The legendary Moonlight Sculptor

V51C5P1 - A Knight for Wy-3

As befitting of his status as the commander of the 11th Legion, Ultar did not give up until the end. Even after he was thrown harshly into the ground, he got up to his feet again, seeking a chance for a counterattack.

"Rushing Flashlights."

He used a skill which fired three flashes of light which went in straight lines for 10 meters. Ultar wasn't counted as one of the strongest members of the Hermes Guild for nothing, and his use of skills as well as the angles from which he made the attacks were indeed sharp and shrewd. Such technique would make it difficult for a hulking Orc to dodge out of the way. Weed raised his Loa Sword.

"Moonlight Sculpting Blade!"

Although he could use various other sword skills, this was the one he was most accustomed to and, more importantly, one that was useful for blocking skills like Rushing Flashlights. He was wielding the sword with the body of Karichwi the Orc, but it moved swiftly and fluidly. As he conjured up gleaming light and blocked the incoming attacks with just the right speed, the flashes sent by Ultar were bounced off without dealing any damage to their target.

"Tssscchwiick!"

Immediately after he deflected the attack, Weed kicked the ground and charged forward. The muscular, menacing Orc looked terrifying beyond measure as he was running furiously, closing in right in front of Ultar's eyes like a runaway train. The mere sight of this could be considered merciless visual violence!

"Yiiiikes!"

Many different skills flashed through Ultar's mind. Among them were some high-efficiency defense skills, but he could not win this fight just by blocking.

'Hammer of Gargon!'

Ultar decided to take a gamble. This skill would turn the entire area within an 8-meter radius into a chaotic mess, causing lightning bolts and falling rocks the moment he stroke the ground with his blade.

"Take this!"

But as soon as Ultar had raised his sword high in the air, Weed had been on his guard. A few possible skills had crossed his mind, and he had come to a firm conclusion after he saw the lightning energy gathering at the tip of his blade.

'That's Hammer of Gargon. So that's another skill he's learned!'

As soon as Weed identified the skill, he took action.

"Sword Cloning Skill!"

A Secret Skill of swordsmanship demonstrated by an Orc!

*Thud thud thud thud!*

No less than 50 Karichwis were now swarming towards him, making the ground shake.

"Eeeek!"

Ultar swung down his sword; thunderbolts and boulders struck the earth as the skill came into effect. Some of Weed's clones evaporated on the spot as they were hit with the skill's effect all over their bodies, but others smashed the falling rocks to pieces with their swords. Some Orcs were jumping and screaming to attract Ultar's attention.

"Come out this moment!"

Ultar cried out in rage and wariness, but Weed had already launched himself into a Dimension Door. Passing through three portals in succession, he managed to land right next to Ultar.

"You make a pretty fine punching bag, so let me punch you some more."

Because he had been staring in front of him, Ultar hadn't even noticed Weed's presence until he spoke.

"Y-you!"

Ultar was completely baffled. He had experienced plenty of battles against monsters and other users, but against this particular foe, his usual tricks such as keeping the enemy at bay with his crossbow didn't seem to have any point at all. Weed kept moving at an incredible speed in combat, and his movements were unpredictable. He focused his attacks precisely on Ultar's weak points, and Ultar felt like he was being helplessly swept off by the enemy's pace.

'Blade Slash!'

Ultar swung his sword instinctively, but Weed stretched out his bulky Orc's leg as flexibly as a ballerina and kicked Ultar's wrist out of the way.

"Kuuargh!"

Then he further closed in to place his body right next to Ultar's and hit his side with quick, successive jabs from his elbow. Each strike packed a punch so incredibly strong it felt it could crush a boulder.

*Smaaaash!*

Weed was a jack-of-all-trades, but he was not professionally trained in fist fighting. Still, any blow dealt by him in his current form as Karichwi the Orc was bound to hurt. Weed grabbed Ultar's throat as his body was pushed back by the difference in strength and weight.

"Chuuurrr!"

He stepped forward, stuck out his leg to trip Ultar up and make him lose balance, then flipped the terrified man's whole body in a circle as lightly as one would handle a rag doll before smashing him into the ground.

*Baaaaaaaam!*

An explosive sound came out from Ultar's body as he made contact with the earth.

< Ferocious Strength has taken effect.

An attack that diminishes target's Stamina!

The damage dealt to the opponent increases by 7.8 times. >

Thanks to the Sculptural Destruction skill converting all of his Art stat to Strength, his physical attacks exerted tremendous force, yet Weed was still not done. Before anyone knew, he raised the Loa Sword above his head.

"Just a bit more. Heraim Fencing!"

Quite unlike how he had fought the enemies on the Path of Struggle with all those flashy and splendid moves, he was now intent on doing nothing but strike him down over and over again.

"God damn it! Activate the Armor of Mother Earth."

Roots and vines began to spring forth from the armor Ultar was wearing, wrapping his body. He had activated the effect that reduces the damage taken by a whopping 87.4% for ten minutes, but the outcome was devastating.

