Chapter 2) Formidable Enemy of the Haven Empire
“Go and pack up your luggage!”
“We are going back to Morata today . Hurry up!”
Seo-yoon silently followed the procession of merchants .
Novice travellers were mixed in with the merchants for safety .
“Can’t we get good food in Morata?”
“Yes . These days, there are plenty of open restaurants . I also want to open a restaurant in Morata . ”
The users were busily rejoicing while walking .
The merchants had empty carriages and users paid to accompany them .
Recently it was a trend to travel around the Northern Continent on carriages so there were at least 70 people .
The rough winds, dangerous monsters and magnificent scenery made it romantic to travel together .
It was a familiar sight for travelers . In the past, Europe was very popular and now the trend was the Northern Continent tour .
Although the development of most cities were low, many people took a leave of absence from the university to explore the north . Of course, they picked up any quests and items as well .
The Arpen Kingdom wasn’t fully developed and many people worked on its development .
The merchants and travelers were diligently returning to Morata when they were hindered by 6 horsemen with flags .
“Huhuhu . Weak humans . ”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Murderers from the Haven Empire!
They were troops that penetrated the north, murdering people and looting .
“Coming here…form a defense formation . Stop the enemy!”
The merchants were quick and readied the combat carriages .
“What is that?”
“A little odd . Isn’t this the Arpen Kingdom?”
The novice users responded to the attack in broad daylight . And soon the murderers of the Haven Empire reached them .
“Uhhh . ”
“D-damn . There is only a little bit left until we reach Morata . ”
They were despairing when Seo-yoon silently walked forward .
Sururung!
She pulled out the sword she carried on her back .
At that moment, Seo-yoon’s eyes shone red .
-The eyes of a berserker have opened in response . Strength has increased by 73% .Attack sped will increase by 41%, there will be no hesitation and fewer vitality is consumed when using continuous attacks .
Fighting spirit will be at the maximum until the end of the battle .
Your fighting ability will become stronger the longer you fight and the more enemies you kill .
Ddiring!
-Berserker Pulling out the SwordYou cannot stand injustice and unrighteous enemies .There is no need to acknowledge them .
Punish all enemies .
Level of Difficulty: Berserker Quest .
Compensation: Strength 1 .
Quest Restrictions: Level 6 Advanced Sword Mastery .
600 Fighting Spirit .
Seo-yoon rushed forward and strongly wielded her sword .
Pale, Maylon, Romuna, Irene, Surka and Zephyr fought around Morata .
They fought together with nearby users to stop the Hermes Guild users .
They were already known as Weed’s colleagues so were very famous in the north .
“I admire you . Archer Pale-nim . ”
“Hmm hmm . You’re welcome . ”
Archers came running up to Pale after his activities at the Earth Palace .
Magicians came up to Romuna to receive her teachings about fire magic while Irene was surrounded by injured players .
Surka kept to remote villages .
She boldly struck at the Hermes Guild murderers along with soldiers deployed to the small villages . And the night passed .
17 villages in the Arpen Kingdom disappeared .
4,000 users died and the residents were wiped out .
Surka, Romuna and Irene died!
They tried to defend the villages against the Haven Empire but were killed .
Some Hermes Guild users were even mixed in the raid .
Videos of villages in the Arpen Kingdom burning with black smoke swept the internet .
-Ah…is this the end of the Arpen Kingdom?
-The gap in power with the Haven Empire is too big . It is burning .
-It is over . The Haven Empire will unite the continent .
A week passed since the Haven Empire started their raids .
The stations were emphasizing the damage suffered by the Arpen Kingdom .
“There is serious damage to the land, infrastructure and transportation network . Fertile land has been burned and roads and bridges destroyed . The transportation routes for merchants are disconnected . The threat that the frontier villages are receiving…it is difficult to know the statistics but more than 100,000 residents have been killed . Many users have also died . ”
The forces of the Haven Empire were depleted but additional numbers could pass over from the Central Continent .
The broadcasters reported the Arpen Kingdom’s crisis but also featured the videos of Weed’s current battles .
He moved quickly with his sculptural lifeforms and constantly killed the Hermes Guild users and troops .
He moved without a moment of rest and the Hermes Guild members couldn’t resist .
Weed’s battles were played in real time with sad music in the background .
