9) Second Secret Sword Technique

On the road to Korea University.

Lee Hyun was disgruntled.

“I really can’t understand the heart of a woman. If a formula to understand a woman’s heart was published in a global journal then it would be the best discovery.”

Yesterday Seo-yoon had went to the kitchen without saying a word. She prepared the ingredients and had cooked a dish with a light smile. Then she committed an atrocity by forcefully feeding Lee Hyun curry.

Seo-yoon still looked beautiful despite her tear streaked voice and cruelly sat next to him. Lee Hyun was reminded of his bad relations.h.i.+p with her in the past.

Then Seo-yoon left and Jung Hyo-rin arrived in the evening. She arrived late because she couldn’t cancel her schedule and wanted to go out to a night club as a distraction. Alcohol wasn’t good for his the health and it cost money so it wasn’t his first choice.

However Lee Hye-yeon wanted to go so the three of them went.

It was full of many lights and loud music. He found a quiet room to drink alcohol. Lee Hyun had needed to make a booking for this club. It was the place where Choi Ji-hoon often got the number of girls after a short conversation so he recommended it to Lee Hyun.

“Excuse me.”

The women who followed the waiter left after seeing Lee Hye-yeon and Jung Hyo-rin’s faces.

He wandered about what happened but Lee Hyun just blamed it on his plain face. In the end the three of them drank alcohol and exchanged stories. Lee Hye-yeon and Jung Hyo-rin even sang to brighten up the atmosphere.

So yesterday’s evening disappeared in vain!

Now Lee Hyun was going to school early in the morning. The freshman welcoming party, the MT, the festival and now summer vacation had pa.s.sed.

“The tuition fee is flying away really quickly. I can see why university professor is listed as a good job.”

Middle school and high school studies who studied a lot really had foresight.

“A cosy job without the possibility of becoming unemployed should be chosen.”

Lee Hyun said as he sat down on the bus. He finally arrived at the school after half-dozing off. The surrounding students stared at Lee Hyun and whispered.

“Isn’t that him?”

“Who?”

“On the school’s website… A member of the virtual reality department.”

“That person?”

“He looks like the student in the MT photos.”

The university students showed an intensive interest in Lee Hyun. Older women and adults also looked at him as he walked to his destination.

“He’s already arrived.”

Lee Hyun went through the front entrance of Korea University. Students kept on pointing towards him as he walked towards the cla.s.sroom.

“Virtual reality department…..”

“Yes.”

“Can I receive his signature?”

People made a lot of noise and they paid a lot of attention to Lee Hyun. He usually lived an un.o.btrusive life so the pointing wasn’t usual. Then students suddenly started stampeding as Lee Hyun arrived at the cla.s.sroom.

“Sunbae-nim!”

“h.e.l.lo!”

“Yesterday’s battle was really cool. Although it is a little regretful that your myth of invincibility broke.”

“To be so close to Weed the G.o.d of War….. Sunbae-nim, can you give any advice about Royal Road?”

“Please recommend a hunting ground for a level 234 ranger.”

The school boards had revealed the ident.i.ty of Weed the G.o.d of War. Choi Sang-jun and his two juniors told their friends and it quickly spread through the entire school and also on their bulletin boards. The prominent Weed from Royal Road went to their school so he had the popularity of a celebrity!

“Sunbae-nim, I really respect you.”

“Can’t you talk a little bit about the battle?”

“How did you obtain the Death Knight?”

Students who hadn’t always been friendly flocked around Lee Hyun. Students from other departments also came to ask Lee Hyun questions. His popularity was enough for a celebrity to run away.

‘This is why I can’t sleep.’

Lee Hyun wasn’t friendly to his fans.

“The secret to being good at fighting in Royal Road…..”

“What is it?”

“Gulp!”

“I don’t know. I just hunt.”

Lee Hyun ignored them and went to his seat. His desk was still uncomfortable as people swarmed around it.

