Chapter 4) Winner of Rupoi Plains

“Hooray King Weed!”

“Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge!”The northern users shouted with joy.

On the other hand, the Hermes Guild members were devastated. If Rensullot won then they could endure or if it was a tie then they could withdraw safely. Yet he lost his health in only a short time!

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t asked for a challenge.

Due to the death of the Commander, the morale of the NPC knights and soldiers fell to the ground.

“We came to such a distant place.”

“As expected from King Weed of the Arpen Kingdom. It was a mistake to invade the Arpen Kingdom.”

“The north is a strong kingdom.”

“I want to go home to see my wife and children. But I suppose we can’t meet again.”

The Hermes Guild users rushed to stop it but the morale of the soldiers was too low. Usually this didn’t happen in long distance expeditions. But the opponent was Weed of the Arpen Kingdom whose adventures were renown so their morale fell faster. To make matters worse, the Commander had died so the NPC knights and soldiers didn’t have the desire to fight.

“Attack!”

“Sweep away the Haven Empire!”

“Let’s drink porridge and defeat them.”

The northern users continued attacking. The high level units of the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult that joined after Weed emerged also actively fought. Meanwhile Weed recovered a little of his mana and used Lion’s Roar again.

“Strike the east side!”

The cry rang out through Rupoi Plains. The King killed the enemy commander and then issued a command so they felt an exhilarating pleasure through their body.

“As His Majesty commands!”

“Wahhhh!”

“s.h.i.+eld Units charge!”

The users moved smoothly between the military of the Arpen Kingdom. There was ample s.p.a.ce for the cavalry and infantry to use their tactics.

“Make a formation. Destroy the enemy like a wedge!”

The military of the Arpen Kingdom changed formation and moved towards the Haven Empire’s army so tightly that there was no room for users. It was an efficient tactical formation for battles. There wasn’t any gaps no matter how hard a person looked.

“Let’s go!”

“Faster faster!”

“Go east.”

“Let’s run! Go!”

They surged like a violent wave.

When viewed from the perspective of Bingryong, it looked like a wave of humans rus.h.i.+ng towards the army of the Haven Empire. A battle like this had occurred before Weed showed up but now it was proceeding at a much faster pace.

Earlier they thought a little bit but they didn’t bother with that now. The end of the war was approaching so they just needed to fight. Users of every level just poured out.

“Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge!”

“The Arpen Kingdom will last forever!”

“Martyrdom! Martyrdom! Martyrdom!”

The desperate cries were reminiscent of cults. Those who lived their lives would have many stresses build up. They were also worried about the tyranny of the prestigious guilds. Their stress was loosened in this war.

“The fine horse Hosren.”

Fuhihihing!

Hosren was a horse bound to its owner. As soon as Rensullot died, it had rubbed its head against Weed.

“Let’s see where I should go.”

Weed caught Hosren’s reins and mounted the horse. Of course, Yellowy was a good mount but it was dangerous when the attacks were concentrated.

“Run as fast as you can. Heriam Fencing!”

Hosren raced forward at its top speed! Weed moved his sword from side to side as he cruised through the battlefield. None of the soldiers of the Haven Empire were able to stop him.

“Uwaak!”

“King Weed of the Arpen Kingdom.”

“Run away quickly!”

In spite of the Hermes Guild users encouraging them, the soldiers didn’t listen and ran away from Weed. The places around him opened up as Weed pa.s.sed.

Hosren moved forward at a terrifying speed! Weed killed soldiers as he moved along the battlefield.

The Hermes Guild users tried to attack but they couldn’t catch up to speed of the fine horse. Rensullot the commander was killed so the remaining users of the Hermes Guild gave orders to their respective units.

“Go catch Weed at any cost.”

“But there are too many supporters in the area.”

“It doesn’t matter. Attack!”

The archers and magicians concentrated their attacks on Weed!

“Moonlight Sculpting Blade!”

The arrows and magic were cut and redirected.

“Kuak!”

“To attack us….”

The redirected magic and arrows killed the soldiers of the Haven Empire in the surroundings. If Weed continued to receive damage then he would be in trouble but he had support.

The avians! They shot arrows from the sky and nose-dived to annoy the archers and magicians.

