The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor: Dad is a Legend

Chapter 7

The Game of Death Begins

The players who were logged into Roanoke were thrown into confusion as they read the developers’ notice, but they soon realized that everything was true.

“The people who died in the game aren’t coming back.”

“We can never return to reality?”

“Do we really die for good?”

In the virtual reality game, people began to experience true fear of death.

The realization that their lives could disappear in an instant hit them hard.

Even the low-level monsters they had hunted without a second thought suddenly seemed terrifying.

Even when fighting weak monsters, they now had the burden of knowing they had to stake their lives on it.

“Let’s head to a big city.”

“Yeah, in Roanoke, you need to reach a city to survive longer.”

“It’s not like the cities are completely safe, but they’re still much better than the rural villages.”

“We need to go to a city with strong walls.”

Large groups of people began to move.

Players who had been in dangerous areas filled with monsters and demons started a massive exodus.

Like war refugees, they abandoned their homes and headed for the cities.

“You can’t leave! If you go, the number of monsters in this area will increase!”

“We can hold out for a few more months. Even if we have to leave eventually, it’s not too late.”

Even if people tried to persuade them to stay and fight in the villages, the players packing up to leave didn’t listen.

“If the monsters breed and take over the villages and farmlands, the Kingdom of Pales will fall even faster.”

“Let’s fight. We can still do it. We just need to hunt monsters weaker than us!”

The players leaving the villages weren’t fools.

They knew that if left unchecked, the many monsters in Roanoke would multiply at an alarming rate.

The areas infested by demons would also expand.

‘But it’s scary to fight for your life.’

‘The kingdom might fall, but what if I die first?’

‘Why does it have to be me? Someone else will do it.’

‘Everyone else is leaving. I have to go too. Staying behind and getting caught is just foolish.’

‘If the kingdom collapses, I’ll just move to another one.’

Unable to withstand the fear of death, players left the villages for the cities.

And those already in the cities were terrified of venturing out through the gates swarming with monsters and demons.

Even so, there was still hope that, given enough time, someone in the real world would come to the rescue.

‘I have to survive as long as possible. The rescue team won’t just sit idle.’

‘Maybe America will save us.’

‘Don’t die, just hold out for as long as you can. Somehow, some way.’

* * *

The Roanoke incident, which trapped over 100 million players, naturally sparked public interest in the virtual reality world.

Now that we have enough to eat, a game set in a world on the brink of destruction is gaining popularity.

Back in my day, Royal Road was something you could recommend to kids, but Roanoke, where you can die at any moment, is a bit much…

But it’s fun. If you get strong and go to a small village, they treat you like a hero.

It’s got a thrilling edge to it. The battles on the front lines are full of intense action, with constant killing and dying.

But what does ‘Roanoke’ mean?

It was the first English colony in America during the pioneer era. It’s famous for all the settlers mysteriously disappearing.

These guys planned everything from the start, didn’t they?;;

Players who had briefly experienced Roanoke were posting about it in online communities.

* * *

Hellfire Difficulty, Stage 2.

Though failure could lead to death, Weed wasn’t worried.

‘I’ve maximized my growth in Stage 1.’

No one would have entered Stage 2 with more growth than he had.

He had an overwhelming physical advantage, and more importantly, he already knew how the Stage 2 trial would play out.

(You must evade three Orc Hunters on Ferdirca Mountain for 24 hours.)

‘How much stronger are these Orc Hunters compared to the idling orc from Stage 1?’

(Two idling orcs would be needed to match the strength of one Orc Hunter.)

‘The difficulty level has definitely increased.’

(Orc Hunters have specialized combat skills. Considering that the three of them can fight in sync, their effective combat power would be over ten times greater.)

(Assuming a direct confrontation, of course.)

‘If you didn’t grow as much as possible in Stage 1, you wouldn’t stand a chance.’

(Running away is also an option for Stage 2. However, the Orc Hunters will chase you relentlessly for 24 hours.)

(Those who try to flee will experience intense fear.)

Weed felt he had many options.

He didn’t think he would lose even in a direct fight.

‘I’m familiar with the orcs’ simple combat style.’

Orcs were strong and fast, but their attack patterns were simple.

Their leg and shoulder movements and their gaze gave away their intentions, making them straightforward fighters who didn’t use tricks.

It wouldn’t be too difficult to withstand the combined attacks of three orcs.

‘Even without a body like mine, if you have excellent martial skills and instincts, you can clear Stage 2.’

(Your standards are very high. Even back when you played Royal Road, only a few top-tier players could achieve those levels. In reality, most players who cleared Stage 2 chose to run from the Orc Hunters.)

‘Running away… What role do orcs play in Roanoke?’

(They’re not as dominant as they were in Royal Road. They’re a persecuted race, surviving more through hunting than raiding.)

(The Orc Hunters’ tracking skills are impressive, but they follow certain patterns. By exploiting those, it was possible to clear Stage 2.)

With the information he had, Weed had time to consider his strategy.

You have advanced to the second trial of Hellfire Difficulty.

A crisis follows your escape from the orc!

Now, three seasoned Orc Hunters are on your trail.

