3) Matchless Warrior
Weed watched the huge body lying on the floor .
The skin was like blazing lava and the three horns sprouting from the forehead was a threat itself . This was the boss monster of Metapeia, the Fire Salamander King . It was a legendary existence that lived in the desert .
But it was being hunted by Weed and his subordinates . The special leather with patterns drawn on it, blood and horns were all pieces that could be sold in stores .
Of course, the process to raise the prices through bargaining was essential!
“As expected from something known as the most powerful monster . ”
-You have received a severe injury .Current health remaining is 4 . 3% .
Flame damage will continuously occur .
Your life will be in a critical condition if this isn’t treated immediately .
He took out medicinal herbs and bandages and wrapped it around himself with familiar hand movements .
-The cold bandages are perfect to prevent bleeding .It will prevent the deterioration of your condition .
Your innate resilience has increased the injury recovery speed by 67% faster .
The Fire Salamander King has been destroyed . Among all the monsters Weed faced, this was definitely the best .
The thick walls and ceilings had melted during the hunt . There were many injured and dead warriors . The fast and resilient desert warriors gave up their lives so Weed could jump at the head of the creature and deal continuous, critical hits .
“We barely defeated it . ”
The body of the fallen monster was still hot . Sparks were still covering Weed’s body . The effect of the flames was the special move used by the Fire Salamander King! However, it wasn’t hurting anymore thanks to his high fire resistance .
Ddiring!
-The legendary Fire Salamander King has entered its eternal rest . -Fame has increased by 16,782 due to the great achievement . -Charisma has increased by 7 . -After entering the dungeon, your bold commands have caused Leadership to increase by 6 . -This victory will have an effect on the entire desert so all those who participated in the battle will have all stats increased by 7 .“Huhuhut, this is the taste!”
The experience from hunting a boss monster was multiplied by 100 times . Of course, his growth process wasn’t normal so Weed had different skills at this level . Furthermore, the stats related to his sculpting failed to grow even higher . This was a disadvantage but he still reached a colossal level!
Even if he was facing level 400 mobs, they wouldn’t dare resist and would just stay still for his sword swing . If Weed was determined enough then he could easily crush a city . A Sun Warrior was an upgrade from Desert Warrior .
However, the profession of desert warrior is only granted to the strongest in the world . At the end of the day, the strongest Sun Warrior’s skill was Mana Burn .
“Let’s check the item . ”
Sya sya syak!
-A master class tailoring item .The thick leather of the Fire Salamander King has been acquired .
-The Mana Heart of the Fire Salamander King has been acquired . -Master class sculpting item, the Fire Salamander’s 3 Horns has been acquired . -The Crystal Leading to the Fire Sanctuary has been acquired .“As expected, these items aren’t simple . I’m looking forward to it . These things might be helpful . ”
Weed glanced at his subordinates . The injured soldiers were sitting on the ground after the last big battle . Less than half of the desert warriors who entered the dungeon remained . The injured were in the centre of the room but at least 200~300 people had died .
His conscience was slightly pricked at the thought of monopolizing all the items from the Fire Salamander King .
“I need to confirm it secretly . Inspect!”
His conscience was slightly active but he still concealed checking the items from his subordinates .
Ddiring!
-Leather of the Fire Salamander King: Durability 125/125 .The leather of the legendary Fire Salamander King .
It is thick but also very lightweight and flexible .
The noble pattern is revealed every time it is exposed to heat and it won’t tear .
The leather will give 85% fire resistance .
Physical attack damage will be reduced by 88% .
Depending on the level of the skill, additional magic resistance and other features will be given .
If properly processed, it can give great defense and a mysterious quality .
Master class tailoring material
-Mana Heart of the Fire Salamander King: Durability 17/17 .A heart filled with fire mana .
A very rare item .
Eating it will increase maximum mana by 1,700 and the ability to deal with fire by 3% .
The skill ‘World of Fire’ is available .
