6) The Disappearing City

Weed moved without hesitation after demolis.h.i.+ng the Noah Princ.i.p.ality.

“The enemies are coming. The allies of Noah.”

“I can see the shape of the beacon. There is no reconciliation or truce. Advance.”

“Yes, Great Emperor!”

They looted and secured the Provista Princ.i.p.ality and the free city Mogen.

“Cut down the time you take to loot.”

The army simple smashed anything standing in their way while moving. The desert warriors used the power of the camels to move towards the heart of the Central Continent at lightning fast speed.

People often had the misunderstanding that camels were slower than horses. However, a camel was much faster and had stronger endurance.

Weed and the Red Knife unit advanced into the central area.

“Have you heard rumours of the three headed monster in the desert? It deals with the fires of h.e.l.l and disappears after dealing damage to the soul.”

“The devil has appeared in this world.”

“Has G.o.d sent it down to punish us humans?”

No matter how he tried to minimize his infamy, dangerous rumours spread like wildfire among the occupied territories. Originally Warrior Saving the World would use their righteousness in order to save the world and the other species on it. Like a movie, they fought against evil forces and a dragon. It was unfair but if he overcame the difficulties then the world would recognize him.

Weed had piled up so much stress that it felt like he would need to go to the hospital.

“Just like the elementary school book said, it is hard for a man to live in this world.”

A Warrior Saving the World was now indiscriminately destroying cities. But he still has some mercy as he left behind enough sweet potatoes and potatoes for the residents of the kingdoms he overpowered to eat.

Ddiring!

Weed ignored the messages that occasionally popped up. He had no choice but to lead his army forward to meet Ah.e.l.lun.

He had secretly fled with Seo-yoon when he had no power but now there was no need. He didn’t need to hesitate with a strong, armed force!

Of course, his subordinates needed to become stronger to fight against the Embinyu Church. More experience was often achieved through war than hunting. The current level of his men wasn’t good enough yet. But the constant looting allowed them to easily obtain top of the line equipment.

“Well, it is a decent nickname. Anyway, all my infamy and related t.i.tles will be lost after returning to my original time!”

Weed wasn’t a gentleman. He just killed anyone who opposed him in Continent of Magic.

Compared to that, he had been living relatively gently in Royal Road. He avoided any relations.h.i.+ps with the prestigious guilds. He had suffered while founding a kingdom only to have the Hermes Guild strike. The acc.u.mulated stress and tantrums!

“Looking at the damages in my life, it really is like a story.”

He would drink a hot broth only to find it wasn’t cooled. When looking at it from that point of view, destroying the kingdoms and facing the Embinyu Church wasn’t a bad choice.

“Returning to the past worked out well. I can act as I like!”

There were a number of large scale battles as he moved on. There was a time limit on the quest so he just attacked the enemies.

“There is something else.”

Weed read the piece of paper.

–I have sworn eternal loyalty to G.o.d Embinyu.

And a video occurred!

The Lord of Horn Castle was wearing a black robe and bowing to someone.

“That day will soon come…”

“Yes, of course.”

“The soldiers….”

“They have finished the preparations and are waiting.”

“I vow to follow Embinyu…”

“My soul will forever be yours!”

It was the scene of the Lord of Horn Castle swearing allegiance to the Embinyu Church.

“Once again. A strange piece of paper.”

He was able to obtain new information in the midst of his looting.

That message shone during the battle. He continued to gain information about the Embinyu Church as he moved from cities and castles.

Ddiring!

“The quest has changed.”

The warring period was full of rot. Thus the quest required a conqueror to get rid of the darkness!

Maybe life was a constant stream of quests and survival. A child was led from pre-school to elementary school by their mother. Once they grew, they would go to junior high, high school, university, the military, employment, marriage, preparing a home and having children.

It wasn’t easy to settle this series of quests. They would have to instinctively notice their boss, use excessive overtime to complete the tasks and attend work related dinners. Once they got home, they might not receive any respect from their families.

However, there were also moments of happiness while carrying the weight on their shoulders. Their level would rise and they would be rewarded by such things.

Weed felt similar dots on this quest.

