Chapter 11: Sea Turtle

“Life is what it is… I started to understand this as I grew older.”

Bart could understand why his daughter Seo-yoon and other people were excited about Royal Road.

Reality wasn’t warm like a fairy tale and the relations.h.i.+p with other people was cold. Too many people mechanically lived their lives floating through school and work.

People became lonely as time pa.s.sed and they aged. They drank, found hobbies and travelled but recognized that they were lonely. However they weren’t alone in Royal Road.

“I heard that the chef Jeiren developed a unique gra.s.s porridge. It is free to eat until the sun rises.”

“Going to conquer the dungeon filled with grey wolves! We’ve already been wiped out 9 times. This time we will definitely succeed. A thrilling quest for people less than level 60.”

“Selling steel belts. To be honest, it is very heavy and rusty so the defense has lowered. So I’ll be selling it cheaply. Selling urgently! If I sell this then I can buy a hat for my mother.”

The square was overflowing with people shouting. Of course, there was also a lot of people in real life department stores, subways and parks. But they were bleak and there was no emotion regarding relations.h.i.+ps.

In Royal Road, everyone spoke regarding hunting or trading so it was easy to become friends. It didn’t take a long time to become familiar with someone.

“The Hermes Guild isn’t bad.”

“There is no need to bring it up.”

They helped on difficult tasks and attacked together. People could go on exciting adventures with those they got along with so it was no wonder Royal Road was popular.

‘I now understand why Cha Eun-hee showed Royal Road to Seo-yoon.’

Living in a different world. And this was a world where the pleasure of meeting important friends could be experienced. In reality, a familiar routine was repeated every day while there were dramatic incidents on the Versailles Continent. It was a fun world because it was dangerous!

And he heard talk about Weed almost every day.

“Did you see Weed-nim’s adventure?”

“Yes, it completely thrilled me. He sailed a raft into a storm.”

“The residents were just talking about him.”

“Yes. I heard.”

The residents spoke about how Weed fell into the sea.

“They’re talking about the King of the Arpen Kingdom.”

“Weed? A sailor said he fell into the sea so he might’ve been eaten by a shark now.”

“What will happen to our kingdom from now on?”

“His Majesty is a person who thinks about honour more than a knight. More righteous than anyone else. If he is experiencing a storm then he has a reason. If you think about disparaging him then get out of my store.”

The users and residents of the Arpen Kingdom praised Weed.

“I seem to have mistaken him.”

In the past, Weed was getting close to Seo-yoon so Bard didn’t have a good impression of him. He handed over an envelope of money but Weed didn’t accept it.

“He has the ability to rule a kingdom. He might be worthless regarding money but he seems to be a solid youth.”

Bard’s evaluation of Weed turned more positive as he spend time in the Arpen Kingdom.

“Weed looks really stupid. He was also stepped on by Bardray.”

“I want to travel all around the continent on adventures. Don’t jinx it.”

“What is the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult? There should be tonkatsu gra.s.s porridge and pizza gra.s.s porridge. Ggol ggol ggol!”

Some male users were drinking beer at a tavern and blaming Weed. They were acting boldly while drunk and made a mistake.

Bang!

It hadn’t even been 3 minutes since leaving the tavern before they were killed. Users quietly drinking in a corner followed them and attacked. The users knew that they could live comfortably in the north because Weed reclaimed it.

Bard had to admit that Weed’s presence in Royal Road was like the sky.

“Mister, over here!”

“We’ve been waiting for 20 minutes. Why were you so slow?”

Bart was managing a company so he didn’t have a lot of time. His judgement in battle was also inferior to others. He reached level 32 but he still found the kobolds scary. Frankly, it was normal for him to cause trouble for his party.

He was thankful that his colleagues didn’t abandon him and kept hunting with him. This was the hunting party he was introduced to after joining the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult

“I’m sorry. I was looking around while selling….”

“Have you prepared everything?”

“Appreciated an artwork?”

“Ah, I forgot….”

It was a basic part of living in Morata to appreciate an artwork before hunting.

“It’s okay. We’re going far away today so we’re going to visit the Garden of the G.o.ds.”

The party appreciated Weed’s sculptures and went hunting.

