1. The Underground Passage
Chapter 2 will be out in couple of hours, thank you for all your supports for the translation and the likes on the facebook page.
And thank you to the editors (Bloodadept, Britsch, Shadowlink, MrBaconator, Lastear, Froshi) for you hard work.
As an Ice Troll, Weed strode into the dungeon.
“We just need to exterminate all the monsters in the way.”
The dungeon felt empty without monsters. One of the reasons he turned into an Ice Troll was so, rather than wasting time on thinking, he could use that time productively in beating monsters to death.
The quest required as many refugees as possible to be led to safety, away from the invasion of Serabourg Citadel by the Embinyu Church. Speed would define the success or failure of the quest.
The fairies glowed like fireflies, prattling as they followed Weed.
Weed equipped the large leather armor he made with his sewing skill just in case. With his level and strength he could wear steel or mithril armor. But he did not make them beforehand as, considering the weight of the armor, carrying them around was too much and the material was too precious to waste.
Weed squared his shoulders and entered the dungeon first. The players following behind him felt secure in the knowledge that Weed was ahead of them.
“To be able to follow after the War God, Weed… I am salivating to see him fight.”
“I’m going to drink in the sight.”
Among the players, the skilled and capable ones stood right behind Weed. The refugees of Serabourg Citadel and beginners continuously lined up at the end of the queue to enter the dungeon.
Weed walked forward calmly, without a care for the dangers ahead.
Slither.
He heard a small, strange sound.
The glittering fairies that flew around the vicinity alerted Weed.
SHICK!
A mottled snake flew toward Weed. These monsters were known as Elixa, they lived within the cracks of the walls and hunted the animals passing by.
“Ah! Weed-nim! Be careful.”
“Weed-nim!”
The players cried out in surprise. The Elixas were a species of snake monsters around level 300. Their levels were high and they slithered around at a frightening speed. Although an Ice Troll did not constitute as a tempting prey for the Elixas, the cold radiating from him must have been unpleasant for them so they attacked preemptively.
In the face of the terrifying Elixa’s surprise attack. Weed casually gave a word.
“You look delicious.”
And then, he swung his disproportionately short stick of a sword.
KANG!
So Weed continuously struck down the Elixa mercilessly into the ground.
“I am going to roast its meat and take its skin as leather. Should I pack its head to make snake wine later?”
Words that could strike fear into every Elixa!
As Elixa were snake monsters that were early to mid level 300, they died quickly under Weed’s barrage.
Weed packed up the drops first before heading off.
From the entrance, several Elixas could be seen groveling on the ground. The slippery monsters moved fast and when they spotted Weed, the Elixas shot toward him like arrows. The Elixas could sink their fangs in before the victim knew it and spread their poison, putting even high level players in a pickle.
Weed swatted these Elixas in the air and knifed them without remorse.
“I can make plenty of wine out of you. Come, come every single one of you!”
This Ice Troll was made for battle. Its arms and legs were long with well defined muscles and the soles were made unusually large. And with the cold pouring from Weed, the snakes became sluggish as soon as they came near him.
Weed leisurely took care of the Elixas all the while listening to the ruckus caused by the fairies.
As they plodded deeper and deeper into the dungeon, the mid 300 level monsters, Rigglers, Voichis, and Guldogs started appearing. These were the most dangerous types of monsters that appeared in this dungeon.
Their attacks were stronger than their level suggested, making it difficult to defeat them. But Weed was indifferent.
“Come at me.”
Weed took full advantage of the Ice Troll’s traits. In human form, he hunted using a combination of precise swordplay and skills. But right now, he did not have enough mana to use skills, only overflowing strength! He could unleash unlimited carnage and destruction. He did not even try to dodge the monsters’ attacks.
“Kill that troll!”
“Everyone, let’s attack him together!”
He relentlessly pushed the monsters back with his unceasing beatdown.
“Gyaao!”
Weed gave a bellow. With the cold emanating from the Ice Troll, the monsters became sluggish and turned into ice.
“Ah, he fights amazingly well.”
“He’s really brutal. How can he just charge forward like that?”
