[Trantor - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 32: Necropolis (3)
Monster corpses littered the area around the hill.
All those who had rushed in fearlessly had fallen to the ground, their eyes rolled back.
[Level Up!]
[Current level is 35.]
‘At this rate, wouldn''t it be possible to ascend to the next rank within a week?’
Staying in the border region had increased the rate at which he gained experience exponentially.
"Let''s pick up the pace."
"Huff, huff. We''re almost done, Hyung-nim."
Once the Little Runts team extracted the mana stones from the fallen monsters'' corpses.
"Good. Put them there."
-Groooan.
The Armored Zombies carried the corpses, now stripped of their mana stones, to the center of the hill.
The blood flowing from the monsters'' remains drenched the hill.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
〔It doesn''t seem like you''re trying to create new undead. Is this rted to the Necropolis?〕
''Yes. From now on, I''m going to build a ck Obelisk.''
〔Isn''t the obelisk a structure that worships Ra, the head of the Ennead n?〕
"Oh."
Yoojin let out a short exmation.
''That''s right. Originally, it was a symbol of the Ennead gods, led by the sun god Ra.''
Yoojin pointed to the setting sun.
The sun possesses overflowing vitality and also signifies providence.
''I will overturn that concept with the ck Obelisk.''
Reverse the water energy, which has a deep connection with spirit power among the four elements that make up nature, and transmit it outwards.
Spread it like fog to block the sun and amplify the spirit power intertwined with the water energy.
〔An act of twisting the natural order. Truly like a necromancer.〕
''I''ll take that as apliment.''
Yoojin lightly brushed off Kronos''s sarcasm.
〔But reversing such a full force of the sun''s energy doesn''t seem easy?〕
''Just watch.''
Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times.
Yoojin stopped exining further and slowly began to raise his spirit power.
A realm not permitted at his original level.
However.
It was possible for Yoojin, who had not gained his abilities through system assistance, but had instead internalized the essence of necromancy as true ''power'' through the [Library of Knowledge] and gained enlightenment.
[Using Flesh Control.]
[Using Bone Control.]
First, separate the flesh and bones.
He moved the white bones with Bone Control.
''Form the frame of the structure.''
Large and small bones floated up and began to weave together ording to a predetermined blueprint.
The top of the hill.
A bone tower, about 5 meters tall, was erected at the highest point, which was also the center.
''The skeleton isplete.''
[Using Flesh Control.]
The monster flesh that had been separated came crawling and filled the interior of the tower.
Kang Minyeong retched at the grotesque sight, but managed to endure it.
Well, of course.
If she continued to be with him, she would see many more terrible sights, so it wouldn''t do to be like this already, would it?
"Hmm."
A groan escaped his lips.
Perhaps because he had squeezed his mana to the limit, his body swayed unsteadily.
【Master.】
Fafnir went behind Yoojin and held him so he wouldn''t copse.
"Just hold me for a bit."
[Using Midnight Sun.]
[Mana → Holy Power conversion.]
He replenished his depleted mana by infusing his body with life force, restoring his consumed energy.
"Hyung-nim. Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Just don''t throw up on the ground."
"..."
As soon as his Holy Power recovered to a certain extent, he immediately deployed Midnight Sun to convert it into mana.
He moved the flesh again.
Squish- Squish—
The flesh, filling the bone tower, was crushed with the sound of tearing flesh.
"Whew."
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
He couldn''t remember how many times he had almost copsed just from shaping the ck Obelisk.
Constructing a territory was a task that one would dare to attempt only after reaching at least 3 Stars.
Even with future knowledge and experience, he had undertaken a task that would be challenging even two ranks higher, so his head felt like it was about to explode.
〔It doesn''t seem like there''s much change.〕
''It has only taken form. The real work hasn''t even begun.''
He ced his right hand on the structure, glistening with a mixture of blood and crushed flesh.
His brow furrowed at the sticky sensation.
''Substance is more important than appearance.''
