2) Garden of the G.o.ds

Weed’s coronation ceremony spread and every user was interested in the north. There were millions of people currently in Morata but there was no publicity.

Unlike Bardray and the Hermes Guild’s dazzling coronation in the Haven Kingdom, it became known that Weed only spent 30 gold. He spent millions of gold on the Grand Buildings yet only 30 gold on his coronation.

“This… It really does seem like a fairy-tale king has been selected.”

“Kya! So different. He didn’t spend a large amount of money on the event because he cares for the residents.”

“The village will grow with the king. I knew it.”

Unlike Weed’s actual intention, praise calling him a great ruler spread.

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Weed decided that the name of the place would be called the Garden of the G.o.ds.

Apart from the sculptures, a temple was built with flowers and trees being planted. If it was just the sculptures then it would look slightly lonely. Many people worked on the sculptures, garden and architecture so it was like a large scale business.

It was necessary to grow flowers and trees to raise his Affinity to Nature. There was no sense in planting trees that grew in forests or the mountains. Plants that grew on cliffs and rocky crevices would just die when moved to a botanical garden. In order to grow something in the barren wasteland, water was dragged through a channel from the river.

It was a project that required enormous commitment and the exploitation of the workers!

“Keohohoheok……”

“Let’s have a short breather.”

“I think I can go a little further.”

“Haven’t you heard? Romomo-nim died this morning while holding the stone. Take a break.”

“Kuheuhuk. No wonder why I haven’t seen him.”

Beginners that carried a heavy burden were also killed. Only 3 sculptures had been completed but it was already an essential place for priests and paladins to visit.

The Faith stat was important because it improved holy magic and combat skills. Those who prayed enthusiastically at the Garden of the G.o.ds would receive more special benefits.

“Weed-nim really is thinking about the priests and paladins.”

“Yes. He really is doing a lot for our cla.s.ses.”

Weed wasn’t just thinking of those cla.s.ses.

“There is no useless regionalism or cla.s.s discrimination in the Arpen Kingdom.”

It didn’t matter if people started in the north or came from the centre of the continent. Any user who paid taxes would be treated fairly!

It was no surprise that the Garden of the G.o.ds spread on the internet. Videos and screenshots of the construction was placed on Royal Road’s bulletin boards and the users paid it a lot of attention. It was also introduced through KMC Media and CTS Media.

“Another sculpture in Morata……”

“The scale surpa.s.ses all imagination.”

Priests from the centre, east, west and south areas of the continent went on an expedition to Morata.

“It increases Faith… You have to come see it.”

The core of priest a.s.sociated cla.s.ses was hunting with a party. Priests had blessings, protection spells and healing abilities were critical in stopping the party from dying.

Therefore compet.i.tion among priests existed and they were sensitive on how much health they could recover with magic at once. People who could heal a warrior by 1,730 would be more popular than those who could recover 1,500 health. The job of a priest was to support the hunting party so they needed a lot of self-confidence.

Morata was quite a long way from the Central Continent but the priests thought it was worth it and embarked on a pilgrimage. The users with clergy affiliated cla.s.ses gathered en ma.s.se in Morata by riding horses, carriages or using a merchant’s s.h.i.+p.

“Going dungeon hunting. I’m a priest.”

“Opportunity to get treated by a priest more then level 200. Items will be shared between 2 people.”

“I’m a priest who will serve the party without questioning them. Please state your conditions.”

It was important to find good priests when hunting on the continent. It was to the extent that priests could state a ransom in some areas.

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“This is the 14th quest finished.”

Bardray was ahead of most people in the Cla.s.s Master Quest. He was commissioned to fight the cannibalistic monster the Kajanka!

He relayed it to each broadcasting station in a live feed when he received the request. The battle video had the best audience ratings for that time slot. The hosts all praised his strength and skill.

“How can he fight like that?”

“It is amazing how often he aims for the weak points. It is close to perfection.”

“If there is a G.o.d then he might fight like this… There doesn’t seem to be anyone capable of fighting Bardray.”

