9) Hero of the Past

[TL Note]: I’ve mainly been keeping naming from previous translations that I can find in order to preserve continuity. However, I’ve decided to change Sword Mastery to Swordsmans.h.i.+p due to some awkward phrasing in this chapter and various other reasons.

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Weed decided to take advantage of this rapid growth for his sculpting.

“This is for the quest so I can’t fail. Sculptural Destruction! Everything into Knowledge.”

He broke sculptures from the beginning and applied it to hunting. The rise in Knowledge increased his maximum mana and he furiously used his skills.

“Radiant Sword! Hot Fire!” Weed’s original body couldn’t use magic but that changed when he became Nodulle.

That’s why he switched professions to Desert Warrior in the desert city of Laos. Now there was the possibility of using fire magic and fire elementals. He would also become stronger under the sun.

“Moving around will take too much time. I should eat while walking to save time.”

It had been 3 days into Nodulle’s Growth quest. He couldn’t find reasonable prey around the city anymore so he needed to move further.

In order to save precious time walking through the desert, he had Seo-yoon buy him a camel from the Mercenary Guild. She had worked for close to 1 year so her income was quite big.

“It is still too slow. I need something quick and tireless.”

He used water and sand to carve a sculpture of a camel.

“Sculpture Life Bestowal!”

The sand became flesh and a life was born.

“Meheheheng!”

“Your name shall be Bactrian Camel.”

The name was Bactrian Camel! The size was over 4 metres!

It could run quickly in the desert, had long legs so it wouldn’t fall in the sand and the soles of their feet were flat and s.p.a.cious. The Bactrian Camel also had 2 humps where nutrients could be stored!

The level of the camel was 483 and it could go 10 days without sleeping. In addition, the camel was a sculpture he gave life to.

“It will become stronger while I’m fighting. Anyway, it is done now that I’ve given life to it.”

This quest required hunting for 22 years so he could easily recover the levels. He obtained valuable information from his colleague in the city in order to save time and because he might not be able to meet her in a while.

Therefore, Weed decided to hunt with 10 desert soldiers. Warrior-1, Warrior-2, Warrior-3, Warrior-4….he felt annoyed making them but he buried those feelings.

“My life is yours. I can also tear out my heart and give it to you.”

The characteristics of a desert warrior was similar to eternal obedience.

“Yes, I will keep you with me. And I can’t buy them from the city so two priests are needed.”

The priests were both men, called Alverun and Alveren. To be exact, they were fake Alverons.

“G.o.d bless you for giving life to us.”

“This is a blessing. It would be nice if we had money and clothing.”

After making sculptural lifeforms for various situations, he decided to hunt in the dungeons.

“I will protect Master.”

“I will attract monsters for Master to fight.”

The desert warriors who Weed gave life to protected him and helped him hunt. After going through one dungeon, the desert warriors grew rapidly.

17 days after the quest started, his level broke through 440! He only concentrated on hunting with his subordinates so his growth was fearsome. Weed felt strength surge inside his body every time he fought. He demonstrated fire magic without a hitch and showed a frightening ability to slay the enemies! Weed and the sculptural lifeforms swept through the dungeons.

“This is not real….”

He hated that the sculptural lifeforms and everything he gained with Nodulle’s body would disappear at the end of this quest. He received the x2 experience effect when entering a new dungeon but he was greedy for more.

‘I should raise skill proficiency first. If I don’t raise that and my stats more then I will really suffer in the future. I can’t go into dangerous dungeons unless my level is high.’

The level of the monsters went up with the growth of the desert warriors and priests. He didn’t want to spend hours searching for the entrance of a dungeon. Good hunting grounds at higher levels might be difficult to find which is why Seo-yoon’s efforts in the city was crucial.

“Oh, the tough soul of the desert! The desert warriors will solve all difficulties in Laos!”

“It is great to see such fiery desert warriors.”

The treatment changed when meeting the desert tribesmen.