Players were stunned in disbelief at Weed’s superb battle ability. Weed indulgently received the enemies attacks and returned them sevenfold. The Ice Troll was brutal, smacking the enemy with his sword, pummeling them with stupidly oversized fists and even punting them with his feet.
While the Ice Troll’s body was extremely heavy, the inflated strength and agility allowed Weed to move as freely and softly as a feather.
“Strike! Die! Strike! Give me my Items! Strike! You’re still not satisfied?!”
Weed acted like a villain. He ran forward in the dungeon, mercilessly striking down every monster that appeared. In the heat of the moment, he accidentally showed his true character!
They broke through the dungeon in the blink of an eye.
Weed paid no mind to the excited fairies chattering behind his ears as he broke through the dungeon swarming with monsters. His level was over 400, and he had even transformed into an Ice Troll. There were no monsters in the dungeon that could dare to challenge him.
In the level 300 dungeon with a fairly high difficulty rating, Weed animatedly flaunted his strength. The display in front of the players was not a half hearted attempt, rather, it was an overwhelming display of Weed’s prowess.
“It’s an Ice Troll!”
“How did it get here…”
“Go for a pincer attack! ”
Monsters all ran at him at once. But for Weed, they were only tasty treats.
Pa Pa Pa Pa!
Monsters turned into a grey light and disappeared in an instant. Even if someone else used the Sculpture Transformation, they would never be able to fight like Weed. This was because battle instincts became ingrained through practise. Others fought conservatively, trying to save their strength while defending or just dodging the monster’s attacks on instinct.
On the other hand, Weed’s strong point was that he could adapt quickly to any new form. Regardless of whether the monsters were attacking him or not, he steamrolled the dungeon with crushing force. He was hunting even faster than usual, and the refugees were huffing and puffing as they tried to keep up.
“I feel so assured because Weed-nim is here with us.”
“Compared to others, he fights much better. Ten people combined can’t match him. ”
“What do you mean ten, more like twenty.”
The players leading behind Weed had lower levels and were fighting much more carefully. Seo Yoon felt she did not need to show her full prowess as everything was going fine and there were a lot of people around as well. That’s why only Weed’s actions were especially distinguished.
As the players gazed at the Ice Troll, they couldn’t even fathom the crisis happening in Serabourg Citadel as they were brimming with energy.
*****
The current scene of the dungeon was being broadcasted by every station including KMC Media.
“To fight so recklessly…! This rash battle doesn’t follow any tatics. Players starting the game, please do not try this in Royal Road. That kind of fighting is a shortcut to suicide.”
“Weed cannot seem to manage his sudden increase in strength and is fighting sloppily. It’s disappointing to call this one of Weed’s battles.”
Hosts were pouring out their disparaging remarks. Only KMC Media was siding with Weed and positively analyzing his actions.
“Weed is maximising his advantages in strength and resilience! It’s a great strategy.”
“Yes, up until now, I have seen many videos of how other players fought. But I have never seen anyone clear out a dungeon this fast.”
To fight without taking full advantage of an Ice Troll’s strength and resilience would be foolish. Weed continued to fight while being hit and returning the hits with vengeance. This kind of exhilaration cleared up the fear of the Embinyu Church forces and was enough to relieve the pent up stress.
“And for our viewers, we have a treat for you.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t be surprised. It’s about the War God Weed! We have managed to get ahold of some party members who are close to Weed. These are the same party members that appeared in our broadcast of Todeum. The four of them are on the line right now, please introduce yourselves.”
All the voices were female, except for the last one. But the third voice was very familiar and had a charming tone, not so dissimilar from all the songs and music videos that were shown.
“The War God Weed is playing an amazing role right now. As this is being broadcasted in real time, I apologize in advance that this interview is going to be brief.”
“I think, you must have spent a lot of time with the War God Weed. Let me ask, how does Weed usually fight in dungeons?”
“There are a lot viewers who are envious of your position, getting to hunt with Weed. What kind of feeling do you get when you hunt with him? Excited? Nervous?”
“As the lord of Morata, Weed is praised by the people. Did you know from the beginning that Weed could handle his heavy responsibilities as a lord so well?”
“Weed’s battle is still ongoing right now, we will cut this interview short and continue later if we have the chance. Any shout outs for Weed to encourage him in his quest to save the people of Serabourg Citadel?”