Bardray had popularity, fame and the power of the Hermes Guild! But the video with the highest viewers.h.i.+p was his battle with Weed.

Bardray also watched back Weed’s battles. Weed drew his sword against the warriors of the Hermes Guild.

‘His attack skills flows naturally from his body.’

Weed’s fierce attacks weren’t broken. The Heriam Fencing that Bardray knew only went up to a maximum of 6 consecutive attacks. That alone was incredible when looking at the Royal Guards.

But Weed had succeeded 16 times against the a.s.sa.s.sins. Bardray was shocked at his movements.

‘How can that be?’

He found other combat videos of Weed.

‘He surprises the monsters with his Fighting Spirit and them cuts them while they’re hesitating. Once he strikes the monsters first, he continuously attacks without any room for counterattacks. When surrounded on all sides, he deliberately induces a reaction to create a gap where he can attack the monster’s back. He manages to escape when besieged from all sides so he must be familiar with fighting. What type of combat experience has he had?’

It was really difficult to imitate the attack style he used against the Bone Dragon. Just damaging the Bone Dragon’s when it flying through the air required a large amount of courage. Most users sensibly chose to attack from a long range. Yet Weed rode a wyvern and battled the Bone Dragon in the air.

“Doesn’t this behaviour indicate that his skill and level is quite high?”

Even when he was the Lich s.h.i.+re, an orc or commanding the Dark Elves, Weed always managed to succeed at the last moment. He was an expert at finding the enemy’s weak point and damaging it! The more he looked Weed’s battles, the more amazing he thought it was.

‘If skills, level and equipment was removed, could I win in an equal 1 on 1 sword fight?’

Weed was very fast. But Bardray’s speed also increased thanks to various blessings. He also rode the finest horse Rindullin. When the difference in reaction speed and range of skills was taken into consideration, they were approximately equal.

However Weed was the one who took the lead in his attacks. He took the most difficult route by aiming for a weak spot and attacking it 2 times, 3 times, etc. in a row.

‘And the numerous irregular attacks……’

Weed’s swinging sword caused a flow.

Quick, quick, slow, quick, strong, slow, strong, quick, strong!

The strikes were like a storm and the body would become b.l.o.o.d.y and confused as it tried to catch up. He changed the rhythm so it was like he had different personalities when fighting several people.

Those who fought against it directly couldn’t understand unless they viewed it from a distance. Bardray used his secret sword techniques but he was still battered. The glitz and glamour was hiding the aggression. The destructive manner was enough to cause a chill down his back.

‘It is fortunate that his offensive power was weaker. It could’ve been dangerous.’

He knew that the attacks didn’t deal that much damage so he could counterattack strongly.

‘What happens if he uses that against monsters?’

Bardray never thought of other people’s combat style.

His method of hunting efficiently was to keep a balance between distribution and mana, maintain a reasonable balance and wreak havoc with his skills.

But Weed displayed a fighting style that was a stage higher. He enjoyed the fight and threw everything into it.

‘It was a decent attempt. Hunting has become more fascinating.’

Bardray realized something that he was personally lacking. It was reflected in his Cla.s.s Master Quest. Every time he fought monsters or other knights, it was easy to grasp the opponent’s weak points by referring to Weed’s battle style.

‘I have to practice striking one point over and over.’

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“Faster!”

“Three wagons containing red stones are here!”

“Lay it from here to here.”

Users filled the construction site of the Garden of the G.o.ds. The pa.s.sed the place where the square had been completed and the temple would soon be built.

“As expected, this is really interesting. The construction labourers are really working together.”

Weed proudly watched the construction workers. This was the taste of power. Their working pace while digging and carrying was so fast it transcended imagination.

“If it is this much then the other structures will be finished before the sculptures.”

Weed was making a statue of a G.o.d he saw in Ratzeberg. In the case of G.o.ds forgotten by the world, a new religion would be born when the statue was completed. Once other sculptors knew what type of work was being done, the progress became faster.

