Volume 16 Chapter 5
Chapter 5 : Zhuge Liang's Strategy
This chapter was brought to you by AnmesicCat, Fei, Grisia, Lastear, and Lei. Special thanks to Geomchi178 and Riley.
Weed once again marched with the alliance tribes to the Embinyu Church's fortress. To ensure swift mobility, he didn't make any trebuchets.
"Waahh."
"That fortress is too strong. We won't be able to win."
Widespread pessimism among the alliance tribes! The number of alliance tribesmen had decreased by about 140 people. They were simple-minded people, who didn't lose hope easily, but it was an inevitable result, since they had been defeated after suffering one-sidedly and dealing almost no damage.
Weed didn't try to boost their motivation in order to encourage the alliance tribes members.
"Realistically speaking, it's hard to take them down and capture the fortress."
He deliberately didn't bring Bingryong, the Phoenixes, and Yellowy. He intended for them to get plenty of rest in order to maximize their power.
The spearheads of the Salmere Tribe drooped downwards. The decline in morale made their shoulders slump.
Nevertheless, as Weed and the alliance tribes approached the fortress, there was a response. Even more troops were posted to the wall, and smoke announcing the attack was rising from the spire.
Weed's eyes flashed. 'The Embinyu Church are calling all the savages under their command.'
After the initial recon skirmish, he had taken Bingryong and the Phoenixes for a light survey.
"The savages in this area under the Embinyu Church's command are very weak."
The other tribes near the River of Lamentation were much weaker than the tribes allied with the Matallost Church, the Lekiye, Salmere, and the Vejague.
"If we kill 10 and 5 of us die, there'll be a profit of roughly 27 troops."
A ridiculously absurd calculation!
As smoke rose from the beacon and time passed, the savage tribes flocked in. They were armed with bamboo spears, axes, and crude arrows.
Weed pointed not at the fortress, but at the newly appeared savage tribes as he instructed, "Minions of the Embinyu Church. Kill them."
Weed made a simple order the alliance tribes could perform, "Vejague Tribe, CHARGE!"
At first, the alliance tribes and the other savages both didn't show formation or tactical movements since they hadn't been trained.
"UWAAAH!"
"LET'S KILL THEM ALL!"
The muscular Vejague Tribe Warriors ran. Each Warrior was a 100-man army!
"Salmere Tribe, it's your turn."
Weed ordered the Salmere Tribe into action. As it was their characteristic, the Salmere Tribe scattered to find and hunt enemies. They were top-notch Hunters who shot poison arrows and had abnormally pointy, elongated spears!
The Lekiye Tribe took on the role of casting Confusion hexes on the savages. They bombarded the savages with AoE (Area of Effect) Confusion hexes and curses.
"I feel dizzy. The ground is shaking."
Though their surroundings were normal, the savages staggered around in the middle of the battlefield.
"My axe. My axe is heavy."
They couldn't even lift their stone axes, which seemed to have become 2-3 times heavier.
Such assistance from the Lekiye Tribe greatly augmented the Vejague and Salmere Tribe's roles.
Against the savages, the alliance tribesmen presented their rather outstanding specialties!
"Kill them all."
"Let's not leave a single one behind."
The 10 thousand neighboring savages were one-sidedly cornered by the 6,000 or so alliance tribesmen. The corpses piled up, and the alliance tribes were getting stronger and stronger as their combat experience grew.
To be honest, he had somewhat planned for the alliance tribe's growth, but it wasn't too important.
"It's too late to make them grow now."
Since there were over 6,000 of the alliance tribesmen, trying to kick them into shape now was too much!
If he couldn't maximize the power of his forces, he'd find a more dangerous battering ram.
"We'll break away from normal siege warfare. There's no need to fight a disadvantageous battle. Even if the enemies grow more...and even if it's a hellish battle, we will fight in a favorable environment."
Weed changed the rules of the battlefield and planned to overturn it with chaos.
The tattooed, scarred, and muscular savages, wearing bear and leopard leather, were fighting for their survival.
*Struum.*
Weed pulled out his harp and strummed it lightly. The harp's clear sound passed through the battlefield.