‘Bardray……’

The people who watched on television wouldn’t know any better. In the battle between Lee Hyun and Bardray, Lee Hyun had definitely attacked more fiercely.

‘I couldn’t win.’

Lee Hyun really felt like there was a drastic gap between him and Bardray. Bardray had formidable defense and attack. It was apparent that Bardray’s combat skills were above his. The only area he overwhelmed Bardray in was speed but that was just temporary due to Sculptural Destruction.

‘Bardray… I can fight to a certain extent in a melee match. If I only use skills that it will be impossible to win.’

If this had been a broad terrain then he would’ve died without being able to run away at all. Even if he hadn’t been bound by the magicians, there would be no way for him to win if they fought a little longer.

‘If only I had resurrected with the Power to Reject Death……’

The Royal Road related boards were also actively debating that point. Weed the G.o.d of War could resurrect to a more powerful form after dying. He was reborn as an undead and led other subordinates in a miracle like battle. If Weed had revived than there was a lot of expectation that he would’ve changed the situation.

Barkhan’s full set. He had obtained the skull, robe, cloak, boots, necklace, ring and magic book. If he equipped Barkhan’s full set then his power would be comparable to the Hermes Guild’s to a certain extent.

‘But it wouldn’t have changed the situation completely.’

Lee Hyun exerted the largest strength when he becomes a Necromancer. A Lich could create a legion of undead but they were weak in the beginning and would need to be trained. It would be difficult to overcome the interference from Bardray and the Royal Guards to summon the undead.

‘I don’t want to.’

Lee Hyun didn’t want to be defeated because he would lose skill proficiency, experience and drop items. There were a lot of people who still respected Weed as the G.o.d of War.

Even if he was defeated by Bardray, he was still the user with the best popularity in Royal Road. Everyone still liked Weed the G.o.d of War.

‘I don’t want to live like that.’

Lee Hyun wasn’t satisfied with his strength. During his days playing Continent of Magic, he really had a nasty temper. He would step on others, kill anyone who attacked him and sweep away anyone making noise.

The name G.o.d of War had a different weight in Royal Road. His true nature was kept unchanged.

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“Fighting until they’re sick. Then they will take a little more from someone else……”

The war between users was fun for Yoo Byung-jin to watch. The development of the Central Continent was high so war constantly broke out in it. There were many sieges in order to expand their power.

After the Hermes Guild occupied the Kallamore Kingdom, other guilds couldn’t make their headquarters there. The surrounding castles, cities and fortresses were eaten. A union tried to actively resist against them. The King had withdrawn like the Haven Kingdom and there were several places far from the guild’s reach where an army was gathered.

The Embinyu Church was also spreading like wildfire by gathering new followers through brainwas.h.i.+ng and fear. From the viewpoint of a large guild, the confusion caused was a chance for them and it wasn’t possible to reserve hunting grounds so it wasn’t bad.

If the Embinyu Church occupied an area than urban development would fly away but taking back the plundered riches could secure contributions and public sentiment.

Most of the huge guilds based their growth on aggressive invasion rather than managing domestic affairs.

“If the chaos continues getting out of hand than the Central Continent will go through the Dark Ages.”

Yoo Byung-jin knew information about Royal Road that wasn’t available to broadcasting stations.

The Embinyu Church got its energy from public sentiment. Their rapid spread was enough to make someone tremble with anxiety and their hidden strength transcended imagination!

If they became a powerful force in the Central Continent than it would be difficult to knock them down. If the Embinyu Church developed into a new kingdom then it was likely that the Dark Ages would spread to the rest of the land.

“This will be a historic occurrence. It isn’t surprising that such a thing happened in Royal Road.”

Yoo Byung-jin asked the artificial intelligence system that governed Royal Road.

“What happened to the Hermes Guild and the Black Lion Guild?”

