Chapter 8 : Tower of Light

As soon as Lee Hyun came out of the capsule, he logged onto the item trading site.

-Buying Elven Bow.

- Looking to buy an elven bow, regardless of whether its a dark elf bow or a wood elf bow.

- Paying large amounts for a rare or unique level 300 bow. Willing to pay a lot more than the usual market value.

The posts bombarding the board reflected the number of archers there were in the game. Prices were very high because of the limited supply.

Weed smiled at this.

'This is good.'

The High Elf Bow!

If he placed it on the auction site then he could get a very high amount for it.

The value of level 400 weapons were high. Then there were the various options it had on it, such as high damage and long range.

There were too many advantages on the elven weapons to count.

"With that kind of money, it would be 2 to 3 months of savings spent on living."

Lee Hyun was excited.

He would have registered the King's Bracelet and the High Elf Bow on the auction site, but he decided not to on impulse.

It was not an exaggeration to say that unique items could be cashed in at any time.

However putting them on sale came with a price.

"Other people can't be the only ones with good items."

The purpose of good items was to be worn and ultimately become stronger!

He decided to keep it for himself for the time being.

Instead of looking further, Lee Hyun stood up and left the house.

"Its been awhile since I've felt this good."

Lee Hyun headed off to the supermarket.

* * *

It was highly unusual for Lee Hyun to be in this place.

'Discount stores seem to advocate low prices but the quality is cheap.'

The usual Lee Hyun absolutely did not go to supermarkets. Generally the price of produce and poultry was expensive. With goods like meat and eggs, it could not compare to street markets. The only exception was inexpensive items and buy one get one free sales.

'Looking around there's a lot of useless things. Most of them are priced higher than usual.'

He could not believe his eyes. Looking at the prices, shopping at a supermarket would often exceed his budget. Even arguing its advantages that it was convenient did not make up for how much would be save from shopping at a street market. Lee Hyun came to such a store.

Lee Hyun grabbed a cart.

"Okay, time to shop!"

He was shopping to celebrate his good luck!

He chose items that you could not imagine people usually getting.

He chose a large number of inexpensive goods instead of brand names.

"Maybe two more boxes of Chewy Choco Pies. I think I should be fine with three boxes. Three boxes. Hm, maybe I should get four?"

Lee Hyun was conflicted for a moment then shook his head.

"Oh, of course. I can get four or five boxes, but four boxes will be sufficient and I bet that I won't need more. Hahaha! These sweets are delicious."

However, it was different for the grocery purchases.

Olive oil was twice as expensive as normal cooking oil!

He bought a container of salt that was individually packaged.

He wanted to see the difference in salt that was 200 won more expensive!

"It's a little bit of luxury."

* * *

"It's a little envious. It would be nice if I could go on adventures like that."

She started to investigate Weed whenever he appeared.

It was very hard to find people that were famous on the internet.

She knew his name, but not what he was like in the past.

The only information she found was that he did unbelievable things in the Continent of Magick, and that he was now on a quest in Royal Road.

The information in front of Cha Eunhee was insane. Here was a person, with as small as a one in a million chance, that somehow got lucky and became famous worldwide.

"A great user...and he's very famous."

She didn't want to believe it until she saw it with her own eyes.

It was then that she found saw the quests in the videos. Hunting down the True Blood Vampires, the creation of the pyramid, and the great battle on the Plains of Despair that everyone was talking about!

It was then that Cha Eunhee became a fan of Royal Road.

Because of this she became more enthusiastic.

"Weed really is the most favorite adventurer."

A pa.s.sion of hard work!

Cha Eunhee was immersed in the idea of drowning herself in patience in order to solve a quest.

This was true in many of Weed's adventures. Whether it was the fight against the True Blood Vampires or the Plains of Despair, he experienced and won over the tough quests. However, they were not the only important quests on the Versailles continent.

An expedition from a kingdom going to explore an unknown jungle.

Adventurers going off to explore new ruins and dungeons.

Taking on a quest to clear out a den of thieves, who were former n.o.bles.

Traveling to new kingdoms and having thrilling adventures and quests were some of the most important elements that comprised of the Versailles continent.

But Weed's adventures had something special in them that others usually did not.

That was what Cha Eunhee wanted to find out.

"Even with a step-by-step approach and pa.s.sion, unforeseen circ.u.mstances will forcefully interfere with their efforts. That's why people readily give up."

Most quests fail. With higher difficultly quests the probability of failure increases. Weed was as human as anyone else but people can't help but watch his quests.

