Chapter 6) Time in the Past

[TL]: Once again, please don’t post any spoilers in the comments. I’ve had to delete at least 10 for the last chapter but I can’t always catch them all. Please think of the other readers who don’t want to read spoilers. Adding the word “spoiler” doesn’t really help people avoid reading it.

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“Nodulle! Hilderun is the offering to the Sea G.o.d. Stop right there!”

The voices shouting from the large wars.h.i.+p had mistaken Weed and Seo-yoon as Nodulle and Hilderun.

Weed knew it wasn’t a simple illusion. It wasn’t a coincidence that they were being chased by battles.h.i.+ps during this quest.

The time in the past when Nodulle and Hilderun escaped from Borota Island was being replayed like an illusion.

“What mysterious thing?”

It as a situation where the quest item activated by itself! Seo-yoon gazed at Weed.

“I don’t know the story but you can send me if it necessary.”

Perhaps Hilderun had also said those words to Nodulle in this situation. It was a moment where the lovers trembled with fear and felt anxious.

Of course, the meaning of Seo-yoon’s words were different. Hilderun was worried about Nodulle but Seo-yoon….

‘Please send me. I’ll kill everyone and return.’

Weed shook his head.

“No. We’ll go together until the end. I’ll never hand you over to them.”

The final secret sculpting technique quest was very important. He needed Seo-yoon to survive in order to succeed. But the quest would fail if his colleague was killed!

“Really?”

“Yes. Like I said, we’re going to go together until the end.”

Seo-yoon smiled beautifully again.

Weed pretended to be indifferent but he felt sorry. In the past, he always cooked meals when she was hungry and bandaged her when she was injured. Of course, Weed had been subservient because he had been frightened of her.

“Is it possible to escape?”

“I will do my best.”

Weed rowed with all his might but the battles.h.i.+ps were approaching at a very fast speed.

‘According to the map, if we get out of this area then reefs will be ahead….’

They could escape from the battles.h.i.+ps there.

‘Perhaps Nodulle could sail a boat better than me. They also didn’t have any baggage so they could escape safely.’

The large battles.h.i.+ps were nearing the sculpted boat. A naval battle depended on the range of their artillery.

“This won’t work. Wait a minute while I go.”

“Yes?

Seo-yoon got up and light shone around her body. And wings of light spread open!

Recently the sculptural lifeform Light Wings had gone to Seo-yoon. It wasn’t as useful as Yellowy or Goldman but the Light Wings had willingly followed Seo-yoon.

Seo-yoon flew towards the battles.h.i.+ps using Light Wings. Weed anxiously waited from the boat.

“If she gets caught by them then this quest will fail. Then the quests for the secret sculpting technique was end in vain….”

And then he heard loud sounds from the battles.h.i.+ps.

Ujikun! Kwa kwa kw.a.n.g!

The central sails collapsed and the cannons and hull destroyed.

“Kuaaak!”

“S-save me!”

The screams of the Sea G.o.d’s followers could be heard as they fell into the water. And after a while, the battles.h.i.+p tilted and sunk. Then Seo-yoon used Light Wings to fly to the other battles.h.i.+ps.

Kwa kwa kw.a.n.g! Kw.a.n.g, kwa kw.a.n.g!

He could tell terrible things were happening to the battles.h.i.+ps without looking at it directly.

“This time is crazy as well.”

She had demonstrated the capabilities of a berserker on Rupoi Plains.

“This is different from the story of Nodulle and Hilderun.”

According to the contents of the original quest, the female who played the role of Hilderun needed to be protected until they escaped. Yet Seo-yoon was now the one killing the Sea G.o.d’s followers.

“The world has changed these days. A woman is even more terrifying than a Death Knight.”

After 3 s.h.i.+ps were sunk, Weed entered the range of the cannons.

Pepepeng!

Sh.e.l.ls fell around the boat as pillars of water shot upward. The bombardment had started but the distance was still far so the attacks weren’t accurate. Weed skilfully rowed the boat between them. The small boat meant it was easier to avoid the cannons.

The reefs gradually appeared. Once he reached the reefs, the remaining 6 battles.h.i.+ps stopped their chase. And Seo-yoon also burned 2 more s.h.i.+ps. The s.h.i.+ps were engulfed in fire as they sank into the sea.

Then Seo-yoon used Light Wings to return to the boat.

“I’m back.”

Seo-yoon’s smile was so beautiful that a painter or sculptor couldn’t express it. Now it was a little scary!

