1) Dulmore Fortress’s Misfortune

The final secret sculpting technique quest required him to go back in the history of the Versailles Continent.

This was the warring period.

He had the heavy task of leading the desert warriors against the Embinyu Church! Weed was armed with the t.i.tle of Master Swordsman and a large armed force. He also used his knowledge and experience in the fight.

“Life isn’t something where honest people who study hard are always successful. You have to compromise as well!”

Life was a battle!

Weed stood on the walls of Dulmore Fortress while riding Bactrian Camel. The Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms were greatly shocked at his sudden appearance.

They had fought a battle against him a short time ago so they didn’t want to see the leader of the desert army again.

“Kill.”

“Kkiyot! Embinyu will eat all those that disobey.”

The army of the Embinyu Church chased Weed to the fortress. The Embinyu Army was quite large.

The size of the Mapon and Beiner Kingdom’s army was smaller than the desert warriors, with only 300,000 soldiers! This scale was small compared to what the kingdoms could mobilize in the warring period.

However, the creatures from another dimension were those that ate humans for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The bronze giants were also larger than the 30 metres high wall. The fanatics that received Embinyu’s Dark Aura blessing were able to literally tear a man apart with both hands.

There were also various large monsters flying around in the sky! They were dozens of metres large and could spit acid down to the ground.

The legendary large turtles, Barates was also flying in the sky. 5,000 elite archers were on-board the turtles and prepared to fire their arrows.

Among the Embinyu Army were the Priests and Knights of Atrocities that were prepared to convert anyone who surrendered to fanatics! The priests and bishops of a religion could pa.s.s on their verdict with holy power. Those branded with the stigma of Embinyu would be cursed and die in agony.

“Humans have no value in life. Kill, kill.”

“I will make you feel endless pain.”

“Advance forward for Embinyu!”

The bronze giants and flying creatures that followed Weed focused their attacks on the fortress. Thousands of arrows flew towards the Dulmore Fortress.

The Mapon and Beiner Kingdom armies gathered to suppress Weed’s desert army were reluctantly forced to stop the Embinyu Church.

“We are not affiliated with him!”

The knights shouted as enemies attacked the fortress but the Embinyu Church didn’t care about the circ.u.mstances. They were the worst opponent to have a conversation with!

“What should we do, Captain?”

“They are trying to capture the fortress.”

“Quickly attack them!”

The soldiers shooting arrows towards Weed now aimed at the fanatics and monsters of the Embinyu Church.

Syuuuuuh!

The bronze giants threw their huge rocks and struck the walls. The fortress was located on a rugged terrain with cliffs and rivers that acted as protection. However, they couldn’t outlast the offensive.

Archers on the flying creatures poured arrows towards the walls.

There was a colourful effect as the magic defenses were triggered and the arrows and rocks were blocked. But sparks rose from the walls as the bronze giants continued attacking.

“Attack the enemies trying to conquer the fortress!”

The King of the Mapon Kingdom ordered the commanders.

“Fire!”

“Slay the enemies!”

“For His Majesty!”

The soldiers of the Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms fired arrows towards the bronze giants. They focused on the Embinyu Church because they were more threatening than Weed.

Then Weed who was just watching shouted louder.

“Embinyu Church, look at this. The King of the Beiner Kingdom is moving against you!”

The fanatics below the walls started shouting.

“Kill the infidels! G.o.d Embinyu will let you taste endless suffering!”

It was enough to just listen. It was an exquisite response.

“Hmm, G.o.d Embinyu will curse the King of the Beiner Kingdom. Especially at night, it will pa.s.s in an instant.”

“Rip apart the body of the Beiner King!”

A perfect harmonious play between Weed and the fanatics of the Embinyu Church. It was like a scene where a woman slapped her hateful mother in law! Some of the defense forces also shot arrows towards Weed.

t.i.titing!

However, the arrows just bounced off and didn’t even scratch Weed’s armour.

The attacks were so feeble that he didn’t need to pay attention. The arrows were perfectly blocked by his armour. His high defense and armour meant that the arrows couldn’t damage him. Weed generously forgave the soldiers for attacking him.

“Well, it might be a little punishment for my bad actions.”

He still had a minimum of conscience. It would be annoying and burdensome if all the defenders jumped towards Weed.

If the heroes of the Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms, Rohadram and Andre attacked Weed along with the Embinyu Church then it would be troublesome. It would be best if he waited for the Embinyu Church to take care of both sides.

Rohadram and Andre were busy commanding the soldiers to block the Embinyu Church.

‘For my own self-interest….no, for the sake of the declining Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms. The guards here need to fight well. And I should help prevent the Embinyu Church from taking over the fortress.’

