The legendary Moonlight Sculptor

V54C6P1- The way of the desert

Weed saw the sigil of the murderer and sighed.

"The brothers are dead…"

He did not mean to lead them to a certain death, but they died anyway.

He would normally account for the worst scenarios, but this was definitely impossible to predict.

'It's not the worst thing that could happen anyhow.'

He gained a level and accomplished the genocide combat accomplishment.

His status as a murderer would disappear while doing quests, and the entire scene was broadcasted live so no one will think badly of him.

Weed who had defeated the sandstorm walked over to Geumchi5 who was a total mess just from observing.

"Well done, youngest one."

"It's nothing. This kind of thing is a breeze."

"Yes. Of course."

Weed brought out bandages and wrapped it around Geumchi5 and the apprentices with rockbottom health points.

They boasted about their recovery even with fatal wounds and some of them were actually hanging on the cliff.

"Consuming some food will help you recover faster."

"I am not hungry."

"This is dried eel."

"Mmm. Very savory. You got any more of these?"

These apprentices didn't run from raining lava but could not hold back on dried eel and shared among themselves.

They had nowhere to use the excess stamina, but they would not turn down good food!

The users that were hiding around the desert rose to their feet.

"Oh… He's good at wrapping bandages too."

"You have to be at that level to be called the best in the continent."

The response from the desert users were different from how it was before.

Their eyes were beaming with surprise and admiration.

"I am Barova. Weed-nim. It is an honor to meet you."

"Yes. Glad to meet you."

Weed exchanged simple greetings with the desert users. Many of the users present were around level 500.

To be active in the desert, the user will generally be high-level and hostile. They were well-behaved having seen Weed in action.

'When I rule the desert, these users will become the tribal chiefs.'

Weed put on his business smile.

"I think it's beyond coincidence for us to have met, so will you join me in a hunt?"

***

Hunting hell, an infernal hunting hell!

Weed reminisced the days as the Great King of the Desert and hunted alongside the users.

"We are the Zenkoba Tribe. To you we swear our loyalty. Every single drop of blood that runs through be will be shed for you."

As he met with the different desert tribes, the influence in building the Pallos Empire grew.

The users that have proceeded with the quest for the Pallos Empire could be disappointed, but as it stood, Weed was already in control of the North and the Central Continent.

He also took in the tribe warriors from Geumchi and the apprentices.

His faction and influence was outstanding, and the seeds of the Pallos Empire that spread across the desert regions were also in his hands.

The southern desert also seemed to fall into his hands in a natural flow of events just moments after its birth.

"Are you the warrior who put the Eye of the Sun to rest?"

"That is so."

The Sun Tribe deemed to be the most powerful in the desert visited him after 3 days.

The tribe that it self-claimed to be warriors of warriors and the descendents of the Pallos Empire.

"We heard the stories, but we only believe in what we see with our own eyes. If you seek a duel with our warriors, follow."

The Newcomer in the Tribe

The Sun Tribe does not accept just anyone.

If you seek to be a magnificent desert warrior, you must become the youngest one in the tribe and learn from various teachings.

Follow the Sun Tribe and participate in the hunting.

Difficulty: A

Requirements: Warrior class job quest

Rewards: Advancement into desert warrior

'Desert warrior… It ain't easy earning the nice job classes.'

Weed had no plans of settling for the desert warrior.

'The warrior class needs combat achievements in order to acquire good jobs. The sandstorm was quite a struggle, but I'm well off in terms of sword techniques, stats and equipment. I'm better in a real competition.'

While all the ruckus was going on with Kaybern, he did not want to waste any time.

'I guess it is what it is. I can just hunt my way after this.'

He processed the situation for a moment and nodded.

"Alright. I will go with you."

< You have accepted the quest. Spirit increased by 1. >

***

Darius, the lord of Castle Patton!

In the past, he committed evil deeds without restraint, then betrayed the Hermes Guild and sided with the Arpen.

"Oof. That was the best decision ever. A man's got to have the right connections."

"I agree, lord Darius."

Darius failed to hide his satisfaction in his castle raised in the Northern Continent.

It was located between Castle Vent and Mordred, had decent transportation system and also possessed rich-soil lands that was providing an increasing amount of harvests.

"How are the farmers?"

"They are gathering up. I believe this is the effect of building reservoirs early."

"The price of the crops will increase because of Kaybern. We will be able to sell at higher prices. This is seizing the opportunity."

"Increasing price of consumables goes against the laws of Arpen."

Darius frowned at the words of the internal affairs manager.

"It is irritating with so many regulations. If it was Haven Empire, we would have made 10, 20 times more profit with the excuse of lacking supply."

"But, aren't there a lot more users that will make the purchase? The merchant associations willingly buy in bulk."

A smile painted Darius' face again.

"That's right. Business and population is all you need for a city."

Just a bit of investment over Castle Patton and new inventions brought instantaneous response of the users. Tens and thousands of users moved in each week, and there were even more merchants and travellers, giving him joy in ruling the city.

Technology, production and taxes were undeniably influenced by population.

He had wiped his past completely and was now living the life of the lord.

Darius in his office took out the crystal ball.

"Let's see what our dear majesty is up to."

His other hobby was watching footage of Weed from time to time.

