The legendary Moonlight Sculptor

Chapter 5) Day Assault

[TL Note: I made a slight change to the previous chapter because there was a part about the fairies that was slightly confusing. It is now 'The fairies were also present on the Versailles Continent. Users could start in villages that had the blood of fairies passed down through the generations.'

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Weed arrived at Formos Castle that was in the former territory of the Tullen Kingdom.

He wanted to identify the local atmosphere so Seo-yoon and the sculptural lifeforms didn't come along.

"There are still many people."

Many users, residents and merchants were wandering around the gates. In the past year, many beginners had started in the north.

Even so, the population of the Central Continent wasn't significantly affected. Since the beginning of Royal Road, people had steadily started in the Central Continent.

They were the tax payers that couldn't be ignored!

"I wish this castle was in the Arpen Kingdom. But the reality is that I would have already lost the territory.

Weed looked at the people entering and leaving the gates. But then soldiers of the Haven Imperial Army blocked his way with spears.

'Don't tell me.'

Weed inwardly exclaimed.

'They recognize the dignity of the king of the Arpen Kingdom.'

The Hermes Guild users gossiping in front of the gates turned their heads towards him.

'They noticed.'

His fame had increased through the broadcast and many great adventures. Apart from Bardray, Weed was the most recognized person.

'I was too greedy when I desired to enter Hermes Guild territory alone without even using Sculpture Transformation.'

Weed looked around in order to find a way to escape.

A soldier said.

"Castle entrance fee."

"Yes?"

"2 gold for a week."

"……."

However, if he wasn't wearing the Goddess' Knight Armour and holding the Red Star from the broadcasts then people wouldn't recognize him.

In particular, his ordinary face was a perfect camouflage! The great characteristics like charisma or dignity couldn't be seen from Weed's body.

He had the natural atmosphere of a worker in a convenience store or a courier. Weed was silent for a moment before saying.

"Excuse me, a discount……"

'No."

The soldier protecting the gate was a NPC. Weed approached and whispered in his ears.

"I'm actually a famous adventurer. My position is pretty high."

"If you don't give the entry fee then admission is forbidden."

"It is only for one day."

"No exceptions."

Weed reluctantly handed over 2 gold.

'Hermes Guild, I will kill you!'

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Formos Castle was the transportation hub of the old free city alliance and was surrounded by the Haineph Mountains.

A so-called grade 1 area crowded with dungeon, making it a blessed area for hunting.

There were numerous monsters and dungeons so many high level users flocked to the area to obtain gold and loot.

"The rebels have captured the village outside Banran Castle."

"War, a war. Where are the heroes who can save us from this endless war?"

Weed went around the castle and listened to the conversations of the residents.

He could guess the public sentiment even without talking to the residents. Depending on the inclination of the inhabitants, important rebel quests would appear.

Weed went to the grocery store and spoke to the owner.

"There are lots of good stuff. Is business doing well?"

"Well, it is the worst. After the war ended, there was a boom of products but now I'm not selling well and my livelihood is at risk."

"Do many people hate the Haven Empire?"

"It seems so. In the days of the Tullen Kingdom…shhh! Don't tell anyone that I said this. There are many rumours condemning the Haven Empire. It is best to take care of yourself these days."

He also spoke to an elderly man on the street.

"Senior, I want to ask you about the Haven Empire."

"Don't ask me anything. I don't see or hear anything. In this world, it is best to live without seeing or hearing anything. If I was younger then I would be fighting. But right now, I am just a powerless old man waiting to die."

He even conversed with the street children.

"Hey guys, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"Train hard in the sword and then…revolt!"

The atmosphere was without a doubt at rock bottom!

'Rebels are rising up and the Hermes Guild is suffering…it is like I thought.'

Weed confirmed that the facts from the bulletin boards and broadcasts were true. The Haven Empire's ruling approach persecuted the residents so loyalty descended to the bottom and an uprising took place. The situation in the empire became unstable and caused a burst of rebellions.