-After the Black Lion Guild was defeated, the Hermes Guild moved everywhere. The United Supremacy Alliance is still valid and a war is carefully spreading. The Black Lion Guild seems to be shrinking as the users are leaving for other prestigious guilds.

“What happened to the Black Lion Guild’s plan to occupy Tullen Kingdom?”

-They are spending a significant amount of time to control internal affairs. Carlise had power and a high level of popularity but it wasn’t easy to restore his reputation after losing so miserably to Bardray on television.

“The Hermes Guild is quite tricky.”

-They have a large structure, excellent momentum and daring tactics.

The Hermes Guild had trampled the Black Lion Guild in the Melbourne Mine so recovery wasn’t easy. The users lost a lot of experience and skill proficiency and their confidence was shattered by the defeat. The Black Lion Guild had been dragged into the Hermes Guild’s tactics from the start.

Bardray didn’t withdraw even when his boss monster hunt was revealed on broadcast. Carlise and the Black Lion Guild were furious and ran there only to be completely smashed by the full power of the battle company and Royal Guards.

The result would be the same even if the Black Lion Guild sealed the entrance of the Melbourne Mine and waited. Yoo Byung-jin could see everything through the AI. The Hermes Guild had secretly concealed 200 people around the Melbourne Mine. Their strategy to not withdraw and lure the Black Lion Guild down to them succeeded.

The ones who benefited the most from this battle was the Hermes Guild.

“A guy with decisiveness is good.”

-Lafaye being the Guild Master is justified.

“He has the ability to manage the guild’s external affairs. His schemes seems to be okay since they’ve managed to swallow the Haven Kingdom.”

Yoo Byung-jin surveyed various locations in Royal Road.

Known tourists sights overflowing with people. The cliffs, mountains, volcanoes, lakes, swamps, rivers and oceans. There were superb views and many people were living happily. There were those enjoying farming and picking up fruit. They could have fun and experience various disciplines they couldn’t in reality.

Users were playing the role they desired. Defeating wild monsters for growth and requesting help from others were also important elements. The number of users increased daily but the continent was very wide. Endless risks and adventures could be found. Those who couldn’t invest time in hunting and adventures could stay around famous cities for safety.

“How is the Cla.s.s Master Quest of the farmer Miretas proceeding?”

-Stage 9 has just been completed and they are proceeding to the 10th part.

The Farmer Master Quest was proceeding a bit slowly because they needed to cultivate the seeds they sowed.

“Adventurer Chase?”

-He can’t find the necessary purple small sword. He hasn’t found the 2 clues necessary for a later adventure.

“He has been blocked for a while on the 11th quest. His ability to solve riddles and sociability is a little low compared to his pathfinding abilities in a dungeon.”

Yoo Byung-jin observed the users challenging their Master Quests one by one. The amount to time a.s.sociated with each quest was steadily increasing.

The broadcasting stations were eager to get an interview with players challenging the Master Quest or a video of them completing the quest. If Yoo Byung-jin provided the scenes he was currently looking at to the broadcasters than it would lead to great popularity but he wouldn’t do such a thing.

As the Cla.s.s Master Quest progressed, it could change the lives of users. New products never seen before would be registered, new dungeons opened and even friends.h.i.+p between nations would be affected.

“Weed?”

-He hasn’t logged in yet. Not enough time has pa.s.sed for him to log in.

If a player died than they couldn’t log in for 24 hours of real time.

“The blow would be huge. Bardray publicly defeated him so his level and skill proficiency would drop. Right now is an important time.”

A sculptor was a professional that was a lot more difficult to raise the skill proficiency compared to others.

“Please let me know when he connects. And set up Weed’s video on the bottom of the monitor.”

-I will carry out your command. If Weed connects then his image would be displayed on the 8th or 9th monitor.

Yoo Byung-jin prepared a huge s.p.a.ce so he could monitor Weed.

“It would be fun to watch him connect and feel despair. Kul kul kul.”