In the past, Seo-yoon was cold but know she was smiling in front of Weed while holding a sword.

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They had entered the Velazquez waters unharmed but their difficulties was only starting.

Purim!

Marine monsters called Gruduru swam in the water past them. He had to ensure the small boat wasn’t sucked into whirlpools or blocked by marine creatures.

“How did Nodulle conquer this?”

If Weed used the Sands of Time then he could see how Nodulle did it. Nodulle didn’t have good fighting skills so he would show his sailing abilities here. He could see the weaknesses of the Gruduru or tricks used to cross the sea.

However, Weed was the type of stingy person who regretted consuming supplies. It was to the extent that he didn’t use warm water to wash his face in winter!

“I just need to hang on. Mind Hand!”

It was a skill without a particularly great use. Mind Hand. An extra hand paddled in the water and the boat shot forward. Seo-yoon didn’t hold still and cut any enemy that approached.

The s.h.i.+p had been damaged by the Gruduru.

“Repair!”

Weed brought wood beforehand in order to repair the s.h.i.+p.

Tung tang tung tang!

“Droplets!”

The elemental created with Elemental Sculpting!

“You called?”

A drop of water appeared wearing a dress. It had been summoned after a long time so it was smiling cutely.

“Get out.”

“Huh?”

“Get the water out of the s.h.i.+p!”

“…….”

All the water on the s.h.i.+p was removed through the water elemental.

“Repair!”

The flooding was stopped but Velazquez was a paradise of marine creatures.

“We have to go forward….”

Weed was almost desperate.

“This is something many youths in Korea face. Entrance examination compet.i.tion, compet.i.tive employment and an endless life of working overtime for the company!”

He couldn’t give up and continued firing arrows and Radiant Sword at the enemy. The desperate struggle to stay afloat.

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“He is having a hard time.”

Yoo Byung-jin said while watching Weed’s adventures.

“Versailles, how did Nodulle cross that sea in the past?”

Versailles the artificial intelligence of Royal Road retrieved the history records and replied.

-The video is being prepared now. Would you like to see it?

“Play it on monitor number 7.”

The 7th monitor’s screen changed to Nodulle and Hilderun sailing on the Velazquez waters. The screen that was showing Morata changed to Nodulle and Hilderun.

They were eating sandwiches prepared beforehand while sailing. The Gruduru wandered around them but didn’t attack. The Gruduru was annoying but they had avoided any damage.

The reason was the figurehead! Nodulle’s octopus figurehead caused the marine monsters to retreat. When other types of marine monsters would approach, he scatted a little bit of onion juice into the water. Onion juice mixed with seawater caused the marine monsters to flinch and not come close. Of course, the figurehead was something that belonged to the Borota family.

Yoo Byung-jin looked at Weed and Seo-yoon desperately hanging on and muttered.

“It hasn’t even reached the difficult part of the quest….”

-They seem to be having trouble.

“But the remaining quests aren’t going to be that easy right?”

-Of course. So far this is the most difficult quest that has appeared in Royal Road.

“But Weed’s ability is excellent.”

Yoo Byung-jin had been annoyed because Weed had managed to conquer a crisis every time. He won despite the difficulty so the mania of the public rose even more. Yoo Byung-jin found this exasperating.

“If he learns the final secret sculpting technique and unifies the continent….”

Of course, he needed to shatter Bardray and the Hermes Guild in the middle of the process. He had high approval with the users as the King so he could accomplish it. He gained a variety of skills and stats every time he completed a complex quest.

Yoo Byung-jin often became grumpy whenever he used the best solution to breakthrough any difficulty. It was to the extent that Weed could roll around in a swamp and still settle something coolly. He had broken the Haven Empire’s Northern Expedition.

If fact, Yoo Byung-jin didn’t necessarily hate Weed but he felt better every time Weed suffered.

-Should I calculate the probability?

“No, don’t do that.”

He decided not to believe the probabilities about Weed anymore. Despite being an advanced artificial intelligence, the results couldn’t be trusted. He didn’t know whether he would collapse with frustration or be glad if Weed obtained the secret sculpting technique.

Bardray and the Hermes Guild committed bad acts so they deserved destruction. But watching Weed obtain great success caused a pain in his stomach. He was interested in watching Weed’s behaviour while cursing.

“The final secret technique quests could be said to have the greatest difficulty in Royal Road.”

-Weed’s versatile skills and stats will be obsolete. He has to win using pure sculpting ability so it will be hard even for Weed.

