Chapter 348
Volume 36 Chapter 8
8) Python Going to the North
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The blacksmiths at Jonas Castle decided to process the leather and horns of the Fire Salamander King .
“If I don’t make it with my own hands then I will spend my whole life regretting it . ”
“There is no need to hand it over after we complete it . ”
“I would rather hide or dispose of it than hand it over to a villain . ”
They might have ulterior motives but the dwarves sincerely worked on it . The horns of the Fire Salamander King were as hard as a diamond so they were difficult to dent . “I didn’t realize something his hard existed . ”
“Morul Hand, you will only start to know it from now on . ”
“Yes! Dwarves can’t give up so easily . ”
The dwarves encountered some difficulties . They were so focused on the horns that they forgot about Weed . The humans worked on the leather . They tried to use sharp swords to cut up the leather .
Swords had an effect on it but magic was no use . The leather would simply absorb the magic and become cold .
“Even loosely cutting it has produced a perfect piece . The armour made from this leather would outperform any equipment by a dozen times . ”
“The smooth texture is good and there is magic defense . Isn’t it possible for us to wear this to hunt monsters?”
The tailors could imagine facing strong monsters with armour made from this leather . They would be astonished if they knew that Weed could hunt such monsters with his own ability . Weed would use the leather and horns to fight against the Beiner Kingdom and their allies . The residents devoted themselves to the sword and armour . The goods weren’t specifically made to damage the Beiner Kingdom due to the war with the Embinyu Church in the future .
“What is the Embinyu Church?”
“I don’t know . But they seem to be a group trying to destroy this world . And he is a warrior trying to save the world . ”
“Do you believe that?”
“The goddess Hestia showed up in my dream and told me everything . ”
“The dream of a dwarf is real . ”
Weed had a special bond with Hestia, the Goddess of the Forge .
A grand building, Hestia’s Forge was built in Morata and he made a considerable donation to the church . Hestia existed in this time and unexpectedly had many followers .
Magicians with faith would go to school to learn fire magic . The Blacksmith God was in charge of minerals rather than fire so not all dwarves worshipped him . Some didn’t care about the gods and just drank beer heartily and slept while snoring . Only heroes in the world would receive the attention of the gods .
Hestia helped Weed a little bit . The dwarves needed a way to work the horns from the Fire Salamander King .
“This processing method isn’t working . There isn’t one scratch . ”
“Should we leave the circular handle attached like that?”
“A length is beyond 5 metres… It will be big and beautiful but handling it might be inconvenient . ”
“Somehow we need to process this properly . The pride of the dwarves is hanging on this . ”
The 100 blacksmiths at Jonas Castle were stuck . In fact, they had only previously handled iron so they were apprehensive about it . The form or length of a sword didn’t really matter to a sword master . They could basically beat small opponents with just their power . If he took advantage of Sculptural Transformation to turn into an ogre then is physical power and agility would be sufficient . Sculptural Destruction could also be used to handle the horns .
However, the dwarven blacksmiths had their own pride and wouldn’t give up . They used numerous methods but couldn’t physically cut or break it .
“The last resort is to place it in the furnace . ”
“Are you sure? If it melts then we’ll have to discard it… . ”
“This level of strength won’t melt it . Do you see any other way to try?”
“Let’s just give it a little try!”
There was a long horn in the middle and two small ones on the side . The dwarven blacksmiths placed a small horn in the furnace as a test .
“It is starting . Remove it immediately if there is some type of accident . Hrmm, it seems to be working well . ”
“Now I’m starting . ”
However, there was little reaction from the horn .
“Morul Hand, this seems to be too weak so raise the power of the fire . ”
Wood was tossed on the hearth to enhance the power of the fire . And there was a change in the furnace . The horn of the Fire Salamander King glowed with a white light and started eating the flames .
“Is this something?”
“I don’t know . Continue lighting the fire!”