Unexpected behavior was a unique aspect of Weed's.

Unlike most people, he solved his quests with not just his strength or levels but with something innovating.

The excitement and the tension.

The pa.s.sion he had when he was commanding the Orcs and the Dark Elves.

People were surprised with his fighting abilities, but it was the way he behaved, his spirit that fascinated people.

"He's been gaining popularity for a reason. In the aftermath of his supremacy in the Continent of Magic, he's now forging a new legend in Royal Road. People can't help but look on fondly."

Cha Eunhee had to admit it. She did not remember how many times she turned back to the scene of Weed fighting against the dragon. Most people watched it about a dozen times or more.

Weed was going to be more famous than ever.

It was then that Cha Eunhee got a surprise when she was watching a video that was in Seoyoon's capsule.

- Friend...

Unless someone loved torturing themselves, Seoyoon did not want to be separated from Weed and had to speak.

Weed then responded to her words.

Seoyoon didn't have the time to say anything else.

"I guess it's been so long since she's said anything that she couldn't reply."

Cha Eunhee felt bad for her. For someone like Seoyoon who lived for so long without speaking would forget how to talk to others. Talking would become awkward and she wouldn't want to say anything embarra.s.sing.

* * *

'So this is Weed's sister.'

Hwaryeong had not known that Yurin was his favorite family member. Everyone was a bit skeptical that Yurin was joining the party. Pale scratched his head.

"This is too dangerous...Yurin are you going to be fine coming along with us?"

As the leader of the party he asked carefully so that she could avoid getting hurt.

"Look...the Yuroki Mountains are not easy places to hunt. There's a lot of monsters and sometimes we get killed. Wouldn't it be better if we to go to a place that helps beginners?"

Yurin thought for a moment and then shook her head.

"No, it's fine. It's better if it's more difficult."

"It's going to be really dangerous..."

"I understand. I'll just look for somewhere safe to paint the monsters."

"Well, go ahead then. Call us if you're in danger. We will protect you."

"Okay."

Yurin sat down on an empty spot and took out a bunch of painting materials.

A few moments later she drew a picture of Pale shooting a monster with arrows.

Shah syasyasyak!

Yurin moved the pencil quickly across the canvas. She then painted a piece of murderous ogres running around.

Ttiring!

-You have used drawing skills.

You have painted an ogre.

A big success!

The piece has been named Ogres.

The drawing has made the Ogres more brutal.-Drawing skills have improved.With that, the Ogres evolved into named monsters.

Monsters with names were 20% stronger. However, this was done intentionally because named monsters have more experience and better drop rates.

"Oh, named monsters."

"Surka buy me some time so that I can prepare a strong magic spell."

"Okay unni."

The party had to fight fiercely against the monsters that got buffed from the painting.

Yurin began to scribble over the picture of the ogres.

She gave beards to the scarred murderous faces of the ogres. She also gave them gla.s.ses and made them hold a book as if they were conducting a performance.

-You have used the Doodle skill.

The Ogres will now become lazy and gentle natured.

The enemy is suffering from a wound on his sides. This area will be his major weakness.

But the images she was painting were quite b.l.o.o.d.y. It was quite a sight to see the ogres, known as the lords of the forest, being tossed around like rabbit. The heads of the ogres were skewered by 3 beautiful golden snakes.

Yurin was a very pretty girl but the picture showed the cruel reality.

Inhumane abuse!

Pale nodded a little.

'Her brother really is Weed.'

In Yurin's veins flowed the same blood as Weed.

* * *

Oljuwan and Min Sinhye were on a program having a discussion with a number of experts.

"A few days ago a combat based profession player took over a castle."

"Warriors and Knights seem to be the most popular cla.s.ses to own castles. There are a few mages but they aren't exactly many."

"Professions that are good with leading others into combat seem to be good."

"However, for the first time, a blacksmith has appeared with enough money to become the lord of a castle."

The specialists for the Versailles Continent argued about their opinions.

"Impossible."

"I have no idea how could have been done."

"Was it merely a coincidence? Or maybe there were special circ.u.mstances?

Several things changed after the castle was bought.

An increasing number of residents were interested in metal. Residents would talk about metal and hand out quests related to it. Usually smelting a certain ingredient or making a special item.

The number of quests for blacksmiths were limited. Most of the time the quest was too hard for the blacksmith to complete. There was also the fact that a lack of fame made it more difficult for blacksmith to receive quests. Because there were hardly any quests available, blacksmiths had to work for days to increase their skill proficiency.