The veins on their necks showed as the show hosts got heated up .
“Defeating 7 people! It only took 31 seconds . He unleashed Heriam Fencing a total of 24 times . An amazing feat that surprises me every time . ”
“Shin Hye-min ssi, did you see that wide area attack just now?”
Oh Joo-wan and Shin Hye-min was broadcasting ‘the Story of the Versailles Continent’ part 2 with a focus on Weed .
“Yes . Of course . The spear skill ravages the land so it seems to be impossible to avoid . At the same time, he used a another three spear skills . ”
“If I was to give a further explanation, it is hard to escape once embroiled in the attacks . The skill hasn’t been broken yet and Weed stays on the offensive . The bulletin boards are already heating up . Shin Hye-min, you have frequently hunted with Weed . Is it always like this?”
“You haven’t seen anything . This much is nonsense . ”
Shin Hye-min gave a terrible sigh . It was only for a brief moment but she didn’t look like a broadcasting host .
“Eh…then what is the most amazing thing?”
“He raises his resilience through narrow battles where he almost dies . Sometimes he only has 0 . 3% health left . ”
“A great sense of combat . It seems to be an innate gift but also requires a high degree of discipline . ”
“Yes . After the fight, he would do amazing things like bandage his body, cook, sharpen his weapon, clean his armour and make sculptures . A wonderful sight that shows off his various skills . ”
“You can’t lag behind for even 1 second when hunting with Weed . You have to keep up with his fast pace . Standing still for even 2 seconds will make Weed start nagging . ”
“I guess it must be tough . ”
“I feel happy that most humans like living conveniently . Ah! While we were having this conversation, Weed has already finished collecting all the loot . Where is he going on the wyvern this time?”
The stations showed the video and made Weed into the hero . There was no choice but to make Weed the main protagonist .
He rode on Yellowy and dragged Bahamorg and the sculptural lifeforms with him .
The users of the Hermes Guild that had an illustrious reputation easily lost their lives . Weed had the ability to see even the slightest gap .
The people were enthusiastic about Weed who was fighting alone .
Bardray and the key leaders of the Hermes Guild stayed safe in their hunting grounds .
The public opinion of the north also heated up .
“Let’s stop them . We need to protect the city we live in!”
“Our strength will allow us to achieve victory . ”
The northern users stayed in different cities and acted as the defense . Sometimes they repelled the enemy while other times the villages were turned to ashes .
At this point, the avians joined in and played a huge role .
Among the avians was the fast growing night owl, Mog . Mog originally started as a human in Morata but changed species via a special quest .
He discarded all human capabilities and was born again . He grew quickly and was popular with his colleagues among the avians .
“Take control of the northern skies and identify the movement of the troops . Avians join us . All avians should work together!”
The avians moved in the sky .
They flew above mountains, forests, rivers and plains and monitored designated areas . The avians watched from dense rainclouds .
They found the movements of the Haven Empire and mobilized the Grass Porridge combat troops . They also completely cut off paths if the invaders tried to flee .
In comparison, the Hermes Guild members were able to hide themselves well .
They were mainly active at night and took the lives of the people in the Arpen Kingdom .
Geomchi, Geomchi-2, Geomchi-3 and Geomchi-4!
They were active in the conquered areas of the north!
It wasn’t a problem as orc warriors joined from Vargo Fortress .
They completed special quests like Weed and became qualified to lead them .
The orcs were easily coaxed by flattery .
“Chwik . Impressively messy . Chwi chwit!”
“You are a lot more dirty . ”
The orcs became subordinates of Geomchi .
“I will follow . Chwi chwik . Just feed me . ”
-You are the commander of the Muksabal Army . There is a total of 134,983 troops . -The orc fighters have accepted you so charisma has permanently increased by 13 . Honour and intelligence has decreased by 2 .“I finally became a commander . ”
Geomchi was filled with strong emotions .
He finally had an army .
“This is the suitable path for a man in troubled times . Maybe we will be able to conquer the continent under my hands . ”
Geomchi rarely watched television these days . The broadcast contents when Weed was ruler of the desert .
The cool sight of troops being led to conquer the continent .
Any man watching that would have similar thoughts .
Geomchi-2 asked with concern .
