teeths dissipated. To them, the place was unlike any other.
The expedition was surprise that it was really happening. The people stood at the entrance to the Valley of Death!
The sighted Weed.
Weed, Seoyoon, and Alveron all stood downwind. Oberon and the expedition came slowly through the snow.
But all their eyes, filled with surprised, settled on Weed.
"That man, is Weed right?"
"That's right. I saw Sculptor Weed in Rodium."
Gaston and Pabo knew of Weed
Dark Gamer Volk also heard of him.
"A Sculptor named Weed?"
"Honey! You said the Sculptor of Rosenheim Kingdom went by the same name, right?"
"The name Weed is not uncommon. But the face... is the same! Weed. It's the Weed who carved the bouquet I confessed with!"
Volk's eyes were open wide surprise.
His attire was different from what he wore in Rhodium. When Volk initially met Weed he looked like the most wretched of beggars. He only noticed the similar face when Weed was dressed in rags. But after hearing the name Volk was quite certain.
"We finally meet again, Weed."
Volk wanted to see Weed. But he would have never thought that he would find him in the Northern Continent, where no players ever ventured. He began to run towards Weed.
"Weed!"
"Hey it's Geomchi320!"
"Come here and make me some food. I'm starving. The food you make is incredible tasty."
"*Euheoheoheong*"
The hungry Geomchis made their way towards Weed. Oberon, Kerberos, and Drum listened to the conversation of Volk and the others.
"Sculptor?"
Drum said with interested.
"So it seems to be."
Oberon nodded in agreement..
"That guy is the famous Sculptor who carved the Sphinx?"
After making the Sphinx statue, all the guilds wanted to recruit him.
Oberon also sent people to recruit him but by then Weed had already left the Rosenheim Kingdom. He had wanted to somehow meet Weed, but had not expected to see him here.
Kerberos smiled brightly.
"If he is the Sculptor Weed then we are fortunate indeed."
Drum readily agreed.
"If he created a sculpture somewhere here, it'll be a big help to the expedition."
As usual, Weed was not pleased of their arrival. The expedition had sprouted new awareness of the Artist Professions and the Production Professions.
Especially in extreme weather conditions, struggling to live is bound to take a toll. Open Appreciation to the professions!
Other Productions and Art Professions did not have the opportunity.
They had been ignored and were not able to adapt to a normal hunting party. However, even for himself, it was difficult to survive in the Northern Continent, therefore it showed their remarkable ability.
The novice Sculptor Depp had made a fire sculpture!
A large number of people benefited from that sculpture.
The usefulness of sculptors was recognized.
Weed took the expedition to the place where his statue was.
"It's warm."
"Now I feel like I'll live."
The Geomchis were able to lie down and stretch their legs.
Oberon and the rest of the expedition saw the Geomchis and the statues.
"Could this be the effect of the statues?"
Oberon and the rest were surprised.
The air around the statue was different. It was easier to breath and gave off a warmth.
Because it was cold earlier one, they were not able to use their full strength in combat. But now, they no longer feel the cold.
"Sculptors, what an amazing profession."
But the surprise of the expedition did not end with this. When they ate the food Weed made they realized just how much their stats went up by.
The blacksmith Truman came up to Weed sneakily. He was an old man with a white beard.
"Sculptors are awesome. The dexterity behind these works is amazing, what's skill caused this?"
Truman had knowledge about other Production classes, including the Artist Profession.
Sculptor itself was very hard to level up. But if it was leveled up, they can reveal to be a prominent profession throughout many areas.
With keen eyes, Weed scanned Truman up and down.
'Hammer of Palmoru. It increases the effect of items forged by a Blacksmith by 20%.'
It was a unique item that could be sold over a few million won over the auction site. A Sculptor's engraving knife, unlike Blacksmith Supplies, were fairly common.
Wearing an armor exclusive to Knight Profession.
'A blacksmith could wear any armor. Is this a person from the expedition? This was old man must be Truman.'
Weed was much happier after identifying the other person.
"I've seen you before."
"Oh, this is amazing. You're probably at the forefront of the Sculptors."
Seamstress Cadmus also came up.
