The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor: Dad is a Legend

Chapter 11

Weed immersed himself in the act of sculpting, lost in his thoughts.

‘Sculpting Seoyoon is really difficult.’

Even after all these years, he could recall her image perfectly. The first time he saw her, she was truly a challenging subject to sculpt. Just a slight mistake with the carving knife, or a grain in the wood standing out, would make it hard to capture her beauty.

‘She was so beautiful and mysterious, almost otherworldly, with an aura of loneliness that made her seem distant.’

Even with the best sculpting skills, she was a subject almost impossible to fully capture.

The Goddess Sarasvati, who governs art, music, and wisdom, is paying attention to your work.

Fame has increased by 200.

Art has increased by 3.

The Goddess Sarasvati feels awe at the beauty of your sculpture.

Art has increased by 3.

(It’s rare for a goddess to take a personal interest.)

‘Is that so?’

(Only those with extremely high levels or great fame catch the attention of gods.)

‘Doesn’t matter. I won’t be fooled.’

Even if a god favored him, Weed had no intention of becoming a sculptor again. He continued to move the carving knife, following the memories in his mind. Since Royal Road, he hadn’t had the chance to sculpt in real life. Even though much time had passed, his body still remembered the countless hours he spent honing his craft.

His movements were quick yet precise, careful but confident. As with any master in their craft, there was no hesitation, and the results were astonishing.

Swish, swish, swish.

After working for some time, his hand slowed slightly without him realizing it. Fatigue was setting in, causing his concentration to waver for a moment.

(Master, you have been logged into Roanoke for 32 hours. Perhaps you should rest.)

‘I won’t die just because I skip a little sleep.’

Having spent the entire night hunting in Hellfire Difficulty, fatigue was inevitable. Sleep meant losing time that could be spent growing stronger. He started late, so he needed to work harder and get stronger quickly to prevent destruction.

‘I’ve gotten weaker. I once played games for 200 hours straight.’

(But that was in your youth, and back then, all you had to do was repeatedly click a mouse.)

‘When you’re a teenager, time flies by when you’re gaming. Even in Royal Road, I often stayed up for days.’

(A body under stress tires much faster.)

(You’ve been pushing yourself to achieve 100% completion in Hellfire Difficulty. You haven’t had a proper rest since the Roanoke incident began.)

When the Roanoke incident started, the most urgent task was the capsule nutrition supply system. Although the technical aspect wasn’t difficult, gathering the necessary materials, producing them in factories, and distributing them swiftly was a challenge.

One hundred million people. While direct intervention from family members or governments might cover some, there would still be gaps. There were issues to solve, from budget allocation to organizing the effort. Unicorn Group poured in enormous resources.

‘…I have to save as many players as possible.’

It wasn’t just a noble desire to save people. As Roanoke moved toward destruction, he needed to save as many players as possible. The more who survived, the better the chance of stopping the end and saving his daughter. He spared no resources from Unicorn Group.

‘Sleep is something I can overcome.’

Weed refocused on creating Seoyoon’s sculpture.

(From a medical standpoint, it’s recommended to sleep, even if just for a short time, to maintain your health.)

‘I won’t die just because I skip some sleep. I can’t rest knowing my daughter is out there.’

Weed thought of his daughter left behind in Roanoke and endured his fatigue. He could still push through for days if needed. But then, a thought occurred to him.

‘Is there a way to avoid sleeping altogether?’

He could resist with willpower, but he wanted a permanent solution to the need for sleep. The fundamental rule of growth in games was investing more time than others.

(There are highly effective stimulants you could use, but they come with side effects. Your body only needs 2 hours of sleep a day to fully recover.)

‘Two hours a day adds up to 700 hours in a year. Imagine how much stronger I could get if I spent that time hunting.’

(That wouldn’t be good for your health.)

‘People often make unhealthy choices. Use the stimulant.’

(I will comply if it’s an order.)

Within minutes, Weed felt his fatigue melt away. He was doing something harmful to his body, but he felt no hesitation or regret. If it was just about surviving, he wouldn’t go this far. But with his daughter’s life on the line, a father could do anything.

***

Lee Hayan, Weed’s younger sister, was a director on the board of Unicorn Group, involved in managing the company.

“With the Roanoke incident, many countries are facing economic crises. Unicorn Group needs to actively assist them…”

She led Unicorn Group as her brother, who hated being in the spotlight, took a back seat.

‘It’s already been three days without contact from my brother.’

This was the first time this had happened since she became an adult. Her brother had always been the head of the family, someone who would do anything for them. Even when she was a rebellious teenager hanging out with the wrong crowd, he had been there.

At first, he had tried reasoning with her gently.

“Hayan, if you keep this up, you’ll end up working at a bar. It’s not too late to make good friends and focus on your studies.”

Of course, Hayan had ignored his advice.

“You’re not my boss. Mind your own business!”

She rebelled and ran away to hang out with delinquent kids, but the result was her brother getting his leg broken.

‘Wow… my brother is really something.’

It was after his leg was broken that Hayan came to her senses.