“Teacher-nim . Then do you want to conquer the kingdom that the maknae built?”
“Um . ”
Geomchi was seriously distressed .
He only recognized a few people in this world .
It would be cruel to destroy all the accomplishments that Weed had built up .
“In the end, it has to be like this . ”
Geomchi slowly pulled out his sword .
The sword glittered in the hot sun as he eliminated the Hermes Guild users .
“I’m sorry for the maknae but…”
Geomchi-3 smiled and said .
“Hey, Sahyung . Teacher-nim isn’t like that . The reason we follow Teacher-nim is because of his righteousness . ”
“Hum hum . ”
Geomchi instantly turned his gaze to his sword .
A sharp sword .
A sword that slashed everything .
‘I’m sorry for the maknae…a man only has one life . I will give you a spot just below mine . I will be the Emperor but you will receive a substantial role . ’
Under the vast sky and the wide earth .
A hot seething ambition .
‘It might be a pipe dream but…all men should have big dreams . ’
Geomchi’s vast spirit!
Then Geomchi-4’s words struck a decisive blow .
“But how will we feed the orcs, Teacher-nim?”
“Huh?”
“They are very hungry . ”
“…Aren’t there quite a few?”
“More than 100,000 . ”
The heaven and earth in his heart shriveled .
Geomchi-2 spoke like he knew something .
“Teacher-nim . It isn’t only 100,000 . ”
“Then?”
“I heard that even more orcs will be coming today . ”
“Then 1 million?”
“There might be even more . ”
The commander of an army of one million .
Geomchi’s face lit up . He would be the commander of such a large army .
“Then go and prepare for their arrival . Bring out the meat and bottles of alcohol!”
“Teacher-nim . What is there isn’t any food?”
“Go to the merchants . ”
“All our property has been cleared out . We always change the money to weapons . ”
Geomchi-3 hesitated before also speaking .
“Teacher-nim . How are you going to set up tactics with the orcs?”
“The tactics can’t be too sophisticated…”
“Then just a straightforward assault? Half would be killed in the first battle . ”
Geomchi-4 spoke once again
“But will the orcs continue to follow us?”
“Why?”
“Those guys are always fighting among themselves to find the leader . They are stupid and might forget all about Teacher-nim tomorrow . ”
“Hah…”
A moan emerged from Geomchi’s mouth . The dream of heaven and earth faded away into simple reality .
“The wide world…there are all sorts of trouble while trying to live . I will be happy enough just living . ”
Geomchi became depressed and decided to stick to the role of a commander .
Geomchi-2, Geomchi-3 and Geomchi-4 exchanged glances with each other and smiled .
‘Success . ’
‘Huhuhu . We did it . ’
‘Ah, I’m glad . ’
All of them were opposed to Geomchi’s big ambitions .
‘Teacher-nim shouldn’t achieve something like that . He will give us all the chores . ’
Geomchi-3 admitted that he was only superior when it came to combat force .
‘I just love to fight . My mind will be troubled if I am given a management position . Wouldn’t it cause a headache? Just thinking about it is no fun . ’
Geomchi-4 received hospitality from Weed .
“Teacher-nim, you can enjoy any big dreams in the future . The right time will come . Let’s return to Morata and hold some sword training camps . ”
“I don’t know about the maknae but all disciples are concerned with Teacher-nim’s dream . ”
“The location of the sword training camp is good . It is near a square and along the river . ”
“Maknae . Listen to my words . Sword training isn’t a matter of…
“Nowadays, there are many beauties passing by the square and river . ”
“Huoh . ”
“Everyone wants to become stronger in Royal Road . If some beauties become disciples at the training camp…”
“Beautiful disciples…”
“If you teach swordsmanship then you will see beauties sweating and become closer to them . A bond might be formed . A solid bait for a fishing rod . ”
Geomchi-4 didn’t have big ambitions .
His teacher finally gained some big dreams but his disciples had a variety of opposing opinions .
After that, Geomchi led his disciples and orc army to target the occupied territories .
They swept through the land occupied by the lords of the Hermes Guild .
The knights tried to repel them but just collapsed .
They used the spear, sword, axe etc . against the knights on horseback .
There was a level difference between horses and bulls and their movements in close combat was also different .
The knights used high level traps to defeat the army .
