Fire Giant

Having ventured deeply into the dungeon, a flowing river of lava came into view.

An underground lava river having a width exceeding 400 meters!

Harsh high temperature were being emitted enough to exhaust anyone getting near it.

Seoyoon stayed as far away from it in contrast to Weed who was marching towards it.

If not for his high fire resistance he would’ve suffered high amount of damage by now.

While Weed and his undead didn’t show much change on their bodies, Yellowy and Seoyoon were sweating out a lot.

Also their stamina was now consumed at a faster rate.

After confirming that there were no alternative ways to go around the lava river Weed made an announcement.

“We will have to go across using that.”

Rocks and metals were found sticking out in the middle of the lava river.

The smallest ones were barely enough to fit a foot while the larger ones were around 13 square feet.

A lot of them have flat surfaces.

Though that was not the only things found in the lava river.

Fire Giants that made the expedition group run away with tails behind their legs were sleeping in it.

And what connects the two sides from the lava river was a rope bridge probably used by either Inferno Knights or Chaos Warriors.

Weed examined the rope which seems to be made of twisted Bollard leather.

“Hmm, not sure if it’s safe, better test it with the undead. Chaos Warrior 1, you go first.”

“Yes. My. Lord.”

With the undead Chaos Warrior’s rigid movements it started to cross the rope bridge.

It was rather easy for the undead to cross since it didn’t have any fear of death.

After having crossed three-fourths of the rope bridge it then used its teleportation to reach the other side.

“Good. Let’s get moving.”

The other undead then took turns in crossing while Tori fly over carrying Geumini and Yellowy.

Yellowy, after seeing the hot flowing lava, got frightened and started to struggle but after much effort they were able to go across.

Now it was Weed and Seoyoon’s turn.

Out of concern, Weed suddenly asked Seoyoon.

“Are you scared?”

Seoyoon shook her head and then walked quickly towards the rope bridge.

Weed walked along behind her. He then grabbed the rope and gazed downwards, what he saw was quite a terrifying sight.

Popping bubbles from the red lava were producing intense heat.

One wrong move means a one way trip to h.e.l.l!

Weed, feeling anxious, started muttering.

“You’re a guy who has live through worst situations than this. Just keep going straight, there should be nothing to be afraid, right? Though crossing the rope bridge maybe risky and dangerous but the monsters here use it and there seems to be no problem. In a way, I should consider myself lucky.”

As soon as Weed finished muttering 10 Chaos Warriors emerged from the other side.

It seems that a group of Chaos Warriors were scouting the area.

“I can sense someone’s presence.”

“Undead!”

“Purify the invading undead. Kill the guy that defiled our fallen brethrens!”

The red axe wielding undead Chaos Warriors, Tori, Van Hawk, Golden Bird, Geumini and Yellowy got ready to attack.

They were the only ones that could directly intercept them for the meantime.

“Defensive formation! Chaos Warrior 1, 2, and 3 focus your attacks on one of them while using teleportation.”

Weed commanded the battle while staying on the rope bridge and got ready to cast curse magic but then giant eel like figures suddenly emerged from the lava.

These eel like monsters then started spewing fireb.a.l.l.s.

And those fireb.a.l.l.s blasted Weed’s robe and Seoyoon’s armor.

- You have received fire damage from the Baovant’s attack.

Immolation!

If the fire is not put out the damage will continue to acc.u.mulate.

While the two of them were recovering from the sudden attack another group of Baovants appeared and spitted more fireb.a.l.l.s.

Due to the increase of fire resistance, the damage was light but the current situation proves to be much more dangerous.

Moreover, each time the fireb.a.l.l.s from the Baovants. .h.i.ts them the rope bridge would sway making Weed stumble every 2 to 3 meters when he tries to run.

Balancing to stand is already hard enough and now crossing had become an even more arduous task!

“The master is in danger!”

Van Hawk yelled when he noticed Weed’s crisis.

Weed was dealing with different sets of monsters while staggering to maintain balance but he deemed the Baovants to be a greater threat and decided to deal with them first.

‘They’re in the lava so I can’t attack them directly. Dark magic is all I could use since I don’t have any spells that could counter their fire attribute.’

Water magic series, it would have been a great help in this situation if a water or ice spell could be used.

Though Weed would only be able to use the basic spells even if he had a spell book.

And since he is not of the Wizard cla.s.s he wouldn’t be able to deal the maximum magic damage from using those spells so using that method cannot defeat the Baovants.

‘I do not want to jump down on the rocks.’

