5) The Will of Great Emperor Weed

“Move faster!”

“If you sit down then I will cut your neck.”

“I know that whipping you will enable you to move faster. Have the taste of Roker’s whip!”

Weed leisurely watched the Sky Tower’s guards while carrying the rocks up.

Att.i.tude and behaviour was important in labour. It wasn’t necessary to run wild but he couldn’t act to slowly either or it would draw attention.

His speed gave the impression that he was working moderately hard. His expression was sincere and diligent while he breathed harshly. His superior stats meant he wouldn’t feel tired but he felt enjoyment from deceiving them.

Most of the slaves in Royal Road had more vitality than humans so they climbed the stairs considerably quickly.

He was bored climbing the stairs for several hours so he looked forward to occasionally looking out the window. The earth was getting further away as he moved towards the sky.

A pleasant scenery!

He felt refreshed as he started sweating.

“Hrmm, you’re doing pretty well for a young child. Wonderful.”

“Exemplary work for Embinyu.”

Sometimes he unexpectedly received praise from the Embinyu guards.

‘No, this isn’t it. I ended up adapting to the labour.’

Once he started, his hands and feet automatically moved. He felt stupid as one day pa.s.sed!

When he was younger, he would do simple, repet.i.tive labour like sewing eyes on a doll that would allow his mind to rest. Carrying the stone while climbing the stairs was an endlessly boring and frustrating task. The smell of sweat flowing from the bodies of the other slaves made it even worse.

Weed shook his head.

‘I need to proceed with the quest so I can’t spend too long doing this job. I also need to find a way.’

It was annoying carrying the rocks up and then heading back down. While climbing down the tower, he noticed the walls were filled with graffiti.

-My son is dead.

-I’m hungry. I have no power to move. Kuku. This place is h.e.l.l.

-All dead. Parents, siblings and couples have all died in this tower.

-My son is still alive. When will I die?

There was apparently no information. Apart from the humans, the other species also left messages but he couldn’t read them.

Adventurers, magicians or historians could learn the language or other species which would help them find clues in quests. Sculptures, painters or people who looked through post-war history or old pieces of artwork could also grasp some things. Language, mastery of emotions and item identification.

In Weed’s case, he had the tenacity to soldier through and find clues in his quest.

Although warriors could resolve a quest, it was like stomping on the ground compared to another profession’s delicate solution.

Weed also envied the adventures of adventurers.

‘Sweeping all the treasures in the world….’

Adventurers who found treasures that had been buried for a long time in the north were able to obtain fame and wealth.

‘If I was an adventurer then I would be holding a shovel and sack all day while digging up graves.’

Weed continued searching every bit of the walls and ceilings while climbing the stairs. Only complicated and meaningless phrases were written.

He didn’t find any traces of an outstanding talent like a master sculptor in this tower. The Embinyu Church didn’t bother to decorate the Sky Tower and the slaves were forced into labour so they didn’t feel like any artworks. Therefore, the only thing he saw was the graffiti.

A few days pa.s.sed. Nothing special happened as the Sky Tower continued rising.

In fact, Weed was so busy working that he didn’t know what was going on outside the tower.

‘I need to do something.’

Weed continued thinking. The time left to stop the Embinyu Church was running out while he was carrying the rocks.

There was only a bit of time left in Royal Road to stop the Embinyu Church and prevent history from changing.

‘So far I’ve only helped the construction and the work is almost finished.’

He knew enough about the complicated structure inside the tower. There were 30 large floors with accommodation and a training centre for the fanatics. In addition, they were solidly built with sufficient thickness to withstand the weight of the rocks on the floors above.

Once it started stretching towards the sky, the walls and pillars became thinner and there were special altars designed to absorb mana. This would reduce the weight and even skip certain floors.

Guards and knights of the Embinyu Church were stationed at key points in the tower and they could come running through the narrow stairs and pa.s.sages if required.

The tower had exactly 1,000 floors. Only the stairs needed to be finished.

‘How should I do this?’

Weed stood at a crossroads of choice.

He could wait until he heard from his subordinates and Ah.e.l.lun or make a careful plan and move alone. His goals of collapsing the Sky Tower and stopping the Chaos Dragon were quite formidable.

The guards patrolled every moment of the day and night so he couldn’t hide in a corner. He had scouted by infiltrating the interior but it was impossible to climb up outside and enter through the window. The ranking knights and priests were also scattered everywhere like pebbles along the road.

Even if there was only one senior priest, their combat power meant it would have a devastating effect. The placement and scale of the enemies. Information was essential in a quest like this.

‘What is life? I will take action tomorrow morning.’

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

Weed had left in order to stop the Embinyu Church but Seo-yoon remained in the warring period.

After the battle at the fortress ended, Saint Ah.e.l.lun had freed her from her role in the final secret sculpting technique quest.

Ddiring!

-You have completed the quest.

Saint Ah.e.l.lun has stopped the summoning of the devil’s consciousness.

Your behaviour has successfully accomplished Hilderun’s adventure so you will be an unsung hero.

Wisdom, Charm, Dignity and Concentration will increase by 25 as a reward for the quest.

All your infamy has been removed.

Your fame is the best.

Glorious Blessing of Strength has been received.

-Your part in the final secret sculpting technique quest has been completed and additional compensation is received.

Glorious Blessing of Strength: You have been blessed by Ah.e.l.lun’s divine power.

This will remain for 160 days and will give your body a strong protective power.