The furnace had been turned off due to the horn absorbing the fire . The dwarves continued stoking a new fire . But no matter how big and strong the fire was, it was soon gone . The dwarves were immersed in the work and continued lighting the fire until it was finished .
By the time Weed came to Jonas Castle, the tailors and blacksmiths were almost like corpses .
“The things?”
“Here . ”
The humans handed over the leather armour first . The material was leather but the structure was as solid as steel armour . The red leather was soft and warm to touch . It also wasn’t heavy as it was light in his hands .
“Um . ”
Weed was satisfied in his heart . It felt like choosing clothes at a luxury department store!
But he still needed to check the quality of the clothes even if it came from a luxury brand . But his eyes didn’t notice any shortcomings in the armour .
Weed used his Sewing skill but couldn’t find any faults . The buttons were made from gold clam shells and there was no lint on it . But Weed didn’t show any satisfaction on his face . The tailors seemed to notice and said .
“The pattern of the leather will be revealed with heat . ”
“Hrmm, is that so?”
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Weed decided to check the information of the armour . If there was something wrong then the tailors would be dead immediately .
“Inspect!”
-Majestic Leather Armour for a Conqueror:Durability 189/189Defense 195
An armour made from the leather of the Fire Salamander King that the tailors of Jonas Castle risked their lives to sew .
The finest armour created in the warring period . It was made with far too precious materials and lined with natural linen so that it won’t touch the body . Specially tailor made, only those qualified can wear it .
Restrictions: Level 790, have a status comparable to a king .
Options:
Fire resistance 89%
Minimize physical damage from all weapons by 91% .
Strength +130 .
Additional 31% agility .
22% increase in maximum health and mana .
The best charisma and dignity .
Arrows won’t pierce it . High magic protection .
Ability to deal with fire +3 .
Increased mana recovery speed when the wearer has a fire associated profession .
67% of the mana used will be reclaimed .
Defeats the darkness .
“Hrmm . ”
There was no need to talk about how impressed he was with the armour . Weed already had absurd combat capabilities and defense so they were just like extra wings . In particular, he had never worn tailored clothes since middle school . Weed could take advantage of the armour when activating fire skills in battle . Then the armour would reveal a glamourous and elegant pattern . Even if he had no interest in the options, he would feel better while wearing such good looking armour .
“This is worthwhile . Good work . ”
“Thank you . ”
“Attendant, reward these people . ”
“How much?”
Weed felt good so he only hesitated for a moment . Then he said in a small voice .
“Give them 200 gold . ”
“Yes!”
His stingy spirit was unwillingly to part with more for the labour cost despite the sweat shed and effort . The tailors were just glad they could keep their lives and didn’t complain . His overwhelming dignity and infamy meant they naturally accepted it . He had already gained the most infamy on the continent that no human could compete with him . Weed wore the majestic leather armour . The shiny bald head and fierce eyes gave him a cruel and vile impression . But the clothes suited him well .
“Then let me see what you made . ”
This time it was the dwarves’ turn . He had high expectations for the dwarves so he would kill them all if it wasn’t met .
“We…hrmm, you should see it directly rather than with words . ”
Morul Hand took out three unusual looking swords . The swords were made to be connected with each other in accordance to Weed’s command . The hand of the dwarves trembled as they handed it over .
‘It looks fine . ’
The colours seemed normal on the surface . It shone with colourful hues in the sunlight . The sword that seemed to be made of a black diamond chunk had a clear lustre . The dwarves explained the work .
“We were able to process it once it absorbed ultrhigh heat . Of course, it wasn’t easy to be shaped with a hammer . The strength required gradually went down as the flames were amplified . We managed to reduce it to the form of the current sword now . It was impossible without a lot of power so us dwarves drained ourselves . ”
The secret to processing the horns of the Fire Salamander King as to apply heat . The explanation from Morul Hand was brief but it couldn’t express the amount of effort the dwarves put into it .