*****
The NPCs and the players kept crowding through the pass Weed opened up.
Even though Weed was an Ice Troll, it couldn’t be helped that after a prolonged battle, his health and vitality dropped to a low point. Fortunately, there were many priests among the players. They continuously chanted spells to recover health and vitality, so Weed could focus completely on decimating the monsters.
“It’s all thanks to Weed-nim that we are getting out of here.”
“I am so touched, I never knew he would go this far for us.”
“I am really proud that Weed-nim came from Rosenheim Kingdom.”
The admiration players held for Weed grew by leaps and bounds. But Weed had other thoughts…
“This still isn’t so difficult. There is no need to exert myself excessively to save all these random strangers.”
Weed was already prepared to slip away, naturally abandoning the other players if the situation became too impossible to manage.
*****
Doctor Yoo Byung Jun, sat watching his television in rapt attention.
“The Embinyu forces have already scaled Serabourg Citadel’s walls. It’s now only a matter of time till the walls fall to them.”
“The East gate has finally been breached. The Embinyu forces are now heading deeper into the Citadel.”
“The stores and stalls have been set alight. It seems the Embinyu Church is planning to set the whole Serabourg Citadel on fire.”
The presenters were in a brouhaha about the current situation.
All castles seized by the Embinyu Church were often scorched to the ground and every player was hunted down. These areas became void with only grass growing wildly over the vestiges of the crumbling stone walls. The fate of Serabourg Citadel was no different.
“The Embinyu Church is expanding quite fast.”
Just watching Royal Road gave Yoo Byung Jun great joy. From the shadows and monsters, human greed, growth, and prosperity, the Embinyu Church took every opportunity to expand. Monsters or those who followed malevolent gods, Royal Road did not bar them from their freedom of choice.
There was no limit to the monster’s strength as they became powerful by proliferating or through their struggle for survival. They were not bound to their designated areas, monsters in dungeons could roam freely outside in search of prey. Sometimes, boss monsters even migrated their horde to more fertile areas.
Humans could take over villages and castles, and it was even possible to accumulate skills and knowledge.
With his authority, Yoo Byung Jun could watch any happening on Royal Road as he wanted to.
“Mr. Oh Joo Wan. At this speed, how much further could the Embinyu Church expand to?”
“As you know, because of the Embinyu Church the Central Continent is in turmoil. There is still no statement from Unicorn Corps. about this issue. ”
Employees of Unicorn Corps. were deeply worried. They worried that the complete destruction of cities and devastation of Kingdoms were too excessive. Still, while the Kingdoms and cities held vestiges of their original form, it was upto the players to continue forging the future history. They could clear forests and create dwellings along the riverside to create cities. But it went both ways, if their defenses were ill prepared, it could easily be ravaged by monsters.
Yoo Byung Jun murmured to himself as he continued to watch.
“With this, the chance of the Embinyu Church bringing ruin to the continent became higher. ”
At it’s current course, this was a distinct possibility. Nothing was set in stone in the Versailles Continent, there were still countless monsters and dark forces that could plunge the continent into ruin. Machiavellian plots were hatched and were progressing everywhere.
If the players growth became slow or they started to feud among themselves, then the Versailles Continent would be forever swept up by the dark forces. It was possible for the players to connect to Royal Road after this. But they would either live in servitude or create new cities and fight there for a brighter future.
If Royal Road was a simple game, Unicorn Corps. would have put a stop to the Embinyu Church to retain players interest. But in this world where Unicorn Corps. existed, they were cleaning out the money from all corners of the globe.
The fate of the Versailles Continent was decided by the players self determination.
“With Bardray being groomed as the next emperor, it’s most likely that he would contend with the Embinyu Church as his territory and influence grew. But more so….”
For some time now, one name rubbed Yoo Byung Jun in the wrong way.
Weed!
Weed’s title of War God was largely decorative, and through his observations he concluded that many of Weed’s portrayals were greatly exaggerated. But as he rewinded the scene of the first time Weed started Royal Road, he was continuously baffled and surprised.
“Isn’t the usual response for humans in face of their adversity to be disillusioned from reality by their lack of ability? Do they not start to procrastinate or to despair?”