She has spent quite a long time on Weed’s final secret sculpting technique so it wasn’t a good compensation. But her stats had climbed during the adventure so it would be a large help when returning to the original world.

‘It was nice….’

Seo-yoon was simply satisfied being able to help Weed with his adventure.

And, Ah.e.l.lun’s actions resulted in a quest.

-Despite the warlock Chakujel’s ritual failing, the summoned consciousness of the devil is still lingering. He has lined up another victim.

Hilderun carried the planted seed of a sleeping devil as Ah.e.l.lun’s divine power hasn’t fully removed it.

“The soul of a devil is very dark and persistent and isn’t easily destroyed by divine power.

Once a significant amount of time has pa.s.sed since the summoning ritual, the soul will completely vanish from your body.”

“Will the devil inside me wake up?”

“Once it makes contact with the divine power, the soul would be able to act carelessly. The light of your life will return the devil to h.e.l.l.”

“I’m glad to know that.”

“If you fight with someone, the devil will be forced to convey power to you. This is because if the human flesh experiences sudden death then the soul of the devil will receive a great impact.”

The power of the devil in your blood can wake up.

In order for there to be no more victims, execute Chakujel and stop the summoning of the devil.

If you accept the quest then the divine power and devil’s power can be used.

Level of Difficulty: Warring Period History quest

Compensation: Combat experience and achievements.

Quest Restrictions: The quest will fail if you die.

You will be returned to your original world.

Seo-yoon accepted the quest.

She couldn’t just leave without taking care of Chakujel. He had tried to kill Weed!

That’s why she headed towards Duke Alhamd who ruled Reperen Castle. Just like the Portu King, Duke Alhamd was another disciple of Chakujel.

Seo-yoon walked towards the large gates in the middle of the night. The guards saw her and held out their spears.

“Who are you? You’re not allowed to enter.”

“Huhuhu, there is no need for you to go inside. If you are sold to slave traders then we can enjoy considerable wealth.”

In Hilderun’s role, Seo-yoon only needed to survive so she stayed in the desert area while managing the mercenary guild.

So her formerly ferocious appearance as a berserker had shrunk. But right now, Weed was the only one who could stop her.

Sururung!

Seo-yoon took out a sword with lightning speed.

“Young girl, if you want to enter the castle then you should… Cough!”

A silver line cut across the guards. In the next moment, Seo-yoon grabbed the spear a guard dropped while holding her sword in her other hand.

-The devil Strang has helped you in battle.

3% of the devil’s combat power is currently available.

Maximum health has increased.

“This conceited female….”

“Not scared despite being alone. Die!”

The guards immediately hurled profanities at her. Even in the warring period, the discipline of the guards at the gates were a mess. And in this case, they wasted time yelling at Seo-yoon.

Her sword and spear moved, stabbing and chopping at the guards. Those near the gates were devastated!

-Your level has risen.

-Your level has risen.

-Your level has risen.

-Your level has risen.

As a berserker, dealing with half a dozen guards was as simple as drinking coffee.

-The devil Strang is satisfied with your combat skills.

4% of the devil’s combat power is currently available.

You can use its magic.

Basic black magic has been acquired.

Maximum mana has increased.

“…….”

Seo-yoon picked up the loot after knocking down the guards.

In fact, the loot from the warring period wouldn’t remain but she had learned the minor habit of picking up any j.a.ptem from Weed. Later she automatically did it without any awareness.

Deng deng deng!

The emergency bell started ringing as the gates opened and troops poured out.

“What are you doing?”

“…….”

Seo-yoon didn’t answer as she headed towards them and her sword moved like a gale of wind.

She didn’t complain or speak a monologue while fighting like Weed. Just like a berserker, she stuck to fighting and killed everyone who flew at her!

She constantly levelled up and was able to use more of the devil’s power.

-The devil Strang is satisfied.

-The devil Strang is lit up with joy.

More magic power has been gained.

-The devil Strang rejoices whenever it sees you fight.

The devil’s existence was like a guardian as it found enjoyment like this was a game.

The destruction of Duke Alhamd’s castle! The place was emptied but she still hadn’t met Chakujel.

“…….”

“Teacher-nim has left this area to find materials. Please spare my life….”

Seo-yoon left Duke Alhamd alive. It was in order to give him a chance to repent.

She left and continued fighting. Seo-yoon continued fighting Duke Alhamd’s knights and a.s.sa.s.sins in order to raise the power of the devil. And she finally fought Chakujel!

“You are the girl from that time, how….. Now I have to go but I’ll be back soon.”

Chakujel tried to run away but he was still stuck in Seo-yoon’s palm. She pursued him while destroying the castle. And Chakujel finally died after six days!

Seo-yoon completed the quest.

-Terminate the Devil’s Summoning Ritual has been completed.

The warlock Chakujel has vanished.

His fleeting ambitions and plans will be buried deeply with his death.

-You have acquired experience in battle as a devil warrior.

A special stat has been acquired.

Once you open your eyes to a dangerous power, there is a possibility that no enemies will remain in front of you.

-You have solved the secret history of the devil in the warring period and earned an achievement.

Fame has increased by 21,394.

Faith has increased by 7.

-The quest has been completed.

You have completed your role and can return to the original time zone.

Do you want to go back now?

Seo-yoon wanted to wait for Weed. But he was busy with his adventure and might not be able to come back to see her.

‘They are there.’

She suddenly wanted to go back to the original time zone because she had something to do.