They watched Weed and the desert warriors pa.s.s through the city while holding scimitars. The law of the desert meant they respected strong warriors! The desert tribes fought and killed each other.

They were like bandits around a city. This was the reason why desert tribes had a lot of infamy. Weed felt tempted but he didn’t attack the desert tribes.

‘They are all riding fast camels. It will be hard to catch them.’

He was riding Bactrian Camel but his subordinates were on general camels. If the desert tribes escaped while fighting then it would be hard to track and chase them through the sand.

In fact, many of the desert tribes were so poor they only had one sword and a few sheep. This was why the desert tribes threw away their self-respect. Every time they finished a dungeon, Weed wouldn’t end the hunting and would just switch to another one.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the sun in the desert.”

“The sandy desert is vast.”

In no time, he was called a king. Weed and his soldiers exceeded level 500. Less than half of the time has pa.s.sed since receiving the quest. 22 years was a long time.

‘I wonder what will happen at the end of the quest. No, I don’t have time to think about such useless things. I should quickly beat the monsters.’

He spent of the time fighting in the desert so he earned many achievements.

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Users in the southern dukedom of Borghes. Meyer, Kenten Dreita, Enru and Frame!

These 4 people were hunting in a party regardless of the war in the Central Continent.

“Which side should we go to this time?”

“Shall we go towards the south?”

“The south?”

“Yes. We should go hunt the Ibellina Dungeon and then do some trade in a nearby desert city.”

“Shall we? I need to buy a magic book.”

They weren’t merchants but their backpacks were filled with basic things to sell. It wasn’t a large profit but this was a way to earn money for users more than level 200.

“Let’s go!”

They bought supplies first before going towards the Borghes area in the south. It was an enjoyable trip as they pa.s.sed fields and fish swimming in rivers.

There were a few activities in the dukedom so they went down to the south with 250 people. The crowd of users meant that monsters wouldn’t attack even if they were low level users.

“What the, isn’t this a strange city?”

“Did we take the wrong road?”

“No. I’ve been here a few times…that’s right. There was once a city in the desert called Probullen. There were signposts about it.”

“I saw a few intact buildings.”

“No way! It is really Probullen. When did it become bigger?”

The users were lost at the sight of a city so developed in the southern desert. Not long ago, there were dozens of outdated white buildings in the desert. The sand covered most of them and even small merchants wouldn’t set up a trading post there.

But now it was a large city with tens of thousands of buildings. Thick walls and moats were surrounding the city and a number of facilities drew water from a nearby lake. Even the merchants who normally travelled to the desert were surprised!

“I just came here two days ago.”

“Really? It wasn’t like this at the time?”

“Not at all. What magic caused such changes in only 2 days?”

“Should we go over there and look?”

“I’m going to check. Originally I was going to pa.s.s through but I can’t just go now.”

The curious users carefully went over to the city. Desert tribal warriors were guarding Probullen. Enru swallowed his saliva and asked.

“Hey, is this Probullen?”

“That’s correct.”

“Wasn’t it a small village a few days ago?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“There is a lack of water so the desert is a hard place to live.”

“Too noisy. Can’t you see the city facilities that we’re proud of?”

The guards became angry. But they weren’t stopped from entering the city. The users cheered as soon as they entered the city.

“Wow! This is amazing!”

“The real deal!”

The stores displayed fine silk, steel, ivory and jewellery. Hard to find equipment like scimitars over level 400 were displayed. Furthermore, the city contained a mercenary guild where tough desert warriors could be hired.

The desert warriors were very strong and the hire costs were low so they were immensely popular. In order to hire them, they had to go to large cities in the desert so Probullen was welcome.

“W-wait a minute. Why are the levels of the mercenaries so high?”

“How much?”

“Minimum is 390. Others are 420.”

“The employment costs are 400 gold per day?”

“No! That is the level.”

“Hik!”

Merchants ran through the streets cl.u.s.tered with shops selling goods. The market price had also changed a lot.

