Chapter 8) Flames of Disaster

From Weed’s perspective, the isolated groups of knights fighting each other were too good to leave alone.

The level of the knights was approximately 300. It was a time of war so the knights of the Keltun and Mapon Kingdoms had a high standard. Stronger Royal Knights also partic.i.p.ated but they weren’t near Weed and Seo-yoon.

Weed’s plan changed.

“If we try to get out of the Mapon Kingdom area then we’ll just keep being chased by knights and cavalry. We should build some public achievements.”

Weed drove them towards a place where the infantry had built a line of defence.

“Take care of everyone. Moonlight Sculpting Blade!”

“Kueek!”

“Strong. Block with your s.h.i.+elds.”

“We’ve been breached!” That guy broke through!”

The regular soldiers were swept away. The soldiers fell down as he pa.s.sed them and attacked. They changed to a grey light and he collected the dropped items! But it wasn’t possible to be careless for even a short moment on the battlefield. The Helos Knights from the Keltun Kingdom were bearing down on them.

“Watch your back!”

Weed turned around as soon as he heard Seo-yoon’s voice. The Helos Knights were rus.h.i.+ng towards the Mapon Kingdom army like a gale.

“That’s great. They can take care of the others.”

Weed quickly moved to the side. Their goal wasn’t Weed so they moved past him.

“Let’s how those Mapon hillbillies the greatness of the Keltun Kingdom.”

“Charge. Charge!”

The Helos Knights pa.s.sed and struck the army of the Mapon Kingdom. Weed followed the Helos Knights on horseback. It wasn’t possible to follow using pure horse riding skill but the opponents were knights wearing heavy armour.

After breaking through the camp, many soldiers of the Mapon Kingdom fell due to the charge. The health of the Mapon Kingdom’s army gradually decreased as the Helos Knights attacked. This was like a shower of flowers for Weed!

Kuaaaang!

The Mapon Kingdom aimed magic and arrows towards the Helos Knights.

“You have to fall so I can eat properly!”

Weed sneaked out of the Helos Knights and entered the archer unit of the Mapon Kingdom. Now that the knight unit was the main target, he could secure access to the archers.

The knights of the Mapon Kingdom thrust at the Keltun Kingdom. Seo-yoon didn’t separate from the knights and just cut them down as she headed towards Weed.

“We have to leave quickly! If we delay too long then we will receive the enemy’s concentrated attack.”

“Those are my thoughts too!”

Weed and Seo-yoon rushed through the battlefield. They had no time to rest and endlessly fought as they tried to escape.

“This is a mess!”

Weed surveyed the Mapon Kingdom for a way to escape. Thousands of arrows intersected in the sky and magic hit the places where soldiers were gathered.

The sight of the battlefield was overwhelming. 100,000 enemies were fighting against each other on both sides so he couldn’t find an empty s.p.a.ce.

They had to break through despite being outnumbered! Furthermore, if the battle on the plains finished early then the situation would be worse. Whether the Mapon Kingdom or the Keltun Kingdom won, the winning army would then target Weed and Seo-yoon.

“The Sea G.o.d is angry!”

“Collect the offering.”

The Sea G.o.d’s followers then appeared at a place near Weed and Seo-yoon. They were soon chased across the battlefield. Although the battlefield was filled with cavalry, they would soon be caught.

“It seems to be good that we came here. This battle will buy us some time. We just need to get out alive.”

Seo-yoon took everything in stride as she thought of how to escape.

“We have to go!”

“If we wait a moment then the cavalry and knights will block their pursuit.”

Weed didn’t move. He calmly watched the movements of the Keltun Kingdom and Mapon Kingdom. He paid attention to the actions and words of the soldiers and knights. He looked at every detail of how the troops were moving.

“Many soldiers are gathered in this small place so it is impossible for there to be a gap. Therefore we have to make a gap.”

Sometimes his evil thoughts transcended human imagination. Weed was a creative person who could put his wicked plans into action.

The northern users who fought for the Arpen Kingdom on Rupoi Plains! Weed had been waiting above them in order to use Great Disaster Nature Sculpting. Of course, he didn’t use it because it would be unprofitable but now there was no reason to hesitate.