Hermes Guild!

In order to take care of them, Seo-yoon decided to leave the warring period.

“I will go back.”

Everything in front of Seo-yoon started to blur. Flowers were blooming and there were trees. The stars pa.s.sed back as quickly as light.

And after a while, she returned to Morata.

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

Mapan gathered some reliable merchants and the NPC residents at Morata’s library.

“No. It is nothing. This is….”

They were looking for something as they browsed through parchment bundles and history books. There were many people who went to the library to gain knowledge.

It was require for magicians and scholars to raise their knowledge and magic stats and adventurers also visited to find information from Morata.

In the case of merchants, they were less interested in records of the past. Sometimes they would find information about cities to open a trade route but that rarely happened. The daily trading of goods that fluctuated was more important to city merchants.

Mapan was responsible for a ma.s.sive amount of production and distribution through the north yet he was stuck in the library!

“The Pallos Empire… The Pallos Empire… Ugh, there are so many records that I don’t know where to start. Surely it is in Morata’s library?”

Mapan had received a very important mission from Weed so he was searching through the records. It was a job that exuded the smell of gold and jewellery.

“I can’t miss out on this chance to do a mission for Weed-nim. But if the information isn’t in the library… No, it has to be. This is the information storage centre of the continent so information about him should appear here.”

He read all types of things about the Pallos Empire, the desert warriors and the treasure a.s.sociated with them. The history of the continent constantly fluctuated so there were many new books in the library.

Even the relevant books didn’t have a secret sentence when he looked.

“It is a pa.s.sword that doesn’t require the help of a linguist or an adventurer…. Did I miss it?””

Mapan had all types of thoughts. And finally, he got a clue from the story of the Storyteller Drinker in the Kejan area.

[This year’s harvest was lean.

There was no food or leather for winter clothes.

His Majesty was generous but it wasn’t enough so the number of friends I could drink alcohol with in the village decreased.

I couldn’t get drunk during the winter.

This morning, I discovered some monsters snooping near the village.

They were probably trying to invade to obtain food.

The monster soon returned and brought 2,000 of its kin with it.

The guards fought while I climbed up the roof of the tallest building and opened my remaining alcohol bottle.

“

They will probably break down the walls to kill me so should I drink this alcohol quickly?”

I had years of experience drinking so I could probably drink all the alcohol if I poured it into my mouth.

I listened to the sound of the soldiers fighting the monsters while slowly enjoying my last sip.

After drinking the alcohol, I would regret it as my life would soon disappear.

Maybe a little more was remaining inside the bottle.

But the monsters didn’t succeed in their invasion.

Is it acceptable for a village to only have 100 soldiers?

Not at all.

I suddenly saw some fellows while drinking my last bottle of alcohol.

Monsters near the edge of the village were completely destroyed.

Only 20 people were able to kill them.

There were 50 men wearing thick coats of armour surrounded carriages that approached the village.

The monsters that tried to invade the village changed directions but were wiped out.

I hadn’t drank enough to be drunk so I couldn’t help rubbing my eyes at the unbelievable fact.

What would that slightly curved sword be called?

Anyway, one swing would take out dozens of monsters.

They didn’t miss one monster.

Come to think of it, they had been extremely cruel from the first moment they started trying to kill the monsters.

The men that destroyed the monsters approached the village.

The village’s closed wooden gates quietly opened.

Many of our village’s soldiers made the right choice.

They put down their swords that had broken after a few swings.

“It is really cold.

Do you have any warm alcohol?”

Winter was already pa.s.sing to the people in the north but these people seemed extremely cold.

They stayed for a day before leaving with their carriages.

8 large carriages linked together.

Marks were left deep in the ground so I don’t know what they were carrying.

And I don’t want to know.

If I’m caught stealing then I would lose my life.

Well, I wrote the story but I still can’t believe it.

You don’t have to trust a liar and drunkard like me.

If I drink more alcohol then I will forget the entire thing.]

Ddiring!

-The story of the Storyteller Drinker in the Kejan area has been read.

-Knowledge has increased by 1.

“This is great!”

Mapan smiled wildly. It took a while but he finally found what he wanted.

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

“This adventure has finally ended.”

“It was really hard.”

Pale and his other colleagues were completing the last part of a quest.

They wanted to stop the quest in order to partic.i.p.ate in the battle against the Haven Empire. But the quest was in full swing so they couldn’t stop here.

Therefore they finished the quest after indescribable hards.h.i.+ps and reported it to the important NPCs around the north.

The reward was a relic of the great knight Ivanstein of the Niflheim Empire as well as a booklet containing information about how to establish a knights division. The NPCs they reported gathered talented residents and used the booklet to create knights.

Romuna and Bellot were the most delighted.

“I knew it. The t.i.tle of ‘Elegant Lady like a Rose’ really matches me! It really is perfect for me. Hohoho.”

“Bring adorned with jewels and feathers… Omo, look at these s.h.i.+ny things.”

And one man was quietly crying in a corner.

“Huhuhuk.”

Pale had experienced death three times on this quest. He died so his damage was big compared to his other colleagues.

-I will remain. Run away!

-These guys are strong so can you do it?

-No. I won’t give up until the end. I can handle it! I won’t blame you if I die.

‘I shouldn’t be nice. It is a poison.’

Pale received an enlightenment about the hards.h.i.+ps of a man in life! Surka was punching the air while Pale was getting his enlightenment!