Though the protruding rocks have flat surfaces it was still very unreliable since it was possible to slip into the lava river upon landing.

Fighting the Baovants in the lava river is definitely not an option!

Even if things turn out as a direct battle while equipping the Daemon Sword, as a Necromancer the physical damage would be weak.

‘This is not good.’

Weed is very fast when it comes to decision making but Seoyoon acted first before he could decide.

‘I don’t want to see him die.’

The Baovants started carpet bombing them but Seoyoon blocked the attacks reducing one-third of her health.Weed was surprised with Seoyoon’s actions.

Light Sword!

One of the sword skills of the Berserker cla.s.s.

After receiving the damage, she immediately activated this powerful skill. This was the new sword skill she learned after gaining experience from the previous battles.

Seoyoon’s sword was now wrapped with bright red light. She then swung it towards the Baovants.

Kwagwagwagw.a.n.g!

By consuming mana the sword created a powerful blast.

Light Sword was a simple skill.

It only needs mana to activate and it can directly reduce monsters’ health neglecting their defense.

Since running away from this battle would be very disadvantageous, the only option left is to face them.

So Seoyoon devoted herself in using the sword skill.

Though there were a lot of them the skill was still very efficient to use due to its fast attack speed and high destructive power but the Berserker’s mana is being rapidly consumed.

Keee.

Kkwaeaek!

Baovants that were hit by the blast fell one after another.

Even if they try to defend the Light Sword skill will still successfully hit them robbing away tremendous amount of health.

Now there was no need to directly attack the Baovants since the skill was a long range attack using mana.

And due to the characteristics of the Berserker cla.s.s the monsters fighting them were now being pressured.

The Baovants then started retaliating using their long range attacks as well.

In the meantime, Weed was clinging on the rope bridge suffering from ongoing battle.

“d.a.m.n it.”

Each time Seoyoon attacks, the rope bridge would shake violently.

Baovants spewing fireb.a.l.l.s were rapidly decreasing due to Seoyoon constant swing of the sword.

Since they were affected by the Berserker’s curse of madness, the monsters could not escape the barrage of the Light Sword skill.

They now have lost physical control and even if their bodies grew tired and collapse they will still unconditionally attack their surroundings.

A skill that will not stop until all enemies have been obliterated.

Seoyoon intended to stay in order to make a way out for Weed.

Even if the rope bridge was destroyed and she falls to her death, she will still continue using the range attack until all of her mana was depleted.

‘Run away quickly.’

That was the message she was trying to convey in her eyes but Weed interpreted it way too differently.

‘Somehow do something to make us win.’

Weed thought she was being unreasonable.

And the thought of Seoyoon staying behind so that he could go to the other side never came to his mind.

It was hard for him to accept but he must fight together with his colleague.

He must now devote his life to his colleague because he cannot run away.

Weed totally thinks that Seoyoon doesn’t want to be the only one fighting until the very end.

‘With the rope bridge swaying I can’t concentrate on casting magic. What the heck can I do?’

The High Elf Bow!

“Earth Expert, give me support.”

Earth Expert was resummoned then footholds were created on the bridge.

The undead were still continuing their battle with the Chaos Warriors but Weed cannot afford to use mana to help them.

“Water Spirit!”

Weed equipped High Elf Yeurika’s Bow and fired arrows towards the Baovants.

Arrows infused with the power of the water spirit hit the Baovants!

Though the arrows weren’t powerful since he was in the skeleton Lich s.h.i.+re form it was still enough to help Seoyoon.

The Baovants still continues to attack Seoyoon with their fireb.a.l.l.s.

And due to the loud noises they were making the Fire Giants woke up.

“Too noisy, can’t sleep.”

Fire Giants waking up can only mean trouble.

With their arms, measuring tens of meters, caught the Baovants and then threw them away.

Each time they moved the currents of the lava river would change and the ground would shook.

A Fire Giant then took out a sword in the lava river and pointed it towards Weed and Seoyoon.

Upon seeing the mighty swing that killed dozens in the expedition group escaping it would be impossible.

Weed then quickly pulled out an item.

He held out the Fire Giant’s Eye then the incoming swinging sword suddenly stopped.

“You…”

Weed swallowed his saliva with a gulp.

“Are not an enemy.”

Then it changed its attention towards the Baovants.

Weed approached Seoyoon to make sure it would not attack her.

Every time one of the Baovants dies a great number of unknown golden powders would fall into the lava river.

They were precious items but they were not worth the risk!