“However, I need to keep the contents firmly in mind. It is just destroying like I’ve been doing until now.”

It was a quest that suited his apt.i.tude. After receiving Warrior Saving the World, his ability to fight had increased further. His subordinates were also brave and reliable. They would be able to display a fierce ambition in modern society.

“I will destroy the continent with my own hands!”

??????????????????????????

Dagan Kingdom was one of the countries on the verge of destruction due to war.

It once possessed an important granary system alongside the Ruben Plains. The kings and n.o.bles that pledged their loyalty to the Embinyu Church gained riches while the soldiers acquired special powers.

The population wasn’t enough to call it a powerful country but there were quite a few culture and ruins left behind for the next generation.

In the golden days, the territory was wide enough to rule over 13 big castles. But Weed and the desert warriors were born and the history changed, making them encounter an invasion 100 years earlier.

“We need supplies for war. Dagan Kingdom is good for this.”

Weed led his troops over the border of Dagan Kingdom.

The royal family of the Dagan Kingdom held an emergency meeting.

Of course, Weed saw this scene in a video. This was the benefit of the Earth G.o.ddess Mi-ne.

“Those barbarians dare step on our sacred territory, Your Majesty.”

“That’s right. Let’s show them a lesson.”

The half-naked women, kings and n.o.bles congregated in the Royal Palace were in chaos. The enforcement of discipline had collapsed, veteran knights were demoted and the n.o.bles were only skilled in flattery. They had become familiar with extravagance and hedonism due to the Embinyu Church.

“We will shatter the barbarians so why should Your Majesty appear directly? We will show the dignity of Your Majesty to the surrounding kingdoms and even the people complaining about the king will be quiet.”

“I agree. I will lead the military directly to deal the punishment. I will personally teach those barbarians a lesson.”

“It is worrying. I heard those people are unusually cruel.”

“I also heard that. But those guys will stop here. The armoured cavalrymen and infantry are an impregnable fortress that they absolutely can’t pierce.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. It is a good idea to practice fighting before proceeding to conquer other areas.”

“Huhuhu, it was worth investing a lot of money into the military.”

The King of the Dagan Kingdom gathered 60,000 troops and met them in the middle of the plains.

“Look at them. You can’t even distinguish between the infantry.”

“Their armour doesn’t even have a unified look, Your Majesty.”

“They don’t even have a flag which is a symbol of their pride.”

“It isn’t time to show Your Majesty’s dignity. The soldiers are here to serve Your Majesty so you should just rest and we will delay the battle until tomorrow.”

The n.o.bles of the Dagan Kingdom sneered at the desert warriors. The Dagan Kingdom’s elite soldiers were organized in the traditional manner!

“Those fellows are looking at us and laughing.”

“Are we going to just wait? No one would dare laugh at us in the desert.”

Weed laughed while riding Bactrian Camel.

Puheheheng!

The camels looked ridiculous to the Dagan Kingdom. The desert warriors rode camels and carried different types of weapons. The desert warriors looked ridiculous to the knights who used swords with both feet on the ground.

The desert warriors used specific weapons and could display outstanding abilities. They shot arrows or threw their hand axes while mounted.

“This is the first battle that will test our power against the military. Unit 1, pretend to break through enemy lines. Unit 2 will go around the right side to bypa.s.s any blocks. Unit 3 will wait to attack the enemy along with Unit 2. Unit 4 will go to the left. Unit 5 will arm themselves with bows.”

Weed divided 3,000 desert warriors using a variety of tactics, including ranged attacks.

“I’m going. Kyihahhh!”

The dust flew up as the camels rushed forward. The 60,000 heavily armoured infantry and cavalry formed a solid defense that was dangerous.

It would take a lot of power to break through the brunt of the infantry. It was common for those attempting to break through the cavalry to be eaten by them instead.

Weed didn’t feel the need for a frontal attack so he tried a variety of tactics.

“We have to strike them hard.”

The scattered desert warriors a.s.sembled and struck one point.

“I am Warrior-1!”

A sculptural lifeform. They were the commanders of the desert warriors.