Surka punched the air lightly! Her fist sparked every time. Her appearance and equipment all over off the impression of a high level user.

“We can now partic.i.p.ate in the war.”

“I’ve been waiting for this. My fis.h.i.+ng rod will weave them together….”

Zephyr had a b.l.o.o.d.y smile on his face. He had a quiet presence when hunting or doing quests. However, there were many opportunities in a war.

“All of them are finished.”

But Pale and his colleagues couldn’t partic.i.p.ate in the war against the Haven Empire. Mapan called them all to his mansion.

“I have an important announcement.”

“What is it? Have you ever succeeded in another trade?”

Surka asked in a dismissive tone.

In recent years, Mapan had become one of the coolest merchants on the continent. His cool-headed market a.n.a.lysis and bold initiatives while expanding his trade and investments caused him to receive a huge profit.

Combat professions couldn’t help feeling envious when seeing a merchant’s huge wealth!

“Look at this first before I give an explanation.”

Mapan handed them a booklet one by one.

Ddiring!

-The story of the Storyteller Drinker in the Kejan area has been read.

-Knowledge has increased by 1.

A story that increased their knowledge by 1 when they read it. As a magician, Romuna was pleased because it increased her maximum mana but the others didn’t care.

Bellot yawned and asked graciously.

“So?”

“And please look at this as well.”

This time Mapan pulled out a book wrapped in gold cloth.

“This was hard to obtain but it is really important data. If you connect the two materials then you will know what I have to say.”

“What is it?”

Irene took the booklet and read slowly.

[t.i.tle: Pallos Empire’s hidden secret?

Written by historian Lucrud.

The Pallos Empire was founded in the warring period.

The rough warriors emerged onto the continent from the desert with the hero Weed.

The greedy kingdoms were annexed by the desert kingdom and the territory broadened until it became a great empire.

It was formed in a short time but the military power and level was enough to unify the whole continent.

They defeated the army of a dangerous religious group and made all the kingdoms tremble with fear.

The battle at Dulmore Fortress was especially fierce and historians are still talking about it even after the Pallos Empire was destroyed.

It is rate that the fate of a continent depends on one battle and at that time, there were undead and monsters as well as the incredible event of a meteor being summoned.

Great Emperor Weed.

It is the scholars’ opinion that the victory was able to be achieved due to him.

It is really questionable how a human like him could become so strong.

And after the Great Emperor Weed abruptly abandoned the Pallos Empire, it enjoyed a brief golden period before declining.

The camel empire collapsed and the warriors returned back to the wild and barren desert. And after ruling over a vast empire for a while, the southern desert had positive reforms.

Transportation connections between countries, trade and production and technological development.

The Pallos Empire interfered in domestic affairs and received a lot of tributes. The residents in the warring period received severe pain due to the authority of n.o.bles and royalty.

In the history records, there have been numerous accounts of the knights abusing or abandoning the poor.

But after the empire disappeared, there were no traces of the treasure piled up in the warehouses.

The Pallos Empire conquered numerous cities and kingdoms and received tributes from other kingdoms.

Where have all the countless treasures that they collected disappeared to?

All the gold and magic treasures obtained from corruption, extravagance and pleasure was just gone?

I, the historian Lucrud skimmed the confidential records a.s.sociated with the Pallos Empire and found a significant pa.s.sage.

-The greed of human beings will cause disaster.

I will come back again when the world is on the brink of a crisis.

The power of salvation is in the north.

After a long time, the desert and the north shall become one.

The writer is unknown but records of the senate and the warriors have frequently appeared in the history books.

The only person who can leave such an impact on the Pallos Empire is the Great Emperor Weed.

Weed’s strength is timeless and beyond that of a human. A hero who will open the path to the entire continent.

He foresaw the future and left a will behind?

One thing is for sure, the warriors of the Pallos Empire heeded his words.

The warriors secretly carried out some actions to prepare for the distant future according to his command.

Perhaps this is the reason why the best warriors headed towards the north.]

Ddiring!

-You have found a significant truth in the history of the continent.

This valuable discovery has increased Knowledge by 5 and Wisdom by 2.

Collecting at least 2 clues is necessary to perform this quest.

You can start the ‘Hidden Treasures of the Ruler of the Desert’ quest.

Irene’s eyes started s.h.i.+ning.

“What is this?”

Her other colleagues also started reading the booklet. Mapan couldn’t conceal the excitement on his face.

“It is a project that requires the best security. And only we can do this job. Because it is directly related to Weed’s pocket.”

“……!”

Weed’s pocket! The group’s eyes flashed at that word.

“So what do we need to do?”

“I’ve gathered information related to the Pallos Empire from the library.”

Weed had sent Mapan a encrypted doc.u.ment by email. The pa.s.sword was a word linked with a happy death, dreams, hopes and the whole world.

However, it wasn’t difficult for Mapan to find the pa.s.sword. The pa.s.sword was ‘money storehouse.’

t.i.tle: If you want to make big money…

After learning about the Pallos Empire in the library, somewhere in the north there is the daunting task of excavating treasure.

I can’t leave this task to other people so this is your first priority.

Hwaryeong’s eyes shone after reading the booklet.

“Then Weed has hidden the treasures of the Pallos Empire somewhere in the north?”

“Yes, that’s right. Weed had no time to directly bring the treasures to the north. So before leaving for his quest, he directed his subordinates to bury the treasures in the north.”

“……!”