Ah. Something is sparkling in that darkness. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh! This is bronze japtem. If it's rusted, let's clean it till it sparkles~ You can sell it at the store. Turn the lights on in your eyes and search~ You can't miss even a single one. Let's collect japtem and make money~ We've got to save enough to buy barley bread for a hundred years. Ah. Ah. Ah. Item! A Unique item. So excited. Let's dance. Today really is the jackpot. |
As Weed's impromptu harp performance reached its peak, the battle between the alliance tribes and the savages was also progressing.
The Lekiye, Vejague, and Salmere alliance tribes completely overwhelmed the savages. Although Bingryong or the Phoenixes weren't there, the increased power from the Brothers of Faith sculpture was likely a great help.
*Ruuumble!*
While the alliance tribes excitedly hunted the savages, a change arose in the Embinyu Church's fortress. The gate was slowly opening as it rumbled loudly. Through the gap in between the gate, Dark Knights and Soldiers could be seen readying themselves for battle. Their armor sparkled with light from blessings and protection imparted by divine power.
We'll hunt in a place no one has found~ The lonely Hunter's path. Solitude is necessary for a rich harvest of japtem~ I don't hope for someone who understands. What I hope for is just money~ |
As he played the harp, Weed's hand moved more flashily and quickly.
It wasn't just because the Dark Knights and soldiers were about to sally forth.
*Grooowwl!*
More accurate than a luxury watch worth millions of Won, his belly watch told him the time.
"It's finally time for him to arrive."
Weed gazed at the battlefield as he played the harp.
Like soldiers from historical war novels or films splendidly commanding the army! By handling either a fan or an instrument, Weed was directly copying the romanticized appearance of command. His actions reflected the naked reality of how films and novels devastated a person.
*Plunk plunk!*
By the time the gates were completely open, Lion's Roar was cast from Weed's lips with all his might.
Unlike the bad tune and song with horrible lyrics he'd been singing earlier, it was a roaring cry!
"ALLIANCE TRIBES, FLEE WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!"
The alliance tribes left the corpses of the savages in the field and backed off like a receding tide at the signal.
The moment when the Dark Knights and Soldiers were about to spring forward as the gate opened—!
Tremendous Mana flooded the battlefield.
A whirlpool and gale raged, as dark Mana driven by black magic pressed in.
GRAAAAAWWR!
Horrible shrieks and screams of ghosts.
The area darkened and was swept over by murky clouds.
RUMBLE— CRA-CRA-CRA-CRA-CRASH!
Thunder and lightning exploded.
Right in front of the Embinyu Church's fortress, the ground where the alliance tribes and the savages had been fighting was splitting apart. Weed extended his two arms widely.
"He's finally coming!"
He sincerely welcomed the first monster summoned by the Power of the Deliverer.
"Come quickly!"
A skeleton wearing a robe slowly rose from the crack in the ground.
The leader of the Immortal Legion. The worst Necromancer, who had probed into forbidden domain; it was the appearance of Balkan Demoph.
* * *
Balkan did not know of forgiveness or mercy. If the Embinyu Church didn't spare method or means for domination and propagation, then Balkan was an entirely different being.
Subordinate to the power of darkness, he did not tolerate any living beings. A fierce hatred for the living!
A frigid chill emanated from his appearance alone. A monster of the highest rank, just his appearance made the battlefield's atmosphere sink low. An overwhelming atmosphere rushing in like a great storm.
Weed carefully observed Balkan's appearance. An old lich with rotting bones. From his appearance, he didn't differ much from Lich Shire, who had been his disciple. He was slightly taller and his jawbone looked thicker, but Weed, who had personally faced Shire, could only distinguish tiny differences.
"You can really say he's a truly rich Lich."
Lich Balkan wore high-class attire. A bleak, black aura was flowing from his body. Made out of extremely good-quality material but shoddy because it looked like it had been used for over a hundred years, the robe would look as good as new with a little mending.
"All luxury goods are originally like that."
He wore a crown adorned with gems somewhere atop his head. The duck egg-sized gems embedded in the crown sparkled with light. There was an eagle's skull attached to the staff he was holding. The combination of crown and skull matched Balkan perfectly.
Even from a single glance, he could tell they were Unique items. Lich Shire had also been equipped with incredible items, but his master one-upped him.
