olume 24 Chapter 10
10. The Old Handmaiden’s Request
Sponsored by Ser4, TLC and parts re-translated by Enlightened End, Proofread by bloodadept and FroshiAnaki
Scientists from the Systems Department in Unicorn Corporation were checking up on Royal Road’s status.
“Hermes guild’s strength is really massive.”
The hidden armies of Hermes guild that could be seen on the monitor were far superior to Kallamore Kingdom’s forces.
“I never knew human development would be this fast.”
Scientists were looking at the large central screen. The map of Versailles continent could be seen as a video. Each individual castle and village was marked and it could be zoomed in to see the herd movement of monsters. It was a system that could check the whole continent in real time.
They could even use the Artificial Intelligence System to see any quest that occurred or find the player with the highest achievements. Of course, the scientists could only watch without interfering.
To become the Emperor of Royal Road that would unite the world! There were secrete battles to become the absolute ruler of every races in this virtual reality. By taking control of castles and cities, enormous wealth could be gained. But by becoming the Emperor, astronomical authority and wealth could be acquired.
For this, many players increased their levels and formed their own forces. There were those who excelled and those who experienced innumerable setbacks. Even watching the humans who were spread out in the world of Royal Road was fascinating.
But the crimson dots blinking on the large screen expanded a lot more than last month.
“Don’t you think the Embinyu Church is getting way too big?”
Regardless of central, northern, eastern, western, southern continent, the crimson dots representing Embinyu Church were expanding. They did not know about the players, but the scientists knew they were converting the villagers, nobles, kings and were growing in strength. And especially in the Central Continent the Embinyu church spread faster as it was swept up in chaos by the guild wars.
“It can’t be helped. The players are playing hopscotch with sieges instead of fighting the Embinyu Church.”
“But if they don’t get stopped, it will become really difficult...”
Embinyu Church was historically an evil force that sunk the whole continent into peril. The leader of guilds were picking easy targets nearby like castles and cities rather than fighting the Embinyu Church.
The usual alliance made up of coalitions were becoming increasingly competitive in trying to increase their influence and were rather indifferent to the whole situation.
Thanks to the current situation, the Embinyu Church was spreading like a wildfire and their evil spirits were secretly nurtured. To the scientists, it looked like the whole continent would be covered by the Embinyu Church at this rate.
“We can’t do anything about it. It’s the choice of the players.”
“Even if one of the continents is ruled by the Embinyu Church, it’s Royal Road’s policy to give the player’s free will to do so.”
A Continent of Darkness!
If it was another game, they would have tried to actively stop the Embinyu Church and sound the alarm for the players but Unicorn Corporation had no intentions of doing so. The players had to acquire the information and decide what to do themselves.
Once it became a Continent of Darkness, it will be much more difficult to live but fighting to be free of Embinyu Church’s oppression might become a part of Royal Road as well.
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The creator of Versailles Continent, Yoo Byung Jun, was shifting through Royal Road with the Artificial Intelligence System.
“Ultimately, everything will come to an end through the Embinyu Church.”
But the humans still had their chances.
While they were blinded by their own greed and looking the other way, the Embinyu Church grew in strength. As they became bigger, their appearance on the world stage would cause greater havoc.
“There’s nothing to do even if it ends like this.”
There were some players that Yoo Byung Jun kept a special watch on. Adventurer, discoverer, warrior, knight, magician, paladin, priest and a sculptor! They all played separately, but once they developed to a certain point their greed was always the same, pursuing more money and power.
To be honest, Yoo Byung Jun often watched the activity of a character name Weed.
“This guy is different.”
From beginning till the end, it was all about the money. He was a person who valued money as his number one priority and it never changed! He gained the people’s popularity and praise through his exciting and enviable adventures.
“Maybe it’s better this way.”
When Yoo Byung Jun first met Lee Hyun, he had gotten a bad first impression of him because of the fact that he was given 200 Won. In the end, he was short 100 Won so could not get his coco.