The Pallos Empire had vigorously proceeded with conquering. Besides, there was also the Great Emperor Weed. The many riches that it plundered was buried somewhere in the north.

Mapan gave a bit more explanation.

“It would be easy of Weed specified a place or terrain where it is buried but that will be difficult. First of all, at the time the Niflheim Empire had existed in the north. If there is a witness then Weed-nim risks changing the future. That’s why he set some rules for his subordinates hiding the treasure. And there is a risk that a quest will be generated, benefiting someone else.”

The group was already not listening to Mapan.

Pale’s imagination spread.

‘The best bow and quiver.’

Bellot also had a lot of hope.

‘The clothes and jewellery from that era. It was really pretty on the video so I want it.’

Hwaryeong was already absorbed in combining clothes and accessories.

‘What should I wear? Will the short skirt of the desert tribes suit me?’

Anyone would be filled with greed at the thought of finding the Pallos Empire.

Romuna jumped to her feet.

“Where should we look? Right now, move quickly!”

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Defeat at Rubkan Gorge.

Destruction of Ranchio Village. The damage makes recovery impossible.

A sea of fire on the Sonak Plains.

The granaries of Arpen Kingdom were plundered.

The Grand Building at Jiobrande was tipped over.

The construction site of the Grand Building at Delnis was destroyed.

The northern users, the so-called northern troops were routed by the Haven Empire’s army. The north tried to stop them but were smashed and the cities decimated.

Defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat!

The stations of Royal Road gave daily updates. This was the hottest period where the viewers paid attention to Royal Road. The interest was higher than office workers towards the holiday season and students towards vacation season.

“As expected, the Haven Empire is the best.”

Yoo Byung-jin watched the broadcast of Royal Road on the television. He could watch it on the screens with the AI but he wanted to hear the thoughts of the commentators and viewers.

“The north is continuing to be defeated and the Haven Empire is powerful enough to be called invincible.”

“G.o.d Bardray and his Royal Guards haven’t even partic.i.p.ated in the war yet so it seems like the Haven Empire is looking to unify the continent.”

“They didn’t use all their power in the war against the Allied Forces. What is the end of the Haven Empire’s capabilities?”

“This crisis is difficult to gauge and I wonder if Weed the G.o.d of War can really overcome it when he returns.”

“Weed’s quest is soon at an important junction while if seems like the Haven Empire will win against the north unless something big happens.”

“You could call Weed the master of adventures. Most of his achievements have been in adventures rather than war. Well, he fought the Immortal Legion but that was still within a quest. But even if he is at a critical period in his adventure, he still has an ident.i.ty as a king. Ah, maybe he already gave up on his kingdom. When looking at this situation, that might be called a wise decision.”

The broadcaster’s commentators waited for Weed while lamenting the north’s destruction. Every bulletin board a.s.sociated with Royal Road was filled with posts accusing the Hermes Guild. But with the repeated defeats in battle, all the voices became increasingly pessimistic.

Even Yoo Byung-jin viewed the Haven Empire’s army as being 4 times more powerful than the north. The number of norther users was greater but their firepower wasn’t enough.

The army formation, overall balance, experience and skilled commanders, variety of troops and tactical abilities were all superior. All those elements necessary for war were added up to make the north helpless.

No matter what numerical values there were, the situation had already been concluded.

The Haven Empire also had a number of dwarven blacksmiths that created supplies like arrows and daggers. After unifying the Central Continent, the Haven Empire hadn’t become lazy but instead came to invade the north.

The gathering of simple beginners didn’t have any meaning. The war between the northern troops and the Haven Empire was like ordinary citizens going against war chariot troops.

The level 400 users of the Haven Empire boasted that they had killed thousands of users.

“Nevertheless, they haven’t been defeated yet so are they still waiting for Weed? They aren’t afraid to die and even vowed revenge. There really are many strange humans.”

Curiously, the commentators and viewers both said it would be difficult for the north but they still antic.i.p.ation in their hearts. All eyes that focused on the already damaged north waited for Weed to return.

Yoo Byung-jin was dumbfounded to realize that people thought Weed could stop the Haven Empire.

“This time it really won’t happen. It doesn’t make any sense.”

-Do you want me to calculate the probability of winning if Weed leads the northern troops?

“No. I got it.”

Even if his head wasn’t convinced, his heart seemed to have a different opinion.

“Is this faith? Do I believe that a miracle can be created?”

Yoo Byung-jin stopped watching the television showing the war in the north. Users were being ma.s.sacred every day by the Haven Empire while cities were changed into ruins.

Rather, he was more interested in Weed’s adventure with the Embinyu Church that will soon take place.

“Weed is once again facing a difficult environment.”

Usually a common person would only experience a certain percentage of unfortunate incidents. Nevertheless, somehow Weed managed to thrive while be given all these opportunities.

Yoo Byung-jin already knew how Nodulle’s adventure had developed in the past.

Nodulle and his companions had been scattered after arriving at the Barren Howling Ruins.

“This is… The saint’s holy power led me here. My companions might be confused so I have to meet them as soon as possible.”

Nodulle first went around looking for his colleagues. Fortunately he managed to unit with Luh.e.l.lun and Brevinsun and they sneaked into the Embinyu Church.

Of course, it was an impossible task due to the arduous terrain and the monsters but they battled through the night and broke in. The result was Brevinsun’s death in the middle!

Nodulle was caught and stuck in prison to be sacrificed while Luh.e.l.lun barely managed to escape.