Weed left the lower portions of the sculpture to them while concentrating on the more time consuming parts.

“The chance to partic.i.p.ate in a work of the G.o.ds won’t come again.”

“Yes. We can gain a lot by partic.i.p.ating in the work.”

The disciples became motivated and increased their workload.

“Uaaaack!”

Sometimes a sculptor would neglect to tie their ropes properly and would fall to their death. However the sculptor never forgot their pride in the job. Working with Weed raised their secondary stats, skill proficiency and they obtained fame as a sculpture. Therefore they happily stayed up all night working.

By the time 4 sculptures were completed, hundreds of thousands of users were helping every day. When 6 sculptures were completed, the materials didn’t need to be gathered anymore and they just filled the square.

The Elves came and planted wildflowers and flowers representing each G.o.d.

By the time 10 sculptures were finished, the roads to Morata were opened. The work was being conducted at a frightening pace due to the crowds involved.

“Just yesterday I was on that mountain……”

“We all relocated in the morning.”

“Has the shape of the lake changed?”

“If you look at it from the air then Morata seems like it is collapsing.”

They were worried that the features of the terrain would change due to the construction. As soon as the foundation of the Garden of the G.o.ds was completed, the people rushed to set up the pillars and exterior decorations for the temple. The walls contained images of the G.o.ds Weed was sculpting.

“What G.o.d is Weed-nim making this time?”

“The G.o.d of travel and time, Turoche!”

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Another unknown G.o.d has appeared again?”

“But now quests have been given to players with Adventurer or Scholar professions. They have been asked to find out about Turoche.”

If Weed made a sculpture then the adventurers would obtain information about it. Once a sculpture was completed, a quest connected to the relevant G.o.d would be given.

“Oh, these words are related to Turoche!”

A message would be sent to each library looking for a description. Once information about Turoche was discovered, the quest completion window would pop up! The birth of a G.o.d would then lead to other quests.

“Ugh, it kills the flavour of beer. What request should I do next?”

“You’ve already completed Hestia’s request?”

“Yes. It wasn’t a difficult request so I finished it right away!”

Adventurers and requests were once again hot in Morata. The statues in the Garden of the G.o.ds had an increasing influence on local politics, new types of requests were generated and there were religious benefits.

Priests and clerics screamed with joy while adventurers went off on the road to complete requests. Meanwhile architects also gained skills by building the temple.

“This temple is too plain. We need to consider the attributes of G.o.ddess Hestia. The dwarves need a comfortable place to visit…..”

“The temple doesn’t sell any beer?”

“Gulp! Business seems to be going well but wouldn’t this be better? A place needs to be left in the middle of the altar for a holy fire to burn.”

“Small chairs also need to be installed for the dwarves’ comfort.”

Thanks to Weed’s speech and the result of the sculptures, the temple erected received an overwhelming response from the crowd. The temple was constructed to be preserved and wouldn’t collapse for a long time.

The architects who created the building gained a lot of fame and skill proficiency. They showed various skills and made a beautiful building thanks to the crowd’s help.

Arpen’s financial status was strong thanks to Morata but the Garden of the G.o.ds consumed the stored funds. However the residents weren’t worried about such things.

“Aren’t the number of users increasing these days?”

“Yes. It isn’t strange for beginners to start in the Arpen Kingdom anymore.”

“It isn’t just beginners. Users are flocking every day from the Central Continent.”

“Indeed… Goods are being traded in the square. People are buying very expensive magic supplies right now.”

The priest affiliated cla.s.ses that came to see the Garden of the G.o.ds was the main source. Some came alone but more often they came to Morata with people they were friendly with.

“This is the north!”

“I heard there are a lot of quests here so we came for adventures.”

“Let’s explore a dungeon.”

The priest and paladins had no intention of leaving before the Garden of the G.o.ds was completely finished. The number of people living in Morata increased as they swept through monsters and various requests. They also returned to Morata due to the beautiful art and performances.

The people who came from the Central Continent paid the Arpen Kingdom’s taxes, covering the necessary construction costs for the Garden of the G.o.ds.