"Magician families have a lot of money after all. But..."
There was one weapon in particular that drew Weed's gaze. A sword penetrating Balkan's chest! It was the only place the black aura could not cover.
Weed speculated, "Looks like the sword was stabbed in during the Versailles Continent war." Based on the design on the sword hilt, he guessed it was the relic of the Church of Lu.
It seemed the holy sword was restricting Balkan's tremendous black magic. Balkan was in the state of an incomplete resurrection!
"Did I bring a reject?"
While Weed was worrying a little, the alliance tribes were overcome by Balkan's charisma and were fleeing with their tails turned.
Hidden behind the rocky mountain, Weed scrutinized the battlefield. The alliance tribes had now fully retreated.
Balkan's gaze turned towards the nearby savages, "Worms. For the likes of you to have flowing blood and breath, I cannot believe it."
Balkan did not ask who they were. With an extremely unparalleled, arrogant manner, he extended one hand towards the savages around him.
"Thunder Storm!"
CRA-CRA-CRA-CRA-CRAASH!
Black clouds rushed in, and countless bolts of lightning plummeted towards the savages.
The bodies of the savages, who were once living beings, simply exploded. With almost no magic resistance, the savages were being massacred.
"Return to the ground on which you once lived and moved. This place is dark. A bad and rotten land. The law of darkness that will never disappear, let it be so they can all return. UNDEAD RISE!"
Balkan's chilling Necromancer magic began.
Doom Knights and Death Knights clattered as they rose from the pile of savage corpses. The Lich Balkan had summoned more than 100 Doom Knights over level 300!
"This land is ruled by my law of darkness. It will be dominated by an eternal, immortal strength. Dark Rule!"
The skull wand Balkan had been holding was stabbed into the ground. The earth turned dark red around that area. Then, the remaining corpses also slowly rose.
Each flash of thunder and lightning lit up a shocking scene.
There was a legion of zombies and ghouls. Countless Dullahans and Skeleton Soldiers!
"The Undead are rising. Run away!"
The few remaining savages scattered and tried to flee, but Balkan did not permit them to. He pointed a bone finger at the savages.
Then the Undead army began to slaughter the barbarians. The dead savages automatically rose as Skeletons or Dullahans.
The horrifying strength of the Dark Rule spell.
Weed, who had the Necromancer Magic Book written by Balkan himself, recognized the spell, "That's one of Balkan's three spells."
It was a spell that could only be used by a Necromancer of the highest tier, a special spell which dominated the entirety of hell with magic power and raised unlimited Undead.
The savages were completely hunted down by the Doom Knights, Death Knights, and Ghouls. Raising 10 thousand Undead did not even take 10 minutes.
It was the birth of an Undead Legion strong enough to put Weed's worries about the holy sword piercing Balkan's chest to shame.
"Balkan's aura. It's probably Death Aura."
It was indeed a spell only a Necromancer of the highest tier could use. It was a spell that strengthened the Undead Legion, improving Strength, Intelligence, Defense, Resistance, and Magic Power. Undead wrapt in the black aura became much stronger than a Skeleton Knight or an Archer. They probably weren't up to par with the high-ranking, monster-lined Immortal Legion, but it was a tremendous force indeed.
The black aura also had other truly terrifying points.
It did have the effect of strengthening commanded Undead, but the Health they captured while fighting was also absorbed by the Lich. In addition, it weakened divine power attacks and was the magic that acted as the source of a Lich's unlimited Mana and Health.
After slaughtering the savages, Balkan's gaze turned towards the Embinyu Church's fortress. The robe-wearing skeleton magician Lich's gaze overflowed with charisma!
Weed inwardly nursed great worries. 'He won't get scared and run, right?'
Though he was the leader of the Immortal Legion, Weed needed to confirm his true worth. If Balkan refused to fight because there was no reason to do so, nothing could be done.
'It's still an Immortal Legion in name, so... he won't leave after just saying hi. He won't. Yeah.'
Balkan Demoph willingly met his expectations. This time he pointed his bony finger at the fortress.
"Kua."
"KUUUEEEEEEL!"
The Undead rushed towards the fortress.
A fearless advance of Skeletons, Dullahans, Death Knights, Spectres, and Doom Knights! Tangling and trampling, they tumultuously went forward.