With the Baovants being disposed of Seoyoon stopped using her skill and was now free to move.

Seoyoon then quickly run across the rope bridge and joined the battle of the undead against the Chaos Warriors.

Only nine of the enemies were left, the undead were able to kill one.

Yellowy, Geumini, Tori, and Van Hawk were enduring the battle but now help has arrived.

Now that there were no more dangerous factors, Weed has no need to cross the rope bridge in a hurry so he began casting curse magic to aid the undead.

Curse magic that targeted large area were used since it was hard to target them due to teleportation.

And since the part of the dungeon the Chaos Warriors appeared at wasn’t very wide it was easy to hit them with those curse magic.

The current battle had made the Chaos Warriors fall into a state of panic because of the awakening of the Fire Giants but because of that Weed was able to take advantage of it and finish the fight.

Weed then heard the sound of the Fire Giants going back to sleep not too far away.

“I… shouldn’t make too much noise like the Chaos Warriors and Baovants.”

Fire Giants like to soak in the hot lava and doesn’t want to be disturbed!

Weed must now reorganize the undead since he had just lost a lot of undead Chaos Warriors along the way.

There were also new bodies to use for summoning but Weed did not yet leave the rope bridge.

“…?”

Seoyoon, Yellowy, and Geumini had puzzled looks unable to understand Weed’s current behaviour.

“I can’t just leave those precious ores behind.”

First cla.s.s jewels and large chunks of ores such as Mithril, diamonds, ambers, and adamantiums, were protruding on the surfaces of the rocks in the lava river.

It’s not that often that one can see such large amount of ores and so Weed started climbing down.

Upon safely landing, Weed again took out the Fire Giant’s Eye and placed it in plain view.

He then equips his hammer and chisel and started chipping off the protrusions making a lot of noise.

Kkang, kkang, kkang, kkang!

Weed decided to work carefully but making noise at the moment was a necessary step.

After a while, the Fire Giants opened their eyes.

“Silence is the best.”

Words for sleep suggestion!

Weed continues extracting the ores while trying to hypnotize them.

Each time a Fire Giant is in a half sleep state he would try giving them suggestions.

“There are too many Chaos Warriors. Kill, kill as many as you can. Why? Because your race is the one that truly dominates fire.”

“This lava river flows on the entire continent. Surely this would lead to some of their bases.”

“Besides, the Fire Giants are the true rulers of Las Phalanx.”

“If you guys don’t make the initiative then this land will be taken from you.”

“Also those annoying Chaos Warriors are noisy. It would be best if their numbers are reduced.”

When they were about to completely wake up Weed would pretend to drowsily yawn and it would successfully suggest the Fire Giants to doze back to sleep.

During all this, 15 different types of high cla.s.s jewels and ores were acquired and enough Mithril to create two swords.

A large profit was obtained in Las Phalanx.

***

Yurin was scattering paint on a clear lake.

A scene that would clearly shocked a nature conservationist!

Living near the lake were large and small herbivorous animals and monsters.

With their glossy eyes they were carefully watching Yurin.

The Aqualight Painter was painting and a crowd was gathering.

“What picture should I draw?”

Yurin was muttering to herself while trying to find a theme.

Pale’s party were on a quest related to Mordred, the Imperial Capital of the fallen Nilfheim Empire.

But she wanted to freely travel to many different places so left the party for a while.

“Animals and monsters seem to live in harmony here.”

Yurin began painting trees with abundant fruits on the lake.

Then a field with sweet potatoes in it followed, the idea was so that the monsters here will not starve.

Surprisingly the painting did not spread in the water.

By the time Yurin’s hair covered by her hat fell down to her shoulders, her brush had finished painting.

- Aqualight painting was used on the lake!

- You have completed ‘Nature’s Bounty’!

A beautiful landscape drawn on the lake, it depicts nature’s overflowing abundance as viewed by the artist.

A scene that calms the mind.

The precise coloring and delicate brush strokes shows that it was made by a maturing painter.

However it did not completely integrate with nature and when rain comes the painting will be disturbed.

Artistic Value: 98

Special Options:

As long as Nature’s Bounty is reflected in the water there will be a temporary increase in the nearby plants’ growth rate.

Animals will tend to gather near the lake.

4% increase in mana regeneration for Cleric and Wizard cla.s.ses.

- Beginner Ill.u.s.tration skill level rises to 7. Drawing lines are much more accurate and can take advantage at the characteristics of drawing tools.

- Dye Painting skill proficiency has increased.

