8) Treasures of the Sea

Lee Hyun checked every corner of his house.

“A lot of construction techniques in South Korea is clearly insufficient. We need innovation in the construction industry.”

As time pa.s.sed, the houses would keep growing older.

Rain would leak, wind would decrease heating efficiency in winter and electrical devices would malfunction. In order to live in the house, it was required to periodically apply waterproof paint and check it once a year.

“A house built 700 years ago needs to be maintained to preserve the history and tradition. This level of technique, tsk tsk.”

Lee Hyun thought that the construction industry was too lazy. It was only interested in driving up the prices of the land so they recklessly sold it.

The house should be made of new materials that kept it warm in winter and cool in summer, a 400 metres underground water supply, its own electricity production and devices that automatically removed harmful dust. The house should automatically fill the car with oil and a plastic greenhouse would be nice for those who preferred organic yards.

“A house shouldn’t just be built with cement.”

Lee Hyun grumbled yet there was a rotten smile on his face.

He looked at the small repairs around his house with joy. There was a fresh coat of paint on his gate and a new bench made out of wood.

“This year I should plant pear and apple trees. If I plant it now then I can get value for the fruits later.”

Despite receiving plenty of incentives and bonuses for the ratings from the broadcasting stations, he was still strict about spending. Lee Hyun was already rich when looking at the considerable amount in his savings!

The bank staff would periodically call him about promotional products or send him gifts like ginseng. Weed was pleased whenever he received a phone call from the bank’s branch manager.

-Customer-nim, this is a special sale so if you buy the product then you can get a prime rate.

Prime rate!

“Let’s see. In recent years I’ve obtained a bit of money but…. Well, shouldn’t I check if it works before spending?”

The change compared to the last few years suffering from debt collectors.

‘This is an area that I’m better in.’

Praising himself!

Lee Hyun cleaned the yard and found Dogmeat’s empty bowl.

“I’ve been busy so I didn’t take care of this properly. Well, it has still been eating well.”

The wall between his yard and Seo-yoon’s had been torn down. Lee Hyun had faith that she wouldn’t do anything bad. Another reason was that she wouldn’t have any desire to take things from Lee Hyun’s house.

So it was natural for Dogmeat to go and sit on the porch of Seo-yoon’s house for a meal. The dog was happy when Seo-yoon stroked it with a soft gaze and fed the dog!

Lee Hyun felt the charm of eating pork chops as a huge family. But he thought differently after seeing Seo-yoon feed the greedy Dogmeat different types of food.

The dog was becoming plump as it enjoyed its life.

“I have hot rice leftover from breakfast that I specifically saved for you. Here! Eat a lot.”

Lee Hyun gave Dogmeat the remaining rice and filled its water. It was a bowl of rice topped with pork and some vegetables.

Grrung.

Dogmeat yawned before arrogantly turning away and lying back down. It didn’t bat an eye because Seo-yoon had fed it excellent glazed lamb from Australia.

Lee Hyun’s eyes trembled.

“A mongrel dog shouldn’t refuse to eat rice.”

He firmly tied a leash to Dogmeat’s neck.

“You aren’t going anywhere. If you don’t eat then you will starve. I’ve applied sesame oil to your fur to make it glossy and smooth. Rice with soybean paste is a luxury for dogs.”

He spend a relaxing hour hara.s.sing Dogmeat’s neck.

Then Lee Hyun looked at Seo-yoon who had come out to the yard.

“Ah, this is a misleading sight. I am just teasing it.”

Dogmeat leapt up and shook its tail eagerly like it was greeting its owner as it saw Seo-yoon. The dog’s loyalty was high and Seo-yoon always took care of it.

Bark, bark bark!

Dogmeat went crazy as it couldn’t jump towards her due to the leash. Then it lay down and showed its charm!

Lee Hyun stared at it with cold eyes.

“Dogs these days….”

Now he had raised Dogmeat for 2 years. Lee Hyun vowed to take measures as he left Dogmeat on its leash.

Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon sat on chairs in the yard as the midday sun shone on them.