*Smaaaackk!*

He needed to take a lot of hits to die, so he kept taking hits.

Ultar scrambled to his feet and attempted to counterattack a few times, but Weed's motions were fast and fluid despite his massive size as an Orc. He didn't move more than it was necessary, but occasionally exerted explosive speed, making full use of his ability to manipulate space as he jumped through Dimension Doors. Ultar could almost feel his very soul leaving his body with the relentless chain attacks Weed was inflicting upon him. He took another blow, and another, and another.

"You're not going to…"

"It's not over yet!"

"This fight has only just begun."

As Ultar was driven into a corner, he became increasingly reliant on big and powerful skills that could turn the table. And Weed was handling him perfectly, like a hunter chasing a rabbit into a dead end. In the end, as countless users were watching through the broadcast, Ultar met his demise.

< The Slayer from the Far Land, Ultar was killed in the duel.

The notorious lord of the Bonnem Castle has perished.

Your combat accomplishment has resulted in an increase of your Strength stat by 2 points.

Your Fame has increased by 4,391 points. >

An overwhelming victory!

Weed let out a fierce roar, as Orcs do when they win a battle.

- Huuuaaaaaaaahh!

All the users who were monitoring the duel also raised a big shout. Their cries and cheers filled the whole Garnav Plain with tumultuous noises.

And while every user and broadcasting company were focusing on Karichwi's face…

- Sssscchwiick!

Weed's hands moved faster than eyes could follow, collecting the spoils of the fight.

< A looted item: You have obtained the Armor of Mother Earth. >

The Armor of Mother Earth!

A holy relic of Minne, the Goddess of Earth, the armor which Ultar had borrowed from a friend for this fight, was dropped as loot. Weed felt his jaw drop as he read the message window.

'What is this, jackpot?! No. This can't be true. My luck just wouldn't allow something like this.'

He was suspicious at first, but the metallic touch at his fingertips was telling him it was real. The sleek, yet reliably heavy and clean texture of a luxurious item!

'My rotten luck has finally turned around for once.'

Ultar's ill reputation on top of the fact that he had been branded a murderer led him to lose the precious armor.

'I should make good use of it.'

It would be perfectly fine to take possession of any normal looted item claimed from a fallen enemy, but since this was a holy relic of the Church of Earth, it would be better to return it… someday… eventually… like a corrupt company delays the payment to their subcontractors making various excuses.

'I'll just take good care of it, and return it in my own time. A very long time, that is.'

Satisfied with the spoils, Weed let out a Lion's Roar.

- Advance. Chhwick!

***

"Let us join the fight, too!"

Oberon, the lord of the Vent Castle!

Ever since the days when he led the Frozen Roses Guild, he had gained popularity and the trust of the public, and currently there were more than tens of thousands of users following him.

Oberon had always put much effort to promote the development, stabilization and expansion of the local region governed by the Vent Castle. He was also often seen personally going to the rescue of novice users trapped in dungeons, which led to his high reputation. Moreover, this was the Garnav Plain: lord, castellan, or captain of a local militia from the Arpen Kingdom; no matter what kind of position you had, all you had to do was raise a flag and people would flock like clouds.

"Oberon is here, and I say: we will go and join the fight!"

Oberon shouted out using a Warrior's skill called War Cry of Retaliation. Soon, users with torches in their hands began to gather around him from all directions.

"Let's fight!"

"300 warriors of the Chicken Porridge group, reporting for duty."

"Hooray for Oberon!"

"There're some Clam Porridge squad members here, too; but what does it matter what groups we belong to? We're going to the battle!"

"Three high-level Mages available here. Would there be room for us too?"

Users in the nearby areas responded first, but the news spread to the far distance in no time and more users began to band together under Oberon's banner. It was impossible to know their exact number due to the hour of the night, but it could be guessed that there were a lot of people who were on this together.

Oberon let out another war cry.

"The enemy located near here is the 12th Legion of the Haven Imperial Army. We're going to attack them."

"Yes, sir!"

Oberon directed his troops to advance. They were further gaining in size as they encountered numerous Northern users on the way, and finally came upon the 12th Legion, led by Grenol.

"Whew."

"They sure look majestic."

The magical chariots in the Empire's camp were illuminating the surrounding areas. Driven by 8 horses, it had the effect of magically increasing one's speed and endurance as well as decreasing any physical damage. Each chariot was manned with Knights, advancing as they slaughtered the Northern users with their spears. Archers and Mages of the 12th Legion were destroying the whole battlefield with ranged attacks, and the Hermes Guild members were running amok as well. Each of them had levels ranging from late 400s to 500s, so they were wiping out tens of users with a single skill like it was nothing. Those who were facing the Hermes Guild for the first time felt their body freeze with terror.

"Here are our targets!"

The large crowd following the lead of Oberon rushed straight in and attacked the 12th Legion from the side. Grenol, the Legion Commander and a Mage, watched this using a spell called Owl's Eyes which gave him night vision.