Yurin was now admiring her work.

She was glad that the animals were delighted.

But suddenly the water on the lake started to undulate.

“Uh, what’s happening all of a sudden?”

Yurin became fl.u.s.tered and tried to run away from the lake.

But then the ripples in the water calmed down and water droplets started rising.

Since it was night time, she relied on the stars and the moonlight to see.

And upon seeing the picture of the night sky reflected on the water she was mesmerized.

Then the water droplets that were rising from the lake surround her and started spinning around.

With the moon and stars reflected on the water, the water droplets were sparkling!

But the marvellous sight did not end there.

The painting drawn by Yurin was changing into something different.

A never before seen mountain and a castle beyond imagination appeared.

The water droplets that were now floating seem to lead Yurin towards the beautiful painting.

Yurin then approached the painting.

Even though the water in the lake was rocking, the painting was undisturbed.

“Where is that place?”

It was a very beautiful castle.

And its gates were wide open as if it was trying to invite her in.

Deciding to take the risk, Yurin painted her appearance in front of the castle and then activated her skill.

“Picture Teleportation!”

After a few moments, Yurin’s presence disappeared from the lake.

The power that kept the water droplets floating also disappeared and it fell down towards the lake.

At first, the castle in the painting could not be seen but then…

“Wow!”

Yurin uttered a voice of excitement.

It was the most beautiful castle in the Versailles Continent!

It was built on a windy hill of a mountain with a wide field in its background.

Yurin walked on the golden fields and head towards the castle.

It seems to have been built a hundred years ago and somehow had magic protection since the castle was clean and has received little damage.

It was the same as the majestic castle found in the painting.

- You have seen St. George's Castle.

-Fame increased by 350.

- You have appreciated the beauty of the building, Wisdom increased by 10, Art Stat increased by 25.

It was an amazing gain for Yurin since both Wisdom and Art Stat got an increase.

If this was Weed, he would surely have a rotten smile on his face while looking at scenery.

“Excuse me.”

There were no guards guarding the opened gate.

“I would like to go inside!”

She gallantly exclaimed her intentions and walked pa.s.sed through the gate.

There were many flowers and trees growing in the garden and fishes swimming on the clear pond.

One could even smell the faint scents of the flowers.

And now the awaited interior detail tour of the castle!

There were a lot of rooms inside such as a study, a library, the maids’ room, the guards’ room, and up on the second floor are the knights’ room.

On the second floor, there exist a large room with the name Petrov written on it.

Surprisingly, the room opposite to it has Yurin’s name written on it.

“Somehow this does not seem like a coincidence.”

Carefully, Yurin decided to look for the room’s owner and opened the door without letting out a sound.

Inside was a s.p.a.cious living room with marble floors of elaborate designs worthy for a n.o.ble!

On the open windows one could see the castle’s garden and the magnificent sight of the mountains.

In the bedroom, there is a bed large enough to fit 5 people and sleep comfortably.

In the bathroom, a large tub filled with warm water had rose petals scattered in it!

The room was like a high cla.s.s hotel suite.

And on the wall hangs a blank canvas.

It seems that she had the room of the fairy tale like castle all to herself.

Time seemed to have slowed down for Yurin but it was cut short for footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs.

“Someone who lives in this castle has just returned, too bad I can’t enjoy this place alone anymore. Since that person has received a saint’s permission to live here does that mean his not a bad person? But then again, there were no magical alarm devices installed in the castle against illegal entry.”

When Yurin entered the room she had left the door open.

And standing in that opened doorway is a man with s.h.a.ggy hair and clothes dyed with various paints.

He then let out a loud discontented voice.

“Hey you, Aqualight Painter, don’t just walk in here as you plea--”

The moment the man saw Yurin’s countenance, his face stiffened and his heart stopped beating, he was utterly speechless.

Aqualight Painter Petrov!

He was a man that inconspicuously painted in Royal Road.

His paintings are known by the fairies and spirits but the rest of the world has yet to see them.

Though he had gained tremendous Fame, it was only limited to the fairies and spirits.

And all of his accepted quests were only related to increasing his painting skill proficiency.

It was also he who has found St. George's Castle.

“I don’t give a d.a.m.n about people’s recognition.”

Petrov lived his life only with pride and pa.s.sion.

And now due to an uninvited guest he has a very awkward expression on his face.

“h.e.l.lo, you are my neighbor Petrov?”

Yurin started talking to him but then immediately apologized as an afterthought.

