The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor

?Volume 50 Chapter 4 — For This Beautiful Sea Part I-II

When the mood of the dinner party was sufficiently heightened, Weed beckoned Yellowy and Nile to come closer.

“Moooo…”

“I’m so sleepy. Can’t I at least have a solid rest on a day like this?”

The sculptural creatures complained.

“Allow me to introduce them to you; both of these sculptures are my own creation.”

Geihar cocked his head with a surprised expression in his face.

“Sculptures? You mean they are…?”

“Yes. I bestowed life upon them.”

“Life bestowal? But that is my specialty. How on earth did you manage to use that skill?”

Weed straightened the creases on his novice adventurer’s garment with his hands; this was one of the planned-out acts for the ultimate flattery he had designed to win the favor of the emperor, in order to squeeze the last drop of usefulness out of him.

“I think it’s time to introduce myself more properly, master.”

“Master? What do you mean?”

“My imperial majesty Emperor Geihar von Arpen, I am your student from the future, who once came across a piece of parchment left by yourself and thereby chose to become a sculptor.”

Geihar’s jaw dropped in amazement. Weed began to tell him the old story.

His path as a sculptor had been initiated in a place called Lair of Litvart. With all things considered, it could be said that Emperor Geihar was Weed’s true mentor.

“Well I’ll be damned… so you became a sculptor after reading my letter?”

“Indeed, it was an expertly written piece of work that captured my interest at once.”

As a proof, Weed took out the parchment which he had been keeping all along. He never threw away anything, even if it was just some old miscellaneous item. As for this letter, he had chucked it in an obscure corner of the Black Castle before finding and bringing it with him for this adventure.

- A letter from a legendary emperor to the future generations.

My name is Geihar von Arpen, the Emperor who united the Versailles Continent for the first time in history. However, I confess that the last days of my life have not been too happy, for there was none who recognized my torment, and my talent. Why doesn’t anyone understand the greatness of my profession? Why do people scorn and dismiss it as some worthless job? Blinded by prejudice, nobody made an attempt to understand the true intention behind my choices, nor did they show willingness to carry on my legacy as a sculptor. Even my own children were no exception — foolish, ignorant things! They do not deserve to become my successor; thus I leave all my secret techniques of sculpting here.

The letter was full of complaints as well as denunciation on one’s children.

“This indeed looks like my own handwriting.”

“Yes. I had always been very interested in the art of sculpting, and after reading your letter, I immediately made a decision to become a sculptor.”

“So none of my own children became a successor to my legacy…”

“I do not know much about that, but that was what was written in the letter.”

Although people say backbiting a person together was a classic way of bonding with a friend, it wouldn’t be wise to have the said friend’s own family as the subject of the slander, even if he hated them. It might feel satisfying at first, but a person was bound to get angry eventually at the insults towards his own kin.

“After that letter of your majesty’s opened my eyes to the world of sculpting, I have been through so much pain and suffer-I mean, *ahem*, so many wonderful adventures with a burning passion in my heart. I’ve come to know more about the sculpting techniques as I travelled across the continent.”

After listening to Weed’s explanation on all that had happened, Emperor Geihar nodded.

“That’s indeed the power of sculpting. Travelling in time itself wouldn’t be a difficult task at all if you have the endless possibilities of sculpting by your side, the art of creating miracles.”

Weed wetted his lips profusely with saliva.

“Of course. Sculpting is the best skill one can have.”

“Do you realize that while all the combat skills are quite simple to master, creating life is something only a god would be capable of? Art is one true power, the limit of which is beyond our estimation.”

“You are absolutely right. That’s what I always say to other people as well. Sculpting is an everlasting technique.”

“It seems we talk the same language; because you are my pupil, perhaps?”

“Allow me to refill your cup, your Majesty!”

“No need for such formality; just call me master.”

Weed was getting along smoothly with Emperor Geihar, enjoying a glass of beer with him.

“By the way, you could have come to meet me straight away after you arrived; why were you staying in this place?”

“There will be a monster invasion in a few days, an invasion by which this beautiful sea of the Arpen Empire will be destroyed.”

He added some more explanation about the coming assault of the monsters upon the great coral reef. Geihar’s eyes narrowed and a hint of suspicion appeared on his face.

“Invasion and destruction. Aren’t those all the more reasons why you should have come to me?”