“This is just before the important ritual. The dragon will eat you once it wakes up.”

Nodulle was destined to be sacrificed in the evening to the Chaos Dragon.

A warrior in the olden days that didn’t know the unforgiving world showed his bravado on the edge of death!

But that new power allowed his to dramatically escape successfully.

The barbarians and other humans held in the jail heard the story from Nodulle sacrificed their lives to allow Nodulle to escape. The uproar caused by the escaped slaves extended to the entire prison.

“I have the weight of people’s blood on my shoulders. This is for their sake… I will stop them.”

Nodulle tearfully broke out of jail and found Hestiger and Ah.e.l.lun fighting the enemy knights.

“How did you get here….?”

“Are you okay?”

“There is no time to talk. The Chaos Dragon will be awakened tonight.”

“Let’s stop it. There is still time.”

They slipped pa.s.sed the pursuers and infiltrated deep inside.

The Sky Tower was completed and the Chaos Dragon almost awakened so the security of the Embinyu Church was somewhat lax. And once they entered deeper, they discovered a place created by the Embinyu Church filled with enormous amounts of poison.

It would pollute the rivers and lakes so much that no creature could live there. Nodulle was appalled at the sight.

“How could it be so transformed….?”

“This is good. We can make every guard at important checkpoints eat this poison.

“Hestiger, what are you saying!”

“I was already convinced that their evil couldn’t go any deeper. If we don’t stop them then they will harm the continent.”

“Eueuum!”

While Weed picked up money from the streets in 0.1 seconds, Hestiger would agonize over it for more than 2 hours. He suffered after hearing Hestiger and Ah.e.l.lun’s suggestion to harm people with the poison.

“Let’s do it. Even if we end up going to h.e.l.l… For the sake of the world!”

And the fanatics and monsters ate poisoned food. That night, the ceremony to awaken the Chaos Dragon began. Tens of thousands of fanatics in the cult ate the poisoned food and died.

“Drink the cup of blood that G.o.d Embinyu has given us!”

“Thank you for the blessing of your destruction.”

The fanatics drank at the same time. The highly purified poison melted the fanatics and monsters.

Nodulle and his colleagues went back to the jail and rescued the various species. Time was tight to stop the Chaos Dragon ritual but they needed to save those trapped. The freed people decided to join Nodulle to fight.

“Knight Vagner of the Keltun Kingdom, I am willing to give me life.”

“It is an honour. We will fight together.”

A warrior led those filled with courage and righteousness. As a result, Nodulle was leading thousands of troops after leaving the prison. And after fleeing earlier, Luh.e.l.lun appeared at the critical moment to interrupt the Chaos Dragon’s brainwas.h.i.+ng ceremony.

He stabbed the Chaos Dragon’s eye with a dagger. High priest Heuller attacked with rage and Luh.e.l.lun died laughing.

-I am waking up. Ugh, my head… It hurts. My head seems to be breaking.

The Chaos Dragon awoke from a deep sleep!

Originally the Embinyu Church planned to control the dragon’s spirit but now they were destroyed by it. A colossal impact that was 10 times Weed’s disaster occurred.

The Sky Tower couldn’t withstand the dragon’s body and came cras.h.i.+ng down. Nodulle, Ah.e.l.lun and his other colleagues united to fight against the minions of the Embinyu Church.

“Divine Judgement of Sin, G.o.d’s Sword of Repentance and the Heaviest h.e.l.l!”

Saint Ah.e.l.lun’s incredible divine magic! The priests of the Embinyu Church turned into grey light and disappeared. The knights couldn’t exert half of their abilities due to the blessings and disappeared like dust.

The Chaos Dragon was recklessly attacking everything around it. The dragon’s breath exploded everywhere! It was the incredible sight of more than 100,000 Embinyu fanatics melting at the same time.

The fact, the original Ausollet that was brainwashed had an oppressive nature. But the pain he felt made him attack the creatures around him even more violently.

Ah.e.l.lun wrapped the divine magic around the dragon’s body and said.

“I can’t hold him for long. The dragon seems to have gone insane from the brainwas.h.i.+ng.”

The dragon would smash the Embinyu Church and then destroy the world. The aggression would break the peace so it wasn’t significantly different from the Embinyu Church.

“I brought you here but it seems like our time together will end now.”

“Ah.e.l.lun-nim, what are you saying?”

“I will take on the dragon. He still hasn’t fully awakened so I can seal him with the power of G.o.d.”

“But won’t there be a large sacrifice to use that power?”

“As long as the dragon’s power doesn’t come back, there is nothing to lose. I am thankful that I was able to meet such pure people.”

And Ah.e.l.lun used his life force to seal off the Chaos Dragon as they disappeared into a dark sea.

“You are the culprit for everything. I will tear up my soul to stop the Embinyu Church!”

Even though the Chaos Dragon that shook off the brainwas.h.i.+ng had done tremendous damage, high priest Heuller still had tremendous displays of magic. Black magic as well as magical flames, wind and water in the ultimate form flowed freely. The other priests of the Embinyu Church also showed their skills.

While they were able to finish high priest Heuller off, Nodulle and Hestiger paid the price by dying.

“I know this story but it would be difficult to pull off. Can Weed really succeed?”

Yoo Byung-jin was sceptical.

Weed couldn’t stop the Embinyu Church. Rather than actively engaging in battle, looking for his colleagues or obtaining reinforcements from the prisoners, he was helping with the construction!