In the blacksmith's castle the quests were very basic. But the rewards for those quests were quite decent. By making the appropriate armor and weapons for the quest, fame raised quite quickly. The weapons depended on what the quest referral wanted and may require more skill than available. Even if the result was poor, the blacksmith would still receive a considerable amount of training. This lightened the burden considerably.

"I think, thanks to this castle, the blacksmiths cla.s.s and other crafters will receive better treatment."

"Crafters?"

Han Gil's eyes shone.

This did not happen often.

"Yes. My guess is, with the heightened interest thanks to this new castle, the value of blacksmiths will increase considerably."

"Then that means..."

All eyes were looking towards the expert.

"The castle lord's profession will have a large impact on the continent."

All of the conclusions were converging towards a single point. Otherwise people wouldn't be able to understand the situation.

s.h.i.+n Hye Min asked cautiously.

"What kind of changes can we expect to see because of the new blacksmith lord?"

"It's a little early to make any definite conclusions."

With that they began beating around the bush with idle conversation. Then he said.

"The first development we should expect to see in that castle is the the level of technology should advance more quickly than other cities. The blacksmiths will sell a larger number of weapons and armor. Moreover, the quality of these items will constantly improve."

"In other words, this means that this is going to be that castle's specialty?"

"That seems to be the case. From the information gathered so far, the standard of weapons is currently higher than usual and there are signs of positive effects. Raising soldiers in the castle will be considerably easier than raising mages."

s.h.i.+n Hye Min nodded at what the experts said.

With combat based castle lords could raise strong soldiers easily. Wizards lords increased the overall magical power. Yet blacksmiths were able to have a similar impact as a combat related profession.

* * *

The clear jewel like stars were twinkling in the sky.

Dark clouds loomed overhead of Weed. Harsh thunder bolts rained down from the sky. The entire rest of the Continent was busy watching the televisions.

"d.a.m.n! This cursed profession forcefully made me into the Lord."

His complaining and lamenting over his cursed profession did not disappear.

Rhodium City of Artists.

In reality it was a city infested with beggars.

There was no guarantee that someone would try and overthrow Morata after Weed took over.

Exploiting high taxes!

Ripping off the residents and squeezing out large taxes.

Raising soldiers to fight monsters to earn him items and money!

For Weed being a vicious dictator was truly his dream.

"Honestly, what is peace... there is no need for any of that. Anything beats being a beggar."

Weed wanted to be a dictator.

But a lot of traders did not come through Morata because it was far from being a metropolis. Famous fortresses did not border it nor were there well developed hunting grounds.

"But being a Lord should come with some benefits right? Regional status window!"

Lord Weed was allowed to use that command.

The Province of Morata

A province belonging to the Niflheim Empire.

In the past the Emperor brought the land prosperity but now it is hard to imagine it.

Military

20

Economy

90

Culture

120

Technology

190

Religion

80

Urban Development

62

Security

98%

There are currently no soldiers so a regiment of vigilantes exists in its place. For one year the province will have the protection of the Church of Freya.

There are few buildings. The residents are very poor. Merchants used to visit this land. Needs rapid development to quickly improve the livelihood of the residents.

Festivals and sculptures make the residents more happy. Require more cultural facilities for the residents to put behind their harsh past. Former cloth and sewing industry is on the decline.

The local population believe in the Church of Freya as their religion.

In the future, it is likely that it will become the central faith of the Kingdom.

Specialties:

Leather and Cloth.

Total Territory Population: 7863

Monthly tax income: 2300 gold

Village operating costs and expenditures:

Military 20%

Economic Development 20%

Village Maintenance 45%

Donations to the Church of Freya 15%

The information he got was in itself.

"Its not even at the level of Baran Village in the kingdom of Rosenheim!"

The towns in the southern part of Rosenheim were constantly being attacked by monsters.

Now that he thought about it, the town had been reduced to ruins by the vampires and that halted its development.

Weed quickly regretted it. He usually had a lot of regrets but he could feel this one tingling in his bones.

"I even got the salt that was 200 won more expensive. This must be my punishment."

Developing the military and the economy would require a large sum of money. It would take hundreds of thousands, no millions, of gold to advance Morata into an enviable city.

Weed did not have the time or money to afford it.

"The position is nothing more than a luxury for a Dark Gamer."

At this time, seventy six of the lords on the Versailles Continent in the various kingdoms. Most of them have and are attending college.