But Weed made a theatrical display out of his suffering while overcoming his difficulties. Discovering the Secret Sculpting techniques one by one and then somehow, Weed met Zahab. In the expansive Versailles Continent, Weed prodigiously searched out and set foot in one of the most difficult of places.
“And Morata…”
Weed even possessed a city. It was not something that fell out of the sky as a divine gift. It was a place he obtained and developed personally. Weed did not command troops under a guild like Bardray. But somehow he was popular throughout the continent.
Yoo Byung Jun’s was now quite wary of Weed.
“He’s quite clever. I am sure it will become another special event when he rescues all the players and NPC’s in Serabourg Citadel.”
The Embinyu forces encircling Serabourg Citadel weren’t normal. It was close to impossible to even fathom evacuating the beginners and the refugees from the Citadel. But even if Weed failed, this righteous act would earn him the hearts and minds of the people.
“The Embinyu Church should already be blocking that way… If he escaped by himself, I wonder how far he could go.”
*****
Chairman Jeong Deuk Soo was using the weekend to read a book at his house.
“They said it will rain the whole day.”
Rain was beating outside the window since the morning.
“I think with the weather like this, it will be a good opportunity to log into Royal Road.”
His talk with Park Jin Suk rekindled his interest in Royal Road. It was a useful tool to him as he used it to relax to his heart’s content during his leaves.
“I should log in before I change my mind.”
Chairman Jeong Deuk Soo went into the room with the capsule. The character Chairman Jeong Deuk Soo logged in as was Bart. He only had starting equipment. And as his hobby was mountain climbing, the last point he disconnected at was a valley where rangers were residing.
“Wow, the water is really clear.”
“Try drinking it. It’s refreshing.”
The valley was a couples heaven! As this was a famous valley in the Versailles Continent, there were even more couples.
“I should go somewhere else.”
Bart walked manly down the mountain.
“It’s so nice that connecting to Royal Road makes me feel several years younger.”
But after several steps, he had an unfortunate encounter with a cute, red eyed rabbit.
“Eek, a rabbit”
Bart cowered, making sure not to utter a sound as he waited for the rabbit to pass by. As he was only a level 3 beginner, even a rabbit was frightening to him. Bart had no battle experience and the three levels he raised were through simple quests that could be ended with conversations.
“I should head back to the village first.”
Bart was not at a level where he could travel anywhere confidently. The valley within the mountain was safe for him as there were many people here. Also it was right behind a major city so no dangerous monsters appeared.
The city in La Salle Kingdom was overcrowded with players, haggling and looking for people to travel with.
“Looking for people to harvest blue medicinal herbs! Anyone over level 25 is fine! You can make a tidy amount of money for just 1 hour of hard work.”
“Looking for party members to hunt in the newly created goblin fort in this area.”
These were the yells coming from beginners, but for Bart the levels were impossibly high.
“Everyone seems to really enjoy Royal Road.”
Wandering around the city, Bart saw the joyful expressions of the people enjoying themselves. The sky couldn’t have been any clearer, the surroundings were no different to reality and the game gave realistic feedback of walking. The feeling of excitement of walking through a new world!
Bart nodded to himself as he watched the birds nesting on the roof.
“There is a reason why this is so popular.”
As a businessman he only paid attention to the technology and the opportunities related to Royal Road. Currently Unicorn Corps. was growing at an unprecedented scale, the turnover or the net profit of all the companies he managed could not even compare. Even the difference in operating profit of Unicorn Corps. to the the top companies in the world started from single digit figures.
“Times have changed. Playing more Royal Road might prove beneficial in the future.”
He thought Royal Road was just simple entertainment, but seeing people being so crazy about it, he wanted to experience the game fully. Fortunately, he had plenty of money saved up. The company’s secretary had set aside a lot of money for him to enjoy his vacation days.
“First, get some proper weapons for battle…”
Bart had a modicum of common sense and acquired starting equipment without any level restrictions. As he still did not have a class, he acquired basic garments and a light longsword.
Excited voices from the players could be heard from the shop with the weapon sign.
“Did you hear? The Embinyu Church is attacking Serabourg Citadel right now.”