‘I’d better straighten out. Go to school, live right… before I get in more trouble.’

It was late, but she eventually became the good sister she was meant to be.

She was one of the few people who knew that her brother had unified Royal Road and inherited everything from Dr. Yoo Byungjoon.

‘It’s strange for my brother not to contact me for three days.’

Her brother contacted her frequently. For the first ten years after his daughter was born, there wasn’t a single day he didn’t send her a photo. He also shared every little accomplishment from his daughter’s time in kindergarten and elementary school.

He was a doting father, constantly boasting about his daughter, while also being a nagging brother.

‘He may be the secret owner of Unicorn Group, which oversees the global economy, but all he does is nag.’

Despite everything, Hayan considered her brother the greatest person in the world.

When she couldn’t reach him for three days and called, his phone was off.

“I’m leaving work early today.”

Hayan decided to go to his house herself.

It was an ordinary house on the outskirts of the city, but entering required passing through several layers of security. When she arrived, what awaited her was a letter from her brother.

I’m going into Roanoke to save my daughter.

I’m leaving Unicorn Group in your hands until I return. Do your best.

The letter was written in his terrible handwriting, legible only to family members.

“Dae is… in Roanoke?”

Hayan knew how dangerous Roanoke was. It was a place where tens of thousands of people were losing their lives every day. It could potentially become a mass grave for a hundred million people.

“It’s far too dangerous.”

Her beautiful niece was in Roanoke. Despite the immense danger, Hayan knew she could trust her brother. He had raised her, carrying her on his back when they were young, even though their parents were gone. Holding his hand as she went to school, there was nothing to fear.

“Brother, save Dae and come back safely. Kill anyone who gets in your way.”

***

The employees at Abyss Corporation, the company behind the Roanoke incident, were preparing a live streaming service. Roanoke was the ultimate stage where humans could showcase true life.

“Amazing quests, battles that are hard to win again, achieving great feats… Just think of how disappointing it would be to miss seeing such moments.”

“Exactly. We’re not just here to show people dying in Roanoke.”

“Remember, our mission is to broadcast the fiery lives of those facing death! We must let the world see their lives to the very end.”

The service operation team was preparing to upload videos of special battles or adventures by players to the Hall of Fame. While most players would show lives and deaths of little value, there would be a few exceptional ones.

Hellfire Stage 2 Cleared

A system notification popped up on the service operation team’s computer.

“Huh?”

Yoo Da-hye immediately reported it to her supervisor.

“There’s a player currently challenging the Hellfire Difficulty during character creation.”

Team leader Bae Joo-hwan looked at her as if she were speaking nonsense.

“Did you misspeak? Hellfire Difficulty?”

A difficulty level no one had ever cleared. It was a challenge that seemed impossible for any human to complete. In the past, maybe, but for someone to attempt it now?

“It’s true. I checked, and they’ve cleared Stages 1 and 2. They’re now challenging Stage 3.”

“Really

?”

Bae Joo-hwan hadn’t left the office since the Roanoke incident began. Even if governments didn’t intervene due to the hostage situation, they could be beaten to death by the protesters gathering near the company.

“Alright. I don’t know why anyone would attempt that, but they’re probably going to die anyway.”

Dying would be the end of it.

Bae Joo-hwan figured it was something he could ignore.

“You should see it for yourself. This player’s skills are extraordinary.”

“Really?”

“They completed Stages 1 and 2 of Hellfire with 100% clear rates.”

Bae Joo-hwan snapped to attention.

Getting 100% in Hellfire Stage 2 was theoretically almost impossible. Internally, they considered even 20% a high achievement.

“That’s possible in Hellfire?”

When he reviewed the footage, Bae Joo-hwan was shocked.

The performance wasn’t just flawless; it was almost artistic in its perfection.

Swords, bows, daggers… No matter what weapon he picked up, the player used it with expert precision, making full use of the terrain.

“Unbelievable. That’s insanely good.”

Bae Joo-hwan marveled at the long-range shots taken with the bow.

He had seen a lot of Roanoke’s top players in action, but he had never seen anything like this.

“Almost no basic skills…”

“Right? Isn’t it amazing?”

Yoo Da-hye agreed that the player’s skill was extraordinary.

“You did well. It’s a shame, though; I don’t think they’ll survive Stage 3.”

Even so, Bae Joo-hwan didn’t believe the player would be able to clear Stage 3.

Character creation difficulty levels were designed by Roanoke’s AI. From Nightmare Difficulty onward, it was built to be horrifyingly difficult. The kind of difficulty that would haunt players.

“What a shame. Honestly, Extreme and Hellfire weren’t meant for players to clear.”

“Really?”

“It’s true Hellfire Difficulty.”

No player who had ever knocked on Roanoke’s door would be able to clear Hellfire Difficulty. After all, humans couldn’t overcome the Hellfire Difficulty.

Just as he was about to dismiss the matter, curiosity got the better of Bae Joo-hwan.

“What’s that player’s name?”

“He’s called Weed.”