Chapter 52
The Frozen City of Sullium.
Weed shared the specifics of the quest with the others.
According to the will of the goddess Trinity, when the Flame of Purification is placed, all life in the slumbering city of Sullium will awaken at once.
“Ugh… an S-rank difficulty quest, really?”
“We’ll have to hold off the Lessers with the city’s soldiers.”
Kallis and Roam looked uneasy.
Across the continent, the Lessers had taken over vast territories, and becoming hostile with them meant risking enormous danger.
Hunting a few hundred Lessers wasn’t a problem. But if heavy damage was inflicted, the Lessers would hold a bitter grudge.
And then… every Lesser on the continent would come hunting you.
Millions would form pursuit squads and chase relentlessly.
No matter the sacrifice, vengeful Lessers would never stop until their target was dead.
There was a reason they were considered among the worst species in Roanoke.
“Since the land is frozen and warped, I don’t think the Lessers’ grudge will stick here. It only activates if they can inform others of what happened.”
“Once the goddess Trinity’s power ends, the Lessers will go berserk the moment they awaken. Battles will erupt all over the city.”
Pale, Kallis, Roam, and two Arpen Guild users all agreed—it was going to be an incredibly difficult quest.
Only six of them had to fight in a city on the brink of destruction, swarming with Lessers.
“We should identify terrain favorable for defense before placing the Flame of Purification.”
“Spending some time to build barricades wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
“Good call. A solid defensive line will help a lot.”
With Kallis, Roam, and the Arpen Guild users, they quickly crafted a strategy—drawing on experience gained in Royal Road.
Weed, however, stayed silent throughout the discussion.
Because he had no intention of listening in the first place.
(The goddess Trinity is playing games.)
‘Games?’
(She wanted to see a real adventure, so she invited 10 users to help the Lessers.)
(They’re lower in level than Roam, Kallis, or Pale—but still decently skilled, around level 80.)
This was why the goddess Trinity was often criticized as an evil god rather than a neutral one.
She had no qualms about siding with monsters if it meant more thrilling adventures.
She enjoyed pushing her quest-takers to their limits and watching them struggle and die.
‘So I’ll have to fight—and maybe even kill—those 10.’
(If things get too dangerous, I can help.)
Weed held a cheat key when it came to PvP: if the enemy proved too strong, the AI Berserga could simply cut the capsule’s power supply in real life.
Blame a blackout, sever the network—just like that, enemies could be eliminated.
But repeated use of this tactic would raise suspicion among the public or developers. It wasn’t a move to be used often.
Roanoke’s developers couldn’t intervene directly in the main system, but they still held emergency authority to destroy the system if necessary.
‘Ten enemies, huh…’
(Are you uncomfortable with the idea of fighting other users?)
Weed had focused more on monsters and quests rather than PvP in Royal Road.
But in his younger days, back on the continent of Magic, he had committed many massacres over the slightest provocation.
One user’s mistake could lead to the death of an entire guild.
If a large guild came after him, he would lure them into dungeons and wipe them out.
In his prime, he hunted both monsters and users alike—but now, this was a matter of real life and death.
‘I’m not eager. Even if Roanoke is a game of death now… I don’t want to kill other users.’
(Killing other users grants you fame and a lot of EXP.)
‘…My convictions aren’t that easily shaken.’
(Murderer-class users also drop valuable loot.)
‘Don’t treat me like someone blinded by rewards.’
(Even if your life is threatened, you wouldn’t kill another user?)
‘If it comes to that…’
Weed didn’t think forgiving someone trying to kill him was righteous—it was just plain stupid.
Enemies today were likely to remain enemies tomorrow.
Besides, having entered Roanoke to save his daughter, he couldn’t afford to die meaninglessly.
‘I don’t want to think about it, but… if they genuinely try to kill me, I’ll have no choice.’
(Then what if someone threatens Daye’s life?)
This question had a simple answer.
‘Kill them all. Every last one connected to them—even slightly.’
Kaladrion.
He joyfully accepted the quest from Trinity, the goddess of adventure.
You are entering the waiting room for adventurers.
Ten users summoned by the goddess appeared via teleportation.
“Zyna, you’re joining this quest too?”
“Been a while since I saw you, Valence.”
Three adventurer-class users like Kaladrion were present; the rest were different classes empowered or sponsored by Trinity.
Naturally, they formed a pecking order based on level, class, and guild.
“Looks like we’re meant to side with the Lessers.”
“I used an oracle—the city of Sullium is right on the verge of collapse.”
“There may be users trying to defend it.”
“Doesn’t matter. The Lessers might kill them anyway. Trinity just tossed us in for her amusement.”
All of them were over level 80, seasoned with rich experience and knowledge.
Trinity, the goddess of madness, didn’t want her challengers to succeed easily.
If even a flicker of hope remained, she’d build a higher wall to crush it.
These users knew—they were summoned to interfere, to ensure someone else failed.
“It looks like the Lessers already have the upper hand.”
“Of course. Whoever accepted this quest thinking it was lucky is in for a rude awakening.”
“Honestly, just watching them fall might be entertaining enough. No need for us to intervene too hard.”
They were the embodiment of despair—meant to reduce flickering hope to none.