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Lee Hyun had a hard time at school due to the students crowding around him. It had even been reported among the juniors.

“Will you be at Morata?”

“I would like to go eat together with Sunbae-nim.”

He kept on receiving greetings from juniors he didn’t know. There were no juniors who didn’t know Lee Hyun after the MT and festival. He was part of the virtual reality department and now they discovered that Lee Hyun accomplished huge achievements in Royal Road.

He was only a 3rd year senior but his popularity and influence as the Lord of Morata was incomparable. In a vote conducted by a broadcasting station, Morata was chosen as the number 1 place people wanted to live in.

“If I’m in Morata then can I meet Sunbae-nim?”

He also heard shy confessions from female students. Even the university professors thought positively of Lee Hyun.

‘It would be useful to get credits.’

Lee Hyun headed home after cla.s.s. He couldn’t access the game yesterday so he had cleaned the house with Seo-yoon. It had that refres.h.i.+ng feeling after the housework was finished!

“It is time to go back to the battlefield.”

Lee Hyun entered the capsule.

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Weed reconnected under the walls of Treipeak.

“Wear leather armour.”

He quickly wore the costume for level 130 beginners.

“Having a plain appearance if useful in times like this.”

If he changed into common clothes then not that many people would recognize him. Treipeak was still the area of the Black Lion Guild. Weed’s presence here wasn’t important to them as they were still confused by the Hermes Guild’s raid.

“I need to check it out… My lost experience!”

Weed had to observe three different types of bad news. Experience, skills and equipment!

“Stat Window!”

His level had fallen back to 409. Even if experience was difficult to gain, it was easy compared to others. His sculpting proficiency had fallen 11.4% and was now at 49.7% advanced level 8. His Handicraft, Blacksmith, Sewing, Cooking, Fis.h.i.+ng and attack skills had all declined slightly.

“Indeed… It wasn’t possible to receive help from luck.”

An Adventurer’s Luck stat could lessen the damage of death. But the effect of Luck didn’t really apply well to other professions. Weed’s Luck wasn’t high enough to decrease the death penalty.

“Then the item……”

He manually identified all his belongings. Bandages and herbs, arrows, fis.h.i.+ng rod, whetstone, sculpting materials, the quest sapphires were all meticulously checked!

“T-Talrock’s Armour of Faith is gone.”

The wonderful armour that protected him from monster attacks for a long time was lost.

“This damage……”

Weed briefly closed his eyes. He had to endure the fury pumping in his chest. His heart wanted to go to Haven Kingdom, the area of the Hermes Guild to get revenge. But the result would just be his death again.

“I’ll definitely make them pay.”

Weed decided to focus on his work to push down the anger.

“I need to report back for my Cla.s.s Quest and obtain a secret swordsmans.h.i.+p technique.”

The first step to becoming stronger! He could receive a sword skill if he met the Sword Master Ash. Weed was eligible because his Sword Mastery skill had reached the advanced level. Radiant Sword couldn’t be the only secret sword technique that he learnt.

“Anyway, the proficiency of Radiant Sword is still low so it would be better to learn another skill.”

Weed’s resolution to become a jack of all trades!

Ash’s island was a place where students accidentally stumbled upon by boat and was difficult to revisit. The route changed due to wind and ocean currents so it would require a few months investment. But he had Yurin so it was possible to go there by painting.

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Splash… Splash…

Seagulls flew around an island that had waves. .h.i.tting it. Weed arrived at the unknown island where Ash lived with Geomchi and Geomchi2.

“Weed, this is the place to learn a sword technique.”

“Yes. I understand, Master-nim.”

“It might not be any good but it would be better to learn it.”

Geomchi, Geomchi2 and his other teachers had also arrived at the Melbourne Mine yesterday with Yurin but they arrived late. They had attacked the Hermes Guild entering the teleport gate only to bravely die!

Geomchi and Geomchi2 prided themselves on their strength but they were incited by Weed and decided to come to the island to learn the secret sword technique.