In fact, the Tullen Kingdom had a complicated ruling structure. After the Black Lion Guild was defeated, the Beden Guild were the public rulers. The Beden Guild ruled the Tullen Kingdom but they were under the management of the Hermes Guild.

A significant portion of their profits went to the Hermes Guild so they severely taxed the residents and users. This caused a heavy backlash in the territory of the Tullen Kingdom.

The Kallamore Kingdom was also a place that suffered under the rule of the empire and there was a serious issue with rebels.

'The greedy Hermes Guild shouldn't have come straight for the north after conquering the Central Continent. Why were they in such a hurry? Could it be their stomachs were hurting while watching me finish the secret sculpting technique quest? This is what happens when a person is too greedy. Their territory turned out like this.'

The foundation had been shaken but the Haven Empire's military force was still terrific.

"The Beden Guild is receiving the support of the Hermes Guild to suppress the rebels."

"Is it like that? Are there any countermeasures against the Black Lion Guild?"

"Separation? They hid in the back and counterattacked along with the group in the front."

He even heard the latest stories from the users at the taverns.

"It turns out that 30,000 troops were stationed at Poros Castle. Well, whoever occupies the castle has nothing to do with me."

There were always mention of rebels at major cities and castles.

"There are a few hundred Hermes Guild users roaming the castle?"

Weed briefly looked around the castle. The Beden Guild and Hermes Guild users were strutting around.

There were users around the gates, shops and houses but there was no need to calculate their numbers. There was no need for a headcount when he was going to cause a large incident.

The Hermes Guild users were proficient in combat. And there were high level users everywhere. On one hand, it was a symbol of their strong force but they were also the best food.

"There are quite a lot?"

A famous dungeon called Gold Mine was near the Formos Castle.

There were moderately strong monsters but it was a well know place because it was one of the top 5 gold mines in the Central Continent.

They could fight monsters underground while obtaining an abundant amount of gold. Novices looking for good fortune would pack their pickaxes and enter the dungeon.

"There is food everywhere. Then shall I go harvest it?"

Weed moved with light steps.

But the aftermath would be significant.

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The continent's best gold mine.

An entry fee needs to be paid if you want to hunt or mine here.

Entry fee: 10 gold a day for miners.

250 gold a day for combat professions.

Special arrangements: There will be a 10% discount for groups over 12 or those staying for longer than a week.

If the dungeon loot and gold acquired is more than 25% then there will be an additional fee.

Half the entry fee needs to be paid when leaving.

Haven Empire.

"It is strong."

Weed looked at the sign at the entrance and made some calculations.

Formos Castle had many famous dungeons on the continent.

Putting aside miners, one combat profession would pay 250 gold. If there were 1,000 visitors a day then that was 250,000 gold. 7.5 million could be made in one month and that wasn't counting the gold from the miners and claiming the loot.

"I am envious!"

Weed had goose bumps all over his body.

'It is possible to get 10 million gold from one dungeon.'

It was an astronomical figure.

'Only one. There are dozens of famous places around Formos Castle.'

The dungeon admission fee meant that facility investments or operating costs would be covered.

The money collected would be used to strengthen their military and the strong users in the guild.

"This damn rotten society!"

Weed was in a very bad mood. He felt lousy because he couldn't eat it all himself.

Public sentiment supported Weed and the Arpen Kingdom. The north was considered a paradise and that was why they were willing to fight together against the Hermes Guild.

Weed's stomach hurt like he had eaten bad chicken.

To make matters worse, there was a long line in front of Gold Mine Dungeon.

"A monk profession. My secondary profession means that simple healing magic is available. However, I don't want you to suffer and am willing to join a party with a profession priest."

"A level 390 paladin looking for a medium sized party of 3 people. You should be able to hunt for at least a week."

"Shaman who has the title Faster than a Flying Squirrel. I won't speak long words. I will join the first party that makes an offer!"

The dungeon was very popular so people would find parties first in the city and castle. Or they would meet right at the entrance.

