The legendary Moonlight Sculptor

V54C2P1 - Dragon's Attack

Miliam Fortress.

The users standing on the fort walls could see the monster horde tainting the earth black as they advanced. The ground shook with the monsters' movements.

"Ugh… Those things are coming to attack."

"They're unstoppable."

Many users had not yet returned since they all marched to the Garnav Plains. The current number of users at Miliam Fortress was approximately 5,000.

Compared to the usual number of over 30,000 active users around the fortress, it had significantly declined.

- Kuoooo!

- Shred human flesh, consume them!

At the frontline of the monster horde was a creature named Butcher.

The boss of a horrifying dungeon in the level 700s. He had a grotesque form and black skin.

*Crumble!*

Butcher smashed the fort wall with his double-edged axe.

Each time, an ear-piercing thundering noise echoed and a fraction of the wall collapsed.

"We don't have a chance here. We must run too."

"That's a good idea."

The users of Miliam Fortress scrambled out through the rear gate.

- Kill all the humans!

The monsters quickly approached the walls that Butcher had destroyed.

They climbed the walls relentlessly, each with 8 long furry legs.

Some monsters dug underground and surged from inside the fortress. The users that did not get away in time were slaughtered.

< Miliam Fortress was overrun.

The national prestige of the Arpen Empire is decreased by 2.

The loyalty level and security of citizens near Miliam Fortress is decreased greatly.

The activity of monsters near these regions will become more frequent. >

The Arpen Empire had gained control of Miliam Fortress in the Central Continent and lost it to monsters within a week. National prestige spreads influence to various areas including foreign affairs, special products, and knights' royalty level.

Savant Village.

Anton Fortress.

City Soven.

These locations fell under the hands of monsters in just a single day.

Kaybern's activity disturbed a large number of monsters and the Versailles Continent was swamped.

***

"It is an honor to meet you. Weed-nim!"

"Mmm… It would be pleasant if I am promoted to a knight of the Arpen Empire."

"It is great to meet you at a place like this. I was deeply impressed by the quest Great King of the Desert. If Weed-nim had not come to the desert, I also would have been absent."

Barang.

It was the capital of the desert. Weed commenced negotiations in a place filled with excellent users. The goal was to accept them under the Arpen Empire and acknowledge the individual tribes. He was worried that some of these tribes may have alternative ambitions, but the users of the desert region did not go against it.

"Ha-ha. Weed-nim spends all his fortune to upgrade the regions. Please develop the desert like you did for the Central Continent!"

"K-ugh."

"How much funding are you going to invest in the desert? It would be nice to have a large river that runs through the desert."

"A river…"

"An amusement park! Build an amusement park, so that a lot of people will visit!"

Weed's popularity was at its peak even in the desert!

Geomchi and the apprentices decided to completely merge into the Arpen Empire without a single doubt.

They even wanted to hand over the control over their associate warriors and tribe members.

"Being a man is all about trust. Loyalty."

"Of course. You never know when you're going to die. We must live admirably."

Weed sighed quietly as he observed the tribe members brought forth by the apprentices.

"To think that it was this big of a mess."

Geomchi and the other apprentices did not pay any attention to internal affairs. They were merely fetching food each time they thought that the members were going to starve to death.The security level of the desert region was quite low and had a low level oftechnology. Weed was taking on a poor tribe that had no concept of possessions. Weed sent a whisper to Mapan.

"Please deliver food supplies and necessities to the desert as soon as possible.

- Mapan : The cost of food supplies are increasing due to Kaybern. What is the quantity needed?

Weed quickly scanned his surroundings. He saw an endless number of people sitting on the sand. The desert tribe members with camels and sheep spanned beyond the sand hill.

"I need consistent amount forfeeding about 100,000 people. Can you make the delivery?"

- Mapan : That is possible. However, Weed-nim. I believe that currently, you have insufficient funds…

"Can you put that on a tab?"

- Mapan : Tab works. But at a 3% interest weekly.

"Let's not put that kind of thing between us…"

- Mapan : Weed-nim once said, give what you need to give and take what you have to. That is a long-lasting relationship.

"You have excellent memory."

- Mapan : Also, you said there is no such thing as family when it comes to money.

"…"

Weed could not afford put it on credit and instead agreed to hand over the equipment gained from the Hermes Guild members at the Garnav Plains battle.

< A vast territory with numerous tribes supporting you. You have the 7th highest influence since the birth of the Pallos Empire. >

The 1st and 2nd places for influence were Geomchi and Geomchi2, and they were hunting in the north together with their girlfriends. The unification of the southern desert region was as good as decided already.

Geomchi smirked as he spoke.

"Youngest one, where are you headed to now?"

"I have to make a trip to the North."