“Originally people liked playing with fire.”

Young children dreamt of becoming firefights so he pulled out an astonis.h.i.+ng sculpture. It was a Masterpiece of a flame sculpture that he had been saving!

“Great Disaster Nature Sculpting!”

-A Masterpiece Sculpture.

A fearsome havoc will be exerted that can kill you. Even so, do you want to use the skill?

Affinity to Nature was incomparably high so it was natural for a terrible power to emerge. There was a cruel smile on Weed’s face.

“Use it.”

-You have used Great Disaster Nature Sculpting.

200 Art stats have permanently disappeared.

20,000 Mana has been consumed.

All stats have been temporarily reduced by 15%.

Affinity to Nature has fallen.

Great Disaster Nature Sculpting can only be used once a day.

When a great calamity is called upon, fame or infamy can be increased depending on the damage.

It is possible to die in the middle of the disaster so be careful.

-You have become familiar with the Great Disaster Nature Sculpting skill.

It is possible to cause two disasters at the same time.

The interaction of the disasters can cause different effects on nature.

-t.i.tle, Person who Drives Disaster has been acquired.

Faith has decreased by 60.

Affinity to Nature has fallen.

“I got used to a bad thing too quickly!”

It took a short while for the skill to kick in. However, if he was caught in the disaster then he would lose his life.

“Let’s go. We will penetrate the front.”

“I understand!”

Weed and Seo-yoon rode like crazy across the battlefield.

“You over there. I am Knight Lanter from the Mapon Kingdom and I challenge you.”

“I am busy right now so find someone else.”

“A person who runs from a sword in battle has no honour!”

“Honour won’t feed me!”

“Keltun Knights, chase after them.”

“These tedious fellows.”

There were only a few knights and the attack of the soldiers were weak so he just pa.s.sed them. Magic and arrows targeted them. Weed and Seo-yoon just kept running forward.

Fuhihihing!

Seo-yoon’s horse was. .h.i.t by magic and collapsed.

“Get on my horse!

“But…I will just slow you down.”

“I don’t care.”

“We will be caught by the pursuers.”

“If you die then there is no meaning in me staying alive. We either die together or live together.”

Seo-yoon’s heart leapt in her chest. Although Weed appeared to by a stingy person concerned with profit or loss, his words really warmed her heart.

‘I want to be with him anytime, anywhere. I’m really happy.’

Weed rose through the battlefield with Seo-yoon behind him.

‘Even if I stay alive, the quest will be a failure if Seo-yoon dies.’

So far he had never been caught in a disaster because he had thoroughly prepared in advance. However, he had become embroiled in the battle between the Mapon and Keltun Kingdoms too quickly that he couldn’t prepare properly.

Reeds rapidly grew on the battlefield. The reeds made horses uncomfortable and slowed them down. And they were dry.

“We haven’t gone outside yet but it is starting.”

Weed and Seo-yoon penetrated through the field of reeds. He had carved the sculpture directly so he knew how it worked.

Rough winds pa.s.sed through the reed field and kindled a blaze. The reeds flew in the air and a huge fire started! The disaster was finally triggered.

“Kuaaak!”

“A huge fire!”

The soldiers who were fighting suddenly yelled. Weed didn’t turn around and just concentrated on driving his horse forward.

However, his back was blazing like the sun was burning him and it became increasingly intense. Suddenly the soldiers and knights were fleeing instead of fighting because their fear and curiosity was stronger.

“Over there.”

“Yes.”

“What is happening now?”

He didn’t want to check directly so he asked Seo-yoon.

“It looks good.”

“How is it?’

“Well, the wind is blowing from all sides and the flames from the reed field is flying up. The swirling flames…they are burning nicely. And it is spreading and becoming bigger.”

“The screams of the soldiers are very intense.”

“The knights and soldiers were covered up just now. I think it will be quiet soon.”

“…….”

Listening to Seo-yoon’s calm and accurate explanation was every more creepy.

“Hiyah! Let’s go!”

