The Lord of Morata
Yoon Na-hee was buoyant with expectation. “It’s an opportunity to meet with him in person.”
A meeting with Lee Hyun!
They couldn’t make a contract with just three phone calls, so this time she was going to take the contract form herself after making an appointment.
Even though she was an employee at the level of working in a President’s secretary office, she had never met someone who had made as strong of an impression as Lee Hyun had. Simply thinking of Lee Hyun was enough to make her heart tremble.
“He is someone who thinks of 3 billion (~3 million dollars) as chump change on the street.”
In their first phone call, he had brusquely hung up even when he was told his account had been auctioned at a sum of 3 billion, 9 million Won.
Wasn’t he truly the ideal specimen of a man that Yoon Na-hee had always dreamt of?! She still couldn’t forget the refreshing shock she’d gotten then.
They had shared short conversations together as she took charge of the casting for the 8 Heroes program as well. At that time, Lee Hyun’s level had only been 219. Yoon Na-hee was a player of Royal Road as well, and she had actually been at a higher level than him.
But even making light of him lasted for only a moment. The True Blood Vampire quest, the quest with the Immortal Legion battle, hunting the Bone Dragon, and even seizing the Embinyu Fortress!
Yoon Na-hee only saw him through the videos of another broadcaster — the manly, so very dashing sight of him commanding all the Orcs and Dark Elves as the Orc Karichwi! She was such an avid fan that she printed out an enlarged picture of Orc Karichwi and pasted it on her wall.
“Hmm, would it be okay to call him out of the blue?”
Yoon Na-hee abruptly decided to call him offhandedly. She did so because her position in the President’s secretary office and looks of her caliber made her welcome to anyone and everyone. However, once she was actually about to have a phone call with Lee Hyun, she was so nervous that it was hard to speak.
Yoon Na-hee prepared herself and dialed in Lee Hyun’s phone number. The receiver picked up the call before the bell rang twice.
Click!
“Hello, this is Yoon Na-hee. You remember me, right?”
She began speaking with an intimate, yet meltingly honeyed voice. She worried for a moment about what she would do if the person on the other end wasn’t Lee Hyun, but fortunately it was the right person.
Who is it?
Lee Hyun’s curt voice came through the call. The already tense Yoon Na-hee could not help but be overwhelmed.
“That, I am Yoon Na-hee.”
Since this was their third call, there was an understanding that he would at least remember her name.
So what?
“……”
I’m busy so please don’t keep calling.
— Beeeeeeeep —
Lee Hyun had hung up.
* * *
On the hill where Weed had sculpted the Tower of Light in the past, was crowded with visitors even in broad daylight. There were tourists who were looking at the Tower of Light, while going as far as to wait for the evening to come. There were several sculptures Weed had made on the hill, and beginner Sculptors also brandished their skills to make works of art in the empty spaces.
It was worthy of being called an excellent sculpture park. This hill had already become quite famous in the Versailles Continent as the Light Park. Moreover, a fabulous view of Morata village and the Lord’s Castle could be seen from the hill! The pretty buildings and the Goddess Freya Statue were visible from above.
Weed went up to that place with Yellowy.
“It’s the Lord of Morata.”
“Lord? Then he’s the Sculptor who sculpted the Tower of Light.”
“It’s the Wargod Weed.”
As Weed went up the hill, the tourists who recognized him shouted out. Weed went right past them, took a position on the hill of sculptures, and pulled out his sculpting knife.
‘I have to make something necessary for the quest.’
He had felt his limitations even while doing the Alliance of the Deliverer quest. His stats were higher than others because he was a Sculptor, but his fighting ability fell somewhat short. Even if he were to make up for it with Sculpting Blade or other skills, he was in a shaky situation considering the quest he had in front of him.
‘I can’t even use the Power of the Deliverer anymore, and if another enemy like Balkan or the King Hydra shows up, I’ll lose for sure.’
It was a battle Weed had used all his cards to fight in. He had entirely used up the Power of the Deliverer that had been in the wand, and the Copper Plate of Rest’s durability had fallen, so he couldn’t issue the Sentence of Death. He had to complete the 2nd and 3rd steps of the quest as well, but all his cards were exhausted.
He had suffered to death completing the 1st step of the S difficulty quest, so there would be nothing more mortifying than failing the 2nd and 3rd steps.
Slice, slice.
Rocks were cut with every movement of the sculpting knife.
There were many sculptures Weed had thought of making. The Church of Freya did not shun other religions. Therefore, he was planning on making a statue of the God of Lugh, who matched well with Freya. The Church of Lugh revered brightness and was the natural enemy of monsters that attacked under the cover of darkness. It wouldn’t be bad to have an Idol of Lugh, even if only to improve public security.
[T/N: Lugh is pronounced as “Lu”, he is the Celtic hero of the Sun God.]
‘Durability has to be good for a huge statue, so I’ve gotta make the foundation with stone.’
Weed quickly cut the rock that would become the sculpture’s foundation. A sculpture similar in size to the Tower of Light was being made! Statues of Lugh were set up all across the Versailles Continent. Lugh wasn’t vague in appearance like Goddess Freya, so it did not take long to sculpt.
“The really important part starts from this moment onwards.”
Weed took a deep breath. The materials were so precious that they made him bead up with cold sweat, but an investment in the sculpture was necessary.
He was at Advanced Sculpting 6. If he made just a few more sculptures, he would soon reach level 7.
“It’s really a shame, but…”
Weed sorted the metal fragments he had acquired at the Embinyu Fortress. Excluding the blacksmithing materials with high solidity, he melted the broken metal shards.
“Aahhh, precious things…”
Glowing yellow, the molten gold was completed.
When a Blacksmith improved their skill, they could paint on a thin layer of gold. In technical terms, gilt!
“I won’t even be able to paint half of it with this much…” Even after melting all the metal shards in Weed’s possession, it was slightly insufficient to paint the entirety of the huge statue. “Should I try mixing in a few impurities?”
Weed shook his head. It would deal a blow to the sculpture if the gold’s purity was lowered.
“The gold has to be 24k no matter what.”
Weed melted in the ancient gold coins and the gold bars he had acquired from hunting.
“Aaahh, these precious things.”
Every time he stirred with a rod, the molten gold was mixed as it let off an indescribable luster. For Weed, who had only ever stirred watery soup, it was a luxury among luxuries.
The tourists couldn’t repress their astonishment.
“Is Sculptor Weed making an enormous statue right now?”
“It looks like he’s gonna cover it all in gold.”
They were curious about how the idol of Lugh would turn out. That was the way things were; no matter what it was, the expectant mentality would amplify right before something was finished.
As it was Weed, the tourists kept on increasing.
“How much tax did he scrape from Morata to be able to invest in a sculpture like that?”
“As expected, Lords must have a ton of money.”
“I’m telling you, they’re all scammers and thieves. How much money do you think he earned as players gathered in the North?”
There was even the appearance of those who saw him as a millionaire and envied him. However, Weed’s fame was enormous.
“Do not criticize our Lord!”