Chapter 42
Weed and Britina continued to hunt monsters every day as they moved toward the Duchy of Benhasmer.
A blind man and a girl wearing a travel robe.
“Are those fruits on the tree?”
“It’s the shriveled corpse of a child.”
“……”
It was a world so desolate that such sights were common.
They passed through villages along the way, but most residents did not welcome outsiders.
“I smell something burning.”
“The village is on fire.”
“A fire in an abandoned village?”
“There are still people in the village.”
A world more populated by monsters and mutant creatures than by animals.
Despite the grueling march that caused Britina’s feet to bleed, they arrived at the duchy on the thirteenth day.
True to its name as part of the empire, the Duchy of Benhasmer had vast lands and well-developed cities.
(Benhasmer Duchy’s military strength: 20,000 troops. Estimated 1,200 knights.)
(Rumors suggest they have mages, spirit summoners, necromancers, and even dark sorcerers under contract.)
Versa, the AI, reported the situation.
But since this was all information from a long-past era, nothing could be certain.
‘That’s quite a large army.’
Weed didn’t know Roanoke that well, but he was surprised by the sheer scale of its military force.
(In Roanoke, the power of royalty and nobility is extremely strong.)
‘Even more than players?’
(The kingdoms in Royal Road have mostly remained peaceful. After suffering major losses during the Age of War, they’ve experienced a long period of peace…)
(But in Roanoke, nobles constantly fight. They raise armies and start wars.)
(A powerful military directly reflects a noble’s authority.)
‘So Roanoke is basically a giant mess.’
While traveling through the Delphiria Empire, Weed had constantly heard stories of bandits and rebel uprisings.
A world dominated by greed and ambition.
The nobles’ power was so absolute that the common folk were lucky just to survive.
‘I have to eliminate Duke Benhasmer. No wonder this is a challenge quest. If I’d wasted more time at the arena, it would’ve been nearly impossible.’
(Considering the duchy’s army, a frontal assault has no chance of success. The challenge is designed to be inherently dangerous.)
‘That’s exactly why the reward must be huge.’
A direct battle against the duchy’s army was hopeless.
‘I have to assassinate the duke without fighting head-on.’
So far, Weed had handled the Hell Difficulty challenges with relative ease—thanks to his min-maxed stats, incredible swordsmanship, legendary sculpting skills, and achievement-based boosts.
But this time, he needed a different approach.
Britina hesitated, then spoke.
“Sir Swordsman, it sounds like you want to kill Duke Benhasmer. I’ll do it.”
“What?”
“Just give me a dagger coated in poison. I heard in the marketplace that the Duke likes young girls. I’ll find a way to get into his household…”
“No.”
Weed instantly rejected her proposal.
He didn’t want to use Britina for something like this, and the success rate wasn’t high anyway.
Besides, he needed to kill the duke himself to gain the full experience and rewards.
“There’s always a way.”
Weed investigated and confirmed that the inner fortress where the duke resided was heavily guarded by dozens of knights.
‘If I can identify the gaps in the guards’ patrols and climb the wall, infiltrating the fortress might be possible.’
(There are likely more guards inside the fortress.)
‘Probably knights too.’
(Learning assassination skills like Stealth or Shadow Step is recommended.)
He could use the legendary points earned from the 100-man battle to improve his chances. But it felt like a waste.
Assassination was effective, but rarely used.
‘I should invest legendary points into growing stronger.’
(In that case, I recommend Sculptural Transformation.)
Sculptural Transformation—
A secret sculpting technique that lets one change their body into a sculpture they’ve created.
If he transformed into one of the duke’s family members, infiltration might be possible.
‘Forget sculpting.’
(It’s the most efficient method given the current situation. Sculptural Transformation was heavily utilized in Royal Road as well.)
‘I don’t like wasting my legendary points. Sculpting just doesn’t feel right.’
Weed’s progress through Hell Difficulty had been largely due to the power of his legendary points.
Since sculpting took time, it was better to conserve them when possible.
‘It’s best to strike when the duke leaves the castle.’
(He patrols the city every two or three days.)
‘That’s the opportunity.’
(Over 100 elite guards accompany him. If anything happens, knights from the castle will immediately respond.)
The Duchy of Benhasmer was crawling with patrolling soldiers and knights.
Even with his performance in Hell Difficulty, Weed couldn’t take down the duke while fighting over a hundred elites.
And once stopped by soldiers, dozens more knights and mages would join.
‘This challenge is pretty difficult for my current level.’
(If you value your safety, it’s okay to give up.)
‘Give up…’
(Isn’t that something you only do when counting cabbages?)
‘How did you know that?’
(It’s listed among the classic old-man quotes floating around online.)
Either way, it felt like hitting a wall.
Weed decided to do what he could.
First, he bought sturdy metal, elfwood, and ogre tendons from the local market.
“What are you trying to make?”
“A long-range crossbow.”
In an abandoned house within the duchy, he got to work.
He sharpened the metal to craft long-range bolts, and twisted ogre tendons to make strong, springy bowstrings.
Utilizing his blacksmithing skills from Royal Road, Weed built a massive crossbow.
— Brutish Crossbow
Material: Elfwood
Attack Power: 21–32
Durability: 15/15
Weight: 50
A bow made from elfwood.