Weed dashed forward at full speed. The horse kept on running as their lives were at stake. But the flames surging at his back was becoming increasingly scary. The strength became more intense the longer it lasted.

Hurururut!

It was the sound of wind spreading the fire! The reeds flew through the air and the ground caught on fire. Fire was swallowing everything in the plain. It was a dramatic and beautiful scene but there was no one to appreciate it.

‘As expected, we shouldn’t play with fire.’

Weed’s despairing expression was like when he peeled the lid of the last remaining ramen late at night only to find no soup.

“This can’t be avoided.”

“I think so as well.”

“Still, we should try our best….”

“I think it is already too late.”

The flames were enveloping them at a fearsome rate.

?????????????????????

Stone Hammer Guild.

It was a large guild formed from architects of the Arpen Kingdom.

“What has Pedso-nim been doing these days?”

“I’ve been working on maintaining the sewers underneath Morata.”

“That is good.”

“There are definitely alligators in the sewers.”

The architects were the foundation for the expansion of facilities in all the cities of the Arpen Kingdom. Architects took care of everything from bridges, roads, waterways, houses, etc.

Currently there was an emphasis on construction of Royal Palace but 78% of the important buildings had already been completed. The interior, exterior, landscaping, murals and ceiling painting took some time to make so the work was proceeding in a gradual manner.

“It is too bad I can’t see it through to the end.”

“There isn’t time to play since we still have a lot of work to do.”

“Isn’t building the Royal Palace quite a bit of work? It is boring to build shacks.”

“Just hand it over to the person who initiated the construction of the shack. There are 3 Grand Buildings being built at Varna Harbour so skilful architects are needed.”

“I have to go there.”

Architects scattered throughout the entire Arpen Kingdom again.

‘Although I received a commission for a Grand Building, it isn’t my thing.’

‘How long do I have to live my life making buildings for others?’

It was the same with painters and sculptors who lived relying on commissions. Instead of receiving compensation, they were just given another request.

Weed picked up the materials he needed himself but most production professions relying on the compensation to pay for their materials. If they were too greedy or looked for unreasonable work then the failure would lead to a vicious cycle of poverty.

When an art related quest was failed 3 times, there would be a rapid decline in fame. It was difficult to succeed and to be constantly creative.

-There is no answer other than working hard in the early stages of a career.

-Only become an artist if you are willing to die. However, you will labour until you die.

Morata’s architects considered themselves the lucky ones.

“It is good that we came to the north.”

“This is heaven.”

Nothing they built was constructed directly by their hands. The demand for architects increased as the city expanded and the number of users grew explosively. Architects were also valuable for things like bridges, waterways and Grand Buildings. A lot of their names were known through the buildings but they had no possessions.

Many ambitious architects started digging in the middle of nowhere.

“There are many paths to walk in the area, a river flowing upstream and fertile ground so a city can be built here.”

They built walls, granaries, inns, etc. Once the basic facilities were built, residents came there to live.

Ddiring!

-A hamlet has been formed.

It is near the habitat of the Lizardmen so there can be an invasion at any time.

An uneasy peace will last depending on the stone walls.

Military Power: 2 Economic Power: 3

Culture: 369 Technology: 1

Urban Development: 19 Safety: 64%

No vigilantes present. But there will be a resistance if an invasion occurs.

They need to find a way to live. If they can’t find a way….

The residents of the Arpen Kingdom rose due to the advanced culture. Most of the residents didn’t have special technical skills and could only make rice.

The architects had to endure all sorts of difficult things to ensure the residents could live peacefully. Mercenaries were employed to prevent monster attacks while residents went out to clear nearby land.

Once the housing and population reached 100, it was officially recognized as a village in Arpen Kingdom.

Ddiring!

-A small village has been formed.

The Lizardmen habitat nearby has been wiped out by pa.s.sing knights.

The st.u.r.dy walls have blocked the monsters many times so the residents can feel at ease.

Military Power: 9 Economic Power: 13

Culture: 398 Technology: 7

Urban Development: 21 Safety: 72%

There was a big sacrifice but the residents have learned to fight against the monsters. Talented people can fulfil their dream of being a soldier.