Despite the sweat, elbow grease, innate arm strength and the natural blacksmithing skill of the dwarves, they were barely able to change the shape of the horns . It required at least 2,000 hammers to shape it into a sword . It was a work created by the combined efforts of the blacksmiths!
“Ah, it was like that . ”
Weed had many thoughts after listening to Morul Hand’s words . If he didn’t like the work then the dwarf’s words would just confirm it .
“Inspect!”
-Appraisal has failed .It had to be an excellent weapon if inspection had failed . Usually there was magic hidden if Inspect failed .
Only good magicians could release the seal . Normally he checked usual items so it was rare that Inspect would fail . It sometimes happened when identifying unique items . Weed’s mouth became thin .
“Inspect!”
-Extermination Sword:Durability 204/204Attack 175~226
The sword made from the horns of the Fire Salamander King . The dwarven blacksmiths processed the sword using the essence of fire .
A beautiful sword that could be considered a treasure of the continent . Anyone can use this sword but only the right owner can exert its full ability .
Restrictions:
Level 815 or more .
100% resistance to fire .
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Strength 2,000 .
Ate the Heart of the Fire Salamander King .
Artistic Value: 5,386
Options:
Very light .
Tiredness won’t be felt when swinging the sword .
Strength +20% . Art +155 .
Fame will increase to the maximum level in battle .
Very strong immunity to curses that weaken weapons . Repair is not possible . Durability won’t decrease unless it meets a weapon with a stronger, opposite attribute .
Due to the fire attribute, there is a chance to melt the enemy’s weapons and armour and can also cause ‘burn’ when touching the skin .
When fire resistance is less than 20%, there is a 100% chance of being burned by fire . The range of fire based attacks will be extended by 3 times .
The power of fire will be 100% amplified .
“Well!”
Weed confirmed the contents a few times . It was like a person who won the lottery looking at the numbers on the piece of paper again .
He really wanted to fight something after seeing this weapon . It was like giving the best football shoes to a barefoot football player . There was a level limit so Weed could barely use it .
Then he had a thought .
‘This weapon will disappear when I return to my original world . I will use it to my heart’s content in the meantime . ’
Weed’s face suddenly hardened! His eyes trembled and his mouth thinned .
“The light is deceptive . ”
The dwarves were now so frightened that they didn’t dare move .
“Attendant . ”
“Yes!”
“Give the dwarves 30 gold . ”
The dwarves didn’t even rest properly at night in order to make the best weapon and only received 30 gold in return .
It was at that moment that Weed became even more infamous . The march of the Embinyu Church! Weed knew they were approaching so he assembled the captured soldiers from the nobles that surrendered in front of Jonas Castle . The soldiers that were forced to conscript increased the army to 650,000 people . Weed and the desert warriors had overwhelming skills but the rest of the soldiers also weren’t ordinary . This was the warring period so the solders and nobles had a higher than normal level . The conscripts on the battlefield had some capabilities but he couldn’t expect a lot from them . In addition, there were 300,000 soldiers that could only hold a sword .
“They are prey that I will throw towards the Embinyu Church . ”
Weed planned for himself and the desert warriors to play a key role in the war . He would conduct the strong, armed forces .
So he was willing to throw the victims into the fray . He had also demonstrated the efficiency during the previous battles .
“But it won’t hold out long . ”
Weed looked down at the plains from the archer’s tower in Jonas Castle .
Despite the fact that a huge 650,000 troops were gathered, everyone was nervous and frightened . The citizens’ training wasn’t high and morale wasn’t good because they were forced to become soldiers . It was unclear how long they would endure once the Embinyu Church started using witchcraft, brainwashing, confusion and other curses .
Weed viewed the current army like cheap junk food .