“Of course, I yearned to find you and seek your help, master. But at that time I was worried that we wouldn’t be able to have an audience with the great Emperor himself… so we decided to stop the invading monsters by joining our strength, meager though it may be.”

“That is very commendable attitude, nothing less than what I’d expect from my student.”

“Huheheheheheh.”

Emperor Geihar had an easy-going disposition and was quite susceptible to flattery.

‘I didn’t have to worry so much. I should’ve guessed he would be such a simple person to deal with from that letter he left for the future generations.’

Weed’s honeyed words were absorbed by the emperor as smoothly as an instant coffee mix dissolving into hot water. From the next day onwards, Geihar joined the rest of the adventurers in their effort to stop the monsters.

“The sculptural lifeforms… After I bestowed life upon them, all of them have been living as free spirits. I will ask these friends of mine for their aid.”

“Yes, master.”

Emperor Geihar summoned the sculptural creatures living in the nearby regions by blowing a shining bugle. Every day there were more than a thousand creatures answering his call; on the first day, they consisted mainly of small animals resembling raccoons or badgers.

“Master! Master!”

“Kekeke. Here I am!”

As soon as they arrived, this race of creatures called Boroks started to eat the significant amount of fish that Zephyr had caught.

Emperor Geihar spoke to them.

“There will be a fight.”

“Kukeke. Sounds scary! I’m scared!”

“Our enemies are fish.”

“Food! We eat them!!”

Weed thought that those creatures that had gathered on the first day would be quite useless.

‘They are small, weak, yet consume a lot of food. That’s the worst combination I could think of.’

The next day, various kinds of herbivores streamed into the beach, including some tiny ones that looked similar to rabbits. At least they did not need any provisions as they searched food in the woods on their own, but it was still unclear whether they would be able to join the battle.

‘The best sculptural lifeforms are those that can complete any given tasks efficiently and know to follow orders. Those small creatures might be better suited for using in the character industry, seeing their cute appearance.’

But as Weed’s disappointment grew, there was another group of creatures arriving, this time consisting of reliable-looking crocodile-like combatants.

“We have answered your call, your Majesty.”

“A battle will take place very soon. Your task is to protect the seaside.”

“Yes, my Emperor!”

The crocodile combat troops were stalwart soldiers. The Croco Legion, the name given to these creatures, was also mentioned in historical books of the Arpen Empire, and was known to possess tough skins and formidable strength.

The march of the Croco Legion, armed with swords and shields!

These combat troops were capable of swimming their way through any rivers or swamps, which granted them high mobility.

Examining all the sculptural lifeforms summoned by Geihar, Weed tried to guess the emperor’s taste.

‘First mice and rabbits, and now crocodiles. He’s fond of animals, perhaps? He is surely a peculiar man, as some of old records say.’

Flattery was a delicate art which required thorough study of its subject. Weed had deliberately brought Nile the Crocodile in order to pander to the emperor’s taste. Weed spoke to Emperor Geihar covertly.

“Those crocodiles are very imposing and magnificent to behold.”

“You think so? They are actually my failed works.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I just carved them with the top of my mind when I was drunk. But they breed extremely quickly; that’s why there are so many of them now.”

A dark spot in the history of sculpting!

No sculptor would be fully satisfied with every piece he had worked on, as is the case with all the artists.

From the next day, the true main forces of the Arpen Empire started to make their appearances.

A squadron of flying creatures that covered the whole sky — with their wings fully spread they were far larger than dragons, with long sharp beaks and muscular shoulders and legs. Their bodies were huge yet agile; truly a species created solely for fighting.

“What do you call those birds?”

“They are Baraags. Aren’t they big and cute?”

Baraags!

According to historical records, they were ferocious monsters that could slay things like wyverns or griffons in their sleep. The legendary creatures that were known to have destroyed several cities later during the Warring Age, and currently there were none less than thirty of them in the sky.

“Exactly how many Baraags are there in the continent?”

“I don’t know. I’ve made those sculptures when I was a child… I guess there would be around a thousand of them by now.”

Weed said to himself, ‘With these monsters on his side… no wonder he managed to unite the whole Versailles Continent. Sure, every child is dear to his parents, but some children are bound to be more competent than others.’

If those Baraags spread their wings and threatened humans, their very lives would be at stake; the sculptures Emperor Geihar had crafted as some ‘big and cute’ things were at the very top of the food chain.

***

The day had come on which the sea monsters would make their appearance.

Schools of fish swarmed in near the shoreline, triggering a quest for Weed and his companions.