“Let’s go, Hyung-nim!”

“Today will be a festival of blood.”

Each sculptural lifeforms had their own units and stormed the enemy forces.

The mobility and destructive force that couldn’t be caught exposed the weakness of the enemy camp. By default, the armoured infantry moved slowly so they exhausted themselves chasing them. There was also c.u.mulative damage from the arrows and axes that the desert warriors threw while circling them.

The armoured cavalry were much simpler opponents. The desert warriors were cavalrymen in the desert. When the armoured cavalry tried to show their destructive power, the opponents had already scattered and weren’t there anymore. It felt like the enemy was endless but that was due to cunning tactics.

“These desert savages, they have no idea of honour!”

“They are like hyenas!”

The armoured cavalry rampaged wildly. The knights started accusing them after becoming frustrating but the desert warriors thought it was just useless nonsense.

“Why do they keep on talking about honour?”

“I don’t know. My parents never mentioned it even once.”

“Weed-nim who is the Great Emperor spoke about honour.”

“What is it?”

“It is something that makes life more tiring. If we commit to bad actions then we will be healthy and live longer.”

The desert warriors who believed in Weed’s words! At the end of their racing, the armoured cavalry was so tired that they had no chance. They were slow and heavy so their vulnerability was exposed once they stopped. Once their speed slowed, it opened them up to counterattacks by the mounted enemies.

This was a tactic that could be seen in military manuals. Wolves used this method to hunt down grazing animals.

Weed’s desert warriors were strong and he had a firm grasp of the enemy’s weaknesses. Weed and his subordinates’ growth was the result of 22 years of training!

“Give up. Let’s stop fighting.”

“I surrender. Please treat us as the n.o.bility.”

The king and n.o.bles surrendered after the victory. The Dagan Kingdom already had 23,000 casualties. The prisoners were close to 25,000 people.

There were few desert warriors among the victory. Some were those that grew together with Weed but they were mainly the recruited warriors from the desert tribes.

Weed gave a command.

“Don’t kill the prisoners.”

“Yes, Great Emperor!”

And the destruction and looting of the Dagan Kingdom!

“How could these cruel acts… I don’t even fear the sky!”

The king and n.o.bles helped captive after surrendering started running amok.

“The sky? I don’t know anything about that. The real scary thing is the heating business in winter. Hey kids, these guys are being noisy so cut their necks!”

The king and n.o.bles were beheaded!

Ddiring!

Many in the Dagan Kingdom gave up their resistance and he was able to have a bloodless foray.

“Ohhhh!”

“These savages, they should go away.”

“G.o.d Embinyu will rule over this land. Destruction. Destruction. Destruction!”

The Embinyu Church revealed their true colours after the leaders died and started looting and setting fires in the cities. In this state, the residents were indifferent to things like human morality, honour or infamy and would just follow anyone.

For example, Nodulle could’ve been a great leader of the Dagan Kingdom. Weed was a different matter.

“Search the city for everything of value. And thoroughly destroy it!”

He found youths with good physiques and forcibly conscripted them as slaves. Weed’s troops increased to 60,000 people. But they weren’t like the youths the Embinyu Church recruited to be fanatics! They didn’t have any loyalty so there was always a chance of desertion.

“The next battlefield is Eluna. March!”

The 60,000 strong army either walked or moved by carriages. There was a mountain of materials behind the combatants. Merchants were forced to draw the carriages and made to trade. Weed jumped into the role of a villain in these times of war.

“I shouldn’t stop eating halfway. Once it started, I must do it properly. I have to act as a conqueror if I want to defeat the Embinyu Church.”

The weapons from the Dagan Kingdom were used to sweep through other occupied areas without much resistance. And the war with the Eluna Kingdom!

It was much bigger than the Dagan Kingdom and had a long history. Weed led the troops and quickly advanced towards an important fortress called Brunhaim in Eluna Kingdom.

“These savages, go away!”

“Soon His Majesty will send reinforcements and none of these people will return alive.”

He decided to stroke the Brunhaim Fortress in Eluna. Weed’s victory had already reached here so they were prepared.