The priests even made offerings to particular G.o.ds which contributed to the construction expenses. The Morata beginners added a few coppers while the priests and paladins from the continent came up with a lump sum.

If they made contributions then it would be easier to become a high ranking priest of a new religion.

He also carved the likeness of the Orc G.o.d and the G.o.d of Barbarians.

Ddiring!

The pride of the residents and users in the Arpen Kingdom rose as each sculpture was completed.

The Garden of the G.o.ds gave never ending blessings to those living in the north. Those who partic.i.p.ated in changing the wasteland also gained fame and honour.

A kingdom was an unbeatable culture was being built up day by day.

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Weed spent 3 months on the Versailles Continent making the sculptures.

It was a tedious and hard work but he gained willpower from watching the users below.

“The population is increasing. I will earn taxes from them in the future!”

When he was making the Grand Buildings, they felt like a bottomless pit of money but now it was an amazing feature of Morata.

“I have to make sure the Arpen Kingdom’s population continues to increase and that they won’t go anywhere else. They have to stay in the kingdom and pay me taxes for their entire lives!”

Therefore a large public work like the Garden of the G.o.ds was necessary.

It was like when looking at stores with flashy interiors. They were designed to induce the urge to enter and buy something. And the taxes couldn’t be refunded even if they belatedly regretted it.

He couldn’t be stingy in his investment to collect money from the residents.

“It has to look expensive. Later on I can raise the taxes! I can also sc.r.a.pe money from the tourists.”

Architecture was useful in making a city famous. But he didn’t plan to make the Garden of the G.o.ds larger then necessary.

Ratzeberg was an important spot where the G.o.ds first entered the world. A lot of people had believed in those G.o.ds until they had been forgotten. When considering the religious and historical value, now was the best time to create the sculptures. He had to complete it before other sculptors or artists found Ratzeberg and informed the world about it.

“Business requires good timing!”

Weed’s used his skills and the faith of the residents to create wonderful sculptures.

“The rise in sculpting proficiency at advanced level 8 is really slow. I’ve confirmed it while making the sculptures!”

Currently Weed’s sculpting proficiency was advanced level 8. So far he had created 11 sculptures and gained 27% sculpting proficiency. He also gained stats from making works with historic and religious value!

Weed also received the blessings of the G.o.ds so his Handicraft, Cooking, Fis.h.i.+ng and Sewing proficiency increased a little bit.

While the G.o.ds were no longer wors.h.i.+pped, their appearance would have a large and small effect on the continent. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Weed was the cause behind a grand event.

He had taken one more step along the path to a Master Sculptor.

“I don’t know whether I can make such expensive sculptures again if they are destroyed.”

Weed wanted to go fight but he continued with the tedious work.

The G.o.ddess’ Knight Armour made from helium!

It was an equipment that received the blessings of the G.o.ds so options related to faith and defense were added. If he wore it then fighting would become more fun but he now had to make sculptures every day.

A fierce cry erupted from the ground every time Weed finished a sculpture of a G.o.d. A large crowd was waiting and it was especially a priority for those involved in making the sculptures. He had to stomach making the sculptures for the future of the Arpen Kingdom.

“It must be hard, Master-nim.”

He used the Wings of Light and rope to carve the shoulders of the sculpture. He quietly trimmed the stone at night under the moonlight and the stars.

‘Other people are having fun hunting and adventuring.’

Weed envied them yet still called himself a fool Life was meant to be enjoyed in moderation yet he chose the difficult occupation of a sculptor.

He lived life eating barley bread while shedding tears. But he felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment when giving joy to people with his work. There was no one who hadn’t experienced hard work in their lives.

“Taxes… This will help increase taxes in the future.”

Weed was working on a sculpture at night when a visitor arrived. He flew up near Weed on a big bird.

“Weed, it has been a while.”

The dwarf blacksmith Herman! He owned a blacksmith shop near Hestia’s Forge and provided tailor made armour and swords to people. There was a very long waiting line for Herman’s equipment. Weed welcomed him happily.