“I guessed that as well. I want to see it quickly. Huhuhuhuhuk.”

-Kil kil kil kil!

Yoo Byung-jin and the artificial intelligence laughed.

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“Hah, we managed to pa.s.s that safely….”

Weed looked back at the Velazquez waters. He experienced countless crises until they managed to pa.s.s through safely.

The hull’s durability fell to 6 points but they drove the marine monsters away and endured. Once they reached the current area, the marine monsters didn’t follow anymore.

“We were able to do it. If we have the fort.i.tude then we can succeed.”

Seo-yoon also played an admirable role. Despite her profession as a berserker, it wasn’t easy to tirelessly fight a myriad of monsters as they pa.s.sed through. They needed to protect the s.h.i.+ps and check for monsters underwater. Weed also sailed and fought without a break. If it wasn’t for the experience then his body wouldn’t have held on.

“Final secret sculpting technique quest. The difficulty level is indeed enormous.”

Weed was satisfied that he had overcome one challenge. It was the sense of accomplishment after a hard day’s work. He wouldn’t have succeeded if he didn’t have intermediate sailing skills.

“As expected, the sailing skill isn’t useless.”

The rain gradually stopped and now the sky was clear. Weed’s quest had moved forward so the rain at Borota Island stopped.

“Thanks for the help.”

“No. I had to do it.”

As an aftereffect of the battle, Seo-yoon was lying down feebly. Once the battle ended, she would become extremely weak and take a while to recover.

“We will take a small break here.”

Weed and Seo-yoon rested on the s.h.i.+p. If they followed this current then they would reach the continent. The great danger seemed to have pa.s.sed.

And that night, the stars s.h.i.+ning in the sky above the sea seemed more beautiful than usual. Weed carved sculptures like normal while Seo-yoon watched. The moonlight subtly s.h.i.+ning on the sea while he made sculptures had a wonderful atmosphere.

Splas.h.!.+

“Did you hear that? A sound came from the sea just now.”

Weed turned his gaze towards the sea. The sea was as gentle as a lake. There was a cool breeze under the fantastic night sky and the air was clear.

“Huh? I didn’t hear anything?”

“I clearly heard some sound….”

“You’re being paranoid.”

Weed carved the sculpture again. His sculpting skill was 75.3% Advanced Level 9. It wasn’t long until it reached master level. Although he had continued sculpting during his countless adventures, he still hadn’t accomplished it.

“Once I finish the sculpting skill, I should challenge sewing. And if the world becomes a little peaceful then I can master the skill in 1 year.”

He set up a far-reaching plan. If he mastered all the production skills then he would have no rival on the Versailles Continent.

Splas.h.!.+

“Did you hear that?”

“This time I heard it.”

The sound of splas.h.i.+ng water was very close.

“Something is coming.”

He armed himself with a high elf’s bow. He was alert while watching the wide sea.

At that time!

Splas.h.!.+ Splas.h.!.+ Splas.h.!.+

A big fish jumped up in front of the s.h.i.+p Weed and Seo-yoon were riding.

“A Blue Marlin.”

It was a large fish that exceeded 3 metres! If Zephyr caught it then it would make a delicious dish. But right now it wasn’t a relaxing situation. Soon tens, hundreds or thousands of Blue Marlins jumped up. The splas.h.i.+ng sound was caused by countless Blue Marlins nearing Weed and Seo-yoon’s s.h.i.+p.

“Such a thing….”

Kuwong!

“Repair!”

The Blue Marlins kept on colliding with the s.h.i.+p. To make matters worse, one Blue Marlin made a mistake while jumping and fell on the small boat.

Blink blink.

The Blue Marlin blinked its eyes while moving its tail. This was a horrifying sight for people who eat Maeuntang (spicy fish soup)! The other Blue Marlins also fell, causing a difficult situation at sea.

“These things…..”

The s.h.i.+p was destroyed not because of marine monsters but a group of fish.

“Kyaah!”

Seo-yoon screamed as she fell into the sea. Weed plunged into the sea to save her. It was a dark night so not a lot was visible. The Blue Marlins were beneath the surface so it was hard to move.

Seo-yoon was wearing armour so she sank down quickly. Weed swam deep underwater in order to catch her.

‘I got you.’

A image appeared as soon as he grabbed Seo-yoon’s hand.

After Nodulle and Hilderun escaped the Velazquez waters, they had received a surprise attack by the Blue Marlins. Their s.h.i.+p broke into pieces and they drifted on one of the fragments.