“It is impossible for a warrior to live forever in a time of war. This is a chance to make the slaves into proper fighters.”

Weed started a merciless operation.

“Give the conscripted soldiers from the Dagan Kingdom bows and arrows. Armour or s.h.i.+elds to protect the body isn’t necessary. And have them shoot arrows while advancing towards the fortress.”

“Yes, Great Emperor.”

The desert warriors gave out the bows and arrows to the conscripted soldiers according to his command. And he forced them to advance.

Arrows from Brunhaim Fortress flew and hit the soldiers.

“Unbelievable…”

“No. I don’t want to die!”

The soldiers that tried to flee were executed by the desert warriors! The desert warriors were ruthless so they weren’t embarra.s.sed about their actions. Brunhaim Fortress were considered the enemy so they wouldn’t retreat even if it meant death. They couldn’t shoot arrows towards the walls.

Nevertheless, the slave soldiers were attacked and collapsed! They didn’t have armour or any basic s.h.i.+elds to protect their body. They couldn’t hide behind walls and could only shoot their arrows.

Nearly half of the 40,000 slaves died in vain. It was a tremendous but forced sacrifice.

Weed had other ideas while watching such a horrifying situation.

‘Should I eat jj.a.pagetti tonight?’ Well, I’ll like to eat ramyun as well.’

A conflict in his life choices!

There were many cases when users became attached to NPCs. Giving and receiving help from others during the quests would further their intimate relations.h.i.+p. Weed and his sculptural lifeforms have a similar relations.h.i.+p. The feeling of making them work hard even if they were lacking.

The weak NPCs dying were unrelated to Weed. They only existed in the current time zone so the NPCs would just disappear later. In other words, they were expendable consumables that he could take advantage of. A strong person would have a comfortable life compared to the weak.

“This is good enough. Have the soldiers retreat.”

“Yes, Great Emperor!”

The desert warriors gave the signal to retreat to the soldiers. A few arrows flying blindly had injured some of the fortress’s defenders but the damage was almost nothing. The defense had consumed their arrows and with no reserves, the fortress would fall within a day or two.

“The number of soldiers should be reduced in order to prevent a rebellion.”

The slave soldiers in this battle hated the Eluna Kingdom. Once the Eluna Kingdom occupied an area, they forcefully conscripted soldiers and create hostility among the slaves.

In addition, they greatly feared the desert warriors. Weed and the desert warriors appropriately used their fears to manage them on the battlefield. They used tactics to drive a wedge between people who had been friends since a young age.

That evening, Weed created a sculpture. It was a precise sculpture of Fort Brunhaim and the lands surrounding it. An earthquake had split the fortress into two.

Weed had his subordinates withdraw behind the fortress.

“Great Disaster Nature Sculpting!”

Kwarururururung!

The ground shook so hard that they couldn’t stand properly. Far away from the camels and horses, wagons had their wheels broken off. And the thick stone walls of Brunhaim Fortress were demolished. The towers containing the archers fell on the soldiers underneath.

Distant screams could be heard due to the power of Great Disaster Nature Sculpting! The reason he used this skill despite the large penalty was because he wanted a sure and quick win.

“Charge.”

Weed and the desert warriors riding the camels jumped over the broken wall. The slave soldiers followed behind without any armour but held swords. The Eluna soldiers failed to respond properly after the fortress was demolished.

“End of the Day!”

Weed’s skill swept through the knights.

“Black Knight’s Strike!”

No one dared take an attack from Weed’s sword. And a wide area skill.

The desert warriors also jumped in.

The army that came from the hot desert conquered Brunhaim Fortress.

“Owahhhh!”

“Attack. Kill everyone!”

The slave soldiers also furiously slashed at Eluna’s soldiers. They had experienced endless fear when facing the walls with just a bow! They didn’t dare complain to Weed and the desert warriors so they directed all their hate towards Eluna’s soldiers.

“Should we take any prisoners?”

Warrior-1 asked when he was certain of victory.

“No. We can’t forgive those who tried to strike against us. Burn the entire fortress.”

“… Really?”

“Yes.”

Weed’s subordinates completely burned down the fortress at his command.