For the Undead, Balkan was a father-like figure. As soon as Balkan gave the command, the Undead advanced towards the fortress.
The Doom Knights yelled, "It's the supreme sovereign Balkan-nim's command! Do not leave a single stone of that fortress' foundation undestroyed!"
Balkan's great Necromantic army declared war on the Embinyu Church.
CRAAASH!
The Skeleton Mages shook their gathered arms. Green, blue, and white streaks of magic struck the fortress' wall!
The Skeleton Mages' magic didn't even have half the force of the trebuchets Weed had made. However, the magic of thousands of Skeleton Mages was more than enough to shake the wall. Pieces of broken rocks rained down.
There was finally a response from the Embinyu Church's fortress. The Embinyu Church was extremely arrogant and tried to dominate all the races and monsters in the world. The Priests and Dark Knights did not tolerate anyone who challenged them.
"The likes of the Undead dare to defile the Embinyu's land, fire!"
At the Dark Knight's command, the church's Soldiers loaded their bows. The arrows were fired from the walls and thickly covered the sky.
They struck the Undead Legion covered in black aura!
The advancing Undead fell to the ground as they were pierced by arrows. However, they weren't living soldiers so they didn't receive much damage from a normal arrow attack.
"KUO!"
Skeleton Soldiers pulled out the arrows penetrating the Death Knights.
It was a very emotional sight.
The skeletons bit the metal arrowheads with their yellow teeth.
CRUUNCH!
The skeletons didn't falter despite the shock of their teeth cracking. Though they were silver-plated arrows, they couldn't kill the skeletons who weren't hit smack-dab.
"Occupy the fortress."
"If we capture that fortress, we can increase our minions."
"Follow Balkan-nim's command!"
While their armor and shields were peppered with arrows, the Death Knights went forward. Doom Knights swung their greatswords and cut down arrows in midair.
"Keep firing!"
Countless points appeared from the fortress walls and flew in as arrows.
"Holy Buster!"
"Divine Strike!"
The offensive spells of Magicians and Priests materialized. Attacks with divine power.
For the Undead, divine magic was their natural enemy.
With each blow, scores of Undead were annihilated or lost their strength and collapsed to the ground. But even as they took damage, the Undead steadily went forward and soon reached the vicinity of the wall.
The Priests became desperate, "Let us sing. Let's sing a hymn!"
— The Embinyu God is he who lets us enjoy freedom and gives us strength. |
The hymn sung by the Priests! It was a song that added Strength to the Dark Knights, Soldiers, and Priests.
Their bodies tangled together, the skeletons crawled up the wall.
"Cl-cla-clack."
"Go up. Go up."
The Ghouls rammed the wall with their bodies.
After the annihilation of the savages, an Undead Legion of over 10 thousand had been made. They swarmed thickly at the base of the wall and waged siege warfare.
On the wall, Archers shot directly downwards, and divine magic poured down.
* * *
Weed laughed heartily. "Nothing less from Balkan."
Just one Necromancer was able to present such a terrifying display of power.
"He have to be at this level to say he has the right to lead the Immortal Legion."
There was nothing more electrifying than simply looking at the fight, hidden behind the rocky mountain.
Moooooooooooo!
Yellowy bellowed his happiness as he raised his head and extended his tongue. The pure and simple Korean cow was, to some degree, in the process of taking after Weed's wickedness.
"Walls. Take over the walls."
"Get up and fight. It's Balkan-nim's command."
A skeleton who fell while climbing the wall soon applied itself again despite its broken bones. Even though it was pierced with hundreds of arrows and fell, the Ghoul also rose again.
"Kuuaaaah." It plucked out the arrows embedded in its body, stomped on the shafts, and pounded the wall.
The Embinyu Church Priests worked hard to use divine power. "O Emibnyu God, punish these who know not thy mercy."
Flames of divine power flared to life at the base of the wall. Purification by blue flames! The flames swept over the Dullahans, Skeletons, and Ghouls, melting scores of Undead. They were completely destroyed, unable to revive again.
The divine power of the Priests of the Church of Freya was also great, but the offensive power of the Embinyu Church Priests was enough to see them as upper-tier Magicians.
