3) Orc’s Choice

“War!”

“An army of Black Annas are coming.”

“I have to leave the castle quickly!”

While Weed was making his sculptures, the Versailles Continent was ablaze with war. When a siege started at a city, the merchants and beginners all escaped outside the castle. That’s because the castle would become a lawless area once a siege started so killing and arson would occur.

“Praise G.o.d Embinyu.”

“Fight back against the infidels.”

A collision was also taking place between the Embinyu Church’s army and the paladins of each religious order. Other religious orders have become busy since the Embinyu Church was revealed. Paladins and monks aggressively left the cathedrals and monasteries to fight.

Many users also received new quests and an opportunity to gain some achievements.

A war with the Embinyu Church!

No users were free from the confusion. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the time of hunting near stable castles or villages was over. Villages were destroyed in this dangerous continent and the horde of monsters became stronger.

Even the people who converted to the Embinyu Church became criminals and hunted other users.

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Jang Yoon-soo, the Team Leader of the Marketing Department organized a team meeting.

“As you know, a temporary advertis.e.m.e.nt video was produced by Planning Department based on the recent situation in the Versailles Continent.”

“How much are you going to play of the video?”

“More then 90%. First of all, let me tell you the rest.”

The light in the meeting room turned off and a video began playing on the wall screen.

A terrible number of the Embinyu army was gathered on the plains.

They gathered around torches deep in the night!

The screen zoomed in on the tent of the Embinyu Church’s High Priest.

“There……”

“First offering a sacrifice…..”

“Humans……”

“Kukukuk…..”

The High Priest said in a gloomy voice. The Embinyu Dark Knights patrolled heavily while monsters also stood at the boundaries. Any user who experienced Royal Road would know what a dangerous place it was.

It was even more scary because the Embinyu Church was the enemy. The Embinyu Church were active in certain areas and most people were aware of their power.

Soon the screen changed to users invading Gradian Kingdom.

“Go, warriors!”

“We will fight until the end to defend our peace!”

The Black Sword mercenary group moved forward through the pouring arrows from the walls! Siege weapons were mobilized for a huge battle.

The Gradian Kingdom was in the western part of the continent without a lot of users because of the steep terrain. The Black Sword mercenary group had set their sights on the Gradian Kingdom and were trying to occupy it. They fought for three days and the entire kingdom was engulfed in a civil war.

Then the screen changed into the Haven Kingdom. An extravagant Royal Palace was being built! The Hermes Guild threw an astronomical amount of money towards the knights and soldiers to raise their loyalty and construct the Royal Palace.

The knights and soldiers were forced into labour like slaves. The capital Aren Castle was like light and darkness, with the slums on one side and bright commercial buildings on the other.

It quickly showed some images of other kingdoms from the air.

And the screen changed once again to show some orcs.

Trees and bushes were on the screen.

“Chwiiiit!”

The orcs didn’t appear. But there were harsh breathing sounds and a glaive shone from a bush.

“Let’s go. Chwi chwi chwik!”

The orcs in the Orc Lands crossed the Elnath Mountains towards the plains.

The screen flashed as it remained in place.

The beasts ran away while the birds flew up into the sky. There was no end to the procession of orcs descending towards the plains. The orcs continued spreading through the east due to their amazing procreative power.

The Elves developed spirit magic while the Dwarves produced their own weapons and governed the Thor Kingdom.

Finally the screen showed some people.

The most famous was Bardray standing on top of Aren Castle and watching his army below. Adventurer Chase wandering around a dungeon somewhere and being pursued by monsters. The Blacksmith Fabio handled iron in a place where deep, red flames were surging.

17 users who represented different cla.s.ses were shown on screen.

The video ended and Jang Yoon-soo said.

“Right now the Versailles Continent has entered a time of chaos. This point was taken into consideration and this video was produced.”

The video would be shown on the Internet and the broadcast in order to show the current situation in Royal Road. The Versailles Continent changed because it was affected by situations that occurred in each area.

A time of chaos!

In the early days of Royal Road, there were disputes between different kingdoms and monster invasions but there was some degree of stability. It was thanks to each kingdom making an effort to maintain the peace.

The problem was that the balance became upset once the number of users grew. Users who became knights chose profit rather than honour and didn’t do their duty. Lords didn’t care about the residents and made them pay excessive taxes. They didn’t care about monsters running wild. There was no loyalty to the kingdom as they were only interested in war.