A brutal and violent war!

These actions normally wouldn’t be taken by humans. However, Weed thought that he shouldn’t act too moderately during this quest.

“I need to instil more fear in order for future battles to proceed smoothly.”

The residents had a different mindset in times of war. If they didn’t respect the desert warriors then they would revolt. The slaves soldiers also feared the Embinyu Church and didn’t believe anyone could suppress them. Ruthless violence was the best solution to ensure people wouldn’t revolt.

The slaves soldiers that witnessed the slaughter froze. And it actually caused adverse effects!

“How splendid.”

“The ideal military tyrant.”

“Yes, he is obviously the new incarnation of Embinyu. He can create a fascinating environment.”

The Embinyu fanatics in the ruins of Brunhaim rejoiced!

This influenced the slave soldiers and they were more aggressive during the next battle. After winning several battles, the forced recruitment increased the number of slave soldiers to 200,000. The victories in the siege warfare caused fear of Weed and his troops to spread deep into the continent.

The only person who could stop Weed’s ruthless activities was Seo-yoon. She was the one in charge of Weed’s military funding and other related matters.

“….Yes? We can do that.”

Unbelievable money transactions between parents, siblings and children! But Weed knew what Seo-yoon had done in the desert so he easily allowed her.

‘She will take care of it well. Anyway, I can always gain more money.’

He just needed to plunder some goods!

Seo-yoon paid money to the merchants and provided the necessary materials to the army. These were times of war so the merchants were blinded by money.

“Thank you for this transaction. Is there anything else?”

After a few successful transactions, Seo-yoon made a special order.

“…Can you do it?”

“It is difficult to get past the magician’s tower but if we used the Royal Teleport Gate then it can be easily obtained. Yes? If we obtain it early will you give us more money? Aigoo, I’m so thankful! I will use any method.”

And the merchants obtained 300 elephants.

So far, Weed’s army consisted of the desert warriors and the slave soldiers. In addition to planting fear in the enemies, Seo-yoon organized an elephant combat troops.

??????????????????????????

The Haven Empire that had repelled the Allied Forces!

Moros Castle was an important place in the Central Continent. It was a historically significant commercial city that traded in high end furniture, velvet and spices.

The Haven Empire had incorporated it after conquering the Britten Alliance Kingdom and the entire area had high taxes.

Lord Ropno!

“I did well to bribe the Hermes Guild to allow me to rule this place. I’ve collected a huge amount of money due to the raised taxes while ruling this city.”

The Lord felt proud as he looked out the window and enjoyed the sight of the blue sky and buildings spread before him.

“Ruoni, those houses over there… When did it change to a wasteland?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“It is probably just my mistake.”

“Perhaps you’re right. It is a quiet residential area, not a wasteland.”

They both started laughing at the mistake. The Lord remembered every inch of this city. But on this hot summer day, the houses on the outskirts seemed to melt away like ice cream.

“What is this? The luxury residential buildings are clearly smaller. Eh? Now they’ve completely disappeared.”

“What is going on? The small houses at the boundaries has disappeared and the city shrank! This is nonsense.”

Ropno evaluated the number of inhabitants using the mode reserved for lords. But he only confirmed that there were 30,000 less people than yesterday.

“How did this happen? It is like a plague.”

It was a situation that caused his spirit to go crazy! The change soon moved from the residential to commercial area of Moros Castle. The thriving business district noticeably shrank.

There was a reduction in trade goods, the residents’ attire worsened and the streets became emptier. The merchants with protruding stomachs turned thin like they had dried out. Roadside stalls closed and the buildings disappeared.

The commercial district closed and the city literally melted away. The places where roads and buildings were became covered with overgrown weeds and the surrounding area became wastelands and forests.

“What is happening?”

“What is this?”

The Hermes Guild users and regular users who belatedly discovered this were confused. There were many merchants who came to Moros Castle despite the high taxes.

In addition, hundreds of people waiting in front of the gates thought it was absurd as they saw the disappearing city!

“Well, this is a grand sight.”

