Chapter 19
In Ashford, the capital of the Kingdom of Rebeid, stood a palace made of gold.
A grand city filled with noble estates and bustling commercial districts.
Weed recalled his novice days spent in Serabourg Castle.
“Back in my day, I used to make rabbit and fox sculptures in the plaza and overcharge people.”
(That method doesn’t work well in Roanoke. Most people here try to save even a single silver.)
In Royal Road, there was a certain romance where players treasured souvenirs.
Every time there was a large-scale battle or quest, it was a golden opportunity to sell overpriced mementos!
But in Roanoke, too many players were just struggling to make ends meet.
“If I create masterpieces or legendary sculptures, people will notice.”
(There’s a chance some might even recognize you, Master.)
Old acquaintances…
And if any members of the Hermes Guild were around, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t pull out a sword the moment they recognized him.
“My sculptures could even get taken away by the local Lion Guild.”
(You seem to adapt incredibly quickly.)
Weed had only just left the Hell difficulty area and arrived where other players were, yet he had already grasped the city’s atmosphere.
“Let’s call it the result of early education. If you grow up reading the room, this is what happens.”
An extraordinary sense of survival and adaptability that allowed him to thrive in any environment.
Weed began seeking out tasks using the equipment and materials he’d secured in Hell difficulty.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ashford had a street lined with blacksmith shops.
In Roanoke, where monster attacks and rebellions were common, the forges bustled day and night.
“You want to use one of the free workstations?”
“Yes.”
Weed went to a blacksmith shop named Molten Metal, known for its steady customer flow.
The owner was an NPC, a resident of Roanoke, which actually made things easier than dealing with other users.
“You’ll need to pay 50 gold per hour for the spot.”
“Hmm… That’s pricey.”
“You’re using the forge, aren’t you? Do you know how expensive wood has become with all the monster issues?”
Weed’s body trembled slightly.
His first expense in Roanoke.
(Master, you received 100,000 gold for completing the Hell difficulty.)
“I know.”
(Isn’t 50 gold a small amount?)
“I know that logically, but emotionally, it’s still hard to accept.”
Even though he managed astronomical finances in real life, in virtual reality, even a single gold piece made him flinch.
(In Roanoke, haggling is impossible without the appropriate skill. This blacksmith shop is relatively cheap compared to others, so I recommend using it.)
“I can’t believe the world has come to this…”
Weed paid the 50 gold and took a seat at an empty station.
Players constantly came and went, requesting repairs or commissions.
The forge blazed hot.
“It’s been a while.”
In real life, he hadn’t touched metalwork for a long time.
But as soon as he held the hammer, memories from Royal Road came flooding back.
The days spent raising his blacksmithing skill in the dwarven village.
(Before you begin, there’s something important you should know.)
“Hm?”
(It’s been over 20 years since Royal Road launched. Players have gradually lost interest in labor-intensive jobs like blacksmithing.)
“What do you mean?”
Weed didn’t quite understand.
Blacksmithing, tailoring, shipbuilding, cooking, architecture, fishing, farming…
Laborious yet fulfilling professions where sweat turned into pride. And people weren’t interested anymore?
Looking around, he realized that despite the blacksmith shop being large, most of those working were Roanoke residents—not users.
(In recent years, newer virtual reality games have introduced automated crafting.)
“What’s automated crafting?”
(Once you start the process, your body moves on its own to craft items—like forging weapons and armor without needing to manually strike metal.)
Even in a dying world like Roanoke, user convenience couldn’t be completely ignored.
Automation had spread across various production systems.
“So, your body just moves and does the work for you?”
(Yes.)
“Isn’t it more boring to just sit and wait?”
(Items are crafted faster depending on your skill level. People just chat with others or whisper during the process to kill time, since there’s no physical fatigue from repetition.)
Weed felt keenly how much the world had changed.
And yet, the fact that the sacred art of manual labor was being ignored made him furious.
“Back when I carried 6,000 bricks in a day as a kid, it was exhausting—but so satisfying. Now, even that’s done by robots.”
Weed thought this was completely wrong.
“Auto-functions… I knew it! Artificial intelligence really is humanity’s enemy.”
(…That’s a bit of a leap in logic. Anyway, it doesn’t mean manual production is impossible anymore.)
“So I can still do it the old-fashioned way?”
(Yes. Manually crafting results in much more varied outcomes depending on the crafter’s skill.)
It had always been a given in Royal Road that a blacksmith’s skill directly impacted the final product.
High skill level was meaningless without effort and focus.
But now, results were often determined by a mix of stats, traits, skill level, and material—blended with a dose of random chance.
“I’ll show them what sacred manual labor really is.”
Weed heated a metal bar in the forge and began hammering.
Clang!
The springy resistance of the metal pushed the hammer back at just the right tension.
Clang!
His dormant instincts, honed in Royal Road, came back vividly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He struck with rhythmic precision, hitting the heated bar at the perfect angles.
A clear, metallic ringing echoed throughout the forge.
“What… what is that?”
“That sound…”
The residents of Roanoke—blacksmiths and others—turned to look.