Ding!

An assault of Poratts!

The monsters that have been devouring everything in the depths of the ocean were freed in great numbers! They are now heading towards the Wulhoff Reef because of the vast quantities of food that the place provides. By joining strength with the sculptural lifeforms of the Arpen Empire, stop the Poratts from destroying the sea of corals.

Difficulty Level: A

Rewards: Contribution points for the Arpen Empire

Quest Restrictions: Proceeding with a historical adventure

The occurrence of the quest was as it was expected.

‘This way isn’t too bad either.’

It would be a basic practice of adventurers to carry out quest and hunting simultaneously.

Emperor Geihar agreed to lend them some of the equipment he owned, as a token of his goodwill.

“Both your attire and weapons look quite worn-out. Here, use these; you are fighting for the residents of my empire, after all.”

What the emperor in rags took out and offered them were some of the sleekest dwarf-made gears.

- The Sword of Glory and Justice

- The Crimson Blood Armor

- The Armor of Star, Wind and Cloud

- The Shield of Deep Underground

- Sea Flower-patterned Boots

- The Ring of an Overlord.

Most of the equipment had level restriction of late-400s, which meant that they were far better than what Pale, Romuna and a few others had been using. Presently, Emperor Geihar was the richest man on the face of the Versailles Continent.

Seasoned Crab and Python were both content with continuing using their old weapons, as they preferred the grips of them which their hands were accustomed to.

Surka picked up a few pieces of equipment from the emperor’s collection, and asked, “Do you normally carry so many items and gears with you, your Majesty?”

“There’s a bit more in my bag. Would you like to take a look?”

From a very battered-looking leather backpack the emperor pulled out some more items.

- Mynedrin’s Legendary Armor Set

- Legendary Sky Sword

- Legendary Dragon Sword

- Legendary Spear of Trembling Earth

- World Tree’s Reverberating Thunder Bow

- Bow of Sun Piercing

- Arpen Emperor’s Greatsword

- Staff of Absolute Flames

The eye-poppingly magnificent collection of weapons enveloped in brilliant auras! The adventurers were all completely absorbed in examining these precious items.

“Wooow…”

“This is incredible.”

“They are all real treasures, with level restrictions of 600 or 700. So many legendary weapons in one place…”

Weed’s voice suddenly became very low and quiet.

“How did you obtain all of these?”

“Oh, some of them were given to me as presents, and I found the others during adventures with my friends.”

Such was the extent of the power which the emperor of the whole continent wielded.

“I see.”

Weed’s hand silently reached towards the Loa Sword. At this moment, he’d forgotten everything about the Hermes Guild, even the battle in the Garnav Plain. He seemed ready to bury the body of the emperor in some place hidden and escape the scene using the Travel Sculpting skill any minute.

‘Some of these legendary items will be forever lost to history if I don’t take them.’

Quite naturally, Weed was engulfed by greed the moment he laid his eyes on the emperor’s treasures.

But as he was looking for a chance to strike Emperor Geihar from the back, Maylon approached him swiftly.

“Weed-nim, you are going to give an interview to KMC Media later, right?”

“…”

The moment he heard the word ‘KMC Media’, he immediately came to his senses.

‘I’m on air right now. On air. At least one hundred million viewers are watching what I’m doing through broadcast. Still… even if I get reviled for now, once I’ve secured those gears I could use them forever…’

Even after Weed was reminded of the watchful eyes of many broadcasting stations, Emperor Geihar’s life was still in grave peril.

But this time, as Weed was on the brink of selling his sense of morality in exchange for legendary gears, Python opened his mouth.

“By the way, is this greatsword for your own use, your Majesty?”

Python was pointing at the largest sword in the emperor’s small pile of weapons. Geihar smiled and nodded.

“I learned to wield it a little, just as a hobby.”

At last, Weed’s brain that had been paralyzed by the greed for treasures began to operate again.

‘That’s right, Emperor Geihar was a master swordsman… just like Zahab.’

Indeed, there were records mentioning that Geihar had once mastered the techniques of swordsmanship, although it was a long time ago from now. Python spoke to the emperor, as if challenging him, “So I assume you can handle this sword very well?”

“I can’t.”

“What?”

“True, I used to swing this sword a lot in the past, but my strength has diminished while I raised my children.”