Royal Road had no specific storyline.

If the Lords and prestigious guilds in the Central Continent ruled well then evil forces might not have emerged. The loyalty of the residents decreased, making them vulnerable to convert to the Embinyu Church and increased their power.

As a result, each kingdom in the Central Continent paid the price.

If they looked at Royal Road’s history, this period of chaos also existed in the past. At that time, the Warlocks made deals with demons and the kingdoms were embroiled in war. Each religion had their holy power taken away and were greatly weakened.

“Hrmm, how would you judge the strategy?”

The gazes of the people went towards Director Son Il-gang who understood the situation in the Versailles Continent the best out of everyone in the Unicorn Corporation.

He stood up from the chair and started talking.

“The forces of the Embinyu Church has expanded to the size of a huge guild, the emergency of historical monsters and the scrambling of the Warlocks. When looking at the period of chaos in the past, the Versailles Continent seems to be in a big crisis.”

The Director and people in charge of various departments had a headache. There were numerous tribes and kingdoms on the Versailles Continent that appeared and disappeared so it was difficult to keep track.

The continent was filled with constant plots and users wandering around looking for monsters. The ones who had to find the solution were the users themselves.

“Wouldn’t that be a problem?”

The fact that the peace of Versailles Continent was unstable due to the exponentially growing number of users wasn’t good news to the directors of Unicorn Corporation.

However, Director Son Il-gang’s expression was bright.

“Heroes are born in the midst of a crisis. When viewed in that sense, the arrival of a time of chaos will require strong unity among users. And people who accomplish great achievements will appear.”

The Versailles Continent was a virtual world! Son Il-gang was confident that it could overcome the problems.

The staff of Unicorn Corporation also reached a similar consensus. Ever since Royal Road opened, the growth of the users on a daily basis was surprising. They made decisions for their own lives.

Looking back on the history, people accomplished many great things with their own power.

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“Hehehe.”

“Okeumke!”

“Heheheheheh.”

The sculptural lifeforms happily spent their days at Vargo Fortress.

“The world is a beautiful place.”

“The clean air and fresh gra.s.s is fantastic!”

Weed had granted life to 47 sculptural lifeforms in the Jigolaths. They were sculptures created for a long time be great sculptors. Their desire for life was strong and they were satisfied playing at Vargo Fortress.

They had listened to stories about the suffering that the Wyverns, Bingryong, Phoenix etc. experienced under Weed and thought it was fortunate they got to be so comfortable.

Ohdodok ohdodok!

Cerberus ate the bones of goats and rolled around in the gra.s.s. A multi-coloured poisonous snake called Countryside Snake moved on the tree branched in the mountain and forests. The Death Worm relaxed in the mud.

The sculpture lifeforms spent a quiet afternoon relaxing. The exception was the knight Seville (changed from Silver) Blacksun who was on busy on a mission.

He actively worked with the soldiers and hunters to drive back the monsters. Over time, the Barbarians admired Seville and his troops multiplied to 980 people.

The soldiers received wonderful directions from the knight and battled. He chose 14 talented knight candidates and appointed them as his deputies. Whether they were busy or living a leisurely life, they all settled near the Fortress according to Weed’s order!

Goldman and Yellowy sneaked out at night for a meeting.

“These children really have it easy these days.”

“It’s too easy, gol gol!”

“We need to give them a little trouble.”

“They have to work at least 3 times a day. Gol gol!”

Goldman pushed the monsters towards where the sculpture lifeforms were. Bingryong, Phoenix and the Wyverns also drove monsters there.

“These guys have played an awful lot until now.”

“We need to make them sweat!”

The sculptural lifeforms became stronger every day in order to help Weed with his Sculptor Master Quest.

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The orcs that selfishly settled near Vargo Fortress.

“Chwi chwi chwit!”

“Daytime has dawned. Let’s go fight, chwiik!”

The orcs eventually came to the village. Vargo Fortress overcame the monster invasion with the help of the orcs.

Monsters and orcs fought on a daily basis. The population of orcs declined to 60,000 but that didn’t matter to them.

“Chwi chwi chwit, the 1st Hyung has died. 2nd Hyung has also died. 7th Hyung has also died. Mother should produce 5 more siblings, chwiiik!”