There was a small corner for merchants to sell loot and supplies that was just like a small market.

If the party had the optimal configuration for the Gold Mine dungeon then it was possible to obtain a large amount of loot.

That's why users kept on receiving invitations to parties.

"Priests, come quickly!"

"This way, this way. It is the last time we are hunting! This time you will get even more loot!"

Users with the priest profession were barraged with party invitations. There was a large chance of losing their lives so the party wanted one or two priests to increase the survival rate.

Sometimes Hermes Guild and Beden Guild members would pass the users to enter the interior. They wore the latest armour and rode on horses, giving off an imposing appearance as they entered the dungeon.

The majestic conquerors of the Central Continent.

Weed stood for a moment a bit until Seo-yoon and Bahamorg arrived.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No. You came quickly."

Seo-yoon looked pretty even when she was wearing a mask! He could only hear her voice but she gave off a beautiful appearance. He even loved the smell of her hair.

Bahamorg straightened his shoulders proudly.

A barbarian warrior. Tall with thick muscles. He usually gave off an intense presence.

The people at the dungeon entrance looked at him but couldn't determine his level from the equipment.

Bahamorg was level 562. Among the sculptural lifeforms, Golden Bird had a higher level but Bahamorg was stronger as a combat type.

"Here?"

"Yes."

"I will sweep through them all."

"That's right. Don't let anyone stop us."

Weed, Seo-yoon and Bahamorg entered Gold Mine dungeon.

This was once the financial income for the Tullen Royal Family as a lot of gold was mined from it.

However, an unfortunate incident due to human greed occurred and a miner and his family were trapped here.

Evil spirits rose up from the earth and the Royal Family was forced to close off the level.

So a lot of gold still hasn't been mined.

If you go down to the lowest floor of the dungeon then gold and evil spirits and be seen.

"3 people. Do you know about the entrance fee? Pay it in advance."

Inside were 2 Hermes Guild users and 20 knights receiving the dungeon entry fee.

'Indeed, the Beden Guild isn't put in charge of the money. The Hermes Guild is really careful.'

The names in red were Deruld and Chuge.

It meant they had killed users recently. It wasn't rare to find murderers in the Beden Guild and Hermes Guild.

In the past, those with the mark of a murderer would fear entering cities due to the guards. But now murderers walked around the Haven Empire like the mark was a medal.

Surung!

Weed pulled out his sword.

Daemon Sword!

A level 440 sword with good damage and balance. Due to its nature, it was fairly handy when hunting monsters.

The Hermes Guild users laughed as Weed, Seo-yoon and Bahamorg approached.

"Rookies? Every day there are a few people with no tension who come."

"It is because Gold Mine Dungeon is well known. But only 3 people? Haven't they heard any rumours about the difficulty in this place? Well, it is none of our business if they die."

Weed wore equipment around level 300 so they thought he was much weaker. They weren't even on guard at the sight of his weapon.

Weed wielded the Daemon Sword.

"Kuwek!"

Deruld of the Hermes Guild was cut. Deruld was pushed to the ground by the powerful impact of the Daemon Sword.

"What are they doing all of a sudden? Don't these people know how terrifying this world is?"

"They want to die just so they don't have to pay the admission fee!"

Weed moved forward and quickly wielded his sword. After breaking the defense, he didn't give the opponent a chance to attack or defend using skills.

Pabababak!

Deruld who enjoyed killing the weak has lost his life.

Intimacy with the residents of Formos Castle will increase.

Chuge cried out.

"Treason!"

From the position of the Hermes Guild, they had conquered the Tullen Kingdom and thought of it as treason.

But Chuge lost a huge chunk of his health to Bahamorg.

The basic conditions for a Hermes Guild user was being over level 400. However, Weed had already used Sculptural Destruction to add to his strength stat.

It was natural that he could take care of unsuspecting opponents in a few attacks while Bahamorg didn't need to use any special skills.

"No, these people!"