“Olives? That is common in our city. I’m not interested in buying imported goods. This isn’t a secret but if you want to sell something for an expensive price then bring things like dried fruits and pickled fish.”

“Pickled fish can be sold at a considerable price?”

“The number of visitors are increasing these days so it can’t be guaranteed. Those who come first can get a good price.”

In the past, food in the desert could be sold for an unconditionally good value. They were poor so they couldn’t buy a large quant.i.ty but now the market was highly developed so the goods could be disposed of.

The city’s population grew dramatically due to the increase in goods. Hundreds of different things of items were displayed.

“Oh my G.o.d! Lemons, basil, c.u.min, parsley, pepper, celery…there are tons of different spices.”

“There’s even the hard to obtain saffron!”

“What things are you looking for? The city merchants…if you find something you want then we work out a cheap price.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And don’t go to the old city of Laos in the south.

“Why?”

A merchant in Probullen mentioned the name Laos to an adventurer.

“The dye industry there is very developed and it is a wealthy place. So they often speak contemptuously of us.”

“Heok!”

Probullen wasn’t the only city in the desert with a tremendous change. Some cities were so wealthy that this place just seemed like a trading post.

‘A jackpot!’

‘It is a complete uproar. What can I buy and sell?’

Adventurers and warriors wanted good hunting grounds in undeveloped land. The merchants in the big cities competed with each other. Merchants experienced happiness and anguish when trying to purchase specialties.

Right now the north had a lot of trade and were building up their wealth.

“Are we still going to Ibellina Dungeon?”

“No! Let’s explore more of this city.”

“I also agree! There isn’t a rush to go to the hunting grounds.”

Meyer, Kenten Dreita, Enru and Frame postponed their dungeon hunting and toured the city. They tried talking to residents in order to obtain quests. They tried talking to a grandmother sitting on the sidewalk selling ornaments.

“How did Probullen become larger? Hahaha, you didn’t know a famous fact like that. It is thanks to the Great Emperor of the desert, Weed-nim.”

“W-Weed-nim!”

Enru and Frame were amazed. They were young but were big fans of Weed! Talk about Weed often occurred at school when they chattered with friends.

They started in the south and felt regret that Weed’s activities were in the distant north. Once their levels were a little higher, they dreamt of heading towards the north. Yet they heard a story about Weed in the desert city of Probullen!

“Shus.h.!.+ Don’t recklessly call the name of the Great Emperor. It is disrespectful and a desert warrior won’t forgive you if they heard it. His stature is something that the desert warriors don’t dare forget.”

“Y-yes.”

“I want to know more about him!”

Enru and Frame were pa.s.sionate fans of Weed so they showed an interest.

“Weed-nim is a person with enough power to burn through the desert. He created incredible miracles in the desert. Have you heard about the Golden Desert?”

“No!”

“The conquest of the Golden Desert led to the discovery of the desert city Metapeia.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes!”

Meyer who was listening couldn’t believe it. Weed had become an existence that was like a legend in the desert. There weren’t any stories when they came the last time and now this was happening suddenly. It also felt strange that the grandmother was talking about Weed like he lived a long time ago.

“Are you interested in adventures?”

“Yes!”

“Then you should ride a camel in the southeast direction for one day. You will be able to find a large canyon. Weed created his place in the desert as a gift. Go there and take a look. And if you see a man around there then ask if he is my son Vincent. That boy went there to meet a woman and hasn’t returned.”

Meanwhile, the merchant users became familiar with the store owners. It was important for merchants to determine the latest fas.h.i.+ons in the city in order to trade.

“Weed-nim was the Great Emperor of the desert.”

“He built a kingdom?”

“He could create sandstorms in the desert so no one dared go against His Majesty.”

“Created sandstorms?”

“He didn’t need to use a sword.”

One of the biggest reasons why merchants were reluctant to go into the desert was a sandstorm. Even a small one would be several hundred metres high and there were no countermeasures. They could suffer a great loss due to the sandstorms.