“Who are you? Chwi chwi chwit!”

“I am your 32nd son, chwit!”

“You are the youngest, chwi chwi chwik!”

“No, chwik chwik chwik Mother gave birth 44 times.”

The Orcs used their procreative power to take care of the monsters. While the warriors were out fighting, the females were safely cared for.

Several users who chose Orcs also gave excellent performances.

“Orcs will die fighting, chwi chwit!”

“Come with me, chwichiik!”

They led a large number of warriors and raided the camp of monsters. Of course, the plan meant that some Orcs wouldn’t return but they were able to inflict further strikes before dying. If 10 died getting rid of 5 monsters, the next day 13 would go fight. That was the orc’s method of calculation!

? The orc Karichwi didn’t back down from any disadvantageous fight.

? He is a strong and handsome orc.

? I need to be brave in order to become popular among female orcs.

The orc Karichwi was a legend among users. Weed’s adventures had a huge influence on the orc users so many of them were recklessly brave.

“This is a big fight, chwi chwit!”

While the orcs fought, the children were growing larger. The orcs fought together in large scale battles so they thought of each other as brothers. Even if they received significant damage in a battle, the orc users were already planning a new one.

“Not this time, chwi chiiik!”

“It will be different next time, chwik!”

“Let’s take a lot more. We’ll do that until we win, chwi chwi chwi chwit!”

The orc users commanded their fellow brothers and children for the large battles. This was the strong point about selecting the orc race.

Weed fought the Dark Elves and then later they fought against the Undead Legion as colleagues. Users who dreamt about experiencing such large battles flocked towards choosing orcs.

They acquired loot and also plundered the monsters’ home camp. If they picked up something expensive then they would go up to Vargo Fortress to buy food and weapons!

“Eat a lot, fight carrying weapons, chwiiiik!”

The orcs were large so it cost a lot of money to create their armour. Their high health and power meant they invested more in weapons. The orcs just looked pathetic to the users at Vargo Fortress.

“Are they going to fight again?”

“Yes, they bought rice a while ago……”

“Anyway, the orcs are great.”

“I really don’t want to touch those guys.”

The maintenance of Vargo Fortress was completed so they had st.u.r.dy walls and defences. Unfortunately not that many monsters could come close now. The orcs’ desire to fight intensified and they would spar with each other.

“If I win this battle then I will lead 5 more females, chwiiiik!”

The female orcs that Weed avoided! The orc users actively showed off their courage in order to obtain their favour.

That’s because female orcs would give birth to a lot of children, increasing the user’s power. They felt happy whenever they received the love declaration of a female orc.

“Guchwi, I will bear your offspring, chwichichit!

“Thank you, Dechwi! My heart is glad to hear it, chwiiiik!”

“It would be good if someone has the appearance of Karichwi. Chwik chwik!”

The Geomchis and sculptural lifeforms also played an active role in hunting monsters around Vargo Fortress. Users also formed parties for hunting so the number of monsters around Vargo Fortress were drastically reduced.

“Come.”

“Please wait a little more.”

“Shoot now!”

Rangers and archers shot arrows from ambush spots. Archers aggressively took advantage of the distance and terrain! Vargo Fortress also changed tactics from defense to attack.

The armies of the Arpen Kingdom periodically went out the gates to fight the mult.i.tude of monsters and this burden was reduced by the presence of the orcs.

“Chase the monsters. Everyone strike and kill it. Chwichichichit!”

The orcs herded together and coolly fought.

The orc forces quickly became powerful. The orc’s power to rapidly expand was their most terrifying feature! Many young orcs were born even if some settlements were burnt by monsters. The number of individuals quickly increased to 390,000.

Ddiring!

As humans, various conditions would be required for activities. It included things like politics, security, technology or urban development. The only conditions for Orcs was their breeding power and strength so it was much simpler. Fellow kin and food are the only things required.

Yet the number of people who chose Orcs as a beginner was still low.

Anyway, it wasn’t possible to choose cla.s.ses like magicians. Even combat professions like knights couldn’t be chosen.

An Orc would use their own strength to grow as either Champions or Shamans. However, an Orc could experience the freedom and romance of battles so users who selected this species wouldn’t regret it.