The penalty of Sculptural Life Bestowal skill: the user is weakened as his level drops. Emperor Geihar had once been a remarkable swordsman, but his power had grown weaker although his techniques remained masterful. Instead, the emperor was now surrounded by monstrous Baraags slowly blinking their gigantic eyes. While the chance of Weed succeeding in killing the emperor using his Loa Sword was quite high, the reprisals he would have to face after the murder would be extremely problematic.

‘This is such a shame…’

Albeit barely, Weed eventually regained control of his reason that had been blinded by legendary items, and stepped back.

“Let’s start the hunt, then.”

“Alright!”

With Emperor Geihar joining them, Weed and his party members ceased all the crude preparations they had been making so far. Their initial plan was to cast steel nets across the sea in the hope of blocking the movement of even a portion of the swarming Poratts, and try to buy some time using Disaster Sculpting and other various skills while hunting the Essen Poratts directly. Considering the unbelievably vigorous life force of the sea monsters and their habit of hiding deep under the sea when feeling threatened, it wouldn’t have been an easy battle. But after the army of sculptural creatures serving Emperor Geihar arrived, they turned the direction of their plan towards a head-on fight.

The legions of sculptural lifeforms continuously showed up even on the very day of the battle. Among them, Weed pointed at the gigantic monsters made of pure-white snow.

“What are those?”

“They are snowmen. I made them for my daughter.”

“…I see. You are saying that they can… move about?”

“Yes. They wander around the Imperial territories every winter.”

The height of one of those snowmen with a broom was no less than 180 meters. With each of their frosty breaths they sent a gust of a terrible chill, freezing the trees and the ground around them. The sight of this snowman monster drawing closer with their thunderous footsteps would probably make a child have several nights of insomnia from fright. The scale of the emperor’s sculptures could trample the innocence of childhood down into tiny miserable pieces.

“Your daughter must be quite fond of them.”

“Oh, she loved them. I’ve heard that ever since she saw those snowmen, she started to eat her food without complaint and even stopped throwing any more tantrums.”

“Of course she did.”

The army of sculptures summoned by Emperor Geihar stood in line along the shoreline. The core part of it consisted of crocodile soldiers that looked similar to Nile, but various races of Avians could be seen as well. The most imposing of them were gigantic sculptural lifeforms carved out of metals, wood, water or fire.

Metallic giants with their shining bodies.

“There are a lot of big guys here.”

“The bigger they are, the cuter they look, don’t you think so? Those smaller ones are more solemn.”

The legion of sculptures with sizes of 100, 200, and 300 meters — as these creatures marched forward, an army of men would have no choice but to surrender without even getting to fight.

‘So this is how he united the Versailles Continent.’

Before long, the unit of Baraags watching over the distant sea reported that the sea monsters were rushing towards them.

“Let’s get this started, then.”

“Yes, master! Deploy the Snowmen!”

The Snowmen army began to march into the ocean. Their task was to keep their position in the coral zone and set up a barrier of ice to keep the Poratts away.

“In this way we’ll be able to stop all the Poratts that can’t fly.”

“Yes, let’s move on to the next part of the plan.”

This battle plan which took into account the characteristics of the different types of sculptural creatures had been devised by Weed: have the Snowmen freeze the distant sea into icebergs, leave a few ravine-like narrow routes through the ice, and deploy squads of sculptural soldiers near these icebergs — including the Legion — to hunt down any Poratts that swam their way through the ravines.

“I assume Baraags will be the best choice to fight those Essen Poratts?”

“Of course.”

Weed and his companions climbed on the backs of the Baraags along with Emperor Geihar. Riding on the predatory beasts with their great wings spread wide, they flew over the sea at a frightening speed. They found their enemies far beyond the emerald-colored sea of corals.

“Targets within visual range!”

Giant, winged sea serpents named Essen Porrats were soaring across the sky. Those flying monsters alone numbered more than a hundred; the sight of the legion of Essen Porrats was almost majestic.

The sea itself was also full of silvery white Poratts. Rhe swarm of countless monsters was swimming and leaping out of the surface by a couple of meters excitedly.

Weed used Lion’s Roar.

“We begin the hunt!”

As soon as the Baraags came close enough for the Poratts to be in range , they spouted out breaths of flame all at once. Streams of fire stretched out, emblazing the whole sky.

- Kuuuuaaaarrggh!!