However, Geomchi had experienced all sorts of fights .
“This smells fishy . ”
“Should we enter?”
“That would be bad . Instead, let’s break through at full speed . Stragglers will be left behind . ”
“Yes!”
They were triumphant in every battle .
It might be a haphazard assault but they relied on their practical experience .
There was no need for any complex tactics as they moved .
Speed was an essential element in their activities .
They fought the enemy but didn’t touch any of the residents .
Caring for the weak!
Geomchi and his disciples were noble so they didn’t burn the villages like Weed in the desert .
“Teacher-nim, some of the kids are hungry . ”
Due to the lack of interest from some lords, there were crop failures and food shortages in some villages .
The hungry residents and soldiers collapsed in the middle of the battle .
“Is that so? Is there any food remaining?”
“The orcs ate almost all of it after the last village…there is approximately one meal remaining . ”
“Give it to the kids . ”
“Then we will have nothing to eat for dinner . ”
“We can go to another place to plunder . Give the food to them . ”
“Yes . Teacher-nim!”
They conducted battles in the occupied northern areas every day .
“a horde of orcs is coming . ”
“Dispatch the magicians and knights . ”
The troops were smashed by an army of orcs and Geomchis .
The knights and soldiers tried to struggle but were eventually forced to retreat .
“Ugh…defeat…”
“Teacher-nim . ”
“This is deplorable . ”
“They have no spirit . ”
“How funny . ”
The orcs in the north continued being recruited .
The users that became orcs also joined .
“We can feed our young if we come here . Chwik!”
“Join the army and kill everything . Chwiik!”
The number of orcs was increasing uncontrollably .
The surviving orcs improved their combat experience and could eat more food .
The governor of the northern colonies, Alcard received a headache while dealing with them .
“They have quick mobility and are decisive . They don’t leave one bit of food behind in the looted areas…rather, it is more difficult that they left the residents untouched . ”
They gave food to the residents . The quantity was for one or two meals and it was enough to gain the loyalty of the residents .
Meanwhile, the orcs ate all the food in the warehouses .
They left the responsibility of feeding the residents afterwards to the Haven Empire .
“Isn’t this highly deceptive conquest tactics?”
Geomchi, his disciples and the orcs were like ghosts as they attacked the Haven Empire .
Geomchi and his army attacked from all directions so the damage was enormous .
Even the soldiers in the northern conquered areas couldn’t handle it .
Many soldiers died against the orcs and it was difficult to get replacements from the Central Continent .
A huge amount of 900,000 had been dispatched to the boundaries of the Arpen Kingdom .
The people in the northern occupied areas were anxious and requested reinforcements . However, they received the same answer from the Haven Empire every time .
-Emperor Bardray and his army will go to the north after stopping all rebels . Until then, focus on maintaining security .
“We can only rely on these troops until then . ”
Alcard’s anger rose .
-The descendants of the mighty heroes…you are prepared to willingly shed blood .
“Of course . ”
-Can you deal with anything under the blue sky?
“Unless it is Master-nim or pretty girls…heook . No . ”
-As a descendant of the Pallos Empire, you have to walk the path of the Emperor of the Desert . This will be the last test .
“What kind of test?”
-All those who follow you will benefit . Don’t spill any more blood on these desolate sands and obtain a new home . Play the role of my sword . In the tradition of the desert…
Ddiring!
-The Founding of the Pallos EmpireUnify the great desert into one .Brave warriors .
Break away from the burning sands .
Go back to the land with flowing rivers and restore the glory of the Pallos Empire .
The one who gains the most territory will be the Emperor of the Pallos Empire .
The time limit is 1 year .
Level of Difficulty: Region supremacy .
Compensation: Emperor of the Pallos Empire .
Quest Restrictions: Limited to desert warriors .
“Ohhhh!”
“War!”
Geomchi-5 and his students!
And the desert warriors were finally given the last quest .
Lead the desert tribes to invade the Central Continent .
They succeeded in displacing the residents of several major cities as well as cattle farmers .
They had spent 3 years on internal affairs but the desert warriors didn’t bother waiting .
“Camels! Bring the camels!”
“Move out . ”
Assault troops consisting of desert warriors . 350,000 people of the desert tribes gathered to regain their old territory in the Haven Empire .