“h.e.l.lo. I heard that you settled in Morata. How have you been in the meantime?”

“Morata is a really nice city. I regret I didn’t come here faster from Kuruso……By the way, speaking of Kuruso’s farewell ceremony……”

Weed hadn’t seen Herman since the day he fled from Kuruso’s farewell ceremony.

“Farewell ceremony? It was a long time ago so I don’t really remember it. What about it?”

“Well, on the last day when you left Kuruso… Ah, it’s not a big deal.”

Herman decided not to speak about it anymore. He earned a lot of money as a dwarven blacksmith so he decided not to bring up some petty cash. Furthermore, the farewell ceremony was a custom created for dwarves not users.

‘It is best that I retreat.’

He didn’t know Weed that well but he was aware of the possibility of violence over some drinking money.

Weed had a calm smile on his face. Much of the mental fatigue from carving the sculpture flew away.

“Did you come here to get my permission to form a blacksmithing street near Hestia’s Forge like Painter’s Hill?”

Herman and the other dwarves that came with him from Kuroso wanted to create a blacksmith street now that they had decided to settle in Morata. His dream was to have an area in a city to sell good quality weapons and armour.

“The smithy is surrounding by other blacksmiths living and working together. They will help each other so wouldn’t having a store that mainly deals with metal be good for urban development?”

Having a place with many restaurants together was good. It would draw in more users and business. Herman wanted to actively partic.i.p.ate in urban development while leading the blacksmiths. Blacksmiths contributed a greater role in Morata than other cla.s.ses.

It was like how people saw similar things with their eyes. Morata was now the capital of the Arpen Kingdom so it was competing with other cities on Versailles Continent. Its potential would be endless once the Garden of the G.o.ds was finished.

His dream of making it the best city on the continent in the distant future wasn’t just a delusion. Because right now the place was like heaven for the users.

Weed also had a warm smile on his face.

“I’ve already planned to do so. A blacksmith receives respect and can wear the nice equipment of other professions. I really like the blacksmith occupation.”

A blacksmith paid plenty of taxes!

Weed had a fantasy about blacksmiths. The blacksmiths in Morata would create swords and armour so great that they would represent the continent. Visitors would travel to trade and the tax revenue would increase!

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Of course. I really like blacksmiths…I will prepare support measures.”

The word ‘exploitation’ was obvious just looking at Weed.

“If Blacksmith Street is created then more people will come.”

Customers had to be secured in order for blacksmiths to develop. There were currently a lot of high level users adventuring in the north so they poured into Morata.

It was a good environment for novice blacksmiths to grow and customers could purchase equipment from blacksmiths like Herman. But in the long run, it was necessary to secure iron.

Morata had an iron mine but the amount and quality wasn’t up to a satisfactory level. The standard was so inferior that it didn’t reach even half the level of the iron from the Melbourne Mine.

The mine wasn’t a good environment.

The lack of current material was resolved by melting old iron weapons from the Niflheim Empire. Novice blacksmiths learnt how to smelt rusty weapons. Blacksmiths also imported iron from the mines near other villages in the north.

The amount of resources important was so large that the villages with those mines received enormous profit.

Fortunately the area around Vargo Fortress had steep mountains that were likely to contain mines with large ore deposits. The dwarves also talked about abandoned silver and steel mines.

Weed had the Ellyons work at the mines while users and soldiers from Vargo Fortress took care of the monsters.

“I will continue to support the blacksmiths in many ways.”

“Thank you. When considering your support for artists, my anxiety was unnecessary.”

Weed hadn’t started the support for users but rumours about him spread thanks to the Village Elder’s actions. Word of Weed’s support for art and performance affiliated professions spread around the continent and people praised him. It was part of why the residents of Arpen Kingdom had such a high degree of loyalty. Now they came to the north from the Central Continent.

“Instead, I have something to ask you as there is something I want to make…..”

“What is it?”