Seo-yoon asked in a clear voice.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“Little sister?”

“She went to the library.”

Seo-yoon always cared about Lee Hye-yeon. She was Lee Hyun’s sister and a potential sister-in-law in the future.

Lee Hyun hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Then…ask me for a favour.”

“A favour?”

“You helped me out on my quest.”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun wanted to give Seo-yoon something for her help with his sculpting quest. He couldn’t just have his mouth wiped without giving anything in return. He had promised to pay Seo-yoon back for all the effort she put into this quest!

‘I suppose it will be money. She will ask for money. Money. No money.’

Seo-yoon’s face became more flushed as she thought of something. Lee Hyun’s face also turned red.

‘I need to think of everything in advance. Indeed, money. How big a sum…everything in this world is influenced by money.’

Seo-yoon hesitated before saying.

“Date.”

“Huh?”

“You might be busy but I want a date.”

Seo-yoon wanted to leave the house with Lee Hyun.

‘Leaving the house requires money…what should I do?’

Of course he didn’t have a plan. He was seriously agonizing over it.

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t care. But anywhere is fine.”

“Hrmm.”

The burden of an ordinary man dating!

When looking at dramas, many of the heroes were rich. The tall and handsome man would bring his girlfriend to a department store and buy her exclusive bags and clothes. Furthermore, those dramas had surprise events where a gift would be given before they embraced.

‘Movies and dramas should end there. They are fictional stories. Scenes like that would never occur in reality so there should be subt.i.tles stating that.’

Seo-yoon was the daughter of a tyc.o.o.n so the reality was daunting.

There were many people who wanted to go to a hotel restaurant but were forced to eat gimbap from a convenience store.

Lee Hyun released his breath and asked.

“Are you hungry?”

“A little bit.”

“Well, let’s go out for a meal. But is it okay if I decide where to go?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll tell you in advance but it isn’ that expensive.”

“I don’t care.”

Seo-yoon didn’t feel bad at his words. They mainly ate at home so being able to eat out with Lee Hyun warmed her heart. She could feel warm just being next to Lee Hyun.

“Then I will specify the menu. Let’s go and eat jajangmyeon!”

“Do you know a place?”

“There isn’t any place that I don’t know in this neighbourhood.”

He was visiting a Chinese restaurant after a long time. The Chinese restaurant in the neighbourhood had an efficient delivery service and a clean establishment.

Lee Hyun went to the Chinese restaurant and was in agony before finally ordering bowls of jajangmyeon.

“One…Sichuan sweet and sour as well. Please give many side dishes.”

A huge spending! But this treatment was for Seo-yoon’s sake.

“Jajangmyeong becomes more delicious when using a strong pressure to eat it.”

Hurururup!

Lee Hyun’s mouth was like a vacuum as he sucked up the noodles. The scene of seasoning covering his lips!

In contrast, Seo-yoon ate the jajangmyeon gently.

“Don’t worry about your clothing while eating. Hororororum!”

Lee Hyun made some calculations after eating the jajangmyeon.

“Let’s drink coffee. I’ll pull it out.”

Lee Hyun proudly pulled out some coffee from the vending machine in front of the Chinese restaurant that was free for their customers.

“Cherish any moment when you can save money. Free coffee is the romance of workers. In the past, I was really envious of workers.”

Seo-yoon tilted her head in confusion.

“What?”

“A group can eat at a restaurant, the meal with be paid with their company’s credit card and they can have free coffee on the way out. It would be nice to be an old person who can have free meals thanks to the pension.”

“…….”

Seo-yoon had a sharp premonition.

She knew everything regarding Lee Hyun’s nature. He hardly ever talked about his past. It felt a little strange that he was telling a story about his past but she pretended not to notice.

“Do you want to go on a hike after eating?”

“Hike?”

“There is a mountain over there!”

Lee Hyun pointed to the mountain that was in the centre of the city. The stairs were a bit steep but many citizens climbed to the peak of the mountain to decorate it.

Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon climbed up the stairs. There were ordinary lovers and people playing rock paper scissors.