Day and night.

You must survive by evading them for 24 hours, no matter where you go.

If they catch you, the hungry Orc Hunters will eat you alive.

Ferdirca Mountain, where the trial takes place, is home to various animals and monsters.

Rewards: 1 Special Ability, Hero Points

The Hellfire Stage 2 trial began.

Although the messages created a sense of fear with the idea that the orcs were cannibals, Weed wasn’t particularly threatened.

He was confident in his abilities, but even if he wasn’t, he had entered this place to save his daughter.

(There’s a pond nearby. There are herbs growing around it, and many animals come there to drink water.)

‘With a bow, I can hunt a lot of animals.’

(The mountain where Stage 2 takes place is filled with animals. You should aim to achieve maximum hunting results.)

AI Versa once again served as an excellent navigator.

Weed ran through the mountain, hunting animals and monsters, and gathering herbs hidden in every nook and cranny.

Although the three Orc Hunters were probably tracking him somewhere, he wasn’t concerned at all.

Rather than feeling like he was being chased, he was busy moving to grow stronger.

(There are Lizardmen living in the swamp ahead. It’s advantageous to prevent them from escaping.)

As soon as Weed spotted five Lizardmen, he drew the Bow of the Wind.

Swoosh, swoosh!

The arrows he shot while running sliced through the air, hitting the Lizardmen.

“Krerk!”

“A human, prey is here!”

Weed immediately charged at the Lizardmen and smashed their heads with the orc’s club.

Lizardmen’s heads shattered, spilling blood.

You have obtained a Lizardman’s Steel Pickaxe.

Weed knew where to use the pickaxe he obtained after defeating the Lizardmen.

(Other challengers didn’t extract it, but there’s a gold and silver ore vein nearby. Gold is highly valued in Roanoke, where nobles rule with power.)

‘Is that so?’

(It’s possible that gold will be useful in other Hellfire trials.)

Weed, guided by AI Versa, used the pickaxe to break rocks at the base of a cliff.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Weed had various experiences from his time in Royal Road.

With his immense strength, he struck precisely at the weak points in the rocks.

The thrilling sensation of the rocks breaking under his well-placed blows!

(You’re mining very quickly. It seems you’re also skilled at mining, Master.)

‘Work is half skill and half experience.’

Weed kept mining without rest, using his great strength to extract the gold and silver ore.

Eventually, chunks of ore containing gold and silver began to appear.

You have mined a Shimmering Gold Ore.

You have mined a High-Purity Silver Ore.

As Weed was collecting money through mining during the Hellfire trial, a message window popped up.

Ding!

You have acquired the Mining Skill!

Mining Skill Level 1: Reduces stamina consumption during pickaxe work. Rocks break a little more easily.

As a reward for acquiring a production skill, Strength has increased by 2.

‘Not only did I get a skill, but my stats also increased?’

(Few people in Roanoke learn production skills, so the rewards are generous.)

‘Why would they give up something this good?’

(Because it’s hard work. The proportion of players choosing production jobs in recent virtual reality games has significantly decreased.)

‘NG generation… They give up on this kind of juicy reward?’

Weed thought back to his days in Royal Road.

He had spent 10 hours at a time mining in narrow tunnels without straightening his back.

When he found an iron ore after all that effort, it made him happy, and the joy of leveling up his Mining Skill was a small pleasure.

Now, even without gaining anything, he could work harder and dig deeper into the ground!

‘The joy of earning one stat after investing 10 or 20 hours… The newer generation lacks effort, effort.’

(I understand your feelings, Master, but it sounds somewhat old-fashioned.)

Weed mined diligently, quickly extracting gold and silver ores.

When night fell, he went out hunting again.

In the rugged mountains, he hunted monsters like Lizardmen and Kobolds.

‘I have to move faster and more perfectly.’

(There are no monsters in this stage that can threaten you, Master.)

‘But the area is much larger than Stage 1. It’s much harder to clear out all the monsters.’

Weed wasn’t aiming just to pass Hellfire Stage 2.

His goal was to thoroughly sweep through all the monsters in the area, just like in Stage 1, and earn additional rewards.

(I didn’t know you had such perfectionist tendencies, Master.)

‘That’s because I’m Korean.’

(What do you mean?)

‘Koreans have a habit of achieving 100% completion in games.’

It was a trait of Koreans to create optimal growth routes even in relaxing, laid-back healing games.

It wasn’t unusual for them to work for days to achieve a trivial accomplishment.

‘And in Roanoke, my daughter’s life is on the line.’

No one had ever succeeded in Hellfire Difficulty, and he only had one life.

If Weed died, his daughter would be left alone in Roanoke.

(Just to let you know, in Stage 3, you will meet other people.)

‘Other people?’

It was known that there were players who had cleared Stage 2, and the contents of Stage 3 had been revealed.

(Three players currently playing Roanoke in Hellfire Difficulty will be invited. You will clear the stage with them.)

‘Hmm…’

Weed still didn’t think it would be difficult.

He had been growing to his fullest potential in Hellfire Stages 1 and 2.

‘Even if they call others, it doesn’t matter. I’ll still do it alone.’