Ignoring the unpleasant feeling, Yoojin synchronized his senses with the ck Obelisk.
The wriggling lumps of flesh.
Yoojin''s spirit power, flowing through the contact surface, permeated the ck Obelisk and was amplified.
【This is...?】
A ferocious wave of spirit power, strong enough for Fafnir to instinctively assume a fighting stance upon sensing the unusual energy.
''It''s well made.''
Yoojin smiled, satisfied with his undiminished skills.
He confirmed that ''spirit power amplification'', one of the roles of the ck Obelisk, was functioning sessfully.
''I can''t stop here.''
Necropolis.
To function as a necromancer''s territory, the water energy and spirit power drawn from the spirit vein had to densely permeate the surroundings.
Yoojin poured the amplified spirit power into the ground without hesitation.
The spirit power seeping into the ground pierced a small passage connecting the obelisk and the underground, and almost simultaneously engraved a magic circuit.
[Magic Circuit - Reverse Mana Flow]
A marvel that could be demonstrated only because of Yoojin''s control ability,prehension, and extensive knowledge in the field of magic circuits.
If an alchemist like Shin Joonseok were here and witnessed the real-time magic circuit inscription happening underground, he would be astonished.
The moment a straight path to the spirit vein was opened.
''A bite right away.''
The water energy pulsed in response to Yoojin''s spirit power.
The intense spirit power mixed in the water flow thrashed upwards like a fish that had swallowed bait whole.
''Not yet.''
He maximized the power amplified by the ck Obelisk.
He blocked the spirit power trying to surge up from the ground and engraved a circuit into the spirit vein as well.
[Five Elements Formation - Water Energy Heaven Filling]
A formation that interferes with the flow of water, which should originally flow from top to bottom.
Yoojin used the formation to reverse the flow of water energy flowing through the ground, forcing it to flow upwards along with his spirit power.
''Well, it''s unorthodox, but...''
The foundation of formations is the natural order of Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements.
Forcibly twisting the flow of water is something a proper formation master would never do.
It was an unconventional technique that only Yoojin, who had dabbled in various fields of knowledge to advance necromancy, could employ.
Zing—!
The magic circuit engraved while creating the passage prevented the leakage of spirit power, guiding it to the ck Obelisk without loss.
"Activate."
When Yoojin activated all the functions of the ck Obelisk, a whitish airflow rose from the tip of the tower.
[ck Obeliskpleted.]
[You have achieved a feat that transcends several ranks. A line is added to the myth of the Heaven-Defying Giant.]
[The structure''spletion is high. Performance increased by 50%.]
Of course.
Who am I?
Yoojin chuckled, having aplished something that even the system was astonished by.
【Such a full force of death... My power is increasing.】
[Inside the ck Obelisk, the vision of living beings is extremely narrowed.]
[Undead stats increased by 30%.]
"But Fafnir, why are you standing sideways?"
【Sideways? Why are you saying that when you''re the one looking crookedly, Master?】
What do you mean?
Yoojin then realized that his neck was bent backwards.
His body had no strength to even lift a finger.
The aftereffects of pushing his concentration to the limit were btedly catching up to his body.
"Wait. I think this is wrong..."
His consciousness fading.
Ah.
Shit.
It was only natural that there would be repercussions from forcibly restoring his mana and applying the technique.
For a moment, he had considered his condition based on his body from before his return.
''Ah. I''m screwed.''
Although the extreme situation of mana going berserk did not ur, a splitting headache pierced the crown of his head.
【Master! Mas...】
Amidst his fading consciousness, Fafnir''s thoughts rang out like thunder.
＊ ＊ ＊
An unfamiliar ceiling, no, a tent.
〔Khahahaha. What a masterpiece. To faint from handling power you couldn''t handle.〕
''Stop chattering, it''s making my head ring.''
〔That aside, I must acknowledge your resourcefulness. To twist order.〕
Kronos knew full well how amazing what Yoojin had done was.
With minimal force, he had twisted the natural order to create an advantageous environment.