“They should at least make the magicians consume their mana before collapsing . Having a large number of troops isn’t always good . If they do something wrong then the desert army will catch their ankles . ”
He didn’t plan to use the walls of Jonas Castle against the Embinyu Church . He had found a much better place to fight . The Mapon and Beiner armies had retreated to Dulmore Fortress! Then the day after tomorrow, the Dulmore Fortress would encounter the Embinyu Church .
It was natural for the Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms to be drawn into combat . It was a plan that would take care of the Embinyu Church and two kingdoms at the same time .
“This strategy is good . ”
Weed was perfectly satisfied with his plan . War heroes in the past would’ve probably had a similar plan . A sneaky and wicked operation that succeeded would be enough to cause admiring glances . In particular, it would be best if the Embinyu Church thoroughly smashed the Beiner and Mapon Kingdoms .
“Everybody move . ”
Weed ordered the army to march towards Dulmore Fortress . There was no end to the number of supply wagons .
They contained all the loot and supplies plundered . The humans and dwarves in Jonas Castle watched the troops leaving .
“It is good that we are alive . ”
“Yes, his infamy might be high but that human kept his promise .
They were just praising Weed when white smoke rose from Jonas Castle .
“Fire!”
“The castle is on fire!”
Flames rose out the windows of Jonas Castle . The flames spread quickly and soon the entire castle was engulfed in fire . The fire also broke out in the city around it .
“Bring water to put out the fire!”
“No . The wells have been blocked!”
The fire spread through the entire city . Weed had made sure to clean it up .
Tailor Drago .
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Doll eyes, buttons, clothes etc . He finished every new stage of the Master Quest successfully .
“A white wedding dress… It is necessary for a tailor to tackle this challenge . ”
The most beautiful bridal dress . It was good to achieve fame as a tailor . The Central Continent was engulfed in a fierce war so sewing related occupations were very common .
Wealthy merchants and nobles came to request dresses for royal parties . Making dresses for high ranking nobles had a lot of benefits . Drago was already experienced with making many different types of dresses .
“I need to make a dress that will reach the climax of pure beauty . ”
The finest cloths were brought to Morata and modified at a nearby smithy .
“Attach these crystals to the clothes . ”
In the past, he received a huge quest to attach 10,000 crystals to a dress . He focused while sewing each piece to the cloth with stitches . He had many feelings as a tailor .
“I became a tailor in vain . ”
Drago thought this occupation was seriously broken . In addition to the Master Quest, he couldn’t relax due to other orders . Cadmus was his competitor in the north but he still needed to steadily provide high level users with leather armour, boots, etc .
The land of the farmer Miretas was enough to occupy a huge 3% of the Arpen Kingdom . He achieved a tremendous harvest and continued to invest in and buy land . Grains were grown on spacious, flat land and herbs on the hills and mountains .
The farmer Miretas had the nickname of Golden Hands because any seeds he planted would grow into huge money . But these days, Miretas’s waist seemed to be broken .
“There seems to be no end to this farming . ”
So far digging the gravel and rocks to create a granary was good but he needed to manage a large area . For example, he needed to make a reservoir that connected to the farmland in case of a drought . He also needed to keep a lookout for swarms of locusts . Miretas knew how much work was involved in ripening just one piece of grain .
“There is no time . I can’t do anything outside of farming . ”
The first mission of a farmer was to prevent hunger .
Food production was essential for a place like the Arpen Kingdom that had a quick growth . Lack of food would cause the price of food to rise and population would stop increasing . Disrupting the food supply would cause a setback to areas like trading, adventuring, economic development and technological development .
Miretas needed to continue cultivating the land to feed the exploding growth of the population . He also owned rice paddies and bulk purchased cattle from Morata . When the time came for the Haven Empire to invade, there would be enough food to ensure that no one would starve in battle .
The warrior Python . He had become stronger after conquering the monsters in Averian Forest . It was broadcasted and his popularity rose but he had thoughts about the wider world .
“I can’t just continue catching more monsters . ”
There were senior monsters inside dungeons that could use spells like anaesthesia, fainting, confusion, stun etc . so it was impossible to win against them alone . Python realized the limitations of fighting alone .