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When there was 7 days left on his quest deadline, Weed’s Radiant Sword reached Advanced level 2.

Ddiring!

-Radiant Sword has reached Advanced level 2.

You can utilize a special type of bird.

The range of the attack has increased.

-The skill level necessary for the quest has been achieved.

Goal accomplished. In the meantime his Sword Mastery had also reached Advanced level 4. It was the effect of training on the back of Turtle.

The mana consumption of Radiant Sword was low compared to its increase in damage. So far he could utilize multiple attack skills like Heriam Fencing and Moonlight Sculpting Blade but Radiant Sword was overwhelming. The attack range was wider than ordinary users so he could use the skill to overwhelm them.

A group of eagles would appear to attack the enemy. 10 thick eagles made of light destroyed the high waves with terrible power.

Furthermore, Radiant Sword reached advanced level so it was possible to call a thunderbird. A thunderbird had the capacity to make monsters tremble and emit thunder around it.

“This is a secret technique for a reason.”

Weed was very satisfied.

The thunderbird consumed 15,000 mana for a ranged attack. It was more memorable when the thunderbird would fly through a crowd of monsters while striking them with thunderbolts. Usually a wide area skill that targeted 1~2 targets like this would level up quickly.

“I’m sad for some reason.”

Normally in a fight, Weed would attack all opponents directly with his sword. Long distance attacks were possible with Sculpting Blade but the attack damage wasn’t worth the mana consumption. It was normally used when the opponent was weakened or the level was lower.

“An easy technique like this….”

It was like when Weed bought a was.h.i.+ng machine after normally hand was.h.i.+ng his laundry.

“It is that feeling of buying a vacuum cleaner after wiping with a rag. I can really relax as it sucks up every bit of dust and hair.”

Weed had an attachment to household goods. It was to the point that he didn’t know why there wasn’t a n.o.bel prize for appliances.

And swinging his sword also raised his Sword Mastery skill to advanced level.

“Let’s go someplace else.”

Turtle obediently followed Weed’s command. The large sh.e.l.l moved on the surface while it swam on all fours. Turtle persisted through pounding storms that it would’ve normally avoided.

“I gave you life… Please do this for me.”

Turtle swam with its full strength. It thought Weed was returning to land so it was happy.

‘It listens to me well. Is there a way to make it work more?’

Weed pa.s.sed through various stormy areas with Turtle’s help.

Ddiring!

-You have found a sh.e.l.lfish attached to a reef.

A sh.e.l.lfish grows in a sea environment and can be found attached to reefs.

If you tell a marine guild then you can gain fame as the discoverer.

-Fame has increased by 190 due to the surprising discovery.

-Art stat has increased by 2.

-Affinity to Nature has increased by 9.

Sometimes he would get close to unknown reefs in a storm. A s.h.i.+p could become caught in a sea current and crash on the reefs. Weed had discovered one such reef.

“Things can be found in nature!”

-You have picked a Heyeop Sh.e.l.lfish.

It could be eaten fresh with chilli paste or honey. It could also be boiled or used to make other foods.

Sometimes dangerous things would appear when searching for ingredients. Those with skill in Herbalism could safeguard against it however he had practice while brewing drinks for the Geomchis.

-Superb view!

The graveyard of a whale has been found.

A small island made of stone. A whale approaching the end of its life came here to greet death.

-Fame has increased by 760 due to the surprising discovery.

-Art stat has increased by 3.

-Health has increased by 750.

-Affinity to Nature has increased by 11.

The island was filled with the bones of a whale.

“Perhaps there is some leather remaining….”

Weed searched everywhere and acquired the leather of a mink whale.

“Inspect!”

-Mink Whale Leather: Durability 43/45

Item related to the Sewing production skill.

The ultimate clothing material. The skin of a whale that lives in the deep ocean.

It is the toughest leather and barely rips apart.

Contains the characteristics of water.

It isn’t light.

Intermediate Sewing skill is required to cut the Mink Whale Leather.

1st grade sewing item.

Options: Grants the special characteristic of water.

A fisherman that obtained whale meat and leather wouldn’t lack for tailors wanting to buy it. It wasn’t leather for light clothes or armour but could be used for summoners and magicians. The characteristic of water would increase water magic so they would put up with the weight.