Something impossible with the abilities of a mere 1 Star Hunter.
〔Truly. It seems that reaching 9 Stars without the blessing of a constetion was no bluff.〕
Kronos swallowed his exmations of admiration several times.
Yoojin emerged from the camp and lightly stretched his body.
"Hyung-nim. Are you alright?"
"I just overdid it a bit."
"But your face is pale. Saying that isn''t very convincing."
Yoojin waved his hand dismissively at Kang Minho''s worried words.
"Um, by the way, Hyung-nim."
"If you have any questions, ask quickly."
"Is this fog going to stay?"
A whitish airflow covered the hill.
The fog emanating from the obelisk severely limited visibility.
"Why? Is it inconvenient?"
"Haha, I can''t say it''s not."
"This is what a necromancer''s territory looks like."
Blocking the light pouring down from the sky.
It amplifies Yin energy and increases the efficiency of necromancy, and it''s also easy to defend by severely limiting the vision of living beings.
"But it wouldn''t do for you guys to be inconvenienced too."
Yoojin lightly pricked Kang Minho''s fingertip with a Bone Weapon.
"Ouch."
"Stop overreacting."
He infused the bead of blood that welled up with spirit power, and it seeped into the fog.
[Registering information of the living being into the ck Obelisk.]
The blood of the rest of the party was also recorded in the ck Obelisk.
"Wow. I can see clearly now."
"I have no idea what kind of magic you used."
"I''d believe it even if Hyung-nim said he made soybean paste with red beans."
The Little Runts team members chattered excitedly.
【Indeed. Only living beings have their vision restricted?】
"It''s a domain of death."
Returning to the ck Obelisk, Yoojin connected his mind to it once again.
[Territory Size - 1]
[Necromancy Amplification Range - 1km]
[Capacity for Undead - 0/100]
[Spiritual Energy Concentration – 3]
[Structure - ck Obelisk]
''Well, as expected.''
The thickness of the spirit vein, or in other words, the output of spirit power, affects the concentration in the air.
The maximum value is 5.
For that much spirit power to flow out, it would have to be a ce where arge-scale war took ce.
''This is just right.''
If the spirit power is too strong, he might be swept away while trying to control it.
Considering that he found this location in less than a day, it was an excellent condition.
[Transferring control of 18 Armored Zombies to the ck Obelisk.]
[Capacity for Undead – 18/100]
Even though the control of the undead was transferred to the tower, the zombies still followed Yoojin''smands.
The owner of the ck Obelisk was Yoojin.
Unless the ownership of the zombies was transferred to another necromancer''s territory, it wouldn''t be a problem.
''Increase the undead army with the obelisk as a base.''
A demonic realm where monsters constantly emerge, sucking up the mana of thend.
It wouldn''t take long to fill the ck Obelisk to its maximum capacity of 100 undead.
【It''s literally Master''s territory.】
"Territory? It''s not enough just to have the ck Obelisk to function properly."
An unholy graveyard.
A necromancy researchb.
A dark origin chamber, and so on.
There was a lot to do to establish a proper Necropolis.
"You''ll be busy too."
【Huhuhu. I''m fine, so feel free to use me as much as you like.】
"Speaking of which, I have a favor to ask."
Yoojin pointed at Kang Minho.
"Train him."
【Like you were, uh, trained, Master?】
"You can push him even harder."
"Um, Hyung-nim. What do you mean?"
"There''s no easy way to get stronger. You have to put in the work. Training and realbat are the only ways."
There was the best instructor who could quickly grasp habits, actions, and skill weaknesses with the Eyes of the Martial God trait.
The border region teeming with monsters!
It was the optimal ce to catch two rabbits: training and realbat experience.
"Hyung-nim. Then can we go now?"
"Oppa, fighting!"
The two were stealthily backing away.
"Where do you think you''re going? You''re going to learn from me."
Yoojin grinned.
Don''t worry.
I''ll let you live.
[Trantor - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]