Once the video of orcs appeared on the bulletin board, they became the envy of players with different races and professions.

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The orcs at Vargo Fortress had higher knowledge than those in other areas. They were influenced by the sculptures and artwork. But even so, the orcs couldn’t discuss anything seriously except for food and fighting.

Yet the orcs at Vargo Fortress were engaged in a serious discussion at the moment.

“What’s going on, chwiiiit!”

“That is, Karichwi… Chwi chwi chwit!”

Suspicious rumours about Karichwi spread through every settlement. Orc users who heard the rumour laughed as they already knew the truth. However this problem wasn’t a matter that the orcs could just overlook.

“I can’t forgive it, chwiik!”

“He is our brother, chwi chwik! Even if he ate more food than me, he isn’t a hateful brother!”

Soon 5 Orc Lords headed towards Morata.

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Weed’s sculptures caused a huge craze in Morata.

The religious sculpture will permanently increase Faith by 6 points.

Humans and Orcs can now handle heavy weapons more comfortably.

Morale in battle will increase.

The Art stat has permanently increased by 6 points due to the creation of an ancient work of art.

“The Conqueror G.o.d.”

Weed was making sculptures of the various G.o.ds he saw at Ratzeberg. Due to the popularity of the popular sculptures, new religious orders and priests arose in Morata.

He didn’t separate the good or evil G.o.ds and just created sculptures of everything he saw in Ratzeberg. When he finished his 19th piece, his Sculpting skill finally advanced a level.

Weed’s sculpture skill reached advanced level 9 and he even obtained another t.i.tle.

In the meantime he had gained ‘Artisan of Excellent Works,’ ‘Ghost Captain who sailed into the Unknown,’ ‘Polar Explorer,’ etc. so he was happy to receive a new t.i.tle.

His Fame also reached 110,000.

“Hmm, did I eat a meal today?”

Woof woof!

A dog pa.s.sing by Weed on the street barked and shook its tail! Weed continued carving the sculptures. Then 5 Orc Lords came up to him.

“Chwiiit! I came to see the King.”

“Weed come down now, chwi chwi chwik!”

The Orc Lords caused an uproar as they barged into the Garden of the G.o.ds.

The soldiers could’ve overpowered them but that might cause a war with the orcs settled at Vargo Fortress. They were a really troublesome species that caused him headaches.

Weed came down from the statue and asked them politely.

“What is the problem?”

“We’re all aware of it, chwiiit!”

“Chwi chwit don’t take us for fools!”

The Orc Lords strongly shouted.

Weed’s complexion turned pale.

‘Where did a problem occur?’

He started to organize his thoughts.

‘Wasn’t I hoping they would die before reaching the north? No, I was going to take action. I was busy so I couldn’t do that before they got here by sea…..’

Even so, his Sculpting Master Quest involved the Elves, Dwarves and Orcs. He could afford to be generous to the orcs because of that. Weed also believed something else. The orcs used glaives so this wasn’t a species he wanted to anger.

“Chwiichwit, Karichwi……”

“Eh?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Chwichwichwit, we know everything.”

Feelings welled up inside the Orc Lords. Their eyes were red from tears.

“The smell is coming from you, chwi chwi chwit!”

“Chwi chwi chwit, you smell the same as Karichwi.”

Weed tried to smell his own body. Apart from the smell of various foods, there wasn’t anything strange.

“The smell hasn’t be washed off for over a year! We can smell other orcs, chwiichwit!”

“…….”

The orcs could smell their own kin!

In fact, Weed didn’t often wash. These days he just carved the statues and let the rain wash off is sweat. It would be strange if he was wearing expensive clothes but what problem was there if he was wearing beginner’s clothes?

But he wore these clothes for hunting, cooking, gathering herbs, blacksmithing and even carving sculptures. He also sailed to Jigolaths in these clothes.

“We left our home and came here to look for Karichwi. No human should smell like that, chwichwit. Karichwi is an orc who makes sculptures.”

His habit of not was.h.i.+ng meant he was discovered by the orcs.

“We are brothers. Chwiii chwii chwi chwi chwit. It doesn’t matter that you’ve changed into a fragile human due to a curse, chwiik.”

The orcs believed that Weed had turned into a human due to a curse.

“We have decided to follow Karichwi, chwiiik!”

He didn’t know if this was a good thing……