There is interest in agriculture and hunting. Getting rid of the surrounding monsters can increase the farmland.

The only inn in the village has no vacancies.

Talk about the wonderful culture of the Arpen Kingdom is continuing.

The residents are eager to experience everything.

-You have been inducted as a Lord.

Once given a place in the Arpen Kingdom, you can earn a barony. Your status as an aristocrat will rise higher as the village grows.

40% of the tax income should be offered to the kingdom and the contribution can be used to develop economic, military and technological needs.

The architects suffered all over as they grew cities.

-The secondary advancement is possible.

It is possible to become a city architect due to the wealth of experience.

A city architect! The architects were a big success in empty territory, cities and villages.

Of course, this also increased the work of merchants, farmers and miners.

?????????????????????

The forces of the Mapon Kingdom, Keltun Kingdom and the Sea G.o.d’s followers were enveloped with the flames of disaster.

“S-save me!”

“I am a knight of the Keltun Kingdom. It would be more honourable to be killed by an enemy.”

“Brave warriors, show them that we aren’t scared of death until the end!”

It was inevitable that the armies of both kingdoms would be wrapped in flames. The place where Weed was riding was also covered with flames.

“Sculptural Destruction! Everything into Agility.”

Weed carried Seo-yoon and used Quadruped Run after destroying a sculpture.

“Close Eyes Tightly, Stone Skin!”

He mobilized all the skills that he could use!

Everywhere was covered in fire so there was no meaning in opening his eyes. There was no risk to his eyes and the stone skill improved the protection of his body.

And he ran unconditionally in one direction.

‘I need to hold on to Seo-yoon….’

Weed’s health was rapidly decreasing.

-Your entire body has been wrapped in flames.

The hot fire decreases health by 3,850 every second.

It wasn’t possible to escape so his health fell at a rapid pace.

-Durability of your weapons and armour has decreased.

If it lasts too long then there is a possibility the fire can cause permanent damage.

The message windows popped up as Weed ran forward. Then a new message window appeared.

-A blessing has been given by Hestia who is in charge of fire and the hearth.

G.o.ddess Hestia has blessed the human who is fulfilling the obligations in this holy land.

Resistance to injustice has temporarily increased.

The fire has been absorbed and all stats increased by 39.

The effect of all attack skills increased by 2 levels and the activation time reduced.

Achievements of the Hestia Church has decreased by 2,300.

Hestia’s blessing had also been given to the G.o.ddess’ Knight Armour. The blessing lowered the weight and raised defence. This time G.o.ddess Hestia blessed Weed directly.

And after a while, they finally emerged from the area filled with flames.

“Keoheoheok! I barely lived.”

Weed and Seo-yoon had completely become charcoal.

-Remaining Health: 3,891

“I was on the verge of dying but I barely survived.”

Weed touched his pounding heart. The battlefield couldn’t be seen due to the blazing fire. He was almost consumed by the disaster but they managed to avoid the pursuers for a while.

“When the heavens are helpful, a miracle can also happen.”

Weed wrapped bandages around himself and asked Seo-yoon.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. That was a little dangerous.”

“How much health is left?”

“Around 110,000.”

“…….”

“I have many items with fire resistance.”

Seo-yoon wore a set of rings, earrings and bracelets with fire resistance. They were berserker items that she packed in cases of emergency.

Weed was upset.

“I ran really fast because I thought you would die.”

There were moments of crises but Seulroeo’s wedding ring gave him some leeway. But he just found out he suffered for nothing!

Weed muttered as he recalled the past.

“I really am unlucky. When I was young, I wanted to drink strawberry milk so I wanted a month until it went down to 500 won at the supermarket.”

“But?”

“The price rose to 600 won from that day onwards. The price this time was my achievements with the Hestia Church.”

Seo-yoon took out a black lump.

“Here, have some baked sweet potato. Let’s eat together.”

She had even learnt to bake the sweet potatoes using the fire from Weed.

“The salt and kimchi?”

“I brought some from Morata.”

Weed felt a little better after eating the sweet potatoes.

“We should’ve also baked some squid….”

Ah, it was really difficult…

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