Even Bardray wouldn’t be able to display such a miracle. This story told how strong Weed was.

‘Is it possible they are talking about a different Weed?’

‘The stories might be wrong but I don’t feel like they are.’

The owner of a trading post told a different story.

“The Bukun colony near here? Weed-nim smashed it. Giants in the mountain? Weed-nim brought his subordinates there and cleared them out.”

“Eh?”

They were dumbfounded because those places were at least level 600. And the owner of an antique store covertly said.

“You there, do you want to see a real precious item that can’t be compared to the common goods in the store?”

“I would like to see it.”

“I don’t normally show this to merchants who first visit here. Watch carefully. It is a valuable treasure that can’t be bought. Follow me.”

The items in the store were too expensive for them so they wanted to see the really valuable treasure. The store owner guided them to the back of the building. There was a separate room protected by guards and pulled out a box that seemed like it contained rare gems.

‘Looking at this atmosphere and the size of the box, the item should be…. Wah, calm down.’

‘There must be an item worth thousands of gold in that box. A jewel worth more than 1 million gold might appear.’

‘It is expensive so there is no possibility of buying it. However, I can save money and aim for it. If I can sell it then my name will be known across the continent.’

The store owner said in a heavy voice.

“You will feel reverence when you see this. It is the most precious treasure that came from the desert.”

“Yes!”

The users watched as the store owner slowly opened the box.

‘T…this is?’

It was something they were familiar with!

‘A rabbit sculpture.’

The rabbit sculpture that Weed ma.s.s produced in Serabourg Castle and sold for 2 silver. Its colour had faded due to many years pa.s.sing but the guards on both sides kneeled down and gave it the utmost respect. The merchant users also kneeled down due to the atmosphere.

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Weed’s desert warriors extended up to 280 people.

“This sort of thing wasn’t intended. It is quite annoying.”

His subordinates weren’t all sculptural lifeforms. The brave desert warriors came running barefoot and kowtowed to him. In addition, the sculptural lifeforms got married and had children. The females weren’t weak due to the nature of the desert. Those children grew up and learnt how to use a knife from a young age.

“Great Emperor of the desert! I am not strong enough. I thank you for allowing me to be your subordinate.”

“I used all my strength to come here. Please accept me. If I am lacking then please cut my neck!”

“The glory days of the desert warriors are no more. My heart and limbs will fight for you.”

“Just like my father, I came to serve the greatest warrior. I am young but I know how to fight. Please accept me!”

Weed and his sculptural lifeforms had built up achievements and were widely known throughout the desert. The desert warriors ran over barefoot like a Korean star had arrived at the airport.

“We can go to various places in the desert with all these people following.”

Weed accepted the desert warriors into his group. The warriors had a lot of information about the desert so it was easy to pick a place to go. They were used as guides and errand boys.

“Monsters are rampaging near the area of my tribe.”

“Are they strong?”

“Yes. But if a strong warrior like you leads this group then it can be easily resolved. We can overcome any difficulty….”

“That’s it!”

Weed didn’t refuse any requests and listened to all the information from the warriors.

“There is a mysterious city. It is like a mirage in the desert. In the past, I heard there were rumours there that can greatly increase a governing area.”

“Weapons?”

“It is said that legendary treasures are sleeping there. But the only thing found there was a tomb.”

“Is it a dangerous place with powerful enemies?”

“Yes! It is a scary place.”

“Then let’s go!”

Weed and his subordinates ran through the desert. The unit of desert warriors followed Weed who was riding Bactrian Camel! And they arrived at the tomb with speed and efficiency.

“Fight! The people injured should take care of themselves while the others will keep on moving forward.”

The desert warriors engaged in a high speed hunt due to Weed’s charisma. The mysterious city of Metapeia was filled with monsters belonging to the legendary ghost clan. It had been 57 days since the quest started and he achieved level 640!

Weed just needed to wave his hand and the desert warriors would gather like clouds. In fact, now he had plenty of mana to summon Iron-1 and Iron-5 but he didn’t need them anymore. He would rather by accompanied by subordinates who were easily sacrificed.