“I’m so sorry I came in without the owner knowing, I’ll leave now.”

“No, it is okay. I am not even the owner of this castle.”

Petrov then anxiously explained the situation to Yurin in a hurry.

The St. George's Castle was actually a castle not built on the Versailles Continent.

It was originally the painting on the blank canvas.

Marvelled by the painting, the fairies gave it a suitable s.p.a.ce to be built and used dragon magic to level the land.

“I’ve been here for a year now, currently on a quest to restore this castle.”

“Uhm, I was painting on a lake when suddenly a painting of this castle showed up.”

“I see and since you’re an Aqualight Painter you were able to get here. Though the skill of the Aqualight Painter is one way to travel here, other painters should also have some other means of getting here but that’ll require triggering certain quests.”

“Hey, this room…”

“It’s Yurin’s room. It should be pretty comfortable inside.”

“It is possible to return to this room from anywhere in the Versailles Continent, you can also bring your own items and leave them here. In addition, you can also export the items you own from here.”

Petrov the painter that had reached intermediate painting skill took advantage of this castle due to his quest and he has no desire in revealing any of his known information to the public.

But whenever he would look at Yurin his heart would start racing.

Petrov normally had an arrogant and self-righteous nature and he would frequently ignore other people.

But from the moment he met Yurin he fell in love at first sight.

As a painter, it was natural for him to appreciate the charm and beauty of women.

Yurin’s soft and delicate facial lines and her clear deep eyes were just too beautiful beyond compare!

She is already very beautiful as is but she gave off an impression that she will be even more beautiful in the near future.

She was the perfect beauty a painter would want to continue painting for the rest of his life.

And so Petrov told everything he knows to Yurin.

“When you leave a painting in your room you will continue to receive its effect wherever you are.”

“What do you mean by receive its effect?”

“Ah, I’m sorry for saying that all of a sudden without any proper explanations. What I meant to say was the effects of the painting the grants blessings to players. Paintings drawn by other artists are exempted from this only from your own paintings will you receive its effects. For example, if you place my paintings in your room you will not receive any of its effects.”

Petrov had a pathetic expression on his face.

He wanted to look good in explaining things but got awkward and started hurrying up the explanations.

But every time he converses with Yurin he would occasionally observe her beauty especially each time she changes her facial expressions.

Petrov had completely fallen for her.

***

Having crossed the lava twice, they are now deep within the Inferno Dungeon.

They continue to fight the Inferno Knights and Chaos Warriors along the way and now they were experiencing a volcanic eruption.

Experiencing the volcanic eruption while deep underground in Las Phalanx gave off a new sense of excitement.

Even if one hides in a safe zone one will still feel the shaking like those in thrill rides.

“Keueeek!”

Yellowy, Geumini, and the undead were stumbling all over the place while Weed and Seoyoon barely manage by sticking to the walls.

“Summon Earth Expert. Provide support to the undead and the rest.”

Thanks to Earth Expert the party have stopped stumbling.

Wall collapse in the pa.s.sages of the dungeon was also prevented guarantying their survival.

Weed had gathered a lot of information about Inferno Dungeon.

For many years, the inhabiting monsters were in constant strife against each other.

Since in Las Phalanx the various races of monsters were only born on their own respective dungeons. This had caused them to solidify their own group.

And Inferno Dungeon was the main pa.s.sage that connects all dungeons of Las Phalanx. Things turned out that way because of the deformations made by the volcanic eruptions, either creating new paths or blocking them.

But the most frightening of all was the amount of lava that flows out during volcanic eruptions!

The lava that came from deep underground runs through the pa.s.sages at terrifying momentum.

And right now a certain change occurred in Weed’s safe zone, signs of small cracks were appearing.

Hot air was coming out like that of a steamer.

It seems as though lava will burst out from it but it’s actually still relatively safe for awhile.

“It had erupted today so I guess it will be dormant for a few days.”

If one doesn’t waste this chance then one can freely explore the dungeon.

Though it was vague whether what occurred was a minor earthquake or an eruption, Weed was able to confirm that it was indeed an eruption through the various signs.

Weed being able to completely adapt to the volcano’s nature started sculpting a rock!

“If the world gets destroyed by tomorrow, I’ll be able to stop paying taxes.”

After waiting for the flowing lava to calm down, the speed of the exploration had tremendously increased.

Before letting the monsters settle down during the aftermath, the undead struck them first.

While continuing the hunt for Inferno Knights they battled a certain group of Chaos Warriors.

Among them, a Chaos Warrior uttered some strange words.

