Chapter 188: Infinitely Refilling Lamb Meat

“Y…Your Highness... Wh…why are you doing this all of a sudden...” Count Calvat stuttered as fear enveloped his body. The figure whom he thought was just a simple puppet to them before had disappeared without a trace. Ellie was a decisive empress so it was obvious that she had a reason for acting in such a behavior.

“First, bow your head to the ground or I will blow it off,” Ellie said, smiling coldly.

Count Calvat hurriedly rushed to plant his head to the ground.

“You have to get in line over there too.”

Count Calvat maintained his current position and crawled towards the other nobles lined up with their heads bowed to the ground too. They all looked completely ridiculous, but strangely enough, there was a sense of uniformity and homogeneity among him and the nobles that were shaking in a line.

“I see that you have sent out a warrant for the Frying Pan Killer. I have made a thorough investigation about the things that you have said.”

“...”

“Is a fabricated lie supposed to be written in something like this?”

“Fa…fabricated... W…what do you mean...” Count Calvat stammered. He thought that he should first avoid her sight, but at that moment, Ellie’s hands shook.

Twist!

“Ghhgk!”

Count Calvat’s right leg suddenly twisted up as Ellie said, “Bury your head like this. If you ever stray away from that position, your head will fly.”

“...Urk!”

“Don’t make me ask you twice. The warrant that you have written is false, right? I have clear evidence with me.”

“...”

“Would you believe me if I told you that the Frying Pan Killer is my dearly beloved brother?”

“...!”

“...!”

“...!”

“...!”

All four of the nobles who had their heads firmly planted on the ground were shocked.

‘Is she saying that she, the empress, is the noona, and the Frying Pan Killer is her younger brother? Shit! Does that even make sense?!’

Ellie slowly rose from her seat and looked down at them with a chilling gaze. She said, “This is the first time that you have been caught. If you still decide to brush it off, then I will be firm with my decision. I can make it so you will rot in prison forever.”

It was indeed a possible reality. More than one or two people had aged and died inside the prisons of the palace as some sort of punishment.

“Who is it? Who is the one who ordered this?”

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Perhaps it was due to their fear and greed, the nobles eventually opened their mouths to talk. Ellie’s expression turned solemn as she listened to their stories.

‘So, it was a foreigner...’

It seemed like that foreigner was trying to put the world under his control. However, there was one fact that they had overlooked. It was the fact that the empress was backing their prey.

“Do I… have to personally instruct you, what you should do from here?”

“No!”

They all answered in unison as Ellie smirked at them. Just then, Ruth came inside after going out earlier. This time, he was followed by Count Harven.

“Yeah. You should plant your head here too.”

Elle grinned coldly at him.

***

All the guild members of Bachran Guild, including Kieri, were forced to log out. Meanwhile, the Four Hyenas, as well as Minhyuk, were energetic and still going strong.

‘Wow, my uncles are so mighty...’

They were probably at least as strong, or even stronger than each of the Legend Guild members.

As for the drops, Minhyuk had decided to get the drops alone from those who had tried to kill him before, while the drops from Kieri’s group were shared with his uncles. There was a huge amount of artifacts and gold.

While he was picking the artifacts and golds, Minhyuk acquired a parchment from the area where Crone disappeared.

[You have acquired the Artifact Changing Parchment.]

Minhyuk might not know it, but the Artifact Changing Parchment was something that Crone had tried his hardest to get, and it cost around 50 platinum. When he checked the information of the item, Minhyuk’s expression looked faintly impressed.

The Artifact Changing Parchment could change the player’s equipped artifact to another artifact under the same category. For example, Minhyuk was equipped with his greatsword, but with this parchment, his greatsword could change and transform into a regular sword, a long sword, a flamberge, or a rapier. Even though the weapon had undergone a transformation, its special abilities and attack power would still be carried over.

‘I don’t like using greatswords.’

In all honesty, Minhyuk was using this greatsword because it belonged to him and it was a great artifact, but he believed that a regular sword was much more comfortable to use than a greatsword. So, Minhyuk decided to apply the Artifact Changing Parchment on Barraca’s Greatsword.

[Would you like to use the Artifact Changing Parchment on the Ancient Water Dragon Barraca’s Greatsword?]

“Yes.”

[Please select the type of sword that you wish to change into.]

Minhyuk chose the form of a regular sword and as soon as he selected the sword, the huge Barraca’s Greatsword had transformed into a regular-sized sword. Its rugged and large hilt had become much smaller and could fit better in his hands. Its entire body had also been reduced in size, becoming more sleek and slender.

[The Ancient Water Dragon Barraca’s Greatsword has turned into The Ancient Water Dragon Barraca’s Sword.]