Benefiting from both sides was an absolutely effective tactic. It was common in history for great strategists to take advantage of this. He would then hit them on the back of the head. Not missing an opportunity to strike in the back was a good tactic.

“I am a bad guy.”

Weed praised himself.

Bringing the desert army to fight the Embinyu Church would just be in vain. The power of the enemy meant there was no guarantee of victory. And even if he won, he would suffer tremendous damage. Those waiting in Dulmore Fortress would identify his power and determine how to attack.

He needed to learn from history. A hero’s sentiment would just cause him to lose his life.

“Charge!”

“Open the door so that the believers can enter.”

“Pilgrims of destruction, march forward to the death!”

The fanatics grabbed poles and attempted to break the gates of Dulmore Fortress. The pure silver in the flowing river meant those with an evil alignment couldn’t easily enter. But rocks and mud were used to fill up and block the river.

Monsters flew through the arrows and magic to s.n.a.t.c.h guards up into the sky. They endured the pain from the magic protection and continued to hunt humans.

“Kyahahat, delicious.”

“I’ve missed the taste of chewing on a head.”

The humans were delicious meals for those who came from h.e.l.l. Perhaps the demons felt like they were tourists visiting a restaurant.

Dulmore Fortress became a scene of chaos due to the demons!

It had gained a reputation as an impregnable fortress in the warring period. However, it seemed like the fortress wouldn’t be able to hold out against the Embinyu Church for long.

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“Ah…it has started.”

“Troops of the Embinyu Church are approaching. It is like that. We thought it would be a real battle but now it seems to be even more profound.”

The hot compet.i.tion between the broadcasting stations continued. All the stations were showing the battle of Dulmore Fortress.

The viewers weren’t deprived of channel choices but each station had different circ.u.mstances. The broadcasting stations that didn’t relay Weed’s adventure! They had the feel of second-rate stations.

The stations weren’t comfortable discarding the events of Weed’s adventure that affected the fate of the Versailles Continent. There was no guarantee their broadcast would gain higher audience rating than other stations but they had no choice but to sell advertising spots. Besides, Weed’s adventure was really popular so there was unlikely to be any criticism.

The video started showing on the screen and the ma.s.sive arm of the Embinyu Church appeared. The number of troops was many times larger than any war seen in Royal Road so it was extremely rare to see such a fierce war.

Bronze giants that seemed like mountains shook the land as they walked and flying creatures covered the sky.

“This…judge the pagans.”

“Your punishment will be unbearable pain.”

The Royal Road users shuddered at the sight of the Embinyu Army. Weed and the Embinyu Church’s power in the warring period was horribly inflated. The Embinyu Church was enough to eat the Central Continent and destroy the Haven Empire.

That wasn’t all.

Witches opened the Gates of h.e.l.l so demons fell down en ma.s.se. Despite being broad daylight, the sky turned a dark red. This was the decisive battle to decide the fate of the Versailles Continent.

KMC Media’s s.h.i.+n Hye-min and Oh Joo-wan.

The station had a team of 100 people working on the live broadcast.

“It is an overwhelming video from the start. It is thrilling to see what happens next. Oh Joo-wan ssi, what do you think?”

“It is really interesting.”

“Ah, you are trying to moderate your words.”

“Was I like that? My hands are sweating because of the battle. Weed’s armed forces have been seen a few times throughout the quest but can they really fight against the Embinyu Church? However, Weed always shows scenes that surpa.s.s our expectations. We can expect a cool showdown to unfold in the future.”

“It seems really desolate and scary over there. But the viewers really like it when Weed experiences this type of hards.h.i.+p.”

“I think so as well. We are really happy when Weed attempts a difficult quest.”

The station officials and viewers naturally wanted Weed to struggle. An adventure that would affect the entire continent! It was natural for interest to arise when one person caused so many changes to Royal Road.

“Oh Joo-wan ssi, what do you think the outcome will be for the war between Weed, the two kingdoms and the Embinyu Church?”

“I can only give a possible explanation. The possibility is high that it will be the end of the fortress.”

“I feel really sorry for the Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms. Omo, now the gate is being destroyed.”

“It was just broken! The Embinyu fanatics are pus.h.i.+ng in. The battle will return shortly. It is now time to see some short ads.”

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Weed directly partic.i.p.ated in the battle by firing the Yurbusika Frost Bow at the Embinyu fanatics.

They weren’t mere ice arrows but arrows that froze a small area! Dozens of fanatics gathered near the gates were killed at once.

“This is the fun of a ma.s.sacre. Though I am still disappointed. That is a bunch of j.a.ptem.”

The fortress’s defenders didn’t attack Weed now.