The Essen Poratts scattered in all directions to dodge the attack, but about fifteen of them were engulfed by the flames and fell. However, even those which plummeted plunged into the sea were not completely killed, and soon they rose from the surface again. Their strength was nothing to scoff at, as could be seen by their capability to destroy and corrupt the entire ocean. Every single one of them was a boss-level monster whose power surpassed that of a Bone Dragon. Their immense reserve of life force, which was a characteristic of giant sea monsters, also made them particularly persistent.

- They are coming!

There was a stir of uncertainty among the Baraags, but they were under the command of Weed, a seasoned fighter who’d been through both hell and high water.

“We will not fight them in a full-frontal assault. Ascend to a higher altitude!”

By Weed’s order, the Baraags all rose further into the sky. The Essen Poratts chased after them immediately and a fierce running-fight was beginning to take place.

“2nd Squad, turn to the right!”

6 Baraags changed their direction towards the right in a great arc.

“3rd Squad to the left. And 4th Squad, fall back in 5 seconds.”

The groups of Baraags spread out in the air according to Weed’s commands. As sculptural lifeforms all possessed a moderate level of intelligence, they didn’t have any difficulty following orders. On top of that, Weed’s overwhelming leadership and charisma could elicit absolute obedience even from soldiers who had held their weapons for the first time, and his profession as a sculptor enabled the Baraags to feel more familiar with him and quickly become close to him.

- It’s no use running away from us. We will kill you all!

- Kuuugh. Kuuuoooaargh!!

The Essen Poratts, with their intense gluttony and desire to kill, pursued after the scattering Baraags but were not divided into smaller groups as effectively. Over fifty Essen Poratts flew after the 2nd Squad — which had branched away from the main body first — and their forces kept being dispersed until only three and five Poratts were chasing after the main unit and 5th Squad respectively.

“Counter Attack!”

Under Weed’s command, the Baraags reversed in midair. Taking advantage of their greater number, they entangled themselves with the enemies, spurting out fans of flames explosively. The Baraags and the Essen Poratts sank their claws deep into each other’s bodies while spraying fire and poison. As Baraags were far stronger in one-on-one combat, with the advantage of thein formation they could overwhelm their enemies.

“Let’s join the fray then, shall we?”

Weed drew out the Sword of Roa and rushed forward. After taking a couple steps in the air by jumping first on the front paw and then on a wing of the Baraag, he finally landed on the head of an Essen Poratt. Weed smashed the crown of the monster’s head with the Sword of Roa.

" You have made an attack against an Essen Poratt.

You have inflicted 29,291 points of damage to its life force!

The Sword of Roa multiplies the damage by 3 because it’s a giant-sized monster.deals three times more damage to a giant-sized monster.

The enemy’s maximum life force has been partially decreased.

A critical strike!

The defensive abilities of the Essen Poratt have been weakened. "

The Sword of Roa was especially valuable when hunting large monsters. Switching gears such as the helmet and gloves to ones that contribute to the offensive abilities was also another reason for the increased damage.

- Insolent human! You cannot make me feel pain with such a strike.

Such was As was the way with boss-level monsters, the Essen Poratt began to speak to Weed in human language.

“Everyone likes to talk big at first, but they all eventually learn to behave themselves after some good beating.”

Another attack from Weed smacked precisely the same spot that had just been hit; although it was a legitimate skill with the name “One-point Focused Attack”, in actuality it simply meant beating the same spot over and over again.

" You have dealt a critical strike.

38% additional damage applied.

The defensive abilities of the Essen Poratt have been weakened. "

" You have dealt a critical strike.

92% additional damage applied.

The defensive abilities of the Essen Poratt have been weakened. "

" You have dealt a critical strike.

145% additional damage applied.

The defensive abilities of the Essen Poratt have been weakened. "

" You have dealt a critical strike.

198% additional damage applied.

The defensive abilities of the Essen Poratt have been weakened. "

- Kuuooooooaarrgghh!!

There had never been a monster that had been subjected to the One-point Focus Attack skill and came out unscathed. Combined with the special effect of the Sword of Roa that weakens the defense of the monster whenever a critical hit occurs, the total accumulated amount of damage was beyond enormous.

- Off with you, you worm!

The Essen Poratt attempted to shake Weed off his head, but he would not budge an inch. A Giant might have been able to swing his arms around to rid himself of Weed, but most of the Poratt’s attacking methods were useless against a person who was standing on top of its head.

The Essen Poratt was also suffering damage from the claws and beak of the Baraag which was assaulting it from the front on top of the damage inflicted by Weed on his head. Even with the great life force of a giant sea monster, it could not withstand such a coordinated attack for long.