It was no joke as he watched the broadcast of Weed and the desert warriors rising about level 400 . Python’s chest started burning as he watched them risk their lives during the growth quest .
“I need to explore more places to discover the meaning of a warrior . ”
Python was also part of a prestigious guild with tons of friends . In fact, back in the day he had joined a social guild but they had disappeared due to the war in the Central Continent . He was a warrior seeking a place to fight . This time he decided to go to the north . It felt good to walk the path to the north as a warrior .
“I think that many people will recognize me due to the broadcast . I shouldn’t wear armour and my sword in the city and should hide my face .
Python wore a straw hat on his head and wore tourist attire . And he rode a wild horse towards the north .
Call of the Wild Horse! It was a somewhat unusual skill that allowed him to catch and ride wild horses .
As he passed through the Central Continent to the north, he saw many scenes of devastation caused by Draymond’s resurrected legion . Cities were left in ruins and many residents were migrating .
“If you go a little further then you will arrive in the Northern Continent . ”
Unlike what he expected, Python didn’t encounter many monsters while heading to the north but saw countless merchants travelling back and forth . There were horse drawn carriages that contained 30~100 people .
“Unlike the rumours, the north is very productive and requires many things . ” The reality was somewhat different from Python’s thoughts . In the past, merchants had sold imported goods from the Central Continent to the north . Trading was accomplished and increased due to the number of beginners .
The Central Continent was engulfed in war so now many beginners of Royal Road started in the north .
From a merchant’s point of view, there were greater benefit in the north so they travelled there from the Central Continent .
In the Central Continent, they could sleep in the square all day and might sell a few things if they were lucky . But in the large cities in the north like Morata, there was no need to wait in the squares and could see things near the gates .
There was a demand for intermediate products and luxury goods .
In the past, there was a huge consumption and a market was born . However, the north was also starting investigations, terrain exploration and mining development . Although Hestia’s Forge and other Grand Buildings were created, there was a temporary lack of materials because of the distance .
The north’s internal trade started expanding .
“When looking at the economics and technology, there is no end to the north’s growth . ”
“The population doesn’t match the reported statistics . I only came once and unconditionally sold everything . There is no need to talk in this situation . ”
“The orc merchants in the area is a joke . They are selling it for 10 times the market prices so won’t it be easy to sell for a good price?”
The merchants headed to the north to chase their dreams .
“The Hemir River is coming up… Is there a way to go around it?”
Python pondered for a moment while looking at the map he purchased . The easiest solution was to swim against the river . But he would have to let the wild horse go and start walking .
While he was being distressed, the merchants just headed straight toward Hemir River . There were also merchants with empty carriages coming from the opposite side so something was strange .
“Are there boats that will cross the river?”
There wasn’t a city around here… . Anyway, he was glad . But when Python arrived at Hemir River, there was an immensely long bridge crossing both sides . The width was at least 3 kilometres and built with sturdy stone .
“Unbelievable! Is it possible to create such a bridge?”
Python became numb after seeing the grandeur of the stone bridge .
Stone was often used as a building material but the limitations of it were clear . The heavy volume meant it was almost impossible to use in large buildings . Furthermore, the bridge wasn’t just created from stone .
It was flattened and finely inscribed with images . The pillars were carved with phoenixes, bulls and the northern cities . The centre of the bridge was built high enough that cruise ships and fishing boats could comfortably pass underneath .
Python rode the wild horse towards the bridge and saw sentences engraved at regular intervals .
-Welcome to the North . Come to Trivan Village and see our engineers! Transportation to the core of the north, Morata is free .
-Keatu will distribute land that needs to be cultivated for free . Come at once if you want to dig at the land . Shovels will also be given for free .
-Special packages will be given for travellers who want to explore cities in the north . Taste the representative grass porridge of each region!