The additional effects when eating multiple hearts will gradually decrease .
Chefs who cook this fresh will gain larger abilities .
-Horn of the Fire Salamander King: Durability 182/196 .The most solid horn in the world .
It is close to impossible to process it but blacksmiths and sculptors can attempt to transform it .
If it is used to make a weapon then it can pierce any armour .
“How excellent . ”
Weed was satisfied with this loot . This was the feeling of happiness when hunting a boss class monster . And the crystal with a red aura around it!
“Inspect!”
-Crystal Leading to the Fire Sanctuary: Durability 9/10 .A crystal that can generate a portal to a mysterious sanctuary .
Inject a bit of mana to use it .
Only 1 person can pass through .
If the crystal is destroyed then fire elementals will appear and shoot flames of anger in every direction .
“I’ve heard of this . ”
An old man in a desert city said .
-Fire, water, wind, earth and lightning . There are special places that are the source of all this .
The desert has 5 sanctuaries hidden that are related to this . How do you know?
It was recorded in the diary found on five charred corpses . Chuckle . The book is probably left behind from a city covered in sand .
You will suffer if you try to find it .
The old man gave him some clues but not enough for Weed to find it . And he had no plans to find it . There were only 4 minutes remaining in his 80 days of hunting . His plan was to hunt incessantly before time ran out .
“These guys . You’ve gone through a lot of suffering . ”
He checked the items and wrapped bandages around the bodies of his subordinates .
“Kuooh, Great Emperor…”
“You came here because you believed in me . You worked hard . ”
Kindness would be more favourable in this quest!
‘There is only a little bit of time remaining so should I try to raise my level some more?’
Weed’s eyes sparkled at the thought . His current level was 824 . The level of his subordinates was also considerably high . The desert tribes were so loyal that it didn’t matter if they died .
‘No . I still have a few hundred people remaining . They followed me despite the harsh treatment so their discipline isn’t bad . There is no chance of a rebellion even with a deep injury . I can use these guys later . I should make something to eat . I can even sell it on a shrimp boat later . ’
Weed handed the bandages back to his subordinates and didn’t hesitate to pull out a weapon .
“Thank you for everything so far . The fact that we won this battle is all due to you . ”
“No, Great Emperor . It is a glory that I could follow behind the Great Emperor . I will go anywhere . I won’t forget the glorious days even if I die . ”
“You can’t die before me . I feel the pain of my flesh tearing every time you get hurt . ”
“Great Emperor!”
“Yes, this insignificant desert warrior won’t end here!”
“Heeok! Please remember my humble name . ”
“Of course thoughts about all of you are filling my head! I can’t take you lightly . ”
Weed called the names of his subordinates one by one and sent them encouragements .
“Tallonya, Bollos, Krengrand, Ai…sumi? Hmm hmm . Your injury is serious . Come here . There are still many bandages remaining . ”
“My injury is nothing . Great Emperor doesn’t need to take care of it . ”
“We are the sword and bow that will split Great Emperor’s enemies . ”
His subordinates were thrilled that he remembered their names .
‘This person called Hestiger! He is still alive . Looking at that arm protector, he has picked up another good item . ’
He felt jealousy whenever he heard that name . Soon it was time for the Nodulle’s Growth quest to end .
Ddiring!
-Nodulle’s Growth has been completed .The scorching hot lands .
The time given to Nodulle has ended .
He has worked hard to maintain the peace and defend Hilderun .
Please Note: The flow of time has reset from 100 times to the original .
The next quest will take place after one day .
The crisis was over but he felt a premonition that the next quest would be even more eventful .
“The next request hasn’t been given . ”
Weed sighed but it couldn’t be helped . He had completely succeeded in continuous, difficult quests . It was natural to receive even more difficult quests .
Weed and his subordinates returned to the desert city of Laos near the oasis . Of course, he had to pack the skin, bones, teeth and claws of the Fire Salamanders before leaving the dungeon . The dungeon was empty as it lost everything . The Fire Salamanders had been purified and it would take at least 1 year for the to reappear .