‘There is no point in playing rock paper scissors because no money can be made.’

‘It is okay to slowly climb the stairs.’

They leisurely climbed the stairs for 30 minutes before reaching the top! On top was a memorial where lovers and visitors would tie locks to the wire mesh.

Lee Hyun headed to a location that overlooked the city and said.

“In the old days, I would sometimes come to this mountain.”

Lee Hyun’s voice was low as he recalled the past.

“It wasn’t to observe the scenery or exercise like the others. I was just envious.”

“Did you envy the people who came to this mountain with their family and friends?”

Despite it being a weekday, there were many families visiting the mountain. There were street vendors selling cotton candy and drinks.

However, Lee Hyun’s gaze was turned towards the buildings in this city.

“No. I just looked down at the city and felt envious.”

“…….”

“There are many houses and buildings. All the people living at home, going to work or school and living their dreams. Wasn’t I envious of how they lived?”

Lee Hyun had these thoughts while looking at the beautiful night scenery of the city from the mountains. The lights were turned on and sharp even when rain fell so he could a.s.sume that people were doing something.

He was. .h.i.t by the rain on the bleak mountain and felt envious of the ordinary people eating delicious food in their warm houses.

The world was absolutely not equal. Despite working hard their whole lives, an old man might only earn a few thousand won or a grandmother had to sell vegetables at the market.

“It felt like some things that people naturally experienced in the world were too miraculous for me. The lights looked too good so I was jealous. At that moment, I had the idea that I really wanted to make a lot of money. Having a lot of money seemed like a really good thing.”

One of his early lessons was that money was needed if he wanted to live.

“Every time I came to this mountain, I was filled with thoughts about wanting to live like an ordinary person. Now, I’ve achieved my dream to some extent. It isn’t a lot for retirement but it is money that I earned.”

Tears flowed from Seo-yoon’s clear eyes.

It was evening so the sky had darkened. Lee Hyun watched the city’s lights turn on as he turned his head. Seo-yoon crying next to him was much prettier than the city lights at night.

‘If this was a drama then a kiss would occur now. Well, no. I’m not going to. I’m not a nice person like a character in a drama. I shouldn’t misunderstand the tears. Those tears are just filled with pity for me.’

He thought that he understood Seo-yoon’s tears.

‘It is similar to when people who eat rice with silver spoons feel sorry for those eating with wooden chopsticks. For example, when a dog is wandering the streets. So they cry.’

All of a sudden he a.s.sumed the worse!

‘This world is money and power. She is pretty and has money so why would she like someone like me? She will just leave after she meets a great man who is handsome and is educated.’

This was the current fear in Lee Hyun’s heart that was a.s.sociated with Seo-yoon.

Unless there were in a position similar to each other, someday she would have no choice but to move on. It was fine if he wasn’t familiar with them. But the emptiness of someone that grew large in his mind suddenly leaving really scared him.

‘Someday we will be parted. d.a.m.n. If I knew this then I wouldn’t have bought the sweet and sour pork.’

Lee Hyun said bleakly.

“Let’s go down.”

It was completely night when they reached the streets. There were people watching a movie or drinking on dates but those pa.s.sing by were looking at Seo-yoon.

“Look over there. Is that a doll or a person?”

“She is immensely beautiful. But why is she crying?”

Seo-yoon’s looks meant she received attention when she was just standing on the street. Her face and simple yet luxurious clothes meant that men couldn’t help noticing her.

It was common for the men that saw her to freeze and wonder if she was a dream of not. Despite having their girlfriends beside them, the sight of Seo-yoon crying was enough to make them willing to give a kidney transplant.

Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon arrived at the street next to their house. It might be embarra.s.sing but this was sometimes called the special course at the end of a short date.

“Well, shall we go in?”

“Yes.”

“Then I will see you again tomorrow.”

“…….”

Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon continued standing and looking in each other’s eyes without saying anything.

‘The moment a girl’s eyes is at its prettiest. It looks like that moment right now.’

She just stopped crying so the eyes with well-drawn make up were slightly swollen. The eyes of the other person was clear and beautiful.