Archers shot their arrows and Dark Knights swung their swords. Undead clung to the wall in a swarm, but thanks to their much more favorable position atop the wall and the help of the Priests, the Embinyu Church was not pushed back easily.
The Demonic Spirits under the Embinyu Church's command were also taking orders and fighting hard. However, they only barely reduced the numbers of the Undead.
Even if Dark Knights or Soldiers shoved them and they crashed to the bottom of the wall, the Undead quickly rose again. They did not die unless they were annihilated by holy magic. When the Soldiers and Priests from the Embinyu Church died in combat and weren't purified with magic, they became Undead from Dark Rule. Allies suddenly became Undead while fighting with wounds!
Balkan didn't play around either and actively participated.
"Poison Cuffs!"
A deep blue malice emanated from the bodies of the Undead crawling up the wall. An evil Necromancer spell contaminated and corrupted the surrounding area!
The Embinyu Soldiers who had been deployed to the wall to block the Undead fell to the ground.
"Mass Curse. Mass Weakness."
This time it was AoE curses!
The curses brought misfortune on the holy magic casting Priests and weakened the Dark Knights and Archers.
Balkan was a Necromancer through and through. Rather than demonstrating his own offensive magic, he commanded the Undead and had a type of specialized profession focusing on AoE curses.
It made Weed emotional. "Indeed, the world is driven by specialized professions."
He was watching a fight that was much more fun than Go-Stop! He followed the scene between Balkan and the Embinyu Church with feeling from behind the rocky mountain.
[T/N: Go-Stop is a Korean card game. It often gets quite heated and is best enjoyed with friends and beer.]
The sight of the Undead persistently crawling up the wall gave him the chills, and the Embinyu Church's might was surprising. Though they had also participated in the siege of Fort Odin before, this was very different from what they had shown the players.
There was tenacity and intensity in the fighting of the Undead Soldiers.
"If only I could have a large unit like them..." Weed smacked his lips in regret.
There wasn't even a need for another plan in capturing the Embinyu fortress. After all, at higher levels, it was justified to call a Necromancer capable of leading an Undead legion a one-man army!
Among players, many Magicians job-changed to Necromancers with such dreams. It would take a long time for Necromancers to become mainstream on the Versailles Continent, but it was easy to find beginner Necromancers taking one Golem and shaking hunting grounds.
Weed observed the battlefield with cold eyes. "The Embinyu Church won't go down easily with this level."
The Undead raised by Balkan were really strong. It was indeed true that 10 thousand Undead were raised in an instant. There was nothing unjustified in calling Balkan the master of the Immortal Legion. Balkan's ability to create Undead with high magic power was incredibly thrilling.
However, there was fundamentally a big impact on the Health of living Undead. There was a limit to how the Undead could be made from low-level savages. Simply making an impressive Undead Legion from low-quality corpses as the foundation was ridiculous, but with the added disadvantage of their position, they weren't enough to capture the Embinyu Church's fortress.
"But the fight begins here."
Weed's belly was growling again. His stomach clock told him the exact time.
Satiety has fallen to less than 30%. Maximum Vitality and Health will decrease. You will tire easily and feel weak. |
Weed gnawed on some pre-dried boar jerky, "It's time for number two."
At that moment, the space above the Embinyu Fortress distorted greatly. Similar to when the Lich Balkan was summoned, there was an enormous flow of Mana.
The crows that were flocking to feed as they watched the battle unfold flew away altogether into the sky. There was something even the ominous crows could not help but consider as a threat.
The summoning gate opened atop the fortress and an extremely large monster appeared from within.
It was the 9-Headed King Hydra.
* * *
Pale entered a tavern with his teammates, the 'Yurokina Black Skin.' The bar was run by Dark Elves.
Orcs who came were overpriced by more than 100%, but humans only received an additional charge of 30%. It was a popular tavern for Adventurers, Mercenaries, and Fighters who came to travel in the Yurokina Mountains to rest and eat.
"Looks like it already started," Surka said anxiously.
"Yeah, we should've come faster."
Romuna found empty seats for the whole party to sit at. They came to the tavern to eat food, but they also came to watch the broadcast. They could watch TV through the magic glass installed in the tavern.
