The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor: Dad is a Legend

Chapter 10

Weed wasn’t afraid of starting Roanoke, nor was he afraid of dying. But there was one thing he dreaded more than anything else…

“Dad, are you a noob?”

The thought of his daughter calling him a low-level player was something he couldn’t bear.

‘No, not sculpting.’

Although he had made a name for himself as a sculptor, those memories were enough for him. But a small spark of curiosity ignited within him.

He wondered if there were other players in Roanoke who had mastered the secret techniques of sculpting, like Sculpture Transformation or other sculpting arts.

‘Are there any players who followed the path I once did?’

If there were, it would be quite amusing.

(There aren’t any. Almost all sculptors are extinct.)

‘Why?’

(Roanoke isn’t peaceful, so combat-related professions are in high demand. Sculpting is a profession that’s hard to grow early on.)

‘I know. I know it all too well.’

When Weed became the Great Emperor of the Desert, his mind was at ease. He fought, grew stronger, plundered, and left the weak behind. In the desert, the winner took everything, and showing mercy to the weak only spread infamy and decreased the loyalty of his warriors.

During those days of sweeping across the desert, he did whatever he wanted. Compared to that, his days as a sculptor were full of struggles. He had to overcharge players for sculptures just to scrape by. Though, he was very good at that too.

(There are fewer sculptors in Roanoke than there were in Royal Road.)

‘So that’s how it is.’

(You could say that players who chose the sculptor class are pretty much beggars.)

In Roanoke, the only advantage of sculpting was that the skills sold in the Legendary Library were cheap. This reflected how little recognition sculpting received. Weed had 4 Legendary Points, and since Sculpture Transformation only cost 3, he could learn it if he wanted to.

‘Thanks to Royal Road, I know exactly how it is.’

Weed knew how useless Sculpture Transformation and other secret sculpting techniques could be, at least in the beginning. Turning into an orc wouldn’t change much. Just because you get bigger doesn’t mean you get stronger. Without an extraordinarily high Art stat to support it, Sculpture Transformation was practically useless. And giving life to a sculpture meant sacrificing two hard-earned levels.

‘The more subordinates you create, the weaker you become. If those subordinates die, you’re completely screwed.’

You’d have to worry about keeping your subordinates alive. It was a downright scam of a skill.

‘If I give life to a sculpture now, I might be able to defeat goblin-level monsters, if that.’

After sculpting, what caught Weed’s interest were necromancer-related spells rather than the usual swordsmanship or magic. The Legendary Library contained books on summoning various undead, curses, creating chimeras, strengthening undead, and corpse explosion spells. His eyes were drawn to a black book in a lower corner.

The Era of Corpses: The Necromancer’s Techniques

It introduced the infamous necromancers and the techniques they used.

‘There’s Dark Rule.’

Dark Rule: Proclaim the law of darkness. The power of undeath turns all corpses in the area into undead.

The three great spells of the Undead Legion Balkhan were Dark Rule, Death Aura, and Absolute Magic Defense. Those spells were also in the Legendary Library, and there were even higher-level spells.

Abyssal Mirror: The abyss rises, reflecting the surrounding enemies. Living enemies melt, decay, and turn into undead.

Range: 300 meters.

After the battle, the undead return to the Abyssal Swamp and can be summoned again.

Warning!

After using the spell, you must pay the price of excruciating pain. If you cannot endure the pain, you will die and become undead.

This spell turned living beings into undead en masse while also serving as the twisted power of an evil god. It was found in a bookcase that stood out with its black color.

‘What exactly is forbidden magic?’

(It is far stronger than normal magic, but it comes with a heavy price.)

‘And the price is pain?’

(It’s expected to be at a horrifying level. If you can’t withstand the pain, you’ll die and become undead. In the current state of Roanoke, that would mean permanent death.)

Dark Rule required 10 Legendary Points, while Abyssal Mirror required 13. In large-scale battles, Dark Rule could raise corpses to create an undead legion. The more you killed, the more undead rose. Abyssal Mirror, on the other hand, instantly killed all enemies within range, turning them into undead.

‘Is there any player who’s learned Abyssal Mirror?’

(I’ve analyzed all Roanoke-related communities and player videos. No one has learned Abyssal Mirror or Dark Rule yet.)

(A mage named Phkea is diligently collecting Legendary Points to learn Dark Rule.)

(By the way, Phkea is a huge fan of the necromancer Balkhan Demop. He’s been playing as a necromancer for the past 20 years.)

‘You didn’t have to tell me all that.’

***

Weed returned from the Legendary Library and met the three people who had been summoned to Hellfire Difficulty.

These three were risking their lives on the third stage of Hellfire Difficulty, a stage no one had ever cleared.

“What you need to do is…”

Gulp.