[The special abilities change depending on the Artifact Changing Parchment. This artifact has maintained most of its existing abilities.]

(The Ancient Water God Barraca’s Greatsword)

Rank: Legendary

Restrictions: Can only be used by Minhyuk

Durability:?∞ / ∞

Attack Power: 700

Special Abilities:

STR and AGI +10%.

?Passive Skill: Sword Advanced Mastery Level +5

?There is a 15% chance of triggering the abnormal state: Difficulty in Breathing in every successful attack.

?Attack Failure Rate is reduced by 50%

?Skill: Artifact Subspace

Description: This is a sword made out of the bones of the Ancient Water God Barraca and God’s mineral, Adamantium. It is also called the Supreme Sword in the world of Gods.

Minhyuk nodded in satisfaction. Its attack power was only reduced by 32. However, a high attack power was considered to be normal for greatswords since it was quite difficult to wield compared to normal swords. The only other change was the passive skill. Previously, it was written as Greatsword Advanced Mastery, but it had now become Sword Advanced Mastery. It also seemed like the attack speed would increase the same way that it did with the Greatsword Advanced Mastery. However, he believed that his attack speed would be at least 1.5x faster than when he was using the greatsword.

“We will continue killing the Bachran Guild members in the future, Minhyuk.”

“Me too,” Minhyuk said, nodding at his uncles. It was only natural that they would do that since the Bachran Guild had touched someone that they should not have.

Then, Minhyuk checked the guild chat. It was blinking non-stop earlier, but he could not check it since he was in the middle of a fight.

[Guild Chat | Locke: Ah. This sheep head is too strong!]

[Guild Chat | Khan: A single debuff can reduce 40% of your HP?]

“...Sheep?”

Minhyuk tilted his head in confusion.

‘What do they mean by ‘sheep’?’

Not long after, he was able to see the word ‘Baphomet’ in the guild chat.

‘...!’

Baphomet! The two-legged creature with a sheep’s head! Immediately, what came to his mind when he heard of the word ‘sheep’ was…

‘L…lamb skewers!’

The lamb skewers that could easily be found rotating in some strange-looking machines all over town. The same lamb skewers that could also taste like beef, when roasted well in lamb restaurants. The very lamb skewers that were traditionally paired with Tsingtao beer. He was in awe just by imagining such a delicacy.

“Uncles! I think I should get going.”

Minhyuk actually wanted to take them with him, since they could probably help increase their guild’s power. However, mass teleportation was only possible if there was a mage who had stored the location.

“Yeah. We know.”

Minhyuk quickly added them as friends, before disappearing in a flash of light.

***

Legendary Explorer Lark, was looking around after he had arrived at the Valhalla Territory that Kaistra had told him about earlier.

‘Wh…what the hell is this...’

Lark’s eyes flitted over to Pharaoh, then Kaistra, and finally to the Legend Guild members. He couldn’t get into contact with Kaistra the past few days. In fact, he only just recently learned that Kaistra had offered himself to serve someone and recognize the man as his master.

Right now, he could see that the Legend Guild’s members had begun to take on the defensive after Baphomet had given them a debuff.

Shiiiiiing!

Bang!

“Arghh!”

Ascar, the goddess of the battlefield, could not help but let out a groan of pain after she got hit with a ball of fire.

“Ugh...!”

Lark bit his lips when he saw Ascar throwing up blood beside him.

[Lark: Kaistra, wasn’t he the one who sent Pharaoh? Why on earth are you fighting against him? Don’t you know about his terror?]

Lark was also aware of Calauhel’s great terror. Rumor had it that his wealth and assets were over one quadrillion. It was just too absurd. In fact, Lark had just recently learned that Calauhel was part of a noble family. This was something that he learned before coming here. A huge billionaire with a noble family! He even heard that it was the world’s most prestigious family that was earning huge profits through the financial sector. And that man was the center of it all. That was Calauhel.

[Kaistra: Lark, I’m sorry. But I have decided to serve ‘him’.]

Kaistra was fighting against Baphomet. He had tried to approach Pharaoh, but Baphomet was blocking his way. At that moment...

Slash!

…Baphomet’s magic easily sent Kaistra flying.

“Grrrr!”

Penrus flew in a flash of light and caught Kaistra.

“Ugh!” Kaistra groaned. He looked extremely exhausted. He almost single-handedly stopped the enemies from entering the territory in the beginning. Unfortunately, no matter how strong the Incarnation of Light was, he could not handle this number of enemies. Additionally, there was Baphomet, the Demon World’s Demonic Monster. Just by combining its magic skills and debuffs, it could easily pass off as a creature that was over Level 520.