There weren't many empty tables in the Yurokina Black Skin tavern because of the Adventurers, Dark Elves, and Orcs who came to watch TV.
An S-class difficulty linked quest. War against the Embinyu Church!
The news spread within the Versailles Continent. In fact, the bars of large cities, Kingdom capitals, castles, and large villages, currently had long lines from quests rushing in. It was a given that the insides of stores were full, and there were even temporary tables set up outside. As people crowded the taverns of the Versailles Continent, the beginner hunting grounds in front of castles and villages actually became peaceful.
"Hehehehe." Pale couldn't help but laugh as he watched the broadcast glass. Whenever the celebrity Maylon acted as the commentator, his eyes were glued to the broadcast. Wearing a blouse and looking intellectual, Pale's lips stretched to his ears whenever she smiled refreshingly.
Irene sighed. "We need to order first... but will we even be able to order properly when it's this crowded?"
Zephyr then lightly raised his hand, "Dark Elf lady with the gentle smile and sparkling eyes brighter than black pearls!"
The Dark Elf waitress immediately gave her attention to Zephyr's table.
"We'd like mugs of beer for everyone here and orange juice for Surka, please. For snacks, the Dark Forest Kebab set will be good. Of course, you'll bring it quickly, yes?"
*Wink.*
Zephyr instinctively smiled with his eyes even while ordering drinks! He possessed the talent of raising intimacy with women no matter the situation. With his handsome appearance, confident actions, and attention to even the smallest details, he easily earned favor. Of course, there was a severe side effect to it too.
Hwaryeong shook her head as she grinned.
"Zephyr-nim."
"Yes?"
"You still haven't been hit enough."
"Cough!"
Zephyr had become a punching bag for the SwordNoobs! Every time he showed interest in girls, he trembled whether the SwordNoobs were watching or not.
When they finished ordering, they focused on the magic glass.
Da'in, who had become their teammate from questing, was also with them.
* * *
The future of KMC Media was riding on this special broadcast.
The regular broadcasts had been canceled and they were broadcasting the program Weed live. If they failed, their image as a broadcaster would certainly fall and the hit to their credibility would also be enormous, so they were investing maximum manpower.
The special effects team, sound team, subtitle team, and camera directors all took part in supporting the broadcast. The writing team was also mobilized in force, but there wasn't a script made because they were pressed for time.
Since the broadcast was unscripted, they set up the qualified commentators Shin Hye-Min and Oh Joo-Wan and invited Lee Jin-Gun as a special quest.
Lee Jin-Gun was a famous player within the top 400 in Royal Road. He had also completed many quests as an Adventurer. Hastily casted, he was an invited guest for the broadcast.
The sculpting match with Death Hand, the sculpting of the Wings of Light, and the restoration of Dwarf Kendellev's water sculpture were broadcasted.
The viewers' response to the new look on Sculptors was also warm.
? It's beautiful. |
— Is this a rediscovery of Sculptors? Please make programs like this more often. |
— I'd like this to be an opportunity to bring interest to dismissed professions again. |
Besides the main professions the majority of players picked, there were many professions in Royal Road. Professions were divided based on race and hidden professions! The responses of viewers who had chosen such professions were good.
— When will the actual content be broadcasted? |
— Is the Embinyu Church coming out or not? You're not gonna keep going like this and broadcast the rest of it tomorrow, right? |
— I want to see the contents of the chain quest soon. |
— I'm guessing the sculpting match with Death Hand is one part of the linked quest. |
— It must be. But how can a Sculptor do the quest? A Sculptor's combat strength is awful. |
— The sculpture put out by Death Hand looks a lot like the symbol of the Resurrection Church. Anyone know about this? |
The viewer forum buzzed with discussion and speculation. Since it was the first S-class difficulty quest, it was sure to attract a lot of attention.
— But who is this Sculptor Weed? |
— He is the main character of a program called 'Weed' that was broadcasted not long ago. He also traveled to the Vampire Kingdom. |
— Ah, the program with the low ratings... but I don't think I've seen many Sculptors. |
— He is the Lord of Morata. |
— He's the Great Sculptor who made the Pyramid and the Tower of Light. |
There was a considerable number of people asking about the Sculptor Weed. Many people still didn't know about the Sculptor Weed. They knew of the Tower of Light and Morata, but actually, even after they heard the name of the person who made the sculptures, they had carelessly soon forgotten. The same sad fate as the creator!