The number of desert warriors that survived this hunt was 741 people! His troops had suffered and their numbers were significantly reduced . However, they became considerable stronger after the experience in the Fire Salamander dungeon .
“Warrior-1, this is Laos right?”
“Yes . It seems to fit . ”
Laos had changed a lot during the course of his quest . The residents had built thousands of red and white houses along the sand dunes . The beautiful, colourful walls gave off a type of elegance .
The kingdoms of the Central Continent were cities built to match the lush, green forests and mountains and were suitable for nobles . The materials were stone or wood from trees .
Laos was a popular city but the houses were made with sand and earth . It gave a solid and cosy feeling of a revived city!
It was a city of desert warriors so it didn’t need to worry about attacks from outside . The high walls were meant to divide the city rather than play a defensive role and the gates were open .
Due to Cloud Sculpting and the abundance of rain falling, the oasis turned into a clear, blue lake with a river flowing from it .
Honey and milk flowed from Laos and merchants and nomadic farmers gathered, making it always crowded .
“Throwing this much money… I’d rather embezzle the money then spend in on the arts . ”
Seo-yoon thought that Weed liked the arts so she generously invested the funds she gained from the mercenary guild in this area . The desert had a creative culture of passionate dancing, singing, sculpting, art, etc .
“The Great Emperor is visiting!”
“Everybody come forth!”
Weed’s visit attracted attention so all the troops and residents ran out to the streets and bowed respectfully on the ground .
The most majestic presence in the desert! He had the status of the strongest in the desert so it was natural for them to worship him . In fact, Weed’s power was so huge that he would settle disputes among large tribes .
“Watching you fight every time can be very annoying . ”
“Great Emperor, they robbed the flock of sheep that we have been raising for 80 years . ”
“No . This is our pasture . Their one is over there . Here is the evidence . ”
“Too noisy . The reason isn’t required . In my eyes, both of you are wrong for causing a conflict in the desert . ”
“Save me!”
“We were wrong . ”
“Both sides made a mistake so you should give compensation . The flock of sheep and pasture . Your relationship isn’t good so you should give the properties to me . If you don’t want to die . ”
“T-thank you for the fair judgement . ”
Weed lightly showed off his power to extort them of their property . He would return to his original time after the final secret sculpting technique quest was finished so he needed money . He used it to purchase good weapons, equipment, skills etc . He gained the title of ‘Person Seeking Bribes’ but that didn’t matter .
“There is nothing wrong with it . I’m not an honourable person . ”
His active spirit of bribery overrode any actions of aid or virtue . He was meeting Seo-yoon in the city but it was difficult to tell apart the faces covered in cloth with only the eyes showing . Weed sent a whisper to Seo-yoon .
–Where are you?
–The fountain .
–I’ll be there in a minute .
Seo-yoon was waiting in front of the fountain in the city .
Weed got off Bactrian Camel and took off the Pharaoh’s mask . His bald head glared in the sun!
Seo-yoon was wearing a headscarf and neat desert clothes, giving off an elegant and intelligent style . It was absurd but she hadn’t aged as the quest progressed .
Seo-yoon smiled brightly as Weed headed towards the fountain and looked like a model for expensive cosmetics . She proved the reason why females poured money into skin care .
“This isn’t going to happen…”
“It is still too early to give up . We should be able to buy some time if we enter the sewers!”
Artists packed their brushes and paints and escaped in a hurry . Usually cities were a safe zone from monsters but these people were being pursued by assassins .
“Where are they coming from?”
“I don’t know . I can’t see . We’ve arrived at the sewers . This should be enough…cough!”
A purple dagger with poison on it belonging to an assassin suddenly hit the drain!
“This place is obvious for anyone thinking of escape . ”
“Shut up, you Hermes dog!”
“This is proof of the rumours . ”
Seokeok!