He was literally a slave worker climbing to the top of the Sky Tower. The guards would whip the workers and health would decline. Maybe even his colleagues would be suppressed.

Anyway, the time limit was also reached so he would soon see Weed’s intentions.

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

Weed had a subtle fear of heights.

When flying on the wyverns or climbing high buildings, he only felt vaguely uneasy.

“Is this shoddy work?”

He had that thought every time he climbed up and down the tower.

In order to build the height of the huge tower, tens of thousands of slaves had carried an enormous amount of stones. There were also magic circles installed to strengthen the supporting framework of the construction but it still seemed flimsy.

“I can clearly see areas that look a little rough due to materials being embezzled. Is this the original building?”

Weed nodded like he was convincing himself.

“At least it isn’t raining so I can’t confirm how it would be in bad weather.”

Now his face was familiar enough to exchange a few friendly words with the other slaves. There were many slaves so he could adjust his stride to go up with a group of them. Of course, it was in order to listen to the other group to receive information.

“Since when have you been working?”

“I don’t know. I was captured when I was 10 years old.”

“Your family….”

“They are dead. My wife on the 143rd floor and my son died on the 169th floor. They just threw the bodies out the window so I couldn’t even bury them. They’ve probably been eaten by the crows.”

“…….”

‘I thought that decor was a bit odd… This is why there are windows in the tower.’

The overall atmosphere was depressed as the slaves climbed the stairs like machines due to fear of the guards. The heavy walk showed the struggles and pains in their lives.

Weed dreamed of the world. The residents of the Arpen Kingdom would give a pile of silver and gold for the king to stay comfortably.

“There are no chances to escape?”

“Escape? Don’t even think about such a thing. All the monsters outside the tower and quarry will prey on us.”

“But if a whole group runs away then won’t some of them survive?”

“There is nowhere else to go even if we run away. If I go home then there are only the bones of the dead…. Shush, I’ll only let you know this. Those guys prey on the soul as well as the flesh. Some of the monsters who eat a soul will obtain a person’s face and I don’t want to encounter one in my lifetime. Isn’t it horrible? This place is h.e.l.l.”

The slaves were full of fear. Weed got some information from the slaves but it was still mostly useless.

“The ones who are freed from here? Of course there are some. There are many.”

“How?”

“There is only one exit here. To believe in Embinyu.”

“…….”

“If they accept the G.o.d then they can be free from suffering and will live an immortal life.”

The secret of the fanatics! The slaves who had suffered in life and death will have a more powerful ability to hate.

“Then why don’t you believe in Embinyu?”

“It is because I know their pain. The magic will change me to cause greater pain and suffering to others. In order to obtain the power of eternal life, I would have to sacrifice people like us… How can I do that as a human?”

In order to fight them, he needed to organize all the information he obtained.

‘The more pain and confusion there is in the world, the stronger the Embinyu Church becomes.’

Weed waited for the night to pa.s.s. The exceptionally dark night made the moon and stars look even more beautiful. He could only admire the view of the galaxy from the tower.

The Embinyu Church didn’t bother admiring the beautiful sky. Instead, there was a big fire as they sacrificed people and the pained screams rang out. The climb up the tower was filled with grief despite the pretty night sky.

This beautiful sight wasn’t easily visible in the light of modern cities. It was a view that could only be seen when moving away from civilization.

‘It would be a big hit if I could show this beautiful night sky.’

Weed a.s.sociated everything with money!

Thus his last night pa.s.sed like this.

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“In addition to Weed’s situation, what about the others?”

-Their locations are displayed on the map and I will relay their situation to screens 2-6.

Yoo Byung-jin had the AI search and display Weed’s subordinates. This information wasn’t known to Weed and the broadcasting stations so he was the only one with the whole blueprint.

“Great Emperor-nim must be somewhere over there.”

Warrior-1 was moving nimbly with the leather of a monster wrapped around him. After arriving at the Barren Howling Ruins, the excellent desert warrior managed to find a hiding place.

And after a few days calmly listening and watching the surroundings, he didn’t see any of his other colleagues. He decide to fulfil the goal alone before it was too late so he carefully advanced as secretly as possible.

If a creature or monster was there then his patient and tenacity meant he could wait a few hours for it to leave. He managed to cross the rotten river by wrapping the leather of a monster around his face and body but the poison delayed him.

But he steadily approached again after recovering his vitality and mental strength. However, once he pa.s.sed through the rock formation there would be constant patrols and also the watchtowers. Therefore he was still observing from quite a distance.

Warrior-2 wandered around after meeting the transformed Weed but returned to hiding after he couldn’t find anyone.

“Great Emperor-nim has left me. He asked me to meet him there. So I will go ahead first.”

He killed monsters as he headed towards the Embinyu Church’s net! The elite knights and priests of the Embinyu Church were dispatched.

“Human warrior, you can only go up to here.”

“Bring it on! A desert warrior will never show weakness!”

Warrior-2 came face to face with the enemy. He wielded a scimitar emitting strong flames that was slightly longer than a normal sword.

“Flame Scimitar. Rapid Fire Sword!”

The scimitar moved like lightning among the guards.

Seokeok!

The knights with excellent defense caught on fire.

“Stubborn Strike!”

Warrior-2 jumped and slashed from left to right. The s.h.i.+elds and armour were crushed by the attack. Even though the opponents tried to block it, a few consecutive attacks killed the enemy.