- You will regret this, human!

The Essen Poratt thrust away the Baraag and inhaled deeply; it was preparing a Breath attack, the strongest offensive characteristic of a giant creature.

- I will make you pay dearly for making such a reckless attack against me!

Not giving a fig for what it was doing, Weed kept striking the back of the monster’s head; as long as he kept his position, he didn’t have to worry about being hit by the Breath.

" You have dealt a critical strike.

413% additional damage applied.

The defensive abilities of the Essen Poratt have been minimized. "

Still, a supersized sea monster was not so easily killed. The mouth of the Essen Poratt was full of blazing heat.

- This is the end.

The serpent monster flipped its great body in midair and started a steep dive. It repeated a series of sudden drops, rises and turns, as if performing an aerial stunt.

- Get off my body this instant!

Weed clutched to the antenna and held onto the monster tenaciously, while steadily chipping away the remaining life force of the Essen Poratt by making an attack whenever he had a chance.

“Spread out here and join up at a point ahead!”

In the meantime, Pale, who had the role of the supporting commander, conducted the rest of the Baraag squads.

“High-speed maneuver! We’ll get away from the pursuing enemy force.”

They distracted the other Essen Poratts so that they would not turn their attention to Weed.

“Arrow Cluster!”

Arrows that looked like flashing rays of light shot by Pale pierced the sky.

“Fire Domain Expansion!”

Romuna’s magical attacks exploded splendidly in the air as well, though their power was not particularly strong. Since the Essen Poratts were especially vulnerable to fire, even her relatively weak spells worked well against them — the monsters writhed in pain although the actual damage caused to their life force was less than 0.1 percent.

“Heh, this is pretty fun!”

“Let’s finish this fight!”

Python and Seasoned Crab were both riding on a Baraag each, ramming into the bodies of Essen Poratts. They were imitating the fighting style of a Dragon Knight, although they dared not climb directly onto the backs of the winged Poratts as Weed had done; by watching his fight, they quickly realized that it would not be easy to cling on to the frantically trashing body of an Essen Poratt.

‘I would rather just match my strength against it in a full-frontal fight. Such a rash attack… hmm. Is that why Weed is so strong, because he makes use of all his abilities to the full extent in battle? He is truly a natural born warrior.’

‘He’s not simply relying on skills, he is acting out of instinct. His body is just finding its foe on its own volition.’

Python and Seasoned Crab were quite impressed by Weed’s valor. Engaging in a fight at such a great height alone required remarkable courage, yet Weed was doing precisely that while standing on top of the head of a boss class monster.

‘Perhaps such recklessness and courage are the secrets behind his popularity.’

‘Of course, that’s not an easy thing to do. But a commander should not be afraid to throw himself into such a dangerous position, to lead the battle to victory.’

At that moment, both of them heard what Weed was shouting loudly as he struck the monster.

“Loot! Experience Points! Level Progress! Skill Proficiency points! Give me all before you die, you monster!”

“…”

“…”

Suddenly he looked more like an evil company boss full of greed rather than the commander of a great army.

They were beginning to feel almost sorry for the Essen Poratt that was being beaten up by him. Eventually, the monster met its demise, as the Sword of Roa that Weed was holding pounded on its head relentlessly.

" An invader of Wulhoff Reef, the ferocious Essen Poratt has entered its eternal rest. "

Although it was just one monster, due to its high level Weed received a separate message window notifying its death.

" Your level has increased.

Sword skill proficiency has increased.Your proficiency in sword technique has increased.

Due to your remarkable accomplishment in battle, Fame has increased by 1,980.

Strength stat has increased by 2.

Maximum Stamina has increased by 100. "

" You have obtained the hide of an Essen Poratt.>

" You have obtained the heart of an Essen Poratt.>

" You have obtained a 1st class Mana Crystal.>

*Sweep!* *Sweep!*

All the dropped items were taken with lightning speed. The loot that had appeared after the body of the Essen Poratt turned grey completely vanished the moment Weed’s hand passed over it as if by magic. When it came to acquiring spoils of battle, Weed had no match in all of Royal Road.

“This isn’t half bad.”

He was being surrounded by over a hundred boss-level monsters — in other words, the battlefield was littered with preys waiting to be harvested by Weed.

Weed spread his arms wide.