“Kub.i.+.c.hya will avenge me.”

“You will definitely experience death in his might.”

Weed was intrigue so he inquired.

“What are you talking about?”

“What do you think? I have nothing more to say to you.”

The Chaos Warrior, even though held as a captive, still has its pride and refused to give information.

“Tori, go suck his blood.”

“No matter what you do I will never spill anything. Just kill me already!”

It seems that even with torture the Chaos Warrior still wants to keep its secrets to the grave.

So Weed changed his approach, though difficult, tried reading his opponent’s facial expressions and thus he started his provocations.

“Hooo, so you’ll even keep your mouth shut about Kub.i.+.c.hya’s Dragon Sword. I guess it really is a fact that Chaos Warriors have high regards with each other.”

“You... How did you…”

“So it really is true.”

The Chaos Warrior flinched as if it was being stabbed.

While hunting in the dungeon, Weed’s party have been wandering for a few days.

Since the already complicated pa.s.sages continue to change like upon reaching a dead end the path to return to the previous one would disappear.

They have been travelling for a long time so to some extent they should be nearing their goal.

“For a long time he had the Dragon Sword in his possession but why is it that he has yet to go to the magic circle?”

“…..…”

The Chaos Warrior closed its mouth once again.

“Chaos Warrior Kub.i.+.c.hya, he had an incredibly fast growth. With the Dragon Sword in his hands there were no opponents that could match him.”

“…….!”

The Chaos Warrior could not conceal the look of amazement in its face.

Seoyoon and the other sculptures of life were also surprised of how clever Weed is in getting a reaction out of the Chaos Warrior.

“A lot of time has pa.s.sed since then… Kub.i.+.c.hya has now become the leader of your race didn’t he?”

The Chaos Warrior let out a derisive laugh.

Weed then changed his wording.

“No, preceding that he is the Daejeonsa. The most distinguished warrior among the Chaos Warriors!” (T/N: Daejeonsa – using endic.naver.com as reference this can mean as ‘a mighty warrior’, this is also the name of a Korean Buddhist Temple)

“…….!”

“So far the conflict between the Chaos Warriors and Inferno Knights has yet to cease to exist and the reason you guys are trying to invade the Inferno Knights’ territory is because the magic circle is located somewhere there.”

“…….!”

“That’s the main reason why your race wages a territorial war on them isn’t it? Even though the Inferno Knights have high fertility rate you must still struggle to kill them so that your race will get their hands on the magic circle!”

“Chaos Warrior, even if you don’t speak that exaggerated expression you have right now is enough to tell me everything.”

Weed then gave out a brief explanation.

“Anyone who has eagerly watched morning and evening dramas could easily guess it at this degree.”

“……..”

South Korea’s ma.s.sive drama fan base!

Weed had watched a lot of TV dramas together with his grandma. In those dramas, it is common to see a storyline that involves someone about to die and another one trying their best to save that person. Since those dramas had a lot of emotional scenes, you don’t even need the dialogues, just seeing their expressions is already enough for you to know what’s happening.

“Anyway, I got to arrive there first before Kub.i.+.c.hya obtains its power.”

“It is already too late.”

“What makes you say that?”

“When the volcano erupted a small pa.s.sage heading straight to them has opened. Right about now, Kub.i.+.c.hya leading the army of Chaos Warriors should be at location of the magic circle.”

*Ttiring!*

- You have obtained information relating to the quest.

A cinematic appeared in front of Weed.

In it there was a large cave.

Found in the corner of a boiling lava lake, it was the Inferno Knight’s largest settlement!

In the center of it was an altar with a magic circle drawn. A colossal amount of red mana is gathered around it which seems to continuously expand and contract.

“Kub.i.+.c.hya has invaded!”

“Kill the Chaos Warriors! Protect our sacred land!”

Inferno Knights versus Chaos Warriors!

Both sides mobilized at least 500 troops for battle.

But the Inferno Knights fell one after another from the mighty swing of the Chaos Warrior that was wielding a red sword instead of an axe.

It seems that the Chaos Warriors were 1.5 times the number of Inferno Knights and were proving to be difficult to defeat.

An intensive battle was unfolding between the races.

- The quest The Recovery of the Red Star has been updated.

Goal: Stop the Chaos Warriors.

Kub.i.+.c.hya aims to absorb the power gathered by Imbeol’s Circle from all over Las Phalanx and using it he intends to make the Chaos Warriors unstoppable.