"Amazing Mr.Sculptor. You don't know how much I appreciate your sculptures."
Weed spared them no favor, only because they could be useful to him.
"Although its not much, here is a gift."
Weed handed Truman and Cadmus some small statues as souvenirs.
They were dazzling trinklets.
It was a simple commodity that would not sell for much. But it was all that was needed to buy the favor of an opponent. It was a trivial piece with no name , but it was still made by Weed.
Weed shared friendship with Pavo, Gaston, and other Production personnels who were part of the expedition.
Then Oberon came up to Weed and introduced himself as the leader of the Cold Rose Guild.
"I have some things i would like to ask."
"What is it?"
Weed asked politely.
It's Weed principal to determine their goal before trying to become friendly with them!
He had guessed that the purpose was the expedition.
Oberon said.
"We intend to occupy the Valley of Death with military force. But to be honest I don't think it will be that easy. I wish for you to help us in this matter."
"What can I help with?"
"A lot I hope, I'll pay any cost. At the very least I'll pay for the effects of the statue, to share it amongst us. That statue is very important for us."
Oberon eyed the "Warm Lovers" statue.
The eyes of the Cold Rose guild members were filled with half envy and half admiration. Many of the higher levels tried many things to overcome the harsh environment but suffered, and here a simply Sculptor created a statue to do what they could not.
Weed was halfway dead from the cold, but the members of the expedition only saw a great Artist.
Working their way to their favorite Sculptor.
Artist that travel the continent making beautiful statues were highly respected.
Weed happily allowed this.
" Its fine. Use the statue as much as you would like."
"The price... How much will it be?"
"I don't need any. Meeting in a place like this must have been fate. We will cooperate fully."
"I cannot just take it. If you want anything tell me whenever."
"No. I did not create this statue in the hopes of getting money so how can I ask for it?"
"But..."
Anyone who knows the usual Weed would never believe what was happening here.
Pavo and Gaston took this opportunity to glance sidewards to send a signal to Weed, but it was ignored. He was looking nowhere but at Oberon.
Eventually Oberon nodded.
"I do not want to take it for free. It would be immensely helpful to us. So how about this. I noticed that as a Sculptor you don't have wrist protectors. I will give you these ones."
Weed took the wrist guards as if he had no choice. He could not look at the item information while so many people were watching, but he could tell that it was made from rare material.
Weed then asked.
"There are level and job restrictions to wear this, right?"
Oberon kindly answered.
"The level restriction is 200 but it can be worn regardless of profession. It has good magic resistance and 2 properties. We obtained it from the Holden dungeon boss monster."
High class!
Weed smiled widely.
"Thank you for the wonderful gift."
Rare and unique class, depending on the properties each had the difference could be enormous. But Oberon was not the kind of person to wear luxury items if they were not good.
'Holden Dungeon Boss monster? A rare monster that only appears once a month! And good drops don't happen very often.'
Perhaps they discovered the dungeon before too many people knew about it and got good loot before the hunting picked up. It was Oberon's policy to exchange things of equal value only.
'I judged him correctly.'
Weed had very quickly analyzed Oberon.
'A Righteous Warrior.'
He had a exceedingly good reputation known throughout the Royal Road. People assume that with good reputation, the person's attitude is also righteous, however, it is often not the case. Oberon was one of rare people who lived up to the rumors.
Polite request!
In the Versailles Content, those who have the power, rules.
Even though he was just a Sculptor, he asked first rather than taking by force if need be.
Oberon was a loyal and respectful warrior.
For some people, it could be counterproductive if they acted in a roundabout way. Some people might try to negotiate, but ended up bailing out. That's why most of the time, negotiations often lead to taking by force.
After analyzing the the situation, Weed responded accordingly.
As a Sculptor, there were some skills that must be acquired!
To be able to sell goods for even 1 copper more helps greatly.
Weed wore the wrist protectors while smiling brightly.
"It fits well. Thank you very much."
"One more thing, I have a question. What are you doing in this place?"
"Im....."
Even if the central content was hot due to the curse, Oberon and the expedition found it weird for a Sculptor to be here.
"Wondering to many different places help awaken the soul of an Sculptor. Then in the midst of my travel, I received a request from a girl."