As the Roanoke crisis unfolded, the rights of the weak rapidly vanished.
KMC Media.
Panels who’d participated in Weed’s adventure gathered to speak with host Oh Juwan.
“From my experience in Roanoke, it’s impossible to hold off Lessers in a major city siege. Don’t think of them as mere rats. They’re fast, venomous, and smart with weapons—ranged and melee.”
“They’re also relentless. When they revolt, they scale buildings, spread their wings, and dive down on people.”
“Underground, the cities are like mazes. Lessers emerge from sewers, tunnels… even conduct deadly rituals.”
Veterans of Roanoke shared just how dangerous Lessers were.
Videos played of large-scale Lesser hordes attacking cities.
“Wow… that’s just…” said Oh Juwan, speechless.
Lessers burst out of sewers all over the city.
They dove from rooftops, set fires, and swarmed the walls using sharp claws.
Underground fighters proved incredibly strong in the chaos of urban warfare.
“This is real Roanoke combat. The monsters and races here are just brutal.”
“You can’t stop them. Even large guilds once teamed up to take back cities…”
“Didn’t work. There’s a limit to player guild sizes, but Lessers seemed endless.”
Where Royal Road had orcs to fill the numbers, Roanoke had Lessers.
When they revolted, even estimating their numbers was impossible.
“As soon as Trinity’s power fades, the war resumes. That’s why it’s an S-rank quest.”
Ten Royal Road veteran panelists also joined the broadcast.
“Uh… well.”
“This is just insane.”
They shared stories about Weed—his skills, tactics, and judgments.
But seeing Lesser combat footage left them breathless.
They were fast, plentiful, and had diverse methods of attack.
But then Lancelot, a famous user from the Hermes Guild, spoke:
“My view is a bit different… I think Weed has some trick up his sleeve.”
“A trick?”
“Otherwise, his calm doesn’t make sense.”
“Can you elaborate?”
Oh Juwan leaned in, intrigued.
A fresh perspective—especially involving Weed—was always welcome.
“Once he places the Flame of Purification, the Lessers will attack. Even with soldiers, they won’t hold the city.”
“Right. Fighting spreads everywhere, and coordinating the soldiers isn’t easy.”
“People who’ve fought Weed know—when he’s at a disadvantage, he fights dirty.”
“Dirty how?”
“You never hear ‘He fought well, even if he lost’ about Weed. He twists all conditions in his favor.”
Veterans who had clashed with Weed knew:
He never fought fair.
“He uses every possible trick and power. He’s the worst enemy you can have. The more disadvantageous the situation, the weirder his strategy.”
The Hermes Guild bore deep trauma from Weed.
They had conquered the continent, won every battle—but suffered repeated defeats against Weed.
Only after he left Royal Road could they finally unify Versailles—and even then, they feared his return.
Sullium, a city that once flourished in the golden age of the Nord Kingdom.
Centered around a castle ruled by a lord, the southern districts held noble and knight estates.
A bustling city of inns, shops, and forges—truly a City of Iron.
In Roanoke, city sizes varied by the power of their ruling lord, often hubs for luxury goods or weapons manufacturing.
“Creepy place.”
“These Lessers are going to move again soon.”
Weed walked through Sullium with Pale, Kallis, Roam, Orhan, and Horei.
The people stood frozen by Trinity’s power.
But signs of the Lesser attack were visible—some paused mid-leap, bared fangs pointed at humans.
“A third of the city is already in Lesser control.”
“It’s huge. There are a lot of soldiers too.”
“But they’re too spread out to organize. That’s why they’re falling so quickly.”
“Sewers and back alleys give Lessers a major advantage.”
Kallis realized the situation was worse than expected.
Roanoke’s soldiers were basically bandits in uniform.
Even with better gear and some training, they couldn’t withstand the swarming Lessers.
Pale climbed a building to observe:
“Key roads are all occupied. The Lessers have taken control of the strategic points.”
The enemy force was simply overwhelming.
If they had a knight user with high leadership and honor, they could rally the troops—but they didn’t.
The Flame of Purification has been installed.
As Weed placed the flames at Trinity’s altars, tension escalated.
A warm aura spread, melting the bitter cold.
“Guess it’s time to show what I can really do.”
“With the Lessers running wild, we’ll need to give it everything.”
Kallis and Roam drew their weapons, preparing for battle.
Installation complete.
The city of Sullium warms.
The goddess Trinity withdraws her power.
The sleeping city of Sullium awakens.
The frozen citizens and Lessers began to move.
“Aaaaahhh!”
“S-Save me!”
“Squeeeak!”
Citizens were attacked and eaten alive.
Lessers flooded from rooftops and walls, scrambling everywhere.
The Lesser uprising has begun.
“Squeak! Destroy all that humanity built! Back to nature!”
“Great Gruuuuuumba! Bless us with your grace!”
“Squeak!”
“Kill and feast freely!”
“Fat humans taste the best!”
From sewers and underground holes, more Lessers emerged.
They chased the now-moving residents of Sullium.
In the central plaza, Weed could see it all.
‘Urban warfare by the Lessers…’
(Lessers from the sewers are organizing to counter the city’s soldiers.)
(The soldiers are being isolated and wiped out one by one.)
The city of Sullium was falling.