He was currently plummeting towards the sea at a deadly speed, together with the corpse of the Essen Poratt he had been riding on a moment ago.

“Weed-nim!”

Pale spotted him, but he could not come to rescue him while all the Baraags were engaged in battle, whose number was not sufficient as it was. From such a high altitude, the damage to Weed’s body would be significant even if he fell into the water.

- Kuuargh!!

- Kuuueeerrgh!!

The sea itself was full of smaller Poratts that devoured anything, waiting with their mouths wide open.

Swish Swish!

Weed replaced several pieces of equipment he was wearing with the gears of Bar Khan Demoph almost as quickly as slashing his sword. Immediately after that, he placed a hand on the head of the falling body of the Essen Poratt.

“Return to the ground upon which you once walked. Here lies a dark place, a black and corrupt land. Engrave the eternal commandments of darkness into the heart of every living being. Undead Rise!”

The body of the Essen Poratt began to gradually be tainted in black, and before long its flesh peeled off, revealing the bones underneath: the corpse of the falling monster was reduced to mere skeleton! And as the surface of the sea drew ever closer, the bones turned black, and flashing lights appeared in the hollow eye sockets.

Weed had turned all of his Art stat into Wisdom using his Sculptural Destruction skill before the battle took place. Hence, with the help of valuable equipment and improved stats, he could successfully cast the undead summoning spell on a boss-level monster.

- I… I have returned from death.

“Are you willing to obey me?”

- I… but that is…

The Essen Poratt shook its head. As befits a boss-level monster it retained some of its memory and self awareness, and did not easily follow the order of someone who had just killed it. From the sky to the sea, Weed and the Essen Poratt that had been revived as undead were plunging downward at a terrible speed.

“You shall obey me.”

" A Necromancer Skill, the spell of Soul Obedience sealed within the robe of the Lord of Hell has been used.

The unbearable fear and pain burning into a soul allows one to have a powerful undead as his subordinate. "

- Krrrrruuuaaarrraaaughh!!

The skeleton of the Essen Poratt screamed in agony.

“Follow my command. Only in that way will you be able to achieve the greatest glory.”

With Weed’s own charisma and leadership applied on top of the Necromancer skill, the Essen Poratt soon surrendered. It was the moment of its rebirth as a Bone Poratt, leaving all its past life in oblivion.

- Glory to the master who granted me this eternal life.

“Alright. Let’s get ourselves back up first.”

At Weed’s order, the Bone Poratt spread its skeletal wings. On the head of the Bone Poratt furiously rising into the sky once more, Weed stood up in a commanding manner.

- Kuuaaargh!!

- This is the sky of the Arpen Empire. Return whence you came, monsters!

- We fight to protect this land!

The highly intelligent Baraags and the Essen Poratts full of fighting spirit were intertwined with each other in a fierce battle in midair. The Breaths of fire pierced through, painting the sky red, and the creatures were entangled in the groups of two and three, their snouts biting and their claws scratching.

A great battlefield scattered with boss-level monsters mingled together!

Weed checked the state of his companions first. Those who were riding on the backs of Baraags remained unharmed. The Snowmen were also managing to block the swarming Poratts by creating zones of ice in the sea.

‘Still looking intact.’

Even with the special abilities of the Snowmen, it would be impossible to hold off the Poratts that were filling up the whole sea indefinitely. If the battle lasted too long, the Poratts would eventually take a detour and destroy the coral reefs. It was possible that the corals and other sea creatures were already being killed in other regions that were farther away out of their sight.

‘We’ll do what we can do right now. Rather than waiting for the circumstances to come together perfectly, we’ll need to act first… and deal with the consequences.’

Weed’s eyes caught a few Essen Poratts that had fallen in the fight against the Baraags and were crashing into the sea. Although there were only two or three of them, it meant that Pale and the other companions had been putting in great effort and managed to eliminate even a small portion of their numbers.

Weed took out the Staff of the Corrupted Saint and stretched out his right hand.

“Undead Rise!”

From the bodies of the dead and falling Essen Poratts, chunks of flesh began to fall off. Half of them were transformed into undead and soared up again, but the other half — even though Weed had managed to turn them into undead as well — crashed into the sea and disappeared as all the bones crumbled into pieces.

" You have transformed Essen Poratts into undead thralls.

Due to the insufficient undead summoning skill, the duration of this spell is 33 minutes.>

Now with three Bone Poratts under his command, Weed grinned.

“Let’s collect some money, shall we?”

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