Fight against Kub.i.+.c.hya together with the Inferno Knights.

To see the battle in the Inferno Knights’ point of view, close your eyes for 4 seconds.

The quest will fail if Kub.i.+.c.hya successfully absorbs the mana of the magic circle.

Weed still has the murderer’s mark and his Infamy has exceeded 7,500. His name was still in red and was exposed so he was thinking of ways where the Inferno Knight’s will not attack them but then a pattern of overlapping small and large circles emerged and was engraved in his forehead.

The symbol of the Inferno Knights!

The same symbol also engraved itself to Seoyoon, the sculptures of life, and the undead.

Weed was the one leading the quest but because they were part of the same party they also received the symbol.

- You have been engraved with the Inferno Symbol.

You are no longer hostile to Inferno Knights.

Weed then closed his eyes and watched the ongoing battle.

Kub.i.+.c.hya showed an impressive display of skills.

Just by swinging the Red Star fireb.a.l.l.s were hurtling towards his enemies.

Advance fire magic was cast freely.

No incantation, wide range of explosions, fire arrows made by the Red Star was a very powerful magic!

Chaos Warriors led by Kub.i.+.c.hya were driven with great momentum.

Looking at the current battle, the Inferno Knights can probably last for about 3 to 4 hours.

If this has only been a one on one battle then they wouldn’t have been driven to a corner.

“Hmm… I do not have much time left. Angry Stone, Earth Expert, summon.”

“Is there still work to do, my Lord?”

“Lately, all we do is drudging.”

Without listening to their complaints Weed began to give orders.

“Angry Stone, locate the place where a large battle is occurring. Earth Expert, find the nearest shortcut to that location.”

“For us, that’ll be an easy task.”

Angry Stone and Earth Expert soon disappeared and then reappeared.

“I have located the place. It will take about 30 minutes to get there by running so follow me, I shall lead the way.”

Time is gold!

Even these 30 minutes is enough to make the tides of battle irreversible for the Inferno Knights.

But since there are physical limitations for both sides, there will most probably be intermissions during the battle.

They should be able to hold out for about 3 to 4 hours, the worst case scenario of reaching the magic circle will not happen just yet.

“Let’s go!”

Weed, Seoyoon, and the rest started to run.

But of course, Weed did not forget to kill the imprisoned Chaos Warrior and picked up the loot.

Dadadadadak!

Weed, Seoyoon, and the rest of the party were making loud noises as they run.

It seems that all of the remaining Chaos Warriors and Inferno Knights were involved in the current battle so they did not encounter any of them along the way.

Weed closed his eyes briefly in the midst of running to check the situation of the war.

“This will be quite difficult.”

Kub.i.+.c.hya and the Chaos Warriors were too powerful.

“A completely different race, they should be stronger than the Lich s.h.i.+re and should be around the same level that of Bar Khan.”

Kub.i.+.c.hya was a great warrior.

At the forefront of the battlefield, with near infinite stamina and superior battle prowess, the Inferno Knights were utterly crushed.

Fitting for the t.i.tle of Daejeonsa!

The fire magic of the Red Star was used again but due to the high fire resistance of the Inferno Knights they did not fall easily.

“Before I arrive, I need to do something beforehand.”

Weed briefly stopped and pulled out the Mysterious Bird.

Immediately realizing what was about to happen, Golden Bird flapped its wings with delight.

“O seal of the Ahreupen Empire sculpted by the great Emperor Geihar, I shall share my life unto you, the soul of a n.o.ble artist. Now rise from your endless sleep and become my comrade-in-arms. Give Life to Sculpture!”

- You have granted life to a sculpture.

The level of the sculpture will be based on the Art Stat.

The Art Stat is currently 1,889, so the sculpture’s base level will be 447.

Additionally, due to being categorized as a historical treasure, the Seal of the Ahreupen Empire made by the Master Sculptor Emperor Geihar will have 35% of its level added. Level is increased to 603.

However, certain level penalties shall be applied.

There will be a 10% level penalty due to the monster being a flying-type.

There will be a 10% level penalty due to the monster having transformation ability.

There will be a 7% level penalty considering that the sculpture had a long history thereby having its durability reduced through time.

Three attributes has been granted.

The attributes will vary in power according to the form and quality of the sculpture.

Jewel Attribute (100%), Wind Attribute (100%), Art Attribute (100%)

Jewel Attribute is a special charisma that increases political influence.

Wind Attribute will increase the monster’s flying speed.

Art Attribute will increase the effects of sculptures and other works of art by 150%. This is applicable to all of the monster’s party.