“Later I can get profit from this.”

Turtle guided Weed to other places it knew. Weed was able to pick up coral and pearls during his travels.

“Finally I can see land!”

Weed arrived at a coast with 3 days left in his deadline.

Even if it couldn’t see anything, Turtle lived in the sea so it was the best navigator that couldn’t get lost.

The beautiful milky skin of the Malleins Eunoto Turtle showed off its charm. The solid sh.e.l.l wasn’t easily broken so it could live in the depths of the sea without worrying about other tough creatures. When Turtle appeared, its appearance was so majestic that other creatures would be intimidated.

“Kkukkuuk.”

But now it was panting like it was dying and could barely raise its neck.

Normally it swam calmly in the sea so its four feet was now tired. It had to carry Weed while he was training and swim in dangerous places.

“That was a really good place. It was difficult to visit because of the intense whirlpool.”

“Let’s go.”

“It is possible to see seaweeds if you dive under the sea. The seaweed dances when the water flow chances and the schools of fish is really wonderful.”

“What, you’re not diving?”

Weed appreciated nature from Turtle’s sh.e.l.l. After completing his sword training, he would catch fish, sea cuc.u.mber, abalone, crab and oysters to eat.

“This one… It is good for you to eat.”

Turtle felt thankful to Weed in the early stages so it naturally accepted the food.

“Shall we eat grilled Spanish Mackerel today?”

“The freshness is falling!”

“Hey, I’m hungry! Are you trying to kill me with starvation? You are going too slow.”

“Stick with it. I will return to land a little later…..”

The gentle Turtle didn’t complain despite all this. In the meantime it was overworked and couldn’t get any proper nutrients so its skin became old and vitality wasn’t as good as before.

In contrast, Weed’s face was so incredibly smooth it was difficult to believe he trained in a storm. This appearance showed how well he ate at sea. His clothes also dried once rain stopped falling because he was on the turtle’s back.

Weed’s feet finally touched land.

Ddiring!

-Your long voyage has finished.

The extinct Malleins Eunoto Turtle has returned you to land.

You didn’t move great distances but exploring a stormy area is a large adventure for a sailor.

-The degree of proficiency of the Sailing skill has increased.

-Fame has increased by 610.

– Perseverance has increased by 7.

“It has been approximately 60 days since I’ve seen the continent.”

It had also been a long time since he climbed on a small island. Turtle hurriedly turned back towards the sea as soon as Weed descended. Only a sculptural lifeform would know this feeling of finally being washed after being dirty.

“Turtle, this is our destiny…. Do you want to live together on land?”

“……”

Turtle had no desire to answer. Weed granted it life but Turtle had suffered so that intimacy had already decreased.

Weed watched Turtle disappear before nodding.

“It is shy. It is a good one… I’ll come to play with it once summer comes to the Versailles Continent.”

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A Royal Road expo held by the Unicorn Corporation!

It was held every year for 5 days at a convention centre so the interest of the world gravitated here. Apart from South Korea, there was an enormous amount of users from other countries. The perfect translator system meant that foreigners could be unleashed in Royal Road.

A Royal Road expo could truly be described as a festival of the world.

“The event for my cla.s.s is starting at 3 o’clock.”

“Then let’s go there. I think that is about orcs.”

“We have to wait 1 hour in line before it is our turn.”

Hundreds of thousands of visitors came daily.

Royal Road was a worldwide hit so many people from the business world came as well. Unicorn Corporation’s net profit was an astronomical amount. There was also a growing momentum as its income had doubled in 6 months. The money gained from Royal Road was invested into new businesses.

Businesses like developing new materials, chemistry, robotics, environmentally friendly technology, etc. The banks that fell into a temporary financial difficult were also taken over. They encountered criticism for their octopus like expansion but the success in every business meant that Unicorn Corporation’s a.s.sets were explosively expanding.

The public knew of it as the creator of the first virtual reality but the financial and political world feared Unicorn Corporation.

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“It was also sent this year.”

This morning Lee Hyun pulled out an invitation to the expo from his mail. The gold envelope was indicative of a VIP invitation!

Lee Hyun-nim is invited to see the vision that turned dream into reality.

The name tag included in the envelop had a sensor recognition and can be attached to his clothes. The gold name tag that symbolized a VIP!