"Ridiculous. Trying to fight us with those weaklings…"

A considerable number of users Oberon had brought with him didn't even know how to fight. They rushed in, crashed their bodies against the magical chariots and disappeared as grey shades.

"And they call this a human wave strategy? This is just filling their numbers with useless rabble."

Grenol recalled his past battles during the days when the Empire was conquering the Central Continents. His level was lower than now, but he still had many a well-matched fight against the elite members of the other prestigious guilds. The victory was always theirs in the end, but the possibility of getting killed in battle at any minute kept up his tension.

"Such a sub-par standard, just as I saw in the videos."

Grenol cast a few area-of-effect spells and aimed them at the assaulting crowd. As fire and wind spells were combined, a great wave of flames swept the users away. Just as Grenol was about to turn his gaze, assuming it would be enough to forestall the enemy,

"Grenol!"

He heard a loud voice.

Startled, Grenol looked at the ground where his spells had been cast.

A short Dwarf Warrior, his entire body burning in fire!

Oberon was running right at him in a straight line, penetrating through his magical spell. The Imperial troops and a few Hermes Guild users tried to stop him, but they were all knocked out by the Dwarf's axe and shield bash. At that instant, Grenol remembered the name of the Dwarf Warrior once famous.

"You are Oberon!"

In the past he had been a widely-known user, one of the top 80 strongest players in Royal Road. The guild had forgotten about him after the Haven Empire took control over the Central Continent, and now he made his appearance again, right here.

"Kill him."

Still, with a distance of 200 meters between them, Grenol thought the Hermes Guild members would take care of him somehow. There were ten thousand guild members belonging to the 12th Legion, and even though most of them were fighting in the frontline, at least a hundred were currently present around Oberon's position. Spirit and Arcane magical attacks flew in the air, all targeting Oberon.

"Upstream Wind!"

A skill that improved a Warrior's speed and evasion came to effect.

A small-sized Dwarf Warrior!

Oberon ran and swerved in a zigzag, avoiding all the incoming attacks ridiculously narrowly. The spells that missed him went on to hit the Imperial Army nearby. Magical chariots were knocked over, and the ground exploded.

"Don't worry. We'll stop him."

The Hermes Guild members specialized in close range combat, who were given the role of guarding the Legion Commander, said confidently. They were almost glad to find out the person they were going to fight was Oberon.

"Still, coming all the way here alone… He's running to his own grave."

"Let's trap him in a circle. We mustn't miss him when he tries to flee."

Oberon was but one person, and they were many. They hadn't expected any exciting battle since they were appointed as the commander's escorts, but killing a famous user who is also a lord of a castle in the Arpen Kingdom would certainly be something to boast about.

"Throw Millearm!"

At that moment, an axe flew out of Oberon's hand. It was becoming about hundreds of times larger as it was spinning and flying in the air with a ferocious speed.

"A Secret Skill of Axe Wielding?!"

"Use defense skills!"

An incredible axe-throwing skill!

The now-enormous axe struck the ground, targeting Grenol's position. Five of the Mages and Shamans among the Hermes Guild members were killed in the attack, but otherwise the damage was not huge.

"…!"

However, Grenol had seen it — the sight of Oberon making his way through the guild members guarding him! The escorts also noticed it belatedly and tried to strike at him, but Oberon had already rushed past them swiftly while they were blocking his earlier attacks.

"The Ascending Wing-"

Grenol attempted to run away using a flying spell, as he would be at a disadvantage in close range.

"Nobody can escape from my combat zone! Pulling Shackles!"

A Warrior-class skill, it blocked the enemy from fleeing or moving to other locations. Affected by Oberon's Shackles, Grenol's flying spell was cancelled.

"Such recklessness…!"

Grenol thought Oberon was being quite stupid, rushing in like this without even checking his surroundings first. Even if he managed to kill Grenol, he would soon meet the same fate through the hands of the other Hermes Guild members.

Oberon took out a dagger and stabbed Grenol. It was enough to take the life of a Mage, with their weak physical Toughness and Life Force. Oberon grinned widely as he watched Grenol's body turn grey and disappear.

"My skills haven't gone too rusty, seeing that I killed the head of an Imperial Legion."

A Hermes Guild user standing right next to him yelled.

"Idiot. Aren't you the captain of those people you've brought with you?"

The crowd that Oberon had led to the battle was still engaging the 12th Legion. The legion certainly possessed superior combat technique, but some brave users had climbed onto the chariots and kept fighting. The Hermes Guild members simply could not understand why the enemy captain had barged in deep into their ranks alone when he had the entire army he needed to lead.

But Oberon had no regrets.

"They don't need any directions from me. We're just going to fight, however we want. That's what each and every one of us is here for."

Someone among the Hermes Guild members spoke out.

"Still, don't you feel it's a bit wasteful to die here like this?"

"No. There are many more people out there just like me. It's you lot who're going to face hell itself."

(Continued on next part…)