"A request?"
"She asked me to plant flowers and trees in the Valley of Death."
"Ah!"
Oberon, Drum, and Kerberos finally understood the sudden changes to the valley.
'This person was doing a quest.'
A sculptor doing a quest in the North!
A quest to turn a barren land into something beautiful. Oberon asked about the quest's difficulty rank.
"That's the way it turned out. We will try to explore the Valley of Death. That is, if you don't mind the expedition exploring this region?"
Weed answered his question with a soft smile.
"I am a professional sculpture and I have pride in my work. But I feel guilty about destroying nature.
He broke a branch off a tree and started to make a sculpture from it. In order to save money Weed always used the base of a big tree as he carved into it with his knife!
Weed showed the feelings of an artist who loved nature.
"Now all thats left is to plant some more trees and flowers. If you would get rid of the monsters if would make my job easier. And.... can we follow the expedition?
"Follow us?"
"Yes. The expedition is heading deeper into the Valley of Death, correct?"
"Yes we are."
"I would like to see the expedition fight bravely."
"I would not recommend it. Incase of an emergency we could not protect you...."
As Oberon said this, Drum elbowed him and sent a whisper.
- Captain, I'll look after him. As far as i know he has not joined a guild, after he sees our guild in action we could take the chance to recruit him.
- But I do not know of the danger that might await them. You may not be able to keep them safe.
- It's alright. They aren't' beginners. They can take a hit or two without dying.
- But still...
- Captain, your sense of responsibility is too strong. Do you want this person to feel rejected?
Kerberos the Wizard, noticed they were sending whispers to each other and intercepted by sending his own mini whisper.
- Captain this person is already part of a quest in the north. Words can be dangerous, you cannot take them back.
The move was eventually left up to Oberon.
Oberon nodded.
"You may follow if you want, thats fine. But if there is an emergency will not be able to guarantee your safety."
"Thank you."
With this Weed was able to ride along with the expedition.
As the expedition pressed farther into the Valley of the Dead he could plant the seeds, and he would be able to snatch the secrets of Nifleheim Empire.
Weed along with Alveron and Seoyoon enjoyed the support units in the back and followed the expedition.
The expedition was proceeding with haste.
"Move! Capture the Valley before nightfall!"
"Support units to the rear of the formation, Drill Scouts lead which way we should go!"
"Use protection magic, while Knights prepare to dominate the core area. Drive the monsters towards one side. Make sure to protect the Archer! Wizard prepare to cast a spell"
The expedition formed a spearhead and swiftly advanced. From the all the time they spend in the North they worked together well.
Assassins, Thieves, and Archers were paving the way forwards. There mission was to trap and kill any monster they found.
"40 traps set. preparations complete."
"Go to the next area."
"Come on, come on, lets go."
Doreum was tolerable enough to handle scouting monsters and lead the way. But he was shocked to see a relatively large demanding monster.
The monster used Curse Spells to assassinate some players.
"Forward!"
"The enemies were now Lizard Soldiers, and Lizard Kings."
"Wizards suppressing fire. Attack!!"
"*Uoooo*"
The knights Spearheaded the attack.
They were holding shields and swords as they rushed towards the enemy. I had to admit these charing knights exerted a tremendous pressure.
*Kwa-gwa-gwang!*
Archers and mages fired heavily onto the enemies.
They were supporting the front lines.
Large explosive magic landed.
The wizard group in the center led by Oberon had a considerable size.
Dark Gamers and Cold Rose guild members participated in the expedition while the support Professions remained in a rear.
The monsters in the Valley of Death were slain in an instant.
Meanwhile the charismatic Weed went to the rear.
"There are newly planted plants spaced out back here. Please try to be careful!"
Pavo and the other Architects were digging in order to build. The geomchis were also shoveling to plant the seeds. Even cooks who had nothing to do joined in.
Cadmus the Tailor and Truman the Blacksmith, who were famous all over the Continent joined in as well. They had received souvenirs from Weed, therefore could not afford to hand around.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Sometimes members of the expedition looked back at the priceless scene of nature. But the production classes in the back did not seem interested.
Weed followed the expedition and plated seeds along the way. Once planted they grew fast and started to bud.