Their gazes were all fixed on one point.
Roanoke’s live stream had become a global phenomenon.
“Roanoke Live Viewers Exceed 400 Million Simultaneously”
“U.S. Companies Report Work Disruptions as Employees Skip Work to Watch Roanoke”
“Battle of Sankken Workshop: 25 Million French Viewers Tuned In”
Within days, watching Roanoke had become one of the most popular hobbies around the world.
“Did you see how he never backed down in the end?”
“Well, with monsters launching sieges, there was nowhere to run.”
Roanoke was all anyone talked about.
Though Abyss Corp had achieved more success than expected, they were still criticized:
“Abyss Corp Accused of Unauthorized Streaming of Player Footage”
“Abyss Still Clueless About User Rights”
Governments around the world condemned Abyss and even sought to ban the live-stream feature through legislation—yet they faced fierce resistance.
The families of Roanoke’s victims opposed the bans:
“Our children are still inside. We don’t want them to die without knowing how.”
“Please don’t take away our chance to see our loved ones again.”
“Yes, it’s cruel—but not seeing them is even crueler.”
Thanks to Abyss’s live stream, people could see family members who might die at any moment.
Governments couldn’t ignore the emotional pleas—nor the overwhelming demand from the public.
Roanoke remained a source of global fascination.
Even streamers from non-gaming genres—like pets, camping, and music—jumped on the Roanoke train.
“Arensa. A beautiful city in Roanoke. Lots of users are there now.”
—They’re all gathered there.
—Packed with users.
—Too scared to go hunting, so they stay in the city.
—This place was peaceful, so the players here are gentler.
—The danger level varies a lot by region. Hunting outside the gates is terrifying.
—But if no one hunts, monsters will breed unchecked…
“It’s dangerous for sure. Based on the footage, the monster population is growing rapidly in food-rich hunting zones.”
—Villages can get wiped out if they let their guard down.
—Goblins, Lizardmen, Orcs—they form monster waves and could siege the cities.
—Monsters launching sieges?
—Yup, some monsters have intelligence. Some even use siege weapons.
—There’s a monster kingdom too.
—Sounds like a death sentence no matter what you do.
To people in the real world, Roanoke was a window into another world.
A world built on fear and despair, heading toward destruction.
In the shadows, drug trades and prostitution ran rampant, and guilds began seeking power through coercion.
People gathered and used force to seize what they wanted.
—This is a complete disaster.
—A glorious mess. Can’t look away.
—True dystopia.
—I’ve stopped going to work. Just watching Roanoke.
There weren’t enough hours in a day to keep up.
Famous villains became widely known—because their brutal actions were morbidly fascinating.
—They rob low-levels of money and gear.
—It’s insane. They’ll probably start killing soon.
—Would they really kill? That’s murder in Roanoke.
—They probably think it doesn’t count because it’s just a character.
Roanoke-related videos dominated the top 100 rankings on video platforms.
Among them, the name Weed began spreading fast.
“Ultimate magic unleashed in a ruined fortress of Hell difficulty stage 3!”
“Massive destructive power! Weed smashes Hell difficulty!”
“Undead, undead, more undead! It’s the perfect day for necromancer fans.”
“The revival of necromancers—led by none other than Weed!”
He shrugged off the horrifying pain caused by forbidden magic.
Streamers were stunned as they broadcasted his actions:
“Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.”
“Even watching it is terrifying—how can someone endure it?”
“Weed is next-level. Seriously.”
Barton, Sen, and Luria had witnessed it in person, but even viewers behind screens felt the intensity.
While most Roanoke players still played cautiously for safety, Weed stood in stark contrast.
“Weed has cleared the third stage of Hell difficulty in Roanoke!”
“First ever! A miraculous feat achieved in Roanoke!”
As streamers cheered, older viewers calmly commented:
—That’s just another day for Weed.
—I came, I saw, I conquered.
—Everyone said it was impossible, but it’s Weed. Of course he’d clear it.
—Honestly, Hell difficulty looks easy for him.
—Same feeling I had when he soloed all those S-rank quests in Royal Road.
—Meanwhile, even B-rank quests required our entire party’s corpses…
Streamers needed broad audience appeal.
While Roanoke was booming, they planned regular broadcasts focused on Weed.
“Looks like Weed has taken a break. He went to a big city—probably taking a week off. Let’s call it a golden holiday!”
—Yeah, right.
—These streamers don’t know Weed at all.
—Back in our day, everyone knew Weed.
—Weed taking a vacation? That’s a good joke.
—They really don’t get it.
The streamers’ comments baffled older fans.
They thought Weed would rest and planned to switch to other user broadcasts.
But Weed was working in a blacksmith shop.
“Huh? Is he doing blacksmithing now? Maybe just warming up?”
Compared to Hell difficulty, it wasn’t thrilling.
Streamers tried to explain slowly—
—Blacksmith Weed!
—The jack-of-all-trades returns!
—Classic Weed energy.
—Blacksmithing, tailoring, cooking, architecture, shipbuilding, painting…
—Weed is doing what Weed does best.
