Chapter 42 – Moonlight Sculptor: My Dad Is a Legend

Weed and Britina hunted monsters day by day as they made their way toward the Duchy of Benhasmer.

A blind man and a girl in a travel robe.

“Are those fruits hanging on the tree?”

“It’s the shriveled corpse of a child.”

“……”

It was a stark reminder of how devastated the world had become.

They passed by several villages on their way, but most of the residents did not allow outsiders in.

“I smell something burning.”

“A village is on fire.”

“Did an abandoned village catch fire?”

“There are people in the village.”

In this world, monsters and mutated creatures were more common than animals.

Despite the grueling march, Britina’s feet bleeding from the strain, they reached the duchy after 13 days.

As expected of an imperial duchy, the territory was vast and the cities were advanced.

(Estimated troops of the Duchy of Benhasmer: 20,000. Knights: approximately 1,200.)
(It’s rumored that wizards, spirit summoners, and even dark mages are present.)

This was a situational report from the AI, Versailles.

Since the information was from a long-past era, its accuracy was uncertain.

‘That’s a sizable force.’

Weed didn’t know much about Roanoke, but even he was surprised at the scale of the military.

(In Roanoke, the royal family and nobles possess immense power.)

‘Even more than the players?’

(The countries in Royal Road were relatively peaceful. After suffering major losses during the age of war, they enjoyed a long peace…)
(But in Roanoke, nobles constantly fight amongst themselves—gathering armies and starting wars.)
(Strong military power is directly tied to a noble’s status.)

‘So Roanoke is a complete mess.’

While traveling through the Delphiria Empire, Weed constantly heard about rampant thieves and rebels.

It was a world driven by desire and greed.

The power of the nobles was so great that the common people were simply grateful to survive.

‘I need to take down the Duke of Benhasmer. No wonder it’s a challenge quest. If I had wasted time at the arena, my chances would’ve been slim.’

(Considering the duchy’s military power, a frontal attack is impossible. Even attempting the challenge is inherently dangerous.)

‘Which is why the rewards must be huge.’

There was no chance of winning if he fought Benhasmer’s forces head-on.

‘I need to assassinate the duke without engaging him directly.’

Up until now, most of the Hell difficulty challenges had been resolved fairly easily and straightforwardly.

Weed had maximized his stat gains, strengthened his skills in swordsmanship and sculpting, accumulated legendary points, and completed achievements.

This time, though, he needed a new strategy.

Britina hesitated before speaking.

“Swordsman… you want to kill the Duke of Benhasmer, don’t you? I’ll do it.”

“What are you saying?”

“Just give me a dagger coated in poison. I heard in the marketplace that the duke has a thing for little girls. I’ll find a way into his household and—”

“Stop.”

Weed rejected her proposal immediately.

He had no desire to involve Britina in something like this, and the odds of success were low.

Besides, he needed to kill the duke himself to gain the full experience and rewards.

“There’s always a way.”

Weed investigated and found that the duke’s inner castle was guarded by at least dozens of knights.

‘If I study the patrol timings and scale the wall, it’s not impossible to infiltrate.’

(There will likely be guards inside the castle as well.)

‘And probably knights protecting him too.’

(You should consider learning stealth skills such as Silent Movement or Shadow Step.)

He could use his legendary points earned from the 100-Man Battle to improve his chances, but it felt like a waste.

Assassination was an effective method, but not something he needed often.

‘Legendary points should be used to become stronger.’

(In that case, I recommend Sculptural Transformation.)

Sculptural Transformation.

An advanced sculpting technique that allows one to transform into a sculpture they’ve created.

If Weed transformed into one of the duke’s family members, infiltration could work.

‘Forget sculpting.’

(Given the current situation, it’s the most efficient option. Sculptural Transformation was widely used in Royal Road as well.)

‘But I don’t like the feel of sculpting. Legendary points are precious.’

Weed’s progress through Hell difficulty so far had been thanks in large part to his legendary points.

Since creating sculptures takes time, he preferred to conserve them when possible.

‘It’d be best to strike when the duke leaves the castle.’

(He goes out for city inspections every 2–3 days.)

‘That’s my chance.’

(He’s escorted by more than 100 elite guards. If trouble arises, knights from the castle will reinforce immediately.)

The Duchy of Benhasmer was teeming with patrolling soldiers and knights.

Despite Weed’s prowess in Hell difficulty, he couldn’t possibly break through a hundred elite soldiers and kill the duke.

If he got delayed, dozens of knights and wizards would join the fray.

‘This challenge is difficult for my current level.’

(If you’re concerned about safety, giving up is an option.)

‘Give up…’

(That’s only for counting cabbages, right?)

‘How did you know that?’

(It’s one of those old man sayings on the internet.)

Either way, it felt like hitting a wall.

Weed decided to do what he could.

First, he bought strong iron, elven wood, and ogre tendons from the nearby marketplace.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to make a long-range crossbow.”

He began working in an abandoned house on the outskirts of the duchy.

He sharpened the iron to craft long-range arrowheads and used twisted ogre tendons for high-tension bowstrings.

Drawing on his experience as a blacksmith in Royal Road, Weed created a massive crossbow.