Barton, the 40-something-year-old swordsman, swallowed nervously at Weed’s words. He had barely managed to clear the Hard difficulty during character creation. He couldn’t even imagine the skill level of someone who had cleared Hellfire Difficulty up to stage 3.

‘I can’t do much to help here.’

Knowing the content of the trial, he was anxious. How could they possibly defeat the remnants and knights? His only hope for survival was that the Hellfire challenger’s skills were extraordinary.

‘I hope he doesn’t give us anything too difficult. There’s no way we won’t face danger… but he has to give us something we can survive. What if he uses us as bait to lure the enemies?’

Barton hoped Weed had a brilliant plan and that he wouldn’t be assigned a dangerous task.

Sen and Luria also wanted to live. They didn’t want to die in this place. Even though Roanoke had become a death game heading toward destruction, they didn’t want to die just yet. Their desperation to live was stronger than ever.

Weed looked at the three and said, “Don’t try to do anything.”

“What?”

The idea of not doing anything when their lives were at stake was something they had never considered.

“This challenge requires three people to proceed, which is why I summoned you. But I don’t actually need your help for this challenge.”

“…”

“Just think of it as a ten-day vacation. Relax and take it easy.”

The three players had a lot of questions they wanted to ask Weed. Why had he summoned them to Hellfire Difficulty? Did he have a concrete plan for the challenge? How dangerous would it be, and how many sacrifices would they have to make? Two out of the three might die, and they hoped they wouldn’t be the ones.

‘Is he really confident enough to clear this on his own?’

‘Are we really not supposed to do anything?’

‘Is he for real? He seems so confident.’

If Weed cleared Hellfire Difficulty, the summoned players would also receive generous rewards. In Roanoke, just earning one good trait through regular hunting was a big deal. But in Hellfire Difficulty, even in stages 1 and 2, the best traits rained down like candy. If they survived this trial, they couldn’t ask for anything more.

‘But why don’t I feel reassured?’

‘Is it really okay to just sit around?’

‘Are we all going to die in ten days?’

Taking it easy for ten days, as Weed suggested, made them feel uneasy.

***

Weed had an item he obtained after defeating the goblin in Hellfire Difficulty Stage 1. Due to his habit of picking up every piece of junk in Royal Road, he had naturally kept it.

Nameless Carving Knife: Attack Power 2-3, Durability 5.

A discarded carving knife whose owner is unknown. The blade is dull, but it can still be used roughly.

A carving knife.

Though different in form from the one he used in Royal Road, its feel was all too familiar.

“Sigh… A carving knife. I’m holding one of these again.”

Weed was flooded with beautiful memories from his Royal Road days.

The recollections of overcharging players for countless sculptures, now glorified in his mind, flashed through.

“I guess a little bit won’t hurt.”

Weed sat on a rock and began whittling a nearby piece of wood.

Swish, swish.

As the carving knife moved, the piece of wood slowly took the shape of a person.

‘There are so many people I won’t be able to see for a while.’

His daughter, Seo Yoon, whom he couldn’t meet now.

She was somewhere in this dangerous world. To keep her image close and to avoid longing for her only in his mind, he needed a sculpture he could look at whenever he wanted.

‘There are so many memories I want to preserve.’

Weed remembered his first meeting with Seo Yoon.

The day they shared a meal at the instructor’s house.

‘Back then, even a piece of meat in her mouth felt like a waste.’

Though many years had passed, it was an unforgettable memory in

his life.

‘I thought she was cold and a bit scary. I was afraid she might kill me because I was so weak.’

Weed had feared that she might kill him if he ate more meat than she did.

Though there were countless events and adventures that followed their first meeting, the memory of sharing meat together remained unforgettable.

Swish, swish, swish!

As Weed’s carving knife moved, a sculpture of Seo Yoon with her long hair started to take shape. The delicate and intricate work made it hard to believe it was being crafted from wood. Though he hadn’t practiced sculpting for a long time, his hands and mind remembered the art.

And then, a sudden message appeared.

Ding!

The Goddess Sarasvati, who governs art, music, and wisdom, is astonished by the piece you are creating.

The goddess’s interest grants you an Art stat.

Art has increased by 2.

Sculpting triggered a message.

A goddess from the world of Roanoke expressed her amazement through a message.

Weed quickly focused back on his work.

Gaining stats through sculpting was something he had experienced many times before.

The Goddess Sarasvati, who governs art, music, and wisdom, sends her praises for your beautiful sculpture.

Art has increased by 2.

The Goddess Sarasvati, who governs art, music, and wisdom, is charmed by the allure of your sculpture.

Art has increased by 3.

The Goddess Sarasvati, who governs art, music, and wisdom, feels dizzy from the proportions of your sculpture.

Art has increased by 3.

As the messages kept coming, Weed made a firm resolution.

‘Fool me twice, and I’m the idiot.’