"Get revenge for the captains."

"Treason against the empire!"

There were 20 knights.

The knights of Formos Castle belatedly pulled out their swords. Bahamorg let out a big roar.

"Fools, you will all break!"

The warrior Bahamorg has let out a battle cry.

Health of all allies during the battle will increase by 2.5 times.

Protection skills for allies will be enhanced by 3 times.

Fear emanating monsters will be ignored.

The enemy's determination has been cut in half.

Damage will increase by 39%.

A fearsome warrior skill.

"Crushing Wind!"

Bahamorg plunged between the knights and wielded his axe.

"It can't be. Bahamorg is taking my share."

"I'll take it!"

By the time Weed and Seo-yoon took down 1 knight each, Bahamorg had already taken care of the rest.

The knights of Formos Castle were simple to deal with after a few wide area attacks.

"Ah."

"Eh eh eh eh, what is this? It is nonsense."

A hunting party that came to the dungeon entrance started with gaping mouths.

This incident wouldn't end that simply. Someone had dared to challenge the Beden Guild and Hermes Guild in the Tullen Kingdom!

Weed finished the battle and started picking up the spoils.

"A knight's neck protector. A popular item with a level limit of 430. And…huhuhu."

Weed had a satisfied smile on his face. He gained a huge 58,000 gold as loot. The enormous amount was due to the entry fee.

"The opening is brilliant. And the cash is on the level of a gas station! Bahamorg."

"You called."

"Let's collect the money."

Weed, Bahamorg and Seo-yoon ran towards the depths of the dungeon. This was business so he couldn't play around.

The party that witnessed the shocking sight was still frozen.

"Weren't they really strong?"

"It was too fast so I couldn't see properly."

Then a new party came.

"What is it? Why are there no knights?"

"Is there no admission fee here?"

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A large incident in the Gold Mine Dungeon!

It started from around the entrance.

The Beden Guild monopolized a good place to hunt in the dungeon. They were ambushed by 3 people and lost their lives.

"Kuack, this formidable power……"

"Watch out for the warrior. He is ridiculously strong!"

Only 3 people showed up. They walked without bothering to hide the sound of their footsteps.

The Beden Guild members didn't even look at them.

It was common law that no one was allowed to interfere with the Hermes Guild's hunting in the Central Continent. The Beden Guild members in the Tullen Kingdom also received the same treatment.

That's why they had no interest when people came close to them carrying weapons. They belonged to the Beden Guild and had great confidence in their skills. They thought the other users were too afraid of retaliation to take action.

But Weed made sure that was over.

After only 10 minutes, four of the Beden Guild and Hermes Guild's hunting parties were destroyed.

"Kuwaaaaah!"

"Really? Not scared?"

The users that saw them hunting the Hermes Guild were astonished.

"Uhh, who should we attack?"

Weed examined the users.

He calculated the price and level of the equipment the users were wearing in an instant.

"Hmm, ordinary people. I covet it but…I shouldn't touch them."

Weed, Seo-yoon and Bahamorg finished the job quickly and continued to move. The terrain inside the dungeon was complex but he had memorized it. He went to the best places to hunt the guild parties.

"Bahamorg, the magicians."

"Understood."

The repetition of sudden raids. The majority of the party were in a panic after the magician was killed and easily lost their lives.

Bahamorg was strong enough to stop the in the narrow dungeon! Weed and Seo-yoon quickly knocked down the Hermes Guild users.

It wasn't difficult to process a single party of Hermes Guild users. Most of the parties had a balanced attack and defense of priests, magicians and knights for the maximum hunting efficiency.

Weed didn't use a straightforward style of fighting. He would release an offense on one individual until the entire framework of the party had collapsed. The framework was shaken by bold attacks.

"They surprisingly don't know how to fight. It is like a plant grown in a conservatory."

Despite conquering the Hermes Guild through a war, their hunting parties didn't know how to deal with ambushes.

After 15 minutes, rumours started to spread around Gold Mine Dungeon.