Due to being categorized as a historical treasure, it will have extraordinary grace and dignity.

Since it is a work done by the Master Sculptor Emperor Geihar, health and mana will be increased. Other additional effects of the Master Sculptor will not be applied due to the lack of talent by the one granting life.

Additionally, being the seal that symbolizes the Ahreupen Empire, special abilities will be added.

Can summon a mysterious fog, favourable to use for defense during a siege.

Strengthens the ability to conduct soldiers and improves reconnaissance.

5,000 mana has been used.

Due to the increase of efficiency in the use of the skill Give Life to Sculpture, the consumed level and stats will be reduced by 20%.

6 Art Stat is permanently decreased.

The decreased stat can be recovered by creating sculptures or other art related activities.

1 level has dropped.

Due to the decrease of level, most recently raised stat will decrease by 5.

The stats can be raised again upon level up

Please care for the sculpture with life.

Upon death, the sculpture must be granted life again to return its soul.

The sculpture cannot be revived if it has been completely destroyed.

For hundreds of years, the Mysterious Bird had symbolized Ahreupen Empire’s Imperial Household’s majesty.

And now that sculpture that is made of Mithril and Platinum had began to move.

Kkirurururu.

The Mysterious Bird blinked its eyes and was greeted by the sight of Geumini and Yellowy.

Then it looked at Weed and Seoyoon alternatively.

Just like a newborn chick looking for its mother!

Weed caught its attention so he then started talking to it.

“I’m the one that bestowed life unto you. I am your father.”

The Mysterious Bird with eyes made of beautiful jewels walked unsteadily towards Weed.

But unlike the Golden Bird, it was able to immediately speak with its beak even at its current form.

“Father, please grant me a name.”

“A name… I need a good name…”

Weed then skimmed the figure of the Mysterious Bird and was able to come up with a name.

“I’ll name you Eunsae.”

In a way, it was a good name but the nuance was no different from the name Yellowy.

“Eunsae, it’s a pretty good name. I like it. Thank you, Father.”

After that, it immediately nestled itself on Seoyoon’s shoulder.

Weed was the one the granted it life but pretty much prefers Seoyoon than him!

From the looks of it, its nature seems to be that of a female.

“Anyway, let’s go!”

Weed can’t afford to waste time anymore.

“This way.”

With the guidance of Earth Expert, they didn’t have to hesitate in which path to choose when they encountered forks on the road.

After 25 minutes, they finally arrived at their destination!

The Chaos Warriors and the Inferno Knights were still engaged in the large scale war.

With deafening explosions, the flames soared through the battlefield.

Weed knew roughly the situation of the battle but Seoyoon and the sculptures of life had no idea.

Kub.i.+.c.hya, wielding the Red Star, displayed tremendous battle prowess.

Under his leaders.h.i.+p, the Chaos Warriors fought using different formations. Weed, at first, calculated that the Inferno Knights should be able to hold out for 3 to 4 hours but by looking at the situation now, it is quite apparent that they aren’t going to last that long.

If they fall here, the power balance in Las Phalanx will start to crumble.

“Keuheum.”

Weed was now quite hesitant.

But then Fire Giants suddenly emerged from the lava lake.

“Waking me from my sleep, I shall kill all of you!”

“Annoying b.a.s.t.a.r.ds disturbing our sleep, you shall all face our wrath!”

The five intruding Fire Giants brandished their swords!

But in spite of that, the Inferno Knights and Chaos Warriors did not back away.

In addition, ma.s.sive numbers of Baovants have also joined the fray.

They began spewing fireb.a.l.l.s adding more to the confusion.

The chaotic battlefield has now gathered all of the monsters of Inferno Dungeon.

“The Inferno Knights seems to be still around 300. Ah, another two just died… Chaos Warriors seems to be getting more reinforcements and are now about twice the numbers of Inferno Knights. Though I knew that the Fire Giants will appear at some point but I didn’t expect for the Baovants to join in as well.”

Weed was able to estimate their numbers and has now been a.s.sessing the battle.

Yellowy was hiding due to fear while Geumini was losing his will to fight.

“Golgolgol, we’ll only end up dying if we engaged with the battle right now.”

Weed was being reminded of the impending death!

Seoyoon calmly watched Weed. She had decided to follow whatever decisions he will make in his quest.

The S-cla.s.s quests had only been leading to extreme hards.h.i.+ps one after another so is continuing it right now worth the risk?

Weed must now make his decision.