Phrases were written to promote cities and villages in the north to travellers . The name of the users who carried the stones were carved on the top .
“This bridge can’t be built alone… How many rocks were required to build just one bridge?”
Python continued staring blankly at the outrageous bridge .
“Tsk tsk, it must be the first time that horseman has come to the north . ”
“Yes . There have been many who stood and stared at the bridge . ”
“It still isn’t over . Isn’t this a symbol of the ideology of the north? There are days when hundreds of people just stand around . ”
Merchants spoke as they hurriedly pulled the carriages past .
It was common for users to look up as they entered cities in Royal Road . But Weed started a culture of wearing simple tourist clothes when travelling around the north .
Initially high level users headed to Morata but it was impossible to compare them to Weed . In addition, there was a surprising number of high level users and warriors quietly adventuring in the north .
Dark Gamers drank at the cheapest tavern . The Dark Gamers that came to the north experienced an unexpected prosperity at the hunting grounds . There was a never ending list of requests that involved things like ruins exploration, treasure excavation and helping the public .
A considerable amount of beginners also struggled in the north . Level 60 or so . They were overconfident about their abilities . It felt great when stats like strength and speed rose .
The dispute in the Central Continent also caused magicians around level 420 to head to the north .
Therefore, these days the users didn’t dare attack any travellers wearing ordinary clothes . Because they could be high level users . Of course, there were ways to tell if they looked closely at the boots, cloak, rings, necklaces etc .
In Python’s case, he was carrying a large sword and riding on the back of a wild horse so people soon discovered he wasn’t a beginner .
“I’ve never seen a bridge like this while wandering around the Central Continent . ”
Python crossed the bridge on horseback . The bridge was wide enough that there was plenty of room for carriages to pass in both directions .
“Wow, this is the Northern Continent!”
“Is Morata beyond here?”
“No, you have to go further . How wide is the north?”
“I want to go quickly . ”
“Run!”
The users coming from the Central Continent continued making a fuss . They were heading towards the north in anticipation of a new life .
Merchants could be seen enjoying the scenery in the middle of the bridge . And after crossing the bridge, Python finally learned the name of the bridge .
-Grand Building, Sturdy Stone Bridge!It is common to take the long way around rivers, lakes, cliffs etc . This stone bridge can relieve the fatigue and suffering of travellers .Earthquakes and flooding will never break it .
Built by the architect Keio and the power of the northern users .
Grand Buildings that were hard to find in the Central Continent!
The culture and economy of the Central Continent was originally developed so the Grand Buildings were already built . However, many were destroyed due to the wars . When the owner of a castle changed due to the siege, there were many cases where the defensive areas were destroyed .
Architect was the most envied occupation in the Arpen Kingdom . Architects could make a name for themselves through Grand Buildings, especially if the work involved thousands of users .
There were 6 Grand Buildings that were bridges in the north .
The Arpen Kingdom gathered the money in order to create Grand Buildings . The buildings weren’t just a financial waste as they were important resources for the north .
Users hunted, adventured, took part in production and erected Grand Buildings . The connecting bridges helped spread the culture and technology of each region . Now it was the lifeblood of the north .
“For the name of a Grand Building to be Sturdy Stone Bridge, this is a truly fun place . ”
Python crossed the stone bridge and entered the north .
-You have crossed the Sturdy Stone Bridge . Fatigue is reduced and vitality has recovered by 80% .Endurance has permanently increased by 3 .
Agility has permanently increased by 1 .
Luck has permanently increased by 2 .
The chances of a disaster occurring while adventuring will be reduced by 41% .
Any discoveries while adventuring will increase fame by 35 . If no other people in the north has discovered it then it can be reported .
“Ohh, there is also this effect!”
He had dedicated himself to hunting in the Averian Forest so he wasn’t aware of matters in the north . Now he received a real surprise .
Gone were the days where there were no users in the north . It was an era of prosperity for the north .