“There are no free gifts like souvenirs or rice so I won’t go.”

Unicorn Corporation’s public relations team considered for a few days before sending a separate invitation. The number of invitations to the expo was limited but they were clamouring to get Lee Hyun. That was because they did a thorough identification before sending the invitation.

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Yoo Byung-jin watched the expo from a screen in his laboratory.

“There are a lot of people this year. Even more than last year.”

-There are no seats and the number of people exceeds 2 million.

Even motor shows and game exhibitions in Korea could easily gather 1 million people. They liked seeing new things.

Visitors who received a special invitation from Unicorn Corporation came from all over the world. It was to the extent that separate police were a.s.signed and news about foreign politicians and business people were shown every day.

“Did Lee Hyun come?”

-He hasn’t come yet.

Today is the last day so he probably isn’t showing. Users from the Hermes Guild and other prestigious guilds also received invitations. Bardray came, did some media interviews and explored a little bit before leaving.

“He didn’t come once.”

Yoo Byung-jin created Royal Road and enjoyed it every time it was a topic of conversation. But he felt strange watching this.

‘Is that fun and makes you feel happy?’

Reality and virtual reality. It was possible to feel a wide range of emotions when living in another world.

Since Royal Road was released and became popular, there had been an endless philosophical debate. How far does the scope of life go and what about the choices of humans in reality and virtual reality?

Articles and best-selling books were released about it. There were religious and philosophical controversy but many users had already joined Royal Road.

It could be said that human desire was very large. If they obtained one thing then they would wish for another.

A famous saying. You want to eat if you’re hungry and lie down when full.

Modern society offered many conveniences to humans but didn’t satisfy their destructive nature. And they were subjected to the stress of the workplace. The technology used to develop Royal Road was like a paradise to them. Anyone who made such a s.p.a.ce would become popular worldwide.

‘The reaction is different from what I thought.’

Yoo Byung-jin couldn’t feel any delight in his success. He wanted to make the virtual reality s.p.a.ce show the bitterness of reality even more.

‘See how absurd the world you live in is. This reality is nothing. I made this virtual s.p.a.ce.’

Yoo Byung-jin’s legacy of a huge amount of Unicorn Corporation’s stocks was something that anyone would desire. He wanted someone to conquer Royal Road so he could laugh at the world.

But people really liked Royal Road and experienced euphoria in it. They preferred it over the hard life in reality.

This wasn’t what Yoo Byung-jin intended.

If there was a fun and happy place then people’s minds would become peaceful. They weren’t feeling negatively like Yoo Byung-jin thought. The world of Royal Road was fascinating and they became faithful to it over time.

It made them feel better and they started to use this feeling in their workplace and lives. Humans weren’t as simple and weak as some thought. Sometimes they could overcome problems with time and hard work. A place to relieve that pressure also helped.

“They like it so much that I feel ill.”

Yoo Byung-jin said as he surveyed the expo through the monitor.

It really had a festival like atmosphere. The bright form of a family holding a child could be seen.

Yu Byeong-Joon asked the artificial intelligence.

“Can you cut off the power supply to the expo?”

-It is possible. It will soon switch to the emergency power system but that can be destroyed.

Many parts were controlled by the artificial intelligence Versailles. This building was powered with green energy so it wouldn’t be difficult to cut it off.

Yoo Byung-jin watched the people on the monitor with bloodshot eyes.

A woman holding a child. He spend a lifetime experimenting with machines so it was difficult to understand their feelings.

‘Why are they laughing like that? Many things in life are difficult.’

Owner of Unicorn Corporation. Creator of Royal Road. The world’s richest. A person with a behind the scene influence in business circles.

He was able to watch everything happening in Royal Road. He had accomplished more than others but his heart was weak.

Other people were giving birth, establis.h.i.+ng a home and living their lives. Yoo Byung-jin felt strange whenever he observed such sights.

“Versailles.”

-Yes, please give a command.

“This should be answered according to your judgement, not instructions. Am I a normal person?

The artificial intelligence replied without hesitation.

-Of course.

Yoo Byung-jin realized something after watching all the people.

‘It seems like I was a bit wrong.’

TO BE CONTINUED

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