Lee Hyun felt something strange about this atmosphere.

‘Why does it feel like I will be kissed again?’

Seo-yoon’s eyes and expression didn’t seem to deny it. Rather, it felt like her expression was waiting for it.

‘And I saw something similar before.’

During the time he had been a statue in Royal Road due to a quest, Seo-yoon had unexpectedly kissed him.

Lee Hyun remembered that moment because he had been logged in. He had always ben curious about whether Seo-yoon knew he was that statue or not when she kissed it.

That past event suddenly came to mind again today.

Seo-yoon closed her eyes.

‘A kiss. It can’t be. Isn’t this strange? Yet the atmosphere seems to somehow fit it. I’ll be honest. I am willing. However, the important thing is determining the other person’s mood. I can’t just kiss her if it is ambiguous.’

Lee Hyun had many thoughts as he looked at Seo-yoon’s face. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

1 minute pa.s.sed!

The two people were standing there in a static state. If a spoon with rice on it floated into their mouths then they would just automatically chew.

Yoo Byung-jin was watching the monitor and found Lee Hyun wandering the streets.

“Hoh, he seems to be going outside after being in his house every day.”

The artificial intelligence mainly observed key figures on the Versailles Continent but the robots and drones meant it could even observe people in real life.

“The wind is blowing….”

Then he discovered Seo-yoon walking alongside Lee Hyun.

“He came out for a date. That female is the one who helped him on the quest. Really beautiful. She could be called a top notch beauty. I don’t know how a woman like that became friendly with him.”

Yoo Byung-jin felt a deep sense of grief as the two of them headed to a Chinese restaurant. He ate in an extremely ugly manner and he didn’t even hold her hand as they walked up the stairs to the top of the mountain!

“Even a guy like that has a girlfriend.”

A heartfelt lament emerged. The atmosphere was ripe when he talked about his hard life on top of the mountain but he didn’t do anything.

“T-that dumb b.a.s.t.a.r.d!”

Yoo Byung-jin truly couldn’t believe it.

Although he was dull, a certain amount of flexibility meant that Lee Hyun would succeed with his love life. Yet he acted like they were complete strangers and didn’t even console Seo-yoon when she was crying.

There was no need to sugar-coat it as this was the optimum timing for a kiss. Even an awkward hug wouldn’t be so bad.

“He doesn’t miss a single change during battle but this guy is really frustrating right now.”

Yoo Byung-jin felt like exploding with killer rage. Then there was a strange atmosphere again just before they entered their houses.

Seo-yoon was standing with her eyes closed.

“Why is he just standing there, that guy!”

However, Lee Hyun couldn’t hear so he didn’t take any action. Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon stood there for 1 minute but it felt like 10 minutes for Yoo Byung-jin.

“This can’t be. Versailles.”

-Yes, please speak.

“The street lamps are too bright so please turn them down. Do it for all the streetlights in the neighbourhood. They might be surprised if it all turns off a once so do it gradually.”

-Your command has been received. Forced intervention of the city system has been completed. After 2 seconds.

The street lights in the streets surrounding Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon gradually turned off. The street lights turning off brought back the darkness. The street lamp s.h.i.+ning above Lee Hyun and Seo-yoon also turned off.

Nevertheless, the moon had risen and the lights from the signboards meant they could see each other’s faces.

Lee Hyun still didn’t move from his position.

“Even this is insufficient! That guy….”

Yoo Byung-jin had his own pride so he was upset. At this point, it felt like he would vomit out rice if it was fed to him.

“Play romantic music from a nearby shop at a volume that they can hear.”

-A private system is difficult to access with force. However, the observation robots have a sound system.

“How many observation robots are there?”

-Currently there are 32 unmanned aircrafts and 22 small robots around them.

Lee Hyun played a large role in Royal Road so Yoo Byung-jin had many robots observing him.

“Spread the music!”

An unmanned aircraft flying above Lee Hyun’s head came down closer in the darkness. In addition, small robots disguised as birds, insects and rocks started playing sound. It began with orchestra music and soon surpa.s.sed it!