“Weed, we will cut off your head this time.”

The leader of the 4th Knights Division Dyural came running towards Weed. Troops were fighting in every direction but there were still many users from the Arpen Kingdom.

“I surrender.”

“I will throw down my weapon so please spare my life.”

Moreover, the morale of the Haven Empire’s soldiers and knights fell after the death of their commander so some even surrendered. Dyural decided that if they were going to lose anyway then he would kill Weed first.

“Pave the way! Don’t hesitate and kill all the supporters blocking the way!”

Dyural and the knights of the 4th division ignored all enemies and just ran while staring at Weed. They even cut the knights and soldiers of the Haven Empire in order to break through.

But Seo-yoon ran and blocked their way. She had already taken out a spare mask and covered her face. Her sword and armour were completely dyed red and right now she was exerting the maximum power of a berserker!

“How valuable.”

Now Weed could afford to fight against Dyural and his knights. It was possible to fight nicely while riding on Hosren. It was possible to pursue the enemy and attack.

Weed’s ability to escape was excellent! But if he was ever in danger then the worried Seo-yoon would come running forward.

“Moonlight Sculpting Blade!”

Weed’s horse moved to a target and light scattered everywhere from his sword. The troops of the Haven Empire gradually collapsed.

Bingryong, Phoenix and the wyverns flew around in the sky attacking. The other sculptural lifeforms joined the Arpen Kingdom’s army while the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult and northern users were everywhere.

Every now and then, Weed would use Lion’s Roar to give simple commands.

“Stick to the enemy!”

The systematic strategies were profitable and they were now certain to win. Everyone had gathered to protect the north so they were motivated by that power.

Ddiring!

-Well Smelted Spear has been acquired.

-Well Smelted Spear: Durability 55/60. Attack 43

A spear made of steel.

A spear ma.s.s produced by the Haven Empire.

The weight is inconvenient but it is effective for stopping cavalry troops. It can be handled easily with a little practice.

Restrictions: Level 80. Strength 120.

Options: When dealing with cavalry troops, damage +200%.

Weed did not hide from the soldiers and knights. Most of the enemies were heading towards him.

“His Majesty is in danger!”

“He is surrounded by them!”

The high level northern users came to support Weed and the Dark Gamers didn’t miss this opportunity either! The Haven Empire’s army had become dull after losing their commander so they were good prey.

The speed of their collapse increased as time pa.s.sed. The complete defeat of the Haven Empire’s military that had reigned invincible on the Versailles Continent! There was an explosive reaction from the audience watching the broadcasting stations.

-So cool.

-Ah, I knew it would be like this.

-The taste of victory.

-The tension after fighting with my girlfriend has been completely released by watching the television.

The ratings once again reached a high. The defeat of the Haven Empire was enjoyable but the sight of the war was also overwhelmingly fascinating.

The offensive of the northern users and avians from Lavias poured down on the Haven Empire. The spread out knights of the Haven Empire were decimated.

“I give up.”

“I reject. All those with impure thoughts who step on the Arpen Kingdom will die completely.”

Even if the knights surrendered, Weed wasn’t tolerant and stabbed all of them to death.

‘If they give up and I capture them then I’ll need to keep feeding them.’

When Weed was a judge, he wouldn’t give a fine and would just condemn them to death. He could also obtain loot after the knights were killed so there was no reason to hesitate.

But even those decisions by Weed were portrayed beautifully on television. Everyone saw the magnificent form of Weed swinging his sword to crush an enemy before grabbing the items.

“As a King, it is necessary to take radical actions to protect his territory.”

“Forgiveness and tolerance? Such emotions are a luxury on the Versailles Continent. How else did he build Morata?”

“That’s right. Even if Weed forgives them, the angry Gra.s.s Porridge Cult won’t. Although it isn’t easy to kill those that surrendered.”

“It looks lonely. But it we take decisive action then there will be no pain at the last moment.”

A significant amount of time was needed in order to kill the Haven Empire’s army. Finally all the enemies were taken care of and the northern users were given the honour of ‘Winner of Rupoi Plains.’

-The Haven Empire’s military has been wiped out.

Talk of this victory will spread throughout the entire continent.