Weed just finished planting all the seeds he had.
*Ttiring!*
Quest Complete: Plant Flowers.
Seeds have been planting in the Valley of Death, to fulfill Prina's wish.
The growth of the plants and trees will create a forest in the future.
Since ancient times, Dwarves and Elves have fought over the Valley of Death!
On the edge of the Valley lived a particular race. They made a Village for themselves and produced many things. But they never forgot to give thanks back to the land that provided for them.
Quest Reward: When you return to Morata Village you will introduced to Prina's friend
Quest Complete!
Now all thats left is the quest related to the lost honor of the Nifleheim Empire.
Weed's tension loosened
'It took a little time to deal with the monsters, but the quest wasn't so difficult.'
They almost died due to the vicious cold. However thanks to the help of Tori, Seoyoon, Alveron and the others they were able to solve the quest.
He was also lucky to be able to travel along with the expedition.
Still his nervousness remained.
'The expedition had been attacked by monsters countless times. If it hadn't been for the expedition he would have had to waste 40 more days. But why were there so many monsters in this area?'
The expedition entered the valley of death.
Weed had visited the upper parts of both sides of this Valley! This was another whole area he had not been to.
"Humans. You dare step foot in here."
"We are the ones who erased the Nifleheim Empire off the map."
"*Kyareureureureu!* Kill the intruders!"
"Blood, Curse. Blood flow like a river through this valley."
Suddenly Priests clad in Black and Monsters began to appear.
Using magic the priests commanded the monsters.
Alveron watched them grinding his teeth. It was the first time he made such unsophisticated reaction.
"Huh?"
"It's a bunch of Cultist who worship Evil Spirits! Priests are devoted and faithful to the powers of evil and gained their strength by slaughtering the innocent. Each Church of the Continent have been long specified by the public. However, the Continent have was excluded the Embinyu Church to prevent confusion. I would have never imagine them being in a place like this..."
Weed looked around.
Fortunately the expedition was so focused on the battle they seemed to not hear alveron's story. The battle intensified as more priests of Embinyu joined.
Seoyoon was close by. Close enough to hear Alverons story.
"..."
But Weed did not worry about it. Because she was not a person who would carelessly run her mouth! In fact, so to say, she cannot speak at all, so she could not speak of it even if she wants to.
Weed remembered the words of the Necromancers from when he had fought the Legions of Undead.
He looked around and said.
"We necromancers have experienced great suffering throughout our lives. But now the misunderstanding will be cleared up, and we will be able to formally accept disciples and develop the Black Magic.
"I pray for success."
"You've suffered because of our selfish request. In return, I'll teach you one secret. Do you think that the Versailles Continent is actually peaceful?"
"huh?"
"An unknown darkness built around evil deep within the cities. The church of Embinyu. There were 12 recognized leaders."
"Leaders?"
"Based on the Church of Freya, the group have been hiding in the shadows, otherwise known as the Walhalla temple. They believe in the Evil Spirit of Water, and they want the world to be covered in Darkness. Among those 12 Leader, one of them lived as the founder of Baseurin. It is peaceful during the day, but when the sky turns into night, a festival of Cultist unfold. The overall achievement goes exactly as they wanted."
The Baseurin is not safe. The Embinyu Church was more of a threat to the peace of Versailles Continent than the Legions of Undead.
'As far as the story goes, it seems like this might be Baseurin.'
It was a clue to a great quest. At least a hidden rank A or higher quest.
'Until, now has been no information of anyone having acquired on an S rank quest.'
Typically fame gained differed greatly depending on the quest. A quest that requires a great clue to get usually has a higher difficulty and better rewards.
'The land of Baseurin.'
Weed recalled the memories with ease.
This battle was much more difficult for the expedition. The Priests of Embrinyu did damage constantly.
"Damn it. Where did those guys...."
"Protect Them! No matter what block it!"
Since coming here, the expedition was virtually unharmed but now about 10% of them had died.
The Scouts and Assassins were wiped out, and many Wizards were killed by the Priests of Embinyu because of their low vitality.
"O gatekeeper of hell, descend here and cleanse the sinful!"