By governing and improving a town you get fame and fortune! However, it was not an easy task.

* * *

After the ice that had piled up melted, the surface of the rock was exposed.

Weed climbed the mountain while holding Zahab's Carving Knife.

"I have to force my body!"

Extreme physical labor!

No matter if it was day or night, Weed never forgot to make sculptures.

When the sun rose, he had made many sculptures. There were strong tough men with weapons such as swords dancing around. When the moon rose, there were women as well. But Weed did not stop there.

"Moonlight Sculpting!"

The unique sculpting ability to emit light.

The difficulty of sculpting went up when using the skill.

Jjeojeosal!

He worked on the rock to make a slender arm.

It was softer, unlike the other rocks he had used in the past. To keep the feel of the sculpture he had to pay attention to the materials.

Seoyoon.

He had spent several months with her.

It was very difficult to sculpt various people doing different things such as dancing.

A girl dancing on one leg.

Four soldiers brandis.h.i.+ng long spears.

It was very easy to break.

It was inevitable since he had yet to master moonlight sculpting.

"I can't help it if it fails."

Weed boldly took the loss. But it was worth it.

s.h.i.+rtless men showing off around the campfire.

Women doing sensual and provocative dances.

The dancing was full of energy!

The Memory of the Night Festival in Morata has been created.

It took over ten days to complete.

- Please set the name of the statue.

Weed had thought in advance and gave it a n.o.ble name.

"A Night in Morata."

Somehow he made a t.i.tled piece! He was reminded of a movie he saw when he was a kid. Weed couldn't quite remember the name but he went with it.

- A Night in Morata, correct?

"Yeah."

Ttiring!

A moonlight sculpting masterpiece!

You have completed the piece A Night in Morata!

A piece that represents people dancing!

An astonis.h.i.+ng dance full of pa.s.sion and energy was born. Unfortunately the sculpture was damaged a few times during creation.

Incomplete sculpture.

Because of the reputation for being an excellent sculpture, it does not appear to be a mistake.

The engraver gave this piece endless possibilities.

This piece will be talked of for many years.

No one will forget the creative and artistic skills that the engraver used.

The name of this sculpture will remain in the history of the Versailles Continent.

Artistic Value:

An excellent work created by the Sculptor Weed. 6300

Options:

The statue A Night in Morata gives

15% increased health and mana regeneration during the day.

30% increased health.

All stats increased by 10.

All chef, dancer, and bard skills are one level higher.

Other statue effects do not overlap.

Number of Moonlight masterpieces so far: 1

-Sculpting skills have improved.

-Handicrafting has increased to advanced level 4. An additional 8% increase to all handtools and it will affect various areas.

-Sculptural understanding has increased by 1 level.

-Fame has increased by 110.

-Art stats have increased by 5.

-Stamina has increased by 1.

-All stats increase by 2 for create a Moonlight masterpiece.

"Kuehuehuehuehue!"

Weed had a wicked smile.

Advanced handcrafting level 4!

Every time the skill rose, his damage increased by 8% and his crafting products would have better effects.

The sculpting cla.s.s was amazing because of the ability to learn all crafting skills and access to the handicrafting skill, as well as the amazing two times growth rate for skills.

Royal Road's hope for below average cla.s.ses.

A skill that displays true physical effort!

Handicrafting!

He recently learn the truth.

Handicrafting rapidly raised the Sculpting skill. It also widened the number of skills affected by Handicrafting.

It boosted all manner of production skills with more gentle handling, such as picking herbs. It made sewing more elaborate and helped to restore the durability of repaired items. Even mages needed some level of Handicrafting. One could not hope to increase the Handicrafting by focusing on one skill and repeating the same thing over and over.

Therefore, one needed a large variety of skills and training to boost the Handicrafting skill.

In other words, endless physical labor!

The embodiment of physical labor in all skills.

Whenever he got a level in Handicrafting, Weed could not help but smile.

"Handicrafting increased a level. Hehe, I should work hard and make another light sculpture."

Weed looked to see that there was no one else around. Then he started to dance around vulgarly with the carving knife using Moonlight Sculpting.

"It's like winning a lottery ticket after getting dealt a bad hand. It doesn't mean that you can't have fun."

Simple and easy! Sometimes he expressed his delight like a crazy man. It was his one act of comfort from having to constantly repeat the same thing over and over.

"204 hours of hard work yet it came out flawed."

Weed painfully reflected on his work.

He was not sleeping or eating properly and it had affected his work.