Soldiers who partic.i.p.ated in the war can gain achievements. When sharing this story, it is possible to improve relations with residents of the Arpen Kingdom.

341 fame has been acquired!

-The t.i.tle ‘Winner of Rupoi Plains’ has been obtained.

All those who partic.i.p.ated in defeating the Haven Empire’s army will have their contribution to the Arpen Kingdom increased.

As King, Weed gained a huge amount of fame and honour.

Ddiring!

-The battle has ended.

The Arpen Kingdom has won and you have obtained 9,820 Fame as the King.

Infamy has risen by 1,860 due to the cruel behaviour shown in battle.

He didn’t leave any prisoners and killed everyone so his infamy had increased. But the reaction of the northern users was positive.

“His Majesty has directly killed the enemy.”

“Is it necessary for the enemy to stay alive? It is right to believe in His Majesty.”

“It might be cruel but that decisiveness is excellent. If anyone blames His Majesty then evict them from the village.”

His fame was so high that the residents were still loyal despite his infamy. Of course, it the infamy continued building up then the residents would start distrusting him and the knights and soldiers would declare independence.

-Friends.h.i.+p with the Ritten Kingdom who is at war with the Haven Empire has risen.

-The Haven Empire’s army has been defeated and the appreciation of the Gradian Kingdom towards the Arpen Kingdom has risen.

-Relations between the Arpen Kingdom and the Aidern Kingdom has improved.

They have officially recognized the Arpen Kingdom and will send a diplomatic party for foreign exchanges.

-The local specialties of the Arpen Kingdom has become more famous.

Presently there is a friendly trade agreement with the Masen Kingdom. When the trade agreements are concluded, an economical exchange between both countries will become active.

When procuring supplies from the Masen Kingdom, merchants from the Arpen Kingdom will be treated like it is their own kingdom.

-The Dale Kingdom wants to learn about the Grand Buildings.

If the Arpen Kingdom teaches their construction techniques then their research materials for magic and science will be exchanged.

Once the relations.h.i.+p between two kingdoms becomes positive, the trade amount will increase and quests can be received. The northern users who partic.i.p.ated in the war on the Rupoi Plains would receive special respect from other kingdoms.

And the festival that was a unique tradition in Morata took place on Rupoi Plains.

“Let’s eat and drink!”

“No tax, no tax! Just buy without worrying about taxes!”

The northern users acquired food from the Haven Empire’s food carriages. Painters, sculptors and architects also gathered here. Naturally there were many cooks that made dishes from the food of the Haven Empire and distributed it.

Sausages and beer were items popular with the Haven Empire!

Weed also cooked and handed out food to people.

“Enjoy.”

“Thank you very much.”

Many users had never met Weed directly.

“I’ve been watching you the whole time…Weed-nim should be arrogant about winning the war yet you put on an ap.r.o.n straight afterwards. This is the spirit that Weed-nim used to raise Morata.”

“It is his true character. He is different from people like us. Isn’t this why I came to the Arpen Kingdom?”

“Yes, I understand.”

The users of the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult were pleased by this minor behaviour.

Weed cooked for a simple reason.

‘There are many food ingredients this time so I should raise my cooking skill. The carriages belonging to the Haven Empire contains many luxury ingredients. These guys were really determined.’

Besides, he was aware of the political connotations behind the act! The people were thankful that they didn’t have to pay taxes after fighting a war.

‘This is the spirit of democracy.’

According to the users, the residents of the Arpen Kingdom had a strong pioneering spirit and a kingdom alive in adventure. It was different from Weed’s thoughts.

‘My kingdom. Everything is mine!’

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The war between the Haven Empire and the Arpen Kingdom was a big topic of conversation on the Versailles Continent.

“It would be useful if the Lasalle Kingdom has a group like the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult….”

“I think so as well. But the leaders.h.i.+p of the Lasalle Kingdom and the Haven Empire is significantly different.”

“That is even worse. It is only a matter of time until this kingdom is occupied by the Haven Empire.

“They will squeeze money and labour from us if they win.”

There were still many users in the various kingdoms that the Haven Empire occupied.

Kingdoms defeated in the war would be unstable, be set on fire and residents killed so quests would be broken in the middle. Despite the penalties, many users stayed because they didn’t like leaving their homes.