He blew multiple enemies away at once. The sculptural lifeforms way of fighting resembled Weed. Strong attacks and wide area attacks aimed at the enemies. They were close to Weed and their fighting style spontaneously resembled him.

“Come! I am a proud warrior of the desert!”

The level 700 desert warrior caused the Embinyu knights to fall down like they were autumn leaves. The ground was filled with flames as more than 1,000 knights were ma.s.sacred.

However, he was surrounded by knights and had no way to escape.

“Kulkul, you have come to the right place to die.”

“You should’ve come sooner if you wanted to die.”

“Strength is all that you know. Fool, I will let you know the superiority of wisdom.”

After that, the curses that he couldn’t avoid!

His movements, strength and health were sealed as 17 curses. .h.i.t his body. A weak creature would die on the spot from mysterious diseases and black magic caused disturbing moths to lay eggs in his body where they would hatch.

Thanks to these circ.u.mstances, Warrior-2 was eventually forced to his knees.

“How should we do with this guy?”

“He killed Embinyu Church members so that pain should be transmitted to his soul.”

“No. G.o.d Embinyu has conveyed his divine will so he should be sacrificed to the dragon when it wakes up.”

“That is a good opinion. We will offer him up as a sacrifice.”

Warrior-2 was thrown into a dungeon.

The jail was a little different from Nodulle as there were chains filled with curses around his neck and limbs. His bones were broken and moths grew in his body.

The reason was that Weed’s subordinates were stronger than Nodulle. Of course, there were priests in the Embinyu Church but none of them thought to heal Warrrior-2. His health had dropped to the bottom so he might not live long.

“G…Great Emperor-nim will save me.”

Among the desert warriors, Warrior-3 had the most diverse talents.

He had an interest in a.s.sa.s.sination and disguise. He accidently ran into three Embinyu knights roaming and wore their uniform.

“Hmm, I can smell thick blood under that knight’s armour. The form and shape isn’t sophisticated.”

The sly Warrior-3! He fought with monsters and were discovered by scouts of the Embinyu Church.

“The knight is fighting on our side.”

“Help him.”

The Embinyu knights ran to fight the monsters with Warrior-3. They naturally won.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“That was a close call.”

“I believe that Embinyu sent you. G.o.d is great.”

“That’s right. He might not be formally called a G.o.d but this is Embinyu’s grace.”

Warrior-3’s level meant he could easily incapacitate the monsters. His ability to throw knives from 40 metres was particularly outstanding and it had the capacity to even pierce through armour.

Nevertheless, he pretended to be pushed by the monsters so he could team up with the knights. Weed didn’t just teach the desert warriors how to fight.

From time to time, he would show them his tricks and shallow calculations! In the past, Weed had done this alone but now Warrior-3 was acting like Weed.

-Great Emperor-nim is worthy of being admired in this world and he is like a father to me. His behaviour is for justice.

As a result of admiring the wrong idol, he learned bad behaviour! He had now infiltrated the knights but he wasn’t given an important role and was left to patrol outside.

Saint Ah.e.l.lun.

He deliberately was captured and mingled among the elves and humans that would be offered as food to the dragon. Hestiger who Weed disliked also managed to enter.

He met the Embinyu convoy that was transporting buffalo carca.s.ses to be used as food. He hollowed out the buffalo’s body and hid inside.

“Why does the carriage seem different?”

“Did monsters attack it?”

“There is no need to worry. The priests are waiting for the food so let’s go.”

Hestiger moved before the scouts could find him. He was currently hiding in the kitchen.

“Omo, there is a person here….”

Then the female slaves discovered him! Hestiger was holding a scimitar but he raised a long finger to her lips.

“Do not be surprised. I’m here to fight but I will never hurt you.”

“Who are you?”

“The Embinyu Church is a parasite who has done very bad things in this world. I came here to stop them. Of course you don’t have to believe me….”

“I believe you. What are you going to do? It is too dangerous.”

The female slaves had a crush on the handsome Hestiger. Thanks to his looks and atmosphere, they were 100% convinced.

“I am only waiting for the signal from Great Emperor-nim.”

“I understand. I will help you when the time comes.”

Finally, Zahab was the master of sculpting and swordsmans.h.i.+p so he efficiently utilized their skills.

“There are so many to kill. Evane… She has been gone too long. I’ve lived a long time but I will always think of her with regret.”

He angrily swept through the monsters in the Barren Howling Ruins with his swordsmans.h.i.+p. The aura of his sword extended to slice up dozens of monsters.

They didn’t have the strength to resist!

Zahab was originally strong from mastering sculpting and swordsmans.h.i.+p. After coming to the warring period, he had become more experienced and his level rose higher. He just hunted so his level was almost close to Weed. His genius and perfect battle sense was sometimes enough to make Weed sick.

“The ones I need to kill. There are so many of them.”

He navigated the rock formations while searching for enemies and subdued them. And he finally rested near the walls.

“I don’t know. There are too many strong enemies. He will let me know what to do.”

He decided to wait for Weed to act first.

“Now it is hard to guess what will happen.

Yoo Byung-jin stared at the monitors and found it difficult to predict what would happen in the future.

The composition, current location and abilities were all different from Nodulle’s group.

Weed and his colleagues were the crucial factor that would determine whether this quest succeeded. It was impossible for them to hide from the Embinyu Church for a long time so they would be killed one by one.

But even so, Weed was still faithfully receiving praise from the guards at the tower.

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