Of course, they had a hostile relations.h.i.+p but their current priority was pus.h.i.+ng back the attacks. They greatly feared the Embinyu Church’s cruelty. They could withdraw but then the two kingdoms would be a target.

The bronze giants were throwing large rocks without hesitation in order to destroy the fortress. The fortress was protected by magic but the rocks still slowly hit the wall.

Furthermore, the magic effect wouldn’t last indefinitely. The pure silver river was filled with dirt so the fanatics and demons entered through the narrow gate and climbed the walls.

It seemed like the fortress was in a real crisis. Serious fear spread among the soldiers. The demons that came through the Gates of h.e.l.l would s.n.a.t.c.h away humans or eat their flesh.

Weed used Atrock’s Cry.

“The cruel Embinyu Church will not spare us! If you want to live then fight until the end!”

The Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms weren’t allies so it didn’t have the effect of increasing their power and ability to follow commands. But it slightly affected morale.

“N-no. I want to go back home.”

“Let’s go. It is better to run away and live.”

“Our kingdom is already ruined. Angela. I will go to her.”

The morale of the soldiers fighting the creatures fell sharply. Once morale hit the floor, the soldiers would run away and the army would crumble. The leaders.h.i.+p of the army’s commander would make a significant difference.

“They will trample on our souls even after death. The land where millions of people settled with become barren and the cities turned into ruins. Your family members in your hometowns will have cruel things done to them!”

The soldiers of the Mapon Kingdom were bewildered.

“What nonsense is that savage saying?”

“Yes. Aren’t they all actions that he committed as well?”

Weed had forgotten his own behaviour as well as that of the desert warriors. Looting, scorching the city and slavery were no different from the Embinyu Church. But there was a difference from the viewpoint of the person involved.

“I do bad things but it is for the sake of justice so it is okay. Shouldn’t you commit to actions in your life?”

A positive self-rationalization!

Currently, all the residents in the warring period existed because of Weed and Seo-yoon’s quest. Once Weed returned to his original time, this world would disappear like dust being blown by the wind.

So he didn’t feel any remorse. In fact, Weed’s actions would’ve had a large impact on the future even if it was a peaceful era. But they were residents of a warring period so they might’ve died even without Weed’s actions.

It was a time where they would either develop or perish. A continuous cycle of destruction and recovery. Therefore, Weed’s damage to the Haven Empire and Central Continent was less than expected.

‘The difference in power between the Embinyu Church and the army is too severe, even if the soldiers are fighting properly. It won’t be easy to push them together.’

In the midst of shooting his bow on the walls, Weed could also observe the entire battlefield. His ultimate purpose wasn’t to protect Dulmore Fortress but to win the battle.

The desert army was moving like Weed planned in advance. They would wait at a suitable distance until the right time to hit the Embinyu Army. The sculptural lifeforms, Hestiger who wouldn’t die and the old Zahab led the troops.

The undead led by Van Hawk was already attacking the Embinyu Army from the side. The undead could continuously get up so it was better to use them early.

The a.s.sault of the Abyss Knight Van Hawk and the doom knights! The undead could improve their quality but in many cases, it was better to create undead from high level corpses.

Of course, Van Hawk wasn’t the only one who could summon undead. The magicians of the Embinyu Church could as well. But the undead heading towards Dulmore Fortress consisted of fanatics and a dwarf species.

“Kuhit!”

“Kuhihihihit!”

The dwarves were 1 metre tall. They could travel a short distance with magic and the sharp nails were a tricky threat to deal with. They also thought that users were a good snack.

“The gate is broken. Brothers of the Mapon Kingdom, block the enemy.”

“Spear units, don’t retreat even one step. The kingdom wants your blood. Fight for His Majesty!”

The bronze giants smashed the gates and waves of monsters and fanatics entered. The knights of the Mapon Kingdom used spears to painfully block any enemies that came in.

Weed stood and shot any enemies approaching or climbing the walls. Sometimes the creatures would be hit by an arrow or dagger and would fall to the ground while shrieking.

“They are piling up fairly quickly. Can this really be called an impregnable fortress?”

Despite its fame, the desert army could easily take over Dulmore Fortress. Weed’s ability to command troops in combat was at a level that no one could reach.

The gate was already breached so Weed concentrated his arrows on the enemies crossing the river.

Chaechaechaechang!

The arrows exploded in every direction and hundreds of enemies in the attack range froze.

Usually when the fanatics died, they would spread things like ‘spread nightmares,’ ‘body made of deadly poison,’ and ‘tear up a child.’ The aura of darkness given by Embinyu was also frozen.