In order to maintain peace in the Haven Empire, the Hermes Guild employed a merciless squad of assassins .
“There is a lot of graffiti . The deterioration of public order is more serious than I thought . ”
“Kill anyone who is suspicious . Pay special attention to the painters in the city . ”
They assassinated painters, rebels and anyone belonging to the Embinyu Church! The Haven Empire acted swiftly to maintain public order .
The players protested in the square of the Imperial Palace but the military mobilized their forces, including battle carriages in order to exterminate them . Public opinion was bad but the Haven Empire had the strongest power in the Central Continent and used that to supress any backlash .
Additionally, Emperor Bardray set some edicts .
All those who oppose the rule of the Haven Empire will be given the death penalty . Any who help the rebels of any kingdoms will be given the death penalty . Those who draw graffiti about the nobles of the Empire will be given the death penalty . Anybody with a connection to the Embinyu Church will be given the death penalty . Any actions that will worsen public order will be disposed of .Emperor Bardray .
The Haven Empire wanted to unify the Versailles Continent so they were concerned about ending the war and maintaining peace . Users from the defeated kingdoms or guilds often spread false rumours to disturb the rule of the Haven Empire .
Users who were caught doing these things were killed and then permanently expelled from the Haven Empire’s territory and hunting grounds . The vast majority of general users had to endure the rule of the Haven Empire .
A hometown was very important on the Versailles Continent . It was a familiar city and their colleagues were there . Their contribution and intimacy with NPCs would also rise and it would become the base city for their adventures .
Even if others criticized the Hermes Guild, the users who started in the Haven Kingdom had already adapted to the bad situation .
Expensive hunting ground admission prices and heavy taxes . The situation wasn’t like other kingdoms .
The Empire was increasingly gaining strength . As the Haven Empire expanded, the scope of the users’ activities naturally widened .
Moreover, the Haven Empire might be the first to unify the continent . Other guilds had to compete for places . Quite a few people left for the north to escape the Hermes Guild’s persecution but many people still lived in the Empire .
“Edicts? It really isn’t a joke . ”
“The Haven Empire just wants to kill anyone they see as wrong . ”
“This rule is a dictatorship . ”
The users were dissatisfied but they didn’t show it on the outside . The military power of the Haven Empire was pushing on them from above . In addition, the Allied Forces on the continent were thoroughly defeated .
The Haven Empire continued to increase the occupied territory and used the money plundered to grow their military . People looked away like it was unrelated to them and continued quietly hunting and adventuring .
The flames under Fabio’s hand seemed like they were dancing . He learnt to deal with both metal and fire!
His blacksmith skill proficiency had reached a high of 99% . He was waiting to become a master but even the most perfectly created sword didn’t increase it anymore . Even smelting hard metal didn’t change the proficiency .
“This is the limit of simple production . I need to look for a new method . ”
In fact, Fabio had expected this to some extent .
The best blacksmith had to create a legendary sword that would be known throughout the continent .
A Master Blacksmith . He needed a great achievement in order to become a ruler of metal . There were numerous users waiting to master their skills but Fabio was stuck at the final step .
Fabio rose from his spot .
“The best armour and perfect sword . It will be good items for those qualified to use them . The hero who is the first to unify the continent will be the one I make this weapon and armour for . ”
He was well aware of how the world was changing .
The dwarf kingdom of Thor hadn’t received any external aggression yet . The dwarf culture had no kings or nobles and were uncompromising warriors who dealt with their enemies using their axes . Most of all, the presence of Akryong Kaybern meant conquering the kingdom wasn’t going to be that easy .
But the dwarves would naturally be affected if the Haven Empire conquered the world . Their fate as a minority species was to be swept away by the war . The Thor Kingdom wasn’t active in the world but they were naturally interested in the changes occurring on the continent .
“The military needs to strengthen its cooperation with the Hermes Guild . We have to make that choice before it is too late . ”
Fabio and the junior blacksmiths decided to aid the conquest of the Haven Empire . The dwarves made weapons and defensive items from ores . Numerous other guilds who had been watching quietly until now sided with the Haven Empire .