‘We’re still going to the right place.’

Weed pulled Seo-yoon up to the surface of the water and asked.

“Are you okay?”

“Thanks for saving me.”

“That thank you…. Pay my gas or city bill this month.”

Weed and Seo-yoon held on to a broken plank.

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“Kkuek!”

Wy-3 glided over the sea.

“Master has disappeared.”

“He was just gone.”

Wy-1 opened its big eyes that were s.h.i.+ning brightly. The sea had already become gentle after Weed and Seo-yoon sank. Wy-5, Wy-6 and Wy-7 glanced at the water and couldn’t find anything.

Wy-3 looked at his urgently searching brothers like they were pathetic.

“Let’s go and eat rice.”

“Wy-3 doesn’t seem worried about Master.”

“After Master kept on calling you pretty….”

Wy-3 flapped his wings like his brother’s words were absurd.

“A man and woman disappeared together.”

“So?”

“We searched but couldn’t find them. Ggeug ggeug ggeug.”

Wy-3 gave an ugly grin!

“Oh, I like that.”

“We’ll pretend like we know nothing when he appears again later.”

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Weed and Seo-yoon drifted in the sea for over a day. The two people weren’t bored. Holding on to a floating plank was a unique experience.

“I liked swimming from an early age.”

“Did you go to the pool?”

“I often played at the public baths.”

And they finally reached land!

Ddiring!

“We found the right place.”

Weed checked the surroundings. A beautiful sandy beach spread out before them. They headed to the continent from Borota Island but they hadn’t travelled that far.

“This location is probably Kordadesul.”

Warm sun s.h.i.+ning in all four seasons, sandy beach and beautiful terrain. It was one of the 3 major resort cities on Versailles Continent.

“I’ve seen the broadcast and the surrounding mountains seem to fit.”

“But why are there no people?”

The luxury accommodations and restaurants built on the beach couldn’t be seen. There were no villas built by aristocrats and the only thing that could be seen was the sandy beach.

“The weather is nice but not one user is playing at the beach….”

Weed was suspicious. They also didn’t meet any users sailing while drifting here. Normally there were many tourists and merchants moving between Borota Island and the continent. Among them would occasionally be those who needed saving from sharks.

“There are footprints over there.”

Seo-yoon found footprints on the beach. Usually he would ignore any footprints on a beach but there were no other marks so it stimulated his curiosity.

“They are the footprints of two people. If we follow then something might emerge.”

Weed and Seo-yoon walked along the footprints. Unknown adventures should make a person feel uneasy. But they were different from ordinary people. Seo-yoon’s case was very simple.

‘If a monster comes then I have to quickly kill it.’

Weed was worse.

‘It would be wonderful if a monster with good leather emerges. I will peel the leather off, separate the claws and fangs, roast the meat and squeeze the oil.’

It was the end the moment a monster met Weed.

The footprints led to a small log cabin. It was in the forest where the beautiful sandy beach could be seen between the trees.

“This is a bit lacking….the structure will be hot in summer and cold in winter. And water will leak if it rains…. The house seems to be made with the surrounding materials. Shall we enter?”

“Yes.”

Weed and Seo-yoon pulled out their weapons and prepared for battle as they entered the log cabin. There weren’t any decent items inside.

Ddiring!

“The war in this time period.”

After reading the details of the quest, it was clear that they weren’t in the Versailles Continent’s normal time.

“Judging by the Cross, Mapon and Bromba Kingdoms, Nodulle and Hilderun lived in that time period.”

“Time has changed.”

“We have jumped directly into Nodulle and Hilderun’s history.”

Weed didn’t bother to think of a complicated explanation. In the past, the Hero’s Tower plunged him into the past to save a princess. If he used that experience then the situation was simple.

“If it continues in this manner then this quest seems to be huge trouble.”

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“He went towards the square. Search every corner!”

“Catch the person wearing paint covered clothes.”

Guards moved near the alley where Petrov was hiding.

“Pant pant, I was almost caught.”

Petrov was roaming the areas governed by the Hermes Guild.

He secretly painted the Hermes Guild’s misdeeds on walls and roads. The contents included exploiting the residents for taxes and labour. Some of the situations were real but there were quite a few paintings based on his imagination.

The residents of the Haven Empire had low loyalty so they believed the images Petrov painted.

“Lord Jerou is a person who would do something like that.”

“Honour and conscience? Lenon is a coward like those dirty goblins.”

The residents’ loyalty to the Haven Empire was reduced, which made security worse. The realistic images that Petrov drew had a bigger influence on the residents.