“Right now?”
“There is a siege going on and everything. They say the demons are huge!”
“Ah… I was going to go hunt in Bolog dungeon…”
“Is hunting all you think about? Watching this at the tavern is more important.”
“Yeah, I guess you are right. I am going to regret it if I don’t get to watch.”
“Hurry. There won’t be any space left in the tavern if we are late.”
It was all nonsensical to Bart. But it seems like he could see something if he went to the tavern. Perhaps that’s why the street suddenly felt devoid of people and the once crowded stores felt empty.
“I should also head toward the tavern.”
Bart entered the tavern and ordered a whole chicken with beer. And on the large crystal a video was being reflected. On it the siege of Serabourg Citadel was shown just as the player had spoken of before.
Players were riveted to the large crystal as they ate and drank.
“Kaah, beers good. War God Weed really is different.”
“Can there be any other person who would stand up to the Embinyu Church alone?”
“Ranker? You think high level is everything? They can’t even touch Weed’s footstep.”
“Look at his hunting speed. It’s faster than our walking speed! He doesn’t even blink an eye when the monster appears.”
“The Embinyu Church is mincemeat to Weed.”
Listening to the chatters of other players, Bart continued to watch on the large crystal. The large crystal could relay the exact broadcast from the stations. And the huge time dilation in game and reality could be solved by showing advertisements or other programs in between!
The display usually showed the Embinyu Church destroying Serabourg Citadel, it did frequently change to Weed clearing the dungeon with other players.
“The War God Weed…”
The name was quite familiar to Bart. It was the male character that his daughter Seo Yoon usually spent time with!
“That Weed fellow is someone I know.”
At his mumbling the other people turned and faced him.
“Ahjussi, that person is the War God Weed. Do you really know that kind of person?”
“Yes, it’s definitely him”
“Well, there are lots of people with the same name.”
“I am telling you, it’s that Weed.”
“Ah, Yes…”
Due to Bart’s age, they didn’t hackle him further, but the atmosphere in the tavern told all. For a newbie, who was wearing starting equipment, to know Weed personally was a joke.
“That ahjussi’s is too much.”
“He should at least say something believable.”
Bart became the pompous fool who lied about knowing Weed.
*****
“Gyaaa!”
Weed’s roar reverberated throughout the underground passage. While this had the effect of luring in monsters, it also was a not so small reassurance to the players following behind his back.
“Hurry!”
“Those at the back won’t slow down. If we slow down, it will become more crowded.”
The NPCs and the players followed one after another in the secret passageway. The mid-sized guilds who were originally planning to follow after the larger guilds, also put their faith in Weed.
Over 100 hundred thousand people needed to be evacuated. People all crammed in at once, with many who had yet to even enter the passage.
Weed accepted Selina’s request as he fell into temptation for the flower bracelet. But in truth, this was an extremely difficult quest. This was not a quest that he could prepare for beforehand, and on top of that the moment to moment judgement would decide the fate of hundreds of NPCs.
“Allow us to fight with you.”
“Kill them all! Make them disappear!”
The players with high levels went past the NPCs and helped with clearing out the monsters.
“Forward!”
With the danger biting at their heels, it was a fight against time. Even then, the players felt more fun than danger. They were enraptured in the excitement as they followed Weed.
Even from the far back it was easy to see the large and tall frame of the Ice Troll, swinging his sword with strength! The muscles flexed as Weed grasped his sword, the Ice Troll’s long arm making it look like he was handling a spear as he sliced through the monsters.
“Wahahahaha!”
Laughter leaked out from Weed as he devoured the good loots whole.
The players’ bodies tingled in excitement as they watched the Ice Troll, hell-bent in charging the enemy. To them it felt like Weed was presenting them with a question, rather than fighting to escape Serabourg Citadel.
Why should they live a weary and hard life full of pent up stress? The world was filled with fun that shook the body with excitement! It was a great blessing to even be able to use your body to fight, tussle and just live an exciting life.
Fairies flew around, directing him where to go. Archers came close to the forefront and fired their arrows before the monsters could approach Weed. The players had never coordinated with each other in dangerous situations before, but they still stepped forward and did what they could. Thanks to this, even though the number of monsters increased, they maintained their speed.