Once in a frozen state, 40% of the fanatics and monsters died. Of course, those who survived had their health reduced and movements slowed. Freezing the enemies rus.h.i.+ng across the river was very effective.

The archers in Dulmore Fortress shot arrows relentlessly. There was the sound of incessant screaming and yells encouraging attacks.

“I can’t feel the military power of the two kingdoms. Are the royals already trying to escape the fortress?”

Weed had that dangerous thought and looked back to see what the Mapon and Beiner Kingdoms were doing.

Fierce battles were taking place on the main street near the gates. Flying creatures were in the air while fanatic archers and siege weapons were used to break and burn buildings in the fortress.

The large flying turtles were especially scary. The Barates spewed venom and literally melted the soldiers and buildings. That wasn’t their only means of attack.

The demons that emerged through the Gates of h.e.l.l had a remarkable ability to learn.

‘We can’t eat that human.’

‘He is not our share. He is as strong as a demon.’

‘Ruthless feeling. It will be a bother if he catches us.’

Weed completely scared the demons so they changed targets to the human soldiers. The winged monsters kidnapped soldiers from Dulmore Fortress.

The magicians on the ground aimed ice, wind and light attribute magic towards the flying creatures but the efficiency was poor. Magic attacks randomly soared towards the sky.

The fortress was wide and s.p.a.cious and the knights were busy getting rid of the invading enemies. Dulmore Fortress was a mess filled with explosions and screams.

There was a limit to what humans could do against the Embinyu Army.

“Well, I guess I can’t complain. I need to be a bit more active.”

It was now urgent to take care of the gates. If the gates were blocked then the archers and magicians could reduce the numbers of the Embinyu Army.

Of course, the bronze giants throwing rocks towards the fortress was also a large headache.

Weed stroked his camel.

“Bactrian Camel.”

“Pururung!”

“Hide until I call.”

Weed got down from the camel and took out the Extermination Sword while Bactrian Camel quickly hid somewhere safe.

“Then where should I play?”

His health and mana recovery was very fast so he had returned to a perfect state.

Weed could block up the gates so that not even one monster and fanatic could enter. However, guarding one place would be boring.

Mere fanatics weren’t enough to stop the great desert festival. He was capable of casually burning hundreds of people at once. Weed almost dreaded returning to his original time zone.

But there was no meaning in blocking the gates when the bronze giants would eventually destroy the walls.

“I’ll play in the air.”

Weed raced along the wall like the wind. He lightly swung his sword towards dozens of monsters climbing up from the walls.

“Flash Leap!”

Weed ran quickly and cast a skill. It didn’t consume his mana but high agility and strength were needed. It was a technique that allowed him to jump high if his running speed was fast enough.

Kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

A huge shock was delivered to the walls and archers fell down. Weed flew over 100 metres and landed in front of the enemy on a large turtle.

The archers and magicians on the Barates turned towards him.

“T-the enemy!”

“We must kill him.”

However, Weed just swung the Extermination Sword towards the archers. Violent flames stretched out from the Extermination Sword. It was a pillar of fire. The fearsome flames reached the archers who screamed and collapsed.

“Puhuhung!”

Bactrian Camel inched closer to the wall while watching Weed’s battle. Then his body changed into dirt and was sucked into the wall. The only thing left of Bactrian Camel was a pattern left on the wall.

This was Bactrian Camel’s defense skill of hiding within objects.

Weed recovered the j.a.ptem left behind by the archers.

“How do I kill this guy?”

He needed to handle the large turtles as well.

Kuoooong!

The large turtle felt the crisis and started twisting its body while flying. It leaned backwards and turned upside down in an attempt to drop Weed.

He could experience a thrilling feeling! The ground approached but his health was so high that he wouldn’t be hurt by the crash.

Other magicians in the area shot flames at him. The Barates also spat acid while furiously flipping in the air.

“This amount of force isn’t enough to kill it. I should handle it individually.”

Weed cast a skill.

“Wrath of Fire!”

Fired burned from the Extermination Sword. The flames were very rough and violent. It needed direct contact with enemies to deal damage but once it did, it would melt away the leather and bones of monsters. In particular, stabbing would increase attack power by 5 times.

Weed jumped across several turtles in a row without bothering to verify the results. This time it was possible to leap to other turtles without using a jump skill. The archers were overpowered while the large turtles engulfed in flames crashed into the ground.

“It worked out well!”

He continued jumping in the air and attacked the turtles. The knights and archers screamed as the turtles fell to the ground.

“Scatter!”

“Another is falling.”

“Over there….”

Large fireb.a.l.l.s consisting of turtles fell from the sky and hit Dulmore Fortress. The towers and buildings collapsed while many soldiers and n.o.bles died.

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