Volume 25 Chapter 10
10. Escape from Serabourg Citadel
Translated by EE, Proofread by Bloodadept, Britsch, Froshi, Shadowlink, MrBaconator
“Yeah, you only live once. Receiving condemnation for being manipulative and stingy is nothing!”
Weed made his decision. He would escape together with Seo Yoon.
At that precise moment, Selina who owned a flower store in Serabourg Citadel approached him.
“I beg of you, please save us!”
“I don’t have that kind of power...”
“I heard it from the flowers and the trees. You are the one that can save us.”
DING!
Evacuation of the Civilians
From the plants, Selina has found out the truth of your many achievements. While it is a difficult task, the only person who can defend the denizens from the Embinyu Church is you. In Serabourg Citadel, the only person who can save the civilians in this perilous situation is the one who has experienced the most adventures.
Difficulty: A
Reward: A bracelet made of flowers from Selina.
Quest Restrictions: Fame decreases every time a civilian dies.
If you reject the quest, infamy will spread.
After this, it will not be possible to perform quests from Rosenheim Kingdom.
Just by accepting the quest your reputation will improve.
Quests that came round the clock. His fame and quest achievements were at such a level that not only people, but flowers and trees were delivering requests!
“Huk, this path is fraught with difficulty...”
Weed furtively glimpsed at the flower bracelet Selina wore from the corner of his eyes. Selina’s flower bracelet was exactly as described, a bracelet weaved from flowers. The flowers looked to be made by children in their playtime, but as Weed observed carefully it was not an ordinary item.
These precious flowers were purported to be found only in the High Elves’ forest. The flowers had special strength as they did not wither or die after they were plucked and even now, they were still alive on Selina’s arm.
‘I heard of stories about this kind of items being worn by the High Elves.’
An adventurer who visited a High Elf village reported seeing it in their store. It was said that the price was astronomical but imbued within was a generous amount of Elemental and Power of Nature. If he could equip Selina’s flower bracelet on top of Baharan’s bracelet he was wearing, then he would no longer want any other bracelet.
Weed changed his tune.
“Even though I lack the strength, I was planning to do my best to save the people. Though I don’t know if it’s within my power to do so, I will still give my all regardless!”
You have accepted the Quest.
Your reputation among the people of Rosenheim Kingdom has been revised to ‘Savior’.
While the quest was unexpected, the number of civilians Weed could take with him while facing off with the Embinyu Church was not many. How many people could he possibly lead beyond the wall to somewhere safe?
The square of Serabourg Citadel had tens of thousands of newbies who lost their will and just sat around. With their low level, it was easy for them to succumb to the feeling of helplessness in this large battle and give up. The same newbies who threw themselves into the bush as they got scared of a single deer running toward an apple tree far away!
But there were some who did not depart due to family members being novices, some who were ill prepared to evacuate, and some who were lost and wandering around looking for their party members. It wasn’t just the NPCs, but players as well that were both floundering around hopelessly. But there were about 200 high level players staying behind to fight due to their guilty conscience.
Given the uproar of battle that could be heard from the walls, there wasn’t much time left.
Weed canceled his skill.
“Release Sculpture Transformation.”
His form changed back from the transformation and returned to it’s original state. It would be impossible to lead the people to safety with a general form.
“I will have to craft it quickly.”
Taking out his sculpting knife, Weed went toward the ornamental statue nearby. It was a big, decorative dragon statue.
Sak Sak!
Every time Weed’s sculpting knife moved, the stones chipped away revealing an existence that would ring out and abandon men, women and children.
*****
Every station was relaying the scene of Serabourg Citadel, centering around the wall and the Embinyu Church.
“It’s astonishing. At this rate, it will only be a matter of time till the Embinyu Church gains control over Serabourg Citadel.”
“With the Embinyu Church’s influence spreading from even Rosenheim Kingdom, they can only become a huge threat in the future.”
“In the Central continent many players are especially flocking to Haven Kingdom as it has largely avoided the Embinyu Church’s wave of destruction.”
“Another Rain of Fire Stone is being cast! The walls and the houses nearby are burning..”
The hosts were explaining their concerns on the expansion of the Embinyu Church. They chatted about the spells being cast, about the race and level of monsters comprising the Embinyu Church and their attack methods.
As the show continued, the NKS station switched their view to the square to show the despair and misery of the players.
“The players need to set up an escape plan quickly. Once the wall of Serabourg Citadel falls, death is inevitable. This is really cruel to the beginners.”
“Death is unavoidable for these people gathered at the square bereft of all hope whatsoever.”
As the host was speaking, it was not the same scene of people slumping weakly just a few minutes ago. Tens of thousands of people were now standing, looking over at something.
“What is that?”
“It seems like something is being shaped. The person is using a sculpting skill.”
One man was making a sculpture. The decorative statue of the dragon was being transformed into something else. With never before seen, astounding elaborateness and daring handling of the sculpting knife.
*****
“It’s a sculptor!”
“Perhaps… But no, it couldn’t be.”
“There is no way it could be him. But this is his starting place...”
The person who the players all hoped for, the War God Weed.
Once Weed started sculpting, few people nearby became curious. Then as the sculpture progressed, everyone forgot the impending disaster and watched.
Sak Sak.
The sculpture Weed was creating was far from being beautiful. Weed was only known to make breathtaking sculptures, but still the people hoped against hope that this sculptor might be Weed.
“Something ordinary won’t do. I have to completely relieve the battle. It must be something tenacious and durable. Something with the vitality and health to survive till the end.”
After agonizing through several choices, the form of the sculpture he chose was a troll. An ice troll. Compared to an orc, it was twice as big with longer arms and well developed muscles. But it also had a large pot belly.
“Power comes from the belly after all!”
Furthermore the limbs were thick and sturdy like a polar bear.
When a sculpture was expressing a particular race, it’s appearance and figure could be made more distinctive. The unused sculpting skill Weed developed while making figures of the male orc warrior endlessly was being re-discovered while he was sculpting the troll.
“This won’t do. The face is way too placid like that of a goat. There is no way a face like this would cause terror on the battle field.”
Weed really didn’t like how the face of the Ice Troll turned out. The eyelids were too sunken making the cheekbones look to protruding. It had a large head with equally large teeth reminiscent of a crocodile. Because of the size of the head, there were a minimum of 6 knife marks gouged on the forehead and chin.
If Orc Karichwi was to be picked as the number one thug in the nation, then this appearance was enough to take the heinous Orc Karichwi’s lunch box!
“Waaaa!”
“Sob sob.”
The women and children among the denizens of Serabourg Citadel started crying as they saw the sculpture. Due to Weed’s sculpting skill, the troll look like it was alive and animate.
“It’s truly a shame that this is a rushed work.”
If he could have made it as he imagined, the forehead would be more bumpy, the chin would be further jutted and distinct in its two halves and the ears wouldn’t have looked so normal.
“It would have been better if the tongue was split into three strips and darted in and out repeatedly.”
The sculpture was already the sum of the best traits picked from the whole Ice Troll species to give the most menacing impression, but Weed was striving for a higher state of artistic mastery.
Please set a name for your sculpture.
“Battle Hungry Ice Troll.”
Weed chose such name as it was possible he would have to fight till the bitter end.
Is ‘Battle Hungry Ice Troll’ correct?
“Yes. Let’s fight till I die.”