“...What the hell am I supposed to do!”

Baphomet howled loudly, “Meeeeeeeeeeh!”

[Great Earthquake]

[An intense earthquake that engulfs the enemies within a 20-meter radius!]

Rumble!

The ground twisted and shook wildly as it tried to devour the members of Legend Guild. At least five of the guild members would die if they were engulfed in such an attack. That was when Lark finally decided.

[The Prince’s Tomb]

[A powerful stone tomb will rise to stop the attacks.]

Rumble!

A huge tomb squeezed through the ground and appeared in front of them. The tomb that suddenly appeared clashed against the vast power released by Great Earthquake.

Bang!

“Avoid the skill’s range! This won’t last long!”

“Thank you!”

“Thanks, raggedy old man!”

The Legend Guild members took advantage of the gap and quickly escaped from the area. Then, the Prince’s Tomb descended. Lark was still one of the people with a legendary class so he was still strong, even though he was infinitely weaker than Kaistra. Also, he was still not under Baphomet’s curse so he could defend against Baphomet’s attacks.

Brrrrrrrrr!

Lark immediately began to gather mana. At that exact same moment, the bodies of the nearby Anubises and the members of Bachran Guild floated in the air. It was the power to control gravity, a power that Lark possessed. Then, his arms moved like he was slamming something on the ground.

Bang!

The dead creatures and players that were floating in the air crashed loudly on the ground.

[Kaistra: Thanks, Lark.]

[Lark: You rotten punk! I have to slap you later!]

Kaistra was a trustworthy boy, so Lark also decided to trust his decision and follow him.

***

Kevin was a boy that lived in the small town of Valhalla. He was a boy who had lost his father due to the lord’s reckless dispatching of a subjugation force two years ago. His father was once the knight commander of Valhalla Town. And the boy, Kevin, still remembered that day. His father had smiled at him back then and told him that he would come back. But he never returned in the two years that he waited for him.

Right now, Kevin saw plenty of demon-like creatures emerge in the town. There were creatures with an upper body like a dog and a lower body of a human. They were attacking the town together with other people.

He was still just seven years old. This young boy was witnessing how the soldiers of the village were dying one after another, while the members of Legend Guild were falling one by one. To him, it seemed like they were constantly on the defensive, even though a man had summoned a tomb that had slammed some of their enemies on the ground.

Then, at that moment...

Bang!

…a huge lion made up of stones suddenly appeared in front of him. Kevin trembled in fear. He faintly recalled the words of his father as he prepared to run away from danger.

‘A man should not turn his back in front of his enemies especially when he’s protecting his loved ones.’

Kevin took out the small dagger that he always carried with him. It was his father’s memento.

“Grrrrr!”

The stone lion bared its teeth at him as it slowly stalked towards him. Even though he was trembling in fear, Kevin still remembered his father’s behavior and movements. His father always held the sword with both of his hands to slash his enemies from the top. At that moment, the lion jumped.

“Yaaaah!”

Kevin was still afraid as he closed his eyes tightly and tried to slash his dagger down. Just like what his father did.

Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!

Grrrrrrrrr!

He heard the sound of the giant stone lion collapsing.

“I…I did it!” Kevin shouted. He grinned widely, as a man appeared beside him in a flash.

Then, that man asked him with a light smile on his face, “That was really cool. Do you want to be a knight?”

“Yeah! A very, very, very, cool and strong knight! My dad was a strong knight, so I want to be a strong knight like my dad!”

“Yeah? I’m sure you can do it.”

The young man patted him lightly on his head. The man smiled slightly at him as a baby pig climbed over his shoulders. He said, “You should step back for now. It’s dangerous.”

“I know. Wait. Hyung, what’s your name?”

The man rushed forward, but stopped to look back at Kevin. He said, “Minhyuk.”

Then, Kevin watched as another foreigner wielding a greatsword appeared in front of the running man. He watched as the foreigner with the greatsword failed to penetrate through the rock hard skin of the stone lion. At that moment, he watched as the man from earlier placed two of his fingers in front of his mouth and…

“Bbiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!”

Minhyuk then ran forward, as the gigantic lions and the Anubises flocked around him.

“Rampant Sword.”

Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash, slash!

The stone lion that no one could hunt easily due to its high defense had collapsed in an instant. Then, he saw the man stab his sword on the ground.

“Blooming Sword.”

Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!

Beautiful flowers made out of sharp sword blades bloomed and stabbed the enemies. Huge explosions immediately followed.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

As Kevin watched this scene unfold before him...

“Wooow!”

…he was filled with admiration and awe.

This boy named Kevin would later go on to become a ‘Sword Master’. He would always remember the hero who saved their territory on that fateful day.