“You have to learn from other people……”

“……..”

“Of course Master-nim doesn’t need to learn the sword technique but you can look cool if you use it in a fight.”

“…….”

“Well, your popularity with women…….”

“……..!”

When Weed, Geomchi and Geomchi2 arrived, Ash walked out from among the trees.

“You came here to learn swordsmans.h.i.+p from me? If so then you must be qualified for it.”

Ash raised his sword for a confrontation as soon as he appeared.

“Your short words are convenient.”

Geomchi took out a sword from his bag and easily proved his eligibility. The fight didn’t even last 30 minutes. He had technical sword skills and could also use mana to double the damage and push the enemy away. The fake bodies were too flimsy.

Geomchi enjoyed a relaxing few minutes before Ash was forced to admit his skill. Geomchi was the strongest with a long sword!

Geomchi2 also achieved a similar result against the clones.

“I am Weed. I am a sculptor but I really admire you. I want to learn this sword technique to ensure the peace of the continent. It is an honour to meet you.”

Weed was a little different. His opponent was a higher levelled Sword Master so flattery naturally emerged from his mouth.

“Your profession is a sculptor so you must’ve gone to a lot of effort to learn the sword. I’m looking forward to a good fight.”

Weed carefully controlled his breathing as he watched Ash make some clones. It would be difficult to find the real body among all the clones.

Weed chose the simplest approach. He would just fight recklessly until they all died!

“I’ll start.”

Weed was surrounded by many layers of Ash and his clones who poured attacks towards him. Weed demonstrated a high degree of concentration.

‘I need to think faster and move more quickly. My body’s reaction speed needs to reach the maximum… Just like when I found 100 won that fell on the road.’

When fighting he had to consider the enemy in front, on the sides and even an attack from his back.

The fake bodies weren’t as strong as the real thing. The attacks didn’t have a high risk due to his resilience and perseverance so he wildly swung his sword.

“Heriam Fencing!”

Weed was full of scars every time he defeated a clone. He looked like a mad berserker in battle as he attacked without defending his body. It was awfully ignorant compared to how the Geomchis had performed. Weed jumped into the centre of the clones.

Violent sparks flew every time his sword hit something. Weed fought like he was the last remaining knight in a destroyed kingdom! He breathed roughly while competing with Ash’s clones. He didn’t want to step back anymore since his loss to Bardray.

‘If I’m defeated by this much… I’ll have no choice but to envy the son of a rich family.’

Weed had 1/3rd of his health left. Ash made an offer once he eliminated 10 clones.

“This degree is enough to stop. You seem to be lacking the skill to digest my technique.”

Weed shook his head.

“I will keep fighting.”

“Then don’t regret it if I kill you.”

“I’ll regret it but I will still fight.”

The battle became easier for Weed as he reduced more clones. However his health was still decreasing and he had a lot of minor injuries. His movements slowed and became more difficult due to his wounds.

‘The only thing I can believe in is my body. I will win this!’

He was the Geomchis’ student so he had a high level of technical skill. He was able to enhance his attack damage while the real Ash was hiding. Weed’s Sword Mastery skill was advanced level 2.

Thanks to the difference in attack and mana management, it was difficult to block the strikes from the real Ash. It was difficult because Ash kept on hiding his body among the clones.

‘I have to smash everything.’

Weed threw his body at the clones.

“Keheok!”

Weed only had 4% health left. However all the clones were gone. The only one left was Ash. If he threw his body then there would be a 2 out of 3 chance of death.

“Your technical skill might be lacking but you have the quality of never giving up. I’ve realized that after a few minutes of fighting you.”

Ddiring!

The Sword-cloning skill! Geomchi and Geomchi2 decided to go to Morata to drink beer with the other instructors and trainees. It was to learn Radiant Sword from the statue kept inside the castle. Weed moved to Ugoth to report his Master Quest to the Ellyon.