Despite the Hermes Guild’s utter defeat in the north, they were showing their superior military power in other areas of the continent. Bardray led the Royal Guards against the Black Sword Mercenaries in wonderful battles and became more popular every day.

Petrov use the time when the Hermes Guild was concentrated on occupying other territory to paint his images. He drew bad images of the Haven Empire on the brick walls of alleys, under bridges, inside dungeons, on carriages of mercenaries, etc.

The problem was that the behaviour wasn’t committed by one person.

-That b.a.s.t.a.r.d Solo. Did he sell his conscience for 20 copper?

-Our Lord Vicar is greedy.

The painter drawing the images received a cold reception from the Haven Empire.

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Steiner. A name that wasn’t well known on the Versailles Continent but he was a thief with great ability.

“The security of the Haven Empire is falling so this is an opportunity.”

The took 60 NPC subordinates that he had trained directly and led them to the Kallamore territory that the Haven Empire had occupied.

“We will steal from all merchants pa.s.sing through this mountain.”

“Yes!”

“We will shake all of them according to Boss’ command.”

The carriages of the residents and merchants transporting goods around the Haven Empire was the target of the bandit group in the mountains.

In the Haven Empire, NPC and user merchants played an active role carrying goods. Local specialities, data on taxes and goods to be sold at stores were transported on the carriages.

Steiner and the thieves welcomed numerous guests (?) and enjoyed the situation.

“This is the checkpoint that we rule. Take out everything you have and go. Hahahat!”

“Please spare my life.”

“Of course I will. So next time you can give me money again!”

An enormous amount of food and materials were captured in the Dumallea Mountains. Of course, nearby military were sent to subdue them but the thieves knew the mountain terrain and were ready to retreat.

“Move away from the mountain stronghold.”

The mountain stronghold was well defended but the knights of the Haven Empire were strong. Steiner’s thieves separated, secretly moved around the circ.u.mference and continued plundering.

The villages in the area with shabby defences were also ambushed.

It was good for Steiner when the abilities of his subordinates increased. His subordinates created another stronghold in the mountains.

The thieves’ Honour became increasingly low and the achievements didn’t rise. Despite there being a lord, it became a lawless area infested with thieves and criminals. It wasn’t possible to rule a city or village but Steiner could rule the mountain as head of the bandit group!

“Well, I have heard all about your infamy. It is an honour to meet Steiner.”

Steiner’s high infamy meant that the number of his subordinates rose. He had to develop and build his infamy properly. He was the leader of a bandit group so it was profitable to take advantage of that.

The scale and standard of the bandit group rose, making it harder for the kingdom to endure. The bandits were surrounded in order to be destroyed. If a few escaped safely then they would just form another stronghold. Once the peace was disturbed by the bandits, the residents’ degree of loyalty decreased and more volunteers were recruited.

“Aye, this dirty world. I have nothing and now I need to join a bandit group.”

“They’ve taken taxes from everything I’ve farmed so now I should steal from them.”

The residents willingly joined the bandit group.

Once the tyranny of the n.o.bles became intense, even the knights and soldiers entered the bandit group. The military that were sent to subdue them were overwhelmed by Steiner’s charisma and joined the group.

The bandit group was a plague on the Haven Empire. The thieves in the mountains rapidly increased their power while the population of the surrounding territories decreased. The trade routes were cut off and the farmland devastated.

Steiner’s thieves!

The group of angry thieves spread excessively through the territory of the Haven Empire.

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The bard Murray played musical instruments and wrote songs about Bardray’s exciting adventures.

He happily listened to the legends the residents talked about and was happy to be involved in ridiculous incidents from time to time. He wasn’t a bard with a fixed home but one that wandered the Versailles Continent.

Murray looked at the night sky.

“Weed’s star is s.h.i.+ning brilliantly these days.”

The bard’s special skill, astronomy! It was possible to predict the destiny of special people through the stars. The designated star would s.h.i.+ne differently depending on the situation. When they lost their lives or something bad was happening, the star would s.h.i.+ne red while the light would fade if nothing extraordinary was happening.

Weed’s star in the night sky was s.h.i.+ning exceptionally brightly.

The user Murray travelled the continent and designated a total of 364 stars in the night sky. Among all the stars, Weed’s brightness was unmatched.

“That gorgeous light….. I wonder what type of quest he is doing.”

His step headed towards the centre of the continent. He wanted to see the Hermes Guild fighting with all their might.

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