Despite the 3D surround sound, Lee Hyun didn’t move and kept staring at Seo-yoon’s face.

“Is he sleeping right now?”

-No. His heart is beating faster.

He isn’t asleep. Lee Hyun was standing there staring at Seo-yoon’s face.

No man would dislike a beautiful woman. But all the memories of the time they spent together rushed through his head.

An impulsive desire entered his mind.

Lee Hyun slowly approached Seo-yoon and kissed her.

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

Splash. Cheooool seok!

Waves climbed up as they b.u.mped against the reef. Grains of sand were busy receiving the sunlight.

After the completion of the quest, Weed returned from the ghost state to his original body. Of course, the sword and armour of Thor was still missing!

The big blue light in front of him was probably the portal back to his original world.

“Now I can go back.”

Weed didn’t have any lingering attachment to the warring period that would prevent him from returning to his original world.

The sculptural lifeforms had received his will and the destiny of the Pallos Empire was fixed. It was slightly disappointing that he took care of the Embinyu Church in a secluded area so there wouldn’t be a huge impact on history.

But he had completed the quest and it would leave an impression on the heartstrings of the viewers.

‘The toy industry is booming. In particular, I should reap some income from the figurines of the dragon and the black bear.’

Every action was calculated! He had somewhat guessed the current location. He could return to the Central Continent to act as the Great Emperor but it would be a waste.

“But I am a little sad.”

The love story between Nodulle and Hilderun left a lingering feeling inside him.

He thought about his parents.

‘My father was a good person and truly caring.’

Every time he returned from work, he would play with Lee Hyun. He created toys to give to Lee Hyun and even spent time together in front of the television. He had lots of friends and the only problem was that he liked to drink a little bit.

Lee Hyun’s mother had graduated from a good university. Working and childcare meant she didn’t have time to focus on the household.

After his mother and father were gone, the rest of his memories started to fade and disappear.

Not all the memories were like that. Nodulle and Hilderun’s story had pulled out Weed’s buried memories.

‘If they were still alive and in love with each other then I could have another younger sibling.’

His father and mother also had a love story.

His father had a part time job at a coffee shop where his mother came to study. He asked for a date with a letter and they started to meet.

In fact his mother said to Weed.

-It was okay but there were a few old-fas.h.i.+oned aspects. He was a man that didn’t like to show any unguarded moments. It took him 2 months to ask for a date. Marriage? If I waited for him to propose then I would die of old age. Don’t become like that in the future.

It would be great if he had a happy love like Nodulle and Hilderun and his parents.

“I’m glad I’m not my father. Yesterday I even kissed her.”

Weed sighed deeply.

“However, more people should know about and remember Nodulle and Hilderun. I succeeded in the quest under his name but I feel like our experiences are different. I have to make a sculpture for them.”

He felt like leaving behind a work as a sculptor before returning to his original world.

Weed looked around for materials and suitable rocks in the near vicinity.

‘If I make it out of sand then a storm will just break it down. But it wouldn’t make sense if the sculpture is far away in the mountain.’

Nodulle and Hilderun had lived a happy life by the sea. The sculpture should be built around the sea where they last lived.

“Will it be hard to move the rocks from another place? No, I should find worthy materials nearby. Sculpture materials can be found anywhere.”

Weed walked around the sandy beach and Nodulle’s house. He could feel the landscape vividly as he walked. Even the threat of a harsh world didn’t interrupt the happiness of the lovers.

Weed’s eyes turned towards the sea.

“That one!”

A large rock in the sea was withstanding the wild waves!

In general, sculptures tended to be carved in convenient locations with no obstacles but that wasn’t always good. The sculpture carved from the towering rock in the sea fit the life of adversity that Nodulle and Hilderun experienced.

“Then let’s do it.”

Weed immediately jumped into the sea. After a few steps, his body was almost completely submerged as it was a surprisingly deep sea!

The rock he was aiming at was 50 metres away from the sandy beach. The white foam of the waves continuously broke over the rock that was higher than the height of a person.