-The Beden Guild and Hermes Guild is being hunted!

The users of the Hermes Guild hunting were also exposed to the news.

"Those guys? It seems to be a reckless provocation from the Black Lion Guild."

"How ridiculous. There are no rebels in the area. This area belongs to our guild so do they think they would be safe?"

"Get rid of those guys first."

The hunting parties of the Hermes Guild started searching.

Weed's party was soon caught.

"3 people…those guys?"

"There is the barbarian. There is no doubt."

"Sheesh, we are already busted!"

A fight broke out between Weed's party and a party from the Hermes Guild. 3 against 7 people were adverse conditions.

But Bahamorg thrust forward and soon reduced the numbers by two people with his axe and mace.

Weed fired arrows towards the magicians and priests while Seo-yoon attacked powerfully like a berserker.

As a berserker, she could increase her combat capabilities in a battle with users. The magicians were weak in close range and Weed easily took their lives.

The best warrior Bahamorg broke through the three people in the centre! They each killed 1~2 people and their strength and tactics were on a different level.

Weed was the leader and gave orders to Bahamorg and Seo-yoon.

"They have noticed our presence. Then I will call Gernika and Seville to come."

He had already summoned Seville and Gernika to him. But they arrived after Weed, Bahamorg and Seo-yoon entered the dungeon. They kept their distance and followed a little bit behind.

It was in case of an unexpected situation but it had been a one-sided slaughter so far! But the Hermes Guild noticed that they were three people so he made them join him.

Shortly afterwards, another party from the Beden Guild entered found them. It was a party consisting of 3 magicians and 1 thief, warrior, priest and archer.

The Gold Mine Dungeon had many monsters so that was a normal sized party.

The Beden Guild was the first to speak.

"Hey, you there."

"Yes?"

"Have you seen 3 people? They are fighting our guild."

"Really?"

Weed's eyes shone.

It was his expression whenever he had to make a bargain at the market. The basics of bargaining could be used in society and to form relationships with others.

The Beden Guild members easily accepted it.

"I don't know what direction they went from the entrance. I can't see them in this wide dungeon."

"Should we just continue forward? Those guys will kill something sooner or later."

"I object. If they aren't dead then this will be an opportunity to show off our skills. If we are lucky enough then we can get some goods from those guys."

"Let's go to the hunting ground in that corner. That is our area."

Thanks to his blacksmith skill, Weed was wearing different armour. Seville and Gernika had also joined the party so the configuration had changed.

"Come quickly. Let's just check once again before going back to hunting."

"We should do something. I am tired of hunting so we will look around."

Weed and Seo-yoon's party passed the party from the Beden Guild. The Gold Mine wasn't wide so they passed within a short distance of each other.

Weed raised a hand to his noise.

"Puheng!"

A signal to attack.

Seville, Gernika and Bahamorg quickly jumped at the knights and warriors. Weed and Seo-yoon handled the magicians.

"Attack……!"

"These people!"

It was an ambush so it ended quickly. The Beden Guild members were killed before they were even prepared for combat.

Honour has increased by 1.

"Huhuhu."

Weed laughed.

"My growth is pretty fast against these people."

The Hermes Guild and Beden Guild members had high infamy and the murderer's mark so the penalties for dying were higher.

Experience increased and he could gain great loot. Weed got a level 400 staff and grimoire of wind. They were luxury items that could be sold for a lot of gold. He was swallowing up the treasures.

"A really satisfying hunting ground."

It was clear that the Beden Guild and Hermes Guild didn't have detailed information about their party.

The knights lost their lives before they could contact others. Those who came to take a look were sacrificed.

But at this point, some details could be known. The number of people or a great description of each profession. It was easy to find out that much.

"I have to eat them properly."

If they knew all the details then his considerable advantage would disappear.

But he just continued his work!

Weed wiped out 4 more parties from the Beden Guild.

The Beden Guild and Hermes Guild couldn't deal with his blitz warfare.

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