Embinyu Church's summoners had arrived. A large number of monsters including summoned cerebus damaged the expedition.
The expedition was embarrassingly on the verge of collapse.
Quickly mobilizing the Wizards at the beginning of the battle could inflict massive damage on the enemy. However the night before the battle after a long advance the Wizards' mana was depleted.
Demonstrating that power at the beginning of the battle was impossible.
The priests were exhausted.
"Do not give up!"
"We have to destroy those guys!"
Oberon had the courage to move forward. Displaying the trust that as commander for his expedition not caring for his own life.
The allied guilds and Dark Gamers that had been watching the battle from the rear finally joined the fight. Aside from the Merchants, all combat profession and the Bards joined the battle.
As a result the Church of Embinyu's numbers slowly began to dwindle.The Knights that went through hell and the rangers; One or two died to the Archers massive attack.
Weed's face relaxed but soon became serious again.
'This isn't enough to win. These are only the weak monsters and bosses.'
The Priests of Embrinyu are not everything. Weed was sure he had heard something. It was then.
At the end of the Valley of Death a huge shape of a shadow appeared!
A large pile of bones was rose from the ground.
The expedition members' jaws dropped at the sight. An uninmaginable thing appeared.
A Dragon.
A dragon the strongest creature on earth, after its death and being frozen into ice, it was revived with Dark magic as an undead.
" I can not believe it!"
"I never thought there would be a Bone Dragon here."
The Bone Dragon was an undead monster. A real dragon could not compare with it. Nevertheless, there was no group that could say they had captured a dragon.
*Padadadak!*
The Bone Dragon stumbled as it flapped its wings. It was just as flippant as before. The Bone Dragon was over 400 meters long and the force created by simply flapping it's wings was enormous.
*Hwi-ri-ri-ri-ri Hwi-ri-ri!*
Wind raging through the bones made a strange sound.
A cold-blooded threatening noise!
You are in a state of fear.
Stunned temporarily
Agility reduced by 15%
Wisdom reduced by 30%
Fighting Spirit was lowered just by the dragon roaring.
"Whoa!"
Some people turned and tried to escape.
They did not want to die fighting the bone dragon.
It was understandable. However, Dragons were creatures who did not know how to show mercy.
The Bone Dragon unfolded its wings. Flying without hesitation it attacked the expedition.
With rotten teeth the bone dragon preemptively moved his body and neck and swallowed members of the expedition whole.
"*Kkeu-a-ak!*"
Knowing that the formation was on the verge of collapsing, Oberon shouted.
"Do not falter! Don't give up! If you want to be a coward then run away! If you want to be a hero lift your sword and fight!"
Oberon led the charge to attack the Bone Dragon.
The monsters and Priests of Embinyu still remained, but it was imperative to restore the morale rather than deal with them.
"Follow the Guildmaster!"
"I will die with Guildmaster Oberon!"
The focus of the expedition became attacking the Bone Dragon with Oberon.
The Dragon faced an all out assault.
The Bone Dragon banged around as it charged!
The force was so great it cause the ground to shake.
Screams erupted as the big feet trampled over the expedition.
The Dragon's act of battle was simple, but those who befell it were surely dead. Whilst to some extent the expedition and monsters were still fighting.
The Dragon opened it's mouth.
Weed noticed its behavior and knew what it was about to do.
'Breath! It's going to use its Dragonbreath.'
Because of Bingryong, he was able to guess what was going to happen. But the dragon was targeting the rear end of the expedition.
*Puhwahahak!*
A powerful acid like breath poured out like water.
Poison that melted everything!
Breath Spread wiping out Weed and all the others belonging Production Profession. Not one survived. Death awaited those who met the Dragon's breath.
Architect Pavo didn't even try to dig a hole at the moment of his death.
"Attack!"
"Let us avenge our fallen comrades."
The expeditions attacks became more heated. Yet the Dragon dealt enormous damage, whilst also have to fight the remainder of the other monsters.
More than 10 minutes had passed.
*Peoseuseuk. Peoseuseuk.*
Where lives were once lost, bones began to take form.
Skeleton Soldier!
Thanks to his power to deny death, Weed was reborn as a skeleton soldier.