“Don’t stop when the enemy comes rus.h.i.+ng and fight until the end.”

“It is an honour, Great King!”

Apart from the dungeons, there weren’t many scary monsters in the desert. He needed to pay attention to all the details to achieve the best performance in a quest.

“Great Emperor, please give a command.”

“The monsters are very strong. Attack them face on!”

The desert warriors hurled themselves into the fray while Weed and his sculptural lifeforms stayed in the rear. In addition, there were 12 priests that could save them at any time. If their size kept on growing larger then it would become c.u.mbersome to wander the desert.

-The hero of the desert shows cruelty and brutality.

-The Great Emperor that has a thick, b.l.o.o.d.y smell around him.

-It is a cruelty that doesn’t spare the lives of his subordinates in order to overcome any challenge.

Weed ruthlessly and efficiently commanded his subordinates. His Charisma and Fighting Spirit grew. It might seem brutal but this was the desert. They followed strong commands! Survival and strength was the most important thing in the desert so they became more excited with each victory.

There was no such thing as honour in the first place.

Ddiring!

A master swordsman!

He achieved it through Nodulle’s quest but he was the first user on the continent.

“It soared up from Advanced level 9 and I eventually mastered it.”

Weed’s joy was very small. The power of a sword master wasn’t that good. Ironically, his original Swordsmans.h.i.+p was still at Advanced level 4. After that, he also became a defense and magic master. He mastered countless attack skills.

Fire magic and elemental magic also reached the advanced level. The power of fire magic and fire elementals in the desert was very large. He didn’t feel the need to create anything other than basic fire elementals like salamanders.

Weed’s current body could use the techniques of a Desert Warrior, had the support of Sculptural Destruction and high health and mana. Of course, he could use the Art stat to switch between Strength or Agility as needed.

“Thank you very much. You are the benefactor who saved our tribe.”

“I’ve heard that a new sun is rising in the desert. Desert Sun, thank you very much.”

100 days pa.s.sed in one day. Weed hunted, procured supplies from stores, sold his sculptures and used Cloud Sculpting. This caused oases, lakes and rivers to form after a couple of years and cities would become larger. The bulletins boards were in an uproar from users in the southern desert and dukedoms.

-Weed the G.o.d of War’s activities in the desert.

-It is really a jackpot!

-Cities names after Weed have sprung up.

-The terrain is changing. The reason? I don’t know. It is a full transformation. What is impossible for Weed?

-The people in this dukedom is talking from morning until night.

-What kind of magic can build a city overnight? I couldn’t believe it until I saw it directly.

-My friend fell asleep in sand dunes and woke up in the middle of a city. Originally I thought it was a lie and didn’t believe my friend. This is a story for the broadcasting stations.

-It is a little strange. Weed’s history is recorded in the history books like he is an old person. He was the greatest hero of the desert.

-It is the same for me. People kept on talking about Weed like he lived hundreds of years ago.

-Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge!

-Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge!

-Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge! Gra.s.s Porridge!

-…….

-Bombardment is prohibited. There are more than 1,000 comments of Gra.s.s Porridge!

The result of Weed’s actions were normally spread. But this quest was something he didn’t spread. He just focused on becoming stronger in the desert.

Seo-yoon stayed safe within the city and worked at the Red Sun Mercenary Guild. The main work she did was commissioning merchants and determining what quests should be accepted.

Seo-yoon a.s.signed the requests to the appropriate mercenaries after she decided to accept them. 100 days pa.s.sed in one day so the results came quickly. Some mercenaries failed and died while others achieved large success. Seo-yoon confirmed new information on a daily basis as she worked in the mercenary guild.

“This time the work was completed brilliantly.”

“It is good that you’ve thoroughly resolved the work given to you.”

“Well, I can’t find fault in the work this time.”

“Huh! This is perfectly….! It is amazing. In the future I will put all requests through the Red Sun Mercenaries.”