“How about we create a Gra.s.s Porridge Cult?”

“Huh? Is that even possible?”

“It should be enough. If we want to then it should be possible.”

“Good. We’ll found a La.s.salle Kingdom branch of the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult.”

In kingdoms occupied by the Haven Empire, the Embinyu Church seized some areas while the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult sprang up in large and small villages. The continent had fallen into chaos as weeds spread in every direction.

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“Huhuhu, that was quite a good battle.”

The a.s.sa.s.sin challenging the a.s.sa.s.sin Master Quest took part in the battle on Rupoi Plains.

He had competed on the side of the northern users and killed 137 members of the Hermes Guild. Despite their good defence, he also eliminated 402 NPC knights and gained a great achievement on the continent.

He was still far from finis.h.i.+ng the a.s.sa.s.sin Master Quest.

‘I need to receive the next quest.’

He went to a tavern where he could rest and gain information.

“The Arpen Kingdom surprisingly broke the Haven Empire in the Northern War.”

“I heard that many people acted to prevent the Haven Empire’s invasion.”

The only topic between the drunk residents was the Northern War.

“Huhu, a bottle of whisky over here.”

The a.s.sa.s.sin drank strong alcohol. It was enjoyable to hear rumours about a battle that he had partic.i.p.ated in.

“It is said that many new heroes have become famous.”

“Oh, you must be talking about the avians.”

“It is said that they penetrated through the magic attacks and swept the land.”

The a.s.sa.s.sin also witnessed it in battle but the sight of the avians nosediving through spells was amazing. The avians were NPCs but they had the power of knights.

“The knight called Kone also played a heroic role. He was a knight from the Aidern Kingdom but went to the north after the dishonourable behaviour of his lord.”

“It is impossible to forget about the archer called Pale. He fired from 100 feet away and could accurately shoot between 80~90 feet.”

“Drago made nets from materials and poison extracted from tarantulas.”

Talk about the users who played an active role in battle kept pouring in.

From the viewpoint of the individuals, it was a great honour to have rumours about them spread through the continent. Some people deliberately didn’t leave the city in order to hear about their adventures. Hearing about their adventures even in distant cities was very glorious.

“How much?”

The a.s.sa.s.sin had plenty of rest so he prepared to leave.

“Many important figures from the Haven Empire died in the war.”

“Oh, I also heard that story. The skill was so neat that even a ghost would be surprised.”

The a.s.sa.s.sin’s smile slipped. There were also rumours about him. A shadow of death that didn’t let its target go.

“That skill reminds me of the a.s.sa.s.sin that came to Montonya last time.”

Jump!

The a.s.sa.s.sin trembled as he received a big shock.

“Oh, was that the a.s.sa.s.sin called Seasoned Crab?”

“That’s right. Seasoned Crab is the skilful shadow that causes death.”

“It was sufficient to make him a hero of Montonya.”

“I heard that parents admire him and children want to grow up to be Seasoned Crab.”

Last month, he had completed the request of a young girl in Montonya. That was when the a.s.sa.s.sin’s name became known.

He wasn’t thinking about his name when he started Royal Road. Seasoned Crab.

This was the name of the shadow of death.

Seasoned Crab who causes death that can’t be avoided.

The dark killer Seasoned Crab.

Seasoned Crab who destroys souls.

Cruel slaughterer of lords, Seasoned Crab.

“Kehuhuhuk.”

The a.s.sa.s.sin Seasoned Crab felt grief. He didn’t want to tell anyone his name. Thanks to his name, he chose the a.s.sa.s.sin occupation that didn’t need to hunt in a party.

a.s.sa.s.sins tended to complete wicked quests but sometimes they would get requests.

Rescuing daughters from the tyranny of vicious lords or knights or saving n.o.ble girls from monsters. Or following a party and secretly helping them when they fell into trouble.

But even if Seasoned Crab met someone he liked, it wasn’t possible to tell his name and he was too mortified to register people as friends.

“Thank you very much. Please let me know your name.”

“If I see you again one day. Yes.”

“I’m fascinated. Can I ask for your name? I’d like to continue together for some time.”

“I….no, I prefer travelling alone.”

The grief of having to turn around and quietly disappear into the darkness!

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