Its string is made of ogre tendon, giving it excellent elasticity and long range.
“The duke is just a nobleman. If I hit him precisely, he’ll die.”
He also had Britina buy various herbs to create poison.
He coated the arrowheads thoroughly with deadly venom and added feathers to the shafts to improve accuracy.
Young Britina watched Weed craft the crossbow and poison arrows with awe.
“If that thick bolt hits, the duke will definitely die!”
“If I hit him, that is.”
The massive crossbow wasn’t easy to carry around, but it was fine as a one-time-use weapon.
‘Sniping position—escape route through the marketplace.’
Two days later, Duke Benhasmer exited the castle with his guards.
Weed waited on a rooftop and observed.
‘He’ll stop for sure.’
A beautiful half-nude statue—one of Weed’s masterpieces—was displayed on a nearby building.
“Oooh! What a magnificent piece!”
The duke paused at the perfect sniping range to admire the statue.
Fwip!
The crossbow bolt flew across multiple buildings and roads—300 meters in total—and pierced Duke Benhasmer’s head.
Level up!
Ding!
You have assassinated Duke Benhasmer, who was preparing a rebellion.
You have achieved a historical feat!
+10 Agility
You have completed Hell Difficulty Tier 5 Challenge.
+4 Legendary Points
Hell Difficulty Tier 6 will begin after escaping to a safe area.
You have learned Archery through successful long-range sniping.
Archery – Beginner Level 1 (25%)
A skill for loading and firing arrows.
Higher levels allow greater range and accuracy.
As the skill levels up, you’ll unlock Penetrating Arrow, Rapid Fire, Tracking Arrow, and more.
With the duke dead, soldiers and knights frantically searched the city.
“Find him! The assassin is still in the city!”
“If we can’t catch him, fabricate someone to blame!”
“Arrest anyone suspicious!”
Now that the objective was complete, all Weed and Britina had to do was escape safely.
Carrying their groceries, they calmly walked through the market and approached the city’s exit, only to be stopped by soldiers.
“Where are you two from?”
Britina responded, “We’re just travelers passing through. My brother lost his sight in the war, and we’re heading back to our hometown.”
“Suspicious… Should we take them to the castle?”
Weed listened quietly and prepared for combat.
The crossbow had been left behind, hidden under the floorboards of a farmhouse.
He was unarmed, but ready to steal a weapon if needed.
If discovered, he would use the Abyssal Mirror or whatever necessary to escape the city.
‘Still, calling me her brother… of course the soldiers are confused.’
(Due to physical modifications, your aging has been halted in your twenties.)
‘I know. But I was called “mister” even when I was twenty.’
Rather than being dragged to jail, fighting and fleeing seemed better.
At that moment, a senior soldier waved his hand.
“He doesn’t even have eyes. What will the knights think if we arrest someone like that?”
“Fair point.”
“Get out of here!”
They reached a place far from Benhasmer Duchy.
Having completed the challenge, Weed was ready to say farewell to Britina.
“I must go now.”
Though he had little time left in this body, he gave Britina everything he had—food, supplies, even his sword.
He wasn’t sure what kind of life she’d live, but she felt almost like a daughter.
“Live strong. Don’t become some noble’s mistress.”
“Yes… but do you really have to leave? If you stayed, we could…”
“I have to go.”
Holding back tears, Britina asked, “Where are you going?”
“To the distant future.”
“What?”
“If I survive… I’ll arrive in the world 425 years from now.”
Duke Benhasmer’s death slightly altered the course of Roanoke’s history.
History of Roanoke has changed.
Duke Benhasmer no longer participates in the third rebellion of Imperial Year 889.
The duchy’s buildings, previously destroyed by war, remain intact.
Population and prosperity increase.
Players active in the Odol region suddenly saw a message pop up.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“Rebellion? Imperial Year 889?”
“What does this mean?”
As they puzzled over it, the world began changing dramatically.
They watched roads and buildings begin to glow.
Roads expanded. Structures grew taller and wider.
The forge district, markets, and homes multiplied.
The city walls slowly extended.
A transformation that took about an hour.
Nervous players left the city and watched from a hilltop.
Buildings glowing with magic-like light—growing larger and grander—unfolded like a dream.
“Incredible.”
“Stone buildings everywhere!”
“The barony of Odol has completely transformed.”
The once-small barony now had sprawling farmlands and ten times the residents.
“How could such a change happen?”
“Did someone complete a history-changing quest?”
“Now, of all times?”
Ding!
Regional Contribution Rankings Updated
Weed (Character Creation in Progress)
Mage Lornatik
Silent Swordsman Bodell
“Huh?”
“Weed… Character Creation in Progress?”
Players were shocked by the appearance of a familiar name.
Changing history in a region boosted contribution.
“Weed… Is this the Weed, from Royal Road?”
“Maybe not. But still…”
“If it’s not Weed, who else could it be?”
Players in their 40s and older remembered something similar from Royal Road.
The Ambinu Cult once plunged the continent into chaos.
Fanatics attacked cities everywhere.
Weed traveled into the past and defeated them—cleansing the entire continent.
“If this is really that Weed… if he’s returned…”
“Everything could change.”