Seo-yoon’s ability to deal with information was incomparable. In addition, she knew every detail of the mercenary’s information so she didn’t accept any reckless requests. She also a.s.signed good clients to Weed and his subordinates.

“Do you think this will be difficult?”

“Um. It is really easy. It could end soon. Do you want to do something else?”

“There is a request to fight illegal gold panning at the Kosuma River.”

“I will pick that.”

“It has a fairly large scale.”

“No. How can I miss this opportunity to pick up some gold from them?”

“…….”

“I can use this labour to grow.”

Weed and his troops neatly succeeded in the jobs. As Seo-yoon’s capabilities were recognized, her authority over the mercenaries kept on increasing.

“I’ve been watching for 8 years. You are the only woman we believe in. The mercenaries have great confidence in you. In the future you will lead our Red Sun Guild.”

She rose to the position of Deputy Director of the mercenary guild. She expanded the Red Sun Mercenaries.

Seo-yoon’s management skills results in branches of the guild opening in vast areas of the desert. Due to the fact that 100 days pa.s.sed in on day, she became known among the mercenary guilds. Weed saw the cities grow 3~4 times larger and after 12 years pa.s.sed, they had become huge metropolises.

The compensation for the guild requests also rose. In addition, commerce developed due to merchants being able to trade safely.

“The security of the Rumi area is falling. Mercenaries should be dispatched there. I will send some mercenaries along with Weed-nim the next time he visits.”

The desert prospered under her hands.

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By the time 19 years pa.s.sed in the quest, Weed and his sculptural lifeforms had reached a record level.

They broke through level 740! The important skills were mastered and they also got the x2 experience from dungeons. Weed meticulously remembered the information ahead of time. His thoughts changed continuously as time pa.s.sed in the quest.

In the early days.

‘Do I have to kill a sick and decrepit dragon? Ah, I’m anxious about dying.’

A dragon was an absolute existence. The hard skin meant it was hard for a sword to cut and magic attacks lost any meaning. The enormous health also meant it would take a few days to kill.

After half a year.

‘My level is rising at a good rate. It is important to minimize the travel distance. The quest can change completely depending on the results.’

Weed and his subordinates swept through the desert.

‘The Great Emperor of the Desert. The name they’re calling me is okay. My memories of Continent of Magic is rising after a long time. At that time there were no obstacles in my way. I lived without knowing when I would face a scary monster.’

In the second half of the year.

‘Hunting one dragon? Is there a sick dragon living in the vicinity?’

He really wanted to go against try going against a horde of monsters or a dragon. Weed and his subordinates’ strength in the desert was absolute. The desert warriors also became strong after experiencing all the cruelty.

“We’ve come back alive from the Dakhun Cave, Your Majesty!”

“I’ve brought this big lake monster that I’ve caught. 785 warriors headed there and only 377 people returned.”

The desert warriors called Weed a king. He didn’t govern over any territory or inhabitants but Weed’s influence stretched over the entire desert. The power and population of the desert tribes grew and they faithfully dedicated their lives to Weed.

Of course, if Weed was weak then all the desert warriors would turn on him. But they followed him because they recognized that Weed was strong. They were pure so he could control all of them.

Elite warriors swore loyalty to Weed every day and some honourably died while fulfilling orders. But the lives of the desert warriors weren’t always positive.

“These ugly b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! You are useless fellows who only eat rice. Hestiger, why didn’t you intercept the monster trying to kill me earlier? Take the lead!”

“Yes. It is an honour.”

“If you can’t win this fight then you don’t have the qualifications to become my subordinate.”

“I will certainly win.”

Weed cruelly sacrificed his subordinates.

His temperament from Continent of Magic was revived. The sculptural lifeforms were important investments but he didn’t care if the desert warriors died.

As the quest continued to progressed, he couldn’t afford to individually take care of his subordinates. Over 1,000 desert warriors who followed him suffered that pain.

TO BE CONTINUED

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