Shin Hye Min had a slight smile on her face.
Anyone who'd watched game broadcasts even a little knew the God of War Weed — the charismatic individual who, after standing as the absolute being of Continent of Magic, emblazoned his strong presence in Royal Road as well. By the recognition he garnered and his fame alone, he was at the level of Bardray, who was guiding the Hermes Guild.
'What kind of response will there be when people find out he's God of War Weed?'
She was not the least bit worried. The response of the viewers would definitely be explosive enough to overload the broadcast station homepage!
As a commentator, it was enough to make Shin Hye-Min feel sorry she was still keeping this secret to herself. Even within the station, only directors and related staff members knew Weed's true identity. The one other commentator, Oh Joo-Wan, and the special guest Lee Jin-Gun were not aware.
After the release of Kuruso's broadcast, Shin Hye-Min said, "It seems like the quest this time will show us many new truths about Sculptors, but what do you think, Mr. Oh Joo-Wan?"
"It's surprising. Weed is the Lord of the Northern Morata region and the creator of awesome sculptures. In fact, can't you say he's the figure who represents Sculptors? For such a person to be doing a war quest, I'm anxious to watch it."
"The viewers also have of the same thought, right? But will Sculptor Weed be able to win a war against the Embinyu Church, a strange, fearsome force?"
Oh Joo-Wan quickly replied, "I wonder. It's hard for me to even imagine how he'll do it. It's true that it looks very difficult as of now, but I'm curious about what kind of method and means he'll use."
"In short, we can't lose hope, yes?"
"If he accepted the quest, I think he means to do his best. He could have gained some kind of power or authority during the quest, and even if he fails, there will be great meaning in the challenge itself."
This time, Shin Hye Min turned her attention to Lee Jin Gun, who was sitting to her left, "Mr. Lee Jin-Gun, what do you think about this quest?"
Lee Jin-Gun smiled as he made a conclusion. "Of course it's going to fail."
"What?"
"If it's the same Embinyu Church that I'm thinking of, it'll definitely fail. There is absolutely no way he can succeed."
"..."
"There'll be meaning left in the challenge, but even for that, he could've just gotten a hard quest from good luck. The Embinyu Church? It's an enormous unidentified force."
Lee Jin-Gun snorted as he ruthlessly cut Weed down. "Hmph! Moreover, the quester is a Sculptor. His skills may be recognized in the Sculpting field, but he'll fall short in adventuring experience and will lack ability as well. Failure is definite."
They were words prickling with his pride as an Adventurer and a well-known ranking player in the Versailles Continent. Lee Jin-Gun was so narrow-minded, he could not even imagine a person other than himself would succeed the quest.
"Oh my. Do you really think so?" Shin Hye Min laughed gaily.
Normally, she would call a break time and give him a harsh scolding for being such a downer in the broadcast. Speaking somewhat critically in the introduction did not disappoint the viewers and it could have a dramatic effect if the quest happened to succeed. However, Lee Jin-Gun had magnificently thrown a wet blanket on the broadcast. If viewers heard his words and decided the quest would completely fail, their reason to watch the broadcast would also disappear!
Even though Lee Jin-Gun hadn't been told of the Power of the Deliverer Weed had used because he was a guest, it was still no good. For the casting to fail in such an important broadcast, it could be nothing but a huge disaster.
But Shin Hye Min held back her laughter. In a little while he was going to get knocked down a notch!
Shin Hye-Min couldn't forget how he had belittled Archers and Rangers in the last broadcast.
— Archers? It's a good job for cowardly people, since they can kill the monster before it gets close. They're of a different standard from Adventurers, who leap into places with unknown dangers. |
Shin Hye-Min was resolved to dish out retaliation on behalf of Archers and Rangers!
It was a broadcast full of ulterior motives, but even she was extremely curious about how Weed's war quest would go. Weed's real-time video was being taken and edited to the best of the production department's ability. Since she was following the broadcast and commenting and couldn't watch the live feed, she also wanted to see it quickly.