“Let’s do it. It isn’t impossible!”

Kang. Kang. Kang.

He might have been known as the Great Emperor of the desert but he always carried sculpting tools with him. He obtained some of the best products from looting kingdoms. Anvil and chisels made of diamonds that were plucked from a blacksmith!

It wasn’t a convenient place to carve a sculpture as the waves made the rock wet and water entered his eyes.

“I can’t make a mistake. I can’t get the materials back.”

He touched the rock to check the strength of the delicate sculpture. The hard rock had endured thousands of years of waves but he had to be careful as he dug deeper. He also needed to get rid of seaweed, starfish and thick moss entangled on the rock while working!

Nodulle and Hilderun were better looking when they were young but he chose to portray them as older grandparents. This was because that was the moment when their happiness reached its peak.

A sculpture of an elderly couple holding hands while watching the distant sea!

The work took him 10 hours before it was completed. The progress was fast because he was constantly drawing out his emotions while working on it.

-Please set the name of the new sculpture.

“The name should be Nodulle and Hilderun.”

-Nodulle and Hilderun is correct?

“That’s right.”

-Masterpiece! Nodulle and Hilderun has been completed!

A sculpture that reflects the forces of time and nature.

The work of a sculptor that rewrote the history of the continent, a special work has been created. A sculpture that immortalizes a great hero.

When someone finds out about the adventures of Nodulle, historical value will increase by 3.

Artistic Value: 4,392

Special Options: Anyone who sees Nodulle and Hilderun will have their health and mana recovery increased by 34% for three days.

Sailing skills will increase by 21%.

‘Blessing of the Indomitable Warrior’ will be granted.

Monsters within a 4km radius can’t pre-emptively attack.

Those who discover this work will have their Luck stat permanently increased by 2.

The effect doesn’t overlap with other sculptures.

Current number of Masterpieces created: 25

-The skill proficiency of Sculpting has improved.

-The skill proficiency of Handicraft has improved.

-The proficiency of Time Sculpting has increased to Beginner level 2.

The composition and durability of a sculpture will be preserved for a long time, even in a bad environment.

Nodulle and Hilderun gave birth to a masterpiece sculpture.

It was like Weed expected.

Currently, Weed’s sculpting skill proficiency was advanced level 9, 94.1%.

He seldom made sculptures during the warring period because he needed to complete the final secret sculpting technique quest. The masterpiece sculpture was a success but there was still a bit more to go before he could master sculpting.

“But I am still a little empty. Nodulle and Hilderun was a masterpiece…. I am still lacking.”

Weed stayed there for 20 more days to make more sculptures. The life of a sculptor was to make difficult sculptures but this was a big operation.

It was a long and difficult operation and he didn’t spare even the bones and scales obtained from the final battle with the dragon.

“Now I can leave without any regrets.”

After finis.h.i.+ng his task, Weed returned to his original world through the portal with no regrets.

There were no changes to the sculptures on the seash.o.r.e when he left. The sandy white beach was s.h.i.+ning and the sculptures weren’t noticeable.

But if people gazed at the rough waves on the horizon then they could see the sculpture of Nodulle and Hilderun.

The view of the sea and sculpture was excellent but no other work was visible. Weed’s other sculptures were below the clear, blue sea.

The coral reefs in the deep sea.

Sculptures ranged from a boy running around the narrow streets of Borota Island to a couple riding a raft. Wandering the continent, fighting, living and running away. The battle against the Embinyu Church was engraved on the seabed.

Nodulle and Hilderun. A luxurious statue of the two lovers was made with dragon bones, scales and mithril. The sculptures all showed their biography.

The t.i.tle of the seabed sculptures was ‘The Happy Couple who Missed the Sea.’

Although the lives of the two people were injured by waves, beneath the surface the sea was clam and small, colourful fish were swimming. The effect of Time Sculpting meant that it would last indefinitely with no natural damage occurring.

The magnum opus Treasures of the Sea was recorded as soon as it was completed. It would be hard for humans to easily find them.

-Look at this.

-Omo omo, that is so cool.