“Continue with your quest, let the jealous people hinder you… Because at this rate you will not be able to accomplish anything.”
But he couldn’t help but admire Weed’s capabilities. Using the Artificial Intelligence System, he watched Weed since his beginning, he was always making a sculpture or hunting. With such perseverance he was able to sculpt Fine, Masterpiece and Magnum Opus pieces.
To say the least, wandering the continent and collecting all 5 secret sculpting legacies was truly impressive.
“Yet, not going to meet the Sculpting Master Zahab or trying to learn the final sculpting skill… Kukuku. Live in the delusion of people’s praises.”
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Weed logged on to Royal Road again. Vargo Fortress was shrouded in darkness! Sitting on the leaning tower, he reminded himself of his solitude.
“A death order from Hermes guild….. so they finally decided to kill me once and for all?”
It was impossible for Weed, who was sensitive to information, not to know about this. The death order was Hermes guild’s pride, once on the list, they used any means and methods to kill. They could not even trade with merchants regularly or share quests with other players.
Being active in Haven Kingdom would be impossible and very difficult in the Central continent. The people who wanted to gain Hermes guild’s favor were spread far and wide, on top of that, there was a bounty on his head.
Until now Weed was not specially recognized as people passed him by, but now every rumor about him would be reported to the Hermes guild and the bounty hunters.
“Doing quests will now become difficult.”
If the information about Weed’s location or his quests became widespread, the assassins and bounty hunters would come to him in droves.
“Well, all quests have their good and bad points.”
He went through many hardships by taking difficult quests.
There were people who just focused on hunting to try and reach a higher level faster. But unlike them, Weed solved quests and was able to obtain items and treasures others couldn’t have. He could also make money through broadcast stations. He could even say that he earned fame and the territory of Morata through the quests.
When he went to the City of Heaven, the quest of finding the sacred artifacts for the Church of Freya, participation in the siege of Fort Odin, building a pyramid and his activity as Orc Karichwi on the Plains of Despair. The memories of his many adventures suddenly popped up in his head.
Weed murmured to himself in a low voice that only he could hear.
“I won’t be able to do quests or hunt properly if I get attacked by others… I am going to get left behind by others. If I can’t earn money as a Dark Gamer, I will have to look for another job.”
Everyone knew about the current, serious unemployment crisis.
“I will find work in a factory with ridiculous income. Becoming exhausted from working 17 hours a day… Be exposed to some toxic chemicals in the factory and get sick. Getting treatment and doing everything possible not to get fired, I will also have to deliver milk and newspapers in the morning. And if I suddenly collapse…”
Weed was already drawing a depressingly grey future!
“But I am still healthy, no matter how painful it is I need to get up again. But because of the illness, I will continue to lose my money. Getting fired suddenly after working 15 years in the company, with a severance package as small as a rat’s tail. Looking for temporary work everyday, then suddenly I would become an old man without even getting married. Our country’s pension fund by then would be in bankruptcy, my whole body would be aching, riddled with sickness. If I die like that, will there be anyone to even prepare a meager funeral for me?”
A future filled to the brim with despair, drawn out from the Hermes guild’s death order!
But Weed still tried to find hope by himself.
“In the worst case scenario, I can collect wastepaper and scrap iron will be nice too. If I don’t have any family to support, I will be able to receive a minimum living cost. And in a truly desperate situations I could sell of one of my kidneys…”
Anyways, from now on, it would become really dangerous to do normal quests or hunt in the northern area, especially outside Morata or Vargo Fortress. Even in Jigolaths, where it was across the sea, he experienced significant interference and even died in the Undead Legion quest. This proved how large the Hermes guild’s influence truly was.
Even if he was accompanied by a large number of Geomchis and companions, if a large army suddenly appeared, it would be difficult to contend with.
“I will have to be really cautious from now on. I won’t be able to do all the quests that might reveal me to others.”
The known quests, like what happened previously and now, as they took a long time to do it was now too dangerous to do them.
‘Depending on hunts and la