"If I worked 6000 hours this month, my goal for next month should be 6001 hours. That is what it means to be truly devoted to hard work."

If he was given a lot of money, he would sew on doll eyes for 100 years!

The finished work however would have to be successful compared to the effort involved.

Weed put a ma.s.sive amount of work into his sculptures but a few still ended up as failures.

"There's still time left."

Weed went towards the rocks without a break.

He had to go to Todeum but he could afford a little time.

For the next sixty days of the Versailles continent, Weed sculpted from the rocks in the mountains. He managed to make a couple dozen cla.s.sic pieces, four grand pieces, and one masterpiece.

With that, he managed to reach Advanced sculpting.

* * *

People used to stay away because of the severe weather, but now it had subsided.

Since the air and weather was refres.h.i.+ng, it was no surprise that monsters and adventurers started to appear.

"It's a village!"

"According to the map, this is Morata."

"Let's check out the place."

Villagers looked at the town in amazement.

Most of the northern towns had been devastated. With all the monster attacks, public security was a mess. In most towns, the monster had invaded too far.

They were less than villages and more like hunting grounds.

Monsters would trot around freely, eating and killing humans!

"In case something happens, I will lead the group. I leave healing up to you."

"Okay. I'll take care of the treatment."

The party of five cautiously approached the village.

This party was quite famous in the Versailles Continent.

Behind the party was a total of 300 people.

People sought to explore the northern continent. They thought it would be safe once they entered a town. However it was early in the morning and that was the time that monster activity peaked!

The party raised their vigilance whenever they entered a village.

"Welcome!"

"Welcome to our village."

The Morata citizens greeted them in unison.

"We sell tough durable clothes in Morata."

"We also sell armor with high defense and clothes for women."

The adventurers went around Morata's specialties shops. They looked around at the trees and the ground. One of them nervously asked.

"What is that over there?"

This was usually not seen in a village.

The reason was soon revealed.

The adventurers saw a bunch of cute boys and girls holding a bunch of pretty sculptures!

"Selling sculptures of flowers,rabbits, deer, as well as high quality pieces! There are also sculptures of monsters from Morata, such as the wolves."

The residents were trying to make money somehow. They were trying to earn money like how Weed earned chump change in the beginning.

Then they saw a vacant lot where Weed was sitting.

"Gear for sale, traditional antiques from the Niflheim empire, as well as iron armor and clothes! There is no doubt about the elegance of the antique patterns!"

Weed piled swords and armor next to him.

"Swords! Iron goods from the master blacksmiths of the ancient Niflheim Empire! Get this chance now before it pa.s.ses. It's not going to be here tomorrow!"

The treasures of the Niflheim Empire. After so many years, the weapons and armor deteriorated and are now sold as antiques.

"Men, show off to women you love with these clothes and this sword. As for women, this dress was worn by the third princess of the past lord of Morata during a ballroom dance where she was proposed to. Imagine it..."

Weed built up on the items with story.

"What is that guy?"

"A merchant?"

"Let's check it out."

The adventurers found themselves interested in Morata village.

They were surprised at the unexpectedly good performance of the stockpiled rusty swords and armor.

"What is this."

"The damage on the rusty longsword is so good. I wonder how great it used to be?"

"That sword!"

"I like the dress."

People flocked.

It was after they heard and saw the unexpectedly good performance of the items.

"Ajussi, how much is this dress?"

Weed smiled brightly as he answered.

That rotten fake smile!

"3600 gold."

"Aegyae! I could buy clothes in the central continent for 3200 gold...and besides these clothes are old."

Some people were reluctant to buy after finding out the price.

The performance was fine but it was overpriced!

The equipment was old so the durability was 20% lower.

Weed picked up the clothes.

"It looks like I did not repair it yet. Repair, polish, ironing!"

Repairing old clothes!

Using his sewing and blacksmith skills he could return them to their original state. Of course it was impossible to do complete repairs. The polis.h.i.+ng would also disappear over time. Repairing them gave the treasures of the Niflheim Empire durability equal to common items but there was more. It had been so long since they have been repaired that the increase of durability and the change in the appearance of the items were spectacular.

"Please decrease the price a little more."

"You know the clothes are too shabby."

The guests complained while trying to beat him in a price war.

Weed also actively utilized engraving.

There was the sculpture of the beautiful woman that Zahab loved his entire life.

As well as Emperor Geihar Arpen that united the continent.

He was selling food along with the items.

"Original old styles are fas.h.i.+onable these days. I'm in a good mood so I'll alter anything you want. I'll carve whatever you want into it."