They decided to give up on resistance and accepted the rule of the Haven Empire .
Pale, Surka, Irene, Romuna, Hwaryeong, Bellot, Maylon and Mapan were all gathered together .
“Sigh… Everybody went through a lot of trouble . ”
Bellot said as she looked at the others’ faces . The reason she failed to connect to Royal Road for a while was a TV filming .
But everyone’s face had changed in the meantime . Their hair had become matted, their faces dirty and armour shattered . Repairs could make them neat again but they had just returned from a quest .
“It is okay . It was worth it . Look at my fist now!”
Surka whose face looked like a dark elf gripped her fist tightly . When her fist punched something, there was a probability of causing lightning . It was a fighting skill gained from the monsters in Lightning Valley!
Pale’s bow had also changed, indicating that he had gained quite a bit of profit .
“Ah, this fragrance is really good . ”
Romuna wore a robe that covered her face and sat quietly while drinking tea . This was unusual since she liked to talk . This was either a very large failure or a one-time jackpot!
‘I was nervous but I guess the work succeeded . ’
People who knew her well thought that she was lucky . Hwaryeong was dressed like an Indian female in order to learn a new dance .
After greeting each other, Mapan started talking with a heavy atmosphere . Mapan had invited them to his mansion in Morata .
“Here, this is the reason I invited you…this is a book bought cheaply from a farmer .
It isn’t unusual for something that I read to turn out to be something more . ” Mapan pulled a book from his backpack . A corner of the book was torn and the title said ‘The Discovery on Halmerun Mountain . ’
“Let’s read a bit of chapter 1 . Start now .
I’ve seen a lot of places as an adventurer . But I think this is a special place . ”
When I first came to the north… I was going to run away . The monsters were too scare for my colleagues and I .
I’m writing this book while hiding in a cave but this is a romantic adventure .
So why is there a musty smell? This is the smell of a bear . Tonight we didn’t want to be the bear’s dinner . Please note that I have no taste . Although the Shabel Tiger tried to bite my arm, it soon left to seek different prey . The reason for this is the secret paste I applied to my body .
…Omission…So I was wandering lost in a place overgrowing with trees .
It was an area with deep, dark trees when I saw a ring .
It was a ring belonging to a missing knight of the Niflheim Empire called Ivanstein .
I looked around a little bit but returned after not finding anything .
Facing a hungry monster on a dark night is very dangerous .
“Who is Ivanstein?”
Surka asked a question but everyone was quiet . It was because they also didn’t know . They were like new chicks in this area .
“Knights of the Niflheim Empire are constantly fighting off invading monsters . I searched in the library for Ivanstein and discovered that he was a knight holding a brass plate before disappearing . It is one of the four treasures of the Niflheim Empire . ”
“What is the effect of the brass plate?”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t find out . However, it seems valuable enough to search for it . ”
“By ourselves?”
“Yes, that’s right . ”
The people looked in each other’s eyes .
This required searching a mountain based on a story from a book! It was far away and they would have to pass through several monster habitats .
Apart from quests, adventures could also be obtained from clues like this .
“Let’s go . ”
“I will go . ”
“We have to go there . ”
It was an important decision but everyone made it easily . There were unpredictable difficulties that could occur on adventures .
‘It might be a little hard but we will suffer even more under Weed . ’
‘This is nothing compared to Weed’s quest . ’
They grew quickly while hunting with Weed!
The tension in regular quests wasn’t high enough . Every once in a while, they wanted to feel the thrill and exciting moments when hunting with Weed .
[Minor TL Note]: This is just speculation but I’m going to put it down here because I know some people will ask the question . I assume that Weed still has the level he earned because the whole point of this quest is to level up for the next few quests . Therefore, Weed probably won’t get the reward for the levelling up until his level is reset . But this is just my guess…
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