"I took the best rope up. Just a moment later in turning to Arpen and I wouldn't be enjoying this luxury in the lord seat."

If the Hermes Guild were to crumble and Weed control the entire world, nothing could work out better for him.

At a point in time in his life, he was infamous for his evil deeds, but he thought of it as a childhood misconduct.

"From now on, I will maintain my good reputation and live as the lord. Lord of Arpen… How great is that?"

In the crystal ball, footage of Weed joining with the Sun Tribe and running east of the desert was shown.

"I've been there as well!"

Darius sprang out of his seat.

After Weed had raised the Pallos Empire, the revival of the desert region began.

Shortly after that, he considered the request of the broadcast station and organized a squad for a trip to the desert.

"Heated Desert. That's the place where the desert worms spawn, yes? A bit more east and the bigger ones come out."

The squad at the time battled against 3 desert worms.

A gigantic worm that moves beneath the sands.

Weed once transformed himself into a squishy worm but it was surely a tricky opponent to face.

'Enormous amount of health points and endurance. It swallows anything that comes in its path. Bursting out from the ground without notice is a problematic trait as well.'

When it was beneath the sands, it was hard to pinpoint its location and let alone attack.

If it were to surge all of a sudden and take a mouthful, the victim would meet certain death unless he was a warrior or a knight!

The worm was a subject of fear for the mages and priests that positioned in the rear.

'I have heard countless times that worms are not to be hunted. However, I had no other choice but to fight it due to the broadcast.'

Darius' squad fought formidably in its early encounter with the 3 desert worms. However, another showed up, devouring an archer and a mage.

That was just the beginning of a nightmare.

The desert worms that felt the trembles of battle gathered from a 5 kilometer radius.

They sprang everywhere from the sands and devoured the users.

Gulp!

They swallowed users whole and drained their health points and mana.

"Run! Fall back!"

Darius chose to retreat, horrified like he was in hell, but the battle extended for a long time and the desert worms were on a rampage.

Less than a dozen managed to escape the area.

The tension beat just about any horror film and the footage hit over 50 million views.

Darius could not forget such a gruesome failure.

"He's going to that place? Along with the desert tribe members?"

He thought it was illogical but could not foresee the outcome because it was Weed.

***

Weed followed the Sun Tribe and got the broadcast station to live cast the scene.

- Seoyoon: This is the habitat of desert worms. Be weary of the tremors. It's best if you take your shoes off.

Seoyoon delivered information as she observed the live cast.

- Mapan: The desert worm, apart from its rotten meat, sells for expensive price! The feelers are used for making fire type magic scrolls nowadays and are on the rise on the price range.

Mapan also filled in with information about market price.

Weed was quite familiar with monsters of this type since he came across the Death Worm and Squishy Worm.

'The Sun Tribe. I wonder how you all fight.'

He was following in a relaxed manner.

"Sprint!"

The camel began racing through the desert at the shout from the tribal chief.

All in view was the ocean of sand roasted hot by the sunlight.

It was almost a boring and peaceful view, but something occurred the next moment.

- Chuuuuuack!

As they passed through the sand hill, the desert worms popped out from the ground!

The tribe warriors responded swiftly.

"Scatter and advance forward!"

The warriors mounted on camels split to the sides and attacked the desert worm.

7 of them fell off from their camels, but they succeeded in hunting the desert worm with a quick retaliation.

'The reaction was fast. They fight well.'

Weed deemed the Sun Tribe to be as formidable as the usual warriors he came across back in his days as the Great King of the Desert.

In those days, he cast them away as soon as they fell even an inch behind because he was all about saving time.

Gathering and training the elites in endless hunting was after all that.

The forces under his direct command were elites that could conquer the continent, so they were not to be compared to.

A warrior with an intimidating face and white cloth wrapped around his head approached Weed.

"Newcomer! Tend to the wounded."

"So I shall."

Weed went over to the wounded and wrapped them with bandages rubbed in healing herbs.

"Ah… That feels great."

"With a bit of rest, you will be able to fight again."

"Thanks."

< Friendliness has increased. >

The wounded warriors each taught him a skill of their own.

"I can't really call this compensation, but do you know how to put power in your sword?"

"I wish to learn."

"It is to strike down with the energy of the sky. It is quite the tricky skill, but repeat it a few times after I show you."

Weed copied the footwork and the waist movement of the wounded warrior identically.

Blink!

< You have acquired the passive skill, Warrior's Descending Strike.

Warrior's Descending Strike, Novice, 1 (0%): Striking down on an enemy increases attack power by 2%. >

He picked up a few vital skills learned by warriors.

In the desert, he could not pick up defensive skills but he learned plenty of offensive skills.

'It's enjoyable to look after these warriors. Unfortunately, I won't have the time to cook for them.'

Weed thought about the time in Litbar demon lair where he looked after the Rosenheim Kingdom soldiers, but that was just for a moment.

An A rank quest.

It would not end with just caring for the behinds as the intern of the Sun Tribe.

'It's manageable so far… But the deeper we go into the Heated Desert, the desert worms will appear by the dozens.'

Then it would be a terrible scene of hell!

Judging by the navigation path, he had to survive while protecting the Sun Tribe.

(To be continued…)