This boosted the value of the items. Equipment performance was not the only aspect. No matter the performance, people wanted to look nice as well.

Nicely engraved equipment and sculptures worked to give a slight stat boost.

"Come! Come! Cheap! Cheap! Celebrate coming to Morata with a new set of equipment! It will be hard to find equipment like this anywhere else except here in northern Morata. An opportunity like this pa.s.ses by in no time!"

Weed's hands and mouth were moving non-stop as he advertised.

"What do you think?"

"The quality is not that bad. It's hard to find stuff like this in the stores."

"It looks comfortable and lightweight."

Weed sat by quietly wondering how many people were going to buy.

"Customers should think about purchasing now rather than later! There's limited stock so if you don't hurry it might all run out!"

When there were limited amounts then price went up.

Weed sold the equipment so well that he sold food of the Niflheim Empire for the rest of the time.

* * *

They were all wearing similarly designed weapons and armor.

Dirty, old, and colorful clothing and armor!

It was questionable whether or not the swords with cracks in them could cut a tree.

Nevertheless the adventurers were satisfied.

"I think that for equipment this good it was reasonably priced."

"Yea. It's good even if the durability is a bit low."

"It just means we have to repair it a little more often."

Weed wickedly sold low durability equipment after repairing them to temporarily give them more durability and defense.

Of course it was still less expensive than the plated armor sold in stores.

The adventurers did not have much money left.

"I don't have any money left on me."

"Then let's go hunting."

"Let's see if we can get some quests."

The adventurers split up to talk to the residents.

They didn't know whether or not it was dangerous outside the city. Therefore they went looking for information about hunting grounds in the surrounding area.

If you raised your friends.h.i.+p level with the residents then you would get better quests and clues about dungeons. Fortunately the villagers were very kind to the adventurers.

"Behind the village is the Lord's black castle. Sometimes monsters gather near there every year."

"Did you know? East of the village there is a river made from the melted ice and snow. Rumor is that if you bathe in it then your attractiveness will increase."

"Hunting grounds? North, East, South, West; no matter where you go the ancient Niflheim Empire is infested with monsters! Can you go hunt down the monsters and collect their skin so I can turn it into leather?"

"There's a famous band of robbers northeast of here in the mountains. They started to become more active. There are going to be wagons coming through there as well. However, there will be other monsters that attack. It would be nice if you could go a.s.sist them and clear out the bandit base."

Quests related to Morata's specialty of cloth and leather were available too.They would easily exchange materials for money.

Some of the residents said.

"Have you been to the mountains to the east of the village? There are many great sculptures that fill us with pride and confidence."

"Sculptures?"

"Can you help me? My husband went to see them in the middle of the night. I hear that its dangerous there at that time."

The adventurers were curious.

"Which residents have we not spoken to yet?"

"Should we go check it out?"

The adventurers went to that place in the rocky mountains that they heard about.

Hundreds of thousands of rocks were piled on the mountain.

Surprisingly many of the rocks were crafted.

Rock sculptures. Nothing comparable to something like a mountain, but there was quite a lot of them.

A sculpture of the villagers entertaining themselves in a festival!

Many of the sculptures symbolized the paladins of the Versailles Continent's Church of Freya.

The sculptures were gradually built up along the mountain on each level.

It all led to the pinnacle of the sculptures.

You have seen Morata's symbol.

A tower built for the well-being and development of the town!

An excellent and skillful sculptor crafted this with all his heart, greatly increasing its artistic value.

Health and mana increased by 10%.

3% increase in the town's productivity.

Monsters are less aggressive in the area around the sculpture.

Morata's warriors has been seen.

Strong health and tenacity!

The appearance of the warriors of the Versailles Continent is sufficient enough to fill you with courage to fight the monsters.

Stamina and strength increased by 3%.

Monster's fighting spirit do not apply.

Increases the chance of gaining fame when you defeat a strong monster.

The sculptures on top of the mountain would be considerably helpful for hunting.

The adventurers gaped in surprise.

"Why are there so many sculptures here?"

"Who do you think made all these sculptures?"

Questions began to pop up.

Buildings and other works gradually age with time.

In other words, it was not possible for these to be remnants of the ancient Niflheim Empire.

These sculptures were still fres.h.!.+

The sculptor that made these had created them recently.

"Weed! It was Weed!"

"Sculptor Weed?"

"That's right. Who else but Weed would do such hard work?"