But rumours about the sculptures in the sea were spread by mermaids.

-The human world is really scary.

-But isn’t it great?

The mermaids visited the sculptures every day and fish swam past it.

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

“I saw the end of a fun adventure. Isn’t that right Versailles?”

-The answer to your question can vary depending on the criteria of fun. Currently the performance of Weed’s quest has exceeded the target by 279%. The probability of producing these results was only 0.003%….

“Stop!”

Yoo Byung-jin didn’t want to hear any more.

Weed had succeeded in a close to impossible mission. The use of the dragon was critical to his victory but that wasn’t necessarily the reason.

In Nodulle’s original quest, Ah.e.l.lun had sacrificed himself to seal the dragon. However, the Chaos Dragon wasn’t sealed and the process to defeat it was really unexpected.

Yoo Byung-jin reasoned it out from Weed’s standpoint.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what miracles he can cause in the future. A smart head like mine is a disadvantage in this area.”

In the end, praising himself!

-…….

Even the artificial intelligence had no words.

Weed’s success had really caused Yoo Byung-jin to feel mean and grumpy. But now the adventure was over and Weed had to return to reality.

“It was fun but the lost opportunities and costs from this quest was too big. He can catch up if given enough time but…. The successor most likely to obtain my a.s.sets and authority is still Bardray.”

Weed had obtained the final secret sculpting technique but the damage was tremendous.

He used Sculpture Resurrection in Roderick’s Labyrinth and created 13 sculptural lifeforms in the desert. In the beginning, that loss of level from Sculptural Bestowal could be made up but it was a fatal blow now that he was over level 400.

Once Weed returned to his original world, it was decided that he would drop close to 20 levels. That would be a huge disadvantage when fighting the forces of the Haven Empire.

Time Sculpting required a lot of training to be fully utilized but the threat to the north was urgent right now.

Yoo Byung-jin checked and there was a difference of 90 levels between Weed and Bardray. The sculpting and production skills would be help but there was a huge diversity in their combat skills. The final technique Time Sculpting also couldn’t be used freely right now.

If they fought right now then Bardray would win.

Yoo Byung-jin was aware of everything happening in the Versailles Continent through the artificial intelligence.

The Hermes Guild had dispatched a large number of a.s.sa.s.sination agents to the north. They were a.s.sa.s.sinating the high level users in the north.

High level users banned from the Central Continent were given a change to return to their homeland and a high position if they betrayed the Gra.s.s Porridge Cult.

“I’m grateful for the offer but I refuse. Now I have a settlement in the north.”

“The north will soon be devastated by the Haven Empire. After that, you will only get a harsh rule. Think calmly before choosing the north.”

“I have no other place to go. And there are many people I know….”

“The Hermes Guild can give you many things. This chance won’t come again. Only those selected can enter the Hermes Guild.”

The power of friendly and loyalty always collapsed before money and power. In some cases, they yelled and protested but eventually joined the Hermes Guild.

They also actively approached northern users in an attempt to buy them.

The Hermes Guild was horrible but they had established a long term plan early on. Lions were mobilized to devastate and capture the rabbits in the north.

“Weed was a cruel tyrant in Continent of Magic.”

“People have the power to change. Now Weed isn’t like that.”

Rumours continued to spread despite not having a large effect. The northern users were full of unyielding spirit and the desire to fight.

Merchants suspended trade with the north and closed their main base of business, harming commerce. Even so, a vast amount of money was invested into culture, architecture and art.

The war was also eliminating the north’s the driving force between the north’s development.

Lafaye who led the Hermes Guild lacked any heroic traits. But he knew how to diligently perform his role. The north was a seed that could later threaten the Haven Empire so he needed to dry it up.

“I have to meet Bardray at least once.”

-Shall I prepare to conduct the tests for a successor?

All the information about Bardray had been prepared through first hand research. If Yoo Byung-jin received the help of the AI then Bardray wouldn’t even notice meeting him.

“No, not yet. This might be an obvious conclusion but I want to wait until the end. I will watch Weed’s last hurrah.”

|