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There was a part where Herman’s help was needed for creating the sculptures. In order to truly express a G.o.d, the sculpture needed a weapon.

“It would be good if a blacksmith partic.i.p.ates.”

A large weapon would be too heavy and the weight would destroy the sculpture. Although Weed’s sculpting and handicraft skills were high, if a statue held a giant steel sword over its head then it would naturally break. He wanted Herman to create a large, empty weapon that was as light as possible.

“So… You want me to manufacture a weapon for a sculpture rather then focus on the quality. This is a new challenge so it is interesting. Let’s work together.”

In fact, Herman was grateful for a chance to partic.i.p.ate in Weed’s work. He decided to make a bronze weapon for the sculpture. And he asked Weed one more thing.

“If there is a material with a special quality… If I have some can you work with it?”

“Yes, I think I can do it.”

“Then I’ll give this to you. Treat this as the price.”

Weed took the items and headed to Hestia’s Forge.

“I have to make these immediately.”

He put aside making the sculptures and spent one day in Hestia’s Forge. He could carve jewels so handling the gem and Iron of Darkness wasn’t a problem.

“I shouldn’t break the sword again.”

Weed dissolved the Iron of Darkness in Hestia’s Forge, cooled it with water and beat it with a hammer. Thus a new sword was born!

His intermediate Blacksmith skill immediately rose to advanced the moment he completed the Sword of Darkness. His tremendous effort paid off in the end. His rise in skill proficiency from making the Mithril and Helium G.o.ddess’ Knight Armour also helped.

“The moment I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.”

Weed made improvements on all of his equipment.

The Daemon Sword was enhanced a little further and it was the same for the G.o.ddess’ Knight Armour.

In order to raise the defense capabilities of the Mithril a little further, he inscribed a complex pattern on it to stop the enemy’s attacks. It couldn’t be compared to making it with advanced blacksmithing from the beginning but it improved a little bit. In fact, it wasn’t possible to manufacture the necessary equipment again every time his skill level rose.

“The Sword of Darkness isn’t bad.”

The natural of the material meant it was thicker and heavier than a typical sword. Thanks to that the attack damage was good. Weed took out a knife and processed the jewel.

His primary cla.s.s was a sculptor so carving the jewel was easier than making the sword. It became a glowing red jewel that caused temptation! It was a jewel recorded in the history of the Versailles Continent as something that caused misfortune.

“The Luck stat is important but… Well, it is inevitable.”

Weed picked up the carved jewel and placed it in a gold ring. The jewel fit in the ring like it was originally made for it.

A truly unlucky item! Weed didn’t try to wear it.

“Calling Death Knight Van Hawk, Calling the Vampire Lord Torido!”

Black smoke rose and the Death Knight appeared. A black cloak flapped as the Vampire Lord emerged.

“Master, who are we fighting this time?”

“Any enemy… I want to fight. I want to suck blood so that I can quench my thirst.”

The self-esteem of Weed’s two summons had been wounded because of their miserable defeat to the Hermes Guild. They had been affected by the holy power so their body hadn’t returned to normal yet. In particular, the Death Knight was bare handed and his cloak was torn.

“This is a gift for you.”

Weed handed Van Hawk the Sword of Darkness and Torido the Tempting Vampire Ring. He had always provided them with used or rejected products so this was the first time they had seen such dazzling items.

Van Hawk and Torido jumped back.

“No. Such a thing isn’t necessary Master. I can fight with my bare hands.”

“I don’t like jewellery.”

The both of them determined that Weed had a trap n mind. Their wonderful Master-Slave relations.h.i.+p meant they doubted and questioned everything!

“I made it was my heart and soul. It was made with really precious materials especially for you.”

Weed described the equipment. Van Hawk and Torido were relieved and received the items.

“Will you keep listening to my words in the future?”

“I will follow you.”

“I really think that you’re a good Master.”

“Of course.”

“Other Masters wouldn’t have thought to make something like this.”

“……”

“The materials I used to make this……”

“…….”

Weed detained his summons for 3 days and made them work without any rest.