Weed was the most famous sculptor that was named in the rumors. He was known for the hard work in creating the pyramid in Rosenheim Kingdom.

Among the adventurers, many of them had heard of Weed.

"Perhaps it was the guy that sold us the items."

"After making sculptures in Rosenheim, now he's here."

"Since he disappeared for six months, do you think he was making sculptures here?"

"I think he was a part of the expedition."

"I see. Did you see his sword and armor?"

"They're exactly the same."

It was rumored that Weed had blacksmithing and tailoring skills during the expedition.

"He raised blacksmithing and tailoring..."

"Both of them are very difficult to do..."

"Its like he's the true G.o.d of hard work."

Not many people had that kind of tenacity.

They still had a few doubts though.

"But Morata Village is where Jeos.h.i.+n Weed fought against the True Blood Vampires. I'm certain that was his quest."

"Yea."

"Then why is Sculptor Weed here? Is it just coincidence?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Maybe they just have the same name or..."

The rest of the people laughed at those that were seriously considering it.

"To think that Jeos.h.i.+n Weed and Sculptor Weed are the same is ridiculous. Want to find him to see for yourself?"

"Think about it. There are a lot of people named Weed."

"A sculptor wouldn't learn blacksmithing and tailoring, right?"

"Well, they would be too busy to learn other crafting skills..."

"Also remember a little back. During the Necromancer quest with the Legion of the Undead, they briefly showed the armor that Weed was wearing."

People did not know that the blacksmith skill lifted the restrictions on wearing items as the skill rank increased. That was because there were few intermediate level blacksmiths.

A fierce debate broke out over the topic.

"After the defeat of the True Blood Vampires, Weed, at that time, was of the Paladin profession. But Jeos.h.i.+n Weed received a special Necromancer quest and he was the Orc Karichi. So they can't be the same."

"There's no proof that Jeos.h.i.+n Weed stayed in the village. He wouldn't just sit around all day and craft stuff."

"Hm, you have a point."

"Yea, you're right. There is no way that they could be the same person."

Everyone had their suspicions and were saying something different.

Never forget the value of a single won!

Because of Weed's telephone interview with CTS broadcasting, many people were not sure whether or not it was him.

"The Jeos.h.i.+n Weed!"

"He made a major contribution towards the quest to get rid of the heat on the continent."

"The expedition suffered through much difficulty but thanks to Weed it succeeded."

"The continent's savior...there's no way he can be. Never!"

"I bet he's in some unknown dungeon doing a quest or killing a monster that no one was able to before."

"He's like a hermit, always in places where people will never, ever find him."

"Yea. That's right."

That was what the general conversation was becoming.

His supporters would never dare to imagine that Weed was a money mongerer.

It's as believable as a pretty female celebrity saying that she's going to the restroom!

Still, the adventurers had yet to see the most important sculpture.

You have seen the Tower of Light!

A great masterpiece made by a skill sculptor!

Sometimes a sculptor leaves behind a work so great that it stuns the continent.

The tower takes on a grander appearance at night and its full characteristics are displayed.

- Health, mana, and stamina regeneration increased by 25% for the entire day.

- All stats are increased by 15.

- Maximum health and mana increased by 15%.

- Movement speed has increased by 20%.

- Luck increased by 100.

- Increases the power of holy and elemental magic.

Statue weakens the nearby forces of darkness, strong monsters will weaken.

When the sun goes down, then a light show will occur.

The Tower of Light sculpture increases defense to 1.5 times the original value.

"What is this light show?"

"Light sculptures? Are there such things?"

"Either way, the monsters are 50% stronger at night so there's no point in leaving."

They sat around relaxing and chatting.

Then night fell.

A pitch dark night.

There were clouds in the sky so they could not see the moon. Nevertheless, the tower radiated warmth and light.

It was as if it was bright jewel, a beacon of light.

"Pretty."

"It's like we're in a dream..."

"I did not know that it would be this good."

Most people did not like the idea of sculpting.

"The rating is quite high so I suppose it's decent."

"I guess it's a fairly famous sculpture. It's quite hard to say if its good."

For those without prior knowledge of art, it was difficult to feel the inspiration.

Even if it was a world famous sculptor, some people can't be impressed by what it's supposed to mean or realize why it is special.

However there were people that could appreciate the Tower of Light.

'Such a profound work of art.'

'Oh, such an amazing work of art. But how does one learn to make such a thing...'

'What a sculpture. I saw the other ones nearby but this is a first...it wouldn't be bad to go to a sculpture exhibit on a date once in awhile.'