“Indeed. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Anyway, it is someone else’s business so it is fun to watch. The users still remained in the same spot as only the buildings and residents disappeared. It was a weird experience for them to experience buildings or goods they were buying suddenly melt away.

The city disappeared until only the users were left. The walls of Moros Castle gradually faded away until only the land remained. Moros Castle and the commercial district changed to fields and forests.

At almost the same time, wooden buildings appeared at the nearby river. Small boats floating leisurely and fishermen NPCs were there.

The Hermes Guild ran up to them.

“Excuse me, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What? I’ve been here a couple of years and it is amazing that so many people suddenly showed up.”

“Eh?”

“Yes, where did you come from? The north or the south?”

The Hermes Guild felt frustration at the fisherman who was placing bait on the end of his fis.h.i.+ng line.

“We were here in Moros Castle.”

“Moros Castle? I’ve never heard of that name in this area.”

“It was built on that wide piece of land just 10 minutes ago.”

“Hey, stop joking. That is a wasteland. Furthermore, doesn’t my son run there every day? He even tried to grow a little garden there two years ago but there was too much gravel and he had to give up.”

The Hermes Guild couldn’t understand what the fisherman was talking about. They had quite a bit of knowledge from completing multiple quests in Royal Road. However, it was impossible for their minds to understand an impossible event like a large city disappearing.

The general users that arrived at the fishermen also p.r.i.c.ked their ears. The disappearance of Moros Castle had stimulated their curiosity.

Then one member of the Hermes Guild, a scrawny thief user rolled his eyes and asked.

“Then Moros Castle isn’t here?”

“Of course not. The closest place is Hepen Castle.”

Hepen Castle was a former territory of the Britten Alliance Kingdom and also belonged to the Hermes Guild. Well, it was fortunate that the fisherman confirmed that place was safe.

“Moros Castle suddenly disappearing… No, doesn’t those words mean it was never here in the first place? And no one has heard of it.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ve lived here for a long time fis.h.i.+ng.”

“I’ve been here since I was 7 years ago and it has been 30 years since then. I will spend the rest of my life here fis.h.i.+ng. My wife weaves the nets.”

They couldn’t understand the incident of Moros Castle disappearing without a trace from the continent. But the Hermes Guild were in a position where they needed to understand.

“Why isn’t a city built here? It looks like a pretty s.p.a.cious land.”

“Well, that… I heard from a traveller that Heltun Castle with many residents used to exist there.”

Before the Britten Alliance Kingdom occupied the area, Heltun Castle used to be ruled by the Eluna Kingdom.

“After the invasion of the desert tribes, not one cornerstone of Heltun Castle was left behind.”

“Invasion?”

“Yes. They conveyed a large disaster. The Eluna Kingdom couldn’t stop them. The Fire Demon Weed took everything away.”

Weed!

That name made all the changes on the Versailles Continent understandable. Among the users present, some of them found a reason for the situation.

“Is this a.s.sociated with the desert cities suddenly springing up in the south?”

“I think that fits. There is an increasing number of cities and Moros Castle disappeared.”

“No, what type of quest would involve this type of magic?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, Moros Castle has perished.”

“I feel the same.”

The Hermes Guild members who identified the situation felt like fainting.

Moros Castle had great commercial value and was also a transportation hub. Losing Moros Castle would cause a huge setback to the activities of Hepen Castle and Madhed River. There were many monsters rampaging around the area. If there wasn’t an army stationed at Moros Castle to subjugate them then it would be a huge problem.

“Then let’s head towards Hepen Castle first to think up some countermeasures. If they give us support then we can reconstruct Moros Castle.”

“Get people ready to leave in 30 minutes.”

Then the Hermes Guild was interrupted by the fisherman.

“The closest place is Pridal Castle.”

“Huh? Hepen Castle is closer. Pridal Castle is quite far away. It would take roughly 2 hours riding horses.”

“Didn’t you say earlier than Hepen Castle was closest?”

The fisherman scratched his head.

“When did I say that? I don’t remember. This is the first time I’ve heard the name Hepen.”

The face of the Hermes Guild members paled.

And people started experiencing the phenomenon of Hepen Castle disappearing like a mirage.

|