“Heal people.”
As soon as Weed commanded, the priests stepped forward and healed the players fighting upfront.
“Fix.”
Weapons were sent to the back immediately and the blacksmiths fixed them on the spot. Weed naturally maximized the efficiency of the group.
The treasures and lost items left behind by nobles were scattered about in the underground passage. While fighting monsters, Weed opened up 4 treasure boxes.
“Identify!”
At one point, the sword hanged as a decorative piece in the palace of Rosenheim Kingdom.
It has been lost for a long time and has been completely forgotten by the populace.
Restriction:
Must be over 3,500 fame.
Must be over level 240.
Option:
Charm increases by 4%.
Charisma +35.
Dignity +40.
Art +15.
If this sword is equipped while purchasing goods from a store, you must pay 5% more.
This sword was meant for showing off, rather than for battle. With the jewel encrusted at the pommel, he estimated that his could fetch a high price if he sold it at the store or to a noble.
“Not bad pocket change.”
The underground passage had an expansive tunnel network with many intersections. There were even traps to delay the pursuers but Weed just bashed through them. The traps that maintained their effects were disarmed as quickly as possible at the risk of the adventurers and explorers.
There were many exits in the underground passage. Under the guidance of the fairies, Weed moved around the blocked passage and headed east. They advanced, defeating the monsters in their way and finally, they reached the exit to the surface.
“We will be resting here, before heading out the exit.”
As Weed transformed into an Ice Troll, his health and vitality recovered quickly, but the other players weren’t so lucky as they lied exhausted and panting for breath. Even following him up till this point was extremely difficult for the players.
Now as they headed toward the surface, anything could be waiting for them. The warriors who fought beside him weren’t feeling well. But as they caught their breath, they resolved themselves to face what’s to come.
‘I will become a hero, if I die fighting here with Weed-nim.’
‘I am so going to brag about this at work. To boss-nim, supervisor-nim, director-nim, and even to the deputy. If I die fighting in Serabourg Citadel… Kakaaka! Everyone will be jealous of me.’
‘Am I on TV right now? I didn’t even wash my face today. If my ex-girlfriend who broke up with me for spending too much time hunting and leveling could see me now.’
‘My legs are shaking. The excitement is driving me crazy.’
The players were mad with excitement being able to save the newbies and earn their keep next to Weed. Their hearts were beating fast, their mouth dry with exhilaration. If they followed the other groups in their escape from Serabourg Citadel, they would have never experienced this much fun.
Information continued to stream from the players who were broadcasting or those who were defending Serabourg Citadel till the end.
They were also notified that the other groups composed of large guilds and high level players were beginning their escape. All the castle gates and walls were destroyed. Their only means of survival laid beyond the lines of the Embinyu Church forces. That’s why they desperately tried to breakthrough towards their chosen direction.
“They should at least draw some attention from the Embinyu Church away from us.”
Weed waited until the right moment before he spoke to the players.
“As we head out to the surface, we will face the Embinyu Church.”
GULP.
Players gulped as they waited for Weed to continue. They would have the chance to listen to Weed’s speech before they head out to the big battle, where they would have to fight tooth and nail for their survival.
Even against weak monsters, the newbies were overwhelmed and fumbled around. But right now, they were running for their lives away from Serabourg Citadel which was under attack by the colossal forces of the Embinyu Church.
What words could instil courage into these players?!
“Death from monsters, losing items, drops in skill mastery and level… It’s something that happens quite often in life.”
Weed experienced many deaths up till now.
“Especially as a newbie you die a lot. Then you quickly feel like your friends and party members are way ahead of you. The starting days are when the gap widens quickly. When you see strangers prosper, your inside boils up and you feel miserable at the unfairness of it all. And then, you friends start to disappear.”
“….”
“You become anxious to catch up. You start going into dangerous dungeons to level up and find yourself dying again. You lose money and items, you become poor, adventures become impossible and your quests don’t go according to plan.”
“……….”
“Even then, let’s all try to be positive as we head out.”
“……………….”
Without leaving out a word, this message was communicated one by one till the end. All the players and NPCs became subdued.