There was a sign of the Eye of the Sun rising in the Desert of Tranquility. When the night of the desert turns red and a day or two passes, the Eye of the Sun forms andcreates a storm.

Weed could not wait idly at the Desert of Tranquility.

"Are you leaving the desert completely?"

"If the Eye of the Sun forms, I will come to destroy the storm and I will be able to meet the Sun Tribe."

"The Sun Tribe… I've heard stories of them. They are the mightiest tribe in the desert."

"Even if they may be, they wouldn't be a match."

"Of course. We are the best."

***

Bard Ray was able to get away after tediously signing autographs to users in Morata.

'I must hurry. I am never coming back anywhere near Morata.'

The vast Northern Continent.

Kaybern led to multiplying monsters, making it a rare case for one to encounter other users in the field.

"Hey, let's go."

He rode on the bull he purchased in Morata and travelled straight North-west. Monsters that resided only inside of bizzare dungeons came across his way occasionally, but they posed little threat.

"Mana Sword."

Secret skill of the Sword Technique. It summons a flying sword. As it flew, Bard Ray charged closely behind its tail.

The coward bull was astonished each time a monster appeared, but quickly came to realize that its owner was powerful. After that, it kicked its four legs in a ragingtempo.

Bard Ray couldn't believe his own state of riding on a bull.

'A cow instead of a horse… To think that I'd end up riding on it. Average speed is slower, but it passes through mud really well and it has great strength.'

The Northern bulls were exceptionally comfortable for riding. He had a lot of money which led him to buy an expensive bull. The Morata head merchant of the Mapan Association spoke.

"You know of Yellowy that Weed-nim rides? This one's the 3rd generation. It's the best breed! The downside is that it eats a ton, but it's stamina and strength are extraordinary."

He pretended to listen, but the more he traveled, the more he realized the truth of the head merchant's words. If he let the bull loose for a bit, it consumed all the grass nearby and walked to the woods.

*Bang! Bang!*

It kicked a tree and snatched the fruits off the ground as they fell.

*Craaaaack!*

It would sometimes kick with too much force that even thick bulky trees would snap.

'It gets scared way too easily, but would be amazing in combat. Though you don't really rely on mounts the higher level you become.'

Bard Ray heard some news about the horse that he was riding until recently.

"Stuart is doing well."

"Stuart?"

It was a legendary horse born from an extreme probability of one in several millions.

They roamed countless hunting grounds together, and he had lost the horse after being defeated by Weed.

"Ah. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. I thought you would have been curious. It is doing well on a ranch. It's being fed a load of nutritious things and it has good relationships with the female horses. There are plains where horses can run freely even in the North, so I am planning to start breeding."

In addition, he heard that there were many shepherds and ranch workers in Morata. The Emperor of Arpen Empire was a sculptor, so not a single job would be mistreated.

Bard Ray thought to himself as he rode the bull northwest.

'I will definitely win the next battle. What's more… Weed became a warrior? I also will become stronger.'

The farthest point northwest within the Northern Continent. The weather gradually turned colder as he passed through the Valley of Death and Purgol Fortress.

"Moooo."

"Cover up with this."

Bard Ray placed overa magic cloak with thermal functions on the bull.

If it was Weed, he would have said that the bull will grow used to the cold, but Bard Ray had a tender side. Conversely, he was merciless to his enemies during conquest.

He finally arrived at the village of the bulky barbarians.

"Halt. This is not a place for the average use5r."

He had acquired this 1st-class information from the Hermes Guild. This village was the Barbarian village where he could advance into the Iron-Blood Warrior.

***

Under the command of the dragon soldiers, the monster horde passing through the Varq Mountain Pass in order to attack human lands was constantly growing in numbers.

"Screek!"

"Croak. Creeek!"

There were many stray monsters roaming about, but the hordes sizeable enough to destroy fortresses and cities numbered11 groups.

4 hordes were gathering around Thor and one more was being assembled eat each of the Britten, Haven, and Tullen Regions.

For Haven, the powerful Hermes Guild was able to protect, but the rest required the protection of the Arpen Empire.

*Shwaaaah.*

Rain followed over the heads of the advancing monsters.

- The acidic level is low but it's rotten. Contaminated rain is drizzling down. The plants of the continent are suffering or dying out.

- Why is this happening all of a sudden?

- The exact cause is unknown but we can make a plausible assumption. It seems to be due to Kaybern. It is likely a characteristic by the Black Dragon… We can speculate that he is spreading poison.

The great lords that each govern over a region announced that there was a phrase in the quest about Kaybern's cursed rain, confirming the speculations to be true.

- The continental danger can only be stopped by defeating Kaybern or the monsters.

-The plants are all dying… This is terrible.

-Yes. Fortunately, I have received reports that the trees in the Elven Forest are not affected.

(To be continued…)