'But why is it so different compared to the others along the path?'

The Tower of Light.

It was solemn and somber; in the cool, pale moonlight there were 7 brilliant hues of clear and transparent light.

Suddenly the clouds over Morata parted. The moonlight poured onto the surface of the tower and scattered. Everywhere around the tower was bathed in the moonlight.

"Oh!"

Sounds of amazement came out of the viewers' mouths. The tower concentrated light in the center of the tower and dispersed it through the small towers in a mixture of light.

The concentration of light!

Light reflected from the small towers to the central tower.

Reflection of light!

The small towers scattered the light at various angles.

It changed and distorted.

Many rays of light could be seen in the sky.

It spread increasingly as the tower generated light.

Soon it covered the entire mountain!

Therefore they were exposed to the sheen of the light sculptures.

The light danced.

Every time the clouds or the moon moved, the light would dance.

A dance of light that could not be expressed with words.

It was a fantastic sight.

Usually sculpting showed a shape directly. However light sculpting was different as it was not the sculpture being displayed but the light itself.

A piece of art that can be seen but not felt!

The people did not think about leaving that spot.

* * *

"Morata has a lot of amazing sculptures."

"The Tower of Light has such a beautiful light display! Anyone that sees it can't help but be fascinated."

"The light was spectacular."

"It was the most wonderful scene I've seen by far."

"If you're going to a hard dungeon then you will regret not coming to see the tower."

It did not take a long time for rumor to spread throughout the Versailles continent.

It improved and made his name more well known. Weed worked for the people in the past and had a reputation in sculpting.

The people that were impressed told their friends.

A video was put on the Royal Road website about the Tower of Light so users could watch and talk about it.

The users began to appreciate the production cla.s.ses.

"Weed is a true sculptor."

"His sculptures are popping up all over the place. It must be his human desire to constantly have inspiration."

"I heard that he has a touch with sculpting beautiful woman."

"He created such an astounding piece of art.

Bards eventually sang praises of Weed.

Sculptor Weed,

He has a tough job but he broke the confines of poverty.

Soul of sculptures.

The sculpture that rules the light.

Oh, it's so beautiful.

He leaves behind everything he makes.

Like a fairy elf singing and dancing in place.

The legend of gathering the light.

* * *

Other people were thrilled when they saw the Tower of Light.

But the people that know Weed found it hard to believe.

"How is it that oppa has such a delicate sense of beauty..."

Yurin was suspicious so she asked Hwaryeong.

"He's very good with his hands right?"

"Yes. I like to eat the apples he peels."

"I wonder how he made that."

Pale fell into anguish.

'Maybe we were wrong about Weed all this time?'

They wanted to see him. Artists are often misunderstood for their sense of aesthetics.

'Weed! I really love the sculpture you made. You're right. Without enthusiasm and affection for the sculpture there is no way you can make such a beautiful piece.'

Irene apologized to him tearfully.

'I though Weed kept talking about how he dislike his profession... I think in the future the complaints are only going to increase.'

Zephyr grinned.

'Weed is someone that's really hard to be proud of. This might be something of an accomplishment for making something like this right?'

Hwaryeong was mistaken about Weed's mindset.

'The creation of a new innovative piece of art requires painstaking effort and pa.s.sion. Along with a wealth of emotions and affection. Weed really is someone that can warm your heart.'

* * *

When Weed was making the tower he had no idea what to do and was going to make a normal tower.

Moonlight sculpting!

It boasted a high level of sculpting difficulty.

The sculpture itself emits light so it was hard to think of an idea.

"d.a.m.n it. There is no end to sculpting's curses."

Weed was annoyed with his harness.

He was able to use moonlight sculpting to make small sculptures, to some extent, by outline the shape. But for such a large object, he had to think of one or two things else.

"This d.a.m.nable sculpting!"

Weed dealt his frustration of hanging on the peak by slas.h.i.+ng the rock.

He was dangling high above the ground with the sculpture.

As he was smas.h.i.+ng the snow with moonlight sculpting, tears trickled down his face.

So far to note, in the sunlight the effects of light sculpting was greatly diminished. Then night came.

Morata village had a full moon.

The moon shone on the sculptures crookedly. The mirror like surfaces of the rocks reflected the moonlight.

"The light is reflecting off the sculptures and onto the snow!"

Weed was irritated as he clung onto the mountain. He spent hours trying to position the moonlight correctly. Gradually he just slashed to cut the sculpture at more angles.