—Brutish-Looking Crossbow:
Attack Power: 21–32
Material: Elven Wood
Durability: 15/15
Weight: 50

A bow made of elven wood.
Ogre tendons were used for the bowstring.
Its high elasticity allows arrows to fly far.

“The duke is just a normal noble. If I hit him precisely, he’ll die.”

He had Britina buy several herbs from the market and mixed them.

He carefully coated the arrowheads with a potent poison and added feathers for accuracy.

Young Britina was amazed as she watched Weed crafting the giant crossbow and poison arrows with one hand.

“If that thick arrow hits, the duke is definitely dead!”

“If it hits, yes.”

Though large and hard to carry, a single-use crossbow was no issue.

‘Sniping position… escape route through the market.’

Two days later, the Duke of Benhasmer left his castle with his escort.

Weed watched him from a rooftop.

‘He’ll stop for sure.’

On a building wall likely to catch the duke’s eye, he had placed a masterfully crafted sculpture of a half-nude beauty.

“Oho! What a fine piece of art.”

The Duke stood perfectly still to admire the sculpture—right in the sniper’s sweet spot.

Thwip!

The arrow from Weed’s crossbow flew across buildings and streets—300 meters—right through the duke’s head.

Your level has increased.

Ding!
You have slain Duke Benhasmer, who was preparing for rebellion.
You have achieved a historic feat!
Agility +10
Hell Difficulty Stage 5 Challenge Complete
Legendary Points +4
Stage 6 begins after reaching a safe area beyond the duchy.
You have learned the Archery skill through successful long-range sniping.

Archery Beginner Level 1 (25%)
The skill to load and shoot arrows. Higher levels allow longer range and more accuracy.
You can later learn skills like Piercing Arrow, Rapid Shot, and Homing Arrow.

With the duke dead, soldiers and knights roamed the city in a frenzy.

“Find him! The assassin is somewhere in the city!”

“If we don’t find the killer, we’ll make someone up!”

“Arrest anyone suspicious!”

Weed and Britina had completed their mission. Now they just had to escape.

They walked calmly through the market with food supplies, but were stopped by soldiers.

“Where are you two from?”

Britina replied:

“We’re just travelers passing through. My brother lost his sight in the war—we’re heading home.”

“Suspicious… Should we take them to the castle?”

Weed quietly prepared for battle while listening.

He had left the crossbow at the assassination site and hidden his sword beneath a nearby farmhouse.

Though unarmed, he was ready to steal a weapon if necessary.

If discovered, he’d use the Mirror of the Abyss or any means necessary to escape.

‘Still, introducing me as her brother… no wonder they’re suspicious.’

(Due to body modification, your aging is halted in your twenties.)

‘I know. But I was called “mister” for the first time when I was 20.’

Better to fight and escape than be dragged to prison.

Then the senior soldier gestured for them to pass.

“He’s got no eyes—if we arrest someone like that, what would the knights think of us?”

“Fair point.”

“Get lost!”

They reached a safe location far from the duchy.

Having completed the challenge, it was a total success. The time to part ways with Britina had come.

“I have to go now.”

He gave her everything he had left—even his sword.

Though unsure of what kind of life she would live, she felt like a daughter to him.

“Live strong. Don’t become a noble’s concubine or anything like that.”

“Yes… but do you really have to go? What if we just stayed and—”

“I have to.”

Britina fought back tears.

“Where… are you going?”

“To the distant future.”

“What?”

“If I’m still alive… I’ll reach the world 425 years from now.”

* * *

The death of Duke Benhasmer slightly altered the course of Roanoke’s history.

History of Roanoke has changed.
Duke Benhasmer no longer participates in the 3rd Rebellion of Imperial Year 889.
The duchy’s buildings are preserved instead of destroyed by war.
Population increases, and development and prosperity rise.

Players active in the Odol region suddenly saw system messages.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“Rebellion participation? Imperial Year 889?”

“What does it mean?”

As they puzzled over the message, drastic changes began.

They watched as roads and buildings emitted light.

The roads expanded, buildings grew taller and wider.

More forges, markets, and homes appeared. The city walls extended.

The transformation took about an hour.

Anxious, players fled to a nearby hill to observe.

Buildings turned to glowing structures, grander and more elegant—a magical sight.

“Whoa.”

“So many stone buildings!”

“Odol is unrecognizable now.”

Verdant wheat fields stretched across fertile plains.

Once a tiny barony, the area underwent rapid development. The city expanded, and the population grew tenfold.

“How did this happen?”

“Did someone do a quest to change history?”

“At this timing?”

Ding!
Top regional contributor has changed.

1. Weed (Creating Character)

2. Mage Ronatik

3. Silent Swordsman Bodell

“Huh?”

“Weed? Creating character?”

Players were stunned to see such a familiar name.

When someone alters history and has a positive impact on a region, their contribution ranking rises.

“The Weed who’s creating a character just twisted the region’s history.”

“Weed… Could it be that Weed from Royal Road?”

“I doubt it, but…”

“If not him, then who else?”

Players in their 40s remembered something similar from long ago in Royal Road.

The Embinyu Cult, which had pushed the Versailles Continent into ruin.

Fanatics had ravaged countless cities.

When Weed went back in time and defeated them, the continent was saved.

“If it really is that Weed… if he’s back…”

“Then everything could change.”