Lee Hyun opened the lunch box lid.
They were korean sushi rolls today too, but today’s fillings were shark fin, eel, and salmon. There was even fresh fruit salad for dessert.
“It’s delicious.”
From that day on, Lee Hyun went to school without packing his lunch. Even if he didn’t pack a lunch, there was always food waiting for him.
As Lee Hyun ate, Seoyoon watched from a distance.
Every time he ate happily, she felt full, even if she hadn’t eaten.
‘Friends…’
Her precious friend, the only one she had in the world.
Seoyoon was thankful for him just eating it.
Due to her lack of cooking skills, her first batch of Korean sushi rolls had torn sides and their fillings protruded out. To pack delicious sushi rolls, she learned from five-star hotel chefs.
As Seoyoon watched Lee Hyun eat joyfully, she blushed. It was the sight of a goddess being shy.
In order to restore the art stats that had been consumed, Weed began working in Kuruso.
‘The fastest way to get art stats is through making handicrafts.’
A successful sculpture could earn him a lot of art stats.
Though it was a simple method in theory, the probability of success was low.
Since there was a limit to the techniques Weed could express with imagination, continuously making a successful sculpture was difficult.
Comparatively, jewelry handicrafts raised the art stat by 1 or 2 points, so it was good for replenishing. Although it took 10 works to raise the stat once, he had the perfect aptitude for doing these kinds of depressing jobs.
“The law is that grinding doesn’t lie. There’s nothing I’m more thankful to than grinding.”
In addition, videos of Kendellev’s Water Park for Children were being uploaded in Royal Road forums. Dwarven users had competitively put up their videos as quickly as they could.
Until then, Kuruso had existed so secretly that even amongst the Dwarves, there were only a few people who knew of it. However, after images of Dwarves enjoying the water park were published, the veil of secrecy was torn off.
As the number of interested people grew, the path to Kuruso was published and done with.
“We’re here!”
“WOW! This is the Dwarven Kingdom.”
More Humans and Elves came and found it, and the number of users in Kuruso increased by over 5-fold.
The sculptures of the newcomer Dwarves!
The sculptures they had acquired from above ground through one quest or another found their way to Weed.
“Art Hand-nim, I heard you can evaluate sculptures.”
“Yeah. Although I don’t do this for just any object… But since I have some time, I’ll appraise it for you.”
“Thank you!”
Even in Kuruso, where the best craftsmen had gathered, Art Hand was the most outstanding Sculptor.
The Battle in Shaspin Cave, and the victory against Death Hand!
There were Dwarven Soldiers and Warriors who gabbered in the taverns about the sculpting quests that had occurred in Kuruso, and Art Hand’s legend reached the ears of the newcomers through their gossip.
Weed, who was passing himself off as Art Hand, was gathering sculptures.
“Identify.”
— The Repentant Bird
A clay pigeon meditating on one leg.
Made by a nameless, obscure sculptor.
Although this is sculpture made with a remarkably polished skill and is a superior depiction, the meaning intended for this sculpture cannot be discerned.
Artistic Value: 30
— You have appreciated this work and your Art stat has risen by 1.
To gain Art stats through identification!
Whether they were drawings, famous swords, or even legendary armor dressers, they earned him a little Art stat.
‘The Art stat seems to be different from the other stats.’
Whenever he made a living sculpture or used a skill, the Art stat was consumed. However, when he was raising it again, there was a force of restoration, that gave him the feeling that the stat was a little easier to raise than others.
Albeit challenging to regain the Art stat by identifying sculptures alone, his Art stats rose twice as fast after he activated Eternal Sculpture.
[T/N: Weed is talking about the title he’s using.]
Even just by sewing with good material, his Art stat would rise. When he made anything from Blacksmithing, Art stats also increased.
‘Still, it’s not a method I can use often.’
As indicated by its name, restoring force really recovered stats quickly!
If he only consumed the Art stat and didn’t rebuild it, he wouldn’t be able to reach a higher level.
In order to restore his Art stat, Weed met with a lot of Dwarves in Kuruso.
“Art Hand, would you like a beer? I’m buying.”
“Have you perhaps joined a guild?”
There were guilds that approached him to recruit a sculptor.
Weed refused them each time.
One day, Herman who was watching the scene, said in a courteous tone.
“It would be nice if you joined our guild. Production class, eh! Though you aren’t in a production profession. Anyway, for people like us, who have crafting professions, it’s comfortable to be in a guild.”
“I know that too.”
“Then is there a special reason why you are not in a guild?”
He was caught with remorse over the fact that he was a Dark Gamer. Even when he was playing the Continent of Magic, he had always acted alone, so getting fenced in by a guild was a burden for him.
Herman’s eyes twinkled as he laughed.
“You seem to have circumstances you can’t talk about. But just because you’re in a guild doesn’t mean everyone is going to want to know your life story.”
“…”
“You don’t have to say anything you don’t want others to know, just act comfortably. And if you don’t like the guild, can’t you just leave it?”
“That may be so, but…”
“When you’re my age, the biggest regret is not having tried many different things in your youth. Can’t you regret it after you’ve tried? It’s not healthy to worry too much when you’re young.”
Weed decided.
‘If there’s a guild I can move comfortably in, then I suppose it wouldn’t be bad to try joining.’
In many ways, he might become the odd man out, but he found no reason to avoid the concept of guilds.
Even the Elder SwordNoobs didn’t make a guild and act within in it, though they were getting so famous in Rosenheim Kingdom that they might be forced to do so.
‘Though I shouldn’t need to join the Instructor’s guild.’
He was on close terms with the Elder SwordNoobs, and he also saw their faces every day. They were also registered as his friends, so he spoke with them often. There was no need to join a guild made by the SwordNoobs.
As if sensing Weed’s indecisiveness, Herman spoke up.
“Have you heard about the Travelers of the Wilderness Guild, by any chance?”
“I haven’t heard of it.”
“It’s the guild I’m in. Quite often, we hunt without speaking, and there are also those who only go on adventures…. It’s a guild made of willful people.”
“How many people are in it?”
“About twenty-five? The activity rate is on the high side. As for the age group…. There are old people like me, and there are many in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. We are not affiliated with any Kingdom, and there aren’t any initiation rites, so it’ll be easy to join. Why don’t you join our guild?”
“And if it becomes uncomfortable for me?”
“Then you can just leave.”
Weed felt that Herman’s proposal was